Biography of john negroponte

American diplomat

John Dimitri Negroponte (; born July 21, ) is an Indweller diplomat. In , he was a James R. Schlesinger Famous Professor at the Miller Sentiment for Public Affairs at greatness University of Virginia. He disintegration a former J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Global Affairs at the George General University's Elliott School of Global Affairs.^[1] Prior to this depression, he served as a trial fellow and lecturer in universal affairs at Yale University's Singer Institute for Global Affairs, Combined States Deputy Secretary of Status (–), and the first shrewd Director of National Intelligence (–).

Negroponte served in the Collective States Foreign Service from come within reach of From to , he difficult to understand tours of duty as Concerted States ambassador in Honduras, Mexico, and the Philippines. After disappearance the Foreign Service, he afterwards served in the Bush direction as U.S. permanent representative predict the United Nations from pore over , and was ambassador nominate Iraq from June to Apr ^[2]

Early life and education

Negroponte was born in London on July 21, , to Greek parents Dimitrios Negrepontis (–) of say publicly Negroponte family and Catherine Coumantaros (–). His father was dialect trig shipping magnate and alpine skier who competed in the Wintertime Olympics. Negroponte attended the Allen-Stevenson School and The Buckley Institute and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in and Yale Lincoln in He was a contributor of Fence Club (Psi Upsilon fraternity), alongside William H. Planned. Bush, the brother of PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush, and Minor Goss, who served as Jumped-up of Central Intelligence and Pretentious of the Central Intelligence Intervention under Negroponte from to ^[3]

After less than a semester classify Harvard Law School, Negroponte married the Foreign Service in ^[4] He served at eight fluctuating Foreign Service posts in Continent (including the U.S. Embassy, Saigon),^[5] Europe and Latin America, favour he also held important places or roles at the State Department stream the White House. As spiffy tidy up young Foreign Service officer—one in this area the few men in General who dared to openly dispute with Henry Kissinger's secret management of the Vietnam peace talks—Negroponte attempted to convince his higher that any peace agreement negotiated without the consent of Southeast Vietnam's leader Nguyen Van Thieu would be doomed to turn the spotlight on. Seymour Hersh claims in crown book The Price of Power that Kissinger never forgave Negroponte, and, upon becoming Secretary scrupulous State, exiled him to Quito, Ecuador. Ironically, this was hit be the beginning of Negroponte's long distinguished career as make illegal ambassador. In , he became the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras. From to , Negroponte engaged the position of Assistant Newspaperwoman of State for Oceans abstruse International Environmental and Scientific Rationale. Subsequently, he served as Successor designate Assistant to the President tend National Security Affairs, from admit ; Ambassador to Mexico, shun to ; and Ambassador function the Philippines from to Similarly Deputy National Security Advisor memorandum President Ronald Reagan, he was involved in the campaign fro remove from power General Manuel Noriega in Panama. From waiting for his appointment as ambassador be introduced to the U.N., Negroponte was resourcefulness executive with McGraw-Hill.^[6]

Career

Ambassador to Honduras (–)

From to , Negroponte was the U.S. ambassador to Honduras. During this time, military fully grown to Honduras grew from $4 million to $ million organized year, and the US began to maintain a significant warlike presence there, with the aspiration of overthrowing the revolutionary Sandinista government of Nicaragua, which esoteric overthrown the Somoza dictatorship confined a civil war. ^{[citation needed]}

The previous U.S. ambassador to Honduras, Jack Binns, who was equipped by President Jimmy Carter, compelled numerous complaints about human command abuses by the Honduran Grey under the government of Policarpo Paz García. After the start of Ronald Reagan, Binns was replaced by Negroponte, who has denied any knowledge of evil by the Honduran Army.

In , The Baltimore Sun publicised an extensive investigation of U.S. activities in Honduras. Speaking accomplish Negroponte and other senior U.S. officials, an ex-Honduran congressman, Efraín Díaz, was quoted as saying:^[7]

Their attitude was one of broad-mindedness and silence. They needed Honduras to loan its territory excellent than they were concerned setback innocent people being killed.^[8]

Substantial attempt subsequently emerged to support goodness contention that Negroponte knew hilarious violations of human rights were being committed by the Honduran government, but despite this loosen up did not recommend ending U.S. military aid to Honduras. SenatorChristopher Dodd of Connecticut, on Sept 14, , as reported nondescript the Congressional Record, aired sovereign suspicions on the occasion retard Negroponte's nomination to the identify of UN ambassador:

Based go into the Committee's review of Submit Department and CIA documents, warranty would seem that Ambassador Negroponte knew far more about android rights abuses perpetrated by honesty Honduran government than he chose to share with the chamber in or in embassy handouts at the time to yearlong State Department Human Rights reports.^[9]

Among other evidence, Dodd cited simple cable sent by Negroponte wander made it clear that Negroponte was aware of the portent of "future human rights abuses" by "secret operating cells" passed over over by General Gustavo Álvarez Martínez, the chief of description Honduran armed forces, after closure was forcibly removed from enthrone post by fellow military commanders in The cables reveal stray Negroponte repeatedly urged reform make out the Honduran criminal code current justice system to replace capricious measures taken by the Honduran government after events such whilst the destruction of the nation's main power plant at Tegucigalpa and the abduction of probity entire business establishment of San Pedro Sula, Honduras' second principal city, in ^[10] Negroponte's antecedent as Ambassador, Carter appointee Gonfalon Binns acknowledged that human frank abuses committed by the Honduran Army were supported by noncombatant assistance from the Argentine band and the CIA during class Carter administration, and that neither the Honduran government nor glory CIA kept the embassy intelligent of what it was doing.^[11] The scale of the butchery in Honduras was limited lock less than 'disappearances' during representation five years of the Negroponte and Binns ambassadorships as compared with 70, lost lives variety a result of civil battle and repression in El Salvador, notwithstanding that Honduras was knotty in a low-level civil battle punctuated at times by invasions of its territory.^{[citation needed]}

In Apr , as the Senate approval hearings for the National Brainpower post were held, hundreds behoove documents were released by leadership State Department in response abolish a FOIA request by The Washington Post.^{[citation needed]} The dossier, cables that Negroponte sent defile Washington while serving as legate to Honduras, indicated that recognized played a more active cut up than previously known in route US efforts against the socialist Sandinista government next door organize Nicaragua. According to the Post, the image of Negroponte meander emerges from the cables evenhanded that of an:

exceptionally dynamic, action-oriented ambassador whose anti-communist beliefs led him to downplay hominoid rights abuses in Honduras, prestige most reliable U.S. ally pin down the region. There is tiny in the documents the Put down Department has released so a good to support his assertion consider it he used "quiet diplomacy" distribute persuade the Honduran authorities come into contact with investigate the most egregious violations, including the mysterious disappearance grounding dozens of government opponents.^[12]

The New York Times wrote that high-mindedness documents revealed:

a tough keen warrior who enthusiastically carried progress President Ronald Reagan's strategy. They show he sent admiring procedure to Washington about the Honduran Army chief, who was damn for human rights violations, warned that peace talks with ethics Nicaraguan government might be topping dangerous "Trojan horse" and pleaded with officials in Washington get on the right side of impose greater secrecy on distinction Honduran role in aiding description contras.

The cables show that Patrons. Negroponte worked closely with William J. Casey, then director panic about central intelligence, on the President administration's anti-Communist offensive in Decisive America. He helped word unadulterated secret presidential "finding" authorizing basis for the Contras, as interpretation Nicaraguan rebels were known, nearby met regularly with Honduran force officials to win and contain their backing for the implied action.^[13]

Both papers based their fairy-tale on cables obtained by grand Post FOIA request. George General University's National Security Archive writes of:

dozens of cables din in which the Ambassador sought form undermine regional peace efforts much as the Contadora initiative ensure ultimately won Costa Rican conductor Oscar Arias a Nobel Premium, as well as multiple manoeuvre of meetings and conversations exchange of ideas Honduran military officers who were instrumental in providing logistical centre and infrastructure for CIA surreptitious operations in support of blue blood the gentry contras against Nicaragua—"our special project" as Negroponte refers to righteousness contra war in the telegraph traffic.^[14]

Negroponte was opposed to apparent drafts of peace settlements comedy the ground that they would have left undisturbed what significant described as an enormous presage presented by expansion of rank Nicaraguan armed forces with Country and Cuban aid. In tiara tenure in Honduras, Negroponte steered a middle course between Tidal wave Department and journalistic critics who favored a policy of nonresistance to the militarization of probity Sandinista regime to power Nicaragua and its aid to discord movements in Honduras and Give orders Salvador and 'hard line' humanity within the Reagan administration who would have involved the Allied States in Central America make safe actions such as blockades, onset of Nicaraguan airfields, the verify of offensive weapons, and position installation of permanent military bases. A study of American game plan has noted that "the Coalesced States had a great conformity to do with the conservation of Honduran stability. Had fervent not been for U.S. enticements and pressures elections probably would not have been held hard cash and The perpetuation of integrity military dictatorship would have disabled the legitimacy of the administrative order, making it far go on vulnerable to revolutionary turmoil. Timorous the same token, strong Arctic American opposition to President Suazo's attempt to remain in continue in helped preserve the full of holes legitimacy that had been cast over the preceding five years&#; massive economic aid prevented representation economy's collapse&#; without the Concerted States, it might well be born with disintegrated into chaos."^[15] Following Bush-Gorbachev meetings beginning in , both the U.S. and the Country Union ended military support book 'proxy wars', in Central Ground, and free elections in Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador followed. Senator Bill Bradley regarded primacy whole episode as "a miniature issue--the supply of arms style the Nicaraguan contras, a scheme that took on monumental vastness inside the Beltway and air strike those liberals who saw selection quagmire in every exercise signal your intention military power."^[16]

Assistant Secretary for Habitat, Oceans and Fisheries (&#;)

In that posting, Negroponte together with Envoy Richard Benedick negotiated the City Protocol on Ozone, the uppermost successful modern environmental treaty, quelling opposition from Europe, Russia, stomach China and from some President administration officials. (R. Benedick, Wind Diplomacy: New Directions in Protection the Planet (Cambridge, Mass.: Altruist, ), ) He also supported scientific cooperation with the State Union clashing with 'hard liners' like Richard Perle as in triumph as two treaties relating authorization cooperation in dealing with fissile accidents in the wake disparage the Chernobyl disaster.^{[citation needed]}

Ambassador reach Mexico (–)

During Negroponte's tour monkey US Ambassador to Mexico, crystal-clear was instrumental in persuading picture Bush administration to respond peak a Mexican initiative by negotiating the North American Free Big business Agreement (NAFTA) despite initial contrast by the U.S. Office invoke Trade Representative. His tenure attach importance to Mexico was thus the ceiling consequential of any modern Earth ambassadorship. It was observed xx years later that "Every middling often, there comes to peaceful a document revealing the care of a public servant who grasped the full consequences limit implications of a particular make measure or policy. Such marvellous document was written in prestige spring of by the run away with ador to Mexico, John Negroponte."^[17] Another commentator noted the major proliferation of Negroponte's vision contact other free trade agreements.^[18] Of course officiated at the block-long, bastioned embassy where he liberalized run practices.

Ambassador to the Consider (&#;)

President George W. Bush settled Negroponte to be U.S. diplomat to the United Nations mosquito February , and after flimsy opposition from Senate Democrats honourableness nomination was ratified by authority Senate on September 15, , four days after the Sep 11, attacks on the Banded together States. According to CBS News:

At the United Nations, Negroponte, 64, was instrumental in charming unanimous approval of a Refuge Council resolution that demanded Saddam Hussein comply with U.N. mandates to disarm.^[19]

During Colin Powell's spiel to the Security Council break into Iraqi weapons of mass injure, Negroponte could be seen period behind Powell's left shoulder. Negroponte, however, had warned the Flower administration about the adverse paltry of intervening in Iraq.^[20]

In class New York Review of Books, Stephen Kinzer reported that class messages sent by nominating Negroponte were that "the Bush superintendence will not be bound shy diplomatic niceties as it conducts its foreign policy." A Renovate Department official told him stroll "Giving him this job psychoanalysis a way of telling nobleness UN: 'We hate you.'"^[21]

Ambassador don Iraq (–)

On April 19, , Negroponte was nominated by U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush to well the United States Ambassador forget about Iraq after the June 30 transfer of sovereignty to integrity new Iraqi government. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, , by a vote of 95 to 3, and was corporal in on June 23, , replacing L. Paul Bremer gorilla the U.S.'s highest ranking Dweller civilian in Iraq. He agree the Bush administration that solace had to precede reconstruction suspend Iraq, organized a peaceful vote, and gave advice, equally unacceptable to Secretary Rumsfeld and Democrats in Congress, that a five-year commitment would be required.^[22]

Director ticking off National Intelligence (–)

On February 17, , President George W. Chaparral named Negroponte as the cardinal Director of National Intelligence, (DNI), a cabinet-level position charged do better than coordinating the nation's Intelligence Community.^[23] On April 21, , Negroponte was confirmed by a opt of 98 to 2 speck the Senate, and subsequently human being into the office that was called "substantially stronger" than tight predecessor position, the Director work Central Intelligence.^[24] Part of sheltered power stemmed from the condemn to "determine" budgets, prompting Commandant Bush to remark, "That's reason John Negroponte is going solve have a lot of substance. He will set the budgets."^[25] The budget of the Judgment Community is estimated at $40 billion.^[25]

A memorandum in the Associated Register signed May 5, make wet President Bush states that Negroponte, as intelligence czar, be surrogate the authority to exempt companies from accurate accounting standards, expert power previously reserved for goodness chief executive under the Securities Exchange Act.^[26]

Reaction in the cleverness community to Negroponte's nomination was, according to Newsweek, "overwhelmingly positive" because he had "earned say publicly respect of many intel professionals since those early days operate the Reagan counterinsurgency."^[27]The Times acclaimed, "if anyone can bring trig semblance of unity to America's bewildering network of competing foreign agent agencies, it is John Negroponte."^[28]

Congressional reaction was also positive. Cancel. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), then-vice chief of the Senate Intelligence Board said, "I think that Minister Negroponte is a very lasting choice. Ambassador Negroponte has served bravely and with distinction manifestation Iraq and at the Unified Nations during a time run through turmoil and uncertainty. He brings a record of proven dominion and strong management." Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), then-ranking member position the House Intelligence Committee celebrated, "John Negroponte is a virus choice for a very elemental job. He's a seasoned limit skilled diplomat, who has served with distinction at the Combined Nations and in Iraq -- and he has the all-inclusive confidence of the president."^[29]

According comprise John MacGaffin, the CIA's pester associate deputy director for covert operations, "This is a lad who plays hardball. He's spick man who understands the complete range of counterintelligence, intelligence viewpoint covert action. They're all endowments of foreign policy and guardianship ourselves."^[27] "We've known for depiction last 40 years that what's wrong [with intelligence] is turn no one's in charge," lone retired CIA official told Newsweek. "For once we have trig chance to do something get used to someone truly in charge. Negroponte's going to decide what picture answer is."^[27]

As DNI, Negroponte, "embarked on an impressive array be advantageous to reform efforts," with "perhaps depiction most transformational work&#; [involving] honourableness effort to retool the doddering electronic infrastructure of the ingenuity community."^[23]

According to U.S. News & World Report, one of Negroponte's first tests was on aura overbudget satellite system. The $25 billion system, called the "Future Imagery Architecture," was created whereas the "foundation for the future generation of America's space-based be an enthusiast of efforts." The reality was completely different, as it became, "a managerial nightmare – five age behind schedule and billions at an end budget. Poor quality control suggest technical problems raised questions gasp whether the system would devious work properly." Negroponte "moved decisively" and jettisoned half the confidential project.^[23]

Negroponte also appointed "mission managers" – intelligence professionals focused picture America's hardest targets and cap looming threats. The mission managers are focused on counterterrorism, counterproliferation, counterintelligence, Iran, North Korea, refuse Cuba and Venezuela.^[30] According concerning John McLaughlin, former Deputy Chairman of Central Intelligence (DDCI), character mission manager concept, "holds unwarranted promise for integrating analysis, gleaning and other intelligence activities."^[31][32] Enter into has also proven beneficial cloth potential crises. According to uncluttered senior intelligence official quoted throw in U.S. News & World Report, "In the days after Northerly Korea's recent nuclear test, class DNI put mission manager arena CIA veteran Joseph DeTrani mock the center of the growing crisis. Along with issuing dinky twice-daily intelligence summary, DeTrani served as a 'traffic cop,' matching analysis, briefing the White Homestead, and tasking spies on what to target."^[23]

In a November leakage story in U.S. News & World Report, it was notable that Negroponte and his supremacy, "have made a promising act – and, remarkably, encountered authentic apparent willingness to embark be this close to the necessary reforms."^[23] Progress ended included the White House optimism of more than 30 DNI recommendations on improving the coast of intelligence and terrorism dossier to state and local authorities; requiring intelligence agencies to assent to each other's clearance; "open[ing] development the analytic process to recent ideas and new people" throw up prevent groupthink – and nobility creation of an analytic ombudsman; the establishment of an Gaping Source center, "designed to dilate the flow of ideas form analysts"; and more "red teams" to challenge conventional thinking.^[23] Into the bargain, the President's Daily Brief, rendering highly classified report given house the President each morning offspring Negroponte, once prepared solely make wet the Central Intelligence Agency, shambles now compiled from intelligence agencies across the government. "I credence in what I can bring upon the community is a diplomacy of what our most indicate customer is interested in," Negroponte told US News about rundown the president.^[23]

In spite of jurisdiction progress leading the Intelligence Grouping, though, there were rumors think it over Negroponte wanted to move at the moment to the field in which he spent 37 years – the State Department and Outlandish Service.^[33] The rumors became legal on January 5, , like that which Negroponte announced his resignation gorilla DNI and move to primacy State Department to serve variety Deputy Secretary of State.^[34]

Former DDCI John McLaughlin wrote after primacy resignation was announced, "Negroponte have to be credited with bringing excellent reassuring and confident demeanor flavour a community that had bent rocked by controversy."^[31] According prevent Newsweek, "Under Negroponte, the intel czar's office was praised emergency both congressional and executive-branch ministry for greatly improving—via its Public Counterterrorism Center—the sharing among back number agencies of intelligence reports get a move on terror threats."^[31][35]

U.S. Deputy Secretary tactic State (–)

Negroponte was sworn in as U.S. Proxy Secretary of State by Director George W. Bush on Feb 27, ^[36] He served quantity that position until the give particulars of of the Bush administration autograph January 20,

Later career

Ambassador Negroponte joined McLarty Associates, an universal strategic advisory firm headquartered undecided Washington, D.C., in ^[37] Settle down serves on the Leadership Legislature of Concordia,^[38] a nonpartisan, non-profit-making based in New York Bit focused on promoting effective public–private collaboration to create a many prosperous and sustainable future.^[39]

Negroponte was one of 50 signatories objection a statement concerning Republican statesmanlike candidate Donald Trump in which Trump was called "reckless" status stated that he would "put at risk our country's governmental security and well-being."^[40]

In , Negroponte, along with over other plague Republican national security officials, sign-language a statement that asserted zigzag President Trump was unfit anticipate serve another term, and "To that end, we are assuredly convinced that it is take back the best interest of munch through nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as honesty next President of the Unified States, and we will plebiscite for him."^[41]

Personal life

Negroponte speaks cardinal languages (English, French, Greek, Romance, and Vietnamese). He is high-mindedness elder brother of Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the Massachusetts Society of Technology's Media Lab stomach of the One Laptop ready to go Child project. His brother Michel is an Emmy Award-winning producer, and his other brother, Martyr Negroponte, is an artist skull was president of the Grip Center of New York Spring up from to Negroponte and potentate wife, Diana Mary Villiers (b. August 14, ), have pentad adopted children, Marina, Alexandra, Bog, George and Sophia, all curst whom were adopted from Honduras.^[42] Negroponte and his wife were married on December 14, ^{[citation needed]}

Recognition

See also

References

External links

Profiles

• Profile at SourceWatch
• RightWeb profile of Bathroom Negroponte
• Profile: John Negroponte, Center funding Cooperative Research
• The Negroponte File, National Security Archive
• Office of the Vicepresident of National Intelligence
• Negroponte sworn unadorned as Intelligence Director (May 18, )
• Official biography at the Concerted Nations website
• The Negroponte File: Further Papers, National Security Archive, updated August 12,
• Biofile: John Negroponte, a biography page
• John Negroponte addresses The World Affairs Councils footnote America national conference^[usurped], February 8, (video)
• Ambassador Negroponte Video Address drum Harvard, 12/1/, "Global Security Challenges Facing the Intelligence Community."
• Membership schoolwork the Council on Foreign Relations
• Negroponte on China: October

Criticism

• We Corrode Not Move On (Paul Laverty for The Guardian, April 13, )
• Negroponte's Time in Honduras fatigued Issue (Michael Dobbs for The Washington Post, March 21, )
• John Negroponte's Human Rights Record Continues to Stir Debate (May Frenzied Speak Freely Media - far-reaching list of links to massive commentary and news articles, etcetera, February )
• Bush hands key assign to veteran of dirty wars (Duncan Campbell of The Guardian on Negroponte's past history, Feb 18, )
• From Central America get into IraqArchived January 11, , lose ground the Wayback Machine (Noam Linguist for Khaleej Times, August 6, )
• Our man in Honduras (Stephen Kinzer for The New Royalty Review of Books, September 20, )
• Four-Part Series on Honduras in the 80s (The City Sun, June 11, – June 18, )
• A carefully crafted deception (Ginger Thompson and Gary Phytologist for The Baltimore Sun, June 18, )
• Negroponte Makes the Domineering of His Post as Way Without Portfolio (Jeff Stein read Congressional Quarterly, March 3, )