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For Immediate Release
October 4, 2004
More than 180 Former U.S. Ambassadors from Republican and Democratic Administrations Endorse Kerry
Unprecedented Support from Group of Bipartisan Foreign Policy Professionals
Washington, DC - United by a deep concern about the mounting failures of the Bush administration’s foreign policy, more than 180 former United States Ambassadors who have served under Republican and Democratic presidents endorsed John Kerry for president on Monday.
At a news conference at the National Press Club, members of Ambassadors for Kerry-Edwards issued a letter stating, “We believe it is imperative to our national security that we change the leadership of the nation we all love and elect John Kerry and John Edwards.” The statement criticized President Bush for needlessly squandering the good will and support of the world following the September 11 attacks and undermining our ability to win the war on terror by eroding our strong international alliances.
“The war on terror can only be won with the active cooperation of people and governments around the world,” said Ambassador Sol Polansky, who represented the United States to Bulgaria, and served as a Foreign Service officer for almost 40 years before his retirement in 1990. “We’ve spent our careers building that kind of cooperation for the sake of our country’s security. But in the last three years, the Bush administration has undermined the strong alliances American leaders worked half a century to build.”
"Senator Kerry, in whom I am willing to place my trust, has demonstrated that he is courageous, sober, competent, and concerned with fighting the dangers associated with the widening socio-economic gap in this country. I will vote for him enthusiastically,” wrote John Eisenhower in an opinion article entitled, “Why I will vote for John Kerry for President” in New Hampshire's Union Leader. “The fact is that today's 'Republican' Party is one with which I am totally unfamiliar. Leadership involves setting a direction and building consensus, not viewing other countries as practically devoid of significance. Recent developments indicate that the current Republican Party leadership has confused confident leadership with hubris and arrogance.”
Eisenhower, who served as Ambassador to Belgium is a lifelong Republican and the son of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower.
This unprecedented show of support from this group of former Ambassadors and national security professionals includes more than 80 career Foreign Service Officers and 100 non-career appointees, who have represented the United States under both Republican and Democratic administrations in postings around the world.
“John Kerry has the capacity to renew America’s credibility around the world and find solutions to global problems. John Kerry will fight a more effective war on terror, and he has a plan to win the peace in Iraq. He has the strength, experience, and resolve to make America safer and more secure,” said Ambassador Pete Peterson, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam.
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Statement issued by Ambassadors for Kerry Edwards 2004:
“We are more than 180 former United States Ambassadors who had the privilege of representing our country around the world under nine presidents, Democratic and Republican - from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush. Almost half of us were nonpartisan career foreign service officers. We believe it is imperative to our national security that we change the leadership of the nation we all love and elect John Kerry and John Edwards.
“After September 11, the world was fully behind us, but George W. Bush has needlessly squandered much of that support and undermined our ability to win the war on terror. He has also seriously eroded the alliances we need to keep our nation safe. Now, we face a loss of respect and trust amongst our allies such as we have never seen. As a result, our troops and taxpayers must bear the risks and costs of building a safer world virtually alone.
“The Congress and the American people were misled by an ever-changing rationale for launching a preemptive war in Iraq. We failed to finish the mission in Afghanistan and stood on the sidelines while North Korea and Iran advanced their nuclear programs. George W. Bush's failings have made the threat of terrorism worse, not better.
“The Bush administration's go-it-alone polices are making Americans less safe at home and abroad. Even the world's only superpower needs friends and allies, and we are blessed with the challenge of using our position for good. War should be the last resort - not the first.
“John Kerry has the experience, strength and wisdom to lead us in fighting the war on terrorism, winning the peace in Iraq, making America more secure, and restoring America as the beacon of democracy and freedom in the world.”
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Ambassadors endorsing Kerry-Edwards 2004:
J. Brady Anderson
Ambassador to Tanzania (1994-97)
David R. Andrews
Special Negotiator for US-Iran claims (2000-01)
Christopher C. Ashby
Ambassador to Uruguay (1997-01)
Harriet C. Babbitt
Ambassador to Organization of American States (1993-97)
Jeffery A. Bader
Ambassador to Namibia (1999-01)
Elizabeth F. Bagley
Ambassador to Portugal (1994-97)
Harry G. Barnes, Jr.
Ambassador to Romania (1973-77)
Foreign Service Director-General (1977-81)
Ambassador to Chile (1985-88)
Ambassador to India (1981-85)
Robert L. Barry
Ambassador to Bulgaria (1981-84)
Ambassador to Indonesia (1992-95)
Josiah H. Beeman
Ambassador to New Zealand (1994-99)
Gordon R. Beyer
Ambassador to Uganda (1980-83)
James D. Bindenagel
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Germany (1996-97)
Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (1999-01)
Jack R. Binns
Ambassador to Honduras (1980-81)
James J. Blanchard
Ambassador to Canada (1993-96)
Alan J. Blinken
Ambassador to Belgium (1993-98)
Donald M. Blinken
Ambassador to Hungary (1994-97)
Richard J. Bloomfield
Ambassador to Ecuador (1976-78)
Ambassador to Portugal (1978-82)
William Bodde Jr.
Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga and Tuvalu (1980-81)
Ambassador to Marsall Islands (1990-92)
Richard W. Boehm
Ambassador to Oman (1984-87)
Ambassador to Cyprus (1988-91)
Amy L. Bondurant
Ambassador to OECD (1997-01)
Stephen W. Bosworth
Ambassador to Tunisia (1979-81)
Ambassador to Philippines (1984-87)
Ambassador to Korea (1997-01)
Peter S. Bridges
Ambassador to Somalia (1984-86)
Sam Brown
Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (1994-98)
George C. Bruno
Ambassador to Belize (1994-97)
Edward P. Brynn
Ambassador to Mauritania (1982-83)
Ambassador to Gambia (1984)
Ambassador to Burkina Faso (1991-93)
Ambassador to Ghana (1995-98)
Peter Burleigh
Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism (1991-92)
Ambassador to Sri Lanka & Maldives (1996-97)
Representative to the United Nations(1997-99)
Patricia M. Byrne
Ambassador to Mali (1976-79)
Ambassador to Burma (1980-83)
Walter C. Carrington
Ambassador to Senegal (1980-81)
Ambassador to Nigeria (1993-97)
Paul Cejas
Ambassador to Belgium (1998-01)
Richard F. Celeste
Ambassador to India (1997-01)
James F. Collins
Ambassador to At-Large & Advisor to Secretary on NIS (1995-97)
Ambassador to Russia (1998-01)
Clay Constantinou
Ambassador to Luxembourg (1994-99)
Carleton S. Coon Jr.
Ambassador to Nepal (1981-84)
Jane Coon
Ambassador to Bangladesh (1981-84)
James F. Creagan
Ambassador to Honduras (1996-99)
T. Frank Crigler
Ambassador to Rwanda (1976-79)
Ambassador to Somalia (1987-90)
William J. Crowe
Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1994-97)
C. Edward Dillery
Ambassador to Tonga, Figi, Tuvalu and Kiribati (1984-87)
Robert S. Dillon
Ambassador to Lebanon (1981-83)
Thomas J. Dodd
Ambassador to Uruguay (1993-97)
Ambassador to Costa Rica (1997-01)
K. Terry Dornbush
Ambassador to Netherlands (1994-98)
Robin Chandler Duke
Ambassador to Norway (2000-01)
Charles F. Dunbar Jr.
Chargé d'Affaires Afghanistan (1982-83)
Ambassador to Qatar (1983-85)
Ambassador to Yemen (1988-91)
David J. Dunford
Ambassador to Oman (1992-95)
Ralph Earle II
Chief Negotiator, SALT II Treaty (1977-80)
William B. Edmondson
Ambassador to South Africa (1978-81)
John Eisenhower
Ambassador to Belgium (1969-71)
Stuart E. Eizenstat
Ambassador to European Union (1993-96)
Edward E. Elson
Ambassador to Denmark (1993-98)
Nancy Ely-Raphel
Ambassador to Slovenia (1998-00)
Susan G. Esserman
Deputy US Trade Representative (2000-01)
March Fong Eu
Ambassador to Micronesia (1994-96)
Robert W. Farrand
Ambassador to Papua New Guinea (1990-93)
Robert C. Felder
Ambassador to Benin (1998-00)
John Ferch
Ambassador to Honduras (1985-86)
Glenn W. Ferguson
Ambassador to Kenya (1966-69)
Thomas M. Foglietta
Ambassador to Italy (1997-00)
Wyche Fowler
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1996-01)
Edward E. Gabriel
Ambassador to Morocco (1997-01)
Peter W. Galbraith
Ambassador to Croatia (1993-98)
John Kenneth Galbraith
Ambassador to India (1961-63)
Richard N. Gardner
Ambassador to Italy (1977-81)
Ambassador to Spain (1993-97)
Paul F. Gardner
Ambassador to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (1984-86)
Robert S. Gelbard
Ambassador to Indonesia (1999-01)
D. Gordon Giffin
Ambassador to Canada (1997-01)
Harry J. Gilmore
Ambassador to Armenia (1993-95)
Marc C. Ginsberg
Ambassador to Morocco (1994-98)
Raymond E. Gonzalez
Ambassador to Ecuador (1978-82)
James Eugene Goodby
Ambassador to Finland (1980-81)
A. Lincoln Gordon
Ambassador to Brazil (1961-66)
Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon
Ambassador to Chile (1994-98)
Anthony S. Harrington
Ambassador to Brazil (1999-01)
Samuel F. Hart
Ambassador to Ecuador (1982-85)
Ulric Haynes, Jr.
Ambassador to Algeria (1977-81)
Gerald B. Helman
Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva (1979-81)
Irving Hicks
Ambassador to Ethiopia (1994-96)
Hugh Kenneth Hill
Ambassador to Bulgaria (1990-93)
James C. Hormel
Ambassador to Luxembourg (1999-00)
William J. Hughes
Ambassador to Panama (1995-98)
Swanee Grace Hunt
Ambassador to Austria (1993-97)
Robert E. Hunter
Ambassador to NATO (1993-98)
Edward Hurwitz
Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan (1994)
Karl F. Inderfurth
Deputy Permanent Representative on the UN (1993-97)
Frederick Irving
Ambassador to Iceland (1972-76)
Ambassador to Jamaica (1977-78)
William H. Itoh
Ambassador to Thailand (1996-99)
Mari-Luci Jaramillo
Ambassador to Honduras (1977-80)
James R. Jones
Ambassador to Mexico (1993-97)
George Jones
Ambassador to Guyana (1992-95)
James A. Joseph
Ambassador to South Africa (1995-99)
Philip Kaiser
Ambassador to Senegal and Mauritania (61-64)
Ambassador to Hungary (1977-81)
Ambassador to Austria (1980-81)
Rodney Kennedy-Minott
Ambassador to Sweden (1977-80)
Lowell Kilday
Ambassador to Dominican Republic (1985-88)
Henry L. Kimelman
Ambassador to Haiti (1980-81)
Dennis H. Kux
Ambassador to Ivory Coast (1986-89)
Philip Lader
Ambassador to United Kingdom (1997-01)
Denis Lamb
Ambassador to OECD (1987)
Lyle F. Lane
Ambassador to Uruguay (1979-80)
Ambassador to Paraguay (1980-82)
Luis J. Lauredo
Ambassador to Organization of American States (2000-01)
Nelson Ledsky
Negotiator in Germany and Special coordinator for Cyprus (1989-92)
Donald C. Leidel
Ambassador to Bahrain (1983-86)
James F. Leonard
Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1976-80)
Delano Eugene Lewis
Ambassador to South Africa (1999-01)
John A. Linehan
Ambassador to Sierra Leone (1977-80)
James G. Lowenstein
Ambassador to Luxembourg (1977-81)
Patrick J. Lucey
Ambassador to Mexico (1977-79)
Raymond Edwin Mabus
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1991-96)
David L. Mack
Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (1986-89)
Frank E. Maestrone
Ambassador to Kuwait (1976-79)
Charles Taylor Manatt
Ambassador to Dominican Republic (1999-01)
Richard C. Matheron
Ambassador to Swaziland (1979-82)
John McDonald
Ambassador to UN World Conferences (1978-83)
Tom McDonald
Ambassador to Zimbabwe (1997-01)
Gerald S. McGowan
Ambassador to Portugal (1997-01)
Stan McLelland
Ambassador to Jamaica (1997-01)
William G. Miller
Ambassador to Ukraine (1993-96)
David C. Miller, Jr.
Ambassador to Tanzania (1981-83)
Ambassador to Zimbabwe (1984-87)
Robert Miller
Ambassador to Malaysia (1977)
Ambassador to Ivory Coast (1983-86)
Jay P. Moffat
Ambassador to Chad (1983-85)
Walter F. Mondale
Ambassador to Japan (1993-97)
Richard L. Morningstar
Ambassador to NIS (1995-99)
Ambassador to the European Union (1999-01)
Carol Moseley-Braun
Ambassador to New Zealand (1999-01)
Alfred H. Moses
Ambassador to Romania (1994-97)
Matthew Nimetz
Counselor to the Secretary of State (1977-80)
Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology (1980)
Donald R. Norland
Ambassador to Netherlands (1965-69)
Ambassador to Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (1976-79)
Ambassador to Chad (1979-81)
John O'Leary
Ambassador to Chile (1998-01)
Lyndon L. Olson, Jr.
Ambassador to Sweden (1997-01)
Ronald D. Palmer
Ambassador to Togo (1976-80)
Ambassador to Malaysia (1981-85)
Ambassador to and Mauritius (1986-88)
Joseph R. Paolino
Ambassador to Malta (1994-96)
Edward L. Peck
Ambassador to Iraq (1977-80)
Ambassador to Mauritania (1983-85)
Jack R. Perry
Ambassador to Bulgaria (1979-81)
Pete Peterson
Ambassador to Vietnam (1997-01)
Donald Petterson
Ambassador to Somalia (1978-82)
Ambassador to Tanzania (1986-89)
Ambassador to Sudan (1992-95)
Donald J. Planty
Ambassador to Guatemala (1996-99)
Sol Polansky
Ambassador to Bulgaria (1987-90)
Joseph A. Presel
Ambassador to Uzbekistan (1997-00)
Kathryn Proffitt Haycock
Ambassador to Malta (1997-01)
Nicholas Andrew Rey
Ambassador to Poland (1993-97)
Robert G. Rich, Jr.
Ambassador to Belize (1987-90)
Bill Richardson
Ambassador to United Nations (1997-98)
Felix Rohatyn
Ambassador to France (1997-01)
Peter F. Romero
Ambasador to Ecuador (1993-96)
Edward L. Romero
Ambassador to Spain and Andorra (1998-01)
James C. Rosapepe
Ambassador to Romania (1998-01)
Peter Rosenblatt
Ambassador to the Trust Territories of the Pacific (1977-81)
Edward L. Rowell
Ambassador to Bolivia (1985-87)
Ambassador to Portugal (1988-89)
Ambassador to Luxembourg (1990-93)
Jim Sasser
Ambassador to China (1995-99)
Howard B. Schaffer
Ambassador to Bangladesh (1984-87)
Teresita C. Schaffer
Ambassador to Sri Lanka (1992-95)
Arthur L. Schechter
Ambassador to the Bahamas (1998-01)
David J. Scheffer
Ambassador at Large for War Crimes (1997-01)
Cynthia P. Schneider
Ambassador to Netherlands (1998-01)
Peter Sebastian
Ambassador to Tunisia (1984-87)
Talcott W. Seelye
Ambassador to Tunisia (1972)
Ambassador to Syria (1978-81)
Ira S. Shapiro
Chief Negotiator for Japan and Canada (1995-97)
John Shattuck
Ambassador to the Czech Republic (1998-00)
Derek Shearer
Ambassador to Finland (1994-97)
Wendy R. Sherman
Counselor to the Secretary; North Korea Policy Coordinator
Ambassador at Large (1997-01)
David Shinn
Ambassador to Burkina Faso (1987-90)
Ambassador to Ethiopia (1996-99)
Edward E. Shumaker
Ambassador to Trinidad & Tobago (1997-01)
M. Osman Siddique
Ambassador to Fiji, Tongo, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Nauru (1999-01)
Thomas L. Siebert
Ambassador to Sweden (1994-98)
Thomas W. Simons, Jr.
Ambassador to Poland (1990-93)
Ambassador to Pakistan (1996-98)
Richard Sklar
Ambassador to the United Nationsl(1997)
Special Representative for Implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords (1996-97)
Ambassador to and Special Representative to Promote Economic Reconstruction and the Development of Market Economies in Southeast Europe (1999-01)
Robert P. Smith
Ambassador to Malta (1974-76)
Ambassador to Ghana (1976-79)
Ambassador to Liberia (1979-81)
Keith C. Smith
Ambassador to Lithuania (1997-00)
Nancy Soderberg
Ambassador to the United Nations (1997-01)
E. Michael Southwick
Ambassador to Uganda (1994-97)
Joan E. Spero
Ambassador to UN Economic and Social Council (1980-81)
Daniel L. Spiegel
Ambassador to United Nations in Geneva (1993-97)
Carl Spielvogel
Ambassador to Slovak Republic (2000-01)
Andrew Steigman
Ambassador to Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe (1975-77)
John Todd Stewart
Ambassador to Moldova (1995-98)
Robert Strauss
Ambassador to the Russian Federation (1991-92)
Michael J. Sullivan
Ambassador to Ireland (1998-01)
Richard N. Swett
Ambassador to Denmark (1998-01)
Richard W. Teare
Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (1993-96)
Theresa Tull
Ambassador to Guyana (1987-90)
Ambassador to Brunai (1993-96)
Abelardo L. Valdez
Chief of Protocol (1979-81)
William J. Vanden Heuvel
Permanent Representative to United Nations in Geneva (1977-79)Deputy Permanent Representative to United Nations (1979-81)
George S. Vest
Ambassador to European Union (1981-84)
Sandra Louise Vogelgesang
Ambassador to Nepal (1994-97)
James D. Walsh
Ambassador to Argentina (2000-03)
Keith Wauchope
Ambassador to Gabon (1989-92)
A. Vernon Weaver
Ambassador to the European Union (1996-99)
Thomas G. Weston
Special Coordinator for Cyprus (1999-04)
Kenneth Yalowitz
Ambassador to Belarus (1994-97)
Ambassador to Georgia (1998-01)
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