Richard Jones, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Coordinator for Iraq

Selection of Ambassador Richard Jones as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and Coordinator for Iraq

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has appointed Ambassador Richard Jones as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and Coordinator for Iraq.

Ambassador Jones, in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, will report directly to the Secretary and will develop, coordinate and lead implementation of policy on Iraq. He will represent the Secretary and the Department in interagency meetings and chair an Under Secretary-level interagency steering group on Iraq policy. He will work with foreign government officials on issues related to Iraq.

A career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, Richard Jones served as Ambassador to Kuwait from September 2001 to July 2004. From November 2003, until June 2004, he served concurrently as the Chief Policy Officer and Deputy Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq. Ambassador Jones also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan (1998-2001) and as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon (1996-1998). Previous assignments include Director of the State Department’s Office of Egyptian Affairs (1993-1995) and Counselor for Political Affairs in the American Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (1989-1992).

Ambassador Jones earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College, and M.S. in Business from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a Ph.D in Business/Statistics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. ###

2005/269 Press Statement Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC March 1, 2005