Edward S. Walker, Jr.

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Edward S. Walker born in Abington, Pennsylvania. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the UAE. Middle East specialist.

Edward Walker received his B.A. from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York in 1963 and his M.A. from Boston University in 1965. In 1985, he attended the Royal College of Defense Studies in London. In 1962, Walker enlisted in the U.S. Army and served 3 years in Heidelberg, Germany.

Ambassador Edward S. Walker, Jr. is an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute’s public policy center. Ambassador Walker served as MEI’s President and CEO for over five years, from 2001 until August 2006.

Walker’s diplomatic career:

• Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (2000-2001)
• US Ambassador to Israel (1997-1999)
• US Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt (1994-1997)
• Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations with Ambassadorial Rank (1993-1994)
• US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (1989-1992). Through the period of the Gulf War.
• Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (1988-).
• Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (1982-1984)
• Special Assistant to the President's Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Negotiations (1979-1981)
• Entered Foreign Service in 1967.

In the course of his career, Walker worked with every Israeli Prime Minister since Golda Meir, with Presidents Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, with Presidents Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad of Syria, with King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and with Kings Hussein and Abdullah of Jordon, among others. During his time as Ambassador to Israel, Walker worked closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu in preparation for and during the Wey negotiations. He started the negotiations with Libya which lead to Libya's decision to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs and pay almost 3 billion US dollars in compensation to the families of Pan Am Flight 103 as well as UTA Flight 772.^[1] In Egypt he worked with Vice President Al Gore and President Hosni Mubarak on a major initiative to reform the Egyptian economy. Walker also worked with US and Egyptian intelligence officials to counter the terrorist threat facing that country.

Walker previously worked with Colin Powell in the new Bush Administration as assistant secretary of state for Near-Eastern affairs, a position he had previously held under Madeleine Albright during the second Clinton administration. During that time he helped initiate and negotiate U.S. policy toward Iraq and engaged in recalibrating U.S. policies toward Iran and the Middle East peace process.

Currently Edward S. Walker, Jr. holds the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professorship in Global Political Theory at Hamilton College. He formerly served as the Linowitz Professor of Middle East Studies in 2003 and 2005. During the Fall 2006 he is teaching "Global Challenges" and "American Policy in the Middle East." In the spring 2007 he will teach "Democracy, Religion and International Cooperation" and "International Decision-Making."^[2]

[edit] Source

• United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission by Country, 1778-2005

[edit] Links

• Clinton Names Edward S. Walker as Assistant Secretary of State, October 28, 1999
• Edward Walker's profile
• Edward Walker's articles
• U.S. State Department Archives (People)

Preceded by David Lyle Mack	U.S. Ambassador to United Arab Emirates 1989–1992	Succeeded by William Arthur Rugh
Preceded by Robert H. Pelletreau	U.S. Ambassador to Egypt 1994–1997	Succeeded by Daniel C. Kurtzer
Preceded by Martin S. Indyk	U.S. Ambassador to Israel 1997–2000	Succeeded by Martin S. Indyk