Richard Gustave Olson Jr. (born 1959[2]) is an American diplomat and career Foreign Service officer, who formerly served as the United States ambassador to Pakistan. Prior to his appointment in Pakistan, Olson had served as U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates as well the coordinating director for development and economic Affairs at the U.S. embassy in Kabul with the rank of ambassador. He is a career member of the Foreign Service, class of career minister.[3]
Richard Olson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan | |
| In office November 17, 2015 – November 17, 2016[1] | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jarrett Blanc (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Laurel Miller (acting) |
| United States Ambassador to Pakistan | |
| In office October 31, 2012 – October 27, 2015 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Cameron Munter |
| Succeeded by | David Hale |
| United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates | |
| In office October 14, 2008 – May 2, 2011 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Michele Sison |
| Succeeded by | Michael Corbin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Awards | Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award Superior Honor Award |
In 2022, he admitted to illegally lobbying for Qatar. He was sentenced to three years probation, and fined $93,400 in September 2023.[4]
Personal life and education
editOlson married Muna Habib, a British journalist, in June 2019. They currently reside in New Mexico.[5]
He was previously married to Deborah K. Jones, the former United States ambassador to Libya. They divorced in 2019 and have two daughters.[6]
Olson earned an undergraduate degree in law and society, and history from Brown University in 1981.[6]
Career
editOlson joined the U.S. State Department in 1982, and served tenures in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Iraq, and three tours in the United Arab Emirates.[3]
Olson has also served as the deputy chief of mission at the United States mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from 2006 to 2008.[3]
He served as U.S. consul general in Dubai from 2001 to 2003. From 2008 to 2011, Olson was the U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.[3]
Olson served as coordinating director for development and economic affairs at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, from June 2011 to June 2012.[7]
In 2012, Cameron Munter resigned as the United States ambassador to Pakistan after relations between Pakistan and the United States deteriorated following the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. President Barack Obama nominated Olson for ambassadorship, and he was later confirmed by the United States Senate.[8][9] He presented his credentials to President Asif Ali Zardari on October 31, 2012.[10]
Investigations and criminal charges
editThe State Department's Office of Inspector General investigated Olson's failure to report a $60,000 gift of diamond jewelry to his mother-in-law from the emir of Dubai. Under the Foreign Gifts and Decoration Act, U.S. officials were at the time required to report gifts with worth more than $285 and could not keep them unless they reimbursed the federal government for the fair-market value; Olson allegedly did neither. In the course of the jewelry investigation, FBI investigators questioned Olson about his failure to disclose an extramarital affair with a British journalist, Muna Habib, while he served as U.S. ambassador to Pakistan. According to State Department regulations, relationships with foreign nationals must be reported to Diplomatic Security officials. He later allegedly sought the aid of Pakistani-American businessman Imaad Zuberi to pay Habib's Columbia University journalism school tuition. Zuberi provided $25,000 for this purpose, but did not make good on a promised additional loan of $50,000. Zuberi was subsequently sentenced to twelve years in prison for unrelated criminal tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and other charges.[5]
In June 2022, Olson pleaded guilty to federal charges for his role in a lobbying campaign involving the Qatari government and for failure to disclose receiving an $18,000 first-class ticket to fly to London for a job interview with a Persian Gulf investment firm while he was serving as U.S. ambassador to Pakistan.[11][5]
Awards and honors
editOlson has been awarded the Presidential Distinguished Service Award and the Secretary of Defense's Exceptional Civilian Service Award,[3] and is a three-time recipient of the State Department's Superior Honor Award.[6]
References
edit- ^ Retirement of Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard G. Olson
- ^ "Richard Gustave Olson Jr". Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
- ^ a b c d e "Profile: Richard G. Olson – US ambassador to Pakistan". Dawn. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ Honderich, Holly (2023-09-15). "Diamonds and diplomacy: How ex-US Ambassador Richard Olson fell from grace". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ a b c "Diamonds, girlfriends, illicit lobbying: The fall of a former ambassador". Washington Post. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs". American Embassy in Kabul. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "Obama names new ambassadors to Afghanistan, Pakistan". NDTV. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "US Senate approves Richard Olson as next ambassador to Pakistan". Express Tribune. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter to leave post this summer". CBS News. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ About Us: Ambassador Richard Olson
- ^ Former U.S. ambassador accused of illegal foreign lobbying