Cameron Munter
Encyclopedia
Cameron Phelps Munter is a United States diplomat
and career foreign service officer
. He is the Ambassador to Pakistan
. Earlier, he was an advisor for political and military issues to Christopher R. Hill
, US ambassador in Iraq.
in 1954, graduating from Claremont High School
in 1972, where he distinguished himself as a distance runner on the cross country and track teams. He attended Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York, and the universities in Freiburg
and Marburg in Germany. He received a doctoral degree in modern European history in 1983 from The Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore
, Maryland
. He taught European history at the University of California in Los Angeles (1982-1984) and directed European Studies at the Twentieth Century Fund in New York (1984-1985) before joining the Foreign Service.
on July 26, 2007, succeeding Michael C. Polt
and stayed in this position until 2009 when he was transferred to work in Iraq
. A career Foreign Service Officer
, Ambassador Munter was Deputy Chief of Mission
at the American Embassy in Prague
, Czech Republic from August 2005 to June 2007. He volunteered to lead the first Provincial Reconstruction Team
in Mosul
, Iraq
, from January through July 2006, and then returned to Prague. He came to Prague from Warsaw
, where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2002 to 2005.
Before these assignments, in Washington, Ambassador Munter was Director for Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe at the National Security Council
(1999-2001), Executive Assistant to the Counselor of the Department of State (1998-1999), Director of the Northern European Initiative (1998), and Chief of Staff in the NATO Enlargement Ratification Office (1997-1998).
He has also served overseas in Bonn
(1995-1997), Prague (1992-1995), and Warsaw (1986-1988). His other domestic assignments include serving as Country Director for Czechoslovakia
at the Department of State (1989-1991), Dean Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University
's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (1991), and Staff Assistant in the Bureau of European Affairs (1988-1989).
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and career foreign service officer
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
. He is the Ambassador to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Earlier, he was an advisor for political and military issues to Christopher R. Hill
Christopher R. Hill
Christopher Robert Hill is an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.On July 1, 2010, Hill was chosen to be the dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver...
, US ambassador in Iraq.
Education and early career
Ambassador Munter was born in Claremont, CaliforniaClaremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
in 1954, graduating from Claremont High School
Claremont High School (Claremont, California)
Claremont High School is a public secondary school situated in Claremont, California, USA. Part of the Claremont Unified School District, it is a California Distinguished School, a two-time national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence , and recently a nationally recognized International Baccalaureate...
in 1972, where he distinguished himself as a distance runner on the cross country and track teams. He attended Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York, and the universities in Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
and Marburg in Germany. He received a doctoral degree in modern European history in 1983 from The Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He taught European history at the University of California in Los Angeles (1982-1984) and directed European Studies at the Twentieth Century Fund in New York (1984-1985) before joining the Foreign Service.
Career
Ambassador Munter was sworn-in as United States Ambassador to the Republic of SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
on July 26, 2007, succeeding Michael C. Polt
Michael C. Polt
Ambassador Polt was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia on November 30, 2009. He presented his credentials to Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on December 10, 2009....
and stayed in this position until 2009 when he was transferred to work in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. A career Foreign Service Officer
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
, Ambassador Munter was Deputy Chief of Mission
Deputy Chief of Mission
A Deputy Chief of Mission , is the number-two diplomat assigned to an embassy or other diplomatic mission. He or she is usually considered the second-in-command or top lieutenant to the Head of Mission...
at the American Embassy in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic from August 2005 to June 2007. He volunteered to lead the first Provincial Reconstruction Team
Provincial reconstruction team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team is a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in late 2001 or...
in Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, from January through July 2006, and then returned to Prague. He came to Prague from Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2002 to 2005.
Before these assignments, in Washington, Ambassador Munter was Director for Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe at the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
(1999-2001), Executive Assistant to the Counselor of the Department of State (1998-1999), Director of the Northern European Initiative (1998), and Chief of Staff in the NATO Enlargement Ratification Office (1997-1998).
He has also served overseas in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
(1995-1997), Prague (1992-1995), and Warsaw (1986-1988). His other domestic assignments include serving as Country Director for Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
at the Department of State (1989-1991), Dean Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (1991), and Staff Assistant in the Bureau of European Affairs (1988-1989).