From Siguatepeque To Saigon
A Conversation With Ambassador James Mack
by
Book Details
About the Book
Ambassador James F. Mack was born in Connecticut and raised in New York State. After graduating form Cornell University, he joined the Peace Corps and served in Honduras. In 1966 he joined the State Department and was sent to Vietnam as a provincial reporter for the embassy political section. Mr. Mack’s other overseas service was primarily in Latin America, where he served as political officer and deputy chief of mission at a number of posts before being named U.S. ambassador to Guyana. Ambassador Mack’s international journey begins over 45 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Honduras. His abrupt transition to the Foreign Service takes him to South Vietnam to report from the provinces during the U.S. military buildup and “Vietnamization,” and after the Paris Peace Accords. Years later, he serves in El Salvador and Peru as they battle insurgencies. His Foreign Service career ends with his work as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs when “Plan Columbia” is conceived and implemented. Along the way he is an eye witness to and participant in several geopolitically important events, insights about which he candidly shares in this book.
About the Author
Alfred H. Moses, a former partner and now senior counsel at Covington & Burling, LLP, Washington, is a co-founder and chief operating officer of Promontory Financial Group and affiliates in Washington. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Romania, 1994-97, and as the President’s Special Emissary for the Cyprus conflict from 1999-2001. In the Carter administration Ambassador Moses served as special counsel and special advisor to the President and was Lead Counsel to the President in the Billygate hearings. From 1976 to 1989 he negotiated the exodus to Israel of Jews from Communist Romania. An honorary national president of the American Jewish Committee, Ambassador Moses presently serves as Chair of UN Watch (Geneva), the Project on Ethnic Relations, the AJC National Advisory Council and in 2006 chaired AJC’s 100th Anniversary Committee