Diplomatic Career
Diplomatic postings and government positions:
- 1976–1978: General Services Officer, Niamey, Niger
- 1978–1979: Administrative Office, Lomé, Togo
- 1979–1981: Administrative Officer, US State Department, Washington, D.C.
- 1981–1982: Administrative Officer, Pretoria, South Africa
- 1982–1985: Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), Bujumbura, Burundi
- 1985–1986: Congressional Fellow, offices of Senator Al Gore and Representative Tom Foley
- 1986–1988: DCM, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- 1988–1991: DCM, Baghdad, Iraq
- 1992–1995: Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe
- 1995–1997: Political Advisor (POLAD) to the Commander in Chief of US Armed Forces, Europe (EUCOM), Stuttgart, Germany
- 1997–1998: Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Senior Director for African Affairs, United States National Security Council, Washington, D.C.
Having become fluent in French as a teenager, Wilson entered the US Foreign Service in 1976, where he would be employed until 1998.
From January 1976 through 1998, he was posted in five African nations; as a general services officer in Niamey, Niger (his first assignment) he was "responsible for keeping the power on and the cars running, among other duties". From 1988 to 1991, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission (to US Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie) at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. In the wake of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, he became the last American diplomat to meet with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, telling him in very clear terms to leave Kuwait (Wilson, The Politics of Truth 107–27). When Hussein sent a note to Wilson (along with other embassy heads in Baghdad) threatening to execute anyone sheltering foreigners in Iraq, Wilson publicly repudiated the dictator by appearing at a press conference wearing a homemade noose around his neck and declaring, "If the choice is to allow American citizens to be taken hostage or to be executed, I will bring my own fucking rope." Despite Hussein's threats, Wilson sheltered more than 100 Americans at the embassy and successfully evacuated several thousand people (Americans and other nationals) from Iraq. For his actions, he was called a "a true American hero" by President George H. W. Bush. From 1992 to 1995, he served as US ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe.
From 1995 to 1997, Wilson served as Political Advisor (POLAD) to the Commander in Chief of US Armed Forces, Europe (EUCOM), in Stuttgart, Germany. From 1997 until 1998, when he retired, he helped direct Africa policy as Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and as National Security Council Senior Director for African Affairs.
Read more about this topic: Joseph C. Wilson
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