James Brendan Foley (born April 4, 1957) is a retired American foreign service officer. He served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti from May 27, 2003 to August 14, 2005, and as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia from August 12, 2009 to August 19, 2012.[1][2] As Ambassador to Haiti, Foley oversaw the U.S. backing of anti-Aristide elements that led to the revolt against Aristide's government. He claims that he participated in the late-night negotiations that led to Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide's alleged February 29, 2004 resignation and acceptance of a U.S. offer to fly him into exile, despite a surplus of evidence revealing US involvement in the coup and revolt that led to his ouster through the National Endowment for Democracy and Aristide's own claims that he never resigned from office and was forced out.[3][4][5]
Foley is a former member of the Senior Foreign Service. He served from 2007-2009 as the State Department’s Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues, working to alleviate the plight of several million Iraqis displaced by the war.[6] Previously, he served as faculty member and Deputy Commandant of the National War College, as a Diplomat-in-Residence,[7] and as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 2000-2003.
He joined the Foreign Service in 1983 and served overseas as vice consul and political officer in Manila, Philippines and as political officer in Algiers, Algeria. Foley was a speechwriter and adviser to former Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger from 1989 to 1993[8] and Deputy Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels, Belgium from 1993 to 1996. He was special assistant to the late Senator Paul Coverdell and served as State Department Deputy Spokesman from 1997-2000.
