List of ambassadors of the United States to Bahrain

Ambassador of the United States to Bahrain
سفير الولايات المتحدة في مملكة البحرين
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Steven C. Bondy
since February 9, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderJohn N. Gatch Jr.
Formation1971
Websitebh.usembassy.gov

The United States ambassador to Bahrain is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Bahrain. The current Ambassador to Bahrain is Steven C. Bondy who has been serving since February 9, 2022.

Until 1971, Bahrain had been part of a British protectorate along with the other sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf. In 1971 the protectorate ended and seven of the other sheikhdoms joined in a federation to become the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain, however, did not join the federation but declared its independence on August 15, 1971. The United States recognized the State of Bahrain on the same day and moved to establish diplomatic relations.

The U.S. Embassy in Manama was opened on September 21, 1971, with John N. Gatch, Jr. as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Ambassador William A. Stoltzfus, Jr. presented his credentials to the government of Bahrain on February 17, 1972. Stoltzfus was concurrently the ambassador to Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, while resident in Kuwait. The first ambassador commissioned solely to Bahrain was Joseph W. Twinam in 1974.[1]

Ambassadors and chiefs of mission

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
John N. Gatch, Jr. – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim September 21, 1971 — February 17, 1972
William Stoltzfus – Career FSO[2] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 9, 1971 February 17, 1972 June 9, 1974
Joseph W. Twinam – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 24, 1974 June 10, 1974 August 10, 1976
Wat T. Cluverius IV – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 4, 1976 October 23, 1976 August 2, 1978
Robert Pelletreau – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary February 9, 1979 March 10, 1979 April 3, 1980
Peter Adams Sutherland – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 30, 1980 July 12, 1980 September 1, 1983
Donald C. Leidel – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 7, 1983 November 12, 1983 October 1, 1986
Sam H. Zakhem – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 12, 1986 October 6, 1986 August 1, 1989
Charles Warren Hostler – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 10, 1989 October 28, 1989 March 1, 1993
David S. Robins – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim March 1, 1993 July 18, 1994
David M. Ransom – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 5, 1994 July 18, 1994 July 28, 1997
Johnny Young – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 7, 1997 December 11, 1997 September 29, 2001
Ronald E. Neumann – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 17, 2001 October 9, 2001 June 7, 2004
William T. Monroe – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 2, 2004 August 31, 2004 August 5, 2007
J. Adam Ereli – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 2, 2007 September 12, 2007 January 14, 2011
Thomas C. Krajeski - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 26, 2011 November 22, 2011 December 15, 2014
William V. Roebuck - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 18, 2014 January 20, 2015 October 31, 2017
Justin Siberell - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 27, 2017 November 12, 2017 July 13, 2020
Maggie Nardi Chargé d'Affaires ad interim July 13 2020 February 9, 2022
Steven C. Bondy Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 18, 2021 February 9, 2022 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ "Bahrain". United States Department of State. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  2. ^ Stoltzfus was concurrently accredited also to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, while resident at Kuwait.

See also

References

  • United States Department of State: Background notes on Bahrain
  • Chiefs of Mission for Bahrain

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.

External links

  • United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Bahrain
  • United States Department of State: Bahrain
  • United States Embassy in Manama
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