Robert Oakley, Diplomatic Troubleshooter, Dies at 83 by Adam Bernstein, Washington Post
Robert B. Oakley, a career diplomat and three-time ambassador with a reputation for shrewdness in Washington and toughness in crisis zones, and who in retirement obtained the release of an American pilot captured during the “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia, died Dec. 10 in McLean, Va. He was 83.
The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease, said his wife, Phyllis E. Oakley, a retired assistant secretary of state and a former spokeswoman for secretary of state George P. Shultz.
Mr. Oakley, who attained the high-ranking title of “career minister,” officially retired in 1991 as the chief American envoy in Pakistan. Thin and with a soft Louisiana drawl, he was regarded as a top troubleshooter in some of the world’s thorniest regions…
Note: Very sad news, I got to work with Amb Oakley for several years when he supported the Marine Corps’ efforts at Quantico. He truly was “the best and brightest”. - Dave Dilegge
Comments
So sad to hear of the death…
So sad to hear of the death of Robert Oakley , a kind, generous and funny person who was so intertwined in many ways with LACMA, its artists and its audience. I'll miss him dearly. I would love to get proessaywriting now to complete my essay on time. Best wishes to his family and loved ones.
Bob was my mentor, and friend, during the first half of my tour at the US Embassy in Beirut. His guidance to me early in my career was invaluable. More important was his ability to move among the often competing power centers in the Embassy, and in the Lebanese political culture, while maintaining a wry sense of humor.
Bob was an invaluable member of our Foreign Service, and his contributions to our country from the days of his Naval service to the end should always be remembered. He is the sort of diplomat on whom the best of the best should pattern themselves.
Agree.... Sad news..... He was the boss when I worked in Pakistan. Was tireless in supporting the struggle to free Afghanistan, while at the same time defusing a particularly nasty phase in the Pakistan-India relationship when they both came close to blowing each other up. I remember his comment made with some (very dry) mirth, that both those countries lived in a perpetual time warp--referring to their obsession with each other....
Mike.