Joseph LeBaron

Diplomatic biography

LeBaron was sworn in as United States ambassador to Qatar by Chief Justice Paul J. De Muniz of the Oregon Supreme Court on July 18, 2008, in a ceremony at the Simon Benson House of Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. PSU interim president Michael J. Reardon presided over the ceremony. The event is believed to be the first time a career U.S. diplomat has been sworn in as ambassador in a public ceremony that was held in the United States outside Washington, D.C.

The State of Qatar

While in Qatar as ambassador, LeBaron introduced the doctrine and practice of "interagency synchronization in the field," a strategic framework for embassy operations. In a report released by the Department of State's Office of the Inspector General after its routine inspection of the embassy in April 2010, the OIG called it "an idea worth considering by other chiefs of mission."

The report described the approach in detail: "The Ambassador and DCM place a high priority on teamwork among the agencies and sections of the mission. Their emphasis is not just on coordination, but on working together to achieve clearly laid out goals. The primary vehicle for this priority is the Ambassador's synchronization process, which is an innovative approach to strategic planning and execution that draws on his recent experience working with the U.S. military." The report went on to say that "the Ambassador's experience, both in the region and as a political advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command, contributes to the embassy's close and productive coordination with the military."

"The process begins with an examination of agency-specific strategic planning documents relevant to Qatar," the report continued. "Additional guidance is obtained from Presidential policy statements, such as the June 2009 Cairo speech and the U.S. National Security Strategy."

"The Ambassador holds a semiannual interagency offsite meeting to analyze trends in Qatar and their implications for U.S. policy objectives. This meeting provides the basis for the creation of interagency synchronization groups with clearly defined goals and timelines for achieving them. The groups cover issues such as security and counterterrorism, the National Export Initiative, critical infrastructure protection, and Muslim community outreach. The groups adjust their objectives or conclude operations when their goals are achieved. All groups are chaired by the DCM and meet every two weeks or, in some cases, less frequently," the report said.

The report did acknowledge that some organizations within the embassy team felt the frequency of meetings distracted them from operational coordination (the report cited the frequency of meetings: "The Ambassador chairs a weekly country team meeting [and] he meets bi-weekly with agency heads and section chiefs."), "but given the Ambassador's strong commitment, [the agencies and section chiefs] want to do all they can to support the process."

Controversies

During his time as ambassador in Qatar, LeBaron was involved in a

diplomatic incident with Turkish Ambassador Fuat Tanlay that occurred on the outskirts of a meeting between

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan

(an "altercation" described as a "yelling match" and a "violent fight").

In July 2015, Doha News reported that Daruna for Real Estate Brokerage and Development, where Lebaron holds a vice chairmanship, was under fire for purchasing technology to track workers. A Human Rights Watch representative criticized the purchase, saying "Passport confiscation, recruitment fees, sponsorship-based employment, the prohibition of trade unions, and absence of grievance mechanisms combine to a toxic effect in Qatar. The last thing we need is yet another control mechanism." An Amnesty International representative said, while "the new technology may have some positive uses... the Qatari authorities, Daruna and the developers must ensure its application respects the rights of migrant workers, particularly the rights to privacy and freedom of movement, and does not enable businesses to tighten existing conditions of forced labor."

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania

While Ambassador to Mauritania, LeBaron organized the first bilateral consultations in the then 45-year history of US-Mauritanian diplomatic relations. He also mounted extensive disaster relief for a locust invasion and helped start a long-delayed political dialogue between the Mauritanian government and opposition parties, journalists, and human rights groups. He also launched the first US-Mauritanian Business Council and helped secure the largest US aircraft sale to Mauritania ever.

When a huge locust invasion struck the Trans-Sahara region in 2004, LeBaron campaigned early on for a prompt international response to meet the consequent food crisis. The U.S. Agriculture Department subsequently agreed to supply 17,000 metric tons of wheat and rice, the first Title I commodities to Mauritania in over 17 years, as well as $10 million more in Title II relief. That more than tripled the U.S. government's food aid to Mauritania.

Personal

LeBaron received a BS in sociology from Portland State University and an MA and PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. LeBaron served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. From 2006-2008, he served as the Political Advisor to the Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida. From 2001-2003, he served as a faculty member at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.

He is married to Elinor R. Drake LeBaron and has one daughter, Petra Drake LeBaron.