Richard Armitage (government official)
American former diplomat and government official / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Richard Lee Armitage (born April 26, 1945) is an American former diplomat and government official.
Richard Armitage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 13th United States Deputy Secretary of State | |
| In office March 26, 2001 – February 23, 2005 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Strobe Talbott |
| Succeeded by | Robert Zoellick |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs | |
| In office April 2, 1983 – June 5, 1989 Acting: April 2, 1983 – June 5, 1983 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Bing West |
| Succeeded by | Harry Rowen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Lee Armitage (1945-04-26) April 26, 1945 (age 78) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Laura Samford |
| Children | 8 |
| Relatives | Iain Armitage (grandson) |
| Education | United States Naval Academy (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1967–1973 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Armitage served as a U.S. Navy officer in three combat tours of duty in the Vietnam War as a riverine warfare advisor. After leaving active duty, he served in a number of civil-service roles under Republican administrations. He worked as an aide to Senator Bob Dole before serving in various posts in the Defense Department and State Department.[1]
During the Reagan administration, Armitage was deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia and Pacific affairs (1981–1983) and assistant secretary of defense for International security affairs (1983–1989). He served in the George H. W. Bush administration in various diplomatic posts, including presidential special negotiator for the Philippines Military Bases Agreement, special mediator for water in the Middle East, special emissary to King Hussein of Jordan during the Persian Gulf War, and director of U.S. aid to the post-Soviet states.[1] He then worked in the private sector before joining the George W. Bush administration as deputy secretary of state,[1] holding the post from March 2001 to February 2005.[2]
Armitage's tenure at the State Department under Secretary Colin Powell became overshadowed by the Plame affair. Armitage acknowledged in 2006 that he leaked Valerie Plame Wilson's identity as a CIA operative to columnist Robert Novak, who revealed her identity in a July 2003 column; Armitage claimed that the leak was inadvertent, said that this was a "terrible error on my part," and issued an apology.[3][4]