Alphonse F. LaPorta
Encyclopedia
Alphonse F. La Porta, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service
, served as U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia
from December 1997 to November 2000. Subsequently, he served as the Political Advisor to the U.S. Commander-in-Chief of the Regional Headquarters Allied Forces in southern Europe from January 2001 to November 2003.
in 1965. From 1967 to 1970 he was Political Officer and Chief of the Consular Section in the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta
. In this position he attested to the passport application of Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro mother of President Barack H. Obama. He thus has become part of Birther folklore.
He was Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Medan
(1978–1981). From 1985 to 1987 La Porta served in the State Department's Office of Management Operations, then moved on to be Deputy Chief of Mission
in Wellington
, New Zealand
from 1987 to 1991.
Amb. La Porta's Washington-based assignments included working in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs as Director of the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigation, Executive Assistant to the President’s Special Representative for the Philippine economic reform, and as Deputy Director of the Office of Indonesia
, Malaysia, Brunei
and Singapore
Affairs.
Before becoming U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia in 1997 he served as President and Vice President of the American Foreign Service Association
from 1995 to 1997.
Amb. La Porta retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in September 2003 after more than 38 years of service. On April 1, 2004 he became president of the United States-Indonesia Society.
, Georgetown University
’s School of Foreign Service (1960) and New York University
. He served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army from 1961 to 1963. He speaks both Indonesian and Turkish.
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
, served as U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
from December 1997 to November 2000. Subsequently, he served as the Political Advisor to the U.S. Commander-in-Chief of the Regional Headquarters Allied Forces in southern Europe from January 2001 to November 2003.
Career
Alphonse La Porta entered the Foreign ServiceUnited States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1965. From 1967 to 1970 he was Political Officer and Chief of the Consular Section in the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
. In this position he attested to the passport application of Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro mother of President Barack H. Obama. He thus has become part of Birther folklore.
He was Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
(1978–1981). From 1985 to 1987 La Porta served in the State Department's Office of Management Operations, then moved on to be Deputy Chief of Mission
Deputy Chief of Mission
A Deputy Chief of Mission , is the number-two diplomat assigned to an embassy or other diplomatic mission. He or she is usually considered the second-in-command or top lieutenant to the Head of Mission...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from 1987 to 1991.
Amb. La Porta's Washington-based assignments included working in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs as Director of the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigation, Executive Assistant to the President’s Special Representative for the Philippine economic reform, and as Deputy Director of the Office of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Affairs.
Before becoming U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia in 1997 he served as President and Vice President of the American Foreign Service Association
American Foreign Service Association
The American Foreign Service Association is the professional association certified by the United States Department of State, the Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development to represent members of the United States Foreign Service. AFSA's history...
from 1995 to 1997.
Amb. La Porta retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in September 2003 after more than 38 years of service. On April 1, 2004 he became president of the United States-Indonesia Society.
Education and Military Service
Amb. La Porta is a graduate of the National War CollegeNational War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
’s School of Foreign Service (1960) and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army from 1961 to 1963. He speaks both Indonesian and Turkish.