Harold H. Saunders
Encyclopedia
Harold H. Saunders (born 1930) was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs between 1978 and 1981. He is director of international affairs at the Kettering Foundation
and the Founder and President of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue. He co-chaired the Dartmouth Conference Task Force
to fulfill the mandatory service requirement, which led to a liaison role with the Central Intelligence Agency
. Saunders joined the National Security Council
staff in 1961, serving through the Johnson administration as the NSC's Mideast expert during June 1967 Six-Day War
.
In a 2010 article for Foreign Policy
magazine, long-term Middle East analyst and negotiator Aaron David Miller
credited the "brilliant" Saunders with coining the term "peace process," in connection with negotiations over conflict in the Middle East.
, culminating in the two framework agreements comprising the Camp David Accords
, leading directly to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in the following year, which Saunders helped draft.
.
, Dialogue Sustained, chronicles the first four decades of the dialogue. For the Dartmouth Conference's 50th anniversary, the Kettering Foundation published an additional volume to commemorate and chronicle all five decades.
developed out of Saunders's work with the Dartmouth Conference Regional Conflicts Task Force
as a series of unofficial, Track II
dialogues between warring factions in the Tajik civil war. The dialogues took place in Moscow
, beginning in 1993 and lasting until 2003, during which 35 meetings took place.
Kettering Foundation
The Kettering Foundation is an American non-partisan research foundation founded in 1927 by Charles F. Kettering. The foundation publishes books and periodicals, employs research fellows, and organizes public forums on policy in order to answer the question: "what does it take for democracy to...
and the Founder and President of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue. He co-chaired the Dartmouth Conference Task Force
Dartmouth Conferences (peace)
Dartmouth Conferences on peace process begun at Dartmouth College in October 1960. It is one of the longest ongoing bilateral unofficial dialogues between American and Soviet representatives.-History and impact:...
Education and Service
Saunders graduated from Yale University in 1955 with a Ph.D, prior to joining the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
to fulfill the mandatory service requirement, which led to a liaison role with the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. Saunders joined the National Security Council
National Security Council
A National Security Council is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security...
staff in 1961, serving through the Johnson administration as the NSC's Mideast expert during June 1967 Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
.
Kissenger Shuttles
Saunders joined the Kissinger shuttles in October 1973 as an integral part of the small team of American diplomats led by Kissinger, with whom Saunders worked for the next eight years. During this period from 1973 to 1975, the Kissinger team helped negotiate a number of key disengagement agreements between Egypt and Israel. In 1974, Saunders was appointed deputy assistant secretary of state for the Near East and North Africa.In a 2010 article for Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
magazine, long-term Middle East analyst and negotiator Aaron David Miller
Aaron David Miller
Aaron David Miller is an American Middle East analyst, author, and negotiator. He is on the U.S. Advisory Council of Israel Policy Forum, is Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and has been an advisor to six Secretaries of State. Miller worked within the United States Department...
credited the "brilliant" Saunders with coining the term "peace process," in connection with negotiations over conflict in the Middle East.
Camp David
As assistant secretary of state for the Near East and South Asia under President Carter, Saunders played a critical behind-the-scenes role during the 1978 negotiations at Camp DavidCamp David
Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 60 mi north-northwest of Washington, D.C., on the property of Catoctin Mountain Park in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Thurmont, at an elevation of...
, culminating in the two framework agreements comprising the Camp David Accords
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States...
, leading directly to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in the following year, which Saunders helped draft.
Iran Hostage Crisis
In 1979, following the revolution in Iran, Saunders coordinated efforts to secure the release of the U.S. embassy staff held during the Iran hostage crisisIran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
.
Dartmouth Conference
In October 2010, the Dartmouth Conference celebrated its 50th anniversary of a dialogue between Russian and American citizens, which began as a critically needed back-channel at the behest of President Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Kruschev in 1960. Although program takes its name from Dartmouth College, where the first meeting was held, it has no affiliation with the American educational institution. James Voorhees's 2002 book published by the United States Institute of PeaceUnited States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace was created by Congress as a non-partisan, federal institution that works to prevent or end violent conflict around the world...
, Dialogue Sustained, chronicles the first four decades of the dialogue. For the Dartmouth Conference's 50th anniversary, the Kettering Foundation published an additional volume to commemorate and chronicle all five decades.
Inter-Tajik Dialogue
The Inter-Tajik DialogueInter-Tajik Dialogue
The Inter-Tajik Dialogue was an effort of Track II diplomacy which brought together factions of the Tajik Civil War. The Inter-Tajik Dialogue developed out of former diplomat Hal Saunders' work with the Dartmouth Conference Regional Conflicts Task Force...
developed out of Saunders's work with the Dartmouth Conference Regional Conflicts Task Force
Dartmouth Conferences (peace)
Dartmouth Conferences on peace process begun at Dartmouth College in October 1960. It is one of the longest ongoing bilateral unofficial dialogues between American and Soviet representatives.-History and impact:...
as a series of unofficial, Track II
Track II diplomacy
Track II diplomacy is a specific kind of informal diplomacy, in which non-officials engage in dialogue, with the aim of conflict resolution, or confidence-building...
dialogues between warring factions in the Tajik civil war. The dialogues took place in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, beginning in 1993 and lasting until 2003, during which 35 meetings took place.
Awards
- The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Award for Excellence in Diplomacy from the American Academy of Diplomacy, "November 30, 3010"
- Lifetime Achievement Award from Search for Common Ground, March, 2004, to honor outstanding accomplishments in conflict resolution, community building, and peacemaking.