Karl Inderfurth
Encyclopedia
Karl F. "Rick" Inderfurth (born 1946) is an American
diplomat
. He was the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs from August 1997 to January 2001. In his capacity as Assistant Secretary, Inderfurth was responsible for US policy regarding Afghanistan
, Bangladesh
, Bhutan
, India
, Maldives
, Nepal
, Pakistan
, Sri Lanka
, . Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, Inderfurth served as the U.S. Representative for Special Political Affairs to the United Nations
, with the rank of Ambassador
. In this capacity, Ambassador Inderfurth dealt with issues such as UN peacekeeping, disarmament
, nuclear proliferation
and security affairs. Ambassador Inderfurth also served as Deputy U.S. Representative on the United Nations Security Council
.
in 1946. He attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, and received his B.A. in political science in 1968. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Strathclyde
in Scotland
and earned his M.A. from the Department of Politics at Princeton University
in 1975.
, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
and United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
. Inderfurth also worked for ABC News
as a national security
correspondent, specializing in arms control
, and was awarded an Emmy in 1983. Inderfurth worked as the Moscow
correspondent for ABC News from February 1989 to August 1991.
During Inderfurth's tenure as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Pakistan tested its first nuclear devices which began a period of tense relations between Pakistan and India. Since these two countries fell under Inderfurth's responsibility and jurisdiction, he reported the developments on the ground to President Bill Clinton
personally. Inderfurth also oversaw President Clinton's Demining 2010 Initiative.
In 2002, Inderfurth starred in the BBC documentary The Situation Room: America in Crisis in which Inderfurth and other high-level, retired diplomats and political appointees portray events in a fictitious White House Situation Room
during a hypothetical nuclear crisis. Inderfurth plays the President of the United States
, when his National Security Council is faced with a nuclear crisis on the Indian subcontinent
. Other notable officials in the documentary include Ambassador Robert B. Oakley, former White House Chief of Staff
John Podesta
and former White House Press Secretary
Joe Lockhart
.
Inderfurth co-authored a book with Dr. Loch K. Johnson
entitled, Fateful Decisions: Inside the National Security Council (2004) and is a frequent op-ed contributor to major American newspapers.
's Elliott School of International Affairs
. He is also the director of the graduate program at the Elliott School. His area of expertise includes nuclear proliferation issues, US-South Asian relations, United Nations peacekeeping, disarmament and national security concerns. He also teaches an undergraduate summer institute with colleague Ambassador Thomas E. McNamara
, entitled Security in an Insecure World: The Global Context in which students examine an international arena drastically changed by the events of September 11, 2001. Inderfurth has also been instrumental in bringing retired diplomats to the George Washington University teaching community, such as former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs
Eric D. Newsom
, who also teaches at the Elliott School.
Since joining the George Washington community in 2001, Inderfurth has helped organize visits by high-ranking diplomats and heads-of-state such as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
, former United States Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright
, Afghan President Hamid Karzai
and Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf
.
Inderfurth serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
, the Fulbright Association
and the Council of American Ambassadors
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He was the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs from August 1997 to January 2001. In his capacity as Assistant Secretary, Inderfurth was responsible for US policy regarding Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, . Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, Inderfurth served as the U.S. Representative for Special Political Affairs to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, with the rank of Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
. In this capacity, Ambassador Inderfurth dealt with issues such as UN peacekeeping, disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
, nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the...
and security affairs. Ambassador Inderfurth also served as Deputy U.S. Representative on the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
.
Early life
Inderfurth was born in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
in 1946. He attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, and received his B.A. in political science in 1968. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and earned his M.A. from the Department of Politics at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1975.
Career
Inderfurth served in several government positions, including on the staffs of the National Security CouncilUnited States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the federal government of the United States who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The...
and United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. The Foreign Relations Committee is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid programs as...
. Inderfurth also worked for ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
as a national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
correspondent, specializing in arms control
Arms control
Arms control is an umbrella term for restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction...
, and was awarded an Emmy in 1983. Inderfurth worked as the 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...
correspondent for ABC News from February 1989 to August 1991.
During Inderfurth's tenure as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Pakistan tested its first nuclear devices which began a period of tense relations between Pakistan and India. Since these two countries fell under Inderfurth's responsibility and jurisdiction, he reported the developments on the ground to President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
personally. Inderfurth also oversaw President Clinton's Demining 2010 Initiative.
In 2002, Inderfurth starred in the BBC documentary The Situation Room: America in Crisis in which Inderfurth and other high-level, retired diplomats and political appointees portray events in a fictitious White House Situation Room
White House Situation Room
The White House Situation Room is a conference room and intelligence management center in the basement of the West Wing of the White House. It is run by the National Security Council staff for the use of the President of the United States and his advisors to monitor and deal...
during a hypothetical nuclear crisis. Inderfurth plays the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, when his National Security Council is faced with a nuclear crisis on the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Other notable officials in the documentary include Ambassador Robert B. Oakley, former White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
John Podesta
John Podesta
John David Podesta was the fourth and final White House Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton, from 1998 until 2001. He is the president of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C., and is also a Visiting Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law...
and former White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Joe Lockhart
Joe Lockhart
Joseph Lockhart is a spokesman and communications consultant, best known for being the White House Press Secretary from October 5, 1998 to September 29, 2000, during the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton...
.
Inderfurth co-authored a book with Dr. Loch K. Johnson
Loch K. Johnson
Dr. Loch K. Johnson is Regents Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is editor of the journal "Intelligence and National Security" and has written numerous books on American foreign policy. Dr. Johnson was special assistant to the chair of the Senate Select Committee House...
entitled, Fateful Decisions: Inside the National Security Council (2004) and is a frequent op-ed contributor to major American newspapers.
Current work
Currently, Inderfurth is a professor at George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
's Elliott School of International Affairs
Elliott School of International Affairs
The Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University is a professional school in international relations. It is located in the heart of Washington, D.C...
. He is also the director of the graduate program at the Elliott School. His area of expertise includes nuclear proliferation issues, US-South Asian relations, United Nations peacekeeping, disarmament and national security concerns. He also teaches an undergraduate summer institute with colleague Ambassador Thomas E. McNamara
Thomas E. McNamara
Thomas E. "Ted" McNamara is a United States diplomat and State Department official.-Biography:Thomas E. McNamara was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1940. He was educated at Manhattan College, graduating with a B.A. in 1962. He then attended the University of Notre Dame, receiving an M.A.In...
, entitled Security in an Insecure World: The Global Context in which students examine an international arena drastically changed by the events of September 11, 2001. Inderfurth has also been instrumental in bringing retired diplomats to the George Washington University teaching community, such as former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs is a position within the American Department of State that manages the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, charged with linking the Department of Defense and the Department of State by providing policy in the areas of international...
Eric D. Newsom
Eric D. Newsom
Eric David Newsom is a United States diplomat and State Department official.-Biography:Eric D. Newsom was born in Oklahoma, but mainly raised in Modesto, California. He graduated from Modesto High School in 1961. After high school, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a...
, who also teaches at the Elliott School.
Since joining the George Washington community in 2001, Inderfurth has helped organize visits by high-ranking diplomats and heads-of-state such as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, former United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
, Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
and Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
.
Inderfurth serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British research institute in the area of international affairs. It describes itself as "the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict"...
, the Fulbright Association
Fulbright Association
The Fulbright Association is a U.S.-based membership organization of Fulbright Program alumni and supporters committed to fostering international awareness and understanding through:*Advocating increased worldwide support for Fulbright exchanges;...
and the Council of American Ambassadors
Council of American Ambassadors
The Council of American Ambassadors is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of former and incumbent non-career United States Ambassadors. The organization provides advice and assistance to the U.S. Department of State, as appropriate, and endeavors to educate the public on foreign policy issues...
.