Harry G. Barnes Jr.

Harry George Barnes Jr. in 1981

Harry George Barnes Jr.[1][2] (June 5, 1926 – August 9, 2012) (also known as the Black Falcon), born in St. Paul, Minnesota, was an American diplomat, a former Foreign Service Officer who served as US ambassador to Romania (March 14, 1974–November 10, 1977), India (November 17, 1981–June 27, 1985) and Chile (November 18, 1985–;November 26, 1988). Between December 22, 1977 and February 8, 1981 he served as Director General of the Foreign Service at the Department of State.[2][3]

Biography

Harry G. Barnes graduated from Amherst College and Columbia University, and served in the U.S. Army from 1944-46. He entered the Foreign Service as consular officer in Bombay, in 1951 and was head of the consular section in Prague in 1953–55. He was publications procurement officer in Moscow in 1957–59. In 1959–62 he was political officer in the Office of Soviet Affairs in the Department of State. He attended the National War College in 1962–63. In 1963–67 he was Deputy Chief of Mission in Kathmandu. Barnes served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bucharest in 1968–71. After returning to Washington he served as supervisory personnel officer (1971–72) and deputy executive secretary (1972–74) before being named Ambassador to Romania by Richard Nixon.[4]

Although the American government, in particular Henry Kissinger, had supported the rise of dictator Augusto Pinochet, by 1988 the Chilean people started to campaign against extending his rule. Barnes supported the ultimately successful effort, angering Pinochet, who called him "Dirty Harry."[5]

He retired from government service in 1988.

Between 1994 and 2000 he served as the director of the Carter Center's Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Programs from 1994-2000. During this time, he traveled to North Korea and worked on Carter Center initiatives in this area.[6]


References

  1. ↑ "Barnes, Harry G. (Harry George), 1926-2012 Library of Congress/NACO". Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  2. 1 2 "Harry George Barnes (1926-2012)". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  3. ↑ "Harry Barnes Jr., a Top U.S. Diplomat, Is Dead at 86". The New York Times. August 17, 2012.
  4. ↑ John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters, The American Presidency Project [online]. Santa Barbara, CA, The American Presidency Project, UCSB, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=44171#axzz1X6OHa1cp
  5. ↑ "OSCARS: DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS TELL HISTORY BEHIND BEST FOREIGN FILM NOMINATION, "NO"". The National Security Archive. February 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ National Committee on North Korea, http://www.ncnk.org/member-directory/ambassador-harry-barnes
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