James Dobbins (diplomat)

James F. Dobbins
3rd United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
In office May 10, 2013 – July 21, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Marc Grossman
Succeeded by	Dan Feldman
United States Ambassador to Afghanistan
Acting
In office December 17, 2001 – January 1, 2002
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Diplomatic relations reestablished
Succeeded by	Ryan Crocker (acting)
21st Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs
In office January 2, 2001 – June 1, 2001
President	Bill Clinton George W. Bush
Preceded by	Marc Grossman
Succeeded by	A. Elizabeth Jones
United States Ambassador to the European Union
In office October 9, 1991 – July 31, 1993
President	George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Thomas Michael Tolliver Niles
Succeeded by	Stuart E. Eizenstat
Personal details
Born	(1942-05-31)May 31, 1942 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	July 3, 2023(2023-07-03) (aged 81)
Spouse	Toril Kleivdal
Alma mater	Georgetown University
Profession	Diplomat, Career Ambassador

James Francis Dobbins Jr. (May 31, 1942 – July 3, 2023) was an American diplomat who served as United States ambassador to the European Union (1991–1993),^[1] assistant secretary of state for European affairs (2001), and special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (May 2013–July 2014). He was a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Additionally, Dobbins served as envoy to Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti, and Somalia. In 2001, he led negotiations leading to the Bonn Agreement,^[2][3] and served as acting ambassador of the United States to Afghanistan during the transitional period. He was later head of international and security policy for the RAND Corporation.^[4][5]

Dobbins graduated with a BS in international affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Dobbins died from complications of Parkinson's disease on July 3, 2023, at the age of 81.^[6]

• "Iraq: Winning the Unwinnable Wars", Foreign Affairs, January/February 2005
• "Who Lost Iraq?", Foreign Affairs, September/October 2007
• "Counterinsurgency in Iraq", Senate Armed Services Committee, 2-26-09
• Dobbins, James (March 3, 2009). "To Talk With Iran, Stop Not Talking". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
• Dobbins, James (January 16, 2010). "Skip the Graft". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
• Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority The RAND Corporation. By James Dobbins, Seth G. Jones, Benjamin Runkle, Siddharth Mohandas, 2009.

• The UN's Role in Nation-Building: From the Congo to Iraq. RAND Corporation. 2005. ISBN 978-0-8330-3589-9.
• The RAND History of Nation-Building. RAND Corporation. 2005. ISBN 978-0-8330-3739-8.
• The Beginner's Guide to Nation-Building. RAND National Security Research Division. 2007. ISBN 978-0-8330-3988-0.
• Europe's Role in Nation-Building: From the Balkans to the Congo. RAND Corporation. 2008. ISBN 978-0-8330-4138-8.
• After the War: Nation-Building from FDR to George W. Bush. RAND Corporation. 2008. ISBN 978-0-8330-4181-4.
• After the Taliban: Nation-Building in Afghanistan. Potomac Books. 2008. ISBN 978-1-59797-083-9.
• James Dobbins; Seth G. Jones; Benjamin Runkle (2009). Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority. RAND Corporation. ISBN 978-0-8330-4665-9.

• UNJobs.org list of Dobbins authorships^{[permanent dead link]}
• Video discussion with Dobbins and Mark Leon Goldberg on Bloggingheads.tv
• "An Interview with James Dobbins", Frontline, Sept. 26, 2003
• Appearances on C-SPAN