US appoints Thomas Krajeski as ambassador in Bahrain

Manama: The US has appointed Thomas C. Krajeski, the current senior vice president of the National Defense University, as its new ambassador to Bahrain.

He will replace Joseph Adam Ereli who left Bahrain in January for Washington. Krajeski, a career member of the Foreign Service since 1979, served at the US embassy in Baghdad from 2008 to 2009 as the senior advisor to the ambassador on northern Iraq affairs where he worked closely with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the government of Iraq, and the United Nations in negotiations about the permanent boundary of Iraqi Kurdistan.

He was the director of Career Development and Assignments for the Department of State from 2007 to 2008. He was the US ambassador to Yemen between 2004 and 2007.

Previous assignments include political advisor to Paul Bremer at the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq, principal officer and consul general at the US consulate in Dubai, political officer at the US embassy in Cairo, Egypt, deputy chief of the consular section in Warsaw, Poland, consular officer in Madras, India and general services officer in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Washington

In Washington, Krajeski has served as the director and deputy director of the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, political desk officer on the India Desk, senior watch officer in the Operations Centre, and in the State Department Press Office.

Krajeski studied Russian language and literature at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The US has had diplomats posted in Bahrain since 1971 after the country gained its independence. The diplomatic mission was established on September 21, five weeks after the independence.

John N. Gatch, Jr, was named as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in 1971 and served for one year. He was followed by William A. Stoltzfus, Jr. who was Ambassador to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates, working out of Kuwait.

In 1974, the US named Joseph W. Twinam as its first ambassador in residence in Manama.

List of US ambassadors to Bahrain

John N. Gatch, Jr. (1971-1972) - Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

William A. Stoltzfus, Jr. (1972-1974) - Ambassador to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates, working out of Kuwait.

Joseph W. Twinam (1974-1976) - First ambassador in residence in Manama.

Wat T. Cluverius, 4th (1976-1978)

Robert H. Pelletreau, Jr. (1979-1980)

Peter A. Sutherland (1980-1983)

Donald C. Leidel (1983-1986)

Sam H. Zakhem (1986-1989)

Charles Warren Hostler (1989-1993)

David S. Robins (1993-1994) - Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.