James Jeffrey retired from the Foreign Service in 2012 after a 37-year tenure with the rank of career ambassador. His assignments included Deputy National Security Advisor, and he served as Ambassador to Iraq, Turkey and Albania. He was recalled in 2018 for 27 months to serve as chief of mission in Syria and Special Representative to the Defeat ISIS Coalition. He is currently Chair of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center. From 1969 to 1976, he served as a U.S. Army infantry officer with assignments in Vietnam and Germany.
