Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11

by Robert W. Jordan, Steve Fiffer, James A. Baker (Foreword)

In the spring of 2001, George W. Bush selected Dallas attorney Robert W. Jordan as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Jordan’s nomination sped through Congress in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and he was at his post by early October, though with no prior diplomatic experience, as Saudi Arabia mandates that the U.S. Ambassador be a political appointee with the ear of the president. Hence Jordan had to learn on the job how to run an embassy, deal with a foreign culture, and protect U.S. interests, all following the most significant terrorist attacks on the United States in history.From 2001 through 2003, Jordan worked closely with Crown Prince Abdullah and other Saudi leaders on sensitive issues of terrorism and human rights, all the while trying to maintain a positive relationship to ensure their cooperation with the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq. At the same time he worked with top officials in Washington, including President Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, George Tenet, and Tommy Franks. Desert Diplomat discusses these relationships as well as the historic decisions of Jordan’s tenure and provides a candid and thoughtful assessment of the sometimes distressing dysfunction in the conduct of American foreign policy, warfare, and intelligence gathering. Still involved in the Middle East, Jordan also offers important insights into the political, economic, and social changes occurring in this critical region, particularly Saudi Arabia.

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2015

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book that my Professor, Ambassador Jordan, wrote. I loved how easy and exciting it was to read this book. He provides his anecdotes, which brought so much value to my understanding of the region and Saudi Arabia. I looked forward to doing my weekly assigned readings for this class and am grateful to have read this book! I highly suggest this book if you want to learn more about the critical value of the Middle East and how our government worked during the aftermath of 9/11. Learning about the culture was a plus and now I want to learn more!

[Gabriel Perlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and quick read, 'Desert Diplomat' offers a behind the scenes perspective of the world of diplomacy. The book describes Saudi society and its elites up-close, including the relationship between Saudi monarchs and Wahhabi imams that legitimize their rule. The book's final chapters on Jordan's life post-diplomatic service were personal, which added a great deal to the sense that the author was being sincere with his readers.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Jordan recently spoke at my woman's club and was quite interesting speaking of the Saudis and Middle East. The book was just as interesting. I feel I have a better understanding of the U.S. relations with the Arab countries.