Robert Oakley, Diplomatic Troubleshooter, Dies at 83
Robert Oakley, Diplomatic Troubleshooter, Dies at 83 by Adam Bernstein, Washington Post
Robert B. Oakley, a career diplomat and three-time ambassador with a reputation for shrewdness in Washington and toughness in crisis zones, and who in retirement obtained the release of an American pilot captured during the “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia, died Dec. 10 in McLean, Va. He was 83.
The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease, said his wife, Phyllis E. Oakley, a retired assistant secretary of state and a former spokeswoman for secretary of state George P. Shultz.
Mr. Oakley, who attained the high-ranking title of “career minister,” officially retired in 1991 as the chief American envoy in Pakistan. Thin and with a soft Louisiana drawl, he was regarded as a top troubleshooter in some of the world’s thorniest regions…
Note: Very sad news, I got to work with Amb Oakley for several years when he supported the Marine Corps’ efforts at Quantico. He truly was “the best and brightest”. – Dave Dilegge
