Barbara A. Leaf

Leaf graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1980 with a B.A. in Government and holds an M.A. in Foreign Affairs with a focus on Soviet Affairs from the University of Virginia.{{cite web |title=Leaf, Barbara A. |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/237204.htm |website=U.S. Department of State |accessdate=3 June 2020}}

From 1996 to 2000, Leaf served as the Department's Middle East "Watcher" at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, reporting on French policies on Iraq, Iran, the Arab-Israeli dispute, Libya, and terrorism issues.{{cite web |title=Abu Dhabi, UAE - Embassy of the United States |url=http://abudhabi.usembassy.gov/about-us/amb-leaf.html |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316102537/http://abudhabi.usembassy.gov/about-us/amb-leaf.html |archive-date=16 March 2016}} {{PD-notice}}

From 2001 to 2003, Leaf served as Advisor to the Department's Medical Director, in a position created in the wake of September 11 to develop medical and security programs to counter and respond to chemical/biological/nuclear threats to U.S. diplomatic installations abroad.

From 2004 to 2006, Leaf served as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where she helped advance U.S. policy goals on democratization and political reform, counter-terrorism, and regional reintegration among the former combatant states of the former Yugoslavia.

From 2003 to 2004, she directed the Regional Headquarters of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, enforcing implementation of civilian aspects of the Dayton peace accords, including the return of refugees to areas from which they had been ethnically cleansed.

Leaf directed the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in the strategic province of Basrah, Iraq, from 2010 to 2011, leaving an assignment as Political Minister Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy, to oversee the PRT's transition to a U.S. Consulate General.

File:Secretary Kerry and Ambassador Leaf Stand With U.A.E. Crown Prince Mohammed bid Zayed in the Mina Palace (23210513116).jpg and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed in 2015]]

She was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Arabian Peninsula in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq from 2011 to 2013. She served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates until 2018.

Leaf was the Ruth and Sid Lapidus Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Geduld Program on Arab Politics from 2018 to 2022.{{cite web |title=Barbara A. Leaf |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/view/barbara-leaf |website=The Washington Institute |accessdate=3 June 2020}}

In January 2021, Leaf was named the National Security Council Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa for the Biden administration.{{Cite web|title=White House Personnel|url=https://buildbackbetter.gov/nominees-and-appointees/white-house-personnel/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=President-Elect Joe Biden|language=en-US}}

On April 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Leaf to be the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.{{cite web |title=President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Key Administration Leaders in the State Department |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/15/president-biden-announces-his-intent-to-nominate-key-administration-leaders-in-the-state-department/ |website=The White House |date=April 15, 2021 |access-date=13 March 2022}} The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings on Leaf's nomination on September 15, 2021. The committee favorably reported Leaf's nomination to the Senate floor on November 3, 2021. The nomination ultimately stalled, and was returned to President Biden on January 3, 2022.{{cite web |title=PN549 — Barbara A. Leaf — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/549?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22leaf%22%2C%22leaf%22%5D%7D&s=2&r=2 |website=US Congress | date=January 3, 2022 |access-date=13 March 2022}}

Leaf was renominated the following day on January 4, 2022. Her nomination was favorably reported by of committee on March 29, 2022. Leaf was confirmed on May 18, 2022, by a Senate vote of 54-44.{{cite web |title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Barbara A. Leaf, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs)) |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00184.htm |website=US Senate |access-date=11 June 2022}}

In December 2024, Leaf participated in the first formal US diplomatic presence in Syria in over 10 years when she met with Syria's new de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus, following the rebel's ouster of the previous regime. Leaf stated that the meeting was "productive", and the US government shortly thereafter cancelled a $10 million bounty that it had offered for his capture.BBC News. (2024, December 15). US scraps $10m bounty for arrest of Syria's new leader Sharaa. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07gv3j818ko

Leaf speaks Arabic, French, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian.[https://www.state.gov/biographies/barbara-a-leaf/ “Barbara A. Leaf.” United States Department of State]

• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/washington-confuses-tactics-strategy-perils-shuttering-us-embassy-baghdad Washington Confuses Tactics with Strategy: The Perils of Shuttering the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad], October 9, 2020.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-f-35-triangle-america-israel-the-united-arab-emirates The F-35 Triangle: America, Israel, the United Arab Emirates], September 15, 2020.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-uae-israel-breakthrough-bilateral-and-regional-implications-and-u.s.-po The UAE-Israel Breakthrough: Bilateral and Regional Implications and U.S. Policy], September 14, 2020.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-gulfs-calculus-on-uae-israel-deal The Gulf’s Calculus on UAE-Israel Deal], August 19, 2020.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-new-u.s.-iraq-strategic-dialogue-expert-views-from-both-sides The New U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Expert Views from Both Sides], June 18, 2020.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/u.s.-iran-tensions-implications-for-homeland-security U.S.-Iran Tensions: Implications for Homeland Security], January 15, 2020.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/dont-write-off-iraq Don’t Write Off Iraq], September 24, 2019.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/bringing-diplomacy-back-to-the-pressure-campaign-against-iran Bringing Diplomacy Back to the Pressure Campaign Against Iran], September 23, 2019.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-ends-of-iran-next-steps-for-tehran-and-its-neighbors The Ends of Iran: Next Steps for Tehran and Its Neighbors], May 30, 2019.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/a-u.s.-iraq-security-partnership-avoiding-the-pitfalls-just-ahead A U.S.-Iraq Security Partnership: Avoiding the Pitfalls Just Ahead], March 13, 2019.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/reports-from-saudi-arabia-israel-and-capitol-hill Reports from Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Capitol Hill: Middle East Policy Forecast for 2019], February 4, 2019.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/its-time-serious-saudi-houthi-back-channel It’s Time for a Serious Saudi-Houthi Back Channel], January 9, 2019.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/containing-iranian-proxies-iraq Containing Iranian Proxies in Iraq], September 26, 2018.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/us-and-iran-ramp-war-words-ahead-sanctions U.S. and Iran Ramp Up War of Words Ahead of Sanctions], July 30, 2018.
• [https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/yemen-not-sideshow Yemen Is Not a Sideshow], June 12, 2018.

• List of Department of State appointments by Joe Biden

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• [https://www.uschamber.com/deputy-assistant-secretary-state-iraq-barbara-leaf-briefs-members-us-iraq-business-initiative Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq Barbara Leaf Briefs Members of the U.S.-Iraq Business Initiative]

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Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the United Arab Emirates

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Category:University of Virginia alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)