Robin Lynn Raphel | |
|---|---|
 Raphel at the Pakistani American Congress Annual Meeting, 2012 | |
| 14th U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia | |
| In office 7 November 1997 – 6 August 2000 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Mary Ann Casey |
| Succeeded by | Rust Macpherson Deming |
| 1st Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs | |
| In office 2 August 1993 – 27 June 1997 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Karl Inderfurth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robin Lynn Johnson 1947 Vancouver, Washington |
| Spouse(s) | Arnold L. Raphel (1972-1982)[1] Leonard A. Ashton (1990-?)(div) |
| Children | Two daughters: Alexandra and Anna |
| Alma mater | University of Washington, B.A. History & Economics (1965-1969) University of Maryland, M.A. Economics (1972-1974) |
| Profession | Career diplomat Lobbyist Government consultant |
Robin Lynn Raphel (born 1947) is an American former diplomat, ambassador, CIA analyst, lobbyist, and an expert on Pakistan affairs.
In 1993, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. She later served as U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia from November 7, 1997 to August 6, 2000, during Clinton's second term in office. In the 2000s, Raphel held a number of South Asia-related diplomatic positions. She retired from the State Department in 2005 after 30 years of service.
After retirement, Raphel was hired to head the global affairs and trade group of Cassidy & Associates, a DC lobbying firm. She returned to the State Department in 2009 as a senior adviser on Pakistan under Richard Holbrooke, during the tenure of then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Until November 2, 2014, she served as coordinator for non-military assistance to Pakistan.
Raphel was the subject of a federal counterintelligence investigation. Surveillance of her communications began in February, 2013 and became public knowledge in October, 2014. She was suspected of being a Pakistani asset. After abandoning the claim that she had been spying, the FBI urged Raphel to plead guilty to mishandling classified documents. Raphel refused the plea deal, and in March 2016, the Justice Department declined to file charges against her.