Amb. Philip Habib | |
|---|---|
 Habib in Lebanon in December 1982 | |
| 9th Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs | |
| In office July 1, 1976 – April 1, 1978 | |
| President | Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Joseph J. Sisco |
| Succeeded by | David D. Newsom |
| 12th Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs | |
| In office September 27, 1974 – June 30, 1976 | |
| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Robert S. Ingersoll |
| Succeeded by | Arthur W. Hummel Jr. |
| 9th United States Ambassador to South Korea | |
| In office October 10, 1971 – August 19, 1974 | |
| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | William J. Porter |
| Succeeded by | Richard Sneider |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Philip Charles Habib February 25, 1920 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 25, 1992 (aged 72) Puligny-Montrachet, France |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrhythmia |
| Resting place | Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Marjorie W. Slightam[1] (m. 1943–1992, his death)[2] |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Parent | Iskander (Alex) Habib Jamous & Miriam (Mary) Spiridon Habib |
| Residence(s) | Belmont, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Idaho (B.S.) University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D.) |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
| Known for | Shuttle diplomacy |
| Awards |  President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service (1979)Medal of Freedom, (Diplomacy, 1982)[3] Légion d'Honneur (France, 1988)[4] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank |  Captain |
Philip Charles Habib (February 25, 1920 – May 25, 1992) was an American career diplomat active from 1949 to 1987.[5]
During his 30-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, he had mostly specialized in Asia. In 1968, he was working to prevent the escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.[6][7]
Habib later became known for his work as Ronald Reagan's special envoy to the Middle East from 1981 to 1983. In that role, he negotiated numerous cease-fire agreements between the various parties involved in the Lebanese Civil War.
He came out of retirement to take two assignments as U.S. special envoy; one to the Philippines in 1986, and another to Central America in 1986–87. In the latter assignment, he helped Costa Rican president Oscar Arias propose a peace plan to end the region's civil wars.
Habib was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1982—the highest official honor given to a U.S. citizen by the U.S. government.[3]
- ^ "Profile – Philip Habib, Mideast envoy". Nashua Telegraph. UPI. May 8, 1981. p. 27.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
wphtpcewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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phtblsrwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Holbrooke, Richard (June 19, 1992). "Phillip Habib was a diplomat's diplomat". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
- ^ "One Brief Miracle: The Diplomat, the Zealot, and the Wild Blundering Siege," chapters 1, 2; "Cursed Is the Peacemaker," Appendix C.
- ^ Molotsky, Irvin (May 28, 1981). "Man in the News; Tireless trouble-shooter for the U.S." The New York Times. p. 3. Retrieved March 6, 2014.