Statement by the Press Secretary

National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice announced the appointment of Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill as Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Strategic Planning to the National Security Advisor. Ambassador Blackwill will work with government-wide policy planning operations to help develop and coordinate the mid- and long-term direction of American foreign policy.

Ambassador Blackwill comes to the National Security Council after having most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to India beginning July 2001. Prior to this diplomatic posting, Ambassador Blackwill was the Belfer Lecturer in International Security at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he taught foreign and defense policy and qualitative public policy analysis. During his 14 years at Harvard, he was Associate Dean of the Kennedy School and faculty chairman of the School's Executive Program for U.S. and Russian General Officers, of the School's Chinese Security Studies Program, and of the Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative. He is the author of many books and articles on international security.

During his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Blackwill served as Political Counselor in Embassy Tel Aviv, as Director of West European Affairs on the NSC staff, as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, as Principal Negotiator at the negotiations with the Warsaw Pact on Conventional Forces in Europe, and as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Soviet Affairs on the NSC staff in 1989-90.