Hon. Walter L. Cutler

Walter Cutler is the only American diplomat to have served twice as ambassador to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an oil-rich country of vital importance to U.S. national interests situated in one of the most volatile regions of the world.

During more than three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, Cutler also served as ambassador in Tunisia at a time when the PLO established its headquarters there, as ambassador-designate to Khomeini's Iran before official relations were broken, and in war- torn Algeria. Other postings included ambassador to Zaire, political officer in Korea and Vietnam, and Deputy Secretary of State for Congressional Relations.

Following his diplomatic career, Cutler served as President, and now President Emeritus, of Meridian International Center, a Washington-based educational and cultural institution with a staff of 100 professionals dedicated to promoting global understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts. During his tenure, Meridian provided an expanding array of programs and services, in the U.S. and abroad, ranging widely from conferences and seminars to school outreach and exhibitions of international art.

In recent years, Cutler has conferred with government leaders around the world on peacekeeping issues as a special emissary of the United Nations Secretary General, and has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Intelligence following terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia. He has also served as a Research Professor of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.

A graduate of Wesleyan University, Cutler holds an M.A. from The Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, The American Academy of Diplomacy, The Middle East Institute, and The Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs. He also serves as Senior Advisor to The Trust Company of the West.

A frequent visitor to the Middle East, Cutler speaks widely on American foreign policy, including such issues as U.S.-Saudi Arabian relations, Iraq and Iran, and the continuing threat of global terrorism. He has been a commentator on major television and radio networks, including NBC, CBS, BBC and CNN, as well as on National Public Radio and the Jim Lehrer Newshour.

Among his many speaking engagements have been The World Business Council, The Commonwealth Club (San Francisco), The Mid-America Club (Chicago), The Ditchley Foundation (U.K.), and numerous universities and civic organizations across the country.

Ambassador Cutler lives in Washington, D.C, with his wife Isabel, a free-lance photographer. They have three grown children.