MFO - Multinational Force and Observers

The Director General, James A. Larocco

Ambassador James A. Larocco was appointed Director General of the Multinational Force and Observers by the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel and assumed office on 2 July 2004. He is a retired career Foreign Service Officer of the United States, a career begun in 1973. His last position before this appointment was as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Prior to that he served as U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait and Deputy Chief of Mission in Tel Aviv. He served in Cairo in 1978-81, where he worked on the negotiation of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty and its subsequent implementation.

His Middle Eastern experience also includes assignments in Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait (where he served twice). In other assignments, Ambassador Larocco served as Economic Counselor in Beijing, Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Deputy Director of the State Department office of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh Affairs, and on detail to the U.S. Senate to work with Senator Max Baucus (R-Montana).

Ambassador Larocco has a B.A. degree from the University of Portland, Oregon, an M.A. degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Portland. Ambassador Larocco is married to Janet M. Larocco and has three children.