Sherard Cowper-Coles

"Infobox Ambassador
honorific-prefix =Sir
name =Sherard Cowper-Coles
honorific-suffix = KCMG


imagesize =
order =
ambassador_from =British
country =Afghanistan
term_start =May 2007
term_end =
predecessor =
successor =
primeminister =Gordon Brown
monarch =Elizabeth II
birth_date = Birth date and age|1955|01|08
birth_place = London, England
nationality = British
spouse = Bridget Mary Elliott
party =
relations =
children = 4 sons, 1 daughter
residence =
alma_mater = Freston Lodge School, New Beacon School, Tonbridge School Hertford College, Oxford
occupation = British Ambassador to Afghanistan
profession = Career Diplomat
religion =


website = [http://ukinafghanistan.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-afghanistan/our-ambassador/ "UK in Afghanistan"]
footnotes =Sir Sherard Louis Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO (born in London, England on January 8 1955) is a British diplomat, since 2007 ambassador to Afghanistan. His surname is pronounced 'Cooper-Coles'.

Early life

The son of Sherard Hamilton Cowper-Coles and Dorothy Cowper-Coles (née Short).

Education

He was educated at Freston Lodge School, New Beacon School, Tonbridge School and Hertford College, Oxford."Cowper-Coles, Sir Sherard (Louis)", in "Who's Who 2008" (London, A. & C. Black, 2008)] He studied classics at Oxford, and also speaks fluent Arabic and has studied Pashto.

Diplomatic career

Cowper-Coles entered the diplomatic service in 1977. He was Third Secretary and later Second Secretary in Cairo, 1980–1983, First Secretary in the Planning Staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1983–1985; Private Secretary to the Permanent Under-secretary of State, 1985–1987, First Secretary in Washington, 1987–1991, Assistant in the Security Policy Department of the FCO, 1991–1993, Resident Associate, International Institute for Strategic Studies, 1993–1994; Head of the Hong Kong Department of the FCO, 1994–1997, Political Counsellor in Paris, 1997–1999; Principal Private Secretary to Robin Cook, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 1999–2001.

His first role as a head of mission was in Tel Aviv as the British Ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2003. He was next appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, a post that he held until 2006. Since 15 May 2007 he has served as ambassador to Afghanistan in Kabul.

Memo Leak Regarding NATO, USA, Afghanistan

In early October 2008 a memo was leaked to the media detailing Sir Cowper-Coles' bleak assessment of the seven-year NATO campaign in Afghanistan and stating that he called the US strategy there "destined to fail". [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4860080.ece] "British envoy says mission in Afghanistan is doomed, according to leaked memo"] This memo leak occurred the same week another additional memo was leaked concerning fellow British ambassador, Sir Nigel Sheinwald's comments with regard to US Senator Barack Obama. Both leaks concerned foreign policy and occurred in the final weeks of the 2008 US Presidential Election. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/3125120/Exclusive-Barack-Obama-is-aloof-says-British-ambassador-to-US.html]

References to him in pop culture

Cowper-Coles is referred to in the film "", when the character Mark Darcy speaks to him about Bridget's imprisonment in Thailand.

Personal

Coincidentally, his wife's name is also Bridget, who he met in Cairo. In 1982, he married Bridget Mary Elliott, and they have four sons, Henry, Rupert, Frederick and Myles, and one daughter, Minna.

ee also

* British Ambassadors to Afghanistan
* British Ambassadors to Israel
* British Ambassadors to Saudi Arabia

References

External links

* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/22/ndefence122.xml Telegraph report of appointment to Kabul]
* [http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1079976712349 Kabul embassy biography]
* [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=322117&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y Haaretz interview]
* [http://news.independent.co.uk/fisk/article2723191.ece Robert Fisk column about Sherard Cowper-Coles]