Ronald E. Neumann

Ronald Eldredge Neumann (born September 30, 1944) is an American diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to Afghanistan (2005–2007), Bahrain (2001–2004) and Algeria (1994–1997). He is the son of former ambassador Robert G. Neumann and traveled extensively after college in Afghanistan while his father was ambassador there. Only one other father-and-son pair, John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, have served as ambassadors to the same country; both Adamses served as ministers to Britain. He pronounces his last name Newmann (without the Germanic neu) and his name is sometimes seen spelled that way.

Career After college, Neumann served as a U.S. Army infantry officer in the Vietnam War. Neumann joined the United States Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer in 1970. His first posting was in Senegal, but in 1973 he served in Tabriz, Iran, and thereafter specialized in the Middle East, and Persian Gulf in particular. He also served in the United Arab Emirates. In 1991, while he was Director of the Iran Iraq office (Director of Northern Gulf Affairs), Neumann was involved in overseeing Kurdish refugees in the Middle East.

In 1994, he was appointed ambassador to Algeria, in part because of his Middle East experience, and served in that capacity until 1997.

Neumann speaks Arabic, French, and some Persian.