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'''Sam H. Zakhem''' (1935–) was a non-career appointee who served as American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to [[Bahrain]] from 1986-1989.<ref name="OotH"></ref> Zakhem was also a member of the Colorado State House of Representatives as well as a Colorado State Senator.<ref name="Rick"></ref>
==Biography==
Zakhem was born to a wealthy family in [[Lebanon]] but his father disinherited him when he emigrated to the United States. He came to the US after after graduating from the American University in Cairo in 1957. He went on to graduate with a masters degree in economics at the University of Detroit. Zakhem returned to Lebanon but did not stay long. In 1965, he moved to [[Denver]] and worked various jobs while studying political science at the at the University of Colorado in Boulder‘s graduate school, graduating with a Ph.D.<ref name="Dirk"></ref>
==Colorado Legislator=
Zakhem was elected twice to the Colorado House of Representatives (1974 and 1976) and was elected to the Colorado Senate in 1978.<ref name="Dirk" />
==Ambassadorship==
Zakhem’s fundraising for conservative political causes was part of the reason [[Ronald Regan]] appointed him as Ambassador in 1986. The State Department was not impressed because “ his resume lacked foreign affairs expertise, and one State Department observer labeled him an "amateur" dangerously miscast in the hot-spot of Middle East politics.” <ref name="Dirk" />
At the time of his appointment, some said he was the most dangerous person in the Middle East. Bahrain served as “the de facto headquarters for the biggest U.S. naval armada assembled since World War II.”<ref name="Straus"></ref>
Zakhem considered himself “a leading expert on Arab matters.” Deputy Secretary of State [[John C. Whitehead|John Whitehead]] recalled him once for dealing with the Bahraini Government outside of official channels. He also argued with CIA analysts over whether or not the family ruling Bahrain would be overthrown by the pro-Iranian Shiite majority in the country. It turned out Zakhem was right.<ref name="Dirk" />. He has also been criticized for his role in the sale of an advanced anti-aircraft missile, the Stinge, which are portable and shoulder-launched. <ref name="Straus" />
In 1992, Zakhem and two other men were were indicted and “charged with secretly accepting $7.7 million from the Government of Kuwait to act as undisclosed foreign agents in a "propaganda campaign" to generate support for the war against Iraq.” According to the indictment, the men failed to report the money, a violation of Federal tax laws, and while lobbying the US Congress and Administration, did not disclose their status as Kuwaiti agents, a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.<ref name="Dirk" /><ref name="Goshko"></ref>
In 1994, charges were dismissed except for the charges of tax fraud. In March, 1995, he and his co-defendants were acquitted on those charges.<ref name="Shore"></ref>
==References==
<references />
==Biography==
Zakhem was born to a wealthy family in [[Lebanon]] but his father disinherited him when he emigrated to the United States. He came to the US after after graduating from the American University in Cairo in 1957. He went on to graduate with a masters degree in economics at the University of Detroit. Zakhem returned to Lebanon but did not stay long. In 1965, he moved to [[Denver]] and worked various jobs while studying political science at the at the University of Colorado in Boulder‘s graduate school, graduating with a Ph.D.<ref name="Dirk"></ref>
==Colorado Legislator=
Zakhem was elected twice to the Colorado House of Representatives (1974 and 1976) and was elected to the Colorado Senate in 1978.<ref name="Dirk" />
==Ambassadorship==
Zakhem’s fundraising for conservative political causes was part of the reason [[Ronald Regan]] appointed him as Ambassador in 1986. The State Department was not impressed because “ his resume lacked foreign affairs expertise, and one State Department observer labeled him an "amateur" dangerously miscast in the hot-spot of Middle East politics.” <ref name="Dirk" />
At the time of his appointment, some said he was the most dangerous person in the Middle East. Bahrain served as “the de facto headquarters for the biggest U.S. naval armada assembled since World War II.”<ref name="Straus"></ref>
Zakhem considered himself “a leading expert on Arab matters.” Deputy Secretary of State [[John C. Whitehead|John Whitehead]] recalled him once for dealing with the Bahraini Government outside of official channels. He also argued with CIA analysts over whether or not the family ruling Bahrain would be overthrown by the pro-Iranian Shiite majority in the country. It turned out Zakhem was right.<ref name="Dirk" />. He has also been criticized for his role in the sale of an advanced anti-aircraft missile, the Stinge, which are portable and shoulder-launched. <ref name="Straus" />
In 1992, Zakhem and two other men were were indicted and “charged with secretly accepting $7.7 million from the Government of Kuwait to act as undisclosed foreign agents in a "propaganda campaign" to generate support for the war against Iraq.” According to the indictment, the men failed to report the money, a violation of Federal tax laws, and while lobbying the US Congress and Administration, did not disclose their status as Kuwaiti agents, a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.<ref name="Dirk" /><ref name="Goshko"></ref>
In 1994, charges were dismissed except for the charges of tax fraud. In March, 1995, he and his co-defendants were acquitted on those charges.<ref name="Shore"></ref>
==References==
<references />
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