James Dobbins

James Francis Dobbins Jr. (May 31, 1942 – July 3, 2023) was an American diplomat who served as United States ambassador to the European Union (1991–1993), assistant secretary of state for European affairs (2001), and special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (May 2013–July 2014). He was a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Additionally, Dobbins served as envoy to Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti, and Somalia. In 2001, he led negotiations leading to the Bonn Agreement, and served as acting ambassador of the United States to Afghanistan during the transitional period. He was later head of international and security policy for the RAND Corporation.

Dobbins graduated with a BS in international affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Dobbins died from complications of Parkinson's disease on July 3, 2023, at the age of 81.

• "Iraq: Winning the Unwinnable Wars", Foreign Affairs, January/February 2005
• "Who Lost Iraq?", Foreign Affairs, September/October 2007
• "Counterinsurgency in Iraq", Senate Armed Services Committee, 2-26-09
• Dobbins, James (March 3, 2009). "To Talk With Iran, Stop Not Talking". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
• Dobbins, James (January 16, 2010). "Skip the Graft". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
• Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority The RAND Corporation. By James Dobbins, Seth G. Jones, Benjamin Runkle, Siddharth Mohandas, 2009.
• Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground The RAND Corporation. By James Dobbins, Raphael S. Cohen, Nathan Chandler, Bryan Frederick, Edward Geist, Paul DeLuca, Forrest E. Morgan, Howard J. Shatz, Brent Williams, 2019.