Thomas Dine

Thomas A. Dine is the former president of AIPAC and former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

History

Achievements, Responsibilities: In the 1970s he worked in the U.S. Senate and the American Embassies in New Delhi, India, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Philipines; 1980-1993 he headed the American Israel Public Afairs Committee AIPAC; 1993-1996 served as Assistant Administrator for Europe and the New Independent States for USAID; president of RFE/RL since 1997; chief executive officer of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties from 2005 to 2007.

Appointments

"Because money for Israel originates in Senate and House foreign affairs committees, AIPAC has long ago insured that each and every member of these committees is unconditionally loyal to Israel. Beyond this, AIPAC insures that every other member of Congress consistently votes and speaks out for Israel; that AIPAC's candidate is selected for every "interesting"assignment. In 1983, Secretary of State George Schultz appointed the head of AIPAC himself, Thomas A. Dine, to a blue ribbon planel of prominent citizens to recommend changes in the foreign aid program. Dine was the only lobbyist on this panel composed of 27 Senators and Representatives, a fact that made James Abourezk remark "It would make as much sense to let the president of Lockheed Corporation serve on a Defense Department board which decides what planes our air force will buy" (Paul Findley, pp. 31).

• 1970 to 1974: Dine served as Senator Frank Church's legislative assistant for foreign affairs
• 1973 to 1974: U.S. Senate Special Committee on National Emergencies and Delegated Powers
• 1975 to 1978: Dine served as head of the Senate Budget Committee's national security staff
• 1979-1980: Served as advisor to Senator Edmund Muskie on nuclear weapons policy and the SALT treaty, and defense and foreign policy advisor to Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Affiliations

• Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President (2005)
• AIPAC former President (1980-1993)
• Israel Policy Forum - Senior Policy Adviser
• Committee for the Liberation of Iraq
• Brookings Institution – 1979 Senior Fellow, Washington
• Council on Foreign Relations – since 1974
• Mark C. Medish Partner Akin Gump specialising on property rights in Russia/former Soviet Union (worked together with Thomas Dine on ex-Soviet property)
• Freedom House Trustee Board member. Dine's biography also includes serving as CEO with the Jewish Community Federation 1997-2005; was Assistant Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development's programs in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union (1993-1997); was Executive Director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (1980-93); He also held foreign policy advisory positions in the U.S. Senate for a decade, and before that served at the American Embassy in New Delhi, India as the Personal Assistant to Ambassador Chester Bowles (1967-1969) and as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in the southern Philippines (1962-1964)

External links

• Joe Eskenazi, "A man of the world: From AIPAC to Radio Free Europe to San Francisco JCF", Jewish News Weekly, 29 July, 2005.