Be prepared for a peek behind the governmental veil and historical perspectives never before shared.
Dictators and Diplomats is a fascinating memoir offering a glimpse into the extraordinary life of a U.S. Security Attaché.
Robert W. Starnes’ international law enforcement career took him to six continents while encountering terrorism, counterintelligence, executive protection, and criminal investigations.
--Relive a chemical terrorist threat in New Zealand against U.S. golfer Tiger Woods.
--Return to Libya during Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s dictatorial reign.
--Become stranded in Brazil with a suspected high-ranking Hezbollah terrorist.
--Relish in the success of disrupting a Lebanese terrorist plot to bomb a U.S. Embassy.
--Arrest a Pakistani defector and terrorist two weeks from joining the U.S. army Airborne.
--Run the gauntlet of a planned siege of a U.S. Embassy during a coup d’état.
--Brushes with death during Guatemala’s civil war.
--Scour the Samoan jungles to rescue children from an abusive behavior modification camp.
--Restore security after the arson attack against the Texas Governor’s Mansion.
--Enact an Elliott Nest strategy used against gangster Al Capone to disrupt mafia figures.
--Trade moves with the infamous Love Bandit who stole the hearts of lonely women.
You’ll enjoy these adventurous reflections in this well-written memoir that is factual, informative, honest, and, at times, cleverly humorous.
Robert W. Starnes is a retired U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security supervisory special agent with expertise in counterterrorism, counterintelligence, investigations, and protective security. Robert served at multiple U.S. embassies worldwide, including reestablishing diplomatic relations with Libya during dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s rein, Guatemala’s civil war and Paraguay’s violent coup d’état. Robert spearheaded the protective intelligence investigation in New Zealand after receiving a threat letter containing laboratory grade potassium cyanide targeting visiting U.S. golfer Tiger Woods. Robert led 3-separate protective intelligence investigations resulting in the capture of a high ranking Hezbollah terrorist, disrupted a terrorist attack by a Lebanese terrorist planning to bomb the American embassy, and arrested a Pakistani military fighter jet pilot defector wanting to kill Americans in Iraq, who was 2-weeks from active duty with the U.S. army Airborne. He protected Margaret Thatcher; Nelson Mandela; Mikhail Gorbachev; and Prince Charles, and rescued dozens of American juveniles from an allegedly abusive behavior modification camp in Western Samoa. The Texas State Police called upon his expertise to revamp their agency soon after the 2008 arson attack against the Governor’s Mansion. Robert is a recipient of the distinguish FBI Director’s Commendation Award, 2-Superior Honor Awards and 6-Meritorious Awards.
Born with an adventure junkie gene, I could not pass on the opportunity to serve on the first diplomatic envoy team returning to Libya during the reign of the bombastic and unpredictable dictator, Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
Now serving behind enemy lines, the thought of being taken hostage loomed, especially in light of the Iranian hostage situation that transpired for an agonizing 444-days in 1979.
I relish the quote, "Fate whispers to the warrior, 'You cannot withstand the storm. 'The warrior whispers back, 'I am the storm.'
By the end of my tour in Tripoli, the Libyan intelligence supervisor placed me off-limits for his staff due to fears that I was co-opting his operatives.
Book Excerpt
Dictators and Diplomats: A Special Agent's Memoir and Musings
In April 2004, the U.S. diplomatic envoy team returned to Libya in hopes of reestablishing diplomatic dialogue between our two nations, which shared a shaky relationship dating back to the Pirates of the Barbary Coast during President Thomas Jefferson’s administration. Given the unpredictability of Libya’s modern-day brutal dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, the other diplomats and I were no longer serving on the front lines of diplomacy. We had actually volunteered to serve our nation behind enemy lines.
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