INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TERRORISM STUDIES AT

POTOMAC INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES

"Combating Terrorism:

Reflections over the Generations"

Conversation with Ambassador (Ret.) Gustavo de Aristegui

February 9, 2018

Gustavo de Aristegui was born on June 6, 1963 in a diplomatic family – father, two uncles, grandfather, and great-great uncle were all diplomats. He studied Law at Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) and then spent a year in the Spanish Diplomatic Academy. He served in the European Division, in the Africa and Middle East Division as Deputy Head of Middle East Affairs in the time of the first Gulf War (1990-91), as Deputy Chief of Mission of the Spanish Embassy to Libya (1991-1993) where he was Charge D’Affaires (Acting Ambassador) for well over a year, and as Deputy Chief of Mission of the Spanish Embassy to Jordan (1993-96). From his post in Jordan he was also in charge of the Embassy in Iraq. In May 1996, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Spanish Ministry of Security and Home Affairs. In March 2000 he ran as a member of the People’s Party (PP, Center-right) for a seat in the Spanish Parliament representing his home province of Guipuzcoa and was subsequently reelected to Parliament two more times for a total of 12 years. In Parliament he was the leader of the Majority for Foreign Affairs for four years, and then leader of the Minority for Foreign Affairs for another eight years. From April 2012 to January 2016, he was Ambassador of Spain to India and Ambassador of Spain concurrently to Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, and the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The seminar was moderated by Professor Yonah Alexander (Director, Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies and Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies). Opening remarks were made by General Alfred Gray, USMC (Ret.) (Twenty-Ninth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps; Senior Fellow and Chairman of the Board of Regents, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies) and comments were provided by Professor Don Wallace, Jr. (Chairman, International Law Institute).