Robert Joseph


Robert G. Joseph is a senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and professor at Missouri State University. He was the United States Special Envoy for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with ambassadorial rank. Prior to this post, Joseph was the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, a position he held until January 24, 2007.
Joseph is known for being instrumental in creating the Proliferation Security Initiative and as the architect of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. He was also the US chief negotiator to Libya in 2003 who convinced the Libyans to give up their WMD programs. He also recently authored a book describing his experience in negotiating with Libya entitled "Countering WMD."

Education and career

Joseph was nominated to, and attended the United States Naval Academy, at the height of the Vietnam War. He earned a BA at St. Louis University in 1971, MA at the University of Chicago in 1973, and PhD at Columbia in 1978.
Joseph has served as a professor at a number of institutions, including Carleton College, Tulane University, and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He was professor of National Security Studies at the National Defense University ; he also founded its and Director & Founder of the Center for Counterproliferation Research. In 1993, he joined the faculty at the National War College. In 2009, Professor Joseph taught at Missouri State University's Defense and Strategic Studies program.
Joseph has held several posts relating to security and nuclear policy. These posts include the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Director of Theater Nuclear Forces Policy, U.S. Department of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy, and Ambassador to the U.S.-Russian Consultative Commission on Nuclear Testing under George H. W. Bush.
In January 2001, as George W. Bush prepared to take office, Joseph served on a panel for nuclear weapons issues sponsored by the National Institute for Public Policy, a conservative think tank. Other members of the panel included Stephen Hadley, William Schneider, Jr., and Stephen Cambone.
He was Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense within the National Security Council. In this capacity, he supervised the portion of President George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union Address that dealt with intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Chairman Dianne Feinstein later proposed that her Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's probe of intelligence in the run up to the Iraq War question staff such as Joseph. In 2005 he succeeded John R. Bolton as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
Joseph is known for being instrumental in creating the Proliferation Security Initiative and as the architect of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. He was also the US chief negotiator to Libya in 2003 who convinced the Libyans to give up their WMD programs.
His past positions have included:
Joseph received the National Defense University President's Award for Individual Achievement, the National Nuclear Security Administration Gold Medal for Distinguished Service. Additionally, he has received the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award, and multiple citations for Senior Executive Service Meritorious Achievement.

Published works