Richard Butler (diplomat) facts for kids

Richard William Butler (born 13 May 1942) is a retired Australian public servant and diplomat. He worked as a United Nations weapons inspector and later served as a Governor of Tasmania.

Early Life and Diplomatic Career

Richard Butler was born in Coolah, a town in rural New South Wales, Australia. He grew up in Sydney and went to Randwick Boys High School. He continued his studies at the University of Sydney and the Australian National University in Canberra.

In 1965, Butler began his career with the Australian Department of External Affairs. He worked in various diplomatic roles until 1975.

Later, in 1983, he was appointed by Prime Minister Bob Hawke to represent Australia on disarmament matters at the United Nations in Geneva. He then became the Australian Ambassador to Thailand. During this time, he played an important part in helping to settle the conflict in Cambodia. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations.

Today, Richard Butler is a professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University. He also teaches at the School of International Affairs at Penn State University.

Richard Butler and UN Weapons Inspections

In 1997, Richard Butler became the head of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM). This organization was responsible for inspecting and removing dangerous weapons in Iraq. In this role, he often had disagreements with both the Iraqi government and the United States.

Butler believed that the Iraqi government, led by Saddam Hussein, was hiding dangerous weapons. He explained that after Iraq was removed from Kuwait, it became clear that Iraq had developed many alarming weapons. These included long-range missiles and a nuclear weapons program. Because of this, the UN Security Council required Iraq to destroy or remove these weapons under international supervision.

He also stated that Iraq did not keep its promises. He said Iraq did not honestly report its weapons and destroyed some weapons secretly. This was against the rules, which required all destruction to be supervised by international teams. He also accused Iraq of actively hiding weapons from UNSCOM.

Butler described how Iraq had a large system to try and stop UNSCOM's work. He said they had a big government committee and a ministry dedicated to defeating the inspections.

In 1998, Iraq accused Butler and other UNSCOM officials of working for the United States. However, the inspectors were not expelled by Iraq. Instead, Butler himself stated that a U.S. Ambassador suggested he remove his team from Iraq. This was to protect them from upcoming U.S. and British airstrikes. Some media reports suggested that Butler knew about and cooperated with a U.S. operation to listen in on military communications in Iraq. This information was used to target U.S. air attacks.

Butler admitted that foreign intelligence agencies helped locate Iraqi weapons. However, he denied that he worked with the U.S. to access Saddam Hussein's private communications. He also said that these intelligence activities decreased in 1998. The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan publicly supported Butler. Butler left UNSCOM in 1999.

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Butler spoke out against the U.S.-led invasion. He also opposed Australia's involvement in it.

Governor of Tasmania

Becoming Governor

In August 2003, the Premier of Tasmania, Jim Bacon, announced that Richard Butler would be the next Governor of Tasmania. He officially started his role on 3 October. Some people criticized his appointment. They said he was not from Tasmania and was too closely linked to the Labor Party. They also pointed out that he supported Australia becoming a republic, which meant he might not be the best person to represent the Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II.

A newspaper in Melbourne wrote that Butler had traveled to many countries but had spent very little time in Tasmania. The newspaper also highlighted that he was a strong supporter of Australia becoming a republic.

Butler tried to calm these concerns. He said he would not offend anyone who supported the monarchy. He hoped his international experience would help Tasmania become more known around the world. He married his third wife, Jennifer Grey, the day after he became governor. They then left for a three-week honeymoon overseas.

Challenges and Resignation

Criticism of Governor Butler continued. He broke the usual rule that governors should not comment on local or international political matters. Because of this, Premier Paul Lennon (who became Premier in February 2004) asked him to stop making such comments.

In August 2004, the leader of the Liberal Opposition in Tasmania, Rene Hidding, withdrew his support for Butler. Around the same time, three long-serving staff members at Government House resigned. They reportedly had difficulties working with Butler and his wife.

These staff departures happened while Butler was on leave again. During this time, he performed in a musical piece called Lincoln Portrait with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Reporters tried to speak to him, but were told he was on holiday. However, he was still introduced as "The Hon Richard Butler, Governor of Tasmania" for the performance.

Prime Minister John Howard did not comment directly on the controversy. However, he repeatedly mentioned that Butler's appointment was "not my appointment," suggesting it was a state matter.

On 9 August 2004, after a meeting with Premier Lennon, Butler announced his resignation. He said he wanted to end a "malicious campaign" against him and his wife. Lennon said Butler handled the situation "with honour" and that his decision was "courageous."

Butler's supporters believed he was forced out by those who supported the monarchy and by the Murdoch-owned newspaper The Mercury. This newspaper had published many articles criticizing Butler's performance. These articles mentioned his long honeymoon, problems with staff, and his manner.

After Butler resigned, William Cox became the acting governor. He was later appointed Governor of Tasmania.

The day after Butler's resignation, Premier Lennon announced that Butler would receive a payment of A$650,000. This payment was to make up for the income he would have earned for the remaining four years of his five-year term. This payment was not required by law and was widely criticized by the media and the Tasmanian Opposition.

Honours

Richard Butler has received several important awards for his service.

• In 1988, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This was "In recognition of service to international peace and disarmament."
• On 5 September 2003, just before he became Governor of Tasmania, he was promoted to Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).