By: Mark Leon Goldberg on June 16, 2014 Ambassador Thomas Pickering has had a front row seat to some of the most important foreign policy events of the last 50 years. The career foreign service officer and widely respected diplomat served as US Ambassador to the United Nations, Israel, Jordan, Russia, India, among others places. I speak with Tom Pickering about the faltering Israel-Palestine peace process, his role in shaping US policy during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and an awkward phone call with President-elect George H.W. Bush, who tapped him to serve as US Ambassador to the UN during the run-up to the Gulf War. Previous episodes Dying for the World Cup Episode 20: Jessica Tuchman Matthews, foreign policy trendsetter Egypt After the Counter Revolution Episode 19: Louise Arbour, human rights pioneer. What Obama Left Out of His Big Foreign Policy Speech Episode 18: Zalmay Khalizad, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the UN. Why Libya is Suddenly on the Verge of a Civil War Episode 17: Gov Bill Richardson, he frees hostages. The Foreign Policy Implications of India’s Elections Episode 16: Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children What Boko Haram Wants Episode: 15 Laura Turner Seydel, philanthropist Episode 14: Douglas Ollivant, Iraq expert Episode 13: Gary Bass, historian Episode 12: Mark Montgomery, demographer Episode 11: Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watcher Episode 10: Live from the UN, Volume 2. Episode 9: Mia Farrow, humanitarian activist and Goodwill Ambassador Episode 8: Suzanne Nossel, Big Thinker Episode 7: Live from the UN, Volume 1. Episode 6: PJ Crowley, former State Department Spokesperson Episode 5: Octavia Nasr, reporter Episode 4: Arsalan Iftikhar, “The Muslim Guy” Episode 3: Dodge Billingsley, filmmaker. Episode 2: Laura Seay, @TexasinAfrica Episode 1: Heather Hurlburt, national security wonk