O.C. Man Begins Duties as Ambassador

In his first act as ambassador to Spain, Orange County businessman George Argyros officially welcomed Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar to Washington on Tuesday.

Argyros was scheduled to attend meetings today with Aznar and President Bush to discuss the war on terrorism. Argyros then will fly to Madrid with his wife, Judie, to begin moving into the ambassador’s residence. Early next month, he will present his credentials to King Juan Carlos I.

Bush accepted Argyros’ confirmation by the Senate last week. Argyros was sworn in Nov. 21 by Secretary of State Colin Powell at a private ceremony in the Treaty Room of the State Department, according to Argyros’ longtime friend and associate, Bruce Nestande.

“To become a United States ambassador is one of the highest honors of public service that a person can achieve,” Nestande said. “In my discussions with George, he feels privileged to be of service to his country, particularly during this time.”

Argyros could not be reached for comment.

He joins the diplomatic corps during a rare time of tension between the two countries. Though Spain strongly supported the United States immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, key officials indicated this month that Spain would not honor an anticipated request by U.S. officials to extradite eight men believed to be linked to Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terrorist network and the attacks.

Spanish authorities have said they would turn over the suspects, mostly Arab immigrants, only if the United States guaranteed that they would not face the death penalty if convicted. Spanish authorities also oppose having them tried in a military court, as suggested by Bush.

Jumping into such a touchy diplomatic situation probably wasn’t what Argyros had in mind when Bush nominated him for the post in April, said John J. Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.

“Any ambassadorship involves a good deal of work, but in this case, the workload is far more daunting than anyone expected,” Pitney said. “Instead, it’s turning out to be in the middle of a war. Nobody expected the war, and once it started, nobody expected Spain would play a significant role in catching the perpetrators.”

Bush announced Aznar’s visit to Washington last month as part of the president’s efforts to increase world support for the war on terrorism. Judie Argyros was scheduled to meet today with Ana Botella, Aznar’s wife and a widely popular campaigner during her husband’s 1996 and 2000 elections.

Friends of the Argyroses said the couple were thrilled when Bush accepted the country’s newest ambassador Nov. 20. They were equally thrilled that Powell, who has been close to Argyros for years, swore him into office.

Argyros’ appointment was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after a sparsely attended, single-question hearing Oct. 31. A handful of critics argued unsuccessfully that Argyros was unfit to serve because former tenants of his company, Arnel Development, claimed that they had been systematically overcharged on security deposits.

The case was investigated by the state attorney general’s office and settled after Arnel agreed to pay $1.5 million in restitution and fines.

Argyros, whose personal wealth is estimated at $1 billion, is the former owner of Air California and the Seattle Mariners baseball team. He has served since 1976 as chairman of the board of trustees of Chapman University in Orange.

A longtime Republican activist, he has been generous to GOP causes. He led a $30-million fund-raising campaign in California for Bush in last year’s election.