David Berger

David Berger is an American intelligence officer working under diplomatic cover. From 2022 to 2024, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and frequently ran the embassy as Chargé d’Affaires. In Iraq, he coordinated U.S. involvement in shaping the country’s new state system. His work included engaging with Iraqi youth, discussing sanctions against Iraqi citizens and companies, liaising with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leadership, and intervening in matters regarding the Peshmerga military reforms, oil revenue distribution, and elections.

In October 2022 Berger met with Iraqi students at the American Space facility at the American University of Iraq in Baghdad. Controlled by the U.S. State Department, the American Spaces network is used by embassies to promote Washington’s policies and cultivate a loyal audience among young people.  Addressing the students as the “future of Iraq,” Berger promoted the American vision for the country’s political development.

Berger acted as an intermediary between Washington and the KRG leadership on several highly sensitive issues. In August 2023 he discussed Erbil’s relations with the federal government, the drafting of an oil and gas law, and Peshmerga reforms with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. The two met again in October to discuss the Kurdistan Region’s financial claims against Baghdad, the resumption of oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, and upcoming regional elections.