 In 2004, Harrop was among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders who publicly said the administration of President George W. Bush did not understand the world and was unable to handle "in either style or substance" the responsibilities of global leadership.On June 16, 2004 the Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change issued a statement against the Iraq War.Harrop is a member of the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs and a director of the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Senior Living Foundation of the American Foreign Service, American Diplomacy Publishers, the Henry L. Stimson Center, and the Washington Humane Society.