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$3.50 /FEBRUARY 2009 OREIGN ERVICE FJOURNAL STHE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS

ALEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY The Energy-Environment Convergence

OREIGN ERVICE FJOURNAL S CONTENTS February 2009 Volume 86, No. 2

F OCUSON Global Energy

STRIKING WHILE THE IRON IS HOT / 16 The convergence of the need for economic stimulus plans, lower-carbon energy sources and infrastructure renewal is a historic moment. By William C. Ramsay

CAPITALIZING ON A STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY / 21 By taking the lead to address climate change, the U.S. can shift global economic and environmental dynamics. By Sarah Ladislaw

Cover and inside illustration F EATURE by Josh Dorman IMPROVING THE PRT-MILITARY PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP / 27 A U.S. Army member of an Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team offers practical advice to Foreign Service colleagues. By Sean P. Walsh

PRESIDENT’S VIEWS / 5 Self-Help FSH ERITAGE By John K. Naland THE COURAGEOUS DIPLOMACY OF EBENEZER D. BASSETT / 30 SPEAKING OUT / 12 The heroism, integrity and concern for human rights of the first AFRICOM & SOUTHCOM: African-American diplomat to serve as a U.S. chief of mission Reliquaria from an Earlier Era set a powerful example. By David Passage By Christopher J. Teal REFLECTIONS / 72 A Confrontation in Moscow A PPRECIATION By Kempton Jenkins PASSAGE OF A GLOBAL NOMAD: NORMA M. MCCAIG, 1945-2008 / 36 LETTERS / 6 By Mikkela Thompson CYBERNOTES / 8 AFSAN EWS MARKETPLACE / 11 BOOKS / 59 ANNUAL OPINION POLL YIELDS RECORD NUMBER OF RESPONSES / 39 RENOVATION UPDATE / 39 IN MEMORY / 62 NEWS BRIEFS AND AGGELER / 40 INDEX TO 2008 TAX GUIDE / 43 ADVERTISERS / 70 CLASSIFIEDS / 57

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3 UESTIONS OREIGN ERVICE Q ? Not sure whom to contact? JOURNAL FasTrax is your inside source to the right places. F S

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THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS E-CLASSIFIEDS! Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 The newest addition to the AFSA Web site. E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly with a combined July-August issue by the American Foreign Service Associa- tion (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Have an apartment to sublet; a house to sell; furniture Material appearing herein represents the opin- ions of the writers and does not necessarily rep- to pass on? Coming soon and available exclusively to AFSA resent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions members are the all new E-Classifieds, at www.afsa.org/ are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal sub- scription: AFSA members – $13 included in an- classifieds/. Members can post advertisements in a variety nual dues; others – $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. of categories similar to those in our print version of classifieds Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and within the AFSA News section of the Journal. at additional mailing offices. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). The Journal The chief benefit of electronic ads will be the rapid turn- is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are around time to reach the Foreign Service community and be- invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply the endorsement of the yond. In lieu of posting a notice on the bulletin board in the services or goods offered. TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045 Truman Building (we all know how convenient that is!), FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820 E-MAIL: [email protected] AFSA is offering this pilot classifieds program as a service to WEB: www.afsa.org; www.fsjournal.org members. As an added bonus, the option to insert a picture © American Foreign Service Association, 2009. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to: will be available. The basic interface is designed to be concise, AFSA Attn: Address Change effective and, hopefully, user-friendly. 2101 E Street N.W. Washington DC 20037-2990

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4 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Self-Help BY JOHN K. NALAND

As you read this, AFSA ex- done a horizons-broadening of State’sDissent Channel has declined. pects to be working with Secre- developmental tour (such as a For overseas members whose posi- tary of State Hillary Clinton and year of academic study or an tions involve reporting, outreach or pro- others in the Obama adminis- out-of-agency detail assign- gram management, do you practice risk tration to secure expanded con- ment) or attained additional management — instead of risk avoid- gressional funding for our for- language fluency (such as pro- ance — when it comes to venturing out eign affairs agencies, to close the ficiency in a second language)? from behind embassy or consulate overseas pay gap, and to take other steps Those two “electives” are among the walls? Are your days focused on inter- to strengthen U.S. diplomacy and de- five-out-of-seven benchmarks that State acting with host-country officials and velopment assistance. generalist officers must meet before citizens or on answering e-mails from However, some of what needs to be promotion into the Senior Foreign Washington? done depends not on the actions of oth- Service under the Career Development I have mentioned some of these ers, but instead on self-help actions by Program adopted in 2005. points in previous columns. I repeat individual Foreign Service members. And what about professional writ- myself now because I continue to en- Here I am reminded of the disaster vic- ing? Military journals are full of pro- counter influential policymakers and tim who told a reporter: “I am tired of vocative essays by active-duty officers policy shapers in the executive branch, waiting for the government to clean up analyzing professional issues. In con- Congress and news media, at think- my front yard; I guess I will have to do trast, relatively few career diplomats tanks, and among distinguished retired it myself.” Yes, I thought to myself, write articles for publication. To help colleagues who say that the Foreign maybe you should clean up your own fill this shortage of intellectual engage- Service needs new attitudes in order to front yard! ment, the Foreign Service Journal is al- meet the challenges of 21st-century My self-help checklist for active-duty ways looking for submissions to its diplomacy and development assistance. members starts with professional devel- Speaking Out, FS Know-How and FS To be sure, I tell them that the first opment. Are you engaged in self-di- Heritage departments, as well as ana- step is to give us the additional staffing rected professional development by,for lytical pieces on international affairs and and funding that a growing stack of blue example, utilizing the Foreign Affairs professional issues. ribbon panel reports say are desperately Professional Reading List that was cre- Do you practice constructive dis- needed. But there is no question that ated last year in a joint initiative by sent? Since 1968, AFSA has presented some of what needs to be done depends AFSA and the under secretary of State awards to colleagues who demonstrate on self-help actions within the Foreign for political affairs? Are you active in a the professional courage and integrity to Service. professional development discussion speak out using appropriate channels, Each of us needs to develop the group (book club) at your post or office, ask tough questions, offer alternative so- knowledge, skills and abilities that make as recommended by that joint initiative? lutions and give the best counsel that the Foreign Service uniquely able to What about training? Have you Foreign Service members are trained to contribute to foreign policy develop- give. This is a key duty for all of us, but ment and implementation. If we fall John K. Naland is the president of the in recent years AFSA has experienced short, then future policymakers will look American Foreign Service Association. a drop in award nominations, just as use to others to get the job done. I

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 5 LETTERS

What Else Could They Want? she is told she is not qualified to take astonished, remarking that there was I strongly agree with the November the orals? no chance such a program could exist letter by Rick Polney regarding the When I asked the director general’s among Defense Department employ- State Department’s new process for office what she would have to do to ees or probably any other federal hiring Foreign Service officers. The qualify, the response was “We don’t agency. The dissent program counters Qualifications Evaluation Panel’s deci- know” and “The board makes the de- every cliché about “striped-pants sionmaking process is mysterious in- cisions,” as though no department offi- diplomats” and deserves to be much deed. It lacks transparency and has cial is responsible for the board’s crea- better known. resulted in the rejection of highly qual- tion, operations or results. To get this message out, I suggest ified candidates. Robert Ward that AFSA move the dissent award an- Like Mr. Polney, my wife passed the FSO nouncement from the AFSA News sec- Foreign Service written exam but was U.S. Interest Section tion of the Journal to the main section, not invited to take the oral exam, even Havana and feature it on the cover with photos though she was a State Department in- of the winners (as most American news tern overseas three times. A French Communication and Dissent magazines from Time to People do). major in college who also speaks Span- One of the most persistent attrib- AFSA should also seek out “pa- ish, she has a master’s degree in inter- utes of the Foreign Service is our ap- trons” for the dissent program. If the national relations from The George parent inability to speak meaningfully incumbent Secretary of State is not in- Washington University. to the broader American public. This terested, past secretaries might be. Upon graduating, she joined the is puzzling given our professional com- Even better might be the chairman State Department as a civil servant and mitment to, and real expertise in, com- and ranking member of the Senate served as the Armenia desk officer, a munication with the world outside of Foreign Relations Committee. In any job normally held by an FSO. She was the United States — that “Vast Exter- case, there must be prominent non- promoted rapidly to GS-13 in the Civil nal Realm.” partisan or bipartisan personalities who Service, and briefed a Cabinet mem- In fact, we have much to say and would be interested. ber before his trip to Asia. She is cur- much to be proud of. The November With these steps, it might be possi- rently working at one of our more and December issues of the Journal in- ble to obtain wider media coverage for difficult hardship posts, Havana. cluded the annual call for AFSA award a good human interest story. I urge the Yet despite almost 10 years at the nominations. The dissent awards pro- AFSA president and Governing Board State Department, a relevant educa- gram, now in its 40th year, is unique in to consider this proposal. My bet is tion for foreign affairs work, a proven the U.S. government — yet few know that large numbers of AFSA members ability to work at multiple diplomatic about it outside our own community. would approve of this approach. missions abroad including a hardship When I described the program to Edward Marks post, experience as a desk officer, and military colleagues at the U.S. Pacific Ambassador, retired a passing mark on the written exam, Command a few years ago, they were Washington, D.C.

6 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 L ETTERS

Change in Cuba? extrajudicial executions and multiple as the practical steps that needed to be In “America in the World: Mr. purges in the country. He shares with taken. His humane professionalism Magoo at the Helm” (FSJ, Novem- his brother Fidel the view that ideo- under pressure set him apart from the ber), Chas W. Freeman Jr. says that logical rigidity and the rejection of sig- political, self-absorbed atmosphere of the Bush administration’s foreign poli- nificant liberalization are essential Washington, D.C. I cies have wreaked havoc on the global conditions for the preservation of the Lee Dinsmore stage. Mr. Freeman’s main point Castro era — even after the Castros FSO, retired seems to be that such policies have left are gone. Elcho, Wis. the United States isolated or excluded Juan J. Buttari from the rest of the world at large. In FSO, retired Correction quick succession he offers a glimpse Fairfax, Va. In the print version of the January region by region of what he sees as un- Cybernotes, the contemporary and wanted results of, in his opinion, ill- Remembering David Newsom “50 Years Ago” quotes were trans- considered policies. David Newsom has died, and his posed. We regret the error. In connection with Latin America, passing will trigger responses from a Mr. Freeman mentions that U.S. pol- crowd of colleagues. Intimately in- icy toward Cuba is indicative of the ad- volved at all levels of our expanding in- Send your ministration’s disinterest in the region volvement in foreign affairs, he always letters to and its “ideologically induced inabil- was able to step back from a situation [email protected]. ity” to respond to opportunities. Speci- to gauge the national interest, as well fically, he refers to supposed opportu- nities in a “changing Cuba.” This is sur- prising and misleading. Right after the revelation of Fidel Castro’s serious illness more than two years ago, and the transfer to Raul Castro of the island’s presidency, there was a surge in speculation about change in Cuba. The perception was that the new president would favor an economic opening that eventually would translate also into political lib- eralization. Events since then have contradicted such optimistic views. One of Raul Castro’s first decisions was the appointment of hard-core communist loyalists to positions of power. There has not been any eco- nomic opening of significance, and re- pression in Cuba continues to be as terrible as the country has suffered over 50 years. Changes have been cosmetic and basically meaningless. This should not have come as a sur- prise. Raul Castro has always been a ruthless leader of Castroism in Cuba. He was associated from the start with

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 7 CYBERNOTES

AFSA’s Dissent Awards Cited as take the trouble. And if we feel threat- sent honors those who stand apart and Model in Kenya ened by the missive, we promptly lead from the front,” Macharia con- “Time to Reward Constructive Dis- shoot the messenger, muzzling them or cludes. “At the national level, it ap- agreement” is the title of Kenyan accusing them of ulterior motives.” plauds those who love Kenya more columnist Laila Macharia’s Dec. 17 of- “We can’t move forward if we’re al- than their own comfort. And who raise fering in Business Daily Africa, the on- ways running back to the warmth of the alarm whenever they see millions line version of the Nairobi-based Busi- the hearth, afraid to take any risk,” she of us headed resolutely toward the ness Daily newspaper (www.bdafrica. says. “So let’s cultivate a culture that cliff’s edge.” com). admires and defends those who tell the In a call for her government to in- truth and ask the hard questions,” she Public Diplomacy and stitute an award for constructive dis- urges. the Pentagon sent to complement the medals for “At the community and company Observations concerning what patriotism traditionally awarded on levels, an Award for Constructive Dis- some have termed the “militarization” Jamhuri Day, the anniversary of Kenya’s establishment as a republic, Macharia cites the American Foreign Site of the Month: www.GreenOptions.com Service Association — which recog- GreenOptions, produced by the Green Options Media Network, is a rapidly ex- nizes “the officer whose actions best panding network of environmentally focused blogs. Founded in February 2007 by embody ‘initiative, integrity, intellec- David Anderson of San Francisco, it has become a leader among “green” news and tual courage and constructive dissent.’” information sources aimed at general audiences (www.greenoptions.com). “The point is to encourage mem- Written by experienced professionals and topic experts, GreenOptions’ individ- bers of the Foreign Service to chal- ual blogs engage visitors with authoritative content, compelling discussions and lenge conventional wisdom,” Macharia actionable advice. Users new to the “green life” can contribute to the conversation explains. “The idea is noble: a nation is by joining in dialogue between the writers and visitors on individual blogs. better served when its constituents are The 15 blogs are presented in three different “channels” — News and Opinion, encouraged to suggest improvements. Family & Lifestyle, and Business and Technology. One of the News and Opinion But the best innovations may never see blogs, for example, EcoWorldly, presents news and perspectives on the environ- the light of day if we look askance at mental movement from around the world. Its writers report on green develop- anyone who challenges the status quo.” ments, environmental news and hot environmental issues from six continents, “Despite the many liberation strug- covering stories that seldom make the headlines in the mainstream media outlets gles we have been through, dissent is but can provide ideas, lessons and a broad spectrum of information for making still frowned upon in Kenya,” Macharia sustainable choices in the U.S. In the Business and Technology channel, The In- states, and proceeds to paint a devas- spired Economist highlights the individuals and companies applying passion and tating portrait of the culture of passiv- innovation to economic, social and environmental challenges. ity and group-think. “We beg people to GreenOptions also offers green job listings, a free online newsletter, discussion tell us what we think, to form our opin- forums and a directory of green blogs and Web sites. ions for us, so that we don’t have to

8 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 C YBERNOTES
of foreign policy typically focus on the di, Punjabi, Tagalog, Urdu, Russian Underscoring his concerns, Louis an- Defense Department’s greatly in- and Chinese, in addition to English nounced his resignation from the com- creased role in nationbuilding and re- and Spanish. mittee. lated foreign assistance efforts during The purpose of the sites is to pres- Louis’ views, presented in a letter to the Bush administration. Recent news ent “news, sports, entertainment, eco- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, items suggest that the Pentagon’s mo- nomics, politics, cultural reports, were echoed by Prof. Thomas Schwartz, nopolization of information operations business and similar items of interest another prominent historian and a for- — or public diplomacy, broadly speak- to targeted readers” following “guid- mer member of the Advisory Commit- ing — may be just as striking. ance provided by the appropriate com- tee. In a talk at the Washington Institute bat commander,” according to the Schwartz, a professor at Vanderbilt for Near East Policy in late October on proposal. Under its Trans-Regional University, pointed to the “forced re- “Building the Global Counterterrorism Web Initiative, the Pentagon has such tirement” this past summer of Dr. Ed- Network,” Michael Vickers, assistant sites in North Africa and Iraq already, ward Keefer, the series’ editor, stating secretary of defense for special opera- says Pincus. it was “only the latest example of a tions, low-intensity conflict and inter- The Special Operations programs management style that insisted on ab- dependent capabilities, discussed the are just one part of the Pentagon’s ject and subservient loyalty to Dr. Special Forces’ information role in global information operations, the pol- Susser at the expense of competence the fight against Islamist terror- icy for which was updated in August and performance in the achievement ists (www.washingtoninstitute.org). 2006 by Defense Department Direc- of the goals of the office.” “The themes you emphasize, how tive O3600.01 with the objective of Schwartz’s membership on the well they resonate, the distribution making them a core military compe- Advisory Committee had not been mechanisms, who’s giving the mes- tency (http://www.fas.org/irp/dod renewed, in defiance of tradition, sage” are all important factors, he said, dir/dod/info_ops.pdf). The Special after he spelled out criticisms in the and a notice posted by the Special Operations and Combatant Com- committee’s last annual report. An- Operations Command shortly there- manders’ programs are separate from other committee member, Prof. Ed- after indicated that the Pentagon is but coherent with the Defense De- ward Rhodes of Princeton University, fielding its own version of the now-de- partment’s Public Affairs operations, also tendered his resignation in a funct U.S. Information Agency to get the Civil-Military Operations’ informa- Dec. 2 letter to Secretary Rice. the job done. tion activities and, last and perhaps At a Dec. 10 meeting to address the As Walter Pincus reports in the least, the Defense Support to (State- problem, Assistant Secretary of State Dec. 1 Washington Post, the notice for led) Public Diplomacy program. for Public Affairs Sean McCormack de- contractors updates a proposal to de- nounced the criticism. Accusing com- velop and operate “influence Web Crisis Erupts in Office mittee members of engaging in innuen- sites” that would support combat com- of the Historian do and ad hominem attacks, he walked manders in the war on terrorism. The The Office of the Historian was out of the meeting. Web sites, in local languages, would plunged into controversy in mid-De- At issue, among other things, is the “shape the global media landscape” cember, when Professor William Roger departure of a number of qualified using Internet technologies, including Louis, chairman of the Historical Ad- staff from the office — 20 percent of “slideshows, video content syndication visory Committee overseeing the office the FRUS staff (and 30 percent of its or podcasts, blogs, streaming video/ for the past five years, warned publicly staff experience in terms of years of audio and advanced search.” that the future of the Foreign Relations employment), according to Louis. The Pincus quotes from the notice to of the United States series, the official need to hire a competent new general the effect that a minimum of two and record of U.S. foreign policy mandated editor for the series and catch up with no more than 12 Web sites will be by Congress and produced by the Of- the mandated publication schedule is needed, and that their languages might fice of the Historian, is in jeopardy due also at issue. include Arabic, French, Portuguese, to mismanagement of the office by the Prof. Louis urged Sec. Rice to man- Armenian, Azeri, Farsi, Georgian, Hin- incumbent Historian, Dr. Marc Susser. date an independent review of the

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 9 C YBERNOTES

Graffy’s report on her use of tweets ly designed Web site, www.exhanges. f the prime minister of the during a December PD trip through state.gov, is a portal to the social IRussian Federation is on televi- Eastern Europe, along with several re- network and the agency’s Facebook lated news items, indicates that the page. sion speaking about gas, it means State Department’s effort to adapt to The site’s launch was accompanied gas is not an economic issue to the digital age continues to gather mo- by the announcement of a video con- them but a political issue. mentum. test aimed at boosting public diplo- Tweets, as Graffy explains, are the macy and sponsored by the Adobe — Bodhan Sokolovsky, aide lingua franca of Twitter, a social net- Foundation. The theme for the three- to Ukrainian President working tool in which you send a text minute video is “My Culture + Your Viktor Yushchenko, Jan. 5, message of 140 characters or fewer in Culture = Share Your Story.” The bu- www.washingtonpost.com response to the question: What are you reau also plans to develop a program to doing? offer free online English training and Graffy linked her messages to video is seeking a private-sector partner to leadership and management of the and photos, combining the personal (a create the necessary technology. Historian’s Office and to put a hold on reference to plunging into Iceland’s In a potentially even more far- all major actions of the Office pending Blue Lagoon) and the professional (in- reaching initiative, the State Depart- the outcome. terviews with Pro TV in Moldova and ment has teamed with Facebook, According to a report on the fracas A1+ in Armenia to show U.S. support Google, MTV, Howcast and others to in the Jan. 12 New Yorker magazine, a for free and independent media). organize an “Alliance of Youth Move- concerned Sec. Rice herself met with “Communicating in this peppy, in- ments,” with an online presence to in- the committee and subsequently ap- formal medium helped personalize my spire and assist youth groups around pointed a review panel to look into the visit and enhance my impact as a U.S. the world to combat political oppres- matter (www.newyorker.com). official,” she said. Students at the Uni- sion and extremism. Readers can pursue this unfolding versity of Bucharest and, later, Moldo- The initiative, led by Under Secre- story online at www.fas.org/blog/se van bloggers knew her before she ar- tary of State for Public Diplomacy crecy/2008/12/crisis_in_frus.html, rived. Said one Romanian student: James Glassman and Policy Planning where you will find links to most of the “We feel like we already know you — staff member Jared Cohen, was in- relevant documents. you are not some intimidating govern- spired by an online campaign against ment official. We feel comfortable terrorist guerrilla groups in Colombia: Foggy Bottom Twitters, talking with you.” Million Voices Against the FARC, cre- Networks, and Taps Graffy points to State’s introduction ated by Oscar Morales, a 33-year- Online Youth Groups of “Public Diplomacy 2.0,” social net- old unemployed computer technician “One clear lesson from the Cold working for State alumni and en- (www.facebook.com/pages/One- War was that winning hearts and minds hanced Web sites, blogs and Facebook million-voices-against-FARC/10780 required communicating in a way that pages for embassies. The depart- 185890). ‘connected’ with people on their terms, ment’s blog, Dipnote, features mus- “The idea is to put all these people whether through film or jazz or jeans,” ings from top officials on policies and together, share best practices and pro- wrote Deputy Assistant Secretary of programs. duce a manual that will be accessible State for Public Diplomacy Colleen P. On Dec. 1, the department officially online and in print to any group that Graffy in the Dec. 24 Washington Post unveiled a social networking site to wants to build a youth empowerment (www.washingtonpost.com). To keep promote international exchanges and organization to push back against vio- our public diplomacy relevant today, enhance the U.S. image abroad, par- lence and oppression around the she continued, we have to reach out ticularly among young people. Ex- world,” Glassman said. and connect with people on their changesConnect is administered by the Some 17 groups from South Africa, terms, whether we use blogs, texts — Bureau of Educational and Cultural Britain and the Middle East that al- or tweets. Affairs (www.govexec.com). The new- ready have an online presence, as well

10 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 C YBERNOTES

50 Years Ago... mericans are beginning to wake up to our dangerous Alanguage lag — a weak chink in the nation’s armor. As a leader in the Free World, the United States cannot afford to continue to be tongue-tied in the world arena. — From “Foreign Language: Chink in America’s Armor?” by Jacob Ornstein, FSJ, February 1959.

as observers from seven organizations proliferate among his top appointees. that do not, were in attendance at Co- For example, White House adviser lumbia University Law School in New Valerie Jarrett was a child in Tehran York City for the movement’slaunch in and London; Treasury Secretary-des- early December. Featuring Whoopi ignate Tim Geithner grew up in East Goldberg, Facebook founder Dustin Africa, India, Thailand, China and Moskowitz and Oscar Morales, among Japan as the son of a Ford Foundation other speakers, the conference was executive; and National Security Ad- streamed by Howcast (http://info. viser-designate James L. Jones was howcast.com/youthmovements/su raised in Paris. mmit). Not merely trivia, this could have For more information, go to www. a lot to do with the practice of the new state.gov/r/us/2008/112310.htm administration, says van Reken. Chil- for the transcript of the Nov. 24 brief- dren who spend a portion of their de- ing at the department, where Glass- velopmental years outside their man and Cohen discuss the initiative “passport country” — and the adults in detail. they become — share a global per- spective, social adaptability and intel- Another “First” lectual flexibility. They tend to be In celebrating the historic election quick to think outside the box and can of the first African-American president appreciate and reconcile different of the United States, another historic points of view, according to the body “first” has been neglected. Barack of sociology and other literature on in- Obama is the first modern American dividuals raised globally. Beyond president to have spent some of his whatever diversity in background or formative years outside the United appearance they may bring to the States. He is a Third Culture Kid, as party, there is a diversity of thought Ruth van Reken, one of the foremost among them as well. authorities on this phenomenon, points In 1984, Dr. Ted Ward, then a soci- out in the Nov. 26 Daily Beast blog ologist at Michigan State University, (www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and- hailed TCKs as “the prototype citizens stories/2008-11-26/obamas-third- of the future.” The future is now! I culture-team) — and this may exert a significant influence on his administra- This edition of Cybernotes was com- tion. piled by Senior Editor Susan Brady Obama is a TCK himself, and they Maitra.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 11 SPEAKING OUT AFRICOM & SOUTHCOM: Reliquaria from an Earlier Age

BY DAVID PASSAGE

resident Barack Obama faces from the former SOUTHCOM. many unenviable tasks, such as Eliminating the Similarly, our military training and Pdealing with an imploding na- Africa and Southern humanitarian assistance programs in tional and global economy and a crush- Commands would be Africa could revert to subcommands ing budget deficit. Nothing he can do a smart move, both within EUCOM and CENTCOM, with respect to the biggest non-entitle- where they have historically been situ- ment spending — the wars in Iraq and for strategic and ated — or be dealt with by a subcom- Afghanistan — can significantly alter budgetary reasons. mand of WESTCOM. After all, if the his financial and economic dilemmas. U.S. Central Command (focused on And no pruning he might do can
the Middle East) can operate from even begin to provide the resources MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., needed to re-equip our armed forces significant savings by taking a hard look there is no reason African security as- with the hundreds of billions of dollars at restructuring our present geographic sistance functions can’t be dealt with of materiel and munitions that have military command structure, with the from the States as well. been expended in those current wars. explicit purpose of eliminating two EUCOM, PACOM and CENT- Vehicles of all types are worn out; we major components: the U.S. Southern COM have clear, well-defined and un- are flying the wings off our aircraft and Command (responsible for Latin questioned warfighting missions, as the rotors off our helicopters; and we America and the Caribbean) and the well as robust force structures to sup- are using much of our military equip- newly established Africa Command. port them. AFRICOM and SOUTH- ment to within inches of its pro- The point of departure should not COM do not and should not. grammed life. And we have yet to be a review of whether these two com- calculate the ultimate costs of restoring mands can be justified — for that sim- Competing Rationales the necessary capacity for other contin- ply invites proponents to make the best Our newest geographic command, gencies. case for keeping them. Rather, the the Africa Command, assumed its re- It should also be obvious that it question should be how to handle sponsibilities on Oct. 1, 2008. (Anyone would not be sensible for Pres. Obama residual functions the U.S. might wish interested in a detailed account of its to deal with this budgetary problem by to retain (and there shouldn’t be many) establishment should read Ambassador telling his agency heads: “On the count within a realigned geographic com- Robert Gribbin’sexcellent article in the of three, everyone take a deep breath mand structure that would consist of May 2008 FSJ: “Implementing AFRI- and tighten your belt one notch.” In- the European Command, Pacific Com- COM: Tread Carefully.”) stead, the new administration needs to mand, Central Command and a new The new command was created seriously question the merits of axing Western Hemisphere Command. This partly because former Secretary of De- whole programs — not merely shrink- would combine NORTHCOM’s de- fense Donald Rumsfeld wanted to re- ing each of them by 10 percent. fense of the homeland with responsi- focus EUCOM exclusively on the With respect to the Department of bility for limited military training, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Defense, one of our biggest-ticket security cooperation and humanitarian and the countries that emerged from items, Pres. Obama could easily achieve assistance missions transferred to it the wreckage of the Warsaw Pact. The

12 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 S PEAKING O UT
incoming national security adviser, re- our own police and law enforcement tired General James Jones, the com- personnel and do economic develop- mander of EUCOM at the time, The primary executive ment work in the U.S. Why do we be- supported the move. Proponents also lieve this should be done by our pointed out that the new command agency for development military in Africa? would be free to concentrate its efforts on assisting African governments work should always be Past as Prologue strengthen civilian control over their If one wants to see what AFRICOM armed forces. USAID, not DOD. could become, one has only to look at An unarticulated further reason the what SOUTHCOM has been. Merci- military supported it was the creation fully, a lot of lessons have been drawn of a new four-star billet with all the in- from that experience, which, one frastructure that would require. drain on military resources in Iraq and hopes, is therefore unlikely to be re- A second pressure for the creation Afghanistan, no one was willing to peated. of AFRICOM, which I remember well argue against creating the new com- During the first four decades of its from my service in the Africa Bureau at mand. existence, SOUTHCOM supported State and as senior director for Africa Thus, AFRICOM was launched last our national interest in preventing So- on the NSC staff under President year despite vociferous objections from viet-sponsored takeovers in the West- George H.W. Bush, was resentment many African countries, the much ern Hemisphere, such as occurred in within the Congressional Black Caucus greater costs of using our military per- Eastern Europe following the defeat of that the U.S. “doesn’t care enough sonnel for nationbuilding operations, Hitler’s Germany. To be sure, the about Africa” to give it what every other and the obvious political and psycho- threat was real; we received a serious region of the world has: a dedicated logical drawbacks of tasking U.S. uni- wake-up call in May 1948 when Soviet- military command. formed personnel with what should be backed insurgents briefly seized control Finally, a third impetus was the civilian development activities. in Colombia. The coup was undone clearly decreasing ability of African Yes, there are enormous develop- within days, but fueled the conviction governments to maintain law and order ment needs in Africa; and yes, the U.S. that Washington needed to strengthen within their own borders, leading to has significantly neglected the conti- Latin American militaries. “And the growing anarchy and failed states, nent (notwithstanding Assistant Secre- rest is history,” as the saying goes. which could ultimately threaten U.S. tary Jendayi Frazer’s statements prais- Over the next three decades, U.S.- vital national interests and those of its ing President George W.Bush’spolicies supported military regimes toppled friends and allies. Problems in the toward Africa). It is also true that our elected civilian governments in virtually Niger River delta, Darfur, the Horn of military can do almost anything and go every country in Latin America — Ar- Africa, Central Africa and elsewhere almost anywhere. Nonetheless, the gentina, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Bo- fueled a growing consensus that Wash- real question is whether such tasks livia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Vene- ington needs to do more to strengthen should be done by U.S. military forces. zuela, Dominican Republic, Haiti, African governance and development Does Washington really want to Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Hon- — and may ultimately have to use mil- project a military face toward a conti- duras and Guatemala — excepting only itary force to protect its national or hu- nent that already suffers from a surfeit Mexico and Costa Rica. manitarian interests on that continent. of them? Do we Americans believe And although U.S. policy began Meanwhile, the State Department economic development and internal se- changing during the 1970s under Pres- failed to press Congress to consider curity structures (e.g., civilian and civil- ident Jimmy Carter, our economic de- better approaches for addressing the ian-led police forces) should be built velopment assistance for Latin America continent’sneeds — e.g., strengthening along military lines by armed forces? actually declined during the 1980s, the U.S. Agency for International De- And is that what we want Africans to 1990s and the first decade of the 21st velopment and providing it with ade- think we believe? If so, shame on us! century. Instead, our military assis- quate resources. Even with the huge We do not permit our military to train tance grew, first under the guise of

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countering growing narcotics traffick- America, is weak civil law enforcement ing from Andean Ridge countries, and institutions –- both the police and judi- then — particularly after the 9/11 at- To see what AFRICOM cial branches. Police forces are, by and tacks — countering terrorism through- large, ill trained, poorly equipped, in- out the hemisphere. could become, look at competently led and badly paid. The In light of this history, here is the same can be said for the majority of crucial question for President Obama’s what SOUTHCOM judges and other law enforcement au- national security team: Is a military re- thorities. This is a prescription for cor- sponse the right way (let alone the best has been. ruption and abuse, so it should come as or most cost-efficient one) to counter absolutely no surprise that that has the twin threats of terrorism and nar- been the result. cotrafficking in Latin America? For Washington’s response, regrettably, that is now the primary rationale for has been to look for ways our military, having a four-star military command COM’s mission to include more inter- acting through SOUTHCOM and with Latin America as its sole area of agency components and participation. now AFRICOM, can ameliorate or responsibility, notwithstanding laud- rectify these problems. But is that the able efforts by the current SOUTH- The Development Conundrum right, let alone best, means to help our COM commander, Admiral James A principal deficiency suffered by Latin American neighbors or African Stavridis, and his predecessor, General virtually all developing countries, but friends with these structural prob- Bantz Craddock, to reshape SOUTH- particularly those in Africa and Latin lems?

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Although our armed forces boast an earlier era the U.S. should wish to Retired Ambassador David Passage terrific civil affairs personnel, that’s not put behind it, while AFRICOM is the spent much of his Foreign Service the face we should be seeking to por- result of a manufactured need and career in politico-military affairs, tray to our neighbors, either in this never should have been created at all. including two details to DOD (for the hemisphere or in Africa. Instead, the There is simply no need for a CORDS program during the Vietnam primary executive agency for this sort standalone four-star command in ei- War and as a political adviser to of development work should always be ther Latin America or Africa to the U.S. Special Operations Com- USAID (as well as other organizations achieve U.S. national security goals. mand from 1993 to 1996), and has and agencies with experience in these Either organization might be justifi- worked with all U.S. regional military fields). able in a world of unconstrained re- commands. He also served in the bu- President Obama and Defense sources, but neither the world they reaus of African and Latin American Secretary Robert Gates need to wring were created for nor the current and affairs at the State Department, was every conceivable economy out of our foreseeable U.S. resource capacity jus- director for Africa on the National Se- defense structure to pay the bills for tifies them now. curity Council staff under President ongoing operations and re-equip our Both entities should be eliminated George H.W. Bush and was ambassa- armed forces. This exigency offers a as soon as possible, with their resid- dor to Botswana from 1990 to 1993. golden opportunity to review our ual training and security assistance He now lectures at military schools existing geographic command struc- functions realigned within other com- and training facilities and mentors ture in light of post–Cold War mands or given to a new WEST- military exercises. He is also a mem- changes. SOUTHCOM is a relic from COM. I ber of the AFSA Governing Board.

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STRIKING WHILE THE IRON IS HOT Josh Dorman

THE CONVERGENCE OF THE NEED FOR ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLANS, LOWER-CARBON ENERGY SOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL IS A HISTORIC MOMENT.

BY WILLIAM C. RAMSAY

s he takes the helm of the ship of state, President Barack Obama faces an en- ergy agenda full of unprecedented challenges, all of which the ongoing financial meltdown has further complicated. The presidential campaign was surprisingly limited on the topic of energy given the level of oil prices going into the conventions,A topping out at $147.27 a barrel last July. Both candidates professed a commitment to achieving “U.S. en- ergy independence” and reducing dependence on the “unstable” Middle East, and took more accommodating positions

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on drilling in environmentally sensi- Disturbing signals This price adjustment has many tive areas. But Senator John McCain implications. Consumers with cars turned that issue over to his running are already coming from and homes have gotten immediate mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, relief at the gas pump or when fill- who removed any ambiguity from the supply and demand ing their home heating-oil tanks. the Republican Party’s aggressive up- Falling energy prices will eventually stream stance on oil and gas with her ends of the energy feed through the economy in the slogan of “Drill, baby, drill!” The 47 form of lower prices for manufac- percent of the electorate who voted spectrum. tured goods. for the Republican ticket cannot be For more economically fragile ignored. consumers (two-thirds of humanity), On the issue of constraining greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy-input prices for fertilizers, insecticides and both Senator Obama and Senator McCain took a position transport should reduce food costs. In addition, the in favor of “cap and trade” (putting a limit on national car- crushing weight of subsidies around the world, measured bon emissions and trading carbon emissions permits at $310 billion in 2007 by the International Energy under that limit), signaling the likelihood of a significantly Agency, will be eased, freeing up resources for health, ed- different U.S. approach to climate change policy than ucation and transport infrastructure. George W. Bush pursued. When oil prices were spiking Those oil-producing countries who had the wisdom to last summer, both candidates broached the idea of using direct the past years of windfalls into sovereign wealth the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to stabilize the market, funds will not feel as dramatic a budget shock as will less but advisers to both campaigns quashed such talk. In any cautious governments. Many producers resisted the case, unlike his opponent, Obama did not paint himself temptation of higher prices and continued to budget for into any inescapable political corners on energy issues. oil prices below $50 a barrel in their annual revenue as- sumptions, while others need prices to stay above that The Oil Price Roller Coaster mark to meet spending commitments. Countries whose Pres. Obama’s team will discover an energy market in spending expanded to the limits of the windfall will ex- sharp readjustment and under considerable stress. Oil perience considerable difficulty in getting back to living prices fell by two-thirds from July to November 2008, within their means. Some of their leaders may find their both as an overdue reaction to sustained exaggerated ability to placate their citizens’ inflated expectations se- prices and because of the sharp contraction in energy de- verely hampered. mand driven by the global economic slowdown. As of this In the marketplace, investors in upstream oil and gas writing in early January, the bottom of the economic ad- will need to evaluate whether oil at $50/barrel is transient justment has not been reached. Oil prices are now well — and, if so, whether it will return to the $60-to- below the marginal cost of new production in many areas, $80/barrel range or drop further. Their conclusion will such as the Gulf of Mexico and Canadian tar sands. affect the volume and pace of investment, which will, in turn, determine whether there will be enough oil and gas William C. Ramsay, a Foreign Service officer from 1971 to when demand picks up. (There is no real doubt that 1998, served as ambassador to the Republic of the Congo global demand will eventually resume its long-term (Brazzaville) from 1993 to 1996 and as deputy assistant growth pattern — only when, and how much lower will it secretary of State for energy, commodities and agriculture go first?) The IEA is already warning that by 2010 or trade from 1989 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1998 2011, we could see the onset of another cycle of tight sup- (when his portfolio included foreign policy sanctions in- ply and high prices because of insufficient investment stead of agricultural trade). After leaving the Foreign Serv- now. ice, he was deputy executive director of the International Disturbing signals are already coming from both ends Energy Agency for a decade. In 2008 he was named a sen- of the energy spectrum. In Saudi Arabia, Aramco has ior fellow and director of the energy program at the Insti- slowed the pace of development of incremental produc- tut Francais de Relations Internationales. tion from Manifa, currently 900,000 barrels a day. And in

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the offshore North Sea, the United Any credible gaming of a not inconceivable that the 30 to 35 Kingdom company Centrica is re- reactors a year important for a sus- viewing the pace at which the 180- sustainable energy path tainable future could be added, as megawatt Lynn and Inner Dowsing more of the population comes to wind farm is being built. begins with a substantial accept that option as a part of the On the demand side, the ele- solution to climate change. vated prices of this past summer dose of efficiency, so that is Still, major obstacles remain be- have clearly caused some behavioral fore China and India, for instance, shifts that will only partially fade the first place to look. can incorporate large blocks of nu- with lower prices. Much of the dis- clear power into their grids. These cussion of assistance to the U.S. auto include: the ability of relatively sector assumes an evolution toward a more environmen- small power grids to accept such large increments; the ab- tally sensitive product line, now that $4/gallon gas has got- sence of the necessary security, technical and regulatory ten U.S. consumers’ attention. Lost value throughout the bodies; and, perhaps most often overlooked, the inability markets, industrial restructuring and the lasting effects of of the rate base to pay the kilowatt-hour price for nuclear recession will all permanently erode some portion of de- power all stand in the way. In addition, nuclear power has mand, as well. heavy up-front capital costs. China’s power-generating nuclear plants, each provid- Crisis or Opportunity? ing 8.3 gigawatts of electrical energy, produced just 2.3 Because any credible gaming of a sustainable energy percent of the country’s electricity in 2007. However, the path begins with a substantial dose of efficiency, that is the Chinese National Reform and Development Commission first place to look. The new administration may be able to has announced plans to build 40 more nuclear GWe-gen- capitalize on the reaction of consumers to the higher prices erators by 2020 and 160 by 2030. For its part, India is of mid-2008 by building on the precautionary behavior about to launch a new phase of nuclear development, but they have adopted during the recession. Both consumers its institutions and markets are not well prepared for large- and legislators are likely to be supportive of more aggres- scale deployment of that technology. sive policy on improving efficiency, including real tighten- ing of Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. Auto Decarbonizing in the Long Term companies seeking support from Washington may be less Achieving greater energy efficiency and decarbonizing inclined to resist such obligations, while their champions in the power sector are both essential first steps, but the Congress may recognize the long-delayed opportunity to longer-term path to lower-carbon fuels is much more chal- shift strategies. lenging. Politicians are quick to support renewable ener- Other systemic or market imperfections that mute or gies and put their hope in hydrogen and biofuels, but the block efficiency signals to consumers are well known and obstacles to widespread adoption of these technologies are can be overcome by new policies affecting housing and real. Renewables are generating public resistance; current commercial buildings, given this moment of political op- biofuels have aggravated food prices; and hydrogen fuels portunity. Ideas abound to make major energy efficiency are probably decades away. A great deal has been learned gains, but the will to implement them has been weak. Still, about how to integrate intermittent wind and solar elec- most energy consumption scenarios projected through tricity into power grids, but substantial investments are 2050 suggest that the 40 percent of carbon savings needed needed to create smart and well-integrated grids that can to attain a sustainable energy path can be provided by cost- satisfy our need for security of electricity supply. effective or negative cost-efficiency sources. Fortunately, new renewable sources of energy (e.g., One low-carbon option that may find new support in non-hydroelectric and nontraditional biomass) hold great this environment is nuclear power, which appears on track promise for the future if we take the right steps now. The for a renaissance. Even in the early 1980s, the world was International Energy Agency estimates that renewable able to build 25 reactors a year. Given the much greater sources of energy could provide as much as 50 percent of interest in nuclear power in key emerging countries, it is power generation in 2050 — but not without unprece-

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dented and smart governmental The entire world needs In parallel with development of support. Major research, develop- technologies for carbon capture ment and demonstration programs, to be engaged in meeting the and storage, consumers, politicians much more aggressive deployment and journalists need to be reas- strategies and an increasing value twin challenges of energy sured that CO2 can safely be stored for carbon will all be necessary. in geologic or marine environ- Essential to decarbonizing the security and sustainability. ments. This issue has the potential power sector, carbon capture and to raise concerns comparable to storage would permit the world to those blocking programs in ra- be able to continue using today’s fastest-growing fossil dioactive waste storage, yet a serious effort to educate the fuel — coal, whose production grows at 2 percent per public has not begun. year. Because both India and China plan to rely on this Longer-term, more esoteric renewable sources and en- domestically available fuel, the majority of incremental ergy vectors, such as hydrogen or second-generation bio- carbon between now and 2050 will be generated by coal fuels, need a great deal of work and conceivably a much combustion in those two countries — unless we do some- higher price of carbon to make their deployment eco- thing about it. Leaders have called for an aggressive car- nomically feasible. There is also the risk that if the rollout bon capture and storage demonstration effort encom- is not done properly, consumers’ first experience with bio- passing more than 20 full-scale plants. Yet we are fuels and their collision with food will chill enthusiasm for nowhere near that target, with only two or three plants more sustainable varieties. currently under construction. Consumers have been surprised to find that biofuels

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based on certain food crops have ag- Beijing and New Delhi are vanced coal-combustion technol- gravated the price pressure on food ogy. and caused other undesirable shifts acutely aware that they will This final point is all the more in cropland use. But rejecting this important when one realizes that, approach would be a mistake, for be losers in any climate according to the IEA’s 2008 cellulose-based biofuels could add World Energy Outlook reference substantially to a diversified energy change scenario, from scenario, the world outside the mix, with manageable implications Organization for Economic Co- for the environment and alternative desertification, disease operation and Development will land use. account for 87 percent of incre- Aggravating the impediments to migration, agricultural stress mental energy demand between bringing on more exotic forms of now and 2030. In that same energy in a timely way is the fact and accelerated urbanization. timeframe, two-thirds of the $26 that government-funded research, trillion investment in the world’s development and demonstration supply of energy and power re- programs to promote lower-carbon energy sources have quired to meet that demand must be spent in non- been in free fall internationally since 1983. Then, such OECD countries — where 97 percent of incremental programs accounted for 11 percent of total government CO2 emissions originate. (China, India and the Middle spending on research, development and demonstration. East alone account for 75 percent of that total.) Now, the figure is just 3 percent — and overall govern- The story these numbers tell is that the entire world ment spending on RD&D has collapsed. needs to be engaged in meeting the twin challenges of energy security and sustainability. Accordingly, the global Leapfrogging Technologies community already expects a great deal of help from the in the Developing World Obama administration and is waiting to see whether the Some of the technology eggs in our basket will never industrialized world is prepared to lead by setting the ex- hatch without greater government support. And tech- ample. nology transfer is at the core of motivating developing The December 2009 meeting in Copenhagen of the countries to make a greater formal commitment to ad- Climate Change Conference represents an important op- dressing the climate change challenge. portunity to chart a course forward in this regard. The re- As things stand, developing countries know that they cently concluded Poznan negotiations reaffirmed the have not created today’s problem of CO2 accumulations. strong commitments of participating governments to ne- Two of the largest emerging economies, India and China, gotiate a follow-on mechanism to the Kyoto Protocol that have together contributed less than 10 percent of the terminates in 2012. While the newly elected Obama world’s carbon dioxide emissions since 1900. So they have team was represented in Poznan, we will not know until no intention of taking on responsibility for cleaning up after Jan. 20 how the new administration will translate that mess. campaign rhetoric into reality. On the other hand, both governments are acutely With $147.27/barrel oil still a recent nightmare, and aware that they will be losers in any climate change sce- the existence of a real threat that it might return sooner nario, from desertification, disease migration, agricultural rather than later, now is the time for the Obama ad- stress and accelerated urbanization. As these countries ministration to strike while the iron is hot. The world is become more affluent and electrify, transportation and waiting for American leadership on climate change. power-generation solutions become more important. In The convergence of the need for economic stimulus the first instance, every decision India and China make with the need for aggressive funding for lower-carbon on a new power-generation unit has ramifications that energy and energy infrastructure renewal provides a will last 60 to 70 years. And because most of the time the unique window of opportunity for the new administra- decision will be to build a new, coal-fired power plant, tion. Lower oil prices will soon cool the iron and close our first priority has to be promoting their choice of ad- that window. I

20 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 F OCUSON G LOBAL E NERGY

CAPITALIZING ON A STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY

BY TAKING THE LEAD TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE, THE U.S. CAN SHIFT GLOBAL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS.

BY SARAH LADISLAW

ver the last several years the from a handful of energy-producing regions located out- global energy landscape has changed. For the first time in side the developed world. The United States is no longer history, new demand for energy coming from developing the only major energy consumer in terms of overall size or countriesO has surpassed demand growth in the developed growth potential. Energy markets are being shaped by world. New supplies of energy are harder to access and new producers, shifting consumer priorities and innova- develop due to increasing demand, tighter state control tive ways of doing business. over resource development, the increased cost of basic ma- With few major exceptions, the countries with the terials, price volatility and frozen capital markets. Con- largest demand growth are not the ones with vast energy ventional energy resources like oil and natural gas come supplies. As a consequence, increased energy trade and massive new investment is necessary to produce and de- Sarah Ladislaw is a fellow in the Energy and National Se- liver energy to the people who need it. Despite the high- curity Program at the Center for Strategic and Interna- price environment of the last several years and the market’s tional Studies, where she concentrates on the geopolitical extreme volatility of late, it does not appear that adequate implications of energy production and use, energy security, investment is taking place to meet future demand. energy technology, sustainable development and climate All of this leads to greater anxiety over the security and change. She is actively engaged in a joint project with the affordability of future energy supplies. To make matters World Resources Institute on balancing energy security and worse, the latest science indicates that current patterns of climate change priorities, and another project on climate energy production and use are irrevocably changing the change, security and earth observation. She has also been global environment and threatening the sustainability of involved with CSIS’s work on the geopolitics portion of the vital natural resources. The strategic imperative to trans- National Petroleum Council study and with the Smart form the current energy system goes far beyond the tradi- Power Commission, focusing on energy security and cli- tional concerns. mate issues. Before joining CSIS, Ladislaw worked in the The challenges surrounding our collective energy fu- Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. De- ture are linked to our economic and environmental well- partment of Energy. This piece is adapted from several pre- being, as well as our national security. Absent a major vious papers. strategic shift in policy, U.S. influence in global markets

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will continue to erode, as new global The pillars of a new ture required to transport larger players and emerging trends shape volumes of oil and gas resources the energy system going forward. U.S. energy and climate over increasingly long distances The urgent need to address cli- and through already crowded tran- mate change presents a strategic op- strategy should include sit points will also remain a major portunity for the United States to concern. In the coming years, en- shift global energy priorities in favor strong domestic leadership ergy trade flows will be affected by of low-carbon alternatives and, in so a concentration of supply and de- doing, to fundamentally alter the on climate and energy policy mand centers that are not geo- world’s geopolitical, economic and graphically proximate. Already environmental dynamics. and a grand bargain coal, biomass and other resources are being transported longer dis- Our Current Path with major emitters. tances to reach foreign markets. Over the next couple of decades Geopolitical trends continue to the world’spopulation is projected to have a strong impact on energy pro- grow from six to eight billion people, and standards of liv- duction and trade. For instance, the high-price environ- ing are likely to increase in densely populated areas of the ment of the last several years resulted in a resurgence of world. Societies will require greater resources (water, food, resource nationalism and greater state control over the re- land, energy and other basic materials) to fuel and sustain source base. While sovereign nations have always guarded this economic and population growth. As the world strug- their resources, the revision of legal and regulatory struc- gles to meet these energy needs, new trends and dynam- tures has created an atmosphere of investment uncertainty. ics will be at work. This, along with higher costs for basic materials, has de- According to the most recent projections by the Inter- layed investment. national Energy Agency, global energy demand will in- Other factors, such as the changing role of geopolitical crease by approximately 45 percent by 2030, with nearly alliances in forming energy deals; poor governance and po- 87 percent of that growth coming from developing litical instability; threats to facilities, infrastructure and economies — 51 percent from China and India alone. In transit areas; and a greater focus on human rights, envi- fact, energy demand from developing economies (i.e., non- ronmental degradation, poverty alleviation and energy eq- members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation uity issues, have all emerged as elements of the changing and Development) has now overtaken energy consump- geopolitical landscape. As a result of these factors, gov- tion in the developed world for the first time. Going for- ernments have become increasingly concerned about their ward, supplies are projected to come from approximately immediate and long-term energy security. the same sources (mainly fossil fuels) and the same major At the same time, the world has grown more cognizant resource holders as they do today. While the recent eco- of the enormously damaging effect that the production nomic downturn raises doubts that demand will achieve and use of fossil fuels is having on the natural environ- projected levels of growth, the underlying factors driving it ment. A major contributor of anthropogenic greenhouse are likely to persist. gas emissions into the atmosphere, fossil fuels are a key The world is not running out of energy, but it is be- factor in global warming. Scientists state with increasing coming more difficult to gain access to, produce and con- levels of certainty that atmospheric concentrations of vert the world’s energy resources and deliver them to the these gases must be stabilized in order to avoid the most people who need them. Many of the remaining conven- dangerous effects of climate change. Thus, a key com- tional oil and natural gas reserves are located in a handful ponent of national policy must be to slow, stop and re- of countries in the Middle East and Eurasia, while the verse the growth in greenhouse gas emissions from Western Hemisphere is rich in unconventional fuels such human activity, chief among them the carbon dioxide as oil sands, oil shale, extra-heavy oil deposits and uncon- emitted by the burning of fossil fuels. The world relies on ventional natural gas resources. that source for nearly 85 percent of its energy needs, and The adequacy and security of the delivery infrastruc- that share is not projected to change significantly, absent

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a serious and sustained effort to shift the underlying en- second-largest producer of natural gas and the largest pro- ergy system. ducer of ethanol (closely followed by Brazil), and has the Although it is too soon to know the scope and duration world’s largest coal reserves. of the current financial crisis and subsequent economic Despite this important role, the U.S. is increasingly downturn, the most direct impact thus far has been a driv- disadvantaged by the emerging energy trends of the last ing down of demand and prices. Low prices affect the de- several years, and our influence over how other countries velopment of energy supplies (fossil fuels as well as act in the face of these trends is diminishing. Leverage renewables) and the shortage of capital delays projects. is being redistributed to major resource holders, the com- For technology-sensitive advancement, the financial crisis panies representing them and major new consumers. In has (at least temporarily) dried up access to funding many ways, these new players are not beholden to the sources. Reduced revenue streams to conventional oil pro- market-based principles that the United States and many ducers as a consequence of lower prices may make them other traditional consumer countries have put forth as a rethink nationalistic policies in order to attract new invest- global model for energy production, trade and use. ment dollars and investors. Moreover, many of the factors that underpin our en- With respect to the effect on the climate, reduced en- ergy security, contribute to global stability and give us in- ergy demand may slow emissions growth, but not any- fluence to shape global energy activity are no longer as where near the levels needed. Lower prices undermine effective. Domestic production of oil and natural gas is flat and delay technology investments and switching to alter- or declining, and the resources that are available are more natives, but they may also reduce the cost of building new carbon-intensive. Spare capacity is not as abundant rela- clean-energy infrastructure as prices for steel, labor and tive to global demand as it once was. International oil com- infrastructure also decline. Despite the uncertain long- panies face increasing obstacles to investment. Western term impact of the current economic crisis, most analysts notions of free-market systems are increasingly under at- agree that the underlying trends of the last several years tack. And many of the post–World War II institutions de- will persist. signed to deal with global multilateral issues reflect the In any case, it is already clear that our current path is interests of the world as it once was, not those of today’s unsustainable. Transitioning away from the current sys- major new players. tem, however, will require massive investments, significant Given the increasingly tenuous outlook for global en- technological advancement, major changes in government ergy markets and our standing within those markets, the policy and commercial activity, changes in public behav- best strategic option for the United States is to try and take ior, significant amounts of basic materials and human cap- a leading role to influence the rules governing the way ital and unprecedented global cooperation. A trans- ahead. formation of this magnitude normally unfolds over many This strategy is not without risks or cost, nor will it be decades. But the reality is that these changes must take easy to execute. The emergence of a carbon-constrained place over a much shorter timeframe and at a potentially world can bring about economic opportunity and job cre- sizable cost to society. Despite the daunting nature of this ation for some, but it will also increase the cost of energy challenge, the right strategic approach can also yield sig- and, as is true of any major economic transition, cause nificant economic and political gains. some degree of dislocation. Despite the widespread rhet- oric about a green recovery program, it is far from clear A Strategic Opportunity that the American public and U.S. policymakers are will- The United States is an important and influential part of ing to make the sacrifices and changes that will be required the global energy market. It is by far the largest consumer, to address these challenges. accounting for 23 percent of global energy consumption. Climate change can be an opportunity to breathe new Currently, the United States accounts for 25 percent of an- life into outdated views on trade, agriculture and foreign nual world liquids consumption, 20 percent of world coal policy — or it could exacerbate those issues and create new consumption and 22 percent of global natural gas con- levels of complexity (for difficult issues like agricultural sumption. At the same time, the U.S. is also an important subsidies, border tariff adjustments and geopolitics). Con- supplier of energy. It is the third-largest producer of oil, structively engaging the rest of the world on climate change

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 23 F OCUS

policy could be an opportunity for Absent a major strategic demand-side management pro- global leadership — or it could be an grams and an increased capacity for issue that divides Americans and sep- shift in policy, U.S. influence renewables. arates U.S. views from a global con- Climate Policy. U.S. domestic sensus. in global energy markets climate policy must simultaneously Neither our energy nor our cli- address mitigation of greenhouse mate problems can be solved over the will continue to erode. gas emissions while making a long- next four or even eight years. In term substantive commitment to many ways, the challenge for Presi- climate science and, where neces- dent Barack Obama’s administration is to set the tone for a sary, adapting to the unavoidable repercussions of climate new approach to energy production and use for years to changes. Domestic mitigation policies should establish a come, by starting a new conversation with the American clear,straightforward and transparent framework with long- public and global allies and aggressively, yet carefully, pur- term as well as incremental goals, and ensure compatibil- suing several key elements that will begin the transition to ity with state-level programs already under way in order to a secure, low-carbon future. reduce uncertainty for businesses. Emissions reduction The pillars of a new U.S. energy and climate strategy policies should be applied equitably among sectors of the should include strong domestic leadership on climate and economy, avoid disproportionate economic disruptions and energy policy and a grand bargain with major emitters. The allow adequate time for capital turnover. strategy should capitalize on new economic opportunities The most important, yet difficult to implement, part of and pursue productive engagement with the international this strategy is to put an economy-wide price on carbon. community. Establishing a price for carbon (along with having the proper regulatory environment) will increase the com- Key Elements of a New Approach petitiveness of low-carbon energy solutions and encour- Domestic Policy on Energy and Climate. Strong do- age greater energy efficiency to spur the transition to a mestic leadership on climate and energy policy starts at low-carbon economy. home. Domestic policies should seek to balance the eco- A Grand Bargain with Major Emitters. Strong U.S. nomic, security and environmental consequences of en- domestic policy designed to limit greenhouse gas emis- ergy production and use. In addition, given the wide- sions is essential but not sufficient for achieving global ranging effects that energy and climate policy will have climate goals. Other major emitting economies must also on other policy areas (e.g., agriculture, trade, foreign pol- contribute to the solution. The United States should seek icy, security, economics, etc.), it is important to consider a grand bargain with major emitting countries to reduce the complex linkages, potential trade-offs and likely un- emissions. This bargain should include a long-term emis- intended consequences of these domestic policies. sions reduction goal and interim mandatory emissions re- Energy Policy. In times of economic hardship and duction targets for each country. limited capital, it is imperative that the federal govern- It is especially important to ensure the participation ment prioritize its energy policy actions, make wise in- of China, which is estimated to have overtaken the vestments and catalyze private-sector spending. In the United States as the largest global emitter of carbon diox- near term, actions with the potential to create jobs, ide. Recognizing developing countries’ concerns over strengthen markets for low-carbon energy technologies burden-sharing and their continued ability to develop and address multiple energy challenges, while yielding economically, a global climate agreement should include near-term gains, should be at the top of the list. Some of common but differentiated targets for developed and de- the obvious choices are to eliminate barriers and provide veloping countries. incentives for greater efficiency gains in all sectors; reset One approach would be to use a “climate on-ramp,” the system of incentives (tax breaks, standards, regula- allowing rapidly developing countries to gradually adopt tions, etc.) for low-carbon energy sources; and modern- sector-based targets in their heaviest-emitting sectors of ize and expand the electricity grid to provide greater the economy, with an eventual switch to economy-wide reliability to consumers while enabling more aggressive emissions reduction targets. Such a grand bargain could

24 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 F OCUS

include agreements to liberalize trade in clean-energy world. Effectively meeting emissions goals will require goods and services, and assist with technology deploy- new technologies and a highly skilled work force. Esti- ment in developing countries. Rapidly emerging devel- mates suggest the market for low-carbon technologies oping countries are not in favor of this approach, but it could reach $47 trillion by 2050. This market, in turn, is remains to be seen what new negotiating positions will expected to create jobs and new opportunities for inno- emerge over the next year. vation. U.S. energy competitiveness policy should in- Create Economic Opportunity. One of the major clude massive and effective technology research, challenges for political acceptance of global action on cli- development and deployment, and a system of incentives mate change is the threat of economic damage from in- to encourage efficiency and reward low-carbon behavior creasing the cost of energy. While the economic analysis for companies and consumers. of proposed cap-and-trade legislation includes a wide Educating the American work force and future gen- range of projected negative economic effects, the Stern erations to compete in the global marketplace is an issue Review on the Economics of Climate Change and other that cuts across all sectors of the U.S. economy. Our na- studies indicate that over the long term, the cost of inac- tion’s success at remaining a technology leader depends tion outweighs the cost of near-term action to combat cli- on our ability to attract new students to math, engineer- mate change. ing and other technologically oriented curricula and to There is no doubt that a carbon-constrained world will increase our work force’s familiarity with those disci- produce both winners and losers. Therefore it is essen- plines. In conjunction with those efforts, Washington tial that the United States position itself to take full ad- should embark on a public education campaign to im- vantage of the economic opportunity of a low-carbon prove domestic understanding of these challenges.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 25 F OCUS

Engage the International Com- According to the most United States is uniquely positioned munity. Productive engagement to set the pace and direction of this with the international community recent projections by the effort, both through its participation on energy issues requires earnest and its ability to persuade other participation in climate change ne- International Energy Agency, major economies (current and fu- gotiations and a move beyond the ture) to cooperate with us. often-misinterpreted rhetoric of “en- global energy demand will The climate change challenge of- ergy independence.” Smart and ef- fers the United States an opportu- fective U.S. leadership on these increase by approximately nity to provide leadership in the issues requires knowing our limita- creation of flexible, yet durable, tions. Washington should engage in 45 percent by 2030. norms and institutions — in much cooperation and lead by example in the same way the U.S. did for global areas of comparative advantage, trade regimes and regional security learning to rely on global institutions and allies to carry out coalitions in the 20th century. Action on this requires a activities not directly related to U.S. strategic interests. long-term policy view balanced with short-term initiatives Our government’s participation is essential to a lasting — one that enables global markets to function properly global framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fosters sustainable economic development. Through and developing adaptation strategies to help the whole this effort we can reinforce core principles even as we at- world cope with the inevitable disruptions caused by cli- tempt to resolve the inherent inequities and monumental mate change. As the largest economy in the world, the challenges of global climate change solutions. I

26 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 IMPROVING THE PRT-MILITARY PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP

A U.S. ARMY MEMBER OF AN IRAQ PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM OFFERS PRACTICAL ADVICE TO FOREIGN SERVICE COLLEAGUES.

BY SEAN P. WALSH

fter what seemed like weeks, we mem- process that we liberal arts types were missing. bers of the Diyala Provincial Recon- So I had a genuine sense of hope that I had felt very few struction Team and the ground-holding times during my 15 months in Iraq: this project would be dif- battalion had finally gotten all of the ferent. It would be done quickly and efficiently and would be pieces together to begin renovating the sustained by the government of Iraq. Most importantly, it Diyala Vocational School. Ron Bonfil- would get the Sons of Iraq, the groups of mostly Sunni men lio, a State Department employee, and that helped provide security and whose rejection of al-Qaida Lt. Colonel Ted Daley, a U.S. Army Reserve officer assigned was so essential to recent success in Iraq, out of the business Ato the PRT, had jointly decided on the site and had coordi- of standing on a street corner on the American taxpayers’ nated with officials in Baghdad and Baqubah to gain ap- dime and into sustainable, long-term employment. These proval for the school. new, real jobs would hopefully prevent them from returning As my unit’s civil-military plans officer, I was the one who to militias and the insurgency. gained us access to the giant checkbooks of the Comman- It wasn’t easy, however. The project planning had taken der’s Emergency Response Program and the Iraqi-funded significant coordination between the PRT and the military I-CERP. We had even recruited a field artillery lieutenant unit responsible for the area, a process involving head- fresh out of West Point with a mechanical engineering de- butting, gnashing of teeth and, to be honest, some hurt feel- gree to bring some sorely needed practical knowledge to the ings on all sides. Speaking as a military officer recently redeployed from Iraq who frequently works with personnel Captain Sean P. Walsh deployed to Iraq from August 2007 to from PRTs and the embedded PRTs that are assigned to October 2008 as an infantry officer with the 2nd Stryker Cav- support military units directly, I can clearly see that the cul- alry Regiment. After serving as a rifle platoon leader in the ture clash between members of the armed forces and State Dora neighborhood of Baghdad, Capt. Walsh was assigned Department employees has a definite impact on the quality as his battalion’s civil-military plans officer and worked ex- of work done by both organizations. tensively with matters related to economic development, re- Let me acknowledge that the military is far from blameless construction and capacity-building in both Baghdad and for the fact that our two organizations occasionally have a less Baqubah and supervised a Commander’s Emergency Re- than stellar working relationship. In fact, I would like to see sponse Program budget of over $15 million. A 2005 graduate a Foreign Service member of a Provincial Reconstruction of the United States Military Academy, he is now a student at Team submit a similar article to a military journal such as Pa- the Maneuver Captains’ Career Course in Fort Knox, Ky., and rameters in order to offer his or her insights on the situation. is also a master’s degree candidate at Virginia Tech. The views But in this article I want to provide some suggestions, from presented here are entirely his own and do not represent those my perspective, for future Foreign Service PRT personnel on of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army. how that professional relationship can be improved.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 27 First, let me say that I have the ut- For instance, if a commander feels most respect for the Department of that solving water problems is the key State, in general, and Foreign Service I have seen firsthand to bringing stability back to his or her officers in particular. I interned at the area, I would recommend that you U.S. embassy in Singapore when I was the success that our two help address that problem even if you an undergraduate, and it was one of feel that something else should be the the most rewarding professional expe- organizations can priority. As Kiki Munshi, a former riences of my life. FSO and PRT leader, has pointed out, I also know how hard it is to be- achieve together when “If the military thinks it can do some- come an FSO. I once took a Foreign thing we believe won’t work or doesn’t Service Written Exam practice test our relationship and think what we want to do is important, and did not do well (knowledge about we’re up a tree.” I feel that it is better American choreographers is appar- areas of responsibility to at least be working toward a goal to- ently a prerequisite for success on the gether than to be “up a tree” and un- exam). are clearly defined. able to accomplish anything.

Know Who Runs the Show Respect Protocol The most important thing to un- Another key element to under- derstand in improving the relationship stand about the military is that, as an between PRTs and their uniformed unit arrives. As a PRT member, you organization, it is extremely touchy colleagues is that Provincial Recon- will frequently meet with brigade staff about protocol. This goes well beyond struction Team members live and and the brigade commander (a full the saluting and rank usage that I’m work in a military-dominated environ- colonel), but it will be the units on the sure you are all well aware of, de- ment. Whatever your personal feel- ground, battalions and companies, scending into an almost tribal struc- ings are about how State Department that support your daily movements, ture that can be inscrutable to an employees should be utilized in con- obtain funds for larger projects and outsider. flict zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, generally facilitate your efforts. So it is Where you as a PRT member will the reality is that the military runs the important to gain the support of bat- most likely encounter this is in arrang- show. talion and company commanders to ing for transportation to your meetings PRTs are almost totally dependent help with your mission. and site visits. Because Provincial Re- on the military for security and move- When you meet with these officers, construction Teams exist outside the ment to attend meetings outside the explain what you contribute to the chain of command of the units that forward operating bases. The military mission in your area and what you can support you, some within the military also has the easiest access to CERP, bring to the table (or “to the fight” in consider it a professional insult for a probably one of the biggest foreign aid Pentagon-speak). As FSO Chuck PRT to “task” them with a mission vehicles ever created. And I won’t try Hunter pointed out in Ms. Dorman’s such as movement to a meeting. to downplay the fact that some mili- article, diplomats have much longer- In order to deal with this bias, the tary personnel view civilians as “wee- term views of development and suc- team leader must work out the details nies,” as Shawn Dorman reported in cess than the military. If you cannot of this relationship so that the military her March 2007 Foreign Service Jour- articulate the PRT’s role in the short understands its role and team mem- nal article (“Iraq PRTs: Pins on a term (12 months or less), that com- bers aren’t reduced to “bumming” Map”). mander may simply see you as a bur- rides. Team members also need to The best way to overcome these bi- den, a tasking that takes away from the know how to properly address griev- ases is to quickly establish a profes- “real” mission. ances when they feel they aren’t being sional working relationship with your I would add that, especially for adequately supported. military counterparts. Toward that ePRT members, you might also con- Failure to clarify this relationship end, I urge Foreign Service PRT sider how your goals can be adjusted will result in significant friction be- members, and especially team lead- to ensure that they are nested with the tween military units and the PRT, ers, to conduct an introductory meet- priorities of the military side of the forcing team members to ask for sup- ing with the subordinate commanders house. Though we should all be work- port outside of proper channels and in your area as soon as possible when ing from the same page, often this isn’t procedures. Units get tasked to sup- beginning your tour or when a new the case. port missions through very specific

28 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 channels that, while they change ian’s Guide to the Military (Fraser Di- slightly from unit to unit, usually result rect, 2007), which provides an excel- in a daily or weekly order. Though I lent, concise overview of the various understand that meeting times fre- branches of the military, its rank quently change and opportunities can structure and some useful protocol. I come up quickly, I strongly encourage gave it to my fiancée after our engag- PRT members to utilize these chan- ment, and she found that the stream nels as much as possible and submit of acronyms and professional terms requests as far in advance as possible. that constitute work-related conver- In cases where an unexpected sations with my fellow military offi- meeting or opportunity does arise too cers became significantly clearer after soon for the orders process to take she read it. Let me hasten to add that place, going directly to a subordinate she is no slouch when it comes to na- unit can be a touchy technique. If you tional security. But just as a physicist and the battalion and company com- might not be able to follow every- manders that support you have a good thing a zoologist writes about, For- working relationship, and they are eign Service personnel are not made aware of how that meeting or trained to use the professional terms opportunity will help them accom- of the military (nor the other way plish their mission, then picking up a around). phone or walking over to a battalion Finally, while it is a technical issue, headquarters to ask for help directly another major obstacle to an efficient should not be an issue. On the other and productive relationship with the hand, if a professional relationship is military is the fact that many PRT not already present and these com- members do not have access to the manders don’t understand the impor- Defense Department’s Secret Inter- tance of what you are trying to net Protocol Router computer net- accomplish, a request that uses unof- work. ficial channels is not likely to be Almost all reporting and e-mail co- looked upon favorably. ordination in a deployed unit is con- The techniques I suggested earlier ducted via the SIPR, so if PRT — holding formal introductory meet- members lack reliable access to this ings, explaining your goals in shorter network, fewer people will be able to timelines and nesting your priorities read their reports or benefit from with those of the commanders that their assessments. If your team does support you — can go a long way to not have the SIPR or there are consis- establishing the necessary relationship tent problems with access, I would en- that will allow you to occasionally take courage you to make this one of your advantage of unofficial channels. top priorities when seeking assistance from the embassy. You may also be Learn Military Speak able to request technical support from Foreign Service officers need to the military units with which you are take the time to read up on military colocated. terms and acronyms before coming to I hope this advice serves some of Iraq or Afghanistan. The military’s you well as you prepare to work along- constant use of jargon makes it almost side your military partners in Iraq and a language unto itself, and the fact that Afghanistan. I have seen firsthand the each unit seems to have its own slang success that our two organizations can and unofficial acronyms only compli- achieve together when our relation- cates the situation. ship and areas of responsibility are I recommend that you pick up a clearly defined, and hope that success copy of Barbara Schading’s A Civil- will continue in the future. I

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 29 FS HERITAGE THE COURAGEOUS DIPLOMACY OF EBENEZER D. BASSETT

THE HEROISM, INTEGRITY AND CONCERN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE FIRST AFRICAN- AMERICAN DIPLOMAT TO SERVE AS A U.S. CHIEF OF MISSION SET A POWERFUL EXAMPLE.

BY CHRISTOPHER J. TEAL

ov. 16, 2008, marked the 100th an- 1853, more than a century before the Supreme Court held niversary of the death of Ebenezer in Brown v Board of Education that segregation in public D. Bassett. Unfortunately, almost no schools was illegal. one in the Foreign Service has even Building upon his love of learning, Bassett became a heard that name, much less knows of teacher at, and later principal of, the Institute of Colored his importance. But when President Youth in Philadelphia. During the Civil War, he helped Ulysses S. Grant appointed him head the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass recruit black sol- of the American diplomatic mission in Haiti in 1869, it was diers for the Union Army. This activism paid off when Nmore than a matter of patronage. Bassett’s appointment General U.S. Grant won the White House in 1868 and broke the racial barrier, making him the first black to hold looked to reward his political supporters in the black com- the position of chief of mission for the United States. And munity. his courage and integrity paved the way for generations of Bassett’s nomination to become minister resident to future African-American members of the U.S. diplomatic Haiti (the title “ambassador” would not be used in Amer- corps, culminating in the appointments of Colin Powell and ican diplomatic service until 1893) made him one of the Condoleezza Rice as Secretaries of State. highest-ranking black members of the U.S. government. Bassett’s rise from obscurity as an educator and the His accreditation to the “Black Republic” was no accident grandchild of a slave to become the first black man to head either. Though Haiti had gained its independence from a U.S. mission was implausible given the racial turmoil of France in 1804, it was not officially recognized by the the 19th century. But Bassett was no ordinary man. His United States until 1862. Southern resistance to a former parents were free blacks in Connecticut and leaders of their slave colony becoming a nation had kept rightful recogni- community who ensured that their son received the finest tion at bay. But with the Union’s victory, it was time to take education possible. In something almost unheard of in the the next step: elevating the level of bilateral relations with mid-1800s even for white students, Ebenezer Bassett at- the symbolic appointment of Bassett. tended college in his home state. He became the first black student to integrate the Connecticut Normal School in A Delicate Touch Upon arriving in Port-au-Prince in 1869, however, Bas- Christopher Teal, a Foreign Service officer since 1999, is cur- sett found that his new home was also rent by civil war. The rently the public affairs officer in Guadalajara. Previous as- 36-year-old diplomat with no international experience was signments include Lima, Santo Domingo and Washington, nonetheless one of the most powerful figures in the coun- D.C. His biography of Bassett, titled Hero of Hispaniola, was try. Though he soon realized that much of the work of published by Praeger Books in 2008 and can be found at diplomacy involved intangibles, he also understood that his http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/C35195.aspx. duties were “not so onerous as delicate,” as he wrote to his

30 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 friend Frederick Douglass. “Common sense and some lit- women and children huddled in his residence or strictly tle knowledge of law … will carry me through,” he added obey a State Department circular? As Saget’s forces finally optimistically. overwhelmed the remnants of the old regime, Bassett went It would certainly require more than common sense to to negotiate for the safe passage of those seeking asylum. navigate the treacherous waters of the Haitian war, how- But Saget was reluctant, demanding a list of refugees so ever. Telegraphs could not yet instantly transmit messages that he could determine which might actually be political to every corner of the globe, so messages passed between enemies. Bassett refused, boldly telling him: “You will par- Washington and embassies the old-fashioned way: via hand- don me for reminding [you] that the holding of women and written letters. And because of this, two things were of ut- children as hostages is repugnant to modern civilization and most importance — accuracy in reporting and good especially to the government of the United States.” He handwriting. Bassett possessed both of these attributes, went on to warn the Haitian rebel leader that if he harbored and his memos back to Washing- any hopes of good bilateral rela- ton displayed a quick grasp of the tions, he should simply allow the unfolding political situation on release of the refugees. the island. Given the amount of Saget finally gave in, and with time it required for Washington Given the amount of time it little regard for his own safety — to receive this reporting, however, and despite a tropical fever — the Bassett knew he would be forced required for Washington to American minister personally es- to act first and ask for forgiveness corted the throng of refugees into later. receive his reporting, Bassett the heart of the capital soon after His first challenge came as the sunset so that they might return government of Sylvain Salnave knew he would be forced to act to their homes. Other captured began to crumble under the pres- political opponents did not fare as sure of the rebellion by General first and ask for forgiveness later. well as Bassett’s group. Many Jean Nicholas Nissage Saget. As were quickly killed by having the situation deteriorated, Bassett their throats slit. felt compelled to call for help and During his eight years in Port- pleaded with Secretary of State au-Prince, Bassett would deal Hamilton Fish for a warship: with several similar incidents, as “Please send one immediately and keep it constantly here.” Saget faced a coup from General Michel Domingue, who It was a cry he repeated numerous times throughout in turn faced a coup from General Boisrand Canal. In all that year. But with Washington turning a deaf ear to his cases, the defeated side invariably rushed to seek help appeals, he worked out an arrangement with the French from foreign legations, and the American legation most and British legations, both of whom oversaw numerous prominently. Bassett also handled U.S.-citizen commer- warships in the harbor of Port-au-Prince. If American in- cial claims, enforced diplomatic immunity for his consular terests required assistance, Bassett had to personally con- and commercial agents, and endured hurricanes, fires and vince them to provide support. The diplomat also leased a numerous tropical diseases. new office for the legation, located in a fireproof building to prevent the destruction of irreplaceable records in the His Finest Hour event of the much-rumored looting and burning of the city. The case that posed the greatest challenge to Bassett, All of this he did without any guidance from his capital. however, was that of political refugee General Boisrand As the battles continued, hundreds of refugees filled his Canal. The general was another of the young leaders who residential compound in the hills overlooking the city and had successfully ousted Salnave from power. By the time errant shells landed on his grounds. Meanwhile, the De- of the subsequent Domingue regime in the mid-1870s, he partment of State had sent instructions denying Bassett au- had retired to his home outside the capital. The new Hait- thority to accept political refugees. Though accepting ian president, however, brutally hunted down any per- refugees was a practice commonly used by the European ceived threat, including Canal. powers on the island, Secretary Fish found it had no basis The knock on Bassett’s door that came at 3 a.m. on May in law. Bassett was in a quandary: should he protect the 3, 1875, shattered the illusion of any settlement of this lat-

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 31 to file a formal protest with the for- eign minister, who replied demand- ing to know the name of every refugee. Bassett politely refused and left, but he soon began to receive threats of violence against himself and his family. Despite further ef- forts by the diplomat to calm emo- tions, the threats intensified. The crisis dragged on for several days before Bassett was able to pen his first memo back to Washington. Re- flecting on all that was still unfolding, Bassett handwrote a 21-page despatch to Washington. The envoy remained optimistic that passions would eventu- ally cool, having dealt with numerous cases of refugees in the past. Still, things seemed different this time around. “I must confess,” he wrote to Sec. Fish, “that the presence of a thou- sand armed men around my country residence … with discontent stamped on their faces and Henry rifles in their hands, does not quite give the best pos- sible ground to my hope.” Not once asking about his minis- ter’s well-being or offering any words Bassett’s student photograph, c. 1855, Connecticut Normal School, Central Con- of support, Fish responded by berat- necticut State University. ing Bassett. He noted that the Hait- ian ambassador in Washington, Steph- est uprising. As the proud Canal and merely personal interest in them,” he an Preston, had been complaining his two young relatives staggered into noted days later in a letter to the de- about the refugees. the American’s home and sought pro- partment. Fish wanted simply to be rid of tection, Bassett’s best instincts took As the minister resident began this problem as quickly as possible. over. Knowing that Domingue’s army making discreet inquiries the next However, he did not force his envoy was probably just steps behind the day, he learned that massive arrests to just hand over the refugees; to do weary, terrified men, he shut the door were taking place throughout the city. so would be a capitulation to the behind them, and invoked the deli- Martial law was now in effect, and Haitian demand, and American pres- cate veil of protection that diplomatic people were fleeing in every direction tige required more. immunity offered. to stay alive. Calling on the palace, In his reply, despite incurring the After seeing to it that his new Bassett found emotions were raw. wrath of his superiors in Washington, guests were given food, water, med- During the afternoon, the city’s dis- Bassett put all of his credibility on the ical care and clothing, Bassett must trict attorney, a close friend, warned line: have sat with his head in his hands Bassett that he should return home at “I am not unaware that the ground thinking of how he would explain this once. taken in my several despatches … to a displeased Sec. Fish. “It may be Panicked, he fled and found hun- may not be in accord with the re- that the instinct for humanity got the dreds of armed men outside his gates. quirements of public law … but cir- better of me,” he wrote. “The men More troops were on the way, and it cumstances seemed to crowd in upon before me were not my personal was clear that the worst-kept secret in me without warning, and in such a friends. They had never visited my Haiti was at an end. Assured that way as to leave me almost no choice. house before, nor I theirs. I had no everyone inside was safe, he returned Men maddened by passion, inflamed,

32 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 Bassett’s performance during his eight years in Port-au-Prince places him in the annals of great American diplomats.

as I am credibly informed, by rum, and elated by consciousness of armed power, were pursuing their fellow countrymen with red-handed vio- lence. To have closed my door upon the men pursued would have been for me to deny them their last chance of escape from being brutally put to death before my eyes.”

The Standoff Continues It was not simply a matter of hu- manity that led Bassett to throw the protective cloak over his asylees. He was also keenly aware that to give even one inch in this staring match would invite a rampaging mob to overrun his home and all the con- sulates under the American flag throughout Haiti. Throughout the standoff, Bassett’s home remained surrounded by more than a thousand soldiers. The nightly rhythm of loud taunts and screams, the beating of metal objects and the general air of danger kept his family huddled inside trying to gain a few hours of restless sleep. Bassett first raised the idea of sending a U.S. warship to Haiti in a May 8, 1875, despatch. He argued that a show of force would exert “a wholesome influence” and strength- en “our own moral force” in resolving the matter.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 33 As the conflict dragged on for weeks, with both Bassett and Domin- gue digging in their heels, Washington remained paralyzed. The diplomat continued to plead for a warship through the summer. But Fish’s pique at his minister and his continued dithering discussions with Haitian Ambassador Preston, who lobbied hard against sending a ship, left the sit- uation in a quagmire. As weeks became months, Haitian authorities continued to turn up the pressure. Domingue issued a decree Inset: “Ebenezer D. ordering any citizen to shoot Canal Bassett, Colored down on sight. Then he arranged for Minister to Hayti.” from Harper’s hasty military tribunals to try the gen- Weekly, May 1, eral for treason. Bassett took note of 1869. Right: an these efforts as a means to sway undated photo, Hamilton Fish into ordering Canal’s Temple University release. Calling the trials a “farce,” Library. Bassett begged his superior “to con- cede to this government nothing what- ever further than what is already conceded.” In spite of the displeasure it caused in both capitals, Bassett’s heroic stance had won him support- Port-au-Prince with a view to your diplomat informed the State Depart- ers among the Haitian people. The protection from insult,” Fish wrote to ment that the crisis had finally pass- whole affair had turned popular opin- Bassett. “That the embarrassing ques- ed: “Refugees [were] amicably em- ion in favor of the United States and tion adverted to may be satisfactorily barked and soldiers withdrawn from made Canal a folk hero. “The pre- adjusted before she arrives, is much to around my premises yesterday.” vailing sentiment is unmistakably in be desired.” By demanding humane treatment favor of [Canal], and in our favor, be- In fact, just as the ship was prepar- for an honorable Haitian citizen, Bas- cause we have firmly protected him ing to leave, Amb. Preston rushed in sett served not only the best interests against violence,” Bassett wrote. No to tell Fish that Domingue was ready of the United States, but also those of doubt part of that support for both to capitulate. Bassett could escort the people of Haiti. men was because of the brutality with Canal safely out, if only the warship which the regime continued to act would turn back and not enter Haitian After Haiti against any and all presumed oppo- waters. Fish agreed and instructed At the end of the Grant adminis- nents. Still, political arrests and Bassett that a deal had been set. tration in 1877, Bassett submitted his killings continued, and Bassett con- Though Bassett had made that same resignation as was the custom. In spite cluded, “the awful fact stares me in request repeatedly for months, he of any lingering resentment that may the face that we are all under a reign took it as a welcome relief when he re- have existed in Washington because of of terror.” ceived the news. his defiant stance, it was impossible By summer’s end, it looked like Finally, just after midnight on Oct. for the department not to recognize even Sec. Fish had finally had enough. 5, 1875, after five months as a refugee Bassett’s work. Perhaps a more visible threat, he con- inside the Bassett home, Canal em- Acting Secretary of State F.W. Se- cluded, would cause the Domingue braced him. The general then ward wrote to Bassett, thanking him regime to crack. “It has been deter- boarded an American-flagged ship, for his years of service: mined to apply to the Navy Depart- which set sail for Jamaica and his “I cannot allow this opportunity to ment to order a man-of-war to safety. The next day the American pass without expressing to you the ap-

34 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 Ebenezer Bassett paved the way for Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice to serve as Secretaries of State.

preciation of the department for the very satisfactory manner in which you have discharged your duties of the mission at Port-au-Prince during your term of office. This commendation of your services is the more especially merited because at various times your duties have been of such a delicate nature as to have required the exer- cise of much tact and discretion.” When Bassett returned to the United States, he spent a decade in New York City as Haiti’s consul gen- eral. He then returned to Philadel- phia, where his daughter Charlotte taught at the Institute of Colored Youth. He spent the rest of his life there. Unfortunately, unlike his peers who broke the color barrier in other professional fields, Ebenezer Bassett would be forgotten with the passing of time. Yet he was a role model, and not simply for his symbolic importance as the first African-American diplomat. His concern for human rights and courage in the face of threats from Haitians as well as opposition from his own government place him in the an- nals of great American diplomats. For those of us in the current For- eign Service, his leadership helped es- tablish the great tradition in which we now work, and his name is one we all should know. I

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 35 APPRECIATION PASSAGE OF A GLOBAL NOMAD

NORMA M. MCCAIG, 1945 – 2008

BY MIKKELA THOMPSON

orma M. McCaig, creator of the phrase Asia”), mother and brother. At the age of 13, the family “global nomad” and founder of Global moved to Sri Lanka. Norma attended boarding school at the Nomads International, died on Nov. 10 Kodaikanal International School in India, and then finished at her home in Reston, Va., after four high school back in the Philippines before returning to the years with bone cancer. With her pass- U.S. Norma translated her childhood experiences into a life- ing, Foreign Service and military brats time of promoting international understanding, with a pio- and all other Third Culture Kids “lost neering vision of a cross-cultural identity and organization. their mother.” As one young person said at her memorial In 1984, she created the term global nomad, both because Nservice, “I know that I am a global nomad because Norma she did not want to be called a kid and because she wanted a told me I am. She gave us a name and a place we can call more elegant, and expansive, designation for herself and oth- home.” ers like her. This gift of creative terminology is just one of A regular lecturer at the Foreign Service Institute, the au- her many contributions to the field of international cultural thor of the Journal’s early articles on raising globally mobile intercourse, which include “cultural chameleon,” “passport children, and someone actively involved with the Foreign culture” and other phrases now whizzing around on the Service Youth Foundation, Ms. McCaig was a vibrant force in World Wide Web. the diplomatic community. Along with sociologists Ruth Hill Useem, who coined the Yet as I sat at her memorial service on Nov. 16 at the Uni- term “Third Culture Kids” in the 1960s, Dave Pollock and tarian Universalist Church of Reston, with her art on display, Ruth Van Reken, all authorities on growing up internationally, listening to her friends and family talk about her personal life, Norma McCaig was a pathbreaker, an energetic champion her spiritual life, her artistic life and her professional life, I for the globally mobile community. She was the first to rec- realized how little I knew about this diminutive redhead. ognize the importance of helping global nomads on “re-entry” Norma was always much more fascinated with everyone else’s into their home country, and envisioned a global nomad club story — and how to connect people by sharing their stories. at every college and university. She encouraged many uni- versities to recognize and allow students to designate them- A Pioneering Vision selves as global nomads on their applications. This includes Norma M. McCaig was born on July 25, 1945, and moved the children of Foreign Service personnel as well as those to the Philippines at the age of 2 with her father, a pharma- from military, missionary and business families. ceutical executive (as she’d joke, “my daddy peddled drugs in “Norma McCaig not only changed our world; she changed my life,” writes Van Reken, co-author with Dave Pollock of Mikkela Thompson, daughter of retired FSO Ward Thomp- Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among son, is a global nomad, portrait painter and writer, and the Worlds. “I first met her in 1987, when she dared to cross sec- former business manager at the Journal. tor lines and attend a conference about missionary kids (in

36 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 Quito), even though she had been raised as a business kid. Norma McCaig believed that children raised with a built- She shared her dream for Global Nomads, an organization in multicultural understanding become culturally sensitive that would be for adults who had grown up in any interna- and globally-minded adults for whom any dream, even that of tionally mobile background. Norma borrowed against her becoming president, is possible. own retirement account to make that conference happen in December 1988 … [It was] the first time adult TCKs gath- Closure and Connection ered together to explore mutually our convergent journeys.” She authored numerous articles and publications on global The Foreign Service community knows her best from her nomads, “re-entry,” transitions, resiliency and her own “Seven articles in the Foreign Service Journal, her seminars at the Cs” — advice on raising global nomads. The fourth C is in- Foreign Service Institute, her presentations at the Foreign structive in this context: Service Youth Foundation’s welcome-home potlucks (includ- “Closure and Connection. This is an area that is often ing one just a month before her death) and the many work- overlooked. Unless parents have good closure skills, kids have shops she led. very few chances to pick them up. It is vital to learn about clo- sure and walk your kids through healthy goodbyes. Remem- A Passionate Advocate ber that global nomad children say more goodbyes before the Norma McCaig was passionate about all aspects of her life. age of 18 than many monoculturals do in a lifetime. She was active in her church, leading meditation classes and “Even if you experience relatively low mobility abroad, participating in the art club, and was an executive-level re- chances are that people are always in transition around you cruiter. But her greatest strength was her magnetic ability as and your children are saying many, many goodbyes in spite of a consummate communicator, a connector. Every fall, she their relative geographic stability. The grief associated with would host a pumpkin-carving contest; and in the summer, these goodbyes can accumulate unless intentional effort is she threw a huge party for her birthday. Whatever the occa- made to grieve productively. It can be difficult and frighten- sion, the goal was always to get as many people as possible to- ing to watch a child grieve. This is especially true if you have gether, to work on connections. not done your own grieving. A graduate of the Georgetown Training Specialist Pro- “Communicate to your child that pain around goodbyes is gram, she reached out to mentor other cross-cultural coaches an appropriate emotion that honors what the person (or lo- and worked with anyone and everyone to further her vision of cation, or pet, etc.) has meant to you. Teach your children to international understanding. This included working at the incorporate things that they have valued about what or whom Washington International Center, organizing cross-cultural they have lost. For example, if your children deeply love an training for children at Berlitz and participating with NAFSA, aspect of a culture that you are leaving, allow them to incor- the Association of International Educators, for more than 20 porate it into your family culture. If your children miss an years. She carefully tailored her workshops for each audi- especially kind friend, teach them to incorporate that kind- ence, even if the message was the same. ness into their own values.” For many years Ms. McCaig was affiliated with George While there was sadness at her memorial service, there is Mason University. She actively helped adult Third Culture some comfort and a lesson to be learned from Norma McCaig’s Kids become part of the discussion through Ruth Van Reken’s life. As someone pointed out, she lived with cancer,enthusiatic “Families in Global Transition” conferences. Appropriately, and full of life to her final day. Taking her own advice on grief, the 2008 conference honored Norma for her role in getting I remember when, after a resilience workshop at FSI a year the movement off the ground in the early 1980s. ago, I suggested we eat at one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall The term “global nomad” was born in India. Ms. McCaig kabob restaurants, just so that I could watch with joy as Norma had traveled around the world to the South Indian hill sta- gleefully ordered dish after dish — mango lassi, naan, kebab, tion of Kodaikanal for her school reunion. As she was stand- raita, dal and kheer. She would nibble and inhale the smells ing in the shower, wondering why she was going to the and flavors, reconnecting with her global childhood. I will reunion of a school she had attended for a few years where drink mango lassis the length of my days, recalling Norma — she may not know anyone, it occurred to her that as soon as filled with brightness, kindness and a zest for life. she met the other alumni, she would feel at home because Ms. McCaig is survived by her brother and niece, who they were all “global nomads” like her. were there to take care of her at the end of her life. In what may have been a karmic aligning of her universe, Memorial contributions may be made in Norma McCaig’s she presented a paper in 2001 to the International Society name to the Cancer Foundation (www.cancer.org/). Her for Krishna Consciousness on the children of devotees, who legacy Web site can be viewed at http://www.legacy.com/ are often raised in cultures and countries different from WashingtonPost/GB/GuestbookEntry.aspx?&PersonID= those of their parents. 120196511. I

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 37

AFSAAmerican Foreign ServiceNEWS Association • February 2009

MEMBERS WANT CONCERNS ADDRESSED BY NEW ADMINISTRATION Annual Opinion Poll Yields Record Number of Responses BY STEVE KASHKETT, STATE VICE PRESIDENT

FSA’s annual opinion poll of our help separated families. Some 71 percent A State active-duty membership believe that people should be allowed to worldwide took on special importance extend in an overseas or domestic as- this year because of the U.S. presidential signment to enable a son or daughter to election and the prospect of sweeping finish the senior year of high school. changes in the leadership and manage- And a strong majority (63 percent) want ment of the Department of State. The AFSA to advocate for official recognition people of the Foreign Service clearly saw and benefits for same-sex partners of our the survey as an opportunity to send a members. strong message to the new administra- The people of the Foreign Service re- tion about the priorities and initiatives main frustrated over the worsening over- that are important to our profession. Many of the top issues seas pay disparity and the outgoing The knowledge that AFSA would be administration’s neglect of the staffing meeting with the transition team during relate to managing a career and resource needs of our embassies and the same timeframe prompted a rush to increasingly dominated by consulates all over the world. A large provide feedback. majority of respondents attach“high im- As a result, this electronic poll got a hardship and unaccompanied portance” to AFSA’s efforts to address remarkable, enthusiastic response that postings. Of high-ranking these two problems. Significant majori- leaped above the numbers we witnessed ties affirm that inadequate funding and in previous years. More than 5,500 For- importance is the desire for staffing have made it more difficult for eign Service employees at State — nearly fairness and equity in Continued on page 41 half of the entire active-duty ranks — completed the survey. This included assignments. thousands of entry-level members, com- parable numbers of mid-level personnel Renovation and more than 500 Senior Foreign Serv- free-form comments that people en- Update ice officers. tered, one gets an unambiguous sense of As in past years, the respondents were the foremost concerns on the minds of In mid-December, AFSA staff divided among generalists and special- U.S. diplomats. moved out of temporary quarters at ists, and those serving overseas and do- Many of the top issues relate to man- 1800 N. Kent St. in Rosslyn and were mestically, in proportions that statis- aging a career increasingly dominated by awaiting final checks on the renovated tically match those of the entire State hardship and unaccompanied postings. headquarters building at 2101 E St. Department Foreign Service contingent. Of high-ranking importance is the desire NW before moving in. Responses came from every overseas for fairness and equity in assignments, as Despite a few of the glitches that post and every domestic bureau. well as apprehensions about guiding our seem to be part of every renovation Scanning the numerical results of families through the challenges of project,we hope to be settling into our yes/no and multiple-choice questions today’s Foreign Service life. Only a small renovated offices this month. (reflected in the charts accompanying minority of respondents (15 percent) We’ll keep you posted! this article), as well as the thousands of think the department is doing enough to

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 39 A F S A N AFSANEWSBRIEFS E W S AFSA Welcomes Nomination Life in the Foreign Service of Hillary Clinton as BY BRIAN AGGELER Secretary of State AFSA released the following press statement on Dec. 8: “On behalf of the 11,500 men and women of the U.S. Foreign Service assigned to the Department of State and to our embassies and consulates worldwide, the Ameri- can Foreign Service Association warmly welcomes the nomination of Senator Hillary Clinton to be the next Secretary of State. We and our members look forward to working closely with the new Secretary to strengthen American diplomacy and to create a Foreign Service adapted to the demands and challenges of the 21st cen- tury. “Secretary-designate Clinton, if confirmed, will over- see a Foreign Service that is in the forefront of U.S. ef- forts to combat terrorism, poverty, climate change and HIV/AIDS; to promote democracy, trade and respect for human rights; to assist U.S. citizens abroad and ensure that foreigners seeking entry into our country have legit- imate reason to do so; to defuse foreign conflicts; and to defend U.S. interests in our management of bilateral and multilateral relations. The Foreign Service will provide Secretary-designate Clinton with wide-ranging, hands- on expertise in every area of foreign policy. “At the same time, we look forward to collaborating with Secretary-designate Clinton to develop manage- ment policies that address the concerns of our profes- sional diplomats, who now spend the vast majority of their careers serving at dangerous hardship posts, in- cluding our two largest diplomatic missions in active war zones.”

AFSA HEADQUARTERS: Staff: Governing Board: Executive Director, Acting, Ian Houston: [email protected] (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 PRESIDENT: John Naland STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: Business Department Controller Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] STATE VP: Steve Kashkett (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 Accounting Assistant Cory Nishi: [email protected] USAID VP: Francisco Zamora USAID AFSA OFFICE: Labor Management FAS VP: Henry Schmick (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 General Counsel Sharon Papp: [email protected] FCS AFSA OFFICE: Labor Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich: [email protected] FCS VP: Keith Curtis (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: [email protected] RETIREE VP: Robert W. Farrand AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org Grievance Attorneys Neera Parikh: [email protected] and SECRETARY: F.A. “Tex” Harris FSJ: [email protected] Holly Rich: [email protected] Office Manager Christine Warren: [email protected] TREASURER: Andrew Winter PRESIDENT: [email protected] USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: [email protected] STATE REPS: Anne Aguilera, STATE VP: [email protected] USAID Office Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: [email protected] David Firestein, Susan Malcik, RETIREE VP: [email protected] Member Services USAID VP: [email protected] Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: [email protected] Sandy Robinson, Shayna Steinger, FAS VP: [email protected] Member Services Representative Michael Laiacona: [email protected] Elaine Tiang-Chu, Daphne Titus, Andrea FCS VP: [email protected] Web site & Database Associate Geron Pleasant: [email protected] Tomaszewicz, Christopher Tremann Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez: [email protected] USAID REP: Michael Henning Outreach Programs AFSA News Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: [email protected] FCS REP: Rebecca Balogh Editor Francesca Kelly: [email protected] Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: [email protected] FAS REP: Kathryn Ting (202) 338-4045, ext. 514; Congressional Affairs Director Ian Houston: [email protected] IBB REP: Al Pessin Fax: (202) 338-6820 Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: [email protected] On the Web: Scholarship Director Lori Dec: [email protected] RETIREE REPS: www.afsa.org/fsj and www.fsjournal.org Professional Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger: [email protected] Janice Bay, Herman Cohen, How to Contact Us: Elderhostel Administrator Bernard Alter: [email protected] David Passage, Jonathan Sperling

40 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A

Survey • Continued from page 39 F S A N them to do their jobs efficiently E and effectively. Overwhelming W numbers of responses to these S questions leave no doubt that most consider it a fundamental part of the Secretary’s job to fight for re- sources for American diplomacy. Our opinion poll revealed strong sentiment over professional issues. A whopping 98 percent of respondents agreed that “Foreign Service members, especially senior officers, have a duty to provide frank, constructive advice to the political leadership behind closed doors on foreign policy issues and on management issues impacting the Foreign Service — even if that

Some 71 percent believe that people should be allowed to extend in an overseas or domestic assignment to enable a son or daughter to finish the senior year of high school.

advice is not welcomed by the su- perior.” Hundreds of comments indicated that people do not be- lieve this has been the case in re- cent years and are concerned over the lack of open discussion of pol- icy issues. Finally, a very strong majority (76 percent) believe AFSA should oppose unqualified politi- cal-appointee ambassadors. On a positive note, there ap- pears to be a reversal in our mem- bers’ thinking about their long- term prospects in the Foreign Serv- ice. While last year’s poll indicated

Article and charts continue on page 42

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 41 A F S Survey • Continued from page 41 A N E A whopping 98 percent of W S respondents believe that "Foreign Service members, especially senior officers, have a duty to provide frank, constructive advice to the political leadership ... even if that advice is not welcomed by the superior."

that 41 percent did not expect to remain in the Service for a full ca- reer, that number dropped to 21 percent this year (although there was a marked rise in the number of those who responded “not sure”). Again, hundreds of com- ments suggested that the main reasons for this turnaround were relief at the department’s less heavy-handed approach to war- zone assignments this year and an- ticipation of progressive change with the arrival of a new adminis- tration. The unmistakable impression that emerges from a careful reading of member comments in this poll is of a proud, dutiful Foreign Serv- ice accustomed to the increasingly difficult challenges we face overseas and ready for the uphill task of restoring American diplomacy and leadership abroad — but at the same time keenly aware of the need for improvement in the way our leaders treat the diplomatic profes- sion and the men and women who devote their lives to it. J

To see the report in full, visit the AFSA Web site at www.afsa.org.

42 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F S A N E 2008 TAX GUIDE W Federal and State Tax Provisions for the Foreign Service S

The annual AFSA Tax Guide vision is retroactive, so that for each $2,500 of Adjusted Gross Income is designed as an informational anyone who has already over $239,950 (married, filing jointly) or and reference tool. Although we paid the tax on the sale of a $159,950 (single). For those taxpayers who try to be accurate, many of the residence that would have file under the category“married filing sep- new provisions of the tax code and qualified under the new law arately,”the phase-out is 2 percent for each the implementations of Internal may file an amended return $1,250 of Adjusted Gross Income over Revenue Service regulations have to get the benefit of the new $119,975. not been fully tested. Therefore, rule. There is, however, a use caution and consult with a tax three-year statute of limita- Foreign Earned Income Exclusion adviser as soon as possible if you tions on this provision, Many Foreign Service spouses and de- have specific questions or an un- after which one cannot ob- pendents work in the private sector over- usual or complex situation. tain a refund. seas and thus are eligible for the Foreign James Yorke ([email protected]), who Foreign Service employees most fre- Earned Income Exclusion. American citi- compiles the tax guide, would like to quently ask AFSA about home ownership, zens and residents living and working thank M. Bruce Hirshorn, Foreign Service tax liability upon sale of a residence and overseas are eligible for the income exclu- tax counsel, for his help in its preparation. state of domicile. Wehave devoted special sion, unless they are employees of the sections to these issues. United States government. The first Federal Tax Provisions For 2008, the six tax rates for individu- $87,600 earned overseas as an employee or The Military Families Tax Relief Act of als remain at 10, 15, 25, 28, 33 and 35 per- as self-employed may be exempt from in- 2003 continues to provide a significant cent. The 10-percent rate is for taxable come taxes. benefit for Foreign Service families who income up to $16,051 for married couples, Note: The method for calculating the sell their homes at a profit,but would have $8,026 for singles. The 15-percent rate is tax on non-excluded income in tax returns been unable to avail themselves of the cap- for income up to $65,101 for married cou- that include both excluded and non-ex- ital gains exclusion (up to $250,000 for an ples, $32,551 for singles. The 25-percent cluded income was changed, beginning in individual/$500,000 for a couple) from the rate is for income up to $131,451 for mar- 2006, so as to result in higher tax on the sale of a principal residence because they ried couples, $78,851 for singles. The 28- non-excluded portion. (See the box on did not meet the Internal Revenue Ser- percent rate is for income up to $200,301 page 46 for a full explanation.) vice’s“two-year occupancy within the five for married couples and income up to To receive the exemption, the taxpayer years preceding the date of sale” require- $164,551 for singles. The 33-percent rate is must meet one of two tests: 1) the Physical ment due to postings outside the U.S. In for income up to $357,701 for married Presence Test, which requires that the tax- relation to the sale of a principal residence couples and singles. Annual income above payer be present in a foreign country for at after May 6, 1997, the 2003 law notes that $357,701 is taxed at 35 percent. Long-term least 330 days during any 12-month period the calculation of the five-year period for capital gains are taxed at a maximum rate (the period may be different from the tax measuring ownership is suspended during of 15 percent and are reported on Schedule year); or 2) the Bona Fide Residence Test, any period that the eligible individual or D. This rate is effective for all sales in 2008, which requires that the taxpayer has been his or her spouse is serving away from the except for those people who fall within the a bona fide resident of a foreign country area on qualified official extended duty as 10- or 15-percent tax bracket: their rate is for an uninterrupted period that includes a member of the uniformed services or the either 0 or 5 percent. Long-term capital an entire tax year. Most Foreign Service Foreign Service. gain is defined as gain from the sale of spouses and dependents qualify under this The five-year period cannot be ex- property held for 12 months or more. test, but they must wait until they have tended by more than 10 years. In other been overseas for a full calendar year be- words, Foreign Service employees who are Personal Exemption fore claiming it. Keep in mind that self- overseas on assignment can extend the For each taxpayer,spouse and depend- employed taxpayers must still pay five-year period up to 15 years, depending ent the personal exemption has been in- self-employment (Social Security and on the number of years they are posted creased to $3,500. There is, however, a Medicare) tax on their income. Only the away from their home. Note that the pro- personal exemption phase-out of 2 percent income tax is excluded.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 43 A F S Extension for Taxpayers Abroad exceeds $159,950. Note that this 3 percent ductible. AFSA recommends maintaining A Taxpayers whose tax home is outside is applied to the AGI over $159,950 and a travel log and retaining a copy of home N the U.S. on April 15 are entitled to an au- not to the total of itemized deductions on leave orders,which will help if the IRS ever tomatic extension until June 15 to file their Schedule A. The maximum loss for de- questions claimed expenses. E returns. When filing the return, these tax- ductions is capped at 80 percent. It is important to save receipts: without W payers should write “Taxpayer Abroad” at State and local income taxes and real receipts for food, a taxpayer may deduct S the top of the first page and attach a state- estate and personal property taxes remain only $39 to $64 a day (depending upon the ment of explanation. There are no late fil- fully deductible for itemizers, as are chari- federal meals-and-incidentals per diem ing or late payment penalties for returns table contributions to U.S.-based charities rate at the home leave address), no matter filed and taxes paid by June 15,but the IRS for most taxpayers. Donations to the how large the grocery or restaurant bill. does charge interest on any amount owed AFSA Scholarship Fund are fully de- Lodging is deductible, as long as it is not from April 15 until the date it receives pay- ductible as charitable contributions, as are with friends or relatives, or in one’s own ment. donations toAFSA via the Combined Fed- home. The IRS will disallow use of per eral Campaign. Individuals may also dis- diem rates and any expenses claimed for Standard Deduction pose of any profit from the sale of personal family members. If a hotel bill indicates The standard deduction is given to property abroad in this manner. double rates, the single-room rate should non-itemizers. For couples,the deduction For 2008 tax returns, any interest paid be claimed; and,if possible,the hotel’s rate is now $10,900 and for singles, $5,450. on auto or personal loans,credit cards,de- sheet should be saved for IRS scrutiny. Married couples filing separately get a partment stores and other personal inter- Car rental, mileage and other unreim- standard deduction of $5,450 and head-of- est will not be allowed as itemized de- bursed travel expenses, including parking household filers receive an $8,000 deduc- ductions. If such debts are consolidated, fees and tolls, may be deducted. The rate tion. An additional amount is allowed for however, and paid with a home equity for business miles driven is 50.5 cents per taxpayers over age 65 and for those who loan, interest on the home equity loan is mile for the first half of 2008, and 58.5 are blind. allowable. Interest on educational loans cents for the second half. Those who use Most unreimbursed employee business will be allowed as an adjustment to gross this optional mileage method need not expenses must be reported as miscella- income. Mortgage interest is still, for the keep detailed records of actual vehicle ex- neous itemized deductions,which are sub- most part, fully deductible. Interest on penses. However, they must keep a de- ject to a threshold of 2 percent of Adjusted loans intended to finance investments is tailed odometer log to justify the business Gross Income. These include professional deductible up to the amount of net income use of the vehicle and track the percentage dues and subscriptions to publications; from investments. Interest on loans in- of business use. This optional mileage employment and educational expenses; tended to finance a business is 100-percent method applies to leased vehicles as well. home office, legal, accounting, custodial deductible. Passive-investment interest on and tax preparation fees; home leave, rep- investments in which the taxpayer is an in- Official Residence Expenses resentational and other employee business active participant (i.e., a Since Oct. 1, 1990, em- expenses; and contributions toAFSA’sLeg- limited partnership) can be ployees who receive official islative Action Fund. Unreimbursed mov- deducted only from the in- residence expenses have not ing expenses are an adjustment to income, come produced by other been allowed to reduce their which means that you may deduct them “passive income.” Interest reportable income by 3.5 even if you are taking the standard deduc- on loans that do not fall percent. The IRS ruling re- tion. However, the deduction includes into the above categories, garding ORE states that only the unreimbursed costs of moving such as money borrowed to “usual expenses,”defined as your possessions and yourself and your buy tax-exempt securities, 3.5 percent of salary,are not family to the new location. is not deductible. deductible. Therefore the Medical expenses (including health and only expenses that are de- long-term care insurance, but not health Home Leave Expenses ductible are those above the

insurance premiums deducted from gov- Employee business ex- JOSH 3.5 percent paid out of ernment salaries) are subject to a thresh- penses, such as home leave pocket. Employees should old of 7.5 percent of Adjusted Gross and representation, may be save receipts for any out-of- Income. This means that to be deductible, listed as miscellaneous pocket expenses associated the medical cost would have to exceed itemized deductions and with their representational $2,250 for a taxpayer with a $30,000 AGI. claimed on Form 2106. In addition to the duties. These expenses can be deducted as There is also an additional 3-percent re- 2-percent floor, only 50 percent for meals miscellaneous business expenses. duction of itemized deductions (excluding and entertainment may be claimed (100 Schedule A deductions for medical ex- percent for unreimbursed travel and lodg- Home Ownership penses, losses from casualties and theft, ing). Only the employee’s (not family Individuals may deduct interest on up and investment-interest losses) if the AGI members’) home leave expenses are de- to $1 million of acquisition debt for loans

44 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F secured by a first and/or second home. Rental expenses cannot be claimed either, gardless of their age. Previously, qualified S This also includes loans taken out for but all property taxes and mortgage inter- individuals who were age 55 or older were A major home improvements. On home eq- est may be deducted. allowed a one-time capital-gains exclusion N uity loans, interest is deductible on up to of $125,000. Also, under previous law, if $100,000, no matter how much the home Rental of Home you had a gain when you sold your home, E cost, unless the loan is used for home im- Taxpayers who are overseas and rented you could defer all or part of the gain if you W provements. The $100,000 ceiling applies their homes in 2008 can continue to purchased or built another home (of equal S to the total of all home equity loans you deduct mortgage interest as a rental ex- or higher value) within two years before or may have. The same generally applies to pense. Also deductible are property man- after the sale. These last two provisions no refinancing a mortgage. Points paid to ob- agement fees, condo fees, depreciation longer apply. tain a refinanced loan cannot be fully de- costs, taxes and all other rental expenses. The current tax laws allow an exclusion ducted the same year, but must be de- Losses up to $25,000 may be offset against of up to $500,000 for couples filing jointly ducted over the life of the loan. It is advis- other income, as long as the Adjusted and up to $250,000 for single taxpayers on able to save the settlement sheet (HUD-1 Gross Income does not exceed $100,000 to the long-term gain from the sale of their Form) for documentation in the event $150,000 and the taxpayer is actively man- principal residence. One need not pur- your tax return is selected by the IRS for aging the property. Note: A taxpayer who chase another residence to claim this ex- audit. retains a property manager does not lose clusion. All depreciation taken after May 7, Qualified residences are defined as the this benefit, as this is still considered active 1997, will, however, be recaptured (added taxpayer’s principal residence and one management of the property. All passive to income) at the time of sale, and taxed at other residence. The second home can be losses that cannot be deducted currently 25 percent. a house, condo, co-op, mobile home or are carried forward, and deducted in the Readers should also be aware that start- boat,as long as the structure includes basic year the property is sold. ing in January 2009, gain from the sale of living accommodations, including sleep- a home will no longer be excluded from ing, bathroom and cooking facilities. If the Sale of a Principal Residence gross income for periods when it was second home is a vacation property that The current capital-gains exclusion on rented out before you occupied it as a prin- you rent out for fewer than 15 days during the sale of a principal residence on or after cipal residence. Further details will be in- the year, the income need not be reported. May 7,1997, applies to all homeowners re- cluded in the 2009 Tax Guide.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 45 A F S The only qualification for the capital- exclusion may be eligible to replace the Money spent on fixing up the home for A gains exclusion is that the house sold must property through a “tax-free exchange” sale may be added to the basis. To qualify N have been owned and occupied by the tax- (the so-called Starker Exchange). In as legitimate “fixing-up costs,”the follow- payer as his or her principal residence for at essence, one property being rented out ing conditions must be met: 1) the ex- E least two of the last five years prior to the may be exchanged for another, as long as penses must be for work performed during W date of the sale. As stated above, the five- that one is also rented. In exchanging the the 90-day period ending on the day on S year period may be extended based on any properties, capital gains tax may be de- which the contract to sell the old residence period during which the taxpayer has been ferred. Technically, a simultaneous trade was signed; 2) the expenses must be paid away from the area on a Foreign Service as- of investments occurs. Actually, owners on or before the 30th day after sale of the signment, up to a maximum of 15 years first sign a contract with an intermediary house; and 3) the expenses must not be (including the five years). There are some to sell their property, hold the cash pro- capital expenditures for permanent im- exceptions to the two-year requirement, ceeds in escrow, identify in writing within provements or replacements (these can be including a sale due to a“change in place of 45 days the property they intend to ac- added to the basis of the property,the orig- employment” (this would include foreign quire, and settle on the new property inal purchase price, thereby reducing the transfers). This exclusion is not limited to within 180 days, using the money held in amount of profit). A new roof and kitchen a once-in-a-lifetime sale,but may be taken escrow as part of the payment. counters are not“fix-up”items. But paint- once every two years. It is important to emphasize that the ing the house, cleaning up the garden and When a principal residence is sold,cap- exchange is from one investment property making minor repairs qualify. ital gains realized above the exclusion to another investment property — the key amounts are subject to taxation. This ex- factor in the IRS evaluation of an exchange State Tax Provisions clusion replaces the earlier tax-law provi- transaction is the intent of the investor at Members of the Foreign Service are not sion that allowed both the deferral of gain the time the exchange was consummated. treated as domiciled in their countries of and a one-time exclusion of a principal The IRS rules for these exchanges are com- assignment abroad. Every active-duty For- residence sale. plex and specific,with a number of pitfalls eign Service employee serving abroad Temporary rental of the home does not that can nullify the transaction. An ex- must maintain a state of domicile in the disqualify one from claiming the exclusion. change should never be attempted without United States, and the tax liability that the The new tax law requires only that you assistance from a tax lawyer specializing in employee faces varies greatly from state to have occupied the house as your principal this field. state. In addition,there are numerous reg- residence for the required period (two ulations concerning the taxability of For- years out of five, extended). Calculating Your Adjusted Basis eign Service pensions and annuities that Under Internal Revenue Code Section Many Foreign Service employees ask vary by state. This state guide briefly re- 1031, taxpayers whose U.S. home may no what items can be added to the cost basis views the laws regarding income tax and longer qualify for the principal residence of their homes when they are ready to sell. tax on annuities and pensions as they af- fect Foreign Service personnel. Please note that while AFSA makes every attempt to Foreign Earned Income — Important Change in IRS Rules provide the most up-to-date information, readers with specific questions should con- he Foreign Earned Income Ex- your tax would be, then deduct the tax sult a tax expert in the state in question at clusion allows U.S. citizens who that you would have paid on the ex- the addresses given. We also encourage Tare not government employees cludable income. readers to visit the state’s tax Web site, also and are living outside the U.S. to ex- For example: listed. clude up to $85,700 of their 2008 for- A Foreign Service employee earns Most Foreign Service employees have eign-source income if they meet $80,000. questions about their liability to pay state certain requirements. Teacher spouse earns $30,000. income taxes during periods when they are However, beginning in 2006, the Before 2006: Tax on $110,000 posted overseas or assigned toWashington. IRS changed the requirement for how minus $30,000 = tax on $80,000 = tax There are many criteria used in determin- the excluded amount needs to be cal- bill of $13,121. ing which state is a citizen’s domicile. One culated. This affects the tax liability for Now (2006 and later): Tax on of the strongest determinants is prolonged couples with one member employed $110,000 = $20,615; tax on $30,000 = physical presence, a standard that Foreign on the local economy overseas. Previ- $3,749; total tax = $20,615 minus Service personnel frequently cannot meet ously, you took your total income and $3,749 = tax bill of $16,866. due to overseas service. then subtracted your excluded income Increase in tax bill = $3,745. In such cases, the states will make a de- and paid tax on the remainder. The If you have questions about the im- termination of the individual’s income-tax change now requires that you take plementation of this new regulation, status based on other factors, including your total income and figure what please consult a financial professional. where the individual has family ties,where he or she has been filing resident tax re-

46 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F turns, where he or she is registered to vote thus fully liable for taxes, if they are domi- quirements for all except California,Idaho, S or has a driver’s license, where he or she ciled in the state or if they are living in the Minnesota and Oregon are that the indi- A owns property, or where the person has state (usually at least six months of the vidual not have a permanent “place of N bank accounts or other financial holdings. year) but are not domiciled there. abode” in the state, have a permanent In the case of Foreign Service employees, Foreign Service employees residing in “place of abode”outside the state, and not E the domicile might be the state from which the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area be physically present for more than 30 days W the person joined the Service, where his or are required to pay income tax to the Dis- during the tax year. California allows up S her home leave address is, or where he or trict of Columbia,Maryland orVirginia,in to 45 days in the state during a tax year. she intends to return upon separation. addition to paying tax to the state of their These 10 states require the filing of non- For purposes of this article, the term domicile. However, most states allow a resident returns for all income earned domicile refers to legal residence; some credit, so that the taxpayer pays the higher from in-state sources. states also define it as permanent residence. tax rate of the two states, with each state Foreign Service employees should be Residence refers to physical presence in the receiving a share. aware that states could challenge the status state. Foreign Service personnel must con- There are currently seven states with no of government housing in the future. tinue to pay taxes to the state of domicile state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, The following list gives a state-by-state (or to the District of Columbia) while re- South Dakota, Texas, Washington and overview of the latest information available siding outside of the state, including dur- Wyoming. In addition, New Hampshire on tax liability, with addresses provided to ing assignments abroad,unless the state of and Tennessee have no tax on personal in- write for further information or tax forms. residence does not require it. come but do tax profits from the sale of Tax rates are provided where possible. For A non-resident, according to most bonds and property. further information,please contact AFSA’s states’ definitions, is an individual who There are 10 states that, under certain Labor Management Office or the individ- earns income sourced within the specific conditions, do not tax income earned ual state tax authorities. As always, mem- state but does not live there or is living while the taxpayer is outside of the state: bers are advised to double-check with their there for only part of the year (usually, California,Connecticut,Idaho,Minnesota, state’s tax authorities. Toassist you in con- fewer than six months). Individuals are Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, necting with your state tax office, we pro- generally considered residents, and are Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The re- vide the Web site address for each in the

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 47 A F S state-by-state guide,and an e-mail address Arkansas tax rate ranges in six brackets ciliaries may qualify for non-resident tax A or link where available. Some states do not from a minimum of 1 percent of net tax- treatment under either of two exceptions N offer e-mail customer service. The Feder- able income to a maximum of $1,341 plus as follows: Group A — The domiciliary ation of Tax Administrators Web site, at 7 percent of net taxable income over 1) did not maintain a permanent place of E www.taxadmin.org, also provides much $31,000 for married filing jointly. Write: abode inside Connecticut for the entire W useful information on individual state in- Department of Finance and Administra- tax year; and 2) maintains a permanent S come taxes. tion, Individual Income Tax, 1816 West place of abode outside the state for the Seventh Street, Room 2300, Ledbetter entire tax year; and 3) spends not more Building, Little Rock AR 72201. than 30 days in the aggregate in the state State Overviews Phone: (501) 682-7225. during the tax year. Group B — The E-mail: Individual.Income@ domiciliary 1) in any period of 548 con- ALABAMA: Individuals domiciled in rev.state.ar.us secutive days, is present in a foreign coun- Alabama are considered residents and are Web site: www.state.ar.us/dfa/ try for at least 450 days; and 2) during the subject to tax on their entire income re- CALIFORNIA: Foreign Service em- 548-day period, is not present in Con- gardless of their physical presence in the ployees domiciled in California must es- necticut for more than 90 days; and 3) state. Alabama’s individual income tax tablish non-residency to avoid liability for does not maintain a permanent place of rates range from 2 to 5 percent on gross in- California taxes (see FTB Publication abode in the state at which the domicil- come over $5,250 for individuals filing sep- 1031). “Safe harbor”provision allows any- iary’s spouse or minor children are pres- arately or $10,500 for individuals filing one who is domiciled in state but is out of ent for more than 90 days. For 2008, jointly. the state on an employment-related con- Connecticut’s tax rate for married filing Write: Alabama Department of Revenue, tract for at least 546 consecutive days to be jointly ranges from 3 percent of income 50 N. Ripley, Montgomery AL 36132. considered a non-resident. This applies to less than $20,000, to $600 plus 5 percent Phone: (334) 242-1170. most FS employees and their spouses, but of income over $20,000. Write: Depart- E-mail: Link through the Web site, members domiciled in California are ad- ment of Revenue Services, Taxpayer Serv- “About Us” then “Contacts.” vised to study FTB Publication 1031 for ices Division, 25 Sigourney St., Hartford Web site: www.ador.state.al.us exceptions and exemptions. The Califor- CT 06106-5032. ALASKA: Alaska does not tax individ- nia tax rate for 2008 ranges in six brackets Phone: (860) 297-5962. ual income or intangible or personal prop- from 1 percent to a maximum of $4,143.52 E-mail: [email protected] erty. It has no sales and use, franchise or plus 9.3 percent of the excess over $94,110 Web site: www.ct.gov/drs fiduciary tax. Some, but not all, munici- for married filing jointly. Non-resident DELAWARE: Individuals domiciled in palities levy sales and property taxes. domiciliaries are advised to file on Form Delaware are considered residents and are Write: State Office Building,333Willough- 540NR. Write: Franchise Tax Board, P.O. subject to tax on their entire income re- by Ave., 11th Floor, P.O. Box 110420, Box 1468, Sacramento CA 95812-1468. gardless of their physical presence in the Juneau AK 99811-0420. Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 852-5711 state. Delaware’s graduated tax rate ranges Phone: (907) 465-2320. (inside the U.S.); (916) 845-6500 from 2.2 percent to 5.55 percent for in- Web site: www.tax.state.ak.us (outside the U.S.). come under $60,000, to a maximum of ARIZONA: Individuals domiciled in E-mail: Link through the Web site’s $2,943.50 plus 5.95 percent of any taxable Arizona are considered residents and are “Contact Us” tab. income over $60,000. Write: Division of taxed on any income that is included in the Web site: www.ftb.ca.gov Revenue, Taxpayers Assistance Section, Federal Adjusted Gross Income,regardless COLORADO: Individuals domiciled in State Office Building, 820 N. French St., of their physical presence in the state. Ari- Colorado are considered residents and are Wilmington DE 19801. zona’s tax rate ranges in five brackets from subject to tax on their entire income re- Phone (302) 577-8200. a minimum of 2.59 per cent to a maxi- gardless of their physical presence in the E-mail: [email protected] mum of 4.54 percent of taxable income state. Colorado’s tax rate is a flat 4.63 per- Web site: www.state.de.us/revenue/ over $300,000 for married filing jointly or cent of federal taxable income plus or DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA: Individ- $150,000 for single filers. Write: Arizona minus allowable modifications. Write: De- uals domiciled in the District of Columbia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Infor- partment of Revenue,Taxpayer Service Di- are considered residents and are subject to mation & Assistance, P.O. Box 29086, vision, State CapitolAnnex,1375 Sherman tax on their entire income regardless of Phoenix AZ 85038-9086. St., Denver CO 80261-0005. their physical presence there. Individuals Phone: (602) 255-3381. Phone: (303) 238-7378. domiciled elsewhere are also considered E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: Link through “Contact Us” tab residents for tax purposes for the portion Web site: www.azdor.gov on “Taxation” page, then click on any of of any calendar year in which they are ARKANSAS: Individuals domiciled in the categories in “Online Answers and physically present in the District for 183 Arkansas are considered residents and are Customer Support” for e-mail option. days or more. The District’s tax rate is 4 taxed on their entire income regardless of Web site: www.revenue.state.co.us percent if income is less than $10,000; $400 their physical presence in the state. The CONNECTICUT: Connecticut domi- plus 6 percent of excess over $10,000 if be-

48 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F tween $10,000 and $40,000; and $2,200 “Taxes,”then “Tax Information,”then $48,000 for single filers and $96,000 for S plus 8.5 percent of excess over $40,000. “Questions?” married filing jointly. Write: Oahu District A Write: Office of Tax and Revenue, 941 N. Web site: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/ Office, Taxpayer Services Branch, P.O. Box N Capitol St. NE, 1st Floor, Washington DC GEORGIA: Individuals domiciled in 259, Honolulu HI 96809-0259. 20002. Georgia are considered residents and are Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 222-3229, or E Phone: (202) 727-4TAX (4829). subject to tax on their entire income re- (808) 587-4242. W E-mail: [email protected] gardless of their physical presence in the E-mail: [email protected] S Web site: www.cfo.dc.gov/cfo state. Georgia has a graduated tax rate ris- Web site: www.state.hi.us/tax FLORIDA: Florida does not impose ing to a maximum of 6 percent of taxable IDAHO: Individuals domiciled in personal income, inheritance or gift taxes. income of $10,000 and above for joint Idaho for an entire tax year are considered Beginning in Tax Year 2007, individuals, married filers and $7,000 for single filers. residents and are subject to tax on their en- married couples, personal representatives Write: Georgia Department of Revenue, tire income. Idaho’s tax rate rises in eight of estates, and businesses were no longer Taxpayer Services Division, 1800 Century steps from a minimum of 1.6 percent to a required to file an annual intangible per- Blvd. NE, Atlanta GA 30345-3205. maximum of 7.8 percent on Idaho taxable sonal property tax return reporting their Phone: (404) 417-4477. income of $100,000 or more. However, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money mar- E-mail for questions: you are considered a non-resident if: 1) ket funds,shares of business trusts and un- [email protected] you are an Idaho resident who lived out- secured notes. Florida imposes a state sales E-mail for forms: [email protected] side of Idaho for at least 445 days in a 15- tax and a use tax of 6 percent. Counties Web site: www.etax.dor.ga.gov/ month period; and 2) after satisfying the impose further taxes from 0.5 to 1.5 per HAWAII: Individuals domiciled in 15-month period,you spent fewer than 60 cent. Write: Taxpayer Services,Florida De- Hawaii are considered residents and are days in Idaho during the year; and 3) you partment of Revenue, 5050 W. Tennessee subject to tax on their entire income re- did not have a personal residence in Idaho St., Bldg. L, Tallahassee FL 32399-0112. gardless of their physical presence in the for yourself or your family during any part Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 352-3671, or state. For 2008, Hawaii’s tax rate ranges in of the calendar year; and 4) you did not (850) 488-6800. eight steps from 1.4 percent to a maximum claim Idaho as your federal tax home for E-mail: Link through Web site. Go to of 8.25 percent for taxable income over deducting away-from-home expenses on

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 49 A F S your federal return; and 5) you were not Des Moines IA 50306-0457. three of the following conditions: 1) they A employed on the staff of a U.S. senator; Phone: (515) 281-3114. did not maintain a permanent place of N and 6) you did not hold an elective or ap- E-mail: [email protected] abode in Maine for the entire taxable year; pointive office of the U.S. government Web site: www.state.ia.us/tax 2) they maintained a permanent place of E other than the armed forces or a career ap- KANSAS: Individuals domiciled in abode outside Maine for the entire taxable W pointment in the U.S. Foreign Service (see Kansas are considered residents and are year; and 3) they spent no more than 30 S Idaho Code Sections 63-3013 and 63- subject to tax on their entire income re- days in the aggregate in Maine during the 3030). A non-resident must file an Idaho gardless of their physical presence in the taxable year. Under the Foreign Safe Har- income tax return if his or her gross in- state. The Kansas tax rate rises from a min- bor provision, Maine domiciliaries are come from Idaho sources is $2,500 or imum of 3.5 percent to a maximum of treated as non-residents if they are present more. Write: Idaho State Tax Commission, $2,925 plus 6.45 percent of excess over in a foreign country for 450 days in a 548- P.O. Box 36, Boise ID 83722-0410. $60,000 for joint filers, or $1,462.50 plus day period and do not spend more than 90 Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 972-7660. 6.45 percent of excess over $30,000 for sin- days in Maine during that period. Maine’s E-mail: [email protected] gle filers. Write: Kansas Taxpayer Assis- tax rate rises in three steps from a mini- Web site: www.tax.idaho.gov tance Center, Room 150, 915 S.W. Harri- mum of 2 percent to a maximum of ILLINOIS: Individuals domiciled in son, Topeka KS 66612. $1,994 plus 8.5 percent of the taxable in- Illinois are considered residents and are Phone: (785) 368-8222. come over $38,900 for married taxpayers. subject to tax on their entire income re- E-mail: [email protected] Write: Maine Revenue Services, Income gardless of their physical presence in the Web site: www.ksrevenue.org TaxAssistance,24 State House Station,Au- state. However,it appears that under some KENTUCKY: Individuals domiciled in gusta ME 04333-0024. circumstances, domiciliaries absent from Kentucky are considered residents and are Phone: (207) 626-8475. the state throughout the year may not be subject to tax on their entire income re- E-mail: [email protected] subject to tax, so they should check with gardless of their physical presence in the Web site: www.maine.gov/revenue the Illinois Department of Revenue in ad- state. Kentucky’s tax rate ranges from 2 MARYLAND: Individuals domiciled in vance. The Illinois tax rate remains a flat percent on the first $3,000 of taxable in- Maryland are considered residents and are 3 percent for 2008. Write: Illinois Depart- come to $4,166 plus 6 percent on all tax- subject to tax on their entire income re- ment of Revenue, PO Box 19001, Spring- able income over $75,000. Write: Ken- gardless of their physical presence in the field IL 62794-9001. tucky Department of Revenue, Frankfort state. Individuals domiciled elsewhere are Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 732-8866, or KY 40602. also considered residents for tax purposes (217) 782-3336. Phone: (502) 564-4581. for the portion of any calendar year in E-mail: Link through “Contact Us,”then E-mail: Link through the Web site’s which they are physically present in the “Taxpayer Answer Center.” “Contact Us” tab. state for an aggregated total of 183 days or Web site: www.revenue.state.il.us Web site: revenue.ky.gov more. For Tax Years 2007, 2008 and 2009 INDIANA: Individuals domiciled in LOUISIANA: Individuals domiciled in only, U.S. government employees can Indiana are considered residents and are Louisiana are considered residents and are deduct up to $3,500 of any income earned subject to tax on their entire income re- subject to tax on their entire income re- overseas,including federal pay,if physically gardless of their physical presence in the gardless of their physical presence in the present in a foreign country (or countries) state. Indiana’s tax rate remains a flat 3.4 state. Louisiana’s tax rate starts at 2 per- for 330 days in the 12-month period. percent for 2008. Write: Department of cent for the first $12,500 for single filers or Maryland’s tax rate is $90 plus 4.75 percent Revenue, 100 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis $25,000 for joint filers, rising to 6 percent of taxable income over $3,000 up to IN 46204. for over $25,000 for single filers or $50,000 $150,000 if filing singly and $200,000 if fil- Phone: (317) 232-2240. for joint filers. Write: Taxpayer Services ing jointly; it then rises steeply to E-mail: Link through the Web site’s Division, Personal Income Tax Section, $52,322.50 plus 6.25 percent on taxable in- “Contact Us” tab. Louisiana Department of Revenue, P.O. come over $1,000,000. In addition, Balti- Web site: www.in.gov/dor Box 201, Baton Rouge LA 70821-0201. more City and the 23 Maryland counties IOWA: Individuals domiciled in Iowa Phone: (225) 219-0102. impose a local income tax, which is a per- are considered residents and are subject to E-mail: Link through the Web site’s centage of the Maryland taxable income, tax on their entire income to the extent “Contact Us” tab. using Line 31 of Form 502 or Line 9 of that income is taxable on the person’s fed- Web site: www.revenue.louisiana.gov Form 503. The local factor varies from eral income tax returns. Iowa’s 2008 tax MAINE: Individuals domiciled in 1.25 percent in Worcester County to 3.2 rate rises in nine steps from 0.36 percent to Maine are considered residents and are percent in Montgomery and Howard a maximum of $38,818.95 plus 8.98 per- subject to tax on their entire income. Counties (see Web site for details for all cent of taxable income over $62,055, However,since Jan 1,2007,there have been counties). Write: Comptroller of Mary- depending on income and filing status. “safe harbor” provisions. Under the Gen- land, RevenueAdministration Center,Tax- Write: Taxpayer Services, Iowa Depart- eral Safe Harbor, Maine domiciliaries are payer Service Section, Annapolis MD ment of Revenue, P.O. Box 10457, treated as non-residents if they satisfy all 21411.

50 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F Phone: toll-free 1 (800) MD-TAXES, or tional 1- or 2-percent income tax. Detroit the first $5,000 of taxable income, 4 per- S (410) 260-7980. imposes an additional 2.5-percent tax. cent on the next $5,000 and 5 percent on A E-mail: [email protected] Write: Michigan Department of Treasury, taxable income over $10,000. Write: Mis- N Web site: www.marylandtaxes.com Lansing MI 48922. sissippi State Tax Commission, P.O. Box MASSACHUSETTS: Individuals domi- Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 827-4000. 1033, Jackson MS 39215-1033. E ciled in Massachusetts are considered res- E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (601) 923-7000. W idents and are subject to tax on their entire Web site: www.michigan.gov/treasury E-mail: Link through the Web site’s S income regardless of their physical pres- MINNESOTA: Individuals domiciled “Contact Us” tab. ence in the state. Salaries and most inter- in Minnesota are considered residents and Web site: www.mstc.state.ms.us est and dividend income are taxed at a flat are subject to tax on their entire income re- MISSOURI: An individual domiciled rate of 5.3 percent. Some income (e.g., gardless of their physical presence in the in Missouri is considered a non-resident, short-term capital gains) is taxed at 12 per- state. Minnesota’s tax rate is either 5.35 and is not liable for tax on Missouri in- cent. Write: Massachusetts Department of percent, 7.05 percent, or a maximum of come if the individual has no permanent Revenue, Taxpayer Services Division, 200 7.85 percent on taxable income over residence in Missouri, has a permanent Arlington Street, Chelsea MA 02150. $71,591 for single filers or $126,581 for residence elsewhere, and is not physically Phone: (617) 887-6367. married filing jointly. Write: Department present in the state for more than 30 days E-mail: Link through the Web site’s of Revenue, Mail Station 5510, Saint Paul during the tax year. Missouri calculates tax “Contact Us” tab. MN 55146-5510. on a graduated scale up to $9,000 of tax- Web site: www.dor.state.ma.us Phone: (651) 296-3781. able income. Any taxable income over MICHIGAN: Individuals domiciled in E-mail: [email protected] $9,000 is taxed at a rate of 6 percent. File a Michigan are considered residents and are Web site: www.taxes.state.mn.us return yearly with Form MO-NRI. Write: subject to tax on their entire income re- MISSISSIPPI: Individuals domiciled Individual Income Tax, P.O.Box 2200, Jef- gardless of their physical presence in the in Mississippi are considered residents and ferson City MO 65105-2200. state. Michigan’s tax rate is 4.35 per cent are subject to tax on their entire income re- Phone: (573) 751-3505. (up from 3.9 percent as of Oct. 1, 2007). gardless of their physical presence in the E-mail: [email protected] Some Michigan cities impose an addi- state. Mississippi’s tax rate is 3 percent on Web site: www.dor.mo.gov

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 51 A F S MONTANA: Individuals domiciled in iary is considered a non-resident for New $40,000 for married filing jointly. In New A Montana are considered residents and are Jersey tax purposes if the individual has no York City the maximum rate is 3.648 per- N subject to tax on their entire income re- permanent residence in New Jersey, has a cent. Filing is required on Form IT-203 for gardless of their physical presence in the permanent residence elsewhere and is not revenue derived from New York sources. E state. Montana’s tax rate for 2008 rises in physically in the state for more than 30 A 2001 opinion from the New York tax W six steps from 1 percent of taxable income days during the tax year. Filing a return is authorities stated that FS employees not S under $2,600 to a maximum of 6.9 percent not required (unless the non-resident has domiciled in New York State but assigned of taxable income over $15,600. See the New Jersey-source income), but it is rec- to the U.S.United Nations office for a nor- Web site for various deductions and ex- ommended in order to preserve domicile mal tour of duty would not be considered emptions. Write: Montana Department of status. Filing is required on Form 1040- to be maintaining a permanent place of Revenue, P.O. Box 5805, Helena MT NR for revenue derived from in-state abode in New York State. Therefore, such 59604. sources. Tax liability is calculated as a vari- individuals are not treated as resident in- Phone: (406) 444-6900. able lump sum plus a percentage from a dividuals and are taxed as non-residents in E-mail: Link through the Web site’s minimum of 1.4 percent of taxable gross NewYork State. Write: NewYork State De- “Contact Us” tab. income up to $20,000, to a maximum of partment of Taxation and Finance, Per- Web site: mt.gov/revenue 8.97 percent on taxable gross income over sonal Income Tax Information, W.A. NEBRASKA: Individuals domiciled in $500,000. Write: State of New Jersey, New Harriman Campus, Albany NY 12227. Nebraska are considered residents and are Jersey Division of Taxation, Office of In- Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 225-5829. subject to tax on their entire income re- formation and Publications, P.O. Box 281, E-Mail: Link through Web site’s “Answer gardless of their physical presence in the Trenton NJ 08695-0281. Center” tab. state. The 2008 individual income tax rates Phone: (609) 292-6400. Web site: www.nystax.gov range in four steps from a minimum of E-mail: Link through the Web site’s NORTH CAROLINA: Individuals domi- 2.56 percent to a maximum of $2,173.82 “Contact Us” page. ciled in North Carolina are considered res- plus 6.84 percent of the excess over $54,000 Web site: www.state.nj.us/treasury/ idents and are subject to tax on their entire for joint filers. Write: Department of Rev- taxation income regardless of their physical pres- enue, 301 Centennial Mall South,P.O.Box NEWMEXICO: Individuals domiciled ence in the state. The tax rate rises in three 94818, Lincoln NE 68509-4818. in New Mexico are considered residents steps from 6 percent of taxable income up Phone (402) 471-5729. and are subject to tax on their entire in- to $12,750 for single or $21,250 for joint E-mail: Link through the Web site “Con- come regardless of their physical presence filers, to 7.75 percent (for 2008 and subse- tact Us” page. in the state. The basis for New Mexico’s quent years) of taxable income over Web site: www.revenue.state.ne.us calculation is the Federal Adjusted Gross $120,000 for single filers and over $200,000 NEVADA: Nevada does not tax per- Income figure. For the 2008 tax year, the for joint filers. Residents must also report sonal income. There is a sales-and-use tax state has a graduated rate table with four and pay a “use tax” on purchases made of between 6.5 and 7.75 percent, depend- brackets, ranging from 1.7 percent to a outside the state for use in North Carolina. ing on the county,and an ad valorem per- maximum of 4.9 percent on New Mexico Write: Department of Revenue, P.O. Box sonal and real property tax. Write: Nevada taxable income over $16,000 for single fil- 27431, Raleigh NC 27611. Department of Taxation, 1550 College ers and $24,000 for married filing jointly. Phone: toll-free 1 (877) 252-3052. From Pkwy., Suite 115, Carson City NV 89706. Write: New Mexico Taxation and Revenue overseas, call 1 (252) 467-9000. Phone: (775) 684-2000. Department, Tax Information and Policy Web site: www.dor.state.nc.us Web site: www.tax.state.nv.us Office,1100 St.Francis Drive,P.O.Box 630, NORTH DAKOTA: Individuals domi- NEWHAMPSHIRE: The state im- Santa Fe NM 87504-0630. ciled in North Dakota and serving outside poses no personal income tax on earned Phone: (505) 827-0700. the state are considered residents and are income and no general sales tax. The state E-mail: Link through “E-mail Us” tab at subject to tax on their entire income. For does levy, among other taxes, a 5-percent bottom of home page. 2008 the tax rate ranges from 2.1 percent tax on interest and dividend income of Web site: www.state.nm.us/tax on taxable income up to $32,550,to a max- more than $2,400 annually for single filers NEWYORK: There is no tax liability imum of 5.54 percent on taxable income ($4,800 annually for joint filers) and an for out-of-state income if the individual over $357,700. Write: Office of State Tax 8.5-percent tax on business profits includ- has no permanent residence in New York, Commissioner,State Capitol,600 E.Boule- ing sale of rental property. The inheritance has a permanent residence elsewhere and is vard Ave., Dept 127, Bismarck ND 58505- tax was repealed in 2003. Applicable taxes not present in the state more than 30 days 0599. apply to part-year residents. Write: Tax- during the tax year. Filing a return is not Phone: (701) 328-2770. payerAssistance Office,109 Pleasant Street, required, but it is recommended to pre- E-mail: [email protected] Concord NH 03301. serve domicile status. The tax rate rises in Web site: www.nd.gov/tax Phone: (603) 271-2191. four steps from a minimum of 4 percent OHIO: Individuals domiciled in Ohio Web site: www.nh.gov/revenue to a maximum of 6.85 percent of taxable are considered residents and their income NEW JERSEY: A New Jersey domicil- income over $20,000 for single filers and is subject to tax,using the FederalAdjusted

52 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F Gross Income figure as a starting base. For spends no more than 30 days in the state olina imposes a graduated tax rising in six S 2008, Ohio’s tax rate ranges in nine steps during the tax year. However, Pennsylva- steps from 2.5 percent on the first $2,500 to A from a minimum of 0.618 percent to a nia does not consider government quarters a maximum of 7 percent of taxable income N maximum of 6.24 percent on taxable in- overseas to be a“permanent residence else- over $100,000. Write: South Carolina Tax come over $200,000. For TaxYear 2009 the where.” Filing a return is not required,but Commission, 301 Gervais Street, P.O. Box E maximum will fall to 5.925 percent. Write: it is recommended to preserve domicile 125, Columbia SC 29214. W Ohio Department of Taxation, Taxpayer status. File Form PA-40 for all income de- Phone: (803) 898-5709. S Services Center, 4485 Northland Ridge rived from Pennsylvania sources. Pennsyl- E-mail: [email protected] Blvd., Columbus OH 43229. vania’s tax rate is a flat 3.07 percent. Write: Web site: www.sctax.org Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 282-1780 or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Depart- SOUTH DAKOTA: There is no state (614) 387-0224. ment of Revenue, Taxpayer Services De- income tax and no state inheritance tax. E-mail: Link through Web site’s “Contact partment, Harrisburg PA 17128-1061. Property and sales taxes vary depending on Us” tab. Phone: (717) 787-8201. city and/or county. Sales tax and use tax Web site: www.tax.ohio.gov E-mail: Link through the Web site’s are generally between 5 and 6 percent. OKLAHOMA: Individuals domiciled “Contact Us” tab. Write: South Dakota Dept.of Revenue,445 in Oklahoma are considered residents and Web site: www.revenue.state.pa.us E. Capitol Ave., Pierre SD 57501-3185. are subject to tax on their entire income re- PUERTORICO: Individuals who are Phone: (605) 773-3311. gardless of their physical presence in the domiciled in Puerto Rico are considered E-mail: Link through the Web site’s state. The 2008 tax rate rises in eight stages residents and are subject to tax on their en- “Contact Us” tab. to a maximum of 5.55 percent on taxable tire income regardless of their physical Web site: www.state.sd.us/drr2/ income over $8,700 for single filers and presence in the commonwealth. Normally, revenue.html $15,000 for married filing jointly. Write: they may claim a credit with certain limi- TENNESSEE: Salaries and wages are Oklahoma Tax Commission, Taxpayer tations for income taxes paid to the United not subject to state income tax, but Ten- Services Division, 2501 North Lincoln States on income from sources outside nessee imposes a 6-percent tax on divi- Blvd., Oklahoma City OK 73194-0009. Puerto Rico,and for any federal taxes paid. dends and certain types of interest income Phone: (405) 521-3160. See the forms on the Web site for 2008 tax received by residents. Total sales tax is be- E-mail: [email protected] rates. Write: Departamento de Hacienda, tween 8.5 and 9.75 percent, depending on Web site: www.oktax.state.ok.us P.O. Box 9024140, San Juan PR 00902- the jurisdicition. For information write: OREGON: Individuals domiciled in 4140. Tennessee Department of Revenue (Atten- Oregon are considered residents and are Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 981-9236, or tion: Taxpayer Services), 500 Deaderick subject to tax on their entire income re- (787) 721-2020, ext. 3611. Street, Nashville TN 37242. gardless of their physical presence in the E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (615) 253-0600. state. However, under a 1999 law, Oregon Web site: www.hacienda.gobierno.pr E-mail: [email protected] exempts domiciliaries who meet the for- RHODEISLAND: Individuals domi- Web site: www.state.tn.us/revenue eign residence requirement for the Foreign ciled in Rhode Island are considered resi- TEXAS: There is no state income tax. Earned Income Exclusion, even though dents and are subject to tax on their entire Sales tax ranges from 6.5 to 8.25 percent they may be federal employees. The 2008 income regardless of their physical pres- depending on the jurisdiction. Write: tax rate rises to a maximum of 9 percent ence in the state. The Rhode Island tax rate Texas Comptroller of PublicAccounts,P.O. on taxable income over $7,300 for single ranges from 3.75 percent of taxable in- Box 13528, Capitol Station, Austin TX filers and over $14,600 for married filing come up to $26,575 (married filing sepa- 78711-3528. jointly. Oregon has no sales tax. Write: rately) up to 9.9 percent of taxable income Phone: toll-free 1 (877) 622-8375. Oregon Department of Revenue,955 Cen- over $349,700. Refer to the tax division’s E-mail: [email protected] ter Street N.E., Salem OR 97301-2555. Web site for current information and Web site: www.window.state.tx.us Phone: (503) 378-4988. handy filing hints, as well as for forms and UTAH: Individuals domiciled in Utah E-mail: [email protected] regulations. Write: Rhode Island Division are considered residents and are subject to Web site: http://egov.oregon.gov/DOR of Taxation, Taxpayer Assistance Section, Utah state tax. Utah requires that all Fed- PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania tax One Capitol Hill, Providence RI 02908- eral Adjusted Gross Income reported on authorities have ruled that Pennsylvania 5801. the federal return be reported on the state residents in the U.S.Foreign Service are not Phone (401) 574-8829. return regardless of the taxpayer’s physical on federal active duty for state tax pur- E-mail: [email protected] presence in the state. For 2008, Utah has poses, and thus their income is taxable Web site: www.tax.state.ri.us abolished variable tax rates and has insti- compensation. For non-Foreign Service SOUTHCAROLINA: Individuals tuted a “single rate tax” of 5 percent on all Penn. residents, there is no tax liability for domiciled in South Carolina are consid- income. Some taxpayers will be able to out-of-state income if the individual has ered residents and are subject to tax on claim either a taxpayer tax credit or a re- no permanent residence in the state, has a their entire income regardless of their tirement tax credit, or both (see Web site permanent residence elsewhere, and physical presence in the state. South Car- for explanation). Write: Utah State Tax

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 53 A F S Commission, Taxpayer Services Division, Web site: www.tax.virginia.gov between 4 and 6 percent,depending on the A 210 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City UT WASHINGTON: There is no state in- jurisdiction. Write:Wyoming Department N 84134. come tax and no tax on intangibles such as of Revenue, Herschler Building, 122 West Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 662-4335, or bank accounts,stocks and bonds. Sales tax 25th St., Cheyenne WY 82002-0110. E (801) 297-2200. ranged from 7 to 9 percent, depending on Phone: (307) 777-7961. W E-mail: [email protected] the jurisdiction,in the last quarter of 2008; E-mail: [email protected] S Web site: tax.utah.gov rates are updated quarterly. Residents may Web site: revenue.state.wy.us VERMONT: Individuals domiciled in deduct Washington sales tax on their fed- Vermont are considered residents and are eral tax returns if they itemize deductions. subject to tax on their entire income re- Write: Washington State Department of State Pension gardless of their physical presence in the Revenue, Taxpayer Services, P.O. Box state. The 2008 tax rate ranges from 3.6 47478, Olympia WA 98504-7478. & Annuity Tax percent on taxable income under $32,550, Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 647-7706, or The laws regarding the taxation of For- to a maximum of 9.5 percent on taxable (360) 786-6100. eign Service annuities vary greatly from income over $357,700 for married filing E-mail: Link through the Web site’s state to state. In addition to those states jointly. Write: Vermont Department of “Contact Us” tab. that have no income tax or no tax on per- Taxes, Taxpayer Services Division, 133 Web site: www.dor.wa.gov sonal income, there are several states that State Street, Montpelier VT 05633-1401. WESTVIRGINIA: There is no tax lia- do not tax income derived from pensions Phone: (802) 828-2865. bility for out-of-state income if the indi- and annuities. Idaho taxes Foreign Serv- E-mail: Link through the Web site’s vidual has no permanent residence inWest ice annuities while exempting certain cat- “Contact Us” tab. Virginia, has a permanent residence else- egories of Civil Service employees. Several Web site: www.state.vt.us/tax where and spends no more than 30 days of Web sites provide more information on in- VIRGINIA: Individuals domiciled in the tax year in West Virginia. However, dividual state taxes for retirees,but the Re- Virginia are considered residents and are non-resident domiciliaries are required to tirement Living Information Center at subject to tax on their entire income re- file a return on Form IT-140 for all income www.retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html gardless of their physical presence in the derived from West Virginia sources. Tax is one of the more comprehensive. state. Individuals domiciled elsewhere are rates rise in four steps from $150 plus 4 ALABAMA: Social Security and federal also considered residents for tax purposes percent of income over $5,000 for married pensions are not taxable. The combined for the portion of any calendar year in filing separately,to $2,775 plus 6.5 percent state,county and city sales tax rates average which they are physically present in the of income over $60,000 for joint filers. from 7 to 10 percent. state for 183 days or more. These individ- Write: Department of Tax and Revenue, ALASKA: No personal income tax. uals should file using Form 760. In addi- Taxpayer Services Division, P.O. Box 3784, ARIZONA: Up to $2,500 of U.S. gov- tion,Virginia requires non-residents to file Charleston WV 25337-3784. ernment pension income may be excluded Form 763 if their Virginia Adjusted Gross Phone: toll-free 1 (800) 982-8297, or for each taxpayer. There is also a $2,100 Income in the 2008 or 2009 tax years (304) 558-3333. exemption for each taxpayer age 65 or over. (which includes any federal salary paid E-mail: [email protected] Arizona does not tax Social Security. during time they are residing in Virginia) Web site: www.wvtax.gov ARKANSAS: Up to $6,000 of income exceeds $11,250 for single filers, $22,500 WISCONSIN: Individuals domiciled from any retirement plan is exempt. So- for married filing jointly or $11,250 for in Wisconsin are considered residents and cial Security is not taxed. married filing separately. (These amounts are subject to tax on their entire income re- CALIFORNIA: Fully taxable. will increase to $11,650 and $23,300 in Tax gardless of where the income is earned. COLORADO: Up to $24,000 of pen- Years 2010 and 2011, and to $11,950 and Wisconsin’s current tax rate ranges from sion income is exempt if individual is age $23,900 for Tax Year 2012 and beyond.) 4.6 percent on income up to $9,510 for sin- 65 or over. Up to $20,000 is exempt if age Individual tax rates are: 2 percent if taxable gle filers,to a maximum of $12,078.35 plus 55 to 64. income is less than $3,000; $60 plus 3 per- 6.75 percent of income over $190,210 for CONNECTICUT: Fully taxable for res- cent of excess over $3,000 if taxable income joint filers. Write: Wisconsin Department idents. is between $3,000 and $5,000; $120 plus 5 of Revenue, Individual Income Tax Assis- DELAWARE: Pension exclusions per percent of excess over $5,000 if taxable in- tance, P.O. Box 59, Madison WI 53785- person: $2,000 is exempt under age 60; come is between $5,000 and $17,000; and 0001. $12,500 if age 60 or over. There is an ad- $720 plus 5.75 percent of taxable income Phone: (608) 266-2486. ditional deduction of $2,500 if age 65 or over $17,000. Write:Virginia Department E-mail: Use Web site “contact us” page over. Social Security income is exempt. of Taxation, Office of Customer Services, and click on “Taxpayer Assistance.” DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA: Pension P.O.Box 1115,RichmondVA 23218-1115. Web site: www.dor.state.wi.us or annuity exclusion of $3,000 is applicable Phone: (804) 367-8031. WYOMING: There is no state income if 62 years or older. Social Security is ex- E-mail: Link through the Web site’s tax and no tax on intangibles such as bank cluded from taxable income. “Contact Us” tab. accounts,stocks or bonds. Sales tax ranges FLORIDA: There is no personal in-

54 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F come, inheritance or gift tax. Florida re- Federal Adjusted Gross Income is under included in the AGI up to $9,690 for sin- S pealed the “intangibles tax” in 2007. $50,000. gle filers and to $19,380 for joint filers for A GEORGIA: For Tax Year 2008, $35,000 KENTUCKY: Government pensions at- 2008. N of retirement income is excluded for tributable to service before Jan. 1, 1998, MINNESOTA: Generally all pensions those who are 62 years or older, or totally are not taxed. The portion of annuity in- are taxable, but single taxpayers who are E disabled. come attributable to service after Dec. 31, over 65 or disabled may exclude some in- W HAWAII: Pension and annuity distri- 1997, is subject to tax at the appropriate come if Federal Adjusted Gross Income is S butions from a government pension plan rate; the pension exclusion of up to under $33,700 and non-taxable Social Se- are not taxed in Hawaii. Social Security $41,110 is unchanged for 2008. Social Se- curity is under $9,600. For a couple, the is not taxed. curity is not taxed. limits are $42,000 for Adjusted Gross In- IDAHO: If the individual is age 65 or LOUISIANA: Federal retirement bene- come and $12,000 for non-taxable Social older, or age 62 and disabled, CSRS and fits are exempt from Louisiana state in- Security. FSRDS pensions qualify for a deduction come tax. There is an exemption of MISSISSIPPI: Social Security and in 2008 of up to $26,220 for a single re- $6,000 of other annual retirement income qualified retirement income from federal, turn and up to $39,330 for a joint return. received by any person age 65 or over. state and private retirement systems are Up to $26,220 may be deducted by the Married filing jointly may exclude exempt from Mississippi tax. unmarried survivor of the annuitant. $12,000. MISSOURI: $6,000 or 35 percent for The deduction is not available if married MAINE: Recipients of a government- 2008, whichever is greater, is exempt if filing separately; nor do FERS or FSPS sponsored pension or annuity who are fil- public pension income is less than pensions qualify for this deduction. The ing singly may deduct up to $6,000 $100,000 when married filing jointly or deduction is reduced dollar for dollar by ($12,000 for married filing jointly) on in- $85,000 for single filers. This $6,000 is re- Social Security benefits. Social Security come that is included in their Federal Ad- duced dollar for dollar by the amount the itself is not taxed. justed Gross Income, reduced by all Social income exceeds these income limitations. ILLINOIS: Illinois does not tax U.S. Security and railroad benefits. For those In 2008 you may deduct 35 percent of So- government pensions or Social Security. age 65 and over, there is an additional cial Security income if over age 62 and INDIANA: If the individual is over age standard deduction of $1,350 (single), Federal Adjusted Gross Income is less 62, the Adjusted Gross Income may be re- $1,050 (married filing singly) or $2,100 than the limits above. duced by the first $2,000 of any pension, (married filing jointly). MONTANA: There is a $3,600 pension- reduced dollar for dollar by (non-taxable) MARYLAND: Those over 65 or perma- income exclusion if Federal Adjusted Social Security benefits. There is also a nently disabled, or who have a spouse Gross Income is less than $30,000. This $1,000 exemption if over 65, or $1,500 if who is permanently disabled, may under exclusion can be claimed by each spouse Federal Adjusted Gross Income is less certain conditions be eligible for Mary- if both have retirement income and is re- than $40,000. There is no pension exclu- land’s maximum pension exclusion of duced by $2 for every $1 over $30,000. sion for survivor annuitants of federal an- $23,600. Also, all individuals 65 years or Those over 65 can exempt an additional nuities. older are entitled to an extra $1,000 per- $800 of interest income for single taxpay- IOWA: Generally taxable. However, sonal exemption in addition to the regu- ers and $1,600 for married joint filers. for the 2007 and 2008 tax years, a married lar $2,400 personal exemption available NEBRASKA: U.S. government pen- couple with an income for the year of less to all taxpayers. Social Security is not sions and annuities are fully taxable. than $24,000 may file for exemption, if at taxed. See the worksheet and instructions NEVADA: No personal income tax. least one spouse or the head of household for Maryland Form 502. NEW HAMPSHIRE: No personal in- is 65 years or older on Dec. 31. Starting MASSACHUSETTS: Distributions come tax. The inheritance tax was re- with the 2009 tax year, this amount is in- made to a retiree from a federal employee pealed in 2003. There is a 5-percent tax creased to $32,000. For the 2007 and contributory plan are excluded from on interest/dividend income over $2,400 2008 tax years, single persons who are 65 Massachusetts gross income. Social Se- for singles ($4,800 married filing jointly). years or older on Dec. 31 may file for an curity is not taxed. A $1,200 exemption is available for those exemption if their income is $18,000 or MICHIGAN: Federal government pen- 65 or over. less. Starting with the 2009 tax year, this sions are exempt from taxation in Michi- NEW JERSEY: Pensions and annuities amount is increased to $24,000. Over age gan. Retirement benefits from private from civilian government service are sub- 55, there is a pension/retirement income sources included in the Adjusted Gross ject to state income tax, with exemptions exclusion of up to $6,000 for single, head Income are deductible to a maximum of for those who are age 62 or older or to- of household or qualifying widower filers $43,440 on a single return and $86,880 on tally and permanently disabled. Singles and up to $12,000 for married filing joint returns for TaxYear 2008. This max- and heads of households can exclude up jointly. The same income tax rates apply imum is reduced by the deduction taken to $15,000; those married filing jointly up to annuities as to other incomes. for the government pension. Those age to $20,000; those married filing separately KANSAS: U.S. government pensions 65 or over may also be able to deduct part up to $10,000 each. These exclusions are are not taxed. Social Security is exempt if of their interest, dividends or capital gains eliminated for New Jersey gross incomes

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 55 A F S over $100,000. Residents over 65 may be ceived by an Oregon resident. However, cent of Modified Adjusted Gross Income A eligible for an additional $1,000 personal federal retirees who retired on or before can be reduced by the Taxpayer Tax N exemption. Oct. 1, 1991, may exempt their entire fed- Credit and, for taxpayers over 65, by the NEW MEXICO: All pensions and annu- eral pension; those who worked both be- Retirement Tax Credit. This latter starts E ities are taxed as part of Federal Adjusted fore and after Oct. 1, 1991, must prorate to phase out for incomes over $25,000 for W Gross Income. Taxpayers 65 and older their exemption using the instructions in single filers, $32,000 for married or head S may exempt up to $8,000 (single) or the tax booklet. A tax credit of up to 9 of household. See the state Web site for $16,000 (joint) from any income source percent of taxable pension income is details. if their income is under $28,500 (individ- available to recipients of pension income, VERMONT: U.S. government pensions ual filers) or $51,000 (married filing including most private pension income, and annuities are fully taxable. jointly). The exemption is reduced as in- whose income was less than $22,500 (sin- VIRGINIA: Individuals who were over come increases, disappearing altogether gle) and $45,000 (joint), and who re- age 65 on Jan. 1, 2004, can take a $12,000 at $51,000. ceived less than $7,500/$15,000 in Social deduction; those age 62 or 63 on Jan. 1, NEW YORK: U.S. government pen- Security benefits. The credit is the lesser 2004, can take a $6,000 deduction. Those sions and annuities are not taxed. For of the tax liability or 9 percent of taxable who reached 62 after Jan. 1, 2004, cannot those over age 59½, up to $20,000 of pension income. Oregon does not tax So- claim any deduction until they reach 65. other annuity income (e.g., Thrift Savings cial Security benefits. For those who reached 65 after Jan. 1, Plan) may be excluded. See N.Y.Tax Pub- PENNSYLVANIA: Government pen- 2004, the $12,000 deduction is reduced by lication 36 for details. sions and Social Security are not subject one dollar for each dollar their Adjusted NORTH CAROLINA: Pursuant to the to personal income tax. Gross Income exceeds $50,000 for single, “Bailey”decision, government retirement PUERTO RICO: For 2007, the first and $75,000 for married, taxpayers. All benefits received by federal retirees who $10,000 of income received from a federal taxpayers over 65 receive an additional had five years of creditable service in a pension could be excluded for individuals personal exemption of $800. Social Secu- federal retirement system on Aug. 12, under 60. For those over 60 the exclusion rity income is exempt. The estate tax has 1989, are exempt from North Carolina in- was $14,000. Figures for 2008 were not been repealed for all deaths after July 1, come tax. Those who do not have five yet available at press time. If the individ- 2007. years of creditable service on Aug. 12, ual receives more than one federal pen- WASHINGTON: No personal income 1989, must pay North Carolina tax on sion, the exclusion applies to each tax. their federal annuities. In this case, up to pension or annuity separately. Social Se- WEST VIRGINIA: If under 65, there is a $4,000 ($8,000 if filing jointly) of any fed- curity is not taxed. $2,000 pension exclusion. If 65 years or eral annuity income is exempt. For those RHODE ISLAND: U.S. government older, you may apply for an additional ex- over 65, an extra $750 (single) or $1,200 pensions and annuities are fully taxable. clusion of up to $8,000 of income re- (couple) may be deducted. SOUTH CAROLINA: Individuals under ceived from any source. NORTH DAKOTA: All pensions and an- age 65 can claim a $3,000 deduction on WISCONSIN: Pensions and annuities nuities are fully taxed, except for the first qualified retirement income; those 65 are fully taxable. Those age 65 or over $5,000, which is exempt minus any Social years of age or over can claim a $10,000 may take two personal deductions total- Security payments if the individual deduction on qualified retirement in- ing $950. However, benefits received chooses to use Form ND-2 (optional come. A resident of South Carolina who from a federal retirement system account method). is 65 years or older may claim a $15,000 established before Dec. 31, 1963, are not OHIO: Taxpayers 65 and over may take deduction against any type of income taxable. For tax years starting after Jan. 1, a $50 credit per return. In addition, Ohio ($30,000 if both spouses are over 65), but 2008, Wisconsin no longer taxes Social gives a tax credit based on the amount of must reduce this figure by any retirement Security benefits included in Federal Ad- the retirement income included in the deduction claimed. Social Security is not justed Gross Income. Ohio Adjusted Gross Income, reaching a taxed. WYOMING: No personal income tax. maximum of $200 for any retirement in- SOUTH DAKOTA: No personal income come over $8,000. Social Security is ex- tax or inheritance tax. empt. TENNESSEE: Social Security and an- OKLAHOMA: Up to $10,000 is exempt nuities (e.g., Thrift Savings Plan) are not on qualified private pensions if the Fed- subject to personal income tax. Certain The AFSA Tax Guide is eral Adjusted Gross Income is under interest/dividend income is taxed at 6 per- $37,500 for single filers or $75,000 for cent if over $2,500 (married filing jointly). also available at married filing jointly. In addition, 20 per- However, those over 65 have $16,200 ex- www.afsa.org/news. cent of any federal pension may be ex- empted for a single filer and $27,000 for empt. Social Security is exempt. joint filers. OREGON: Generally, all retirement in- TEXAS: No personal income tax. come is subject to Oregon tax when re- UTAH: The new flat tax rate of 5 per-

56 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 A F S A AFSANEWSBRIEFS N E W Welcome to New Elderhostel Administrator S On Jan. 1, Bernard Alter joined AFSA as the new administrator for Elderhostel program- Executive Director ming. A retired Foreign Service consular officer, he served largely in Southeast and East Asia. John Mamone Mr. Alter takes over Elderhostel duties from Janice Bay, who has spearheaded the program Steps Down for the last four years. During her tenure, AFSA introduced numerous new initiatives to its Elderhostel offerings and greatly increased enrollments. AFSA thanks Ms. Bay for her dedi- AFSA staff and members bade farewell cated service. to Executive Director John Mamone on Jan. 2. In a memo sent to staff, AFSA President John Naland praised Mr. Ma- Board Welcomes New FCS VP mone for his contributions to AFSA. The AFSA Governing Board is pleased to welcome Keith Curtis as the new vice president 1 “During his 1 /2 years as our executive di- for the Foreign Commercial Service. Mr. Curtis, a senior FSO, is currently the director of rector, John was remarkably successful in strategic planning at the Department of Commerce. managing our $2.2 million headquarters Before joining the Foreign Service in 1990, Mr. Curtis worked in the private sector in renovation, and in guiding us through information technology and marketing. His Foreign Service assignments have included two annual budget preparation cycles.” Tokyo, Brasilia and, most recently, Stockholm, where he was the regional senior commer- We wish John well in his future endeav- cial officer for Sweden, Denmark, Latvia and Iceland. ors. He has spoken widely in public forums and has written for various publications, includ- Meanwhile, Legislative Director Ian ing the Foreign Service Journal and the European Trade Journal. This is Mr. Curtis’ second Houston is filling in as temporary execu- time serving on the Governing Board: he was an FCS representative from 1995 to 1998. tive director. CLASSIFIEDS

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58 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 BOOKS

Something for ened by the sections of the book that Kopp and Gillespie dealing with the State Department Everyone provide a clear Foreign Service examination process, explanation of topics assignments and promotions, and its Career Diplomacy: Life and that often appear five generalist career tracks (consular, Work in the U.S. Foreign Service economic, management, political and Harry W. Kopp and Charles A. incomprehensible public diplomacy). The 12-page docu- Gillespie, Washington, D.C., 2008, even to seasoned ment titled “Foreign Service Core Pre- $26.95, paperback, 266 pages. Foggy Bottom cepts (July 2007),” provided in Ap- REVIEWED BY JOHN BROWN veterans. pendix B, is a useful reminder to po- tential Foreign Service officers that Rare are the books that can appeal
much will be demanded of them, al- to several audiences, but Career Diplo- effect to U.S. policies, offering protec- though the requirements are described macy: Life and Work in the U.S. For- tion to American citizens and support- in rather general terms. For instance, eign Service is one of them. Former ing the full U.S. official civilian pres- regarding leadership skills at the entry Foreign Service officers Harry W.Kopp ence overseas.” And policy “involves level, an FSO “takes initiative to go be- and Charles A. Gillespie have given us advising the officials who define na- yond assigned tasks; identifies prob- a crisp, often witty, overview of the tional interests and decide what re- lems and proposes creative solutions; diplomatic profession, complete with a sources should be deployed to secure seeks to improve job and organization useful glossary and bibliography. Based them.” Kopp and Gillespie acknowl- performance.” on a large number of interviews (in- edge, however, that American diplo- Mindful of the tendency for many cluding with this reviewer, I should dis- mats have rarely achieved the influ- Foreign Service personnel to be unin- close), this volume should be of interest ence over policy enjoyed by their terested in budgetary matters, the au- to the general reading public, aspiring counterparts in other nations. thors underscore the need to under- diplomats and practicing FSOs alike. For persons unfamiliar with the stand the congressional appropriations The general reading public — and U.S. Foreign Service, the volume’s his- process. They also provide a clear ex- not only in the United States — will torical overview of American diplomacy planation of administrative procedures benefit from the book’s succinct expla- will be valuable. It summarizes how that often appear incomprehensible nation of what the U.S. Foreign Serv- the U.S. diplomatic corps evolved from even to seasoned Foggy Bottom veter- ice is all about. According to Kopp and a function carried out by “amateurs and ans. Interagency conflict and coordi- Gillespie, it has a triple mission: repre- entrepreneurs” in the 19th century to a nation are other important subjects sentation, operations and policy. Rep- professional service, beginning with the that receive their due. resentation means that “[O]n behalf of enactment of the Rogers Act on May Kopp and Gillespie deal objectively the United States, the Foreign Service 24, 1924. The subsequent develop- with current challenges facing the Ser- talks, listens, reports, analyzes, cajoles, ment of the Foreign Service, including vice, including stabilization and recon- persuades, threatens, debates and, its increased focus on embassies’ secu- struction in Iraq and Secretary Rice’s above all, negotiates.” Operations is rity and the opening of its ranks to call for “transformational diplomacy,” “dealing every day with host govern- women and minorities, is described in which makes changing other societies ments and populations, running U.S. just the right amount of detail. “a more explicit and important goal of programs, executing U.S. laws, giving Aspiring diplomats will be enlight- American diplomacy.”

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 59 B OOKS

The final chapter of the book, “To- China from Top would come to know Ji personally. morrow’s Diplomats,” points out that This highly personal memoir tells “since the end of the Cold War, diplo- to Bottom how a boy who grew up in rural Shanxi matic tools have been allowed to province managed to be sent to the weaken” and that “[t]oday there is a The Man on Mao’s Right U.S. for education as a chemist, and fairly broad consensus across the gov- Ji Chaozhu, Random House, 2008, then became a diplomat with a life- $28.00, hardcover, 354 pages. ernment and the foreign affairs com- long commitment to fostering Sino- munity that America’s diplomatic REVIEWED BY HERBERT LEVIN American relations. establishment must be upgraded.” Though Ji was from a traditional Practicing FSOs will doubtless In April 1952 the Chinese Foreign family, his father had studied in Japan want to make Career Diplomacy part Ministry assigned Ji Chaozhu, an Eng- and spoke English. In addition, his of their library and provide copies to lish-language expert, to the North Ko- elder half-brother, Ji Chaoding, had foreign counterparts. rean-Chinese delegation at the cease- been a Boxer Indemnity scholar at fire talks with the United States- Columbia University. After the col- John Brown, who was in the Foreign United Nations side in Panmunjom. lapse of the imperial system, the war- Service for more than 20 years, com- Over the next four decades, until he lords who dominated Shanxi in Ji’s piles “The Public Diplomacy Press and retired in 1996 after five years as a youth brought only a fracturing and Blog Review” (http://publicdiplomacy U.N. undersecretary general, nearly weakening of China, allowing Japan- pressandblogreview.blogspot.com/). all Americans with an interest in China ese conquest. Republican China had

60 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 B OOKS
failed; so, by a process of elimination, memoir. He was persecuted by those years. It also explains why, despite communism became the accepted suspicious that his 11 years in the being brutally mistreated by their own means of modernizing the nation for United States raised questions about government, Ji and his wife, Wang Xi- the Ji clan. his loyalty, as well as by those who angtong, chose to remain in China The 10-year-old Ji was sent to New viewed the prospect of closer ties with rather than come to America. In ad- York City in 1939. There he gradu- Washington as inimical to their posi- dition, those interested in Chinese his- ated from the City and Country tions in the kind of China they favored. tory will find here a clear and readable School and the Horace Mann Lincoln Ji saw his nation from the top (as account of how the new communist High School before enrolling at Har- “the man on Mao’s right”) as well as regime conducted foreign affairs dur- vard in 1948. Convinced that the ad- from the bottom. He was sent to labor ing a chaotic epoch. I vance of U.S. forces in North Korea to in the rice paddies in 1959 during the the Chinese border would bring Bei- Great Leap Forward-People’s Com- Herbert Levin, a Foreign Service offi- jing into the Korean War, preventing mune Movement and numerous times cer from 1956 to 1991, was the au- his return home, he abandoned his during the Great Proletarian Cultural thor’s roommate at Harvard Univer- studies and flew back to China, arriv- Revolution of 1966-1976. sity. The two men have maintained ing on Oct. 25, 1950. This is not a scholarly work with personal and professional ties ever Over the course of his diplomatic footnotes and document references. since. After retiring from the Service, career, Ji interpreted for many top Its unique value is as a firsthand ac- Levin spent five years as a special ad- leaders; he expresses unqualified ad- count of how China has viewed the viser to United Nations Undersecre- miration for few, if any, of them in this rest of the world over the past 70 tary General Ji.

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 61 IN MEMORY

Allan Chubb, 75, a retired USIA Gregg A. Chubb and Kevin S. Chubb Foss of Faribault, Minn., whose love, Foreign Service officer who resided (and his wife, Judy); and four grand- intelligence and bravery happily sup- in Lake of the Woods, near Locust children, Collin, Caitlin, Connor and ported him and the family through two Grove, Va., died on Oct. 6 at Culpeper Cameron Chubb. more years at Carleton College, a mas- Regional Hospital in Culpeper, Va. Memorial contributions may be ter’s degree at Yale University in 1949 A Michigan State University gradu- made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, and 32 years abroad. ate with a degree in international rela- 8300 Greensboro Drive, Suite 800, Mr. Cross entered the Foreign tions, Mr. Chubb was a member of Phi McLean VA 22102. Service in 1949 and was assigned to Kappa Psi. After service as a first lieu- Taipei as assistant public affairs officer. tenant in the U.S. Army (Infantry), he A year later he was posted to Indone- pursued graduate studies at American
sia, and then to Hong Kong. In 1955, University. Charles T.Cross, 86, a retired FSO Mr. Cross was assigned to Malaysia as In 1959, Mr. Chubb joined USIA. and former ambassador, died on Nov. 2 a political officer. He subsequently During a 33-year career, he served in Seattle, Wash. served in Egypt, Cyprus and the U.K. overseas in Mexico City, Manila and Born in Beijing in 1922 of mission- Mr. Cross was the senior civilian Rabat, and traveled to every country in ary parents, Mr. Cross lived there until deputy to the Commanding General Latin America on short business trips 1940. He attended Carleton College for the III Marine Amphibious Force as an administrative troubleshooter for from 1940 to 1942, when he joined the for Pacification Operations in I Corps the agency. Marines. After completing a year at in Danang from 1967 to 1968, and was Mr. Chubb’s interests included in- the Navy Japanese Language School at appointed ambassador to Singapore by ternational relations, history,geography, the University of Colorado, he was as- President Richard Nixon in 1969. art, antique cars, travel, architec- signed to the 23rd Marines of the 4th He also served as consul general in ture, hiking, landscaping, family geneal- Marine Division as an intelligence of- Hong Kong (1974-1977) and was the ogy and a three-generation-old stamp ficer and Japanese interpreter. He was first director of the American Institute collection. He was a lifelong Detroit with the 23rd for all of the division’s in Taipei (1979-1981), with the rank of Tigers baseball fan and, with a friend, landings: Rai/Namur, Saipan, Tinian ambassador. Interspersed through founded and served as Scout Master of and Iwo Jima. Mr. Cross was awarded these years were assignments as offi- Troup 873 in Truro, Va. He attended the Bronze Star with Combat V on cer-in-charge for Burma and Laos, The Lake of the Woods Church in Lo- Saipan. After V-J Day in 1945, he stints at the National War College and cust Grove, Va. His family was his joined the First Marine Division in as a diplomat-in-residence at the Uni- greatest joy. Mr. Chubb and his wife North China and returned to Beijing, versity of Michigan, and service on the traveled to more than 16 countries. thereby participating in the liberation Policy Planning Staff and as a Senior He is survived by his wife, Joyce M. of his own home from the Japanese. Foreign Service inspector. Chubb, of Locust Grove, Va.; two sons, In 1946, Mr. Cross married Shirley In l982, the Crosses retired to Seat-

62 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 I N M EMORY
tle, where Ambassador Cross taught in Born in London and originally a Memorial contributions can be the Jackson School of International British subject, Mrs. Loomer served made to Oxfam International. Studies and the History Department at as a secretary in the British Foreign the University of Washington. During Service. She was posted to Luxem- a decade there, he also undertook burg and then Tunisia, where she
three tours with the semester-at-sea met and married Walter Loomer in Geoffrey H. Moore, 56, a retired program of the University of Pitts- 1958. She accompanied him to posts FSO, died on Nov. 6 at Virginia Med- burgh and spent a semester as the in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Ethiopia, ical Hospital in Arlington, Va., after a Benedict Distinguished Visiting Pro- Kenya, Poland, Bolivia and Costa sudden illness. fessor at Carleton College. His mem- Rica, where she founded the library Born on July 25, 1952, in Thomas, oir, Born a Foreigner — A Memoir of of the Costa Rica Academy. Okla., Mr. Moore graduated Phi Beta the American Presence in East Asia, In 1975, Mrs. Loomer joined the Kappa from the University of Okla- was published by Rowman & Little- U.S. Foreign Service as a secretary homa in 1974 and received his master’s field Publishers, Inc., in 1999. and, alongside her husband, held degree in Japanese studies from Yale He was a member of several non- posts in Nigeria, the former Soviet University in 1976. profit boards: Diplomatic and Con- Union and Greece. After Mr. Loom- Mr. Moore joined the Foreign Serv- sular Officers, Retired, where he was er’s retirement in 1981, she went on ice in 1976. During a 25-year diplo- elected to the Board of Governors in to serve in London, Montreal and, matic career, he served overseas in 2002 and re-elected in 2005; the Ling- again, London, before retiring in Panama, South Korea, Japan, Jamaica, nan Foundation in New York; and the 1993. During her career, she re- Thailand and Hong Kong. He retired Blakemore Foundation in Seattle. He ceived numerous meritorious awards in 2001. was also active among Foreign Service and commendations, including the He is remembered fondly by mem- retirees in Seattle. Superior Honor Award in 1992. bers of the many A-100 classes he Amb. Cross is survived by his wife When her husband passed away in mentored at the Foreign Service Insti- of 62 years, Shirley, of Seattle; three 1989, Mrs. Loomer retired to her tute, who recall his dedication, his children: Ann (and her husband, Pug) birthplace, London, where she re- humor and, in particular, his pithy Edmonds of Bellingham, Wash.; Kathy mained active in various charitable guidance, “Don’t be a jerk.” (and her husband, Bob) Leutner of causes until shortly before her death. In retirement, Mr. Moore volun- Iowa City, Iowa; and Richard (and his She worked as a volunteer for the teered for the Homeless Animals Res- wife, Anne Danford) of Marblemount, Red Cross and, most notably, for cue Team of Fairfax, Va., serving as a Wash.; seven grandchildren: Rad (and Oxfam. Her colleagues and fellow foster parent for homeless pets. Mr. Susannah) Edmonds of Bryn Mawr, volunteers at Oxfam Kilburn voted Moore is remembered as a loving hus- Pa.; Nathaniel (and Alice) Edmonds of her Volunteer of the Year in 2002. band, brother and uncle who treasured Bethesda, Md.; Jay, John and Elizabeth All who knew her will remember his family and friends. Leutner of Iowa City; Nicholas and her for her sense of adventure; her Mr. Moore is survived by his wife of Ellen Cross of Marblemount; and four love of life, music and others; her 27 years, the former Alice Cook, of Ar- great-grandchildren. sense of dedication — especially to lington, as well as his parents, Jack and Remembrances can be sent to her Christian faith — and her sense Dorita Moore of Roswell, Ga.; a sister, Providence Hospice of Seattle, 425 of humor. Leslie Moore Gurley, and her husband Pontius Ave. N, Seattle WA 98109. Survivors include her children, Tom Gurley Jr., of Lake Charles, La.; Katherine Brophy of London, Nicholas two nieces, Jessica Anne Gurley and “Joe” Loomer of Evans, Ga., and Stephanie Walters; and one nephew,
Patrick Loomer of London; grand- Tom Gurley III. He also leaves behind Marguerita “Maggie” Loomer, 80, children, William, James, Tyler, Kyle two honorary nieces, Alison and Jen- a retired Foreign Service secretary and and Kaitlin; her brother, Richard nifer Hight. wife of the late retired FSO Walter Howard of London; nieces, Caroline In lieu of flowers, memorial contri- Loomer, died on Oct. 17 in London. and Denise; and nephew, John. butions may be made to the Homeless

FEBRUARY 2009/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 63 I N M EMORY

Animals Rescue Team of Fairfax, Va. aide to Ambassador Charles “Chip” call turned into a memorable conver- (www.hart90.org). Bohlen, whom he considered a con- sation. “So you got Casablanca. I summate professional. wanted Casablanca, but they gave it From there, Mr. Phillips was as- to Bogart!” was reportedly the presi-
signed to Zaire (now the Democratic dent’s opener. James D. “Dan” Phillips, 75, a re- Republic of the Congo), where he Upon his arrival in Bujumbura in tired FSO and former ambassador to spent two years at the consulate in 1986, Ambassador Phillips was con- Burundi and the Republic of the Con- Lubumbashi and a year at the em- fronted with an autocratic head of go (Brazzaville), died on Oct. 6 at bassy in Kinshasa covering internal state, but the situation improved George Washington University Hospi- politics. His last year in the country when a more moderate president was tal from complications of a belatedly di- (1966-1967) included dangerous travel installed in a bloodless coup. Amb. agnosed microscopic polyangiitis. as acting consul in Kisangani, deliver- Phillips negotiated access for the U.S. Dan Phillips was born in Peoria, Ill., ing relief supplies in areas of eastern Peace Corps to Burundi for the first on Feb. 23, 1933. He attended the Zaire contested by rebels, mercenar- time. With his encouragement, Bu- University of Colorado and Wichita ies and President Mobutu Sese Seko’s rundi joined and enforced the Con- State University before responding to army. vention on International Trade in the military draft in 1953. He served in After a tour in the European bu- Endangered Species. He also worked a Nike Air Defense Battalion at Ft. Dix, reau, he was again sent to Paris, with Dr. Jane Goodall and local vol- N.J. Placed in charge of a donation of where he covered internal politics. unteers to establish the country’s first great books to his army unit, he found He was nominated for the director chimpanzee sanctuary. time to read many of them, later tracing general’s reporting award for his After four years in Burundi, Amb. his lifelong passion for literature and analyses of France’s 1973 national Phillips was appointed ambassador to poetry to that experience. elections. From 1973 to 1974, he what was then known as the People’s Following military service he re- served as executive assistant to Am- Republic of the Congo in Brazzaville. turned to Wichita State on the GI Bill. bassador Jack Irwin, who became a During a turbulent period there, his He spent a year in Vienna as an ex- close family friend. He was then active assistance to environmental change student during the 1956 Hun- transferred to Luxembourg to serve as conservation outlasted the tentative garian uprising, joining Austrian deputy chief of mission. steps the country took toward democ- students at the border at night to His first job as a chief of mission racy. He facilitated trilateral negotia- guide refugees to safety. Interviewing was in The Gambia, the tiny but idyl- tions to establish the Ndoki Forest, a some of those refugees for the U.S. lic site of Alex Haley’s Roots. On his unique gem of untouched biodiver- embassy sparked his interest in the return to Washington, he attended sity. Continuing to work with Dr. Foreign Service. the National War College, and then Goodall, he assisted the creation of After graduating from Wichita State, served as an office director in the In- the Tchimpounga Reserve. Mr. Phillips undertook doctoral studies ternational Organizations Bureau. Following three years in Brazza- at Cornell University with Dr. Mario Divorced from Rosemary Leeds in ville, Amb. Phillips spent a year as a Einaudi, former president of Italy, as 1980, he remarried in 1984 to Lucie diplomat-in-residence at the Carter his faculty adviser. During this period Gallistel Colvin, an expert in African Center in Atlanta. He retired in 1994 Mr. Phillips married Rosemary Leeds, affairs who, in his own words, “con- to Arlington, Va., where he headed and their first two children were born. tributed immensely to the second half the Central Africa Foundation and With Dr. Einaudi encouraging his in- of my career.” the H.M. Salaam Foundation, the lat- terest in the Foreign Service, Mr. In 1984, Mr. Phillips returned to ter a major donor to Georgetown Uni- Phillips and his young family moved to Africa. There he served first as consul versity’s School of Foreign Service. the Washington area in 1961. He was general in Casablanca. When Presi- He was a board member of the Jane admitted to an A-100 class in 1962 and dent Ronald Reagan called him to Goodall Institute, a member of the sent to Paris as his first assignment. offer him the job as ambassador to Chevy Chase Club, a spousal member That Paris tour included a year as staff Burundi, the normally perfunctory of the Cosmos Club, a Chevalier de

64 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 I N M EMORY

Tastevin and a member of the former wife Lucie Colvin Phillips of Arling- Norma Louise Rathner, the wife International Club. ton, Va.; his three children, Michael of retired FSO Herbert Rathner, died Amb. Phillips was also one of the Phillips and wife Sonia of Wichita, on Sept. 29 of pancreatic cancer at her principal organizers of “Diplomats and Kan.; Madolyn Phillips of Chevy home in Fairfax, Va., surrounded by Military Commanders for Change,” an Chase, Md.; and Catherine Phillips her family. effort during the 2004 presidential Durand and husband Cristophe of Born in Hammond, Ind., Mrs. campaign to prevent continuation of Herndon, Va.; grandchildren Jacques Rathner attended Hammond High the foreign and national security poli- and Chloe Durand; two stepsons, School and graduated from Purdue cies of the first George W. Bush ad- Charles Colvin of Shakopee, Minn., University with degrees in home eco- ministration. and David Colvin of Reston, Va., and nomics and elementary education. As Mr. Phillips’ many friends and ad- their children, Emily, Nora and a child, she studied all forms of dance. mirers remember him as an avid Zachary. His two sisters, Patricia During high school summers, she per- sportsman, skier and golfer, a fine Daniels of Wichita, Kan., and Rose- formed as an acrobat at state fairs and chef, and an accomplished bridge and mary Partridge of Berkeley, Calif., in USO shows for military camps poker player. A small book of his po- predeceased him. across the United States. Upon grad- etry was privately published and his Donations in Mr. Phillips’ mem- uation, she worked as a home eco- oral history is in the National ory may be made to the James D. nomics teacher at Mt. Rainier High Archives. His wry wit was admired Phillips International Fellowship School in Hyattsville, Md., and for the and enjoyed by all who knew him. Fund at the Wichita State University Prince George County Department of Amb. Phillips is survived by his Foundation. Parks & Recreation. There she met

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Herbert Rathner, and they married on 1936. She married her husband, a terian Church on Dec. 29; she was July 4, 1956. freshly minted Ph.D., that same year, then buried next to him in Rock Creek The couple then began a life of and they taught and worked in Indiana Cemetery’s Foreign Service section. travel with Foreign Service assign- and Minnesota, his home state, until Mrs. Simon leaves a son, retired ments to Orleans, France and Wies- moving to Washington in 1944. Thom- FSO Thomas W. Simons Jr. of Cam- baden, Germany. Over the decades, as Simons joined the State Depart- bridge, Mass.; a daughter, Sara Simons Mrs. Rathner raised her family while ment in 1945. of Philadelphia, Pa.; four grandchil- stationed in Sierra Leone, Korea, Bo- For the next 18 years Mary Jo Si- dren; two great-grandchildren; and a livia, Switzerland, Mississippi, Jamaica mons was half of a State Department sister, Mrs. Henry A. Shorey III of and Washington, D.C. She and her Foreign Service team serving abroad Bridgton, Maine. husband traveled extensively through- in four posts — Calcutta (1945-1946), out the United States, making many Karachi (1947-1949), Monrovia (1955- good friends. 1957) and Madras (now Chennai)
Mrs. Rathner loved to read, garden, (1957-1963) — and in the department. Virginia Hill Stephens, 86, wife of study the Bible, play Scrabble, create After her husband’s 1963 retire- the late FSO Richard H. Stephens, scrapbooks of family travels and write ment, they lived in East Lansing, died at the Virginia Medical Center in letters. She possessed the gift of mak- Mich., where he established a South Arlington, Va., on Nov. 20 of vascular ing a house into a home. She espe- Asian studies program at Michigan disease. cially enjoyed making colorful quilts, State University. The couple then re- Virginia Hill was born on March 10, giving many as gifts and donating oth- located to Poona (now Pune), India, 1922, in Trinity, N.C., and left a North ers to various charities, including the where he was director of the American Carolina tobacco farm during the Northern Virginia Training Center. Institute of Indian Studies from 1965 Great Depression to go to secretarial She also supported the Fairfax Kiwa- to 1969. school at High Point College. From nis Club, The Lamb Center and Fair- They then retired to Washington, 1942 to 1943 she was a government fax County Library. where Mrs. Simons taught in D.C. and secretary on the staff of U.S. Army She is survived by her loving hus- Maryland public schools, served as ex- General George Patton, where she band of 52 years, Herbert; children, ecutive chairman of the Phi Beta worked on the North African cam- Kathryn (Big Sky, Mont.), James and Kappa Association of Washington, paign. Her twin brother, U.S. Army William (Henderson, Nev.); and bro- D.C., and was a regent of the Daugh- Private First Class Virgil Hill, was ther, Walter Pavelchek (West Chester, ters of the American Revolution’sRuth killed in action during World War II at Pa.). She was predeceased by her par- Brewster Chapter and a docent at the the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. ents, Frank and Louise Pavelchek and DAR Museum. She was also a mem- During her service with Gen. Pat- her daughter, Ann. ber of Mortar Board, the Asian-Amer- ton, she met U.S. Army Captain Rich- ican Forum, Alpha Omicron Pi soror- ard H. Stephens, who was also on Gen. ity, the American Association of For- Patton’s staff. They were married in
eign Service Women (now the Associ- Panama in 1943. Mary Jo Simons, 97, widow of the ates of the American Foreign Service, Mrs. Stephens began her life as a late FSO Thomas W. Simons, died Worldwide), and the Chevy Chase Foreign Service wife in 1945 in Paris, peacefully on Nov. 11 at Pennsylvania Presbyterian Church (for more than where she lived in architect Le Cor- Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., of com- half a century). busier’s house at 16th Arrondissement plications following hip replacement Bright, lively and adventurous, near the Bois de Boulogne on Rue surgery. Mary Jo Simons lived a big life in what Nuggesser-et-Coli and came to know Born in Sullivan, Ind., on Sept. 9, many see as America’s century. And, dress designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Rich- 1911, Mrs. Simons graduated with Phi like her husband, who died in 1990, ard and Virginia Stephens served over- Beta Kappa honors from Depauw Uni- she chose “God Bless America” for the seas for 16 years in Puerto Alegre, Syd- versity in 1933 and received her M.A. response to the benediction in her me- ney,Hong Kong, Tokyo and the Domin- from the University of Colorado in morial service at Chevy Chase Presby- ican Republic. In 1958, they moved to

66 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009 I N M EMORY

Bethesda, Md., maintaining a residence years died in 2003, Mrs. Stephens re- Cheyenne, Wyo.; Diana S. Watkins of there for 42 years. mained there until 2007, when she re- McLean, Va.; Julia Stephens Knapp of Mrs. Stephens’ raised four children turned to the Washington area to live Chapel Hill, N.C.; and Robert Hunter and worked at the National Institutes in McLean, Va. Stephens of McLean, Va. She also is of Health in Bethesda, Md., as a sec- Virginia Stephens is survived by her survived by nine grandchildren and retary. While her husband served as a four children: Rochelle S. Ames of one great-granddaughter. I full professor for 18 years at the Inter- national College of the Armed Forces of the National Defense University, at E-mail your Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., Mrs. Stephens earned a certificate in “In Memory” gemology in 1968 and an associate de- submission to the gree in fine arts in 1974 from Mont- gomery College. She was a jewelry Foreign Service Journal designer, painter and sculptor and at [email protected], or loved to go to art museums and gar- dens. She designed and imported fax it to (202) 338-6820. lovely capes of vicuña wool from Peru. No photos, please. The couple moved to South Miami, Fla., in 2000. After her husband of 60

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A Confrontation in Moscow

BY KEMPTON JENKINS

t 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, 1961, I We strode out to our car. I returned to found myself walking briskly The meeting began the embassy to dictate a virtually ver- Afrom Spaso House, the storied with an uninterrupted batim account of the meeting in the U.S. ambassador’s residence in form of an “eyes only” flash telegram Moscow, to the U.S. embassy on “the 40-minute diatribe to President Dwight Eisenhower and ring” one mile away. My feet crunched by Gromyko. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. in the light dusting of snow that cov- Within the hour, I went to Spaso ered up some of the tackiness of
House, where the ambassador refined Moscow’s fading architecture. It was my notes. (He gave me the privilege bitterly cold, but I was warmed by the Ministry English-language expert, Vic- of reviewing his impressions and even adrenaline coursing through my sys- tor Sukhodrev. For me, the double making some suggestions.) When I tem following the most dramatic nego- presentation was critical. I was able to went to take the car back to the em- tiation I had ever experienced. sketch out Gromyko’s denunciations in bassy, where the message would be ca- It had been the second of four ses- Russian and then flesh out his remarks bled, the driver had mysteriously sions Ambassador Llywellyn Thomp- from the translation. disappeared. I called the embassy, but son had with Soviet Foreign Minister At the end, Gromyko looked up at no car was available. So I folded the Andrei Gromyko on the tense dispute Amb. Thompson, who continued to drafts, pressed them into my pocket over access to Berlin. The meeting drag on his ever-present cigarette. and set off on foot. began with a 40-minute diatribe by After what seemed like 15 minutes but Initially, I entertained some con- Gromyko, who pounded his chair arm was probably 30 seconds, he snuffed it cern about the security of walking as he denounced the United States and out and looked impassively at his in- through the streets of Moscow with its allies for clinging to the “archaic terlocutor. Still he said nothing. Fi- such an important document on my claims” of four-power sovereignty over nally, Gromyko blurted out, “Well, Mr. person, but after brief reflection, I re- the former (and future) German capi- Ambassador…,” to which Thompson alized I had probably never been safer tal. very deliberately and softly said: in my life. For it was of the utmost im- The climax came when Gromy- “Mr. Foreign Minister, I deeply re- portance to the Soviet government that ko reiterated Nikita Khrushchev’s ulti- gret that the policy of your government the account of this meeting get to matum to the West to accept East Ger- has required you to put on such a per- Washington as soon as possible. man sovereignty over West Berlin or formance. You know as well as I that if As I walked through the snow, my find itself forcibly expelled. He stated there is to be a nuclear exchange be- heart still beat with the excitement of that if the U.S. persisted in rejecting tween our two great nations, the incin- the confrontation. I mulled over the Moscow’s reasonable proposals, it eration will be of the Soviet Union, admiration I felt for my ambassador would have only itself to blame for any which will disappear from the face of and the cold-blooded, totally com- catastrophe that might follow — even the earth. I will report your remarks to pelling response he had given to the such unthinkable things as the inciner- my government with deep disappoint- obviously flustered Gromyko. ation of New York City! ment.” In retrospect, it probably was as Amb. Thompson sat calmly listen- With that he and I rose and de- close to World War III as we came. I ing — chain-smoking, as was his wont. parted, leaving Gromyko ashen-faced Although fluent in English, Gromyko and clearly embarrassed in front of his Kempton Jenkins is a retired Foreign spoke in Russian, which was then colleagues, Deputy Foreign Minister Service officer who served mostly in translated by the ubiquitous Foreign Vladimir Semyonov and Sukhodrev. Russia and Europe.

72 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 2009