A Newsletter of The Alabama World Affairs Council / Winter 2004 Don Oberdorfer at Maxwell; Saudis at Capital City Club; Ambassador Levitte, War College at Museum riter, academic, and long-time Oberdorfer is a native of , Ga. He graduated Wformer newspaper correspon- from in 1952 and served as a U.S. dent Don Oberdorfer, a nationally Army lieutenant in immediately following the and internationally known expert on signing of the armistice in 1953. the Pacific rim, especially Korea, will He is the author of five books, including his latest, be in town on February 3rd. He will Senator Mansfield, which will be available after his pres- entation. He has also written thousands of newspaper FEB speak to an Air War 3 College group in the articles and dozens of magazine articles on current affairs. morning, interview with Alabama He has won many awards for journalistic excellence, Public Television in the afternoon, and speak to the e.g., he twice won the National Press Club’s award for World Affairs Council in the evening. While the times diplomatic correspondence. In 1966 Princeton bestowed will be the same (5:30 reception, 6:15 presentation), the on him its annual Woodrow Wilson Award given to a venue will be changed. Instead of at the Montgomery graduate who has performed exemplary service to the Museum of Fine Arts, Oberdorfer will make his presen- nation. He is a member of the Asia Society and the tation at Maxwell AFB. The Enlisted Club on base Council on Foreign Relations. offers a fine setting, with plenty of secure parking out- side and lots of room inside, with excellent amenities. Don Oberdorfer retired in 1993 as Washington Post Saudis Representing Business and diplomatic correspondent and joined Johns Hopkins Political Interests University’s Nitze School of Advanced International he World Affairs Council is pleased to announce that Studies (SIAS) as a resident scholar of the Foreign Policy Ton March 2 we will sponsor a visit by three or four Institute. His SIAS-sponsored book, The Two : A prominent members of the Saudi business community representing the Council of Saudi Cham- Contemporary History, on the North-South struggle in MAR 2 Korea, was published in 1997 and 1998 in London, bers of Commerce and Industry. Possibly Seoul (in Korean) and Tokyo ( in Japanese). The Japan- three men and one woman, they are all highly successful, ese edition was awarded the 10th annual Asia-Pacific American-educated professionals prepared to give presen- Book Prize in Tokyo. tations on U.S.-Saudi relations and handle the tough Oberdorfer was a journalist for 38 years, a Washington questions. The event will be held over lunch at the Capi- Post staff member for 25 years and the paper’s diplomatic tal City Club in a panel discussion format. correspondent for 17 years. He covered the Vietnam war Since this is an unbudgeted activity, there probably as a correspondent in Saigon and Washington in 1966- will be a nominal charge for attendance. AWAC 75 for Knight Newspapers and . Continued on next page SAUDIS continued from page 1 December 2002. He was previously permanent representative of France to members will be contacted by mail to the United Nations from March 2000 determine attendance plans. Mont- to November 2002. A career diplo- gomery Area Chamber of Commerce mat since 1970, Ambassador Levitte members will also be invited. This is served as a diplomatic advisor and an exciting opportunity to learn more “sherpa” to French President Chirac about Saudi Arabia and Saudi beliefs from 1995 to March 2000. and attitudes. He holds a law degree, and is a graduate of the Institute of Political The French Ambassador Science and the National School of The French Ambassador to the Oriental Languages, where he studied , His Excellency Jean- Chinese and Indonesian. David Levitte, has expressed a will- ingness to come to Montgomery in Air War College the spring, but due to his heavy On May 18, a panel of senior Air schedule has not yet War College instructors from Maxwell MAR 23 committed to a specif- AFB will report to the Council on ic date. We have recommended their individual spring March 23 to him and are keeping MAY 18 trips to different that date open. regions of the world. This Annual Ambassador Levitte took up his Regional Studies report has become Dr. Tom Vocino (Auburn University Montomery), Dr. Buck Grinter (Air War College), and Dr. Jeremy current duties in Washington in one of AWAC’s most popular programs. Lewis (Huntingdon College), Board members all, chat at AW Bruce Laingen.

Weather, Airplane Trouble Deprives Council of Sir Eldon Griffiths, Gives Us Grant Hammond he Council suffered a first on he is working on entitled The Revolu- in information, communication and TNovember 18, when bad weather tion in Security Affairs: The Transfor- computing capability; scientific revo- and serial aircraft troubles prevented mation of Politics and War in the 21st lutions in such fields as bio-engineer- Sir Eldon Griffiths, president of the Century. From crowd reaction after ing and directed energy; the World Affairs Councils of America, his presentation, it was deemed a increasing pace and interdependence, from arriving on time to give his pro- highly successful, if a substitute, pro- for good and ill, of globalization; and gram. Rather than send everybody gram. the rise of non-state actors, e.g., Al home unenlightened, Board member Dr. Hammond reviewed briefly Queda and the International Cam- and Air War College faculty member the impact of several emerging simul- paign to Ban Land Mines. Dr. Grant Hammond graciously vol- taneous phenomena that are changing The next day Sir Eldon spoke to unteered to throw himself into the the nature of security—personal, two audiences at Air University and breech. On short notice and without national and international — now to AWAC members at the Capital notes, Dr. Hammond treated the and over the next quarter century. City Club. All in all, an eventful trip membership to an overview of a book These include technological advances for our national president. 2 Great Decisions Programs for Montgomery High Schools — and Lake Martin Seniors oard members Dr. Grant Ham- he Horizons Unlimited program Bmond of the Air War College and Tbegan in Alexander City ten years Dr. Jeremy Lewis of Huntingdon ago to satisfy the needs of a growing College have arranged and begun the population of retirees around Lake 2004 Great Decisions program for Martin who were interested in con- local high school students. The pro- tinuing their education, particularly gram started on January 12 in the in world affairs. “high tech” classroom at Huntingdon Dick Bronson (Colonel US Army (Room 102 in Flowers Hall) and will Retired), a resident of Jacksons Gap run for a total of eight sessions, the and a former member of the Air War last coming on March 15. Great College faculty, approached the AWC Decisions is a national program about presenting a mini version of offered by the Foreign Policy Associa- world affairs to Horizons Unlimited. tion, a non-partisan, non-profit Dr. Bill Martel, then a board member organization based in Washington. of the World Affairs Council, the ini- Twenty-three interested students tial coordinator, instituted the Great signed up from seven local high Decisions format. schools: Montgomery Academy, Trini- Ted Hailes (Colonel US Air Force ty, Catholic, Brewbaker Tech, LAMP, Retired) is the current AWC coordi- . Buck Grinter (Air War College), and Dr. Jeremy c at at AWAC presentation given by Ambassador Jefferson Davis, and Booker T. Wash- nator. Each summer Hailes and Bron- ington. All classes are held Monday son review topics in the Great afternoons from 4:00 to 5:30, with a Decisions handbook and Hailes Financial Status 30-40 minute presentation followed schedules the topics with AWC facul- Looking Okay by group discussion. In addition to ty members. Dr. Lewis, all the other instructors are Approximately 40-50 residents hile AWAC’s financial status from the resources at Air University, from the Lake Martin community Wcan hardly be described as mainly the Air War College. sign up every year for the six-week robust, it does appear that we will The curriculum, accompanied by program. Two-hour meetings are held be able to get through the program text books supplied by the Foreign in the Aliant Bank building in year while paying all our bills. The Policy Association, includes such top- Alexander City each Monday after- adjustment in the dues structure, a ics as reform in the Middle East, the noon from late September to early most welcome grant from the Alaba- U.S. and Europe, public diplomacy, November. As a result of this pro- ma Humanities Foundation, and a and the Philippines. gram, over a dozen members have modest starting balance left from last joined the World Affairs Council. year should all add up to adequate For more information on Hori- funding. Want to join AWAC? After Christmas special for zons Unlimited, call Dick Bronson at non-members only! Big (256) 825-9353. Check out our web Discount—Send in enclosed pledge card or call 244-3337. site! awac.us 3 Executive Director’s Corner: Dr. James Nathan Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the board of directors of the Alabama World Affairs Council Recently, I was one of an Ameri- the status quo is changing and the offered Iran billions if Iran ends its can delegation that was invited to party that is likely to win the elec- nuclear programs. Similarly, Libya Taiwan for a visit with senior Tai- tion, and even the opposition, are and the North Koreans are anxious wanese leaders. The trip lasted from stressing their uniqueness. It doesn’t to break out from the US-led eco- December 15 to Christmas eve. help that the formula the Chinese use nomic isolation. Libya can’t pump oil Taipei is amazingly prosperous, so to entice Taiwan “back to the moth- without American drill bit technolo- different than China. The tallest erland” — “two systems, one coun- gy. North Korea is an economic dis- building in the world just went up in try” — has worked so poorly in aster. Those of us who said that Taipei. Its 101 floors tower oddly over Hong Kong, where a half a million economic sanctions don’t work, a basically flat city—too many earth- folks crowded the streets in protests a clearly have to re-think. quakes and typhoons. A guide said it few months ago. Even in India and Pakistan, would withstand a hundred-year Elsewhere, the news in American things are looking up, Two years ago quake. I asked, “Starting when?” The foreign policy is mixed. The verdict both seemed poised on the brink of upper floors have not been rented yet. is still out on Iraq, but whether by nuclear war. But Pakistani president There is an election coming up in coincidence, or as a function of Pervez Musharraf has steadily moved Taiwan, and we met most of the can- assertive American power, or both, against the Moslem terrorists Pak- didates. Real elections are something there has been good progress on istan has long supported. The the mainland fears. The problem is many of America’s long standing prospect of a better economy and US that Taiwanese are voting, in effect, if interests. In Libya, Colonel Qaddafi pressure helps, as did the sheer cost not explicitly, for independence. has opened up the country to inspec- of fifty years of fighting. Most People in Taiwan no longer say they tion of his WMD program. Iran important, it seems, are the choices are Chinese even though they speak announced that it would suspend its all countries, including Pakistan, Mandarin and are ethnic Chinese. once-secret programs and allow have been forced to make after They now say they are Taiwanese. international inspectors in. Diploma- September 11th. Communist China still threatens cy is looking up some after the Next month, Don Oberdorfer war continually. There was another prompt US emergency relief that was will be here speaking to us at threat in the days before Christmas. sent to help with Iran’s most recent Maxwell. Oberdorfer is an articulate The trouble is the Chinese seem to quake. The North Koreans have Asian expert, with extraordinary first mean it. China calls Taiwan a “rene- opened up their nuclear facilities to hand experience. His most recent gade province,” and, if war came, unoffcial American inspectors. Both book on Mike Mansfeld, the revered Taiwan could do little about it the Bush administration and the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, has been except hope the US could save them. North Koreans are jockeying for nominated for a bushel of awards. It is a very flammable situation, per- position in up-coming talks. But at On January 28, I am off to the haps not now, but sometime in the least it is talk. In sum, all points of annual national meeting of the next decade, or so most in our little the President’s “axis of evil” are World Affairs Councils of America. delegation believed. starting to morph. It is unclear how The annual meeting is now booked The senior leadership of Taiwan much the most recent Gulf war by September! Some of you will be seemed oddly complacent. The US helped. Some, to be sure. But there, and I look forward to seeing supports the status quo, but clearly, money matters too. The Europeans you in Washington. 4