UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE July/August 1999 StateStateMagazine Crisis in China Rebuilding relations with Beijing Coming in September: Thessaloniki State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly, except bimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Department of State, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, State DC. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to State Magazine, Magazine PER/ER/SMG, SA-6, Room 433, Washington, DC 20522-0602. State Carl Goodman Magazine is published to facilitate communication between manage- ment and employees at home and abroad and to acquaint employees EDITOR-IN-CHIEF with developments that may affect operations or personnel. The Donna Miles magazine is also available to persons interested in working for the DEPUTY EDITOR Department of State and to the general public. 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Colleen Hope Material may be submitted on disks, emailed or faxed, in 14-point Stevenson McIlvaine type, to (703) 812-2475. The mailing address is State Magazine, Wayne Oshima PER/ER/SMG, SA-6, Room 433, Washington, DC 20522-0602. Gary Pergl Contributions may also be left in Room 3811, Main State. The magazine’s main number is (703) 516-1667. Deadline for copy is the 15th of each month. StateState Magazine July/August 1999 Contents No. 427 Department of State • United States of America COLUMNS 8 4 Crisis in Kosovo State rebuilds relations with China following NATO’s 2 From the Secretary bombing of its embassy in Belgrade. 7 Direct From the D.G. 8Post of the Month: Abu Dhabi The United Arab Emirates is an interesting Middle Eastern posting with Western conveniences. DEPARTMENTS 14 Office of the Month: 3 Letters to the Editor Geographer and Global Issues 4 In the News This office’s charter extends far beyond mapmaking. 31 Medical Report 18 Public Service Recognition Week 41 People Like You I Foreign Service Day in Review I State Observes Third Annual Civil Service Day 43 Obituaries I State Employees Honored 45 Personnel Actions 29 Healing the Wounds of Nairobi Downtown Abu Dhabi. A Foreign Service officer reflects on how the bombing and the loss of his wife changed him, his family and his view of the Foreign Service. 32 A New Approach to Learning Languages Honor guard at plaque dedication. FSI’s new paradigm for teaching 62 languages to some 1,700 students a year is that “one size fits none.” 35 The Metamorphosis Transfers between the Foreign Service and Civil Service are more common than most people think. 37 International Adoptions Three State employees share their stories of adopting children from other countries. On the Cover Chinese guards at the embassy in Beijing. Reuters photo 18 FROM THE SECRETARY SECRETARY MADELEINE ALBRIGHT Celebrating the Modern Foreign Service was honored to participate May 24 in a In addition, I stressed the need dinner commemorating the 75th to erase the myth that technology anniversary of the signing of the The savings and the end of the Cold War have Rogers Act, which created the modern made diplomacy obsolete. IU.S. Foreign Service. yielded by In the new global era, there are I congratulate those who conceived few goals vital to America that we and organized the event—Ambassador successful can achieve through our actions Brandon Grove, Dan Geisler, Louise alone. In most situations, for most Eaton and Director General Skip Gnehm. purposes, we need the coopera- I also support enthusiastically their effort diplomacy are tion of others. And diplomacy is to use the anniversary as a challenge to about understanding others and look forward—and outward—including incalculable. explaining ourselves. It is about the sponsorship of a nationwide high building and nourishing partner- school essay contest on the role of diplo- ships for common action toward macy in American history. shared goals. It is about listening The dinner was highlighted by the presence of and persuading, analyzing and moving at the right time. Ambassador George Kennan and numerous other giants Finally, I emphasized the need for resources. of U.S. diplomacy and by insightful remarks from Under Military readiness is vital, but so is diplomatic effec- Secretary of State Tom Pickering. tiveness. When negotiations break down, we don’t send In my remarks, I stressed the importance of the efforts our soldiers to fight without weapons. Why, then, do we being made by our Foreign Service, Foreign Service so often send our diplomats to negotiate without the National and Civil Service personnel to ensure the future leverage that resources provide? The savings yielded security and prosperity of our country. I argued that our by successful diplomacy are incalculable. So are the personnel “are on the front lines every day, on every conti- costs of failed diplomacy, not only in hard cash, but in nent. And like the men and women of our armed forces— human lives. no more, but no less—they deserve, for they have earned, In closing, I said that from the Treaty of Paris to the the gratitude and full backing of the American people.” around-the-clock deliberations of our own era, the story I also said that we need to draw a clear connection in of U.S. diplomacy is the story of a unique and free socie- the public mind between what we do and the quality of ty emerging from isolation to cross vast oceans and life Americans enjoy. assume its rightful role on the world stage. It is the story Foreign policy isn’t everything. We cannot tell any of America first learning, then accepting and then acting American that diplomacy will guarantee safe schools, on its responsibilities. clean up the Internet or pay for long-term health care, but Above all, it is the story of individuals, from Benjamin we can say to every American that foreign policy may Franklin onward, who answered their country’s call, and well help you land a good job, protect the environment, who have given their life and labor in service to its citizens. safeguard your neighborhood from drugs, shield your As Secretary of State, it has been a great privilege to family from terrorist attack and spare your children the work with you, the members of the Foreign Service, on nightmare of nuclear, chemical or biological war. America’s team. I 2 State Magazine Thank You for Caring LETTERS TO THE EDITOR some time. The injury to his left arm originally was so Mr. Pressley was evacuated Aug. 12 to Walter Reed, severe that amputation appeared certain. But after five where he has undergone several surgeries to save his arm operations, the last two at Walter Reed, his arm has been and rebuild his jaw. The last major surgery on his arm saved and his basic hand function restored. and shoulder was performed Aug. 17 by an orthopedic At the local hospital in Nairobi, where Mr. Pressley specialist from the U.S. Army Medical Center at Fort Sam arrived with his wife immediately after the blast, the doc- Houston, Texas, in San Antonio. My wife Yasemin tor kept asking, “Can you move your hand?” Fortunately, That was the “final pain,” Mr. Pressley said of the last he could. A large chunk of concrete had hurled through surgery, but he still feels a “bowling ball-like” heaviness the open hallway, shattering the bones in his left shoulder in his left arm. One of the steel bridges in his jaw has been and ripping out his muscle and rotator cuff, but it spared replaced with a temporary dental plate. He is eating reg- the vital nerve endings. The flying debris also broke his ularly, but with some difficulty, and has regained his and I would like to jaw in three places, leaving a huge hole below his teeth. original weight of 190 pounds from a low of 160. In Nairobi, the hospital staff stopped the bleeding and Mr. Pressley and his family eat most of their meals at cleaned and assessed the extent of his wounds. Two days the Mologne House, the residential facility for patients later, Mr. Pressley was evacuated along with 11 other and their guests that is located on the hospital grounds. Americans and 12 Kenyans to the U.S. Army Medical The facility is similar to a hotel, complete with front desk, Center in Landstuhl, Germany. There, doctors implanted restaurant and concierge services. To combat cabin fever, Check Policy Before Using three metal plates in his jaw and determined that the Mr. Pressley and his wife have taken advantage of the thank the many State injuries to his arm and shoulder would require orthope- unseasonably warm weather to walk and play with the dic surgery. children outside. On this particular day, Berk and Jon Frank Pressley with wife Yasemin and sons Jon and Berk. employees who sent Commercial Software emails, cards and Your article on off-the-shelf soft- letters while I was ware in the February issue raises recovering at security concerns.