ID THEFT A DIPLOMAT’S CHANGE OF HEART THE CRASH OF THE KALEVA

$3.50 / MAY 2007 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS

AN UNCERTAIN PATH AHEAD The Foreign Service As a Career

CONTENTS May 2007 Volume 84, No. 5

F OCUS ON THE FS ASAC AREER F EATURES

20 / PLUS ÇA CHANGE ... ? THE EDUCATION OF CARNE ROSS: Many in the Foreign Service may hope that things FROM OUTRAGE TO OPPORTUNITY / 42 will get back to “normal” once the Iraq War is over. A senior British Foreign Service officer who resigned three Don’t count on it. years ago over his government’s Iraq policy now provides By Shawn Zeller diplomatic advice to those who need it most. By Ludovic Hood 27 / COPING WITH UNACCOMPANIED TOURS The unaccompanied tour, a rapidly growing category THE LAST FLIGHT FROM TALLINN / 46 of overseas service, presents new challenges A Foreign Service code clerk finally receives recognition for for the Foreign Service. his sacrifice in the line of duty two-thirds of a century ago. By Nan Leininger By Eric A. Johnson and Anna Hermann

35 / RECALLING ALL-PURPOSE DUTY IN RUSSIA Two decades ago, Embassy Moscow and Consulate General C OLUMNS D EPARTMENTS Leningrad became the only U.S. diplomatic missions in a PRESIDENT’S VIEW / 5 LETTERS / 6 foreign country with no FSNs. An Over-Ripe Opportunity CYBERNOTES / 8 By Allan Mustard Needs Attention Now FASTRAX / 11 By J. Anthony Holmes MARKETPLACE / 13 SPEAKING OUT / 12 AFSA NEWS / 53 When Importance Is BOOKS / 63 Equated with Danger INDEX TO By Brian T. Neubert ADVERTISERS / 70

IN RESPONSE / 16 Much More than Pins on a Map By Lawrence E. Butler

FS KNOW-HOW / 18 Dealing with Identity Theft By David Zwach

REFLECTIONS / 72 A House Call in the Guatemalan Highlands By Donald W. MacCorquodale

THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS OREIGN ERVICE Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published J O U R N A L F S monthly with a combined July/August issue by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit Editorial Board organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent Editor STEVEN ALAN HONLEY TED WILKINSON, the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by Senior Editor CHAIRMAN e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSA Members - $13 included in annual dues; others - $40. For foreign surface mail, SUSAN B. MAITRA add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mail- Associate Editor KENT C. BROKENSHIRE ing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Foreign Service Journal, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. SHAWN DORMAN STEPHEN W. B UCK Ad & Circulation Manager 20037-2990. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited ED MILTENBERGER ANTHONY S. CHAN manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein Business Manager JOSH GLAZEROFF does not imply the endorsement of the services or goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. ANDREW KIDD WILLIAM W. J ORDAN E-MAIL: [email protected]. WEB: www.afsa.org. TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Art Director LAURIE KASSMAN Association, 2007. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to AFSA Membership, 2101 E Street N.W., CARYN SUKO SMITH KAY WEBB MAYFIELD Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Printed on 50-percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. Editorial Intern JOHN K. NALAND E. MARGARET MACFARLAND JOYCE NAMDE CHRISTOPHER L. TEAL Cover and inside illustration by John Lavin

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3

PRESIDENT’S VIEWS An Over-Ripe Opportunity Needs Attention Now BY J. ANTHONY HOLMES

There aren’t many things real winner. al attempts to take over the space set that unite every living former Virtually everyone inter- aside for the center have been fought Secretary of State, pundits and ested recognizes that our off — for now. But how long can this academics, Republicans and nation is woefully ignorant of prime space remain safe when Democrats, as well as AFSA the history of American diplo- bureaus are clamoring for more room and State Department manage- macy, the challenges it has and a new foreign assistance empire ment. One thing that does is overcome, its meager cost has been created and many staff shift- the “United States Diplomacy relative to the savings gained ed over from USAID? Already, Center,” the museum of American from wars avoided, and the monu- details have come out about plans to diplomacy that currently has a staff of mental contributions it has made to kick out the long-time occupants of seven working on plans, over $1.0 mil- our national security. As recent politi- the 1200 “service corridor,” such as lion in dedicated private funding sit- cal discourse reflects, the importance the FLO offices, the travel and trans- ting in the bank, and 20,000 square of diplomacy to our national interests portation people, AFSA, AFGE, and feet of vacant prime space in the has never been greater. Nor has the even the Employee Services Center newly renovated east wing of the relevance of this project. It would be (aka the Foreign Service Lounge) to Main State building, all just waiting to a welcome addition to our public create new office space. be used. And waiting, and waiting, affairs program. And it could become “All the key people in the depart- and waiting ... an important element of our long- ment support the diplomacy center,” During his first week formally on standing efforts to build a domestic I’ve been repeatedly told. “It’s like the job in February 2001, Secretary political constituency that will advo- apple pie and motherhood.” Even Colin Powell signed a Statement of cate for greater U.S. involvement in Secretary Rice supports it, they say, Support committing the State the world and a larger role and ade- and she was very impressed six Department to provide staff, space, quate funding for the diplomatic com- months ago by the design concept and security for the museum. Even ponent of that engagement. presentation. When I discussed the earlier, at the department’s request, a I was particularly pleased recently center with her in late 2005 and again nonprofit foundation was formed and to hear some good news that I last summer, she was indeed support- quickly raised $1.3 million of the esti- thought augured well for the center. ive, but she also had some concerns. mated $25 million needed for the Under Secretary of State Nicholas Those issues have now been address- project, funds donated by founda- Burns (one of the early backers of the ed, I’m told. But nothing happens — tions and State Department retirees. idea) told AFSA that, in response to and no one can explain why. A quarter of this sum was spent more concerns expressed by recent hires As the Bush administration heads than two years ago on an impressive about how useful some U.S. diplo- down the home stretch and the design concept by renowned muse- matic history context would be in Secretary’s staff ponders her legacy, it um designers and architects. Plans their orientation process, he had seems to me that having her break the call for the center to be integrated worked with FSI and the Historian’s logjam and get the diplomacy center with the snazzy new auditorium and office to develop a three-day U.S. project moving is a no-brainer. She meeting rooms already being used at diplomatic history module to be would join an illustrious group of pre- the 21st Street entrance. In short, included in future A-100 courses. decessors who have lined up behind this project has all the makings of a The synergy this could create with this project. Both AFSA and I hope the center seems obvious. she will do the right thing, and quickly, J. Anthony Holmes is the president of the There have also been worrying lest the loss of momentum so far prove American Foreign Service Association. omens. It is widely known that sever- fatal.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 5 LETTERS

The Neocon Agenda “The Unnecessary War,” and believes Jett’s grossly subjective anti-administra- The twin articles on foreign policy it has lasted too long. tion arguments do reflect those of the during the next two years (“A Bleak I add my voice to those like former Journal and its board? Outlook” by Dennis Jett and “A Sound President Jimmy Carter, who advo- It seems to me that our profession- Strategy” by Joshua Muravchik, FSJ, cates a truly even-handed U.S. policy al Journal must reflect all carefully February) were balanced in every on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and considered opinions, without gratu- respect except one: the article by Jett Ambassador Philip C. Wilcox Jr., itous expressions of support, or lack was accompanied by a short bio of the whose excellent article in the Decem- thereof. Moreover, now that Mr. Jett author but the article by Muravchik ber Journal (“The Holy Land: Can has had several occasions to vent his was not. [Editor’s Note: A correction Peace Be Rescued?”) builds a persua- spleen on our pages, do us a favor and note about this inadvertent omission sive case for the sort of intervention in give him a long rest. ran in the March issue.] the Middle East that could actually Michael G. Wygant A quick Google search of Murav- yield results. To the neoconservatives FSO, retired chik’s background revealed exactly who have led us astray once and who Scarborough, Maine what I thought: this ardent neocon- seek to do so again, I say: sit down and servative is associated with hawkish shut up. Your agenda has been thor- Iraq Reconstruction Specialists think tanks such as the Washington oughly discredited. The State Department is having Institute for Near East Policy and the Lewis K. Elbinger difficulty finding the technical special- Jewish Institute for National Security FSO ists, such as agronomists, engineers and Affairs, where he is on the advisory Air War College police officers, for Iraq reconstruction. board. Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice The dirty little secret of the neo- was recently quoted in the Washington conservatives who urged unilateral Requesting a Jett-ison Post as saying “no Foreign Service in aggression in Iraq, and who now urge Your February focus section arti- the world has those people.” the same in Iran, is that they are pro- cles on the next two years of foreign But we once did. U.S. foreign aid moting the foreign policy of Israel, not policy were timely, and the topic was agencies from the 1950s to the 1970s that of the United States. These well chosen. Unfortunately, your had many such specialists, both career Israel-Firsters must contort reason series was marred by yet another com- and contract, American and local-hire. and logic in order to convince us that pletely unbalanced tirade by Dennis In Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zaire, I Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Mah- Jett against the current administration. directed scores of agricultural experts, moud Ahmadinejad’s Iran are threats This is not the first time you have education and health professionals, to the United States through a sup- devoted space to this inveterate Bush- infrastructure engineers, public safety posed connection to Osama bin La- basher, who obviously has some bitter officers and others, who carried out den’s al-Qaida — an organization grudge against those he once served. countless development and recon- which really is a threat to the United In introducing the companion piece struction projects in conjunction with States. So instead of concentrating our by Joshua Muravchik, which brings a local officials. Such experts were efforts in Afghanistan — finding, cap- right-wing perspective to the debate, doing the same in other Cold War turing and killing the leaders of the you hasten to assert that Mr. Mura- frontier countries such as Turkey, organization that attacked us — we are vchik’s “prescription is emphatically not India, Thailand and South Korea. bogged down in a quagmire called the view of the Journal, the Foreign Unfortunately, beginning in the late “The Long War” by those who believe Service Journal Editorial Board, etc.” 1970s, the executive branch and Con- it is necessary. Everyone else calls it Are we then left to conclude that Mr. gress regularly cut the budget and staff

6 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 L ETTERS

of the U.S. Agency for International One Foreign Service ends, as all Jungle Book tales do, with a Development, relegating it to sub- I was disappointed by Francis poem, which contains this couplet: sidiary status in the foreign policy Xavier Cunningham’s letter in the “Children of the Camp are we, serving arena. The same was done to our cul- February issue, which attempted to each in his degree.” Words to remem- tural and propaganda arm, the U.S. draw a parallel between the behavior ber, perhaps, the next time we animals Information Agency. of the characters in the opera “Ma- get to arguing about who is best. The result is that today we have a dame Butterfly” and relations between Colin Helmer warped foreign affairs establishment “substantive” and “non-substantive” Economic Counselor — heavy on the military and intelli- officers of the Foreign Service. As an Embassy Kuala Lumpur gence sides, but far too light on the economic officer who is married to a reconstruction, foreign aid and cultur- management officer, I feel well-quali- Praise for the Boss al affairs sides. This urgently needs fied to respond. The March issue brought yet correction. While there may be self-important another letter of praise for Under Raymond Malley people who perceive themselves as Secretary Karen Hughes that, like oth- State/USAID FSO, retired superior to members of other cones, ers before, was from a member of her McLean, Va. they soon learn to appreciate their col- staff. Am I the only one who finds leagues’ work when they need visa these testimonials lacking in credibili- Refreshing Ideas assistance for a contact or mainte- ty? Public expressions of praise for a As an active Foreign Service Limit- nance work on their air conditioning. supervisor from a subordinate should ed appointee who is new to USAID, I And if they don’t learn to respect their be embarrassing for all concerned, study the Journal with great interest colleagues, they may find that they get whether Foreign Service career offi- and share its articles with colleagues in a rather grudging response to their cers or political appointees. Perhaps the United States and abroad. I have requests! these accolades would carry more been especially interested in the “true Mr. Cunningham’s letter is a prime weight if there were not an employee confessions” aspects of retired officers example of the debilitating tendency evaluation report connecting Ms. who speak up now that they no longer of the Service to Balkanize itself. With Hughes and the writers. actively serve. only a few thousand members in the To paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a Your December focus, “Keeping corps — in which I would include our suck-up is a suck-up is a suck-up. the Lid On: Prospects for Peace in the wonderful office management special- What’s next? Her staff’s nomination Middle East,” captured my attention, ists, information managers and other of Hughes for sainthood? Or a Nobel for I have worked in that region’s hot professional staff, as well as colleagues Prize? spots since the mid-1970s. As we all in USAID, FCS, FAS and IBB — it Robin Berrington grow up under the influence of par- makes no sense to divide ourselves USIA FSO, retired ents, family, teachers, religious and through petty squabbles over which of Washington, D.C. cultural leaders, etc., we cannot help us is more important. None of us can but develop attitudes and make as- get along without the others; therefore Reflecting Literature sumptions that we hold dear. Those none of us can be deemed to be supe- I appreciated the September 2006 assumptions then became realities for rior to the others. Reflections piece, “I Found Huck us. In reading the FSJ articles, my Rather than “Madame Butterfly,” Finn in El Salvador,” by Jack Gal- mind was free to roam over a spec- the example I propose the Foreign lagher. The combination of Mark trum of ideas beyond my own, which Service adopt is Rudyard Kipling’s Twain and Huck Finn being rolled into was refreshingly frightful and enlight- story, “Her Majesty’s Servants,” from such a well-written relationship with ening. Thank you so much for such the first Jungle Book. In this allegori- current events appealed to me greatly. experiences. cal tale, several military draft animals Very depressing in recent years is Barney P. Popkin (a cavalry charger, a pack camel, an the lack of a connection many Environmental Protection artillery mule and so on) argue about Americans feel to any work written — Specialist their place in the army and which is or often even anyone writing — earli- Bureau for Asia and the more important. Their discussion er than, say, 1970! Near East makes clear that each has their own Steve Flora USAID strengths and weaknesses, and each Foreign Service Specialist Washington, D.C. has an essential role to play. The story Embassy Dubai

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 7 CYBERNOTES

Spotlight on Iraq Refugee the subject (http://judiciary.senate. there is a particular group of individu- Crisis gov/hearing.cfm?id=2470). als who are uniquely vulnerable: those A March 26 hearing before the By most accounts, at least two mil- Iraqis who have worked for the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee lion refugees have fled to Syria and as translators, guides and in other subcommittee on the Middle East Jordan alone. According to Refugees capacities and who are now the spe- and South Asia threw a spotlight on International (www.refugeesinter cial targets of the anti-American mili- the Iraq refugee situation, described national.org), Iraqis were leaving tants. as “the fastest growing refugee crisis the country at the rate of 100,000 a With the help of military officers in the world” and one of the gravest month until Jordan recently moved to and Foreign Service personnel, pres- (http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/h shut its borders. Another 1.9 million sure is being stepped up on the U.S. earing_notice.asp?id=792). The Iraqis have been internally displaced. government to honor the moral oblig- issue was first brought to lawmakers’ Among this vast assemblage — ation to assist these individuals. Arab- attention in January, when Senator which some anticipate will include ist Kirk Johnson, a USAID regional Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., led Sen- more than 20 percent of the Iraqi coordinator in Baghdad and then Fal- ate Judiciary Committee hearings on population by the end of the year — luja in 2005, was one of the first to publicize the issue. In a Dec. 15 arti- cle in the Los Angeles Times, Johnson Introducing The Vanguard painted a vivid picture of what “local- On April 3, AFSA/USAID released the first issue of The Vanguard (www. ly employed staff” face, and argued afsa.org/usaid/040307afsanetvanguard.pdf), an electronic newsletter that assistance was not only a moral that aims to fill the void created by suspension of the agency’s FrontLines. but strategic imperative as well. Produced by the AFSA office staff at USAID, The Vanguard will be pub- More recently, the efforts of lished every few months in an effort to keep USAID active-duty and retired Angela “Khadija” Williams, an FSO employees connected. An unofficial, informal publication, the inaugural issue posted as public diplomacy officer at contains a story on the new employees sworn in Feb. 5 and the celebration of PRT Anbar, to help a 34-year-old International Women’s Day in Dhaka, a report on replacing coca cultivation in female Iraqi translator gain asylum Peru and a former FrontLines favorite — information on personnel changes at have been covered in the press (www. the agency. realcities.com/mld/krwashington Though editors Francisco Zamora, AFSA vice president for USAID, and /news/special_packages/iraq/169 Ásgeir Sifgússon acknowledge that they have neither the funding nor resources 47889.htm). Ansam, who has lost to completely replace FrontLines, they were spurred to action by a steady her entire family in the war, is one of stream of e-mails and comments from members upset over its termination. hundreds of Iraqis who have put their The last FrontLines issue was May 2006. In response to AFSA/USAID’s lives on the line for U.S. forces — only inquiries in November, officials in the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs to be denied or blocked from immi- stated that USAID Administrator Randall Tobias had directed that publications grating to the U.S., despite recom- in general were to be “reviewed to determine the adequacy of their purpose, mendations from a Marine brigadier message, consistency, audience and cost issues.” general and other officers with whom By all accounts, The Vanguard has been well-received. Zamora received she has worked. more than a dozen congratulatory e-mails and phone calls within several days Finally she was approved for a pro- of its release. Interestingly, sources also say that the re-launching of FrontLines gram to resettle at-risk interpre- is now under “active” consideration at USAID. ters, only to be told that the 50 slots — Susan Maitra, Senior Editor were already filled. “Six groups have left her behind,” Williams says.

8 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 CYBERNOTES

“Whatever it takes, I’m getting her out.” In testimony at the March 26 hear- 50 Years Ago... ings, retired U.S. Army Major Gener- The statesman is … like one of the heroes of classical al Paul D. Eaton made the case for tragedy who has had an intuition of the future but who giving Iraqis who have worked closely cannot transmit it directly to his fellow men and who with the U.S. priority status for immi- cannot validate its ‘truth.’ This is why statesmen often share the gration without regard to quotas. fate of prophets, that they are without honor in their own country Since the mid-1970s, some 37,000 and that their greatness is usually apparent only in retrospect when Iraqis have been allowed to emigrate; their intuition has become experience. but since 2003, only 466 visas have been granted to Iraqi refugees, with — Henry Kissinger, “The Problem of Leadership,” FSJ, May 1957. an additional 50 per year accorded to military translators. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Also testifying was New Yorker Included as an amendment to Ellen Sauerbrey told the committee magazine writer George Packer. His “Improving America’s Security by that in February Secretary Rice estab- report, “Betrayed,” an account of Implementing Unfinished Recom- lished the Iraqi Refugee and Intern- Iraqis who have worked for the U.S., mendations of the 9/11 Commission ally Displaced Task Force, led by Asst. is detailed and compelling (www. Act of 2007,” the provision would lift Sec. Paula Dobriansky, to coordinate newyorker.com/reporting/2007/ visa restrictions for citizens from coun- the government response on behalf of 03/26/070326fa_fact_packer). tries that “cooperated with the govern- Iraqi refugees. “They are,” he states, “truly a unique ment of the United States on coun- Sauerbrey also said the administra- ‘homeless’ population in Iraq’s war terterrorism initiatives and informa- tion is “working to identify the best zone — dependent on us for security tion-sharing” — provided that the way to broaden our existing authori- and not convinced we will take care of Secretary of Homeland Security and ties” to assist those at risk due to their them when we leave.” the Secretary of State expect such association with the U.S. — Susan Maitra, Senior Editor cooperation will continue. The ad- Refugees International represen- ministration has already identified 13 tative Kristele Younes stated that the Visa Waiver Expansion: Smart countries to add: South Korea, Greece, problem was still not being adequate- Move or Security Blunder? Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, ly addressed either by the internation- Under legislation passed by the Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Repub- al community or the U.S. RI com- Senate on March 13, the Visa Waiver lic, Malta, Hungary, Slovakia and mends the Bush administration’s offer Program — which grants entry to the Poland (www.novinite.com/view_ to resettle some 7,000 refugees found U.S. for 90 days — would be expand- news.php?id=77894). eligible under U.S. law, and supports ed for the first time since the program Under the VWP, the nationals of its request to Congress for additional was adopted in 1999. The measure 27 participating states are inspected funding for resettlement and overseas opening the VWP to allies in the upon arrival at U.S. points of entry, assistance to internally-displaced per- Global War on Terror faces uncertain but are exempt from the usual back- sons and refugees. But, Younes adds, prospects in the House. Called for by ground checks and in-country inter- “the amounts requested and the President Bush, the initiative has views associated with obtaining a visa. admissions offered are far too small, revived the debate over access versus Participating countries must issue given the level of need.” security in visa policy. passports that are machine-readable

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 9 C YBERNOTES

and have a denial rate of less than 3 through Exports. The National For- endorse it. percent for non-immigrant nationals eign Trade Council endorses the Signs of discontent within the rul- seeking U.S. visas. As of 2006, they expansion of the VWP to protect the ing party are the focus of new hope must also have begun replacing their competitive U.S. lead in global tech- that Zimbabwe’s disintegration may citizens’ machine-readable docu- nology (www.crn.com/it-channel/ be halted in the next year, and its bat- ments with biometric passports. 198500222). tered economy and body politic put Senator George V. Voinovich, R- Not everyone agrees. Within the on the road to recovery. In a report Ohio, who wrote the measure, says security community there are con- issued March 5, the International Cri- that the move can “improve both our cerns that in the absence of a rigorous sis Group examines the political crisis national and economic security while visa background check, terrorists and going into the July parliamentary ses- helping to solidify relationships and international criminals have easy sion (www.crisisgroup.org/home/ improve good will toward the United access to the U.S. Victims of terror- index.cfm?id=1233&l=1). The States for years to come” (http://voin ism are opposed as well. Michael ICG recommends negotiations among ovich.senate.gov/public/). Cutler of 9/11 Families for a Secure ZANU-PF and opposition leaders to Business and education groups are America believes that the VWP bring about Mugabe’s retirement and the VWP’s biggest supporters, among should be repealed altogether, and form a transitional government to them the Association of International that the business community exercis- implement an emergency economic Educators, the Heritage Foundation es undue influence on security policy recovery plan and draft a new consti- and the Coalition for Employment (www.911fsa.org/articles/art2006 tution. jan31b.html). At a summit meeting of the The Government Accountability Southern African Development Com- Office concluded in a July 2006 report munity in Dar es Salaam at the end of that the VWP carries with it both risks March to discuss Zimbabwe, regional and benefits (www.gao.gov/new.it leaders mandated South African ems/d06854.pdf). Noting that both President Thabo Mbeki to step up ef- Zacarias Moussaoui and would-be forts to mediate the conflict between shoe bomber Richard Reid came into Mugabe and the opposition Move- the U.S. from VWP countries, the ment for Democratic Change in GAO explained that stolen VWP pass- Harare. Though it marks a departure ports are now a hot commodity, and from the group’s adherence to the emphasized the need for sufficient principle of non-interference in the scrutiny over VWP procedures. internal affairs of member states, the — Margaret E. MacFarland, move was criticized by those who had Editorial Intern hoped for a harsher stance toward Mugabe (http://allafrica.com/stori Zimbabwe: Beginning of the es/printable/2007033.html). End for Mugabe? The SADC summit also called for On March 30, the central commit- a study group to look at Zimbabwe’s tee of Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF collapsing economy and come up with party opted to endorse President plans to help. Unemployment stands Robert Mugabe for the presidential at 80 percent. Once an agricultural election slated for March 2008 rather exporter with a vibrant manufacturing than agree to Mugabe’s proposal to center and 4.3-percent annual growth extend his current term for two more on average, Zimbabwe can no longer years, until 2010. The proposal for feed itself. The U.N. Office for the extension had suffered an unprece- Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs dented setback in December when, and other aid agencies estimate this under threat of rebellion on the part year’s harvest will only provide one- of several influential members, the sixth of the corn needed to feed the party’s annual conference refused to population.

10 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 C YBERNOTES

uite frankly, I think we have two significant problems in this country and in this government in terms of dealing with these kinds of Qsituations, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. When I left government, USAID had 16,000 employees. It has 2,000 now. We used to have this kind of a deployable expeditionary capability in the government. … We don’t have that anymore. Now it’s more or less a contracting agency. Similarly, in terms of the strategic communications part of civic action, we basically dismantled USIA and that capability at the end of the Cold War.

— Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, asked if he was satisfied with U.S. government support of the surge in Iraq, at the SECDEF Roundtable, March 22, www.defenselink.mil/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=39ll.htm?

Inflation is running at 1,700 per- rent economic crisis (www.cato.org/ cent, the highest in the world, and pubs/edb/edb4.html). The sanc- government coffers are nearly empty. tions are widely credited with increas- Between 1998 and 2006, the econo- ing pressure on Mugabe, as business- my shrank by 40 percent, with output men in his party have felt the pinch. down in all sectors. The cost of living While there are differing views as for a family of six rose by 26.4 percent to how events will unfold in Harare, in one month alone (September to there is no disagreement that the cri- October 2006), according to the gov- sis is rapidly taking the country to a ernment-funded Consumer Council breaking point. The systematic gov- of Zimbabwe. Moreover, an estimat- ernment campaign against opposition ed 18 percent of the population has supporters — political rallies were HIV/AIDS. banned in February — has now Many observers believe that Muga- begun to affect ordinary Zimbab- be’s days as the head of state are num- weans, according to Human Rights bered (he has been in power since Watch (www.hrw.org/english/do independence in 1980). According to cs/2007/03/28/zimbab15578.htm). the BBC’s online news service, the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Dell British government believes there are has been a particularly outspoken crit- several scenarios for his exit: he could ic of the Mugabe regime’s heavy- negotiate his departure, be pushed out handed tactics. by the ZANU-PF or forced out by a To monitor developments in civil explosion. Zimbabwe, go to www.allafrica.com Britain and the U.S. are looking for or http://news.bbc.co.uk. In addi- ways to strengthen the economic tion to the ICG, mentioned above, sanctions they imposed in 2002 and the Council on Foreign Relations 2003, respectively, in response to the offers insights into current develop- land reform program Mugabe launch- ments as well as background material ed in 2000 and subsequent human (www.cfr.org). The U.S. Institute rights violations. That move precipi- for Peace also has useful information tated a collapse in foreign exchange (www.usip.org). earnings and helped trigger the cur- — Susan Maitra, Senior Editor

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 11 SPEAKING OUT When Importance Is Equated With Danger

BY BRIAN T. NEUBERT

ecretary of State Condoleezza tegic, historic, cultural and geograph- Rice’s global repositioning initia- Morale, recognition ic. For one factor, “danger,” to trump Stive will yield beneficial results if and advancement are all of these confuses and weakens the understaffed posts in China, India, process. the Middle East and Africa begin to all warped in a Under the current paradigm, hard- achieve adequate human resource system where good ship and danger posts are given prior- levels to carry out the important work work in successful ity for assignments; thus, the impor- of transformational diplomacy. With- tance of a posting is equated with its out a doubt, Washington and Europe countries is relative danger. But Iraq, Afghani- remain important, but the reposition- undervalued. stan, Sudan, Pakistan, Haiti and Saudi ing exercise will restore some balance Arabia are not important countries to staffing worldwide. because they are dangerous. Rather, The imperfect Foreign Service they are strategically important and assignments process has also received dangerous. a much-needed overhaul that will decision to varying degrees. Similarly, U.S. relations with facilitate the task of sending person- Consequently, most effective offi- friendly democracies like the United nel where they are most needed to cers are happy and fulfilled in their Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany advance U.S. foreign policy objec- post of assignment because they (and and Australia continue to be impor- tives. Director General George their family members) have used their tant in their own right. So the relative Staple’s initiative to conduct multiple own criteria to select it. Following safety of Paris or Berlin should not assignment seasons is designed to career development guidelines and diminish appreciation for the good enable the department to fill so-called meeting the needs of the Service, diplomatic work being done there. “priority” posts before all others. each bidder is responsible for manag- Peace, stability and development Recently, for instance, the FS-2 gen- ing his or her own professional in Iraq and Afghanistan are unques- eralist “regular season” was temporar- advancement, weighing the informa- tionably top U.S. priorities — not ily delayed because “pre-season” slots tion the system provides about the because these countries are war at that grade remained unfilled. merits and disadvantages of each job zones, but because we have staked I can speak only for myself but, in on the list. our reputation in nationbuilding on general, these changes to the status success in both countries. However, quo seem reasonable. Within the A Crucial Fallacy one need look no further than our framework of “worldwide availability,” It is in persuading bidders to con- consular information sheets to learn Foreign Service personnel enjoy sider the more challenging assign- that doing any kind of business in some level of choice over where they ments that the department is failing. either place poses enormous difficul- are assigned. So, with the exception The message is that critical posts are ties. of (relatively rare) directed assign- dangerous posts, leading to the con- Furthermore, some policy goals in ments, they choose to serve at a post, clusion that safe posts are not critical. critical-needs countries are not attain- based on their own criteria. Family- Yet the importance that a diplomatic able in the near term, precisely be- friendliness, safety, the job portfolio, posting or mission holds for U.S. cause the security environment does health conditions, pay incentives and national interests is actually based on not permit us to pursue them success- career advancement all inform the many factors: political, economic, stra- fully. Ironically, the danger makes

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those jobs less important, because we on our list of priorities if it assumes are less able to accomplish our goals. leadership of a major regional bloc, The department’s current empha- like the European Union. sis on the degree of crisis in determin- Equating importance with danger ing staffing priorities fails to address in the assignments process has impli- many promising diplomatic opportu- cations above and beyond the deci- nities. For example, according to a sions made every two to four years recent message from the director gen- about who goes where. Morale, re- eral, “priority” posts like Algeria, the cognition and advancement are all Central African Republic and Burun- warped in a system where good work di were 100-percent filled in the pre- in successful countries is undervalued. season. Are any of these countries The ability to manage crises is unde- even close to India or China in terms niably important, but it is certainly not of importance to U.S. interests? the only professional skill needed to Let me hasten to add that in no conduct a sound foreign policy. way do I wish to disparage my fine I have spent half of my career at colleagues elsewhere in Africa with 25-percent hardship posts — I cut my that comment. However, “danger” or teeth in the war-ravaged Democratic “hardship” criteria writ large are hin- Republic of the Congo from 1998 to dering rational decisions by both bid- 2000 — and I expect to bid mostly on ders and the department’s leadership. hardship posts later this year. But I am growing tired of the messages Opportunities for Growth dutifully forwarded by my career Excellent diplomatic opportunities development officer reporting on the exist in many countries for Foreign department’s success in deploying Service personnel in all skill codes and our top people to dangerous postings. at all levels. Even though those of us Even as I sit at a hardship post, it is here in Madagascar are not anywhere frustrating to think we are deliberate- near Washington’s radar screen, let ly choosing not to send our best peo- alone on it, throughout my two years ple to relatively safe posts where criti- here I have enjoyed a range of unique cal diplomatic work is being done. professional challenges. For example, Of course, one can reasonably ar- Madagascar signed the very first com- gue that we should not close our mis- pact with the Millennium Challenge sions in critical-needs countries just Corporation, making it a prime labo- because it is dangerous to be there. I ratory for testing the usefulness of the think we all understand that the path to Millennium Challenge experiment victory is strewn with obstacles. To that should yield valuable lessons for leave the field of play would be to other countries moving toward partic- admit failure and surrender the world ipation. to the forces of chaos and evil. My two years in Hong Kong were Yet the opportunity cost of equat- among the safest in my life, yet my ing importance with danger decreases colleagues and I had a unique vantage our diplomatic effectiveness in the point from which to engage China. rest of the world. It also implies that We also promoted the Container relative safety is relatively unimpor- Security Initiative at a port that sends tant. Our relations with many strate- more containers to the United States gically important, “safe” countries are than any other. Or, drawing from a less likely to remain strong, given a colleague’s experience, a country of reduced investment of diplomatic modest strategic importance may rise capital.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 13 S PEAKING O UT

The department’s current emphasis on the degree of crisis in determining staffing priorities fails to address many promising diplomatic opportunities.

Deservedly or not, the standing of the United States in the world is at an historic low. Underprioritizing posi- tions in the very countries where this trend can (and must) be reversed is a mistake.

A Possible Solution In closing, I would be remiss if I failed to offer any solutions to this problem. Perhaps the Bureau of Human Resources could develop a “Diplomatic Opportunity Index” that divides open positions into groups to be filled over several assignment sea- sons. An overarching theme for such an index should be the feasibility of getting the job done on the ground in the country. Criteria for selecting such positions could include promo- tion performance or major awards earned by incumbents. Another approach would be for assistant secretaries in each geo- graphic bureau to designate 10 to 15 positions in their region for priority assignment. Toward that end, a radi- cal idea might be to align or connect the assignments process, the new Mission Strategic Plans and work

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requirements statements. Many slots in Iraq and Afghan- istan would no doubt be included in any list of jobs to be filled early on a priority basis. But other positions, particularly those in countries where the security environment prevents normal diplomatic activity, would wait until the regular bidding season. In contrast, jobs in any country that offers opportunities for an individual to make a difference — particularly where incumbents have made good progress — should be considered for the pre-season. A mentor once told me a great officer makes the most of any post. Yet some countries — safe and dan- gerous alike — offer more scope for success than others. Criteria like democracy, trade relevance, regional security, MCC eligibility, and health and environmental conditions, should justify pre-season placement for some jobs. Any one of these issues relevant to U.S. interests is a more valid indi- cator of importance than danger. The pressure to staff the Iraqs and Afghanistans of the world is unlikely to abate anytime soon. Even so, the incentives and justifications built into our assignments process can and should be recalibrated to reflect diplomatic opportunities. It is when importance is equated with accom- plishing the tasks the American peo- ple pay us for, not just how much dan- ger we expose ourselves to, that the distribution of U.S. diplomatic talent around the world will be most effec- tive.

Brian Neubert is currently the polit- ical, economic and commercial sec- tion chief in Antananarivo. Since joining the Foreign Service in 1998, he has also served in Kinshasa, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 15 IN RESPONSE Much More than Pins on a Map

BY LAWRENCE E. BUTLER

raq’s PRTs: Pins on a Map,” progress that the PRTs are making “ Shawn Dorman’s article in the The Provincial today. IMarch issue of the Foreign Reconstruction Teams, The PRT initiative has been a hard Service Journal, captures the inherent journey for the State Department. complexities of creating a flexible and and the Foreign We have had to adjust our peacetime comprehensive U.S. government re- Service officers who institutions and bureaucratic process- sponse to challenges posed by a post- lead them, are the es with their deliberative character to 9/11 world. The way we assess and the rough realities on the ground, and manage conflict and stabilization has vanguard of we are still learning and adjusting. But changed dramatically, and serves as transformational as the Journal’s many examples prove, the driving force behind Secretary of diplomacy in Iraq. it is a tribute to our FSOs, excepted State Condoleezza Rice’s commit- Civil Service officers (3161s), and ment to transformational diplomacy. partners from other agencies and the The Provincial Reconstruction military that together they have Teams, and the Foreign Service offi- achieved so much outside the Green cers who lead them, are the vanguard It is true that the FSOs responsible Zone in the face of adversity. of this transformative process. It is for establishing the first PRTs during The many examples of PRT ac- challenging work. The Journal article late 2005 and early 2006 often met complishments that the Journal cites highlights some of the logistical and hostile and unaccommodating envi- add up to much more than pins on a coordination problems that hampered ronments, including lack of clarity map. The teams are helping to unify the initial rollout of the PRT program about provision of crucial support. a country, enabling Iraqis to resist the in 2005-2006, particularly with re- But these FSOs were pioneers: they centripetal forces that threaten to pull spect to generating a common vision helped develop a new approach and them apart. Broader political and and plan for the teams among depart- novel mechanisms to fight terrorism economic engagement at the provin- ments with different institutional cul- and mitigate civil strife, and their cial and local level is a critical compo- tures. efforts laid the groundwork for the nent of President Bush’s new strategy for accelerating the transition to Iraqi self-reliance. Through mentoring, training and other support, the PRTs are assisting local governments, from Basrah in the south to Ninawa in the north, to exe- cute their own budgets to fund pro- jects and services that will benefit local Iraqis in their daily lives and in a non-sectarian way. As PRT Baghdad Team Leader Joe Gregoire aptly puts it, “We are seeing many successes as diplomacy transforms the relationship between the city’s inhabitants and its elected leaders in this former dicta- Secretary of State Rice meets with Iraq PRT members. torship.”

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Forging a Common topics as civil-military relations, agency Civilian-Military Vision perspectives, U.S. strategy, public For this unique civilian-military diplomacy and other relevant training joint effort to work, however, certain- modules. Specifically designed for ly requires the forging of a common Iraq PRT members, this training was vision of what the PRTs are trying to delivered by experts with previous accomplish. Through a robust intera- experience serving there, who helped gency lessons-learned process, we are give the new PRT members the narrowing the “vision gap,” conduct- “ground truth” as to what they will face ing an honest appraisal of our short- on the job. comings and making the necessary As a result of such joint pre- adjustments to provide maximum deployment training, incoming PRT support to the PRTs and ensure the members will now have a fuller success of their mission. understanding of the U.S. mission in Toward that end, on Feb. 22 State Iraq, lessons learned, resources avail- and the Department of Defense sign- able to them, and the critical impor- ed a Memorandum of Agreement that tance of teamwork. The process will codifies the civilian-military partner- also forge stronger bonds of intera- ship, clarifies responsibilities for securi- gency collaboration that will carry ty and command and control arrange- over into the field. ments, and sets forth the purpose of In addition, several months ago an the PRTs. The MOA directly address- interagency working group — com- es the support challenges that we have prised of representatives from State, faced since the teams first rolled out. USAID and the Departments of That will greatly enhance effective exe- Defense, Justice, Agriculture and cution of PRT programs, with “State Commerce — began meeting regu- and DOD shar[ing] a common under- larly to address PRT policy issues and standing of their respective roles and oversee the rollout of the enhanced responsibilities,” as called for by the PRT plan proposed by President Bush report of the Office of the Special In- in January. Issues relayed from the spector General for Iraq Reconstruc- field (whether about policy, staffing, tion. This is of particular salience as funding, training or equipment) are brigade commanders and PRT leaders more immediately digested, and their work together in designing and imple- resolution prioritized, as the mission menting a common plan of action has adapted institutionally. under which they will target their com- The civilian dimension is essential bined resources. to the success of the President’s New Now we must go beyond words on Way Forward in Iraq. Indeed, the paper and bridge the interagency cul- FSOs and our other civilian partners tural divide if we are to effectively bring the ingenuity, special skill sets operationalize “unity of mission” be- and relevant experience that will re- tween civilians and the military out in main key determinants in transitioning the field. We are tackling this task the country to self-reliance. Those head-on. joining the PRT program now will find In March, over 40 new PRT offi- that they are increasingly better pre- cers — civilian and military — partici- pared, supported and resourced than pated in the first PRT training course those who pioneered the program. at the Foreign Service Institute. Part of a monthlong effort to prepare PRT Ambassador Lawrence E. Butler is a personnel prior to reporting to their deputy assistant secretary in the posts in Iraq, the course includes such Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 17 FS KNOW-HOW Dealing with Identity Theft

BY DAVID ZWACH

s I’ve learned the hard way, Following the Trail Foreign Service employees Identity theft I filed the police report in Balti- are an attractive target for more, Md. (the crimes occurred in A is the fastest identify thieves, both because we Baltimore County, outside the city). tend to be affluent and because we growing crime in Because their fraud division was frequently live overseas, where it can the United States, understaffed and unable to begin take longer to discover a financial investigating my case immediately, problem. and anyone can be they accepted my offer to gather evi- One day in January 2005, a letter a victim. dence on my own. Timely collection from Home Depot caught my atten- of evidence is critical to building a tion. “Please call to verify your case because stores eventually record enrollment in the Balance Protector over their surveillance camera foot- Program,” it read. I knew I was not age and archive their sales records. enrolled because I did not even have I contacted the companies that a Home Depot credit card. But someone claiming to be me. In addi- were setting up charge accounts in when I called, the representative told tion, none of those unverified cards my name to inform them of the situ- me that they had indeed issued a will show up on a credit bureau’s ation and to find out where the credit card in my name — with a bal- radar until they’re used for the first thieves had made purchases. I was ance of $6,980.22. That was my first time. Sure enough, over the next able to meet with security personnel inkling that I’d become a victim of couple of months I received more who helped me review their surveil- identity theft. credit-card bills totaling $65,000 lance records. I recovered footage I immediately called the big three from fraudulent accounts, including identifying the suspects at specific credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian my hijacked Sears account. I guess I cash registers on the days the fraudu- and Transunion) to report the activi- should feel lucky, though; most cases lent purchases were made. ty. They increased security on my of identity theft involve losses in the At one store, a security officer records, so for the next seven years neighborhood of $100,000. It turns recalled that the suspects looked like no creditor can issue me a charge out I was able to limit the thief’s win- “nice people,” and even questioned card without first calling me at dow of opportunity by reporting the their guilt. When I asked the officer home. In addition, all requests for first incident right away. to describe the clothes they were credit checks by companies intend- Still, it took months of follow-up wearing, the description matched the ing to issue cards will be scrutinized and the completion of numerous affi- clothes they had purchased at a more carefully, and all first-time davits to clear my credit record. I department store using “my” card. purchases with new credit cards will also had to clear my family’s record, A loan officer I spoke to was livid be flagged. as well, supplying signatures from my upon learning that she’d been duped While helpful, these measures wife and children (including a 7-year- into securing a $40,000 car loan for only partially solved the problem. old!) to prove they had not opened one of the suspects, who had pro- Credit-card companies do not have to any of these accounts. But all that duced a fake military ID and a forged verify information with any of those effort paid off, because I was not State Department pay stub. bureaus before issuing a card to liable for a cent. I also asked a Boy Scout camp I’d

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worked at in the 1970s to password- Quicken, MS Money, Excel and for- protect alumni information on their fee credit-card protection services Web site, as that appears to be where There are steps are all helpful tools for this. the crooks found my old address and • Give out your SSN only spar- phone number. you can take to ingly. In the ensuing months, the Balti- • Collect electronic evidence more County Police fraud unit piec- lessen the chances of quickly. This is crucial in catching ed together enough evidence to build the bad guys. When you are over- a case against what turned out to be a being targeted, and seas, it may take months to discover ring operation. An employee at a you’ve been defrauded — but regu- chain video store, where I used to to minimize the larly checking your accounts online rent movies, was pilfering customers’ for any discrepancies or unusual information, including Social Secur- damage if you activity, and reconciling your state- ity numbers, and passing it on to an ments and receipts, can speed up accomplice at an auto dealership. are victimized. the process. Don’t forget to period- He, in turn, ran credit checks to mine ically request your credit reports for potential victims with good credit from the big three credit bureaus like me. Then a female accomplice (Equifax, Experian and Transunion). generated fake documents like pay • Notify the State Department stubs and photo IDs. immediately if you fall prey to With overwhelming evidence, the identity theft or any other crime. police moved in and arrested the Fortunately, there are steps you U.S. government employees under ringleader — but he was released on can take to lessen the chances of chief-of-mission authority should bail and promptly disappeared. Six being targeted, and to minimize the immediately contact their regional months later, the police caught up to damage if you are victimized: security officer. Domestically-based him and arrested him again. By • Keep only the credit cards Department of State employees then, the Baltimore County police you really need. At least one of the should contact their local police. had involved the FBI, Secret Service, “big four” cards — Visa, MasterCard, Finally, there is also a lot of helpful Baltimore City police and Metro American Express and Discover — information available on the Internet: police to clinch the case. can be used nearly everywhere. http://www.identitytheft.org/ and http: When the U.S. Attorney’s Office • Consider giving up all store //www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idthe prosecuted the case in federal court, credit cards. Those issued by ft.html are good places to start. the ringleader pleaded guilty and is stores are far less secure than the expected to be sentenced to 10 to 12 “big four.” At Sears and some other David Zwach, a Foreign Service secu- years in prison. His two accomplices department stores, anyone with a rity engineering officer, is currently have also been arrested, but have fake ID and corresponding Social serving in Abu Dhabi. He has previ- not stood trial yet. Security number can have a tempo- ously served in New Delhi, Frankfurt rary credit pass printed up on the and Washington, D.C. He wishes to Lessons Learned premises for immediate use. Home thank Detectives Mark Watkins and Identity theft is the fastest-grow- Depot, CompUSA and several other Missy Coyne of the Baltimore County ing crime in the United States, and companies did not even confirm my Police Department, and Ms. Marsha anyone can be a victim. No matter real mailing address before allowing Russell of the Baltimore County Dis- how hard you work to protect your- criminals to open accounts in my trict Attorney’s Office, for their assis- self, the security of your credit name. Mindful of that, I have closed tance with this article. The views ex- record depends a lot on other peo- all my store credit-card accounts. pressed herein are those of Mr. Zwach ple, including low-wage employees • Keep all your credit-card and not necessarily those of the De- of stores, credit-card companies and numbers and point-of-contact in- partment of State or the U.S. govern- credit agencies. formation handy in a safe place. ment.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 19 F OCUS ON THE FS ASAC AREER

PLUS ÇA CHANGE ... ? John Lavin

MANY IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE MAY HOPE THAT THINGS WILL GET BACK TO NORMAL ONCE THE IRAQ WAR IS OVER. DON’T COUNT ON IT.

BY SHAWN ZELLER

eorge Staples, like many in the Foreign Service these days, is striving to help the institution and its thousands of members deal with the dramatic changes that are reshaping what it means to live and work overseas. SpeakingG during a Jan. 8 interview in his State Department office with the Foreign Service Journal, the director general did not sugarcoat his message. “What I tell junior officers, young officers, when I go around and speak at

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the embassies and town meetings The Bush administration encouraged to “weigh positively and so forth — I say it in this creditable and exemplary perfor- building and to anyone who will has made it clear that mance at hardship and danger listen to me — is: ‘Be prepared … posts because of the unique and to spend more time in more diffi- it views the military challenging work environment, cult posts with higher differen- including service in areas of tials, including perhaps those with as the ideal in widespread warfare with U.S. danger pay. There may be in store combat troops.” for you in your career more family government service. Although the American For- separation; and for tandem cou- eign Service Association agreed ples, there may be more times in a to that change to the promotion career where you have to serve apart.’” precepts, it has reminded the director general of the That’s the long and short of it, Staples says, because importance of “preserving the fairness and integrity of the fundamental nature of what it means to be in the a promotion system based on how well an employee Foreign Service is changing. More posts are located in performs, not on where an employee is assigned.” the developing world, often far from embassies, in AFSA also expressed concerns about the potential of countries where political violence is the norm. In that this new language to bias the selection boards in favor challenging atmosphere, Foreign Service personnel are of someone, for example, doing mediocre work in leading an effort Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Baghdad over someone doing brilliant work in London, calls “transformational diplomacy,” that is all about Cairo or Beijing. The association also warned that it bringing democracy and economic development to might adversely affect strong performers who do not parts of the world with little or no experience of them. happen to be in a position at this point in their lives to To do so, they will have to be jacks- (and jills-) of-all- take on such tasks, such as employees with young chil- trades, experts in development and proficient in media dren. relations. As Staples puts it, they need to be eager to Staples insists that service in Iraq, Afghanistan and speak at the chamber of commerce over lunch, but other critical-needs countries does not ensure a pro- then in the afternoon go talk to kids. It is, he freely motion in and of itself. Exemplary work performance acknowledges, a big change from the stereotypical remains the most important criterion. “A lot of people image of the diplomat as information-gatherer and as think, ‘My last year of service in Iraq or Afghanistan is liaison, simply and only, to a foreign government. going to get me promoted.’ It hasn’t happened that Yet even as Staples defines the role as a new one, he way.” recalls the proud history of the Foreign Service officers Nevertheless, many in the Foreign Service say the who served in World War II and, more recently, in stronger push to serve in such places and make greater Beirut and other hot spots, where unaccompanied personal sacrifices conveys a mixed, and unfair, mes- posts and extreme danger were the norm. It’s as if to sage. Those who have done their jobs well in other say, this isn’t the first time the Foreign Service officer parts of the world, but are not able to volunteer for has done his patriotic duty in a time of war and it won’t positions in unaccompanied and danger-pay posts be the last. The wartime diplomat’s role, in reality, is (whether for family, health or other reasons), should not new at all. not have to fear that their careers will suffer as a result. In line with that mandate, Rice has made it clear that officers will have to serve in hardship assignments Toward an Expeditionary Force if they want to advance to the Senior Foreign Service. Staples is an articulate voice and advocate for the A December 2006 memo from the director general’s diplomatic corps. A longtime officer himself, with a office made it plain that review boards are being long history of working in the toughest spots in the world — from El Salvador as a young junior officer to Shawn Zeller, a regular contributor to the Journal, is a his more recent trips to Iraq — he knows what it’s like senior staff writer for Congressional Quarterly. to serve his country where the stakes are highest. As

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 21 F OCUS

Mette Beecroft, wife of a former Director General Staples Foreign Service more relevant ambassador and a past president and effective. of the Associates of the American insists that service in Iraq, In Kashkett’s view, “we in the Foreign Service Worldwide, puts Foreign Service already go where it: “This is a man of great human- Afghanistan and other we are told and do what is asked of ity who has a lot of hard decisions us, but most of us still hope that to make.” critical-needs countries our hands-on expertise and unique Many in the Foreign Service insights will give us a voice in the may hope that once the Iraq War does not ensure a foreign policymaking process.” is over, things will eventually Many members increasingly re- return to normal. Staples bears promotion in and of itself. sent being treated as mere “foot the burden of delivering an un- soldiers.” Kashkett fears that, if welcome message: Don’t count the State Department places value on it. These changes are not a purely wartime phe- only on those who have an expeditionary mind-set and nomenon, but the new norm. “All of this is not about whose main qualification is willingness to serve in the Iraq,” he says. “This is the way we will do business in hardest, unaccompanied posts, it risks “failing to attract the longer term.” and retain the brightest foreign-policy thinkers and the Staples has nothing but confidence in the Foreign young diplomats who can become the policy analysts and Service to meet the challenge of recruiting top talent formulators of the future, some of whom may well be and continuing to draw many more highly qualified expert in regions of the world far from Iraq and applicants than it could ever hire. He is not only a Afghanistan.” cheerleader but a true believer, it would seem. In an AFSA survey of more than 3,400 Foreign But might a little more concern be warranted? Service members conducted last year, two in three Patricia Ryan, another former AAFSW president, respondents said they were either “very” or “some- thinks so. “It’s a nasty, difficult situation,” she says, what” concerned that the voice of Foreign Service referring to the growing number of unaccompanied careerists was not being heard in policymaking. Of posts in dangerous parts of the world. “If it continues those who said they’d be reluctant to serve in Iraq, for many years, I believe it could reduce the depart- nearly half said they disagreed with the Bush adminis- ment’s ability to retain people.” tration’s policy there. “There is a perception out Only time will tell, of course, whether retention there,” says Kashkett, “that the analysis and counsel of rates drop or applicants for Foreign Service positions career diplomats are unwelcome, if they openly ques- decline in either number or quality. As yet, Staples tion existing policy decisions.” says, nothing of the kind has occurred. It may never. Staples, of course, doesn’t see it that way. It’s anoth- Still, there’s a palpable anxiety within the Service about er instance, he says, of too much being read into the Iraq the changes transformational diplomacy is bringing. situation and the consequent muddling of the transfor- Already, a largely up-or-out system prevails within the mational diplomacy shift. He insists that the department Foreign Service, and turnover is not only normal, but foresees no move to a military-style diplomatic corps, encouraged. The instability such trends portend, many nor hiring more short-timers. Well-trained, veteran fear, could potentially threaten the effectiveness of the diplomats are what the department now has, and will Foreign Service as a critical component of the foreign continue to need, he says. policymaking apparatus. Few are more worried about that possibility than A Military Model? Steve Kashkett, State Department vice president of the But don’t fault the skeptics. The Bush administra- American Foreign Service Association. Responding to tion has made it clear that it views the military as the concerns expressed by thousands of members in world- ideal in government service, precisely because of its wide opinion polls conducted by AFSA, he has raised flexibility, discipline and willingness to follow orders questions about whether the shift will truly make the without question.

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In the biggest change in Civil The wartime such a system, performance would not Service rules in more than a genera- be the only criterion for promotion — tion, for example, Congress passed a diplomat’s role, or necessarily even a major factor. Bush-backed plan to overhaul the A complex bill that would apply Defense Department’s rules for civilian in reality, is not such an approach, in exchange for the employees in 2003. (The prior year, in introduction of overseas comparability creating the Department of Homeland new at all. pay, failed to win passage in the 109th Security, Congress provided it with Congress last year despite intense lob- similar personnel flexibility.) Though bying by AFSA and other players. Its the courts have stalled the labor relations component at prospects in the new, Democratic-controlled 110th both departments, the implementation is moving Congress remain uncertain. ahead, albeit slowly. Both overhauls were mainly sold on the argument that the Civil Service needed to be A Tough Balancing Act more like the military. At the root of the concern for many Foreign Service “Today we have some 320,000 uniformed people members who are reluctant to take on protracted doing what are essentially nonmilitary jobs,” then- assignments at unaccompanied posts, is family life. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at a 2003 The AFSA survey last year found that two out of three Senate hearing. “And yet we are calling up reserves to officers are “very” or “somewhat concerned” about help deal with the global war on terror. The inability to family-friendliness within the service. An equivalent put civilians in hundreds of thousands of jobs that do percentage of those reluctant to go to Iraq said separa- not need to be performed by men and women in uni- tion from their family was a primary concern. form puts unnecessary strain on our uniformed person- No one is saying that balancing a family with a nel and added cost to the taxpayers. This has to be Foreign Service career has ever been easy. “There fixed.” have always been balancing acts,” says AAFSW’s Ryan. In the post-9/11 environment, Congress agreed, “But it seems to me those balances are getting more though the new Democratic majority on Capitol Hill is and more out of whack.” displeased with the Pentagon’s implementation of the The department now has about 750 unaccompa- rules, particularly as they relate to the restriction of col- nied, “danger-pay” positions at overseas posts to fill lective bargaining rights. But the Bush administration each year, nearly half of which are in Iraq and shows no sign that it is rethinking its top-down Afghanistan, a vast increase from prior experience. approach. (The number of unaccompanied assignments has Promotions in the Foreign Service, which operates grown nearly fourfold since the 9/11 attacks.) By con- under its own set of regulations, have always been trast, when Staples was a young officer in El Salvador, based on individual performance, as assessed in annual he recalls that the department only had about 100 such employee evaluation reports. In between promotions jobs. to the next full grade — which have become more Most of those jobs are in secure embassy com- infrequent and can often take five to 10 years — small, pounds, but a growing number are comprised of posi- annual “within-grade” step increases have been auto- tions on Provincial Reconstruction Teams. These matic for all FS personnel with satisfactory ratings. employees are assigned to work on development and Because it is based on pure performance, Foreign democracy-building projects in the countryside of Iraq Service members generally view the current system for and Afghanistan, far from the relative security provid- determining pay raises as fair. But with the Bush ed in the Green Zone in Baghdad, or in Kabul. In the administration’s push for a more expeditionary model, minds of many Foreign Service constituents, the very there is growing concern that a politically motivated existence of these positions raises the possibility that Secretary of State might seek to go beyond current more diplomats could be injured or killed in the line of financial incentives to reward employees with promo- duty. That is a grave concern throughout the corps, but tions simply for accepting such assignments. Under all the more so for those with families.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 23 F OCUS

If the Foreign Service adopts Balancing a family by a lack of funding, but credits this expeditionary model, what does Leininger with making made the it mean for families? As Kashkett with a Foreign Service best of what resources she does observes, “Diplomats are not sol- have, focusing on outreach to fami- diers who sign up with the expecta- career has never been lies. To begin with, the department tion that they will spend a lot of is making a concerted effort to let their career without their families, easy. But if anything, Foreign Service employees know but professional civil servants with during their training about all the special qualifications and expertise it seems to be benefits available to their families who happen to serve at overseas while separated. locations.” getting harder. Leininger teamed up with the Staples admits that the current Associates of the American Foreign strain on families is likely to contin- Service Worldwide and the Foreign ue, but insists that he’s doing everything he can to min- Service Youth Foundation to hold a first-of-its-kind imize the necessity for unaccompanied assignments. information fair in Washington last year. A similar He points to several concrete steps that the department event was held earlier this year in Houston, where has already taken, among them creation of a separate many affected families reside. In fact, about half of all maintenance allowance for families involuntarily sepa- Foreign Service families with someone serving over- rated. Worth between $10,000 and $17,000 per year, seas at an unaccompanied post actually live outside the depending on family size, the allowance is 18 percent Washington area. more generous than that traditionally provided to fam- Leininger is also coordinating with the department’s ilies who, of their own accord, decide to separate dur- Allowances Working Group to ensure that glitches in ing an overseas tour. benefit packages are straightened out. On the front The SMA supplements the increase in differentials burner at the moment, the working group is seeking to for hardship and danger that was implemented last grant home transfer and foreign transfer allowances to year. Nonetheless, the AFSA survey found that only 8 officers coming or going to unaccompanied posts, to percent of officers believe the involuntary separation help cover the travel and relocation costs for their fam- allowance is adequate; 40 percent said it was not, while ilies. Those benefits alone can be worth several thou- 52 percent did not have an opinion. sand dollars. For those serving on PRTs in Iraq, the department Another change supported by the working group is is now guaranteeing that employees will receive one of a new regulation allowing FS personnel on the now- their top five choices for onward assignments. And for standard one-year tour in Iraq to take 10 days of rest those serving anywhere in Iraq, the department is and recuperation at home before heading to their next allowing families the possibility of staying at the losing assignment. In the past, an employee had to serve 18 post. To do so, however, they must forgo the involun- months before becoming eligible for that leave. tary SMA. Families staying at a foreign location may The Family Liaison Office has created a listserv in an receive the at-post education allowance; if there are no effort to help families left behind during an overseas tour adequate schools at post, the away-from-post allowance to connect and share advice. The office has also teamed covers boarding school costs anywhere in the world. with the Una Chapman Cox Foundation to sign a con- tract with Managed Health Network to create a Web site Easing the Stress of Unaccompanied Tours and a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week phone line, to help The State Department’s Family Liaison Office has families experiencing grief or other mental health prob- hired Nancy Leininger, who has a master’s degree in lems related to their separation. And beginning last social work, to assist families losing someone to an unac- October, a monthly electronic newsletter created by companied tour. (See “Coping with Unaccompanied FLO and MHN has been sent to approximately 550 Tours,” p. 27.) employees and family members experiencing unaccom- Beecroft says those efforts continue to be impeded panied tours.

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FLO is also creating a handbook The fundamental package, thus far, has prompted volun- for children left behind that aims to teers to come forward. “It’s gone help an overseas parent keep in nature of what it means extremely well,” he says. “We are far touch with children, and become ahead of where we were for the sum- reacquainted upon their return. to be in the Foreign mer 2006 assignments cycle. I’m ex- And on Foreign Affairs Day last tremely encouraged, and quite pleas- year, the department issued certifi- Service is changing. ed to see the response.” Already, more cates of recognition to children of than 1,000 officers have been through parents serving unaccompanied Iraq, mostly on one-year tours. tours overseas. But the department, he notes, is planning to ask for still more sacrifice. Staples says that he’d like to extend More Sacrifice Ahead some tours in order to enable officers to develop better So far, State has not had to resort to directed assign- relationships on the ground. “We have to find a way to ments — the dreaded process of assigning Foreign go to longer tours in more difficult places, but we have Service members to posts against their will. But there to balance that with the issues of family separation,” he was a brief scare earlier this year, when FS-2 generalist says. assignments were temporarily put on hold until key The department is looking at additional incentives, positions in critical-needs countries were filled. but Staples admits that they probably won’t include Staples says that he cannot rule out the eventual use greater pay packages. The cap on pay for personnel serv- of directed assignments, but observes that the incentive ing in Iraq in 2007 is $212,100. “At a certain point, it’s

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a call to patriotism,” he says. “I This isn’t the first time tional diplomacy will require a sub- don’t believe we can just keep offer- stantial infusion of resources. “The ing more money.” Foreign Service Secretary has asked that we all And, he notes, it’s a call to patri- become ‘first-class managers of pro- otism that the Foreign Service has personnel have done grams,’ yet we have few programs to answered many times before. As a manage in many parts of the world,” result, he says he has every reason their patriotic duty he says. “In the absence of substan- to believe FS personnel will meet tial new initiatives designed to pro- the challenge yet again. He sees no in a time of war, and mote reform and democratic crisis in the making. Far from it. In change, we will be repositioning fact, Staples notes that the Foreign it won’t be the last. people in ‘transformational’ coun- Service’s attrition rate for entry- tries without giving them the tools to level officers in 2006 was 2.3 per- effect real change.” cent, low by any standard, inside government or out. Meanwhile, many in the Foreign Service note that Meanwhile, applicants for the Foreign Service exam they are still expected to carry out all of the core tasks of remain a large, highly accomplished group. traditional diplomacy and embassy service. As Kashkett Any hardship the shift to transformational diploma- wrote in the April 2006 issue of this magazine: “We still cy is causing is worth it, Staples argues, because the need our political, economic and public diplomacy offi- new diplomacy will not only help ensure America’s cers to function as the eyes and ears of the U.S. govern- safety in the face of an ongoing war on terror, but will ment in those countries, meeting with a wide range of also enrich Foreign Service members’ careers. “Rather ‘insiders’ and doing expert reporting and analysis of vital than being worried about things like this, if I was a developments there. We still need them to deliver young officer starting out again, I’d jump at the chance Washington’s steady stream of démarches to host gov- to get out and run my own operation far from the ernments, argue the U.S. point of view, and transmit embassy, with a lot of independence,” he says. their replies. We still need them to negotiate a wide Those already at work, particularly on the Iraq and range of bilateral and multilateral issues, deal with prob- Afghanistan Provincial Reconstruction Teams, are lems that arise in the bilateral relationship, and prepare showing just how successful the Foreign Service can the endless reports required by the department or by be. “The work is quite demanding but quite rewarding Congress (human rights, narcotics trafficking, terrorism, as well. It’s real nationbuilding,” says Staples. Mission Program Plans, etc.). We still need them to Notwithstanding the DG’s able cheerleading, many babysit the endless high-level visitors, including frequent Foreign Service personnel view the whole notion of congressional delegations.” transformational diplomacy as flawed at its core — and Many in the Foreign Service disagree with those not just because it’s hard to see it truly changing areas who suggest that an embassy’s role in managing bilater- of the world long hostile to democracy. It also places al issues and cultivating relationships with the various Foreign Service members in harm’s way in situations ministries of government — and with opposition par- where they cannot do the work of diplomacy. Looking ties, labor unions and prominent journalists — is no at what is going on in Iraq, many ask, “How effective longer so necessary in an era of rapid communications. can our people be in a war zone?” “How much can an Experienced diplomats believe those functions will unarmed diplomat accomplish?” remain the core of any U.S. mission’s activities over- Consider the Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Teams, seas. “An often-heard fear these days,” notes Kashkett, for instance. Their ramp-up was long delayed over a “is that the Foreign Service will have fewer and fewer fight with the Defense Department over who would be George Kennan-style activist-diplomats — who responsible for their security. Although a compromise become genuine experts in a region of the world and has been worked out, it is still reasonable to ask play a major role in the formulation of policy — and whether the risks are worth the gains. instead will be transformed into a civilian equivalent of Kashkett and others argue that effective transforma- the military rapid-reaction force.”

26 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 F OCUS ON THE FS ASAC AREER

COPING WITH UNACCOMPANIED TOURS

THE UNACCOMPANIED TOUR, A NEW AND RAPIDLY GROWING CATEGORY OF OVERSEAS SERVICE, PRESENTS NEW CHALLENGES FOR THE FOREIGN SERVICE.

BY NANCY W. L EININGER

ince 2001, the number of program to offer information, guidance and emotional unaccompanied positions for Foreign Service employees support to employees and family members separated by has increased from about 200 to nearly 800, with addi- assignments to unaccompanied posts. tional increasesS likely in the future. Most of these slots One of the first things FLO’s new program specialist are in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. did was seek more information. What are conditions like Most of the employees serving at unaccompanied at unaccompanied posts? What do employees and their posts have either families or Members of Household who family members need to know before beginning an are also affected by the long separation in a variety of unaccompanied tour? Who are the family members? ways. Of the 800 employees currently in these positions, Where are they? How can we reach out to them? What approximately 185 receive an involuntary separate main- are the regulations, allowances and services pertinent to tenance allowance for their spouse and/or minor chil- affected employees and families? Are these adequate? dren. Most of the other employees have loved ones who Does everyone know what support services are already do not qualify for ISMA; e.g. tandem spouses, MOHs, in place? What do people really need or want from this children of divorced parents, or worried parents, siblings program, and from the department? or adult children. Only one-third of these families are in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The majority A Broad Response are scattered across the United States, with a growing With generous support from the Una Chapman Cox number remaining in foreign locations. Since May 2006, Foundation, last fall the Family Liaison Office conduct- it has been possible on a case-by-case basis for employees ed an electronic survey of employees and family mem- at overseas posts to go on 12-month temporary-duty tours bers assigned to an unaccompanied tour — past, present to Iraq or Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghan- or future — to uncover the answers. The resulting por- istan, while their families remain at the previous post. trait of the challenges faced by both employees and their In response to this significant change in the character families has guided the development of new programs of overseas service, the Family Liaison Office created a and initiatives to help overcome them. new position in October 2005: the Program Specialist for The anonymous electronic survey, announced via a Unaccompanied Tours has a mandate to develop a new telegram and a department notice, was open from Sept.

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14 to Oct. 10, 2006. The survey Now that FLO has percent found this hard to do. This elicited 416 responses. Of these, is in keeping with the “self-reliant” 257 were from employees: 208 with someone dedicated and “super-resilient” ideals held the Department of State and 49 equally by Foreign Service mem- from other federal entities, contrac- full-time to serving bers and their families. Signifi- tors or “other.” The balance of the cantly, many who would have liked respondents (159) consisted of fam- this population, a to ask for help (about one-fourth of ily members or Members of House- the respondents had questions or hold: 151 were spouses, including communications channel problems with red tape, home or eight tandems; three were fiancées car maintenance) did not know or partners; and five were parents, has been opened, and the where to turn. This was especially siblings or adult children. true for foreign-born spouses, The various categories of re- questions are coming in. whether living abroad or in the spondents reflects the entire spec- States. trum of the population served by FLO. The responses from the 45 State employees cur- Communication Is Key rently serving at unaccompanied posts were particularly Now that FLO has someone dedicated full-time to helpful, as their experiences have been directly affected by serving this population, a communications channel has the numerous changes in regulations, allowances and sup- been opened, and the questions are coming in: “How do port services enacted within the last two years. I get our sidewalks cleared of snow?” “How can I get the The responses from employees and family members Social Security Administration to clear up years of mis- had many elements in common. Communication was takes in recording my parent’s earnings?” “Can you get cited as one of the most important issues — whether the Department of Motor Vehicles off my back? My between the employee and family members or between brother’s car is in storage, and not likely to get an emis- the employee and headquarters in Washington. sions inspection any time soon!” Employees’ other top concerns were: inadequate These issues may not sound earth-shattering if you technical support and orientation; frustration over securi- aren’t the employee coping with mortar rounds over- ty restrictions; lack of staff to enable them to do their head, or the employee’s family or friend coping with jobs; and lack of communication equipment for work the anxiety of wondering if the latest casualty reported and/or personal use. Individuals serving on Provincial on CNN is a loved one. But the time and effort need- Reconstruction Teams felt especially cut off. ed to resolve such issues take away precious time to The family members’ concerns centered around chil- relax and connect with those loved ones. Furthermore, dren’s issues. Newly single parents found juggling the the specific situation or problem that triggers a phone children’s schedules and helping them cope to be the call to the program specialist is usually just the last of a most difficult parenting tasks. But for all family mem- long list of challenges — the proverbial straw that bers, the toughest thing was asking others for help — 41 breaks the camel’s back. To gauge how people were reacting to the an- Nancy W. Leininger has been the program specialist for nouncement or commencement of an unaccompanied unaccompanied tours at the Family Liaison Office of the tour, both employees and family members were asked to State Department since October 2005. A Foreign Service check their experience against a list of behavioral spouse since 1971, she raised a “Third Culture Kid” while changes previously reported to the program specialist. living in six countries and serving as CLO in three of Multiple answers were allowed; the scores were aggre- them. She holds a master’s degree in social work, and has gated to determine the rank order of prevalence of each worked extensively in the nonprofit sector to strengthen behavior among the respondents. Apart from common- families. Leininger loves the Foreign Service lifestyle and ly citing a lack of sleep and fatigue, the patterns are strik- is pleased to report that her son, now 32, agrees it was a ingly different for employees and family members (see worthwhile way to grow up. Table 1, p. 30).

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Both employees and family members rely heavily on Money and Morale their spouse/partner/MOH for support, followed by close Perceptions varied when the subject was money. friends and parents. On a positive note, the majority of Among those currently serving on an unaccompanied family members rated their support system good or tour, a slight majority felt that the regulations and excellent. Nearly half of the family members said they allowances were adequate for their needs. However, would like to meet other families of unaccompanied per- those who served in the past did not rate the regulations sonnel. Yet of those few who were aware of the listserv and allowances quite as positively. This may reflect some dedicated to families affected by an unaccompanied tour, changes in recent years, such as the 18-percent increase only two in five belonged. We hope that since participat- in the involuntary separate maintenance allowance and ing in the survey they will now join this group, and that the granting of 10 days of home leave after a 12-month, readers of this article who are dealing with an unaccom- high-risk tour. panied tour will, too. (To maintain the privacy of mem- Family members, on the other hand, were less satis- bers, the listserv, HomeFrontUS, is by invitation only — fied: only 28 percent felt the regulations and allowances to sign up see the program specialist in FLO, whose con- were adequate. A persistent misconception held by tact information is on p. 32.) many employees and family members is that the family The vast majority of both employees and family mem- should be able to subsist wholly on the ISMA, without bers report that communicating with family and friends recourse to the regular salary of the State employee. The occupies the lion’s share of whatever leisure time they most distressed family members were those who were or have. Other popular pursuits were reading for pleasure, had been at an alternate foreign location during the unac- watching TV or movies, exercising and socializing. companied tour. Those who were living “on the econo-

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“being punished for volunteering,” and of the lack of sup- Table 1 port at their home post when returning from the high-risk Behavioral Changes Since Announcement or Commencement of Unaccompanied Tour assignment. It is far too soon to predict how the recent provision for 12-month assignments to Iraq and Afghan- Rank among Rank among istan PRTs will play out, but this could be a wake-up call to ALL EMPLOYEE ALL FAMILY BEHAVIORAL CHANGES RESPONDENTS MEMBERS department management to set the tone for welcoming Working excessive hours 1 6 back these colleagues. Fatigue 2 1 Employees were more apt to cite inadequate time or Change in sleep patterns 3 2 money when it came to transitioning to or from the unac- Consuming extra carbs, companied tour; they also registered problems with get- fats, alcohol 4 8 ting travel orders, shipments or payroll changes Change in appetite 5 9 processed in a timely fashion. More organized, focused 6 10 Foreign Service personnel are keenly aware of the toll Disengaged 7 5 their tour takes on their loved ones. Respon- Prone to angry outbursts 8 4 ding to an open-ended question of what challenges they Being weepy/emotional 9 3 Demanding attention 10 7 themselves faced, three times as many respondents Increased energy 11 11 referred to the emotional toll — guilt and worry regard- ing their separation from family — as cited a crushing workload, security issues, communications problems or my” with only ISMA (and, if they had school-age chil- lack of support from D.C., red tape, etc. When asked dren, the at-post education allowance) were the most what challenges they thought their families faced, unhappy. They typically lament the lack of access to employees specified anxiety over their safety or disturb- APO, the health unit, etc. ing media reports; emotional stress or loneliness; coping A careful reading of their comments, along with those with logistical, practical issues that the employee usually from families left behind at posts during normal temporary handles; and suddenly being single parents. duty assignments, reveals another issue — a sense of aban- The majority of family members who commented on donment or shunning from embassy colleagues and for- FLO’s outreach efforts have said, “We’re doing okay — mer neighbors. Some TDY employees also complained of sad sometimes, a little lonely, anxious at times — but

Priority Initiatives

ased on the results of the survey and other feedback, FLO a memo from FLO’s director, and steps are under way to Bhas identified the following priorities to support employees improve attendance. on unaccompanied tours and their families, and is working on • Improve Human Resources and payroll functions. them in cooperation with many other offices in the department: • Increase ISMA and provide TSMA (Involuntary and • Expand the Diplomatic Security Antiterrorism Course Transitional Separate Maintenance Allowances, respective- training to unaccompanied posts beyond Iraq. A new ly). Proposed changes have been drafted and are being circu- course, “FACT: Foreign Affairs Counterterrorism” has been lated at the time of this writing. offered to those going to other high-risk posts. • Establish a Community Liaison Officer at every unac- • Station a mental-health counselor at high-risk posts. companied post. Riyadh has had a CLO since December Since December 2005, a licensed clinical social worker from 2006; one is being hired for Kabul; and the step is being dis- MED/ECS has been based in Baghdad, and travels to the PRTs cussed for Islamabad and Baghdad. in Iraq. • Inaugurate an e-newsletter for the unaccompanied-tour • Provide more out-briefings for employees returning community. Monthly distribution of Keeping Our Heads from high-stress assignments, and improve attendance. Above Water began October 2006 in conjunction with The director general’s office looked into this after receiving Managed Health Network.

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basically, we’re all right. But we are Significantly, months. In addition to the pain of glad to know you are there if we separation, older children are also need someone.” As word spreads of only 50 percent of aware of the dangers their parents the services available through FLO’s face. FLO is developing a series of program specialist, an increasing all respondents had age-appropriate handbooks to help number of employees and family children and their parents and care- members can gain that modicum of used FLO services. givers cope with the separation, reassurance. handle their anxiety and pave the way for a smoother reintegration of Children’s Issues the family when the tour is over. The final question in both the employees’ and family Family members and employees expressed varying members’ sections of the survey asked about the impact levels of concern over their children’s behavior once the of unaccompanied tours on children. Although tour began or was announced. In spite of parental con- Charleston’s payroll figures indicate that fewer than one cerns, observed behaviors raised no major alarms. out of four employees at unaccompanied posts receive However, there were differences in how the parents ISMA for children, nearly half of the employees and perceived their children. Employees currently on an three out of four family members who answered the sur- unaccompanied assignment noted a slight increase in vey reported having children. At any given time, more resisting authority, argumentative behavior and whin- than 250 Foreign Service minor children have a parent ing, but family members were most likely to cite pro- (or two) serving an unaccompanied tour for at least 12 crastination, protectiveness toward family, concern for

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 31 F OCUS

younger siblings and sensitivity to others’ needs. Table 2 Substance abuse was the least reported category (about Top Six Emotional Reactions Observed in Children 3 percent) by either set of parents. Following Announcement or Commencement of a Parent’s Respondents also noted the emotional reactions they Unaccompanied Tour observed in their children following the announcement or

EMOTIONAL REACTIONS AS REPORTED BY AS REPORTED BY beginning of a parent’s unaccompanied tour (see Table 2, IN CHILDREN EMPLOYEES THE AT-HOME PARENT left). A total of 13 emotions were listed, and respondents Anxiety 1 2 were asked to check off all that they observed. The Sadness 2 1 answers were aggregated to provide rank orders. Love/affection 3 3 Interestingly, employees’ and family members’ observa- Confusion 4 4 tions were almost identical — except for “pride.” Anger 5 5 Although frequently mentioned by family members as an Pride 14 6 emotion they feel, employees didn’t observe a feeling of pride in their children. When asked what information they think parents Coping with an Unaccompanied Tour: should have before starting an unaccompanied tour, Resource Links most respondents talked about the need for frank com- munication and discussion within the family. They also Office of Casualty Assistance provides personal contingency planning assistance. E-mail [email protected]; call (202) 736-4302. emphasized the importance of attitude, and wanted to “Long-Distance Relationships” (MQ801) is offered on Saturday know what is “normal” to expect from their children. mornings twice a year by the Transition Center at FSI. Go to Many wanted post-specific information on the country http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc for class information. and living conditions — not just the sort of information The Transition Center and Overseas Briefing Center offer a wealth found in post reports, but also what community liaison of information in the OBC as well as on the intranet (http://fsi. officers provide at post (several mentioned making that state.gov/fsi/tc/) and on the Internet (http://state.gov/m/fsi/tc). guidance age-appropriate for their children). These are IQ: InfoQuest, a free service for Department of State employees some of the materials being developed for the hand- and families, offers information and extensive research capabili- books mentioned earlier. ty for resources and service providers across the United States on child care, adoption, elder care, educational programs, legal Support Services Underutilized and financial issues, retirement planning and consumer informa- tion. Go to www.worklife4you.com. The final section of the survey focused on available State Department employees can go to the intranet at http:// support services and resources. Respondents were hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/er/DependentCare/IQ/InformationQ asked about their awareness of the FLO portfolios and uest.html, or e-mail [email protected] for instructions on how services — Community Liaison Office, Unaccompanied to register. Tours, Education and Youth, Expedited Naturalization, MED’s Employee Consultation Services offers free, confidential Family Member Employment and Support Services — counseling to employees and family members by licensed clini- as well as their utilization of the services, and their satis- cal social workers. Call (202) 663-1815. faction with them. Significantly, only 50 percent of all To access the HomeFrontUS listserv or the specialized sup- respondents had used FLO services; among State port services from Managed Health Network, contact the pro- employees currently on unaccompanied tours, less than gram specialist for unaccompanied tours — see below. 40 percent had utilized them. For more information on support services and programs for those on unaccompanied tours, visit www.state.gov/m/dghr/c There is reason to believe that awareness is an impor- 14521.htm, or contact Program Specialist for Unaccompanied tant issue. For many participants, this was their first Tours Nan Leininger at (202) 647-3179 or (800) 440-0397, or e- exposure to these services. For each FLO office or ser- mail [email protected] or [email protected]. vice mentioned in the survey, a Web link, e-mail address FLO would greatly appreciate comments and additional sug- or other contact information was provided, and several gestions. respondents expressed gratitude for bringing these resources to their attention. Among employee respon-

32 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 F OCUS

dents, about half had visited FLO’s Web sites; by con- nied tour, “Creating/Maintaining a Healthy Marriage” trast, two-thirds of family-member respondents were was number one. This reinforces the observation that familiar with the sites. A few respondents erroneously for many, reintegration of the family can be more diffi- believed that because they were single, FLO had nothing cult than expected. to offer them. The survey response indicated that other support ser- When the survey opened, FLO had only recently vices are also underutilized. Only one in five were aware announced a Cox Foundation-funded contract with of the “Long-Distance Relationship” course offered at Managed Health Network to provide 24/7 specialized FSI. When asked what they would like to see offered support services to the unaccompanied-tour community prior to separation, the majority mentioned communi- through an interactive Web portal and toll-free telephone cation skills and an explanation of the emotional cycles center. Yet significantly, only one-third of the respon- they could expect. Many wanted classes along the lines dents were aware of these services. Since then, usage of of the Diplomatic Security Antiterrorism Course (Iraq), the Web portal has doubled each quarter. as well as post-specific information. While employees When asked to rate their interest in a list of pro- sent to all unaccompanied posts generally wanted the posed workshop topics to be presented by MHN, the “Crash and Bang” portion of security training as well, top choice in nearly all groups was “Managing Stress,” family members wanted to attend the basic Area followed by “Family Communication” and “Creating/ Studies/Life at Post/Office of Casualty Assistance/FLO Maintaining a Healthy Marriage.” However, if one briefing series. considered only the responses of those employees and Some family members sought financial management family members who had completed an unaccompa- classes. Employees also wanted these, as well as per-

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 33 F OCUS

sonal safety lessons, for their loved ones. Age-appropri- A Clear and Present Need ate information for children was an issue for several par- While the survey showed that employees are, on the ents. The majority in all categories indicated their inter- whole, more positive than negative about the services est in a course on “Re-integrating Your Family” and in and compensations provided to them and their families, participating in an out-briefing, such as that conducted family members are less satisfied. jointly by FSI and MED. However, the vast majority In response to the survey results, FLO requested and could not or did not attend due to conflicts with the recently received another Cox Foundation grant to devel- schedule, the fact that they were not located in D.C., or op (in partnership with the Transition Center, Office of because such opportunities were not offered to family Casualty Assistance, MED and others) a program of pre- members. departure briefings for family members. A series of short Keeping in mind that one-fifth of all employee- DVDs is being produced to make this information avail- respondents were not affiliated with the State Depart- able to those who cannot attend. Furthermore, the pro- ment, it is still disconcerting that approximately three- gram specialist for unaccompanied tours will be traveling quarters of all respondents were unaware of the person- to several locations in the United States this year to meet al contingency planning offered by the Office of with families. Casualty Assistance or the services offered through There is a clear need to provide more education about IQ:InfoQuest (please see the box on p. 32 for contact existing services (most of which were not in place when information). In addition, nearly as many were unaware many respondents experienced their period of separa- of the free counseling offered by licensed clinical social tion) and to dispel myths, as well as to reach out to workers through MED’s Employee Consultation employees and their families — especially those outside Services. the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

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34 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 F OCUS ON THE FS ASAC AREER

RECALLING ALL-PURPOSE DUTY IN RUSSIA

TWO DECADES AGO, EMBASSY MOSCOW AND CONSULATE GENERAL LENINGRAD BECAME THE ONLY U.S. DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITH NO FSNS.

BY ALLAN MUSTARD

oday Embassy Moscow lar charges. On Sept. 18, during Daniloff’s detention, the and its three consulates, various satellite posts and affil- U.S. expelled 25 Soviet diplomats accused of espionage. iated outposts employ over 750 highly skilled, often The Soviets retaliated with the expulsion of five U.S. bilingual,T and very dedicated Foreign Service National diplomats on Oct. 19. The U.S. countered by expelling employees. The embassy is connected to Washington five Soviet diplomats, plus 50 alleged KGB and GRU offi- with dedicated telephone lines, multiple high-speed cers from Washington and San Francisco, ostensibly to Internet connections and DHL courier service. bring Soviet staffing to the same level (251) as U.S. staffing Complaints about life here today are of the variety, in Moscow (225) and Leningrad (26). The U.S. also “Snow removal woke me up this morning,” “High-speed ordered the Soviet government to cut its U.N. mission Internet service in the city is so expensive,” and “The staff from 270 to 165. commissary is out of Texas toast.” Washington made these moves with the knowledge Just 20 years ago, however, working conditions were that the Soviets did not employ American nationals in much more interesting. On Oct. 22, 1986, the Soviet their missions, and an expectation that the story wasn’t government declared five American diplomats persona over quite yet. When the Soviets responded by PNG-ing non grata, on top of five expelled the previous week. five more American diplomats, they also removed our More crucially, the foreign ministry also unilaterally FSNs, and limited the number of embassy guests and withdrew all 183 Foreign Service National employees temporary-duty personnel. from Moscow and Leningrad, plus another 77 personal One of the embassy officers expelled was Mike maids, teachers and other private staff. Overnight, we Matera, the human rights officer. Kathy Kavalec became the only U.S. diplomatic missions in a foreign remembers “the great PNG party at the nearby dacha country with no Foreign Service Nationals. where we waited for the newscaster to announce the Relations were already strained, even before that expulsions, and cheered when they read out the names, move. The Reykjavik summit had been a disaster. On probably spurred on by the beer and indignation.” Aug. 23, 1986, the FBI had arrested Soviet U.N. employ- When Mike was named, he carried out some cake to put ee Gennadiy Zakharov for espionage; the Soviets retaliat- on top of the KGB surveillance car stationed outside the ed by arresting U.S. journalist Nicholas Daniloff on simi- dacha.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 35 F OCUS

The First Days All embassy staff except van to pick them up. ... (I always Assistant Press Attaché Margo felt bad about that.) The ladies Squire recalls the embassy’s first the ambassador and DCM graciously agreed to ride the city day without FSNs, when Amb- bus with me to their hotel. ...” assador Arthur Hartman had lost engaged in “all-purpose Things were no better in Len- his chauffeur: ingrad, as then-Deputy Principal “… I had to work a press event duty,” performing the Officer Jim Schumaker recalls. at Spaso House with Amb. “The next thing we had to do was Hartman. Because I was running housekeeping tasks invite our FSNs back to the con- late, I drove my car over, and after sulate for one last time to get their the event, the ambassador asked previously done by FSNs. final paychecks. It was a very sad me for a ride back to the embassy. occasion. We knew, of course, that Serge Schmemann of the New York there were quite a few informers Times walked out as Hartman was folding himself into my among our FSN crew, and that UpIP, the KGB-super- tiny Toyota Starlite and took a photo, which he gave to vised agency that provided our employees, even held reg- The Associated Press. The next day the Washington Post ular debriefs on Thursdays. But many of these employees and New York Times carried this photo. … My 15 minutes were our friends as well, and quite a few had divided loy- of fame.” alties. For some, their old lives were over.” Amb. Hartman, Deputy Chief of Mission Dick Combs and Administrative Counselor David Beall decreed that The Routine all embassy staff would henceforth engage in “all-purpose Running an embassy or consulate without FSNs was a duty,” each in turn, in alphabetical order, to perform the lot of hard work, particularly in the Soviet Union’s “deficit housekeeping tasks that previously had been done by economy,” under which basic necessities like food, plus FSNs. Only the ambassador and DCM were exempt. cleaning, medical and office supplies, all had to be import- Kathy Kavalec, a political-section human rights officer ed. The U.S. press focused on the poor American diplo- at the time, recalls: “[W]e had Elie Wiesel [visiting] when mats who, boo-hoo, suddenly had to clean their own the whole thing began, and … the expulsions and loss of homes and offices. But that wasn’t the half of it. Soviet staff were announced while I was squiring him All travel arrangements now had to be made by lan- around town. At the embassy reception for him, Mrs. guage-qualified officers, and the rule of thumb was that it Hartman and the Marines served popcorn [because] took one day of preparation before and one day of paper- there was no house staff. … work afterward for each day on the road. Because all trav- “I remember going out to the airport on the bus to el had to be approved by the KGB, we often spent days meet a delegation of [congressional] wives, including Mrs. preparing for trips for which permission was denied at the Teresa Heinz (now Kerry), who thoughtfully brought us a last minute. cooler full of fresh produce — only to find that the All high-priority messages to Soviet officials and all embassy had decided, in all its wisdom, not to provide a requests for hotel accommodations for visitors had to be hand-delivered, a time-consuming affair that required Allan Mustard started his government career as an FSS- functioning autos. All cars also had to be washed daily, for 9 exhibit-guide/interpreter with the U.S. International under Soviet law, driving a dirty car in the city was against Communications Agency in 1978. He joined the Foreign the law — and this in a city famous for its mud. Agricultural Service in 1982 as a Civil Service employee, We chipped ice from sidewalks and hauled snow. We then underwent lateral entry into the Foreign Service in hauled furniture. Finnish contractors were building an 1986. He is the only FSO veteran of the period described ice barrier (to protect pedestrians from the massive icicles in this article currently serving in Moscow, where he is that formed on the back of the chancery each spring), and now minister-counselor for agricultural affairs, and can one afternoon a semi-trailer loaded with 30 tons of sheet still touch-type in Russian when required. He has also steel and I-beams arrived. We unloaded it in 30-below served in Istanbul, Vienna and Washington, D.C weather. Because these tasks were not in our job descrip-

36 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 F OCUS

tions, the embassy could not, by reg- Moscow’s decision to train from Helsinki, including a ulation, provide protective clothing, metric ton of milk (Soviet milk was so we mail-ordered coveralls and withdraw our FSNs unsafe). heavy gloves at our own expense. To take just one day, Dec. 19, The embassy and consulate was just as much a 1986: Administrative Counselor imported food, supplies and equip- David Beale reported by telegram ment each week, all of which had to shock to our Leningrad that APDers had “unloaded 80,000 be cleared through Soviet customs. pounds of commissary dry goods, Howard Clark spent all day at Diplomatic Agency 15,000 pounds of lumber and 7,000 Butovo clearing one shipment, and pounds of mail. All of it got ware- wrote a telegram about his experi- counterparts as to us. housed and/or delivered on the ence that was read by Secretary of same day … We also had a snow- State George Shultz. Mike Einik storm on Saturday/Sunday. It has recalls this work as “[a] cross between Monty Python and been dealt with as well, and by the same people.” Dante.” At least Moscow had the luxury of rotating its all-pur- We brought in monthly air shipments of fruit and veg- pose duty cadre. Leningrad was a different story, as Jim etables on Pan Am, and had to send people to Shereme- Schumaker relates: tyevo Airport in sufficient numbers both to clear the ship- “Early on, it became clear to us in Leningrad that we ments and to keep them from being stolen. On did not have the personnel to run a rotating roster. All of Wednesdays, we received our weekly food shipments by us would have to be on APD all the time. Fortunately, we

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 37 F OCUS

had a fair number of enthusiastic Another consequence of arrived to discover boiling water volunteers. John Floyd, our Seabee, pouring out the front door. When was able to keep the consulate’s sys- the round of expulsions the water was shut off, so was the tems running while doing basic main- heat, and the next morning USCO tenance tasks in his spare time. John emerged about this time: had six inches of ice on the floor, a also volunteered for some of the glacier extending to the sidewalk, more dangerous work, which includ- a spike in vandalism, and condensed ice inside all office ed roping himself to an iron railing equipment. The summary para- and lowering himself down the roof home intrusions and graph of Mears’ next telegram to to clean off icicles and snow. Bea Commerce read simply, “Things did Burns volunteered to be the tele- automobile sabotage. get worse.” phone operator. The husband of our Another consequence of the consular officer, who himself was a round of expulsions emerged about retired FSO and had been consul general in Sydney, vol- this time: a spike in vandalism, home intrusions and unteered to be the consulate driver and also make customs automobile sabotage. The KGB already routinely runs. … Everybody volunteered for something, and every- engaged in harassment at the rate of about one or two thing was covered by at least one person.” incidents per week, but the frequency jumped to one or two per day. Margo Squire had her car’s exhaust pipe “New Year’s Greetings from the Titanic” sawn through. My (and many others’) apartment win- The weather remained bearable through mid- dows were opened and left open when the temperature December; then, just as Christmas drew near, the ther- was 35 below zero. mometer plunged. We were later told that the winter of Larry Goodrich recalls: “[T]he Soviets especially liked 1986-1987 was the worst in 54 years, the second worst in to prey on empty embassy apartments. One night an 105, and colder than the winter that defeated Napoleon’s embassy telephone operator’s ceiling fixtures were filling army. Whether this was true or not, we went through with water cascading in from the empty apartment above. several weeks of temperatures below minus 35 Celsius. … We found all the windows open (it was mid-January), At that temperature few cars will start. By mid-January which had caused one of the radiators to freeze and burst. only six cars in the embassy motor pool were running We fought our way through the spraying water and (the ambassador’s limousine and a pickup truck used for turned off the water supply to the radiator. Then we went jumpstarting other cars were kept garaged). My Volvo down to the staff member’s apartment, where I emptied hatchback was one of the six, but only because I arose his ceiling fixtures with a turkey baster, taking care not to every two hours at night, started the engine and ran it for electrocute myself.” an hour to recharge the battery. I then went back to bed Hoses were slashed on washing machines, causing for two hours before doing it all over again. apartment floods. The lug nuts on DCM Combs’ car Shortly after Christmas, the steam pipe feeding the were loosened, and the right front wheel fell off in traffic. embassy heating system ruptured. The interior temper- Diesel fuel was poured into gas tanks, and it jelled when ature of the chancery plunged to 33 degrees below zero the mercury dropped, plugging fuel lines. We later within a day, and the heat was not restored until spring. learned that the PNG-ed KGB and GRU officers had People worked indoors all winter in long underwear and been unleashed against us. down coats. This event spurred Supervisory GSO Jane But then came the good news that State had award- Becker to give one cable the subject line, “New Year’s ed an “omnibus contract,” and contractors would come Greetings from the Titanic.” in the spring. All-purpose duty might soon be behind Commercial Attaché Mike Mears wrote a cable us! In celebration, Christmas carol lyrics were rewrit- detailing the U.S. Commercial Office’s own travails, not- ten and posted on the walls of the chancery’s two ele- ing that things couldn’t get much worse. Then, on Jan. vators: “Here We Come on APD” (to the tune of “Here 12, 1987, a steam pipe blew in their own building. We Come a-Wassailing”) and “God Rest Ye Merry, Mears and his administrative assistant, Cheryl Dustin, APDs.”

38 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 F OCUS

The Lonetree-Bracy Scandal mitted them. At 30 below zero Celsius, ballpoint-pen ink Then, in February 1987 the Lonetree-Bracy espi- freezes in about five minutes. We learned to keep three onage scandal broke. The curious can read about it in ballpoint pens inside our down jackets, where body heat Ron Kessler’s book Moscow Station (Pocket Books, 1990) could thaw the ink. You wrote with one pen until it froze, which, despite inaccuracies, provides the most accessible put it back next to your body, and continued drafting with account of one of Embassy Moscow’s worst episodes. the second pen, and so on, rotating them. One immediate consequence was a shutdown of all International direct dialing did not exist in the USSR. the embassy’s secure electronic communications. There were two dedicated “Washington lines,” and each Another was confiscation of electric typewriters (they section had to sign up days in advance to get a 15-minute were presumed compromised). Amb. Hartman recalls block of time. The alternative was to go to the post office, that years later, high-ranking KGB officers admitted order international phone calls a day in advance, and pay they hyped the Lonetree-Bracy case to cover the real $18 per minute. E-mail didn’t exist yet. intelligence leaks of Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames, About this time, Steve Young accompanied the chargé so much of the added burden was actually not neces- d’affaires, Dick Combs, to a meeting at the foreign min- sary. istry. Steve recalls: “As we settled down to our tea and We were already in a chancery with an ambient tem- cookies, the Russian took on his best fake sympathetic perature well below freezing. Without typewriters, we tone and said, ‘Deek, how are you making out over there?’ drafted classified and Limited Official Use telegrams on It suddenly dawned on me that the Soviets were convinced yellow legal pads using ballpoint pens, a courier flew we were near the end of our rope, and would any day come them to Frankfurt, and a secretary there typed and trans- in seeking terms to resume the old arrangement. ... And a

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 39 F OCUS

new understanding flashed through No Soviet FSNs and Ronald Reagan. So even though my mind: these were the real aristo- we still had no FSNs and only a hand- crats, professional Soviet diplomats ever returned. ful of contractors, we began hosting who would never stoop to clean toi- congressional and other high-level lets or lug refrigerators up narrow delegations each month, starting in stairwells. They had mirror-imaged us, not for a moment the summer of 1987 and culminating in the Moscow sum- grasping that Americans are always ready to roll up their mit of May 1988. As the summit date approached, a sud- sleeves and do what is necessary to get the job done.” denly cooperative UpDK (the agency that had provided FSNs for the embassy) sent workers swarming over Spaso The Spring Thaw House and the exterior of the chancery to repair, clean and As springtime approached, the U.S. government finally paint. The summit delegation numbered over 1,000, responded to the situation. The Defense Department was accompanied by over 1,000 journalists, outnumbering us first, sending a half-dozen Army drivers to chauffeur the eight to one — but we handled them. ambassador and drive our trucks (until then, first Arthur The thaw had practical consequences, for though there Hartman and, later, Jack Matlock had been driving them- was no chance of Foreign Service Nationals coming back selves in an armored Opel sedan). The first contractors in the near term, UpDK and UpIP became somewhat appeared in April. Heat was restored to the chancery and more cooperative. As Jim Schumaker observes: “It turned new telecommunications equipment was installed. out that Moscow’s decision to withdraw our FSNs had Metaphorically speaking, another historic thaw was tak- been just as much a shock to our Leningrad Diplomatic ing place, in the relationship between Mikhail Gorbachev Agency counterparts as it had been to us. ... A few people

40 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 F OCUS

in each organization did what they could to help us, easing Department personnel in Russia, Secretary of State our administrative burdens considerably. More often than Shultz, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II, referred not, our requests for under-the-table assistance were to the conditions faced by embassy and consulate general granted immediately, and unofficially, and it really helped.” personnel in the Soviet Union during this period as akin to Despite such progress, it seemed that Foreign Service those faced during war. National employees would never come back to Moscow Perhaps that experience partially forged our charac- and Leningrad. And they probably would not have, if not ters. An unusually high proportion of APD veterans for an earthshaking event. Jim continues: “The issue was went on to ambassadorships: Jane Becker, Mike Einik, closed, forever. No Soviet employees would ever be Mary Ann Peters, Ross Wilson, Ed Hurwitz, Jim allowed to work at our missions in Moscow and Schumaker, Priscilla Clapp, Eric Edelman, Steve Pifer, Leningrad. There was just one catch, of course: only four John Herbst, John Ordway, Steve Young. Many more short years later, there would be no Soviet employees served in highly responsible positions: Shaun Byrnes as anywhere, because the Soviet Union itself had passed envoy to Montenegro, Colonel Bob Berls as an adviser to into history.” the Secretary of Energy, Rear Admiral Ron Kurth as president of the Naval War College, and others too The APD Legacy numerous to list here. The APD veterans were a varied group that, under One thing we have all carried with us, whatever our enormous stress, kept two posts operating — despite overt rank, is a deep and abiding appreciation for the work of our Soviet efforts to force them to collapse. In his citation for Foreign Service National employees, wherever in the a series of Superior Honor Awards conferred on the State world we’ve been posted.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 41 THE EDUCATION OF CARNE ROSS: FROM OUTRAGE TO OPPORTUNITY

A SENIOR BRITISH FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER WHO RESIGNED THREE YEARS AGO OVER HIS GOVERNMENT’S IRAQ POLICY NOW PROVIDES DIPLOMATIC ADVICE TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.

BY LUDOVIC HOOD

n the summer of 2004, the Butler Review, the national interest, Ross provides diplomatic advice to “those official British inquiry into the intelligence fail- who need it most: the disadvantaged, politically oppressed ures surrounding the invasion of Iraq, received and economically marginalized.” In less than three years, written testimony from an unlikely source: a Ross has built a roster of clients that includes the Kosovo senior British Foreign Service officer who was a and Somaliland governments. former first secretary in the United King- Last month Ross published a book, Independent Diplo- dom’s mission to the United Nations. Carne mat: Dispatches from an Unaccountable Elite (Cornell Uni- Ross, who was London’s point man on Iraq issues at the versity Press), asserting that “the institutions of contempo- IU.N. from 1997 to 2002, submitted a forthright critique of rary diplomacy — foreign ministries, the U.N., the E.U. the Blair government’s Iraq policy, asserting that the intelli- and the like — often exclude those they most affect.” gence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction had been Speaking in a March 24 interview with the Foreign Service grossly exaggerated and questioning the legal basis for the Journal, Ross argued that nation-states’ narrowly defined 2003 invasion of Iraq. interests often overwhelm and exclude more complex, Soon afterward, Ross, a rising star in the Foreign and sophisticated ways of understanding, and that “to cope with Commonwealth Office, tendered his resignation, and the complexities of today’s world, diplomats must open established a nonprofit organization called Independent their doors — and minds — to a far wider range of individ- Diplomat (www.independentdiplomat.com). Instead of uals and groups, concerns and ideas, than the current and implementing policy based on politicians’ interpretations of increasingly dysfunctional system allows.” Ross joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Ludovic Hood is a new Foreign Service officer, slated to join 1989, entering the “fast stream” of the British diplomatic Embassy Kuwait later this year. He previously served with corps. Before his five-year posting to New York, Ross served the United Nations in East Timor and New York, and taught in Germany and Norway. He also held a number of presti- a course on post-conflict democratization at Princeton gious posts in London, including the position of speech- University’s Woodrow Wilson School in 2006. The views in writer to the Foreign Secretary at that time, Malcolm this article are those of the author and/or the interviewee, Rifkind. and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of In 1997, Ross was assigned to the U.K. mission to the State or the U.S. government. U.N., where he was primarily responsible for matters con-

42 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 cerning Iraq. As Britain’s lead negotiator of Security Security Council and was thus illegal. The clearest evi- Council resolutions on Iraq, he recalls in his book, he devel- dence of this is the fact that the U.K. sought an authorizing oped a “Rottweiler-like reputation … as the most effective resolution and failed to get it.” and aggressive defender of British-American Iraq policy” In the March interview, an impassioned Ross said, “In all on the sanctions regime and Iraq’s WMD programs. my career, I had been taught and believed that Britain stood not only for a world of rules but also for fair play and Doubts Surface integrity. Many will think me disingenuous, but this was It was in this context, however, that Ross began to devel- the rock on which I based myself as a diplomat, even when op qualms about the sanctions regime on Iraq, which, he contradictions presented themselves, as they often had. says, “primarily served to punish and harm innocent Iraqi But the decision to go to war was simply too much.” Even civilians.” Later, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, worse, Ross argues, was the failure of the U.K. and U.S. to attacks, he grew concerned “give sufficient attention to about the rhetoric emanating closing off Iraq’s illegal oil rev- from London and Washington, enues which sustained the Sad- D.C., regarding Iraq’s purport- dam regime,” an issue on which ed WMD programs. Ross’s As Britain’s lead negotiator of he worked for several years. exposure to all manner of infor- Says Ross, “This was a real mation regarding these pro- Security Council resolutions alternative to war that was not grams over a five-year period pursued.” convinced him that the case for on Iraq, Ross was a zealous His decision to resign did war was being significantly not hinge solely on his despon- overstated. He asserts that the defender of the sanctions dency over British policy on claims made by the British gov- Iraq. As the subtitle of his ernment about Iraq’s weapons regime. book, Dispatches from an Un- programs were “totally implau- accountable Elite, indicates, sible,” as he put it in the inter- Ross had developed profound view. concern regarding the entire In mid-2002, growing anxiety enterprise of diplomacy; in par- about British and American policy vis-à-vis Iraq led Ross to ticular, the lack of accountability and the dearth of infor- take a sabbatical at the New School University in New York, mation affecting diplomats’ conduct. He explains: “The after which he sought out, and received, an assignment to the abiding feature of foreign policymaking is its closed, secre- U.N. mission in Kosovo. While based in Pristina in June tive and circumscribed nature. ... Policies are decided by 2004, he submitted written testimony to the Butler Review, small groups of officials and ministers based upon very par- then resigned from the British Foreign Service shortly there- tial (in both senses of the word) accounts of reality.” The after. undemocratic nature of diplomacy, Ross charges, combined In his testimony, Ross wrote: “During my posting [at the with many diplomats’ lack of specialized knowledge — U.K. mission to the U.N.], at no time did [the U.K. govern- whether assigned to conflict-prone countries or to multina- ment] assess that Iraq’s WMD (or any other capability) tional institutions such as the U.N. and the E.U. — leads to posed a threat to the U.K. or its interests. On the contrary, decision-making largely detached from the needs and con- it was the commonly held view among the officials dealing cerns of the people in the countries affected. with Iraq that any threat had been effectively contained. I Indeed, Ross identifies the very existence of a separate remember on several occasions the U.K. team stating this diplomatic corps within national governments as a problem view during our discussions with the U.S. (who agreed). … unto itself: “The existence of diplomats reaffirms the sepa- At the same time, we would frequently argue, when the rated nature of diplomacy and international relations from U.S. raised the subject, that “régime change” was inadvis- other areas of policy, when, in fact, they are inextricably con- able, primarily on the grounds that Iraq would collapse into nected,” says Ross. “Diplomats tend to be generalists who chaos.” are unskilled in the complexities of global issues, from trade With reference to the U.N. Security Council delibera- to terrorism, which now dominate our world. We need to tions prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Ross testified, “It is promote multiple links at multiple levels between govern- clear that in terms of the resolutions presented by the U.K. ments, avoiding the narrowing and outdated structures of itself, the subsequent invasion was not authorized by the traditional diplomacy.”

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 43 A Difficult Decision ment was clearly excluded from the While Ross is speaking primarily thrust of decision-making in the run about the U.K.’s Foreign and Com- “The abiding feature of up to the war. It does not follow, monwealth Office, there is an argu- however, that decisions would have ment to be made that the foreign pol- foreign policymaking is been better. In the State Depart- icy formulation process in Wash- ment, as in Britain’s foreign ministry, ington already partially sidelines the its closed, secretive and there was a tendency to believe and professional diplomatic corps. As the plan on the basis of the most opti- late, great George F. Kennan com- circumscribed nature.” mistic post-invasion scenarios.” mented a decade ago in Foreign Ross’s anguish regarding his resig- Affairs, “[T]he State Department has — Carne Ross nation was evident in our interview. been largely deprived of its tradition- He spent two years agonizing over al role as … the coordinator of for- the decision: “My attachment to my eign policy. … [H]undreds of other identity as a diplomat was so great areas of international relations have that I could not tear myself away, been abandoned to the desires and despite my disgust at the behavior of whims of the numerous forces on the foreign policy superior to the “weak my government. I drafted numerous Washington scene [including] various efforts” of Britain’s parliament. How- resignation letters but did not send congressional committees, with their ever, Ross contends that “Even in the them. My anguish deepened after huge staffs, and the swarms of special U.S., foreign policy is regarded as an the invasion of Iraq, but I continued interests that fasten on the latter like elite practice, displaying particular to waver between resignation and the bees on a flower.” Kennan also noted ‘statist’ and thus narrow ways of self-interest of my career. To put off that only 30 percent of the U.S. gov- thinking about the world.” He says the choice, I went to Kosovo on sec- ernment employees working in mis- the interagency process “encourages ondment to the U.N. mission there.” sions overseas were Department of an obsession with consensus,” which “Then, in the summer of 2004, I State personnel; the majority work often fails to give “proper considera- testified to the Butler inquiry. The for other agencies. tion of the complex reality abroad.” act of testifying was an epiphany of Ross says that the foreign policy When asked about the interagency sorts for me: setting down my views formulation process in the U.S. is process in the months leading to the (i.e., that the case for war was exag- more “transparent and eclectic” than 2003 invasion of Iraq — during which gerated and that there were viable in the U.K. For example, he deems State lost more than a few turf wars alternatives to war) hardened my congressional scrutiny of America’s — Ross notes that “the State Depart- resolve. Shortly after giving my testi- mony to Butler, I sent it to the Foreign Secretary as my resignation For more information: from the British diplomatic service.” Ross’ submission to the Butler Review, June 2004: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/ The Last Resort cmselect/cmfaff/167/6110810.htm Ross’ advice for career diplomats with serious concerns about policies New York Times profile of Ross, March 3, 2007: they defend and implement is simple. www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/world/europe/03ross.html “Tell it like you see it. The Foreign Independent Diplomat: Dispatches from an Unaccountable Service, whether in the U.S. or U.K., Elite, Carne Ross (Cornell University Press, April 2007): needs open debate inside as well as www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4707 Carne Ross out. Both should encourage a culture of questioning and debate: better pol- “Secrets, Lies and Diplomats,” Carne Ross, The New Statesman, Feb. 26, 2007 icy will result.” (excerpt from his book): www.newstatesman.com/200702260026 Ross notes that the U.S. Army has “Diplomacy Without Diplomats?,” George F. Kennan, Foreign Affairs, September/ encouraged and even appointed October 1997: www.foreignaffairs.org/19970901faessay3805-p0/george-f-kennan/ skeptics whose role it is to question diplomacy-without-diplomats.html the conventional institutional wis- — Ludovic Hood dom: “an official devil’s advocate,” as Ross puts it. He adds, “I did not do

44 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 enough to raise my concerns internal- Sahara. Ross believes that empower- ly. As for resignation,” Ross says, “It’s ing these and other entities to partici- the last resort.” Ross came to believe pate in international discussions per- Ross is careful to point out that he taining to their regions is a critical means no criticism of his former col- that there were real form of conflict management: “Our leagues who did not resign: “There hope is that by helping countries and were many good reasons to remove alternatives to war political groups to use the existing Saddam, and governments need good international machinery and interna- people to work for them. A decision with Iraq that were tional law, we are helping to reinforce to resign is deeply personal.” He peaceful and lawful means of arbi- adds, “I simply felt I could not work not pursued. trating international business.” happily for this government, which I Independent Diplomat does not felt had been dishonest with the only deal with self-determination British people.” cases, however. Ross is conducting talks with several more established A Global Service states and governments in Eastern Independent Diplomat, Ross’ good or sustainable, and too often Europe, Africa and Latin America “to nonprofit organization, was founded they fall apart. The ultimate effect is assist and advise in their diplomacy.” on the premise that failing to heed a less stable world. If people are Should he succeed in building his the voices of the marginalized ren- ignored, they tend to find ways — organization up to the global service he ders conflict and suffering more like- sometimes violent — to get heard.” envisions, more and more U.S. diplo- ly. As Ross notes, “In this complex Ross and his team currently advise mats may find themselves talking to and interconnected era, agreements the fledgling Kosovo and Somaliland non-state and state actors who are ben- that fail to take into account the inter- governments, as well as the Saharawi efiting from Independent Diplomat’s ests of all concerned parties are not Arab Democratic Republic in Western advice. Some already are.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 45 THE LAST FLIGHT FROM TALLINN

A FOREIGN SERVICE CODE CLERK FINALLY RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR HIS SACRIFICE IN THE LINE OF DUTY TWO-THIRDS OF A CENTURY AGO.

BY ERIC A. JOHNSON AND ANNA HERMANN

n May 4, during this year’s Foreign noted composer George Antheil; when the Finnish airliner Affairs Day observances, the Ameri- in which he was flying from Tallinn, Estonia, to Helsinki can Foreign Service Association will mysteriously exploded in mid-air and plunged into the Gulf inscribe the names of several U.S. of Finland.” And on July 17, 1940, a very short and incom- Foreign Service employees, all killed plete “exclusive” appeared in the Los Angeles Times under overseas in the line of duty, on the the headline: “Finnish Airliner Mystery Solved: Russians marble memorial plaques it maintains Shot Down American Courier.” in the State Department’s C Street lobby. Overall, however, the news of the Soviet blockade of OOne of those individuals, Henry W. Antheil Jr., had his Estonia and the downing of Antheil’s plane were both over- career cut tragically short on June 14, 1940. His plane, the shadowed by a much bigger story that broke on the other “Kaleva,” exploded at 2:05 p.m. local time, shortly after tak- side of Europe on the same date: the Nazi occupation of ing off from Tallinn’s Ülemiste Airport en route to Helsinki. Paris. Antheil (pronounced ANN-tile) was carrying three diplo- matic pouches from the U.S. legations in Tallinn, Riga and A Quest for Adventure Helsinki on the very day that the Soviet blockade of Estonia Henry Antheil Jr. was born in 1912 in Trenton, N.J., one went into effect. Soviet troops had already been based in of four children to Henry William Antheil, owner of a shoe the country since Oct. 18, 1939, as a result of a secret proto- store, and his wife Wilhemine Huse, both Lutheran immi- col to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that the Soviet Union grants from Germany. Growing up in New Jersey, Henry and Nazi Germany had signed earlier that year. was captivated by the life of his older brother George (1900- An Associated Press wire story about the tragedy 1959), an avant-garde composer who lived abroad in Paris appeared the following day and was picked up by the New and Berlin before ending his career in Hollywood, where he York Times (under the lead, “Finnish Air Crash Kills U.S. scored such classic films as “In a Lonely Place” (1950), star- Diplomat”). The June 24, 1940, edition of Time magazine ring Humphrey Bogart and directed by Nicolas Ray. As the ran the following item: “Died: Henry W. Antheil Jr., 27, title of his 1945 autobiography suggests, George Antheil was attaché of the U.S. Legation at Helsinki, younger brother of widely known as the “Bad Boy of Music” for his notorious “Ballet Mécanique” (1926) and other controversial composi- Eric A. Johnson, a Foreign Service specialist since 1999, has tions. served in Moscow and Washington, D.C. He is currently Not very much is known about Henry’s early life in the public affairs officer in Tallinn, where he works in the same shadow of his famous brother. We do know that Henry building that housed the U.S. legation to Estonia until it was enrolled at Rutgers University in the fall of 1931, after grad- forced to close in 1940. Anna Hermann, a student at Brown uating from Trenton Central High School, where he studied University, worked as an intern in the embassy’s public German and served as vice president of the public speaking affairs section in the fall of 2005. club.

46 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 During George’s occasional visits to the family home in “Henry was in Moscow now, a young attaché of the U.S. Trenton and through their frequent exchanges of letters, embassy and, in reality, one of our foremost war experts. He Henry pressed him for information about life in Europe. was then the ‘brilliant young man’ of the State Department; He even asked if he could accompany him as his personal he had a sort of roving commission. His quest for more secretary. George turned down that request, instead sug- knowledge took him all over Europe.” gesting that Henry join the U.S. Foreign Service. In an unpublished letter dated Aug. 25, 1940, George In the fall of 1933, George put Henry in touch with wrote: “Henry lived a lone [sic] and dangerous life, travel- William C. Bullitt, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to ing from country to country, followed by foreign agents from the Soviet Union, who was a friend of George’s. During a border to border, never knowing what moment might be his meeting in Washington, the photogenic Henry talked Bullitt last.” But even though he was blessed with matinee-idol into taking him along to Moscow to help open the new U.S. good looks, Henry never seems to have spent any time in the embassy. He left for the Soviet Union in February 1934 to diplomatic spotlight. Instead, it was assignments as a diplo- pursue his European dream without finishing his education matic courier that took him across Europe. at Rutgers. (At the height of the Great Depression, an excit- ing job probably seemed more attractive than a college Motives for Murder? degree.) In November 1939, Antheil got himself transferred from Because he was not a Foreign Service officer, Henry’s Moscow to the U.S. legation in Helsinki, where he was offi- role at the embassy was largely clerical — although seldom cially posted as a code clerk. Describing his character, H.F. routine. As George F. Kennan Arthur Schoenfeld, the minister recalled in the Pulitzer prize- in charge of the legation, empha- winning first volume of his sized his “sunny disposition, Memoirs (1967): “We were in industry, enthusiasm for his work many respects a pioneer enter- The news of the Soviet blockade and high ability.” prise — a wholly new type of As luck would have it, he American diplomatic mission — of Estonia and the downing of arrived in Finland right before the model and precursor of a the start of the Winter War and great many missions of the latter Antheil’s plane were both the Soviet bombing of Helsinki day. We were the first to cope on Nov. 30, 1939. In search of seriously, for example, with the overshadowed by reports of safety, the U.S. legation evacuat- problems of security — of pro- ed to temporary quarters in the tection of codes and files and the the Nazi occupation of Paris. resort hotel of Bad Grankulla privacy of intra-office discussion (also known as Kauniainen) out- — in a hostile environment. For side of Helsinki. It was at this this purpose, Bullitt brought in a spa, where Alexander Kerensky detachment of Marine sergeants gathered strength before leading in civilian clothes” — the first-ever Marine security guards the Russian Revolution, that Antheil met and fell in love at a U.S. embassy. with Greta Lindberg in December 1939. Not long after- Antheil ended up in charge of the embassy code room, ward, the couple were engaged. transmitting telegrams written by George F. Kennan, Loy Born in 1915, Greta was also working out of temporary W. Henderson, Charles E. Bohlen, John C. Wiley and other quarters at the Bad Grankulla Hotel along with her fellow key U.S. diplomats. After Bullitt’s 1936 departure, he served employees from the Sport Articles Company (the ski com- under two other ambassadors in Moscow, Joseph Davies pany and the spa shared a common owner). She was an and Laurence Steinhardt. active member of the patriotic Lotta Svärd (a Finnish While it appears that Antheil studied some Russian women’s auxiliary organization) and distinguished herself (Amb. Bullitt encouraged everyone on his staff to do so), he while helping at the front during the Winter War. But even would still have lived a rather insulated existence. But he out at Bad Grankulla the war was never far away: while enjoyed being part of the diplomatic life that revolved cross-country skiing with Major Frank B. Hayne (the lega- around the ambassador’s residence — experiences vividly tion’s military attaché) on Sunday, Jan. 14, 1940, Henry wit- captured in Charles W. Thayer’s Bears in the Caviar (1951) nessed the Soviet bombing of Schoenfeld’s villa in nearby and Irena Wiley’s Around the Globe in 20 Years (1962). Koklax and rushed over with his colleagues to help put out Embassy life suited Antheil, as his brother George the flames. recounts in his 1945 autobiography The Bad Boy of Music: Only seven months into his posting to Helsinki, Antheil

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 47 flew down to Tallinn on the morning wreckage was never found and the of June 14, 1940, taking an Estonian nine bodies on board were never commercial flight. Henry and Greta Antheil was in charge recovered. Documents in Russian, had just spent a happy getaway week- Finnish and Estonian archives are end in Tallinn on June 1-2. But he of Embassy Moscow’s equally elusive. A Finnish commission would never complete the short 50- assigned to investigate the crash did mile journey back to Helsinki. code room, sending not clarify matters when it issued a After learning of their son’s death cryptic report on June 17, 1940, con- on June 15, Henry Antheil Sr. and his cables written by cluding that “the explosion was caused wife sent the following telegram to by an external factor.” Secretary of State Cordell Hull: “We George F. Kennan, Despite such obstacles, Estonian appreciate your words of sympathy. and Finnish investigators have recent- While deeply grieved, we know that Loy W. Henderson and ly pieced together eyewitness ac- Henry loved his work and his country counts confirming that two Soviet even to giving his life for it. We will other key U.S. diplomats. bombers downed the “Kaleva” — de- appreciate any further information spite the fact that the Winter War be- you can give us.” tween the Soviet Union and Finland Further information turned out to had officially ended three months ear- be rather difficult to get, however. lier, on March 13, 1940. Both the Finns and Estonians Some Estonians have mistakenly launched investigations, but these Soviet Union a half-century later, any identified Antheil as the first U.S. offi- inquiries went nowhere once the public mention of the incident was cial to die in World War II. That dis- Soviet occupation of Estonia became considered taboo. tinction actually belongs to Captain a fait accompli on June 16, 1940. Although the plane crashed sever- Robert M. Losey, killed by a German From then until the collapse of the al kilometers north of Keri Island, the bomb in Oslo on April 21, 1940, while

48 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 assigned to the U.S. legation in ing to a June 19, 1940, report by John Helsinki as air attaché (see “‘The First C. Wiley, the minister in charge of the American Official Killed in This War’” The plane crashed U.S. legations in Riga and Tallinn, the by J. Michael Cleverley; December French diplomatic pouches may have 2003 Foreign Service Journal). But several kilometers north included dispatches from French Henry may well have been the first Ambassador Erik Labonne in Mos- official U.S. casualty of the Cold War. of Keri Island, but the cow reporting on his recent conversa- Speculation as to why the Soviet tions with Soviet Foreign Minister Naval Air Force shot down the flight wreckage was never Molotov — conversations the Soviets from Tallinn swirls around several dif- might not have wanted to fall into ferent theories. Perhaps the Soviets found and the nine German hands. Wiley’s source for thought that it was ferrying Estonia’s this information appears to have been gold outside the country (a popular bodies on board were General Johan Laidoner, commander- urban legend), or taking Estonian in-chief of the Estonian armed forces, President Konstantin Päts into exile. never recovered. whom he’d met with earlier that same A third theory, perhaps the most com- day. pelling, is that the plane was shot But perhaps the simplest explana- down to prevent the diplomatic tion is the best: overzealous Soviet pouches on board the plane from pilots decided to shoot first and ask leaving Estonia. Some Estonian questions later while enforcing the researchers believe that Antheil’s turned over to an unidentified U.S. new Soviet blockade of Estonia. This pouches contained secret information government official just hours before was to become an all-too-familiar detailing the Soviet Union’s future Antheil boarded the plane. Soviet pattern. Just 12 years later plans for the Baltic region — plans The “Kaleva” also carried two (almost to the day), on June 13, 1952, that the Estonian general staff had French diplomatic couriers. Accord- a Soviet MiG-15 shot down a Swedish

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 49 Douglas DC-3 over international with snippets from Embassy Mos- Jewish family in Austria, Hedy made waters as it was monitoring Soviet cow reporting cables. This material, her way to Hollywood after escaping installations in occupied Estonia. documenting Stalin’s purges and both the Nazis and her first marriage Whether such actions were designed the dark side of the Soviet Union, to prominent fascist Friedrich Mandl, to provoke a reaction or serve as a served as background information for an Austrian weapons manufacturer. show of force is still open to debate. George’s articles in Esquire and his (After World War II, Mandl fled to prophetic pamphlet, The Shape of the Argentina, where he worked both as Skeletons in the Closet War to Come (1940). When many of an adviser to strongman President Henry Antheil became the subject his predictions came true, George was Juan Perón and as a movie producer. of controversy within the State recruited by the Los Angeles Times to He later introduced leading lady Eva Department immediately after his be one of their war correspondents. Duarte to her future husband.) death. His work as a code clerk came A man of many talents, brother Hoping that their invention would under intense scrutiny when the lega- George went on to patent spread- aid the ongoing war effort, they tion staff member tasked with going spectrum (frequency-hopping) tech- offered the patent to the U.S. Navy for through his possessions on June 20, nology together with Hollywood use in its torpedo guidance systems. 1940, discovered evidence in his apart- movie star Hedy Lamarr in 1942. Unfortunately, the invention was 20 ment closet that he had failed to pro- Both believed that German fascism years ahead of its time, and the U.S. tect U.S. diplomatic codes properly. and Soviet communism were simply Navy was only able to make practical Specifically, as materials from a different sides of the same totalitarian use of the idea for the first time during recently declassified internal State coin. the Cuban blockade of 1962. Today, Department investigation indicate, Married to a Hungarian Jew spread-spectrum technology is an he had falsified assignment cables in named Böski Markus, George devel- essential part of mobile telecommuni- order to remain together with his oped a first-hand aversion for totali- cations and is used in everything from Finnish fiancée, Greta — and had tarian regimes while living in Ger- mobile phones to WiFi. been supplying his brother George many in the 1930s. Born into a Leading a strange kind of afterlife,

50 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 Henry got into trouble a second time Estonian subsidiary. (Finnair had after his death. During the 1950s already resumed flying between Hel- “Red Scare” in the United States, fin- Although Antheil did sinki and Tallinn in March 1990 after ger-pointing by an inside informant a 50-year hiatus.) (who had apparently heard rumors of not speak Russian, On June 14, 2005, Estonian, Fin- the State Department’s internal nish and Russian researchers gath- investigation) led to a posthumous by all accounts ered for a symposium at the Helsinki FBI investigation to see if he had Aviation Museum to mark the 65th been a Soviet agent. embassy life in Moscow anniversary of the incident. That In January 1956, the FBI conclud- same year, Ants Vist, Toivo Kallas and ed that State Department and suited him. the Estonian company “Polar Films” “Bureau files contain no details con- began working on a documentary film cerning Antheil’s involvement in on the fate of the “Kaleva.” Thanks to Soviet espionage activities” and that a grant issued by the U.S. embassy in “no further investigation is recom- Tallinn, a Polar Films crew traveled mended at this time.” (Back in to the U.S. in October and November Helsinki in June 1940, Henry’s fian- Aero Airlines resumed regularly 2006 to interview Antheil’s surviving cée Greta had been the subject of a scheduled flights between Helsinki relatives. background check of her own.) and Tallinn using French-built ATR- Fittingly, Henry Antheil’s name will Memories of Antheil continued to 72 twin-turboprops. forever be within sight of the black- fade until the beginning of the 21st Although the Finnish Aero Com- blue-white Estonian flag that hung in century, when a series of articles in pany changed its name to Finnair in the State Department’s main lobby the Estonian and Finnish press gener- 1953 (Finnair still uses the original throughout the five long decades of ated renewed interest in the story of OH call sign on its planes), Aero was Soviet occupation, waiting patiently for the “Kaleva.” At about the same time, reborn in March 2002 as Finnair’s the next flight from Tallinn. Executive Lodging SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE AMERICA Alternatives SINCE 1971 Interim Accommodations for 2007 represents our 37th year helping Corporate and Government Markets to maintain America’s fleet of vehicles throughout the world. All of us at D & M Apartments, consider it an honor to have worked with Townhouses & all of you through these years. Single Family Homes We are aware of the importance of your official and private vehicles, forklifts, generators, tools and equipment. “FOR THE EXECUTIVE ON THE MOVE” We look forward to continuing this service in a professional manner. We are here to help, just ask! [email protected] Gary Vlahov Locations throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Units fully furnished, equipped and accessorized www.dmauto.com Many “Walk to Metro” locations (516) 822-6662; FAX: (516) 822-5020; E-mail: [email protected] Pet Friendly 5105-L Backlick Road, Annandale, Virginia Tel: (703) 354-4070 Fax: (703) 642-3619

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 51 52 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 AFSAAmerican Foreign NEWSService Association • May 2007

ASSIGNMENT RULE CHANGE PROPOSALS FROM THE DG

State Department Seeking More Inside Fair-Share Bidders This Issue: BY SHAWN DORMAN BRIEFS: MEETING ELOs...... 54 VP STATE: LOYALTY ...... 55 n March 21, the director general The proposed changes, according to the VP USAID: WHERE’S MY AGENCY?..56 sent out a worldwide cable to in- DG’s message, are intended “to reduce the PAC ANNUAL UPDATE ...... 57 Oform State Department Foreign department’s own limit on continuous FAMILY MEMBER CLASSES...... 57 Service members of proposals to make fur- domestic service from six years to five, and Q&A: MEDICARE BASICS ...... 59 ther changes to the assignment system rules, to tighten the definition of ‘fair-share bid- FS VOICE: ASSIGNMENTS...... 60 and requested feedback and suggestions. der’ status to raise the number of bidders Explaining the need for more changes submitting bids on 15-percent-or-greater to the assignment rules, the DG said short- posts.” The 6/8-year rule would become AFSA GOVERNING BOARD ELECTIONS term fixes were not enough. “At a time the 5/8-year rule. This change was proposed when we have about 750 unaccompanied by the DG during negotiations that preced- Don’t Forget and limited-accompanied positions over- ed the August changes, but was rejected by to Vote seas, more than half of which are one-year AFSA and was put aside. (For a summa- tours that turn over every cycle, and when ry of the August 2006 changes to the assign- almost 20 percent of Foreign Service ment system, see “Walking the Tightrope,” employees have already served in Iraq and August FSJ, p. 71, at www.afsa.org/fsj/ Afghanistan, short-term measures are oct06/afsanews.pdf.) t is time for AFSA members to select the insufficient to remedy the staffing problems Until last summer, fair-share rules 2007-2009 AFSA Governing Board that faced by our high-differential posts during required 18 months of service at any hard- Iwill take office in July. Ballots and can- the next few years. ... We wish to ensure ship-differential post, including those with didates’ statements were mailed to all that the burdens of hardship service will be 5- or 10-percent differentials, during the pre- members in March. evenly shared throughout the Foreign vious eight years prior to the employee’s Completed ballots must be returned Service.” He also noted that the changes upcoming transfer. In August, with AFSA’s by May 31, and must be mailed in the were tied to an effort to avoid resorting to concurrence, the DG changed the fair-share AFSA Elections Committee 2007 envelope directed assignments. rules: instead of recent service at any hard- provided with the election material to The new proposals (spelled out in the ship post counting toward fair-share AFSA’s P.O. box. Ballots must not be DG’s March 21 message, State 35697) fol- requirements, only service at 15-percent and mailed to AFSA’s offices. Votes will be low changes to the assignment rules that higher differentials (combined hardship and counted on June 1. Details about voting were implemented in August 2006. The danger) would count. The current propos- are on the ballot. changes made then and the new ones pro- al would apply this definition of fair share Questions about the election can be posed in March aim to solve current retroactively, with no “grandfathering” directed to Elections Committee Chair staffing problems by creating a “fairer fair- provision. The new rule would also Robert Wozniak at rjwozniak@gmail. share” system and by altering the so-called change 18 months to 20 months. Thus, any com, or Professional Issues Coordinator “6/8-year rule,” which allows State Foreign Foreign Service member who has not served Barbara Berger at [email protected] or Service employees to remain in Washing- 20 months at a post with a 15-percent or (202) 338-4045, ext. 521. ton assignments for six consecutive years higher differential in the past eight years AFSA works because of you. Please and up to eight years with a waiver. Continued on page 58 remember to vote.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 53 A F S A AFSANEWSBRIEFS N E W AFSA President Meets with ELOs in Colombo S FSA President Tony Holmes attended the Bureau of Director General George Staples and Assistant Secretary ASouth and Central Asian Affairs’ regional entry-level for Consular Affairs Maura Harty, as well as high-level professionals conference held in Colombo March 8-9. The representatives from SCA and the Human Resources conference was well-attended, including by some who paid Bureau, spoke during the conference. their own way in order to be there. Under Secretary for The conference focused on the Foreign Service career Management Henrietta Fore was the guest of honor. more than on policy, and SCA representatives made a real effort to promote the bureau as a “home” for the ELOs at the conference, encouraging them to return to SCA for Life in the Foreign Service future assignments. BY BRIAN AGGELER Amb. Holmes participated in five different sessions. One was devoted to AFSA issues exclusively; in the other four, he was part of a panel discussing life in the Foreign Service and the FS career. Holmes tells AFSA News that the embassy and bureau did a superb job in organizing the conference and were open to and appreciative of AFSA’s participation and contributions.

“Going It Alone” from AAFSW In response to the growing number of unaccompanied post- ings for Foreign Service employees, the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide recently added a page to its Web site that pulls together information for families facing an unaccompanied tour. It is a good place to go to find infor- mation on the Separate Maintenance Allowance and links to State Department resources, as well as instructions for joining the e-mail listserv “homefrontUS” for Foreign Service family members, sponsored by the State Department Family Liaison Office. Go to www.aafsw.org and click on “Going it Alone.”

AFSA HEADQUARTERS: Staff: Governing Board: (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 Executive Director, Acting, Ian Houston: [email protected] Business Department STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: PRESIDENT: J. Anthony Holmes (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 Controller Twee Nguyen: [email protected] STATE VICE PRESIDENT: Steven Kashkett USAID AFSA OFFICE: Accounting Assistant Jon Reed: [email protected] (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 Labor Management USAID VICE PRESIDENT: Francisco Zamora FCS AFSA OFFICE: General Counsel Sharon Papp: [email protected] FCS VICE PRESIDENT: Donald Businger Labor Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich: [email protected] FAS VICE PRESIDENT: Vacant (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: [email protected] Grievance Attorneys Neera Parikh: [email protected] and Holly Rich: [email protected] RETIREE VICE PRESIDENT: David Reuther AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org Office Manager Christine Warren: [email protected] SECRETARY: Tex Harris AFSA E-MAIL: [email protected] USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: [email protected] TREASURER: Andrew Winter FSJ: [email protected] USAID Office Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: [email protected] PRESIDENT: [email protected] STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Alan Misenheimer, Member Services STATE VP: [email protected] Director Janet Hedrick: [email protected] Hugh Neighbour, Joyce Namde, Randy RETIREE VP: [email protected] Representative Cory Nishi: [email protected] Steen, Daphne Titus, Andrew Young, USAID VP: [email protected] Web-site & Database Associate: vacant Andrea Tomaszewicz and Sandy Robinson FCS VP: [email protected] Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez: [email protected] USAID REPRESENTATIVE: Mike Henning Outreach Programs AFSA News Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: [email protected] FCS REPRESENTATIVE: William Center Editor Shawn Dorman: [email protected] Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: [email protected] FAS REPRESENTATIVE: Robert Curtis (202) 338-4045 x 503; Fax: (202) 338-8244 Congressional Affairs Director Ian Houston: [email protected] IBB REPRESENTATIVE: Al Pessin Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: [email protected] On the Web: www.afsa.org/news Scholarship Director Lori Dec: [email protected] RETIREE REPRESENTATIVES: Leonard J. How to Contact Us: to Contact How Professional Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger: [email protected] Baldyga, Roger Dankert, Larry Lesser and Elderhostel Coordinator Janice Bay: [email protected] Gilbert Sheinbaum

54 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 A F V.P. VOICE: STATE BY STEVE KASHKETT S A N E W Prisoners of Conscience S

would like to use this column to pose a purely hypothetical a result, that debate takes place large- question that is increasingly being whispered in the corridors ly in the absence of the one voice that Ihere at the Department of State. Similar questions are being is potentially most authoritative on for- raised among career employees at the Pentagon, at the CIA and eign policy matters, the U.S. Foreign elsewhere in the federal government, but it has particular rele- Service. vance and urgency here at State. The question is this: What does So how does a Foreign Service member in this predicament a professional Foreign Service member do if he or she reaches a proceed? Is it acceptable, for reasons of conscience, to refuse to point of insurmountable personal dis- accept assignments in the area directly agreement with a major component of affected by this particular foreign poli- U.S. foreign policy? I would respectfully cy issue? Can we allow “conscientious As career public servants, we are all objectors” to pursue their careers in other accustomed to accepting policy decisions suggest that true patriotism areas of foreign policy and reward that we may personally judge to be mis- them for excellence in those areas, is something broader guided, then dutifully implementing rather than punishing them for their them to the best of our ability in our daily than loyalty to one principled refusal to work on something work. Diplomats are expected to spend they feel is deeply wrong? After all, the their lives acquiring expertise in foreign administration’s policies. world is a large, complex place, and we affairs as the result of living overseas for do need to keep talented people who spe- years at a time, developing a sophisticat- cialize in many different regions and ed understanding of how the world works, and dealing with for- many diverse subject areas of foreign policy. eign governments, cultures and situations. These days, we often hear certain colleagues declare self-right- Most of us take pride in our capacity to analyze the foreign eously that anyone who refuses to embrace and carry out, with- policy issues facing our country in a way that Americans with out question, the administration’s policies should be considered less overseas knowledge cannot. This expertise may inevitably disloyal and should be removed from the Service. I would respect- lead us to an honest disagreement with certain decisions taken fully suggest that true patriotism is something broader than loy- by the political leadership. But the ethic of our profession is to alty to one administration’s policies, and that honorable, con- keep one’s personal opinions to oneself and to carry out faith- scientious people in the Foreign Service may well feel that they fully the policies of the present administration. For most of us, are being patriotic by expressing dissent or choosing to avoid work- this is not a problem. ing on certain issues at a time of crisis so as not to advance poli- But what happens, hypothetically, if a once-in-a-lifetime cri- cies they see as dangerously misguided. Such individuals should sis arises in which we see our government pursuing a course of not be made to suffer for this principled stance in terms of pro- action which, we cannot help but conclude, threatens the very motions, onward assignments or career advancement. security of our nation and its standing in the world? What if it Legendary American diplomatic pioneer George Kennan — is a matter of war and peace? If our sense of patriotism impels who during his long, brilliant career never shied away from dis- us to speak out, do we not have an obligation to bring our unique sent — warned in 1997: “Diplomats have a unique point of view perspective to the public debate over this course of action — what- to convey ... Yet the political and bureaucratic establishments ever the risk to our careers? in Washington cannot tolerate for long any body of public ser- In practice, of course, those few Foreign Service personnel who vants established on a conceptual basis so different from their dare to participate in the public debate in their role as knowl- own and demanding such independence of administration.” A edgeable private citizens do so at their own professional peril. As decade later, let us hope he was mistaken.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 55 A F S V.P. VOICE: USAID BY FRANCISCO ZAMORA A N E Where’s My Agency? W S as anyone seen USAID? All of a sudden, I looked and it FAR program. The appropriateness of wasn’t there anymore. At least not the way I remember adopting this model to the highly Hit. Let me describe what I am looking for. diverse world of development is of questionable value. I recall USAID as the agency whose purpose was to assist less- Apart from new initiatives, a full-blown reorganization is also developed countries around the world improve substandard con- in the works, but there is no clarity on how the agency will ulti- ditions in agriculture, health, environment, education and eco- mately look or who will report to whom, because lines of com- nomic performance. Decentralized USAID missions worked very munication are not apparent. What is clear is that authority is closely with their counterparts to develop sensible on-the-ground highly concentrated at the top. The assistant administrator for projects. Concurrently, host-government representatives, many management position has been vacant for two years, and remains of whom were previous recipients of USAID scholarships, under- vacant. Some bureaus, such as Policy Program and Coordination, stood what we were striving to accomplish. have been eliminated completely and their people farmed out to The best interventions were designed in a collaborative style the new “F” Bureau over at the State Department or to the Office using simplified but effective planning documents such as a plan- of the Chief Operating Officer at USAID headquarters. Executive ning tool called the Logframe which, if properly prepared, clear- officers are being “encouraged” to bid on State jobs offered under ly identified the goal, purpose, outputs, activities and inputs. This the Joint Management Platform, which raises uncertainty about document was easily understandable to all parties. Once the pro- their careers as USAID proceeds with its “stealth” merger with ject was approved, USAID FSOs rolled up their sleeves and actu- State. ally started implementation. At the project’s middle and end, the To add to this mix, we also note that direct-hire staff num- results were evaluated and used to improve the next project. bers are woefully inadequate and recruitment is currently at only There were overarching themes such as Basic Human Needs, half of attrition (in 2006, 29 new FSOs were hired while 65 retired). the Four Pillars of Development and Core Values, but we were There are 1,000 fewer USAID employees today than in 1992, yet trusted and expected to operate our programs with limited inter- we hear boasts that development aid has tripled from $10 bil- ference from headquarters. The system worked and we got results. lion a year to $30 billion under the current administration. What’s Mortality rates for children and mothers plunged in many of more, the operating expenses budget request for Fiscal Year 2008 the countries where USAID worked. Family planning services is 15 percent less than the actual FY 2006 budget. It appears there were accepted, and successfully reduced fertility rates. Emergency will be little funding to bring employee benefits into line with what assistance and food were delivered to the most remote regions State employees are receiving. It seems we are being asked to do of the world. Elementary educational services improved and thou- more with less and less and less. sands received a chance to study in the United States. It is unrealistic to think that the momentous changes taking Agricultural production increased significantly and economic place can be successfully implemented within the 600 or so days activities improved. USAID had a secure reputation as the “pre- left in the current administration. Already, many of the top polit- mier” development agency in the eyes of other donors and devel- ical appointees at the agency are leaving to take other opportu- oping nations. nities before the end comes. There seems to be very little buy-in Sadly, nothing looks like that now. New buzzwords abound to the changes being proposed because there is a lack of serious for initiatives such as Transformational Diplomacy, Country consultation about the process and ultimate goal. I am afraid that Operational Plans, the Results Framework, Manage-to-Budget this will only leave a mess for the next administration to sort out. and the Joint Management Platform. Thousands of hours are I know I sound like an old-timer yearning for the good old spent in meeting after meeting discussing how to produce doc- days. However, many of the tried-and-tested ways worked, uments for these initiatives which, theoretically, should take us and what we have now clearly does not. Given that only 12 to higher levels of performance. But employees are so busy strate- percent of FSOs in our recent survey thought that morale at gizing and reporting that by the time they finish, it is time to start USAID was good and that 67 percent believe that working con- over again. There is hardly enough time to tend to projects any- ditions are worsening, I know I am not alone in this opinion. more. No one is allowed to proceed without a centrally-approved The agency I remember not only had a clear mission but was operational plan, which is a formulaic, top-down instrument pre- also well-staffed, respected, decentralized and effective. Has viously developed for the one-theme-focused HIV/AIDS PEP- anyone seen it lately?

56 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 A F AFSA ON THE HILL S 2006 AFSA-PAC Treasurer’s Report A BY TOM BOYATT, AFSA-PAC TREASURER N 006 was a dramatic year for the ber of overseas donors slightly increased to tinue to struggle for overseas comparabil- E American Foreign Service Associa- 17 percent. Although trends are discour- ity pay and expanded retiree benefits, and W 2tion Political Action Committee. We aging — especially in view of AFSA’s great- in defense of the reality that the Foreign S made significant contributions to the over- ly increased effectiveness on the Hill — our Service serves very effectively on the front all AFSA effort to pass overseas compara- financial position remains comfortable. lines in an ever-more-dangerous world. bility pay. The stars and planets were just Interested colleagues may review all of our I would like to highlight the dedication aligned when the effort stalled and monthly financial reports submitted to the of several of AFSA’s members who volun- foundered. Disappointment was sharp, but Federal Elections Commission at tarily serve on the PAC Committee. Amb- real progress was evident. Relationships were www.fec.gov to learn more about your PAC. assador Theresa A. Healy, Ambassador Nick tested and strengthened, while new contacts With respect to output, AFSA-PAC Rey, Ambassador Vern Penner, Mr. Irv were forged. Throughout the process, donated $32,000 divided equally between Rubenstein and Dr. Eugene Schmiel have AFSA-PAC provided the AFSA legislative the two parties and concentrating, as helped guide and advise our small PAC to team a more robust presence at the congres- usual, on the chairs and ranking members its current effectiveness. I would also like sional table. of our authorizing and appropriating com- to record thanks to our late, great friend In terms of raw metrics, 511 colleagues mittees in each chamber. Since its creation Ambassador Don Norland for his service donated an average of $60 each, bringing in 2002, AFSA-PAC has donated over and helpful advice provided since the foun- total contributions to AFSA-PAC to $140,000 to its friends and supporters on dation of AFSA-PAC. $30,585. Regrettably, the downward trend Capitol Hill. We are by no means a heavy In closing, AFSA-PAC relies entirely on that emerged last year has continued. The hitter as PACs go, but we target narrowly the voluntary support of you, our members. 511 donors in 2006 represent a decrease our foreign affairs legislative universe, and No dues are used for political campaign con- from the 622 who contributed in 2005. And we contribute consistently. We are there tributions and all activities are in strict com- it is far below the record level achieved in every year being part of the process and fur- pliance with federal and local election laws. 2004, when over 800 AFSA members decid- thering and defending the interests of both Our impact is cumulative over time. I look ed to pitch in. our retired and active-duty colleagues on forward to adding momentum during the AFSA retirees continue to make up the issues that affect us all. I would expect our coming year to what we have achieved bulk of support (75 percent), while the num- contributions to increase in 2007 as we con- together thus far.

NOTES FROM THE FSI TRANSITION CENTER dren grades 2-12): June 2. MQ 220: Going Overseas: Logistics for Adults: June 2. The nuts Courses for FS Family Members and bolts of planning for the move overseas, offered in conjunc- e plan to periodically highlight upcoming Transition tion with MQ 200 and MQ 210. Center courses for members of the Foreign Service com- MQ 230: Going Overseas: Logistics for Children (for parents Wmunity. To register or for further information call (703) and children grades 2-12): June 2. 302-7268/9 or e-mail [email protected]. MQ 703: Post Options for Employment and Training: June 12. May courses include: MQ 104: Regulations, Allowances and Finances in the MQ 115: Explaining America: May 24. Expatriates abroad face Foreign Service Context: June 21-22. difficult questions about American society. Explore the roots of MQ 801, Maintaining Long-Distance Relationships: June 23. American cultural values for effective responses to those questions. July courses include: MQ 703: Post Options for Employment and Training: May 31. MQ 250: Young Diplomats Day: July 9, 16, 30. Introduces the Designed to help U.S. government foreign affairs spouses identify world of diplomacy to children (grades 2-12) of U.S. government and develop employment opportunities and personal strategies for employees working abroad. seeking paid or unpaid professional opportunities overseas. MQ 914: Youth Security Overseas Seminar: July 10, 17, 24, 31. June courses include: Foreign affairs family members in grades 2-12 explore safety and MQ 803: Realities of Foreign Service Life: June 1. security threats they might face in overseas environments and iden- MQ 200: Going Overseas for Singles and Couples without tify resources for protecting themselves. Children: June 2. MQ 115: Explaining America: July 7. MQ 210: Going Overseas for Families (for parents and chil- MQ 803: Realities of Foreign Service Life: July 28.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 57 A

F Assignment Rules • Continued from page 53 S AFSA Response to the principle of fairness — and to pre- A would be considered a fair-share bidder. AFSA transmitted a message to all serving flexibility and family-friendliness The DG’s proposal to replace the cur- Foreign Service members on March 21, the in the Foreign Service. We believe these rent 6/8-year rule for domestic service with same day the DG’s cable was sent. AFSA new proposals would have an undeniable N a 5/8-year rule would mean that Foreign stated its agreement with the DG’s belief impact on these principles. We are there- E Service members could only serve a max- that it is important for the members of the fore seeking your feedback, which will help W imum of five consecutive years domesti- Foreign Service to continue to volunteer for the AFSA Governing Board decide how to S cally, and would then need to seek a waiv- all of the hardship and danger-pay positions respond to the director general.” er to remain longer. Approval for such that must be filled overseas, but offered Results of the member poll were not in waivers would be a discretionary decision another perspective on the proposals and by press time, but will be reported in an by HR, and the criteria for approval of such requested immediate input from AFSA upcoming edition of AFSA News. Early waivers would be narrowed. For example, members worldwide. indications show great concern about the the current nearly automatic practice of In its message, AFSA stated: “Over the proposed changes among members. granting waivers for employees with a past six months, active-duty members Hundreds immediately responded to the teenager finishing his or her senior year of worldwide have made it clear to AFSA that survey, and e-mail messages are flooding high school would end. In practical terms, they want to be consulted on such pro- in to AFSA from members around the for most people, the new rule would mean posed changes, which directly affect their world. Many of these messages focus on a maximum of four consecutive years in ability to manage their careers. While most the retroactive nature of the proposed rule Washington: two normal two-year assign- members have expressed support for changes as a key concern. AFSA intends ments. No grandfathering provision for greater enforcement of fair-share rules and to take members’ views into account when those already assigned domestically has limitations on domestic service, a strong formulating a response to management on been offered. majority attached tremendous importance the proposals.

AFSANEWSBRIEFS Lab in Bulgaria Named Want to Run a Nonprofit? Tales Seeks CEO for FAS Attaché The Web resource for Americans living abroad, Tales from a Small Planet, is seek- A new laboratory on the Black Sea ing a new CEO to start immediately. Tales (www.talesmag.com) is a nonprofit coast was named in March for Brian organization/Webzine that was started by a group of Foreign Service spouses in Goggin, a former U.S. agricultural 2000. Tales features over 1,000 Real Post Reports — honest opinions on life in attaché in Bulgaria. The Foreign 340 cities around the world. In addition, the site is an online literary magazine, Agricultural Service office in sponsors newsgroups and message boards and offers links to overseas schools. In 2006, Tales won a “Best of the Web” award from Forbes magazine. Sofia was honored by the Bulgarian Tales has a talented, dedicated staff, and is seeking a CEO with energy and vision Ministry of Agriculture for its to take the organization to a new level of sustainability. The ideal candidate has important contributions to the pre- vision and management skills, international living experience, and is not daunted vention and control of avian influen- by working entirely online with the board and staff. The new CEO will help provide za in that country. Susan Reid, the leadership for Tales regarding Web content as well as fundraising and PR. The current agricultural attaché in Sofia, position is part-time, and currently pays a monthly stipend, but includes room for gave a speech at the naming ceremo- salary growth based on successful fundraising efforts. This is a great job for a self- ny extolling Goggin’s work. A mar- starter with a business degree and/or business experience who wants to set his or ble plaque with Brian Goggin’s name her own hours and take a nonprofit, online corporation to the next level. in gold letters is mounted at the lab Please contact Francesca Kelly at [email protected] for more information. entrance. FAS/Sofia provided significant resources to create the new facility Transportation Offices Move and train laboratory staff. The As the summer transfer season approaches, please be aware that despite strong objections from AFSA, State management has moved the transporta- office’s work continues with the lab tion offices out of the service corridor to a new temporary location in the and Veterinary Service, including Truman Building: Rooms 4527, 4535 and 4634. Stay tuned for further infor- training of 11 leading local experts in mation on a possible next interim move to SA-3. the United States.

58 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 A F S A Q: Do I have to apply for Medicare coverage? If you are already getting Social Security benefits at age 65, you do not have to apply. Rather, Medicare will N A: E Q&A automatically enroll you in both Parts A and B and send you a Medicare card about three months before your 65th birthday. W If you don’t want Part B, follow the instructions on the card. If S you are not getting Social Security benefits by three months before you turn 65, apply for Medicare at any Social Security Retiree Issues Administration Office. This marks the beginning of a seven- month initial enrollment period. If one waits 12 or more months Medicare Basics to enroll, the premiums will go up by 10 percent for every 12- month delay. BY BONNIE BROWN, RETIREE COORDINATOR Q: Should I enroll in both FEHB and Medicare B? The Federal Employee Health Benefits Program is A: regarded as the gold standard in health insurance, so the question retirees generally ask is whether it makes sense to Q: What kinds of coverage are provided by Medicare Parts A, B also enroll in Medicare B. The answer to this is an individual and D? one, based on health and financial considerations. Medicare Part A, which is hospital insurance, helps pay When a federal retiree enrolls in FEHB and Medicare B, Medicare A: for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care B becomes the primary provider. It pays for most services for retirees and home health and hospice care. Medicare Part B, which is in fee-for-service plans, such as Blue Cross or American Foreign medical insurance, helps pay for doctors’ services, outpatient hos- Service Protective Plans. The FEHBP fee-for-service plan then pays pital services and diagnostic tests. The new Medicare D provides a portion or all of the services not covered by Medicare, waiving prescription-drug benefits. most of its deductibles, coinsurance and co-payments with the excep- tion of prescription drugs. This results in nearly complete cover- Q: Who may be covered by Medicare Parts A and B? age for all out-of-pocket expenses. Medicare pays the provider charges Medicare Part A is provided at no cost to all federal first and then sends the claim electronically to the FEHB health plan, A: employees actively employed on and after Jan. 1, 1983, reducing paperwork and the burden on enrollees. those eligible for Social Security benefits or who paid Medicare In deciding whether to have both FEHB and Part B, you can taxes for 10 years while employed by the federal government, and run the numbers yourself. Look at the health services you general- those whose spouses are eligible for Part A. Those who do not ly require and calculate the amount of out-of-pocket expenses you qualify may buy Part A. Part B is available to anyone 65 and older ordinarily incur for these services during a year. Then balance this who is either a U.S. citizen, or a lawfully admitted alien, who has against the amount you would pay in Part B premiums for a year. resided in the U.S. for five years. In 2007, this would be $1,123 for most enrollees. If you spend approx- imately this amount or more, then purchasing Part B could make Q: What are the premiums for Medicare Parts A and B? sense. Of course, you cannot anticipate what your health needs will Part A is free for most people. The 2007 monthly pre- be in the future. Also, because means-testing will be phased in, you A: mium for Part A, if one is not eligible for free cover- should continue to review any decision to see if it continues to makes age, is $410 (or $226 if one has 30 to 39 quarters of Medicare- economic sense. On the other hand, be aware that a 10-percent covered employment). The 2007 premium for Part B, which penalty applies for waiting to enroll in Part B for each year after everyone must pay, is $93.50 a month. Starting this year, Medicare you reach the age of 65. B premiums will be means-tested: approximately 4 percent of Retirees in FEHBP health maintenance organizations may not Medicare Part B enrollees with high incomes (incomes in excess need Part B coverage because HMOs provide a full range of ser- of $80,000 for individuals or $160,000 for couples) will pay a high- vices and the co-payments are usually low. However, there may er premium. be other considerations; for example, retirees may need coverage Medicare B premiums can be deducted from Social Security pay- when traveling outside the HMO service area or require an out- ments, but they cannot be deducted from Foreign Service annuity of-network specialist. payments. Medicare sends a bill every quarter to enrollees with- Finally, since FEHB enrollees have prescription-drug coverage out automatic deductions. The bill must be paid promptly to avoid that is as good as or better than Medicare Part D, they need not cancellation of coverage. sign up for Part D.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 59 A F S FS VOICE: AFSA MEMBER MATTERS BY ROBERT J. RILEY, AFSA REPRESENTATIVE, EMBASSY SAN SALVADOR A service is considered fair-share is unfair: The proposed new rules Let’s Be Fair on Assignments state that “an employee would need to have served at least 20 N s Embassy San Salvador’s AFSA representative, I have been months at a post with at least 15-percent combined differential E collecting feedback on the director general’s proposals to during the previous eight years. ... Hardship differential levels W Achange the rules governing fair-share bidding and contin- for fair-share purposes would be calculated from Nov. 1 of the S uous domestic service. That feedback can be summed up as: “The year the employee bid the position or Nov. 1 of the year the department is changing the rules in the middle of the game.” employee arrived at post, whichever is higher.” Many at post believe it is patently unfair for the DG to change This unfairly prejudices officers whose post differential was the rules retroactively without any provision for grandfathering. raised to 15 percent or higher after they arrived. This is exactly Foreign Service members must be allowed to plan their careers what happened to Embassy El Salvador, which went from 10 to and their lives. We have based our plans on the fair-share rules 15 percent in January 2007. In fact, under the November 1 rule, as they stand. How can we plan anything if the DG can at any it is possible for Foreign Service members to spend up to 36 months time, for any reason, change the rules and apply them retroac- at a 15-percent-differential post (if they arrived at post in December tively? What is to keep the department from changing this very and the hardship was raised in January, for example), without same rule again next year, after another bidding cycle, to raise receiving any credit for this service for fair-share purposes. That the fair-share level to 20 percent and apply it retroactively, wip- simply makes no sense. Whether or not the new fair-share rules ing out the planning of all those who rely on the 15-percent rule are applied retroactively, the way hardship differentials are cal- this time around? culated for fair-share purposes should not ignore how much time Personnel relations are a two-way street, and management must Foreign Service members and their families actually spend at post do its part. FS members should not be the only ones expected under hardship conditions. to plan prudently — State management should do so as well. Bob Riley is counselor for public affairs at Embassy San Salvador. He Additionally, the “November 1 rule” for determining which wrote this article in his capacity as AFSA representative for his post. CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES

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62 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 BOOKS

Toward a Sounder of perspectives and approaches relat- He concludes by taking on the key ing to the international order, the use question of the nexus of proliferation Strategy? of force and development of strategies and terrorism. Litwak deplores the toward rogue states. The second part Bush administration’s emphasis on Regime Change: U.S. Strategy features case studies of Iraq, Libya, WMD at the expense of attention to Through the Prism of 9/11 Iran and North Korea, as well as a dis- “potential attacks of equal lethality Robert S. Litwak, Woodrow Wilson cussion of the threat posed by non- employing more readily obtainable Center Press and The Johns Hopkins state actors like al-Qaida. conventional means.” He warns: University Press, 2007, $25.00, Litwak puts forward three main “Hedging against the worst is critical- paperback, 406 pages. arguments. One describes the 9/11 ly necessary but should not be done in prism in terms of “groupthink” and its lieu of, or at the expense of, prevent- REVIEWED BY HARRY C. BLANEY III implications. The second describes ing the more likely.” tensions over the objective of U.S. The sad fact is that the interwoven Robert S. Litwak’s challenging new policy toward rogue states — behavior problems of rogue states, terrorism book, Regime Change: U.S. Strategy change versus regime change. His and WMD were foreseen as far back Through the Prism of 9/11, is an in- third theme is the nexus of prolifera- as the 1970s, when this reviewer depth study of the significant impact tion and terrorism, or the threat of worked on those issues as staff direc- of that terrible day on America’s mass-casualty attacks on the Ameri- tor of a National Security Council task national security thinking and prac- can homeland by non-state actors group. But then, too, the various fed- tice. It also offers an extraordinary with the help of a rogue state. eral bureaucracies were unwilling to dissection of the implications of the A fascinating chapter titled “Strate- cooperate with each other, much less Bush administration’s ideological gies for a Change of Regime — or for abandon their preconceived notions. prisms, and a practical guide to deal- Change Within a Regime?” delves The secondary consequences of ing with regime change, terrorism and into what used to be known as strate- the Iraq War were clearly not those weapons of mass destruction. gic policy planning. In looking at what the neocons or Bush administration As that list of themes indicates, the Litwak calls a “target state,” he hawks had envisioned. These issues book’s scope is broad and deep. defines key concepts like proliferation not only reverberate today in our Litwak set out to “focus on the trans- dynamics, societal change and target- national debate, but may also inhibit formation of U.S. national security state analysis. He concludes the chap- positive engagement in the world — a policy after 9/11, specifically explor- ter by examining and developing an double tragedy. ing how that new vision has shaped analytic framework of the risks and Fortunately, this sensible book U.S. strategies toward those countries benefits of different approaches to (which should be required reading for grouped under the ‘rogue state’ and dealing with rogue states. all Foreign Service personnel and ‘axis of evil’ rubrics.” In fact, Litwak The second part of the book con- U.S. policymakers) constitutes a good goes well beyond that to offer alter- centrates on dealing with Iran. Lit- “prism” in its own right for examining native analytical frameworks for ask- wak makes the point that “the WMD the flaws of current U.S. policy, and ing strategic questions, which the intelligence fiasco in Iraq ensures that offers a better framework for the Bush administration clearly did not many of the international community future. bother with in its haste to go to war will view U.S. claims about Iran’s with Iraq. nuclear program with skepticism. In Harry C. Blaney III, a retired Foreign The book is divided into two main effect, we are paying a high price for Service officer, is a senior fellow at the parts. The first gives a broad analysis our deceits. Center for International Policy.

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 63 B OOKS

A Grim Portrait To be sure, there are no revelations — a circumstance made clear in the here for anyone at all familiar with the story of Navy Captain Alexey Dikiy. chaotic conditions of New Russia. Despite poor living conditions in iso- Putin’s Russia: Life in a Nor does the author claim any unique lated Kamchatka, Dikiy refuses to Failing Democracy insight into President Vladimir Putin’s even consider resigning his commis- Anna Politkovskaya, Henry Holt secretive government. Rather, the sion. “I am defending the people of Company, 2007, $16, paperback, focus of the book is the plight of Russia,” he tells Politkovskaya in the 274 pages. “Mother Russia” and her people. The book, “Not the state bureaucracy.” REVIEWED BY individual tales of suffering Politkos- The dichotomy between the people E. MARGARET MACFARLAND kaya compiles here, meted out by cor- and the state has not stopped Putin rupt oligarchs and bureaucrats or from exploiting national and cultural Few people better exemplify Rus- inflicted during the war in Chech- identities to suit his aims. Politkov- sia’s long, proud tradition of dissent, nya, are as relevant as ever. skaya attributes the rising tide of ra- and the price dissidents too often pay, The Russian language has two dif- cism among Russian nationals to Putin- than the late Russian journalist Anna ferent words to indicate one’s nation- generated propaganda in support of Politkovskaya. Her second book, Put- ality — one connotes citizenship, and the Chechen War, a conflict which in’s Russia: Life in a Failing Demo- the other refers to cultural Russian- Putin spins as a part of the larger war cracy (originally published in 2004), ness. The conceptual conflict be- on terror. In a scene that would seem takes on a grim new significance fol- tween the two is a theme that runs satirical had it not actually happened, lowing the author’s October 2006 ass- throughout Putin’s Russia. The concerned parents at a Russian ele- assination. Kremlin is at odds with Russia herself mentary school lobby for the expulsion

64 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 B OOKS

of a mischievous Chechen boy whose within the Russian Federation or not? Mikhail Gorbachev’s era of glasnost behavior would normally be met with The book portrays an authoritarian and perestroika, threats of censorship a mild reprimand, on the grounds that regime bereft of any real ideology, and severe punishment should no they do not want their children to committed merely to preserving and longer loom before Russian writers “learn bad things from a possible benefiting from the status quo. and journalists. The Russian people, future terrorist.” The discriminatory Writing not as an authority on Putin’s after centuries of authoritarian rule treatment Chechens receive at the policies, but as “one person among under the czars and then the commu- hands of ethnic Russians, with tacit many, a face in the crowd,” Polit- nists, are entitled to a transparent gov- government approval, goes beyond all kovskaya sought to awaken a sleeping ernment instead of the propaganda but the worst instances of racial profil- populace to the corruption at every their leaders continue to feed them. ing in the United States. level of government. Putin has a hand But for that happy day to dawn, how- Politkovskaya describes how com- in every endeavor and those who ever — as Anna Polikovskaya believed mon it is for ethnic Chechens to have serve him faithfully, regardless of the — Russian voters must first wake up drugs and even grenades planted on human cost, are rewarded. to the ugly realities of their society. them by authorities, after which they What occurred to me repeatedly are coerced into signing false confes- while reading this somber report was E. Margaret MacFarland is the sions to capital crimes — such as the that in a post-Soviet world there Foreign Service Journal’s spring 2007 rape and murder of a Chechen girl, should never have been occasion for editorial intern. She is currently a actually committed by a Russian offi- this book, much less the fate that junior at the College of the Holy Cross cer. She asks the obvious question: befell its author. After the collapse of in Worcester, Mass., majoring in polit- Does Moscow want Chechens to live the communist system, facilitated by ical science.

THOUGHTFUL

Power and Principle Human Rights Programming in International Organizations Joel E. Oestreich “Clear, concise and thoughtful, anyone interested in the changing role and agency of international organizations in contemporary international relations should have this book.” —James P. Muldoon Jr., Rutgers-Newark 978-1-58901-159-5, paperback, $29.95 Advancing Human Rights series

MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 65 REAL ESTATE

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MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 67 REAL ESTATE

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70 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007 REAL ESTATE

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MAY 2007/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 71 REFLECTIONS A House Call in the Guatemalan Highlands

BY DONALD W. M ACCORQUODALE

re you sure this is a road?” my outside the priest’s residence. one quite so meticulously. I carefully “ wife, Joyce, asked. It was “Buenas tardes,” I said, and knock- felt every vertebra in his spine and pal- A1965, and after driving from ed on the door. A singularly dour-look- pated his arms, legs and collar bones. Guatemala City to nearby Chim- ing woman opened it and glared at me. Then I pressed gently but firmly on his altenango on the paved InterAmerican “I would like to see Father pelvis. I noted that he had extensive Highway, we had just turned off onto a Melville,” I said. bruises, but found nothing to suggest dirt road. “He’s sick,” she replied curtly, and he had any broken bones. “Don’t worry,” I replied, “Santiago slammed the door in my face. I bang- “Father,” I asked, “do you have any Cabrican is just 20 miles from here.” ed on the door furiously, and growled aspirin?” One moment, we were fording a rush- that I was the doctor from the Ameri- “Yes,” he replied, “I have a jar full of ing stream. Minutes later, I was strain- can embassy. Some minutes later the stuff.” ing my eyes, trying to maneuver Father Melville, looking rather pale I turned to the Indian girl and said through the ruts on some mountain and drawn, appeared in slacks and a in Spanish, “Father Melville has an ridge that might lead us to our destina- sweater. excellent medicine, some white tablets. tion. After two more hours, we finally “Hi, Doctor,” he said, and then He’s going to give you some for your reached the tiny, dusty plaza of turned to the young Indian girl. They father, and I want you to give him two Santiago Cabrican. chatted in rapid Spanish, and Father tablets when he wakes up, two more A week earlier, my secretary in the Melville turned to me with a grin. when he has lunch, and two just before USAID mission had stepped into my “How would you like to make a the sun goes down.” office and announced that a Father house call?” he asked. The girl’s father As I turned and started toward the Thomas Melville wanted to see me. I had been thrown from a horse two days door, the patient’s wife stepped out of was in charge of the mission director’s earlier, and was still in considerable the shadows and reached out as if to Special Development Fund, which pain. She wanted the priest to see him, take my hand. I started to shake hands provided small grants (up to $5,000) but he had explained that I was a doc- with her but she turned my palm directly to rural agricultural coopera- tor and assured her that I would be upward, and put two eggs into it. She tives, credit unions and peasant glad to examine her father. was not about to accept the charity of leagues. Father Melville was seeking a I was terrified. The man might well strangers. I wanted her to keep those grant of $3,000 to buy a machine for have a broken spine, and he almost cer- eggs — a cash crop in Indian commu- the local Indian cooperative. tainly needed to be X-rayed. What nities — but felt I didn’t dare offend Joyce and I drove up to the small could I do with just my eyes, ears and her by refusing her gift. church facing the plaza, stepped out of two hands? “Matiox chawichin (Thank you very our four-wheel drive van, and noticed a We walked about a quarter of a mile much),” I murmured in Cakchiquel slender, young Indian girl in a colorful through a heavily wooded area to a Maya. I knew she spoke Quiche Maya, native blouse and ankle-length skirt small adobe hut with a red-tiled roof. but hoped the phrase was close enough When we stepped into the dimly lit for her to understand. I took the eggs, Dr. MacCorquodale served as a health hovel, I noticed a tiny woman in typical and bowed slightly. and population officer with the USAID native dress standing against the wall. When Father Melville stopped by missions to Guatemala, Colombia, the My patient lay on the floor, groaning my office a few weeks later, I was great- Philippines and the Dominican Repub- audibly from time to time. ly relieved to learn that my patient had lic from 1964 to 1978. I don’t think I ever examined any- completely recovered.

72 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MAY 2007