VALUING MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLD MORE ON CLIMATE CHANGE FS BLOGS AFSA ANNUAL REPORT INSIDE $3.50 / MARCH 2008 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS MAPPING THE FUTURE Iraq, Five Years Later OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S CONTENTS March 2008 Volume 85, No. 3 F OCUS ON Iraq, Five Years Later AFTER THE SURGE: TOWARD AN 18-STATE FEDERATION / 22 Four major proposals for a way forward have been advanced, but they all ignore Iraq’s political center of gravity. By Keith W. Mines HELPING THOSE WHO HELPED US / 28 State has been slow to expedite immigrant visas for Iraqis who have assisted the U.S. government. But there are, at long last, signs of movement. By Shawn Zeller WORKING AND LIVING IN IRAQ / 35 Cover and inside illustrations by Members share experiences from current or recent service in Iraq. Adam Niklewicz F EATURES PRESIDENT’S VIEWS / 5 WELCOME TO THE FS BLOGOSPHERE / 41 Defending Our Future All but unheard of even five years ago, blogging is now well established among By John K. Naland members of the Foreign Service. By Marc Nielsen SPEAKING OUT / 15 Member of Household Policy: DON’T REINVENT THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE WHEEL / 46 Failing Our Families The F process is half a loaf, and only half-baked at that, By Michael Guest but still an important first step toward meshing U.S. foreign assistance spending with our strategic goals. IN RESPONSE / 18 By Gordon Adams Toward a Post-2012 Approach to Climate Change By Paula J. Dobriansky AFSA NEWS REFLECTIONS / 84 AFSA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 / 51 The Managua Earthquake of 1972 YEAR IN REVIEW / 52 By Stuart Lippe STATE VP: SHOOTING THE MESSENGER / 61 AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE FS GRIEVANCE BOARD / 62 LETTERS / 6 USAID VP: AN OPEN LETTER TO ADMINISTRATOR FORE / 63 CYBERNOTES / 11 CROSSING THE RUBICON ON THE OVERSEAS PAY GAP / 64 STATE OFFICIALS BLAST AFSA SURVEY / 65 MARKETPLACE / 12 AFSA NEWS BRIEFS / 66 BOOKS / 70 FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS: THE WAY OF THE DIPLOMATIC PRINCESS / 67 IN MEMORY / 73 CLASSIFIEDS / 68 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS / 82 MARCH 2008/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S Editor STEVEN ALAN HONLEY Senior Editor SUSAN B. MAITRA Associate Editor SHAWN DORMAN Ad & Cirulation Manager ED MILTENBERGER Business Manager ANDREW KIDD Art Director CARYN SUKO SMITH Advertising Intern TIGER TORELLE EDITORIAL BOARD TED WILKINSON Chairman JOSEPH BRUNS STEPHEN W. B UCK JULIE GIANELLONI CONNOR JIM DEHART JEFF GIAUQUE GEORGE JONES LAURIE KASSMAN YVETTE N. MALCIOLN DAVID MCFARLAND AL PESSIN THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly with a combined July-August issue by the American Foreign Service Associa- tion (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opin- ions of the writers and does not necessarily rep- resent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal sub- scription: AFSA members – $13 included in annual dues; others – $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of adver- tisements herein does not imply the endorse- ment of the services or goods offered. TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045 FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.afsa.org © American Foreign Service Association, 2008. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to: AFSA Attn: Address Change 2101 E Street N.W. Washington DC 20037-2990 Printed on 50-percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. 4 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/MARCH 2008 PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Defending Our Future BY JOHN K. NALAND Thirty years ago, a group of roles that AFSA plays, both Coordinator Bonnie Brown is constant- Foreign Service members sued for active-duty and retired ly working to assist individual retirees. the U.S. government, charging members, is to keep our eyes Her 2007 casework count shows she that the mandatory retirement and ears open for potential assisted 452 individuals. For example, age for the Foreign Service moves to trim back the she helped 103 people with health care amounted to unconstitutional Foreign Service’s well-earned questions or problems, 46 people with discrimination. The case went retirement benefits. Clearly, annuity questions or problems, and 46 all the way to the U.S. Supreme any cutback aimed at all others who needed help getting a Court, which ruled 8-1 in Vance v. federal employees would also be satisfactory response from some State Bradley, 440 U.S. 93 (1979), that resisted by the large Civil Service Department office. She also publishes Congress was justified in setting a unions and by groups such as the retiree guidance in plain English on a mandatory retirement age in recogni- National Active and Retired Federal variety of helpful subjects and assists tion of the fact that Foreign Service Employees Association. But, if a survivors when retirees die. members are subject to uncommon benefits cut were to be aimed just at As you can see, the value of AFSA wear and tear by extended overseas the Foreign Service, it would be up to membership does not decline upon duty under difficult and often hazard- AFSA to lead the opposition. retirement. In fact, it is hard to imagine ous conditions. For AFSA to exercise such long- who would need AFSA more than a If anything, that Supreme Court- term vigilance, we must continue to retiree living far from Washington certified “wear and tear” factor has maintain our small but talented faced with sorting out some problem increased in recent decades. Violent legislative affairs and retiree affairs with a non-responsive government crime, health risks, terrorism and other staffs. To do that, we rely on member office. difficult living factors have turned dues. Thus, it is alarming that only 25 The bottom line, therefore, is that nearly two-thirds of our overseas posts percent of Foreign Service retirees pay AFSA needs your help now (via into hardship assignments. An unpre- AFSA dues. membership dues) so we can be there cedented number of posts have been There are several reasons for this to help you in the future. We need designated as unaccompanied or “limit- low percentage. One is that AFSA active-duty employees to continue their ed accompanied” due to extreme physi- membership does not automatically membership after they retire. We need cal danger. carry on into retirement; instead, retired members to maintain their I mention this to underscore the fact retiring employees are asked to rejoin AFSA membership. And we need that Foreign Service members really do AFSA by filling out a form during their lapsed members to rejoin. earn their keep, including retirement hectic final weeks on duty. Another If you know retirees whose mem- benefits. But, looking forward another reason is that some employees believe bership has lapsed, please urge them to 30 years, it is safe to predict that the that retiring will mean an end to ever join you in supporting AFSA. They are baby boomer retirement wave will put needing AFSA’s help to rectify some benefiting from our advocacy of issues pressure on Congress to re-examine bureaucratic glitch or investigate some affecting Foreign Service retirees but federal retirement benefits. question. Unfortunately, that is often are not contributing to the operating Thus, one of the most important not the case. budget that funds that advocacy. Their As documented in the AFSA An- support, added to yours and mine, will John K. Naland is the president of the nual Report contained in this issue of strengthen AFSA’s ability to defend the American Foreign Service Association. the Journal, AFSA’s Retiree Affairs future of us all. I MARCH 2008/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 5 LETTERS Ambassadorial Power ment of heads of agencies. Though there who have rejected State as an in NSDD-38 the line of authority from the presi- option because of its hiring and I greatly appreciated the articles on dent to ambassadors is mostly illusory, promotion policies. I am one of them. country team management in the De- NSDD-38 and the president’s “Letter Good luck meeting your staffing cember FSJ. Although Ed Peck is of Instructions” gives COMs all the needs. absolutely correct in describing the de power they need to effectively man- Dr. Robert Hickey jure line of authority from the presi- age their missions. FSJ subscriber dent to the chief of mission, while Tibor P. Nagy Jr. Ellensburg, Wash. serving in that position I certainly Ambassador, retired recognized that my de facto line was Ransom Canyon, Texas Counterinsurgency and much more modest: i.e., my instruct- National Security ions — with only a few exceptions — Those Who Never Apply Counterinsurgency doctrine, policy originated with the assistant secretary I’d like to comment on issues and programs, usually referred to as for African affairs, and my perform- brought up in Mark Johnsen’s Decem- COIN, are all the rage in U.S. govern- ance evaluations were drafted by my ber article, “One Hand Clapping: The ment security circles these days. desk officers. Sound of Staffing the Foreign Ser- Sarah Sewall’s article in your Septem- I did find, however, one very ef- vice,” and a letter in the same issue, ber issue and Alfred Barr’s December fective instrument which, when deftly “Modernize Hiring.” letter are thoughtful examples of the wielded, left no doubt that the COM I’m a geography professor special- discussion under way.