U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE MAGAZINE Nicosia DISTINCTLY CYPRIOT MAY 2006 CONTENTS STATE MAGAZINE + MAY 2006 + NUMBER 501 The Age of the E-Passport With embedded chips and facial-recognition technology, these passports protect against fraud and 08 identity theft—and enhance national security. * Three Days In Karachi An eyewitness tells the tragic story of the March bombing in Pakistan. 26 * Office of the Month: Family Liaison Office The Family Liaison Office answers the tough questions for employees and families at post. 40 * ON THE COVER Nicosia across the Green Line: The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities are close in so many ways, yet still so far apart politically. Photograph by John Zimmerman Post of the Month: Nicosia *Discover what it’s like to live in Nicosia, Cyprus— the world’s last divided capital. 12 18 Asian Pacific American Trailblazers 30 Interagency Education Discover the stories of Asian Pacific Americans who made Army War College experience builds bridges to a difference in diplomacy. transformational diplomacy. 10 Public Diplomacy: 32 Civilization at Its Best Soccer Matches At the American Library in Nepal, events draw standing- Bringing smiles to Iraqi children. room-only crowds. 20 Power Brakes 34 From Zydeco to Funk Offices slow the spread of weapons of mass destruction. How a little bit of blues, gospel, rock and roll, and funk helped tell the story of Black History Month in Malawi. 24 Adventures in Nonproliferation Defusing a nuclear weapon? That’s one job this Foreign 36 Department Inner-View Service officer will leave to the real nuclear scientists. Q&A with OES Assistant Secretary Claudia McMurray. COLUMNS 2 EDITOR’S NOTES 44 APPOINTMENTS 3 READER’S FEEDBACK 45 RETIREMENTS 4 IN THE NEWS 46 OBITUARIES 43 STATE OF THE ARTS 48 PARTING SHOTS EDITOR’S NOTES Small Steps to a Brighter Future This month’s State Magazine brings a sal game and soccer equipment donated by MAGAZINE STAFF world of stories that show the depth and the Real Madrid Football Club of Madrid, Rob Wiley diversity of Department experiences. Spain. The results were both obvious and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF They prefer to work behind the scenes, subtle—smiles on the faces of the Iraqi Alesandra Ann Scholl although their labors create a brighter children and, for a brief period, proof that DEPUTY EDITOR future for all the world’s citizens. Meet the reconciliation is possible even under the Bill Palmer professionals at the recently reorganized most trying conditions. WRITER/EDITOR Bureau of International Security and No one knows how he or she will react Jennifer Leland Nonproliferation. At the drop of a hat, they when the unthinkable happens. Pamela WRITER/EDITOR travel the world over to secure fissionable Loring, an office management specialist David L. Johnston material here, eliminate a SCUD missile and backup communicator at the U.S. ART DIRECTOR there or destroy stock- Consulate in Karachi, piled chemical weapons Pakistan, faced the ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS somewhere else. horror of the March Teddy B. Taylor Their goal: slow the bombing in Karachi EXECUTIVE SECRETARY spread of weapons of and reacted pretty Larry Baer mass destruction, so the much just as her asso- Kelly Clements world will be a little ciates throughout the Pam Holliday safer tomorrow than it city did that day, with is today. And while the calm professionalism. State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is pub- responsibilities are Then the unthinkable lished monthly, except bimonthly in July heavy, the rewards are arrived—word that a and August, by the U.S. Department of priceless. You might not colleague and friend State, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. learn how to defuse a didn’t survive the Periodicals postage paid at Washington, nuclear weapon, but bombing. D.C., and at additional mailing locations. you will find a mandate Suddenly, returning CHANGE OF ADDRESS ranging from treaty to the routine became Send changes of address to State implementation to high- unthinkable. Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W., SA-1, seas ship interdiction, from promoting In many circles, Save the Whales is just a Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522- peaceful nuclear energy to shutting down slogan. In the offices and cubicles of the 0108. You may also e-mail address black-market proliferation networks. Department’s Bureau of Oceans and changes to [email protected]. Small steps sometimes get lost in the International Environmental and Scientific overall global perspective, but over time Affairs, headed by Assistant Secretary SUBSCRIPTIONS they can add up to big successes. Following Claudia McMurray, saving whales—and State Magazine is available by subscription the February bombing of the Al Askariya tigers and gorillas and forests—is all in a through the U.S. Government Printing mosque in Samarra, Iraq, the Regional day’s work. Assistant Secretary McMurray Office by telephone at (202) 512-1800 or on the web at http://bookstore.gpo.gov. Embassy Office in Basrah took positive walks us through her vast bureau in an action to sow a little tolerance and under- exclusive State Magazine “Department SUBMISSIONS I standing among suspicious groups. Inner-View.” For details on submitting articles to State This inspired group of Department pro- Magazine, request our guidelines, fessionals organized an event that brought “Getting Your Story Told,” by e-mail at together the area’s top religious leaders— [email protected]; download them Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Christians and from our web site at www.state.gov; Mandaeans. The tools of tolerance in this Rob Wiley or send your request in writing to State Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W., instance were the area’s children, a univer- Editor-in-Chief HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108. The submission deadline for the July/ August 2006 issue is May 15. The deadline for the September 2006 issue is June 15. 2 STATE MAGAZINE MAY 2006 READER’S FEEDBACK History Lesson and Let Us Hear from You Reality Check Mailing Address State Magazine Thanks to State Magazine and Marc Susser and 2401 E Street, NW HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236 Kathleen Rasmussen for a fascinating article in the Washington, DC 20522-0108 February issue. “The African-American Heritage” was a wonderful history lesson and reality check for all of us E-mail working in the Department. We can only cringe at our [email protected] institutional past in this area and trust that we will progress enough to prevent future generations from Phone (202) 663-1700 cringing at our performance. Letters should not exceed 250 words and should include the writer’s David Ballard name, address and daytime phone Deputy Chief of Mission number. All letters become the property of State Magazine.Letters U.S. Embassy Tunis will be edited for length, accuracy and clarity. Only signed letters will be considered. Names may be with- Too Little Progress with Secretary Dean Rusk, at his swearing held upon request. I commend State Magazine for courage in as Ambassador to Norway”—not in publishing “The African-American Romania. That was in 1961. In 1958, Heritage” (February). The Department’s President Eisenhower sent Minister Revolution in history of hiring and treating African- Wharton to the American Legation in Embassy Construction Americans is reprehensible Bucharest. I served under him at that post Thanks for carrying our article on the —in spite of equal oppor- (which was not raised to opening of the new embassy in Phnom tunity laws passed in the an embassy until much Penh (March). There is another part of the 1970s. Take away the later). story that merits all our attention—the rev- smoke screen of politi- I went to Romania on olution wrought by General Charles cal appointees, and the an unusual carte blanche Williams and the new Office of Overseas profile of career African- visa, accompanying a Buildings Operation. American Foreign huge exhibit from the This magnificent building is one of the Service officers reflects Museum of Modern Art. first two new standard embassy design too little progress. Without Because of fluency in facilities. OBO completed the project in 28 a class-action lawsuit, Romanian and being able months—five months ahead of schedule— perhaps the Department’s to go into areas political and in full compliance with post-9/11 record on women Foreign and economic officers security standards. OBO’s conduct of the Service officers might be could not, I had several project was impeccable throughout. equally as poor. other chores besides General Williams’ team led the design, con- For those of us who loved the Foreign finding museum space for the exhibit on tracting, construction, furnishing and Service, all of this sadly diminishes our American architecture, photography and accreditation consistent with best practices pride. contemporary sculpture, painting and of private industry. The new OBO is truly prints. changing the way we do business abroad Georgiana N. Prince Minister Wharton was a joy to work with and strictly for the better. To paraphrase a Retired Foreign Service officer and Mrs. Wharton was interested in the slogan from the auto industry, this ain’t Washington, D.C. success of the exhibit. your Dad’s OBO! Wharton a Joy to Work With T. J. Crockett, 3rd Joseph A. Mussomeli The caption on page 29 of the February Retired Foreign Service officer Ambassador issue should have read “Clifton Wharton, Unionville, Connecticut U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh MAY 2006 STATE MAGAZINE 3 (NEWS) ART AT YOUR FINGERTIPS On March 9, Visual Diplomacy, a monthlong display of ART in Embassies exhibition catalogues and poster reproductions of original works of art, opened in the Reading Room of the Department’s Ralph J. Bunche Library.