FS SPECIALISTS SPEAK OUT, PART II ■ BHUTAN AWAKENS ■ PIGGING OUT $3.50 / OCTOBER 2003 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L STHE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS WORLD OPINION WEIGHS IN The Death Penalty & U.S. Diplomacy CONTENTS October 2003 ■ Volume 80, No. 10 F OCUS ON THE D EATH P ENALTY F EATURES & U.S. DIPLOMACY FOREIGN SERVICE SPECIALISTS SPEAK OUT, PART II / 49 Specialists share details of their personal and 19 / AMERICAN DIPLOMACY AND THE DEATH PENALTY professional lives in the Foreign Service. For a country that aspires to be a world leader in human By Steven Alan Honley rights, the death penalty has become our Achilles’ heel. By Harold Hongju Koh and Thomas R. Pickering TINCTURES FOR A GAPING WOUND / 58 A visit to an Indian village has lasting lessons for a 26 / THE DEATH PENALTY, AMERICA, AND THE WORLD self-declared “Foreign Service brat.” Many countries in Europe and elsewhere have abolished By Sarah Taylor the death penalty and are turning up the pressure on the U.S. to do likewise. But foreign views A GRACE NOTE: POLITICAL AND shouldn’t control American law. CULTURAL CHANGE IN BHUTAN / 60 By Paul Rosenzweig A tiny Himalayan kingdom moves toward democracy with cautious determination, striving to balance modern- 31 / INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE ON THE ization with tradition. DEATH PENALTY IN THE UNITED STATES By Linda Beeman The prospects for profound change in the death penalty in the U.S. are stronger now than at any other time in this important issue’s long and controversial history. A new concern for world opinion is part of the reason. By Richard C. Dieter C OLUMNS D EPARTMENTS PRESIDENT’S VIEWS / 5 LETTERS / 7 39 / THE MYTH OF THE COWBOY Plus Ça Change, Plus C’est CYBERNOTES / 12 The picture many foreigners have of La Même Chose America as a reckless, gun-totin’, cow- BOOKS / 64 By Louise K. Crane boy nation that hands out the death INDEX TO penalty willy-nilly is a false one. SPEAKING OUT / 15 ADVERTISERS / 70 By Greg Kane Religion and Diplomacy AFSA NEWS / By Phil Skotte CENTER INSERT 43 / A DECENT RESPECT TO THE OPINIONS OF MANKIND REFLECTIONS / 72 By Paul Dever Page 19 America’s continuing attachment to capital punishment puts us far out of step with most of “the civilized world.” By Paul P. Blackburn 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 by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit organization. Material appearing here- Editor Editorial Board Journal, STEVEN ALAN HONLEY in represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSA Associate Editor JUDITH BAROODY, SUSAN B. MAITRA CHAIRMAN Members - $9.50 included in annual dues; others - $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign air- Business Manager mail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: MIKKELA V. T HOMPSON Send address changes to Foreign Service Journal, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Indexed & MARK W. B OCCHETTI Ad Circulation Manager by Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos ED MILTENBERGER ELIZABETH SPIRO CLARK AFSA News Editor TATIANA GFOELLER-VOLKOFF or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply the SHAWN DORMAN endorsement of the services or goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. E-MAIL: [email protected]. CAROL A. GIACOMO Art Director WEB: www.afsa.org. TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Association, 2003. Printed LAURIE KASSMAN CARYN J. SUKO in the U.S.A. Send address changes to AFSA Membership, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037- CAROLINE MEIRS 2990. Printed on 50 percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. HOLLIS SUMMERS WILLIAM WANLUND TED WILKINSON Cover and inside illustrations by Adam Niklewicz OCTOBER 2003/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3 PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Plus Ça Change, Plus C’est La Même Chose BY LOUISE K. CRANE The June issue of Similarly, the demographics show the Journal was ded- AFSA has a proud that two-income families are becoming icated to recounting history of working the U.S. norm. More than a thousand the successful strug- State employees are part of a tandem, gle 30 years ago to tirelessly to improve and many others are single parents. transform the Ameri- the treatment of all AFSA has argued that since many posts can Foreign Service Foreign Service lack adequate and affordable day care, Association into a forcing many parents to hire live-in union. (If any of you missed that cov- employees. help, they should receive more square erage, I invite you to read it online at footage to house this essential person. www.afsa.org.) While AFSA has Yet thus far, management has turned a remained the same strong professional demonstrating that most states were deaf ear. association it has been for nearly 80 providing free public school kinder- Then there is that hardy perennial: years, it has also become an organiza- garten, the department agreed a revision paying per diem to new hires who tion that works tirelessly to improve the of the regs was appropriate. come to Washington for three weeks of treatment of all Foreign Service What struck me was how many sim- orientation and then take up their employees, both individually and col- ilar issues continue to arise in which domestic assignments. State correctly lectively. AFSA has detailed evolving demo- points out that the rules say that anyone Insightful as all the articles were, I graphics, or offered a practical alterna- brought to Washington for assignment want to highlight Ambassador Herman tive, but the department has yet to is not entitled to per diem. Fair Cohen’s reminiscences about joining respond positively. Take housing stan- enough. But sometimes new hires do the AFSA Governing Board in 1969 to dards for specialists who have 20 or not learn they are staying stateside until deal with “members’ interests” — a more years in the Service. In the early literally hours before they board the broad category covering requests for 1970s, Amb. Cohen fought successfully train or plane for Washington. (There assistance with issues ranging from to increase weight allowances, then are even cases of their not learning they R&R and overseas allowances to ship- based on rank, for these employees. were staying put until after orientation ment of household effects. Fast forward to the early 21st century. had begun.) One employee told of Amb. Cohen found that to do his job, Now AFSA is fighting for increased sleeping in his car out at Dulles Airport, he sometimes had to challenge the reg- housing for these employees, which is others of eating bologna sandwiches for ulations themselves, not just their imple- also based on rank. However, certain days. One told me that a year later he mentation. For example, in making the categories of employees like OMS have was still paying off the thousands he case that Foreign Service personnel little expectation of being promoted racked up in temporary lodging bills should be reimbursed for their chil- beyond FP-4. Thus, their square during orientation. dren’s kindergarten costs as they were footage is stuck at that level without AFSA doesn’t understand why the for other schooling, he discovered that regard for their years of service, or — as department can’t just wait until the end the State Department’s refusal to do so Amb. Cohen noted some 30 years ago of orientation to assign those employ- was based on an outdated 1955 survey. — the personal effects they have accu- ees stateside, thereby allowing them to Once he found more recent statistics mulated during those years of service. I collect per diem. have pointed this inequity out to the So thank you, Amb. Cohen, for stiff- Louise K. Crane is AFSA vice presi- department on numerous occasions, ening our spine on these issues. We’ll dent for State. only to get the brushoff each time. keep fighting. ■ OCTOBER 2003/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 5 Government Solutions Satellite reliability known the world over © 2003 Intelsat Intelsat networks set the global standard As the challenges of the world change, your need for reliable telecommunications remains constant. For almost 40 years Intelsat has provided governments with satellite communications solutions for voice, data, video and imagery. Today those solutions feature truly global coverage and an unmatched, 99.997 percent reliability. Experience, technical superiority, flexibility and service make Intelsat the supplier of choice for your communications needs. Contact us at +1 202 944-7803 or via email at [email protected] www.intelsat.com LETTERS Fine Fiction the mid-1960s, thanks to the efforts of where USIA training and experience I finished reading the summer fic- Director Leonard Marks. were highly respected and where tion issue (July-August) last night and I am disappointed that Wilson USIA students stood out in that excep- want to congratulate you on your Dizard would treat career officers so tional crowd. I find it lamentable that selections and the authors on the qual- superficially and saddened that the you allowed your respected journal to ity of their stories. I enjoyed and was Journal’s editors did not pick up on be the vehicle for Mr. Dizard’s insinu- impressed by all of them. This issue is this destructive gaffe.