PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION JULY-AUGUST 2018 EAST AFRICA EMBASSY BOMBINGS 20 YEARS LATER USAID in Afghanistan: What Have We Learned? The View from the Bridge FOREIGN SERVICE July-August 2018 Volume 95, No. 6 Focus on the 1998 East Africa Embassy Bombings 22 Reflections on the U.S. Embassy Bombings in Kenya and Tanzania On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on two U.S. embassies, American, Kenyan and Tanzanian survivors reflect on that seminal event and its aftermath. 66 A Day of Terror: From the FSJ Archive Selected excerpts from articles, columns and letters to the editor on the East Africa bombings over the years since 1998. Message from Feature the Military 70 USAID in Afghanistan: 12 What Have We Learned? The View from the A retired Senior FSO presents Bridge: Sailing in lessons from the largest USAID Formation with the program since Vietnam, a 17-year State Department engagement that has pushed the By Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge, agency’s capacity to the brink. U.S. Navy By William Hammink THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2018 5 FOREIGN SERVICE Perspectives 110 Local Lens Departments Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 7 By Gergana Batkova 10 Letters President’s Views Getting Our Team on the Field 16 Talking Points By Barbara Stephenson 92 In Memory 9 99 Books Letter from the Editor Remembrance, Reflection and Resilience By Shawn Dorman Marketplace 108 Reflections 102 Classifieds When the Going Gets Tough: Moscow 104 Real Estate By Anne Godfrey 107 Index to Advertisers AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 77 AFSA Foreign Service Day Activities Accompany State Department Homecoming Event 88 78 State VP Voice—Deferred Maintenance 79 USAID VP Voice—We Have Urgent Work to Do 79 AFSA President Meets with Representative Nita Lowey 80 FAS VP Voice—TIC Tock TIS Talk: We Need to Fix Our Broken Clock 80 Overseas Summer Hire Program 88 Book Notes: Our Woman in Havana 81 Leveling the Playing Field for U.S. Businesses 88 AFSA President Meets with Maryland and D.C. 81 AFSA Welcomes Members to New Online Retirees Community 89 Advocating for the Foreign Service 82 Meet the AFSA Merit Award Winners in Your Community 86 Retiree Corner—Retiree Outreach in the North 89 AFSA Welcomes 30th TLG Intern Star State 90 AFSA Sponsors Long-Term Care Workshop 87 Retirees Spread the Foreign Service Message 90 Governing Board Meeting, May 2018 87 Results from AFSA’s Retiree Engagement Survey 91 AFSA Welcomes 16th Consular Fellows Class On the Cover: This makeshift memorial was erected on the grounds of the former U.S. embassy in Nairobi in the days following the blast that claimed 213 lives and injured 5,000. The text reads: “Together we mourn and sympathise with our fellow humans.” Photo courtesy of Worley and Joyce Reed. On page 5, an aerial view of the bomb blast area in Nairobi as seen in the morning hours of Aug. 7, 1998. The U.S. embassy building is at the lower right. Photo Reuters/Gerado Magallon. 6 JULY-AUGUST 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Getting Our Team on the Field BY BARBARA STEPHENSON f that title sounds familiar, it is What would it take to get our team about the dire impact of understaffed because you have, as of this writing, back on the field, to get America’s diplo- embassies—especially those subjected to already received two messages from mats into every corner, every stretch of the “Iraq tax” a decade ago (losing numer- I Secretary Mike Pompeo bearing the the world? ous overseas positions in order to staff the same title. The first message resumed For starters, we would need Congress Iraq posts during the Iraq War)—that have hiring of eligible family members (EFMs) to again reject deep cuts to our FY 2019 not yet been made whole again. so posts can begin filling mission-critical budget and provide adequate funding, At many posts, with just one more mid- jobs left vacant during the freeze. The sec- particularly for “ongoing operations,” the level officer, we could go beyond writing ond message, “Getting Our Team on the line item in the Congressional Budget required reports, delivering demarches Field, Part 2,” lifted the hiring freeze for the Justification that explicitly funds core and staffing visits to delivering the kind Foreign Service and Civil Service. diplomatic capability. of high-impact, high-value diplomacy As I have said before—such as when Funding for core diplomatic capabil- described in the National Security Strat- Congress rejected deep cuts to our budget ity has fallen almost a quarter over the egy. We could also create space for senior and restored 2018 funding to the previ- last decade; if America is to retain its officers to increase mentoring by giving ous year’s levels—for this, we pause and global leadership role, that trend must them time to train the next generation in give thanks. We give thanks not simply as be reversed. Remember, China increased the art of effective diplomacy. members of the Foreign Service whose spending on diplomacy by 40 percent over One outcome of getting American careers have been saved, and not even just the past five years while America’s spend- diplomats back on the field could well be as stewards of this vital national security ing on core diplomacy fell by a third, from getting American companies back on the institution, but also as Americans who $7.4 billion in 2013 to $4.9 billion in 2018. field with us. Those of you who heard my know firsthand how essential the Foreign We could reverse that trend with an pitch on a recent CSIS panel—buttressed Service is to our country’s security and incredibly modest initial $100 million dol- by two former State economic officers, prosperity. lar down payment, and make meaningful one now in leadership at UPS, one now at I hope many of you joined me in feel- strides toward the goal of getting our team the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—will be ing a surge of optimism—maybe even back on the field. familiar with the basic outlines. a diplomatically appropriate touch of With the decision, supported by AFSA, If we do our jobs leveling up the play- swagger—when the Secretary, in remarks to drastically cut back the number of ing field, getting in place the framework to a welcoming crowd on arrival for his special envoys, the mid-level positions agreements that make it possible for our first day at the State Department, shared assigned to staff those envoys should now companies to compete and thrive, we can this vision: “The United States diplomatic be available to be deployed to embassies regain territory now being lost to com- corps needs to be in every corner, every and consulates. mercial rivals, and we can burnish the stretch of the If we figure annual overseas support American brand. world, executing costs of $300,000 per officer, we could I hope to develop this theme over the missions on behalf move some 300 mid-level positions over- coming months and to enlist your support of this country; and seas (perhaps over two or three years) with to make it a reality. We could do so much it is my humble, that additional $100 million—a modest 2 good with just a little extra funding and noble undertaking percent increase to the ongoing operations a clear vision. Here’s to getting our team to help you achieve account, currently at just below $5 billion. back on the field and delivering big wins that.” We hear regularly from FS members for the American people. n Ambassador Barbara Stephenson is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2018 7 FOREIGN SERVICE Editor in Chief, Director of Publications Shawn Dorman: [email protected] www.afsa.org Managing Editor Susan Brady Maitra: [email protected] Associate Editor CONTACTS Donna Gorman: [email protected] AFSA Headquarters: BUSINESS DEPARTMENT Publications Coordinator (202) 338-4045; Fax (202) 338-6820 Director of Finance and Facilities Dmitry Filipoff: [email protected] State Department AFSA Office: Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] (202) 647-8160; Fax (202) 647-0265 Controller Editorial Intern USAID AFSA Office: Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] Jacob Borst: [email protected] (202) 712-1941; Fax (202) 216-3710 Controller, Accounts Payable and Ad & Circulation Manager FCS AFSA Office: Administration Allan Saunders: [email protected] (202) 482-9088; Fax (202) 482-9087 Cory Nishi: [email protected] David Bloom: [email protected] Administrative Assistant and Office Manager GOVERNING BOARD Ana Lopez: [email protected] Art Director President Caryn Suko Smith Scholarships and Events Coordinator Hon. Barbara Stephenson: Theo Horn: [email protected] Editorial Board [email protected] Alexis Ludwig, Chair Secretary COMMUNICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIP James “Jim” Bever Hon. Tom Boyatt: [email protected] Director of Communications and Membership Fred Boll Treasurer Ásgeir Sigfússon: [email protected] Angela Bond Hon. Earl Anthony “To ny ” Wayne: Online Communications Manager M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure [email protected] Jeff Lau: [email protected] Shawn Kobb State Vice President Harry Kopp Communications and Marketing Manager Ken Kero-Mentz: [email protected] John G. Rendeiro Jr. Allan Saunders: [email protected] USAID Vice President Priyadarshi “Pri” Sen Awards Coordinator Dinah Zeltser-Winant Jeff Levine: [email protected] Perri Green: [email protected] FCS Vice President Retiree Outreach Coordinator Daniel Crocker: [email protected] Christine Miele: [email protected] THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS FAS Vice President Retiree Counselor PROFESSIONALS Kimberly Svec Sawatzki: [email protected] Vacant The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), Retiree Vice President 2101 E Street NW, Washington, D.C.