FS KNOW-HOW PREMIERES! TWO VIEWS OF PROMOTION PANELS $3.50 / JANUARY 2005 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS FOREIGN SERVICE MEMORIES A Selection of Reflections n tune with the city. In step with the country. Discover the best of both worlds for senior living – Collington life care I retirement community. Located on 125 wooded acres just 11 miles from the National Mall, Collington makes it easy to stay involved in the events and opportunities of the city. At the same time, you’ll enjoy Collington’s enriching environment … whether taking college courses, hiking on our woodland trails or meeting neighbors for cocktails before dinner. Please call us for a no-obligation tour of Collington – the ideal combination for your retirement. 301-925-7706 800-540-1709 10450 Lottsford Road Mitchellville, MD 20721 37219 CONTENTS January 2005 Volume 82, No. 1 F OCUS ON R EFLECTIONS F EATURES 26 / LIFE AND DEATH IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE INSIDE A PROMOTION PANEL / 39 When you live where death comes easily, What do selection boards look for in deciding whom to sometimes you lose no matter what you do. promote? Here is a “top ten” list of tips to maximize By Thomas H. Armbruster one’s chances of career advancement. By John Naland 30 / THE GOOD OLD DAYS Despite all the pressure and unpaid overtime required GERTRUDE BELL AND IRAQ: to handle the crush of visa applicants, a retired consular DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN / 43 officer has fond memories of his career. The extraordinary Englishwoman who played By Frederick D. Purdy a key role in the birth of modern Iraq confronted 33 / SECOND-LINE DIPLOMACY: many of the same issues the U.S. and the new THE FIRST KAL INCIDENT Iraqi government face today. In the shadow of crucial talks in Moscow between Cyrus By Barbara Griffith Furst Vance and Andrei Gromyko, quiet diplomacy resolved the first Korean Airlines incident. By Kenneth N. Skoug Jr. C OLUMNS D EPARTMENTS 36 / UNPACKING MY BOOKS An FSO sorts through his PRESIDENT’S VIEWS / 5 LETTERS / 9 baggage, literally and figuratively. Hail and Farewell CYBERNOTES / 12 By Alexis Ludwig By John Limbert MARKETPLACE / 14 LETTER FROM FS KNOW-HOW / 21 THE EDITOR / 6 BOOKS / 54 By Steven Alan Honley INDEX TO SPEAKING OUT / 15 ADVERTISERS / 62 Toward A Points-Based AFSA NEWS / Promotion System CENTER INSERT By Kenneth J. Fairfax REFLECTIONS / 64 By Lulwa Bordcosh 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 FJ O U R N A L S monthly with a combined July/August issue by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit Editor Editorial Board organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent STEVEN ALAN HONLEY Senior Editor HOLLIS SUMMERS, the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by SUSAN B. MAITRA CHAIRMAN e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSA Members - $13 included in annual dues; others - $40. For foreign surface mail, Associate Editor add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mail- SHAWN DORMAN KENT C. BROKENSHIRE ing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Foreign Service Journal, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. Ad & Circulation Manager STEPHEN W. B UCK 20037-2990. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited ED MILTENBERGER PATI CHAPLIN manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein Business Manager CAROL A. GIACOMO MIKKELA V. T HOMPSON does not imply the endorsement of the services or goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. WILLIAM W. J ORDAN Art Director E-MAIL: [email protected]. WEB: www.afsa.org. TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service CARYN SUKO SMITH LAURIE KASSMAN Association, 2005. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to AFSA Membership, 2101 E Street N.W., KAY WEBB MAYFIELD Editorial Intern Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Printed on 50-percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. DAVID CODDON VIRGINIA F. S MITH Advertising Intern CHRISTOPHER L. TEAL LULWA BORDCOSH TED WILKINSON Cover and inside illustrations by Jim Nuttle JANUARY 2005/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3 THE REMINGTON PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Hail and Farewell BY JOHN LIMBERT Colin Powell has appeared an “it’s about time” message been a remarkable that urges “taming,” “bringing to heel” leader of the Depart- The professionals and “reining in” some kind of rogue ment of State. On agency. Judging by these messages, his first day on the of the Foreign the State Department in general, and job he promised he Service will serve the Foreign Service in particular, are would lead, and nothing more than dens of rebellious would expect excel- Dr. Rice with the and fractious liberals who need to be lence from those who worked for him. taught who’s in charge. He would, in return, make the well- same loyalty, Both the wailers and the gloaters being and safety of his employees his dedication and are wrong. Secretary Powell had the top priority. Many other Secretaries of affection and devotion of his employ- State have promised this; few have self-sacrifice that ees because he was a leader. He put done it as well as this one. they offered her into practice the maxim, “Take care of He understood the importance of your people, and they will take care of tone and symbols. For example, he predecessor. you.” He understood that he had made a point of swearing in every new working for him a group of uniquely ambassador and every new class of talented and skilled men and women, Foreign Service generalists and spe- who willingly went into harm’s way to cialists. Small things? Perhaps, but tions, antiquated equipment, and serve our country in the most difficult hardly trivial; and, when compared to unsafe and dilapidated buildings. The and dangerous conditions. the actions of his predecessors, acts of tragic events of 1998 in Nairobi and Dr. Rice can count on the same great symbolic importance by Dar Es Salaam evoked not only hero- from the professionals of the Foreign expressing publicly his trust in the ism, but also a depressing round of fin- Service, who will serve her with the Foreign Service professionals who ger-pointing about why our missions, same measure of loyalty, dedication work for him. despite warnings from the ambas- and self-sacrifice that they offered her He understood the operational and sadors and others, remained danger- predecessor. She deserves no less symbolic importance of material sup- ously exposed to terrorist attacks. For and, as professionals, we will provide port. He well understood the corrosive years the prevailing message to the no less. effect of the notorious “do more with Foreign Service, to paraphrase the AFSA says a fond farewell to less” mantra, which had let our mis- famous 1974 New York Post headline, Secretary Powell and thanks him for sions and bureaus sink below critical had been: “Drop Dead.” all he has done to rebuild the service mass and prevented us from perform- Secretary Powell’s departure, and and restore the pride of our profes- ing like the professionals we are. If Dr. Condoleezza Rice’s nomination as sion. He departs with our best wishes anything typified our department and his successor, have provoked bizarre for the future. We also say “welcome” our service in the 1990s, it was demor- commentary from pundits on both to Dr. Rice and look forward to work- alized people coping with long staffing left and right. On one side has ing with her in representing the gaps, personnel shortages in key posi- appeared a “woe is us” message, American people and advancing warning that the last bastion of American interests overseas. She can John Limbert is the president of the rationality will soon fall to rampant count on our complete support in her American Foreign Service Association. ideologues. On the other side has mission. JANUARY 2005/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 5 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR BY STEVEN ALAN HONLEY appy New Year! In keeping with that ence with an injustice or offer your insights into a theme, I am pleased to announce the foreign affairs-related issue. Hlaunch of two new departments in the Each issue of the Journal features a focus section Journal. The first is Cyberbytes, which will examining various facets of an issue related to the appear, as the name suggests, in our Cybernotes sec- Foreign Service or international relations. We com- tion. We envision it as a forum to share brief (100 mission most of the articles for these sections from words or less) vignettes about Foreign Service life, different sources, but warmly welcome contributions either humorous or serious. Imitation being the sin- (2,000-3,000 words is the usual range, though short- cerest form of flattery, one model for submissions er submissions are also accepted) from FS personnel might be the Sunday Washington Post’s “Life as who are familiar with these issues. Haiku” column. Or you can think of these items as As you can see, most of these themes relate mini-Reflections (see below for guidance on what the full-fledged version entails). Either way, we Here is a list of the focus topics our hope those of you who are simply too busy to submit Editorial Board has identified for the coming year articles or letters will seize on this opportunity to (subject, of course, to revision): dash off a quick e-mail reacting to something you read in our pages, or discussing a subject of interest 2005 EDITORIAL CALENDAR to your colleagues.