December 2014

The Foreign Service Journal covers foreign affairs from an insider's perspective, providing thought-provoking articles on international issues, the practice of diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service. Including the AFSA News section, The Journal is published monthly (January-February and July-August issues combined) by the American Foreign Service Association.

The December issue focuses on the future of Afghanistan as the U.S. marks the official withdrawal of U.S. military forces.

What is the situation today, and what can be expected for Afghanistan, tomorrow and in the years to come? The Journal examines these questions through three articles from retired Foreign Service officer Edmund McWilliams, Director of the United States Institute of Peace’s Afghanistan and Central Asia Program Scott Smith, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia David Sedney. Although each author offers different viewpoints and suggestions, all agree that without some continuing U.S. engagement, Afghanistan’s future is very much in doubt.

In addition, entry-level Foreign Service officer Wren Elhai makes the case for including Twitter as an indispensable part of the U.S. diplomatic toolkit, and AFSA President Bob Silverman remembers fallen colleagues in his monthly column. This issue also contains our semi-annual education supplement, focusing on educational information for Foreign Service families.

We always welcome short, focused letters about FSJ content; please send them to journal@afsa.org.