The Foreign Service Journal, January 2008

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 7 The Roaring Present The beginning of 2008 seems a fitting time to recognize the Foreign Service Journal for its unique service to those in the international com- munity interested in knowing how the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs actual- ly operates. Veteran practitioners like Edward Walker and Philip Wilcox (December 2006) have earned the right to be listened to anywhere in the world on the Middle East. Ronald Spiers — who, in addition to his service in the Middle East, was a former under sec- retary of the United Nations — can speak authoritatively about how to reform that troubled institution (September 2006). James Fox explodes the universal misunderstanding of USAID, which seeks to end, not increase, economic dependence (June 2006). Shawn Dorman’s article about the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq was informed by the best firsthand experi- ence one could hope for there among the rocks and rats (March 2007). And the Journal ’s pages are crowded with fine writers like Deborah Cavin, whose nicely paced, insightful review of Nicholas Sarkozy’s book appeared in the November 2007 issue. The Foreign Service is sometimes mindlessly ridiculed for its hesitation and phraseology — “Yes, but … Have you considered … Perhaps it would be better ….” But journalists are jerked from country to country without the opportunity to get under- neath a deliberative culture. Our courageous military has an abhor- rence of doubt. And academics, with- out whom we would admittedly de- scend quickly to a brutish existence, take years to formulate their thinking. The Journal invites everyone into “the roaring present.” John J. Eddy FSO, retired Rochester, Vt. CORDS Failed David Passage writes in the November Journal that “the CORDS program could not have been suc- cessful in today’s Iraq or Afghanistan.” I agree, but I’d also add that the Civil Operations and Revolutionary De- velopment Support program was not successful in Vietnam, either. I was with CORDS in Pleiku for most of 1968, starting just before the Tet offensive. Passage says that civil- ian personnel in CORDS were “re- markably effective.” Not in my ex- perience we weren’t, and not for lack of trying, either. After I left Pleiku, I traveled frequently in 1969 to all four regions of Vietnam to see CORDS projects in action. And although there were lots of them, I wouldn’t call them effective. In 1973, I returned for a few weeks during a rare quiet interlude. Again, although the level of fighting was down, real evidence of CORDS’ effectiveness was scarce. The sad truth is that despite good intentions, lots of resources and some temporary gains and marginal improvements, the program failed. Wasn’t its pur- pose to win hearts and minds and enable the South Vietnamese to stand on their own and defend their country? Absent a prolonged military occupation by U.S. forces, this simply was not possible, and honesty should compel us to admit it. But more important than arguing over CORDS’ alleged successes and more obvious failures is to learn from our mistakes. This we failed to do when going into Iraq, and the price we are paying for that omission is extremely high. Passage is right to insist that the indispensable element of any nation- building/counterinsurgency effort is security, closely followed by an in- digenous government that can govern in some way that is visible and acceptable to the population. We never were able to meet either benchmark in Vietnam, and the jury is still out regarding Iraq. I would also disagree with Pas- sage’s description of the training of “CORDSmen,” including language skills, cultural awareness and com- petence in defensive weaponry. We were deficient in all three and more, in both Vietnam and Iraq. If we ever have to embark again on a major counterinsurgency/na- tionbuilding effort, I hope we’ll pay better attention to the real lessons learned in Vietnam and Iraq and get it right next time. Bill Lenderking FSO, retired Washington, D.C. CORDS & PRTs I knew David Passage when we were both CORDS participants. I thought his November Speaking Out column shed light on the subject and clearly spelled out differences be- L ETTERS