The Foreign Service Journal, February 2005

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 3 T HE M AGAZINE F OR F OREIGN A FFAIRS P ROFESSIONALS Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly with a combined July/August issue by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSAMembers - $13 included in annual dues; others - $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mail- ing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Foreign Service Journal , 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply the endorsement of the services or goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. E-MAIL: journal@afsa.org. W EB: www.afsa.org. TE LEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Association, 2005. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to AFSA Membership, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Printed on 50-percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F Editor S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY Senior Editor S USAN B. M AITRA Associate Editor S HAWN D ORMAN Ad & Circulation Manager E D M ILTENBERGER Business Manager M IKKELA V. T HOMPSON Art Director C ARYN S UKO S MITH Advertising Intern L INDSEY K NOBLOCH Editorial Board H OLLIS S UMMERS , C HAIRMAN K ENT C. B ROKENSHIRE S TEPHEN W. B UCK P ATI C HAPLIN C AROL A. G IACOMO W ILLIAM W. J ORDAN L AURIE K ASSMAN K AY W EBB M AYFIELD V IRGINIA F. S MITH C HRISTOPHER L. T EAL T ED W ILKINSON F O C U S O N T H E P O W E L L L E G A C Y 18 / “FAC”-C HECKING : S ECRETARY P OWELL ’ S S TATE D EPARTMENT The Foreign Affairs Council gives generally high marks to Colin Powell and his management team. By Thomas D. Boyatt 22 / T HE F AILURE OF C OLIN P OWELL Comparisons of Colin Powell to another general who served as Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, only highlight Powell’s squandered legacy. By Dennis Jett 27 / A L EGACY OF S UCCESS Colin Powell has served the nation with honor and distinction in almost every national security job out there. His tenure at Foggy Bottom is no exception. By Peter T.R. Brookes 32 / C OLIN P OWELL : F OUR T UMULTUOUS Y EARS His personal popularity consistently exceeded that of the policies he defended. Even so, within the administration he often found himself outgunned. By George Gedda 41 / A B LEMISHED L ATIN A MERICAN R ECORD The Secretary allowed a clique of hard-liners with tight links to White House political operatives lacking comprehension of the region’s realities to dictate policy. By Larry Birns 45 / T HE R ICE D OCTRINE Condoleezza Rice has the opportunity to restore realism in U.S. foreign policy. The alternative could prove ruinous. By Christopher Preble C ONTENTS F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 5 n Vo l ume 8 2 , No . 2 U.S. D IPLOMACY IN THE P OST -P OWELL A GE / 50 If the State Department remains sidelined, it will be because Secretary Rice declines to use her relationship with the president to restore State as America’s outermost line of defense. By John Brady Kiesling T HOUGHTS FROM THE F IELD / 54 AFSA members weigh in with tributes and observations on Colin Powell’s tenure at the State Department. By Susan Maitra F E A T U R E T HE C OLD W AR : A P YRRHIC V ICTORY ? / 60 It has been more than a decade since the U.S. won the Cold War. But the unintended consequences of our anti-Soviet efforts contributed to many of the problems we face today. By David D. Newsom Cover illustration by Darren Gygi C O L U M N S P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 The Silly Season By John Limbert S PEAKING O UT / 13 Foreign Service Evaluations: A Broken System By Michael C. Gonzales R EFLECTIONS / 76 By Keith W. Mines D E P A R T M E N T S L ETTERS / 7 C YBERNOTES / 10 M ARKETPLACE / 12 B OOKS / 65 I N M EMORY / 66 I NDEX T O A DVERTISERS / 74 AFSA N EWS / C ENTER I NSERT