The Foreign Service Journal, March 2006

unheard. Strategists overlooked dan- gers of extended guerilla street-fight- ing. Drafters of constitutions were unprepared for participants who pre- ferred independence. Election obser- vers expected miracles. Half-under- stood analogies from history like Japanese re-education ran wild, as did repellent code-names like “Shock and Awe” and metaphors like the Crusades. No one seemed to believe that intractable tensions were, in fact, intractable between Shia and Sunni, Muslim and Christian, Kurd and Arab, Hashemite and Saudi — and, more generally, between modernizers and traditionalists. And no one took seriously the long-held grievances of the world’s Muslims. Iraq dramatizes the cultural con- tradictions of the reluctant U.S. hege- mon. Do Americans want empire or only leadership? In either case, are they ready to bear the costs and to accept the responsibilities? While awaiting answers via a Great Debate, can we count on spinning America’s shocking and awesome power to reas- sure a world shrouded in mistrust and cultural fog? Richard T. Arndt FSO, retired Washington, D.C. Female Chiefs of Mission I was very interested to read Ann Wright’s informative article, “Break- ing through Diplomacy’s Glass Ceil- ing” (October). I would like to pro- vide one small addition to Chart 7 (Near East Area). After discussing female ambassadors, Wright correctly notes that: “A woman has served once as consul general in Jerusalem,” but fails to mention that my predecessor, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, serv- ed as CG in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 2002 to 2005. Tatiana C. Gfoeller-Volkoff FSO Consulate General Jeddah n L E T T E R S u M A R C H 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 Fully furnished apartments and single family homes, with large spacious rooms, full sized kitchens, and housewares. Separate living, dining and sleeping areas. Hotel style amenities, including swimming pools, hot tubs, fitness centers, optional maid service and more. Rates within the TDY per diem. Whether you are with the Local, State or Federal Government agency or the military, Crimson offers superior solutions to fit your budget and per diem. Crimson Government Housing Solutions Include: Assignment Changes Evacuations Intern Programs International Visitors Project teams Relocations Short / Long Details TDY Training Crimson offers an exceptional value in temporary housing for government personnel. Our furnished apartments and single- family homes are a spacious and more luxurious alternative to the cramped quarters of a hotel room. 202.986.0433 888.233.7759 info@crimsonworldwide.com www.crimsonworldwide.com