The Foreign Service Journal, March 2007

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 . WEB: www.afsa.org . TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Association, 2007. 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 A NDREW K IDD Art Director C ARYN S UKO S MITH Editorial Intern E. M ARGARET M AC F ARLAND Editorial Board T ED W ILKINSON , C HAIRMAN K ENT C. B ROKENSHIRE S TEPHEN W. B UCK A NTHONY S. C HAN J OSH G LAZEROFF W ILLIAM W. J ORDAN L AURIE K ASSMAN K AY W EBB M AYFIELD J OHN K. N ALAND J OYCE N AMDE C HRISTOPHER L. T EAL F O C U S O N W A R Z O N E D I P L O M A C Y 21 / I RAQ PRT S : P INS ON A M AP What role, if any, can the Foreign Service play in active war zones? Here is a look at the reality of service on Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Teams. By Shawn Dorman 40 / T HE V ERY M ODEL OF A M ODERN … An FSO serving in Jalalabad explains how the 12 U.S.-led Afghanistan Provincial Reconstruction Teams function. By Danny Hall 48 / A ND N OW I RAQ : A F ORMER FSO R EMEMBERS V IETNAM The Provincial Reconstruction Teams now in Iraq are a new incarnation of the Combined Operations Rural Development Support program. By John Graham 53 / E MBASSIES AS C OMMAND P OSTS IN THE W AR ON T ERROR One result of the war on terror is the military’s increased presence in U.S. embassies around the world. Here are excerpts from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff report assessing the implications. C ONTENTS Ma r c h 2 0 0 7 Vo l ume 8 4 , No . 3 F E A T U R E P ROMOTING D EMOCRACY IN THE A RAB AND M USLIM W ORLD / 61 The development of true democracy in the Middle East will be slow, painstaking, extremely challenging and, at times, violent. By Alon Ben-Meir Cover and inside illustration by Hugh Syme C O L U M N S P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 2008 Budget Aspirations: Diplomacy Jilted Yet Again By J. Anthony Holmes S PEAKING O UT / 14 How to Measure an Ambassador By J. Michael Cleverley FS K NOW -H OW / 18 How to Read and Write an EER By John J. Eddy R EFLECTIONS / 92 Mario’s Twin Brother By Dana Deree D E PA R T M E N T S L ETTERS / 6 C YBERNOTES / 10 M ARKETPLACE / 12 F AS T RAX / 13 AFSA A NNUAL R EPORT / 67 AFSA N EWS / 77 B OOKS / 84 I NDEX T O A DVERTISERS / 90 M A R C H 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 3