The Foreign Service Journal, March 2007

embassy personnel should know the invitees or know about them. Knowing local people is a primary objective of skilled practitioners of public diplomacy. The best public diplomacy practitioners are deeply convinced that effective communica- tion is vital to American security and world peace. President Dwight Eisenhower was similarly convinced by his experiences in war and peace, and as a result created the now-deceased U.S. Information Agency. Public diplomacy will always profit by learning from successes and fail- ures. Sometimes, ironically, what may initially be perceived as a failure may prove in time to have been a blessing, if it contributes to enlightenment. Shouldn’t we all hope that such is the case when it comes to Karen Hughes’ tenure as under secretary? James H. De Cou USIA FSO, retired Le Vesinet Cedex, France Dealing with India Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes’ reference to the way the nuclear deal was rolled through Congress, in con- trast to the ball-dropping on overseas locality pay (President’s Views, Janu- ary), brought to mind my experience in India during President Bush’s visit last year. My wife and I were there when the presidential team arrived. The visit momentarily grabbed the Indian headlines away from the bird- flu frenzy. Prior to Mr. Bush’s arrival, Indian newspapers and television displayed great chutzpah by asserting that the U.S. would have to bend to India’s demands for what they were already calling “The Nuclear Deal.” There were other demands, too, including more working visas for Indians and the establishment of a new American con- sulate or consulate-general in Hydera- bad (a worthwhile step, in my view). Personally, however, I think it would behoove India to provide better eco- nomic conditions at home for her many talented citizens rather than insist that we or other countries pro- vide opportunities. Of course, the nuclear deal, as described then and as put into law recently, really was a break with conse- crated U.S. nuclear policy. I wondered how it would be possible and what quid pro quo we might receive. I supposed we would try to coax the Indian gov- L E T T E R S 8 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 0 7