The Foreign Service Journal, March 2017

16 MARCH 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL etal revolt from below were masterfully reported by Michael Gfoeller (later an adviser to General David Petraeus with the rank of ambassador) and Michael Desaro. ECON became the assigned contact point for Boris Yeltsin, and there was no shortage of information from us about growing Russian nationalism. What most drove our deep concerns was our daily exposure to a nose-diving economy with great centrifugal force that was an enabler if not incubator of separatism, be it in the Baltics, in Russia itself or elsewhere. I must quickly add, however, that pressure to contain our alerts abated considerably on the arrival in 1990 of Deputy Chief of Mission Jim Collins (later ambassador to Russia). I was also pleased with the embassy’s cable, “Look- ing into the Abyss…,” sent in mid-1990. Even though it pitched the end of the Soviet Union only as a possibility, not a prediction, it nevertheless reflected some of the deep stability concerns the Economic Section had long been signal- ing to Washington. I urge historians to seek declassification of the range of Embassy Moscow reporting from all sec- tions during this critical period. Washington and, somehow, News- week —and likely the KGB—were aware that the Economic Section had long been warning of the prospect of Soviet collapse. After I returned fromMoscow in 1991 to join the Senior Seminar, I requested an appointment with the Director General’s office after having been turned down curtly and succes- sively for many onward assignments, some of which I should have gotten easily. Frankly, I was looking for a step-up after my performance in Moscow, but instead I was presented with a printed letter requesting my resignation from the Foreign Service, and told bluntly that I had to sign it on the spot. A Washington-Style Show Trial When I asked why, I was lectured that my section had done much too much overly pessimistic reporting, includ- ing cables on our meetings, and that unnamed senior officials at State and in the White House had been “alarmed” and “embarrassed” by the dire reports, assessments and predictions that ECON had made on prospects for the USSR. As the person in charge of ECON, I would now be held accountable. In true Soviet fashion, when I demurred on sign- ing the resignation letter, I was told that the only assignment I would be permit- ted henceforth would be a do-nothing, out-of-agency job (i.e., professional Sibe- ria); that is, until the DG’s office could build a sufficient case to select me out of the Foreign Service. Resign now, and embarrassment could be avoided, I was told. The only thing missing was a revolver on the desk. I later successfully rebounded, rerout- ing my career, but I barely survived this professional purge attempt. And I must say, it remains a very odd feeling to have been officially denounced on Soviet tele- vision, only to come home later to face this kind of “show trial” frommy own government. This anecdote not only makes clear where the Economic Section stood on the issue of Soviet stability. It also shines a clear light on the risk of being a mes- senger of troubling news. Make no mistake, I deeply respect the Political Section of that period and, of course, Amb. Matlock. I would also point to the remarkable work of people like Thomas Graham (later NSC Russia director) on the Baltics and nationalities, AFSPA–CIGNA afspa.org/dental AFSPA–Life afsapa.org/life AFSPA–Disability afspa.org/disability Clements Worldwide clements.com Collington Life Care Community collington.kendal.org The Hirshorn Company hirshorn.com/USFS J. Kirby Simon Trust KirbySimonTrust@gmail.com McGrath Real Estate Services McGrathRealEstate.com Peake Management, Inc. www.peakeinc.com Promax Management, Inc. promaxrealtors.com Starr Wright USA www.starrcompanies.com WJD Management wjdpm.com