The Foreign Service Journal, March 2022

24 MARCH 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Speaking Out is the Journal ’s opinion forum, a place for lively discussion of issues affecting the U.S. Foreign Service and American diplomacy. The views expressed are those of the author; their publication here does not imply endorsement by the American Foreign Service Association. Responses are welcome; send them to journal@afsa.org. when Morocco regained independence in 1956, an embassy was opened in its capital, Rabat. Fast forward to the 21st century and the challenges to American diplomatic representation. Month after month of senatorial holds on presidential nomina- tions for coveted ambassadorial appoint- ments can certainly discourage career officers, but the phenomenon might also encourage political donors to look for other rewards. If the United States decided to reestablish legations and diplomatic agencies in certain circum- stances, the pull of a mere (and let’s face it, “foreign” sounding) “minister” rank as opposed to the lifetime “ambassador” honorific might further discourage those seeking political appointments. In the interim, as dozens of countries wait for the senatorial logjam to break and finally receive their American ambassa- dors, aren’t Foreign Service deputy chiefs of mission and other chargés d’affaires in effect serving as “ministers” in de facto “legations”? But rather than this back-door approach to embassies without ambas- sadors, why not entertain the notion of a fully constituted mission called a legation or a diplomatic agency? In some future scenario, we could imagine a modus vivendi with the regime in North Korea, where a settlement on the nuclear issue could result in an exchange of ministers at their countries’ respective legations. Likewise, after many issues are resolved, and if the Taliban prove their bona fides as a government, the United States might entertain sending a small team under the aegis of a minister or a diplomatic agent, perhaps to a lega- tion building that—unlike its sprawling evacuated embassy chancery—wouldn’t be associated with what would be seen by many Afghans and Americans as its recent pro-consular past. The United States conducted its first century of diplomacy without embassies or ambassadors. Perhaps we can consider a place for legations, diplomatic agents and ministers once again. n