The Foreign Service Journal, May 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2013 13 50 Years Ago T he death of Seldin Chapin on March 26, 1963, draws to a close a memorable era in the development of the Foreign Service. Apart from his many years of distinguished service in the ranks and as chief of mission in five countries, he will long be remembered for the very substantial contributions he made toward the betterment of the Foreign Service and for those serving in it. In 1937, as a relatively junior officer, Seldin wrote two articles which appeared in the October and November issues of the Journal that year, calling attention to defects in the structure of the Foreign Service as it then existed and suggesting several remedies for effecting what he recognized to be needed improvements. Up to that time, self-examination and constructive criticism were little-known attributes of career officers. Perhaps because of his forthrightness and penetrating insight, Seldin was chosen a few years later to be the director of the Office of the Foreign Service, at a time when organic changes in the structure of the Service were urgently needed to meet postwar responsibilities. It was due to his leadership, wisdom and determination, more than those of any other single person, that the legisla- tion now known as the Foreign Service Act of 1946 was enacted. The record of his achievements is long and his shining example is one which others would do well to emulate. Both the government and those who are serv- ing in the Foreign Service today are benefiting from Seldin’s untiring efforts and broad vision. —“Selden Chapin” (Letters to the Editor), by Julian F. Harrington; FSJ , May 1963. support of the United Nations, the African Union and the United States. The next several years witnessed an intense military struggle by the TFG and the African Union against al-Shabaab, the militant Sunni group seeking to impose strict Sharia law on Somalia. Although al-Shabaab had much success early on, the A.U. was finally able to push it into the southern corner of the country. On Aug. 20, 2012, the Federal Govern- ment of Somalia was created following the end of the TFGmandate. Hassan Sheikh Mahmud was elected its president in September; and that month, the Somali National Army captured al-Shabaab’s last major stronghold in the south. (Writing in th e September 2012 issue of The Atlantic , Armin Rosen explains how this came to pass and the various factors that led to the organization’s decline.) Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary of State for Africa, described the Obama administration’s engagement w ith and support for the Transitional Federal Gov- ernment over the past few years at a Wil- son Center event in January, expressing optimism about prospects for stabilizing Somalia. That same month, in a CNN special report, Chatham House’s Adjoa Any- imadu elaborated on the causes o f the sharp decrease in Somali piracy attacks reported at the end of 2012, and the implications for stabilization efforts. Meanwhile, President Mahmud has reached out to initiate new diplomatic relations with several countries—includ- ing the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium and Egypt. During a recent trip, he gave speeches at th e Center for Strate- gic and International Studies i n Washing- ton, D.C., and Chatham House in London discussing the political, security and economic foundations for his country. Due to growing confidence in the new government, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on March 6 to lift the ban on light arms sales to Somalia. Last September David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia who is now a professor of international affairs at The George Washington University, had discussed how the illicit flow of arms to al-Shabaab from Iran was leading the Obama adminis- tration to support lifting the ban, on Al-Jazeera’s “Inside Story. ” Although Washington had provided indirect military assistance to the TFG for many years, official U.S. recognition will allow the new Somali government to access American development aid. Not all analysts are optimistic about the long-term prospects for the new government, however . Morgan Lorraine Roach of the Heritage Foundation c au- tions the Obama administration against investing too much hope in the new president’s ability to lead Somalia out of chaos. An d Amnesty International warns that the government’s initial actions cast serious doubt on its commitment to freedom of the press and rule of law in the country. —Jeff Richards, Editorial Intern The Game of Diplomacy D iplomacy—the geopolitical game, not the profession—has developed a worldwide following over the years. Such luminaries as Henry Kissinger, John F. Kennedy and Walter Cronkite have been counted among its fans. In 1984 it