The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2004

Madagascar, showed impressive ex- port growth over this period, a depress- ingly large number of countries (nearly half of the 50-plus countries in sub- Saharan Africa) actually exported less to the U.S. in 2003 than in 2001. Sub-Saharan Africa clearly faces enormous challenges and the U.S. should continue to pursue policies that promote growth and develop- ment in that part of the world. The formulation and assessment of our policies, however, should be based on careful and objective analysis of issues and outcomes. Stephen Muller FSO, retired Troy, N.Y. Ignoring Public Diplomacy Thank you for Bill Kiehl’s thought- ful piece on public diplomacy (Speaking Out, April). Many hope, as Kiehl does, that the State Depart- ment will begin to take the public diplomacy function seriously. How- ever, his comment that a “middle ground” will be found between the independent approaches of the for- mer USIA and the current lack of direction is too optimistic. A riveting illustration of the actual position of public diplomacy is described by Doug Wells of Embassy Paris in “Last Flight of the Black Swan,” from the same issue. If I read the piece correctly, in the weeks before the Iraq invasion, Embassy Paris disposed of the correspondence it was receiving from tens of thou- sands of French citizens. That the leadership of a flagship post in the midst of the most serious crisis with its host country in 50 years decided not to respond to the thoughts, comments and desires of the people to whom it is accredited was an incredibly bad management decision that says all one needs to know about the role outreach and public diplomacy has and will have in J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 L E T T E R S korman communities arlington CORPORATE SUITES arlington, va 880 north pollard street 866.korman.4 : kormancommunities.com live better. brand new luxury high rise : fully appointed one, one bed- room dens and two bedroom corporate suites : state of the art fitness and business centers : heated outdoor lap pool : custom made mahogany furniture : fully equipped kitchens : luxury towels and linens : soft, firm or hypoallergenic pil- low selection : weekday club breakfast serving Starbucks ® Coffee : afternoon Tazo ® Tea : digital premium cable and high speed internet : 27” and 20” sony wega tv and dvd : sony cd stereo : free local phone : on-site management, maintenance, housekeeping : concierge services : walking distance to ballston common mall, ballston and virginia square metro stops 2400 Virginia Ave., N.W Washington, D.C., 20037 Tel: (202) 293-2000 E-mail: leasingoffice@columbiaplaza.net Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM-5:30 PM Sat 10:00 AM-4:00 PM 24 Hour Front Desk Garage Parking Avaliable Controlled Access Potomac River Views Minutes to Fine Dining Newly Renovated Kitchens Directly across the street from Main State, minutes to Kennedy Center and Georgetown Beautiful and Spacious: Efficiency$1,100 - $1,250 1 Bedroom 1,400 - 1,700 2 Bedroom 2,100 - 2,700 Utilities Included Complimentary Voice Mail Courtyard Style Plaza Polished Hardwood Floors Private Balconies Huge Walk-in Closets Toll Free 1-888-240-5131 Capital Living With Comfort and Convenience 24 Hour Fitness Center columbia plaza apartments