The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2004

JULY-AUGUST 2004 • AFSA NEWS 5 AFSA’S 2004 DISSENT AWARD WINNERS Christian A. Herter Award FOR A SENIOR-LEVEL FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER Ronald Schlicher A s consul general in Jerusalem from2000 to 2003, and then as Coalition Provisional Authority provincial coordinator in Iraq, Ronald L. Schlicher has repeatedly dealt with some of the toughest andmost politically charged issues facing our government today. He has responded to these issues with “unmatched courage and integrity,” says the high-level department official who nominated him for the Herter Award. Schlicher created and ran the CPA’s Office of Provincial Outreach, coordinating the efforts of the CPA’s provincial representatives throughout Iraq. His instincts for the political cultures of the region and understanding of the political realities shaping Iraq today have uniquely suited him for this role. His reporting challengedmany of the assumptions under which the U.S. government had been operat- ing, and gave the CPA a new ability to influence Iraqi opinion in a coordinated way. Critically, Schlicher used his network to create a Sunni engage- ment strategy designed to deal with an insurgency that has continual- ly threatened U.S. efforts. Pushing against commonly-held views, he insisted that a constructive approach that brought key Sunni leaders into the transition process was necessary. And he was right. His commitment to offering honest and unvarnished reports of the facts and his willingness to advocate positions that may challenge the accepted wisdomoffered a much-needed fresh viewpoint to policy- makers in Iraq andWashington. Schlicher’s service in Jerusalem—during a highly challenging time when the Palestinian intifada moved from street protests to the systematic application of terrorism—was likewise marked by his exceptional reporting and advice, governed by a respectful but direct “tell it like it is” manner. He offeredWashington a much-needed dose of reality during periods of crisis and intense international scruti- ny, such as the first siege of Arafat’s headquarters. As the award nom- ination states, “He demonstrated unmatched intellectual integrity in providing a continual flow of advice and information, which fre- quently challenged long-held assumptions.” Ron Schlicher’s consistent willingness to question the status quo and offer controversial recommendations that challenge long-held assumptions in one of the most difficult and dangerous areas of the world exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Herter Award. Schlicher joined the Foreign Service in 1982. Prior to Baghdad and Jerusalem, he served inWashington, Beirut, the Sinai, Cairo, Alexandria, Damascus and Dhahran. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Tennessee. WilliamR. Rivkin Award FOR A MID-LEVEL FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER Keith Mines K eithMines is being honoredwith the RivkinAward for his dis- senting opinion on Iraq policy. The dissent message that Keith Mines sent onMay 7, 2003, titled “Let theU.N. Manage the Political Transition in Iraq,” included the following recommendation: “... It is my judgment that only a U.N. political mission can make of Iraq a functioning, stable democracy. The U.N. brings assets to this project which the United States, even in a broad coali- tion, could never replicate, including much-needed resources, the staying power to see the transition through, a buffer between Iraq and the United States for the many things that invariably will go wrong, a full range of programs, a neutral political posture, and the right people, particularly at the most senior levels.” TheMines dissent represents just the kind of constructive dissent the Rivkin Award was created to honor: Mines possesses the intellec- tual honesty and integrity tomake his views known, while working within the system to bring about change. The views and proposals Mines put forward in his dissent message—sent fromEmbassy Budapest—were formed based on his previous experience with political transitions after military interventions in Grenada, El Salvador, Somalia, Haiti and Afghanistan. The message did not spur any immediate change of U.S. policy, but dissent messages only rarely do. As we see a year later, however, the arguments made byMines were prescient, and some of his proposals have been, belatedly, adopted. Undaunted by the fact that his proposals did not hold sway, in the best spirit of Foreign Service dedication and professionalism, Mines was one of the first FSOs to volunteer for duty in Iraq. He served as the Coalition Provisional Authority governance coordina- tor in Al Anbar Province fromAugust 2003 until February 2004. Mines never let disagreements over policy get in the way of his performance. He worked within the framework he was given, always trying tomake improvements along the way. Reflecting on his dissent, Mines says, “I would hope that the recent turnaround of our policies in favor of what I suggested 10 painful months ago highlights the danger of shutting out those who have made a career of working on political transitions in favor of those with vivid imaginations.” KeithMines joined the Foreign Service in 1992. He has served in Tel Aviv, Mogadishu, San Salvador, Port-au-Prince, Budapest, Kabul, Al Anbar Province of Iraq andWashington. Mines has a B.A. in history fromBrighamYoung University and anM.A. from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He is married with four children. Keith Mines (far left), after a meeting with local sheikhs, with Governor Burgis (2nd from right) and Political Advisor Georges Younes (far right), in Ramadi, Iraq. Above: Ron Schlicher surrounded by his securi- ty detail immediately after automatic weapons fire is heard nearby in Baqubah, Iraq. Left: Schlicher in a Blackhawk helicopter about to traverse Iraq. Mines presiding at the Al Anbar Business Caucus, Jan. 11, 2004.