The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2006

the Bank still has a positive influence in the world ( http://www.world publicopinion.org/pipa/articles/ brglobalmultiregionra/164.php? nid=&id=&pnt=164&lb=btgl ). But, some development activists argue, if Wolfowitz wants to maintain or increase this good will, he must show leadership in reforming the Bank’s governance structures to give a voice to poor, recipient countries, take deci- sive action to get the Bank to stop dic- tating borrowers’ economic policies, ensure that the Bank really has ‘learned the lessons’ of infrastructure and address the question of debt relief ( http://www.brettonwoods project.org/art.shtml?x=538129 ). Anti-corruption “noise” alone will not do, they say. You can keep up to date on devel- opments at the World Bank by visiting the many available online resources. In addition to the World Bank Web site ( http://www.worldbank.org ), check out Probe International’s Odi- ous Debts ( http://www.odiousdeb ts.org ) . Also check out IFIwatch- net ( http://ifiwatchnet.org ) , which links NGOs monitoring the interna- tional financial institutions, and the European Network on Debt and Deve- lopment ( http://www.eurodad.org ). — Eirene Busa, Editorial Intern Lenovo Computers: China Card Trumps Reality The State Department caved in to political pressure on May 18, announc- ing that none of the 16,000 computers it bought in March from Lenovo Group, Ltd., a Chinese-owned per- sonal computer company, would be used on the department’s classified networks. State had originally plan- ned to use 900 for classified work. The about-face came after Repre- sentative Frank R. Wolf, R-Va., chair- man of the House subcommittee that oversees State’s budget appropria- tions, wrote to Sec. Rice, warning that “the Chinese have a coordinated espi- onage program against our govern- ment” ( http://www.house.gov/wolf/ news/2006/05-18Computers.html ). Lenovo, which purchased the PC division of IBM Corporation in 2005, won a competitive bid in 2006 to sell the State Department $13 million worth of PCs. Two years ago, the Washington Post called Lenovo “one of the darlings of the Chinese busi- ness world,” and said it was destined to become a “global company with a recognized brand.” Today, however, the company symbolizes American fears concerning national security and global competition. The congressional campaign was spearheaded by Larry M. Wortzel and Michael R. Wessel, members of the bipartisan United States-China Econ- omic and Security Review Commis- sion. The two explained their securi- ty concerns thus: “The U.S. is a prin- cipal intelligence target for China. The government is pursuing aggres- sive efforts to obtain access to our net- works” ( http://www.uscc.gov/hear ings/2006hearings/written_testi- monies/06_05_18press_conf/06_ 05_18_wessel.php ). Fears over economic competition from China also played a role in the outcry over the purchase. In the fuss, however, little attention was given to the fact that Lenovo computers are assembled on U.S. soil, or that there are computer specialists at the Bureau of Diplomatic Security who regularly check State Department systems for monitoring devices and malicious software. Though State buckled, not every- one was fooled. Dexter Anderson, a retired FSO from Connecticut and “Buy American” proponent who fol- lowed the issue, points up the ironies: “Given the yawning trade deficit with China, would the critics rather have had the department purchase ‘Ameri- can’ computers such as Dells or HPs assembled in China, or ‘Chinese’ computers assembled in North Caro- lina?” And further: “If the Chinese were going to slip bad things into comput- ers they somehow knew were des- tined to perform classified U.S. gov- ernment work, couldn’t they just as easily slip them into computers as- sembled for American companies in China?” Anderson asks. — Eirene Busa, Editorial Intern, and Susan Maitra U.S. Restores Diplomatic Relations with Libya The State Department announced on May 15 that the United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Libya ( http://www.state.gov/secre tary/rm/1006/66235.htm ). In consideration of Libya’s 2003 renunciation of terrorist activities and continuous cooperation with U.S. antiterrorist efforts thereafter, Secre- tary of State Condoleezza Rice declar- ed, the U.S. will upgrade the liaison office in Tripoli to an embassy, rescind Libya’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and remove it from the annu- al list of countries involved in terrorism. J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 13 C Y B E R N O T E S I t does sound like this is part of a strategy — in that they don’t value their own lives, and they certainly don’t value ours. ... Taking their own lives was not necessary, but it certainly is a good PR move. — U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Colleen Graffy on the suicides by three inmates at Camp Delta in Guantanamo Bay, June 12, www.guardian. co.uk .