The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2022

54 JULY-AUGUST 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Secretary Albright taught me perseverance, confidence and how to be a fierce advocate for democracy. She said: “Human relations ultimately make a huge difference.” The Sec- retary of State would always apologize when Ops would connect us in the middle of the night because she needed me to translate. She would smile and wink at me if I had to make what she said sound humorous in Albanian. She would listen to my sugges- tions for talking points during her negotiations to create a free Kosovo. She always said: “I loved being Secretary of State; that’s probably evident to everyone who watchedme.” It was always evident tome, and I was someone fortunate enough to be able to watch her. B. Bix Aliu, deputy chief of mission at U.S. Embassy Warsaw, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor. He began his Foreign Service career in Macedonia in 1997 where he was a member of the delegation of the U.S. Special Envoy to Kosovo. He has served in Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland and the UAE. She worked harder than anyone … By Shawn Dorman A tremendous loss of an inspiring leader. Madeleine Albright was Secretary of State when I was serving in the State Department Operations Center. She was tough and demanding and so very good. We would set up her calls and take notes when she spoke to foreign leaders, which was a lot, every single day. During the Kosovo crisis, every day at 5 p.m., five foreign ministers on one call. She was the only woman on the call; but she was the power- house presence, the woman in charge. She would sometimes call Ops without notice to ask, “What do I need to know?” And the watch officer who picked up that call better be ready to tell her what was going on in the world that might require her attention. On Christmas Eve I was the watch officer, and she called. She sounded softer, friendly. I recall she said she was making a gingerbread house with her daughters. What did she need to know? Right now, at this moment, noth- ing. There was no emergency in the world (that we knew of) that required her immediate attention. It was a special moment for me to get to say that to her. She worked harder than anyone, and she got to take an evening off to be with family. Shawn Dorman, a former Foreign Service officer, is editor in chief of The Foreign Service Journal and AFSA’s director of publications. What she taught me … By B. Bix Aliu Some say never meet your heroes. Some say they may let you down. Well, I got to meet mine, and she surpassed every expecta- tion I had. She took me under her wing and followed my career until the day she passed away. Diplomacy is an apprenticeship. You learn by watching, fol- lowing and at times mimicking those who you’ve witnessed doing it. Sure, you can read as many books as you want and have many degrees that fill your wall. The art of diplomacy, however, needs to be observed, practiced and mentored. Secretary Albright and President of Kosovo Ibrahim Rugova meet during the Rambouillet Peace Accords, March 1999. From left: B. Bix Aliu, Secretary Albright, President Ibrahim Rugova and Ambassador Christopher R. Hill. Secretary Albright and Bix Aliu meet with refugee families at the Stenkovec Refugee Camp near Skopje, Macedonia, on June 11, 1999. COURTESYOFB.BIXALIU COURTESYOFB.BIXALIU