The Foreign Service Journal, September 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2021 45 and Syria …made a dramatic debut on the world stage by cap- turing a wide swath of Syria and Iraq. It rolled seemingly without resistance through Fallujah, Raqqa, Tikrit and Mosul, even threatening the gates of Baghdad, before announcing the estab- lishment of a caliphate (Islamic state) and declaring Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi as caliph —the successor to the Prophet Mohammed. The speed of the advance, the confidence portrayed through their polished media arm, and the stories that emerged about the horrors of life under ISIS and the persecution of innocents shocked and horrified the world. … On Sept. 10, 2014, President Obama … announced “that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back” ISIS. The campaign would seek to “degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strat- egy.” Concluding his address, President Obama said, “This is American leadership at its best: We stand with people who fight for their own freedom, and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity.” —Pamela Quanrud, FSO (ret.), from her article of the same title in the January-February 2018 FSJ. The Practice of Leadership at Every Level A huge bang with the weight of a freight train bore through the room, throwing me back. The building swayed; I thought I was going to die. I blacked out for a moment, came to and descended the endless flights of stairs with a colleague. Only when we exited the building did I see what had hap- pened to the embassy. I realized in an instant that no one was going to take care of me, and I had better get to work. … I would like to pass on the following advice for those who may become survivors and helpers in the future. • Get involved in the community and help to grow teams that learn how to do things together. This will be essential in catastrophes and highly satisfying otherwise. • Be kind to yourself, and be kind to one another. • Take care of your people—and take care of yourself, too. • Allow spouses, family and friends to take care of you. • Seek professional help to stay resilient. • To help after a crisis, be clear about your mission and adapt to reality. • Build a bridge between “we” and “they” to create the trust that will make recovery easier. • Don’t expect this to end any time soon. Catastrophes breed crises, and some go on for years. • Find meaning in the event—the “treasures among the ashes.” • Do not depend on the media or our political leaders to keep the story alive or create change; both have short memories. • Remember, it will get better. —Prudence Bushnell, FSO and U.S. ambassador to Kenya, from her essay of the same title in the compilation, “Reflections on the U.S. Embassy Bombings in Kenya and Tanzania 20 Years Later,” in the July-August 2018 FSJ. For further related reading, go to these archive editions at www.afsa.org/fsj-archive : “Are We Losing the War on Terror?” by Philip C. Wilcox Jr., September 2004 “Operation Iraqi Freedom: The Arab Reaction, ” by Khaled Abdulkareem, March 2004 “Reality Check in Iraq, ” by David L. Mack, March 2005 “Iraq Service and Beyond, ” by Shawn Dorman, March 2006 “The Implications of Iraq and Its Impact on the Region, ” by Edward Walker, December 2006 FOCUS on “An Uneasy Partnership: The Foreign Service and the Military,” March 2007 “Remembering USAID’s Role in Afghanistan, 1985-1994, ” by Thomas H. Eighmy, December 2007 FOCUS on “Slogan or Substance: The Legacy of Transformational Diplomacy,” January 2009 “Counterterrorism: Some Lessons to Consider, ” by Alan Berlind, June 2009 “The Diplomat as Counterinsurgent, ” by Kurt Amend, September 2009 “Microdiplomacy in Afghanistan, ” by Matthew B. Arnold and Dana D. Deree, January 2011 FOCUS on “Reflections on 9/11—How the Foreign Service Has Changed,” September 2011 n