The Foreign Service Journal, September 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2021 5 22 Getting Off the X In a compelling personal account of the 9/11 attacks, one FSO offers tactics for surviving when catastrophe strikes. By Na n c y Os t r ows k i 26 The Global War on Terror and Diplomatic Practice The war on terror fundamentally changed U.S. diplomacy, leaving a trail of collateral damage to America’s readiness for future challenges. By L a r r y Bu t l e r 31 America and 9/11: The Real-World Impact of Terrorism and Extremism In retrospect, 9/11 did not foreshadow the major changes that now drive U.S. foreign policy and national security strategy. By An t h o n y H . Co rd e sma n 35 The Proper Measure of the Place: Reflections on the Afghan Mission Drawing from two tours, a decade apart, a veteran diplomat explores the competing visions for Afghanistan. By Ke i t h W. M i n e s September 2021 Volume 98, No. 7 39 Intervention: Unlearned Lessons, or the Gripes of a Professional The State Department’s failure to effectively staff and run interventions has a long history. Four critical lessons can be drawn from the post-9/11 experience. By Ro n a l d E . Ne uma n n 43 From the FSJ Archive 9/11, War on Terror, Iraq and Afghanistan Focus on 9/11, Twenty Years Later FS Know-How 46 Whistleblower Protections: A Nonpartisan Necessity As old as the United States itself, whistleblowing has protections worth knowing about. By A l a i n No rma n a n d Ra e k a Sa f a i FS Heritage 48 Diplomats Make a Difference: The U.S. and Mongolia, 1986-1990 In the 1992 FSJ , Ambassador Joe Lake describes setting up the U.S. embassy in Ulaanbaatar. Today he and his son explore how that relationship was built. By J o s e p h E . L a ke a n d M i c h a e l A l l e n L a ke