PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 2022 AFRICA AT THE CENTER HELPING REFUGEES IN POLAND
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 5 September 2022 Volume 99, No. 7 Focus on Engagement with Africa 24 Much Cause for Worry: A Clear-Eyed Look at Africa It is time to put sentiment aside and look clearly at Africa through an objective lens. By Mark G. Wentling 28 A Brighter Future for Africa? U.S. policy needs to recognize the continent’s tremendous riches in resources and human capacity and help develop their potential. By Tibor Nagy 33 Great Expectations The administration’s vow to host the second U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit this year has sparked hope that Washington will treat Africa as a strategic priority. Here’s what’s at stake. By Kendra L. Gaither 38 Higher Education and the New Scramble for Africa Investment in higher education is a vital component of effective and constructive U.S. engagement in a dynamic Africa. By Jonathan V. Ahlstrom 43 Kennedy, Nixon and the Competition for Mr. Africa, 1952-1960 John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon were the first American politicians of national rank to prioritize Africa— more than half a century ago. By Gregory L. Garland Feature 48 Helping Refugees in Poland One FS family member shares her “all-consuming” experience on temporary duty in Warsaw during the war in Ukraine. By Lilia Lally FS Heritage Retirement Supplement 52 The Short Diplomatic Career of Mordecai Manuel Noah In the 19th century, this ambitious American lived several lifetimes, including as a peddler, politician, publisher and even, albeit briefly, a U.S. diplomat. By Luciano Mangiafico 74 Retirement Planning: A Mid-Career Checklist Long before your retirement date there are steps to take. Here are the most important ones. By John K. Naland
6 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 21 Speaking Out Democracy as a Vocation By José M. Garzón 93 Reflections The Lure of the “Painful Childhood” By Louisa Rogers 94 Local Lens North Sulawesi, Indonesia By Paul Taylor On the Cover and Page 5—Illustration by michal812/Alamy Stock Photo. Marketplace 88 Real Estate 91 Classifieds 92 Index to Advertisers FOREIGN SERVICE 7 President’s Views Welcome, Director General Bernicat! AFSA Stands Ready to Work with You By Eric Rubin 9 Letter from the Editor Africa at the Center By Shawn Dorman Perspectives Departments 10 Letters 14 Letters-Plus 16 Talking Points 80 In Memory 86 Books AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 55 Honoring Archer Blood: Free Speech and the Right to Dissent 55 AFSA Holds Worldwide Virtual Town Halls 56 State VP Voice—Family Member Employment: An AFSA Priority 57 U SAID VP Voice—Collaboration Through Co-Creation: Putting Policy into Practice 58 F AS VP Voice—The True Cost of FAS’ Administrative Burden 59 AFSA on the Hill—State-Level Advocacy: Emerging Issues and Progress 60 Diplomats at Work Event: Strengthening the U.S. Economy Through the FCS 61 “The Lavender Scare” Film Screening 61 AFSA Hosts Chiefs of Mission 62 AFSA Welcomes New Governing Board Members 63 FSJ Editorial Board Welcomes New Members 63 AFSA Governing Board Meeting, June 15, 2022 65 2022 AFSA Strategic Writing Award Winner: Kevin Murakami 66 Meet the 2022 AFSA Merit Award Winners 70 AFSA Selects High School Essay Contest Winner 71 AFSA Outreach: A Jam-Packed Summer 71 AFSA Hosts New Recruits, Engages with Members 72 AFSA Welcomes New Staff Members 72 W ebinar: Financial Planning for the Foreign Affairs Community 73 A Conversation with Pearson Fellows 73 Update on Payroll Issues
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 7 Welcome, Director General Bernicat! AFSA Stands Ready to Work with You BY ERIC RUBIN Ambassador Eric Rubin is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. PRESIDENT’S VIEWS We here at AFSA are happy to welcome the new Director General of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Marcia Bernicat. We know her well from her previous outstanding work, and we look forward to working with her and her team to improve the Foreign Service. We’re here to help make the Service stronger, more attractive to applicants and more supportive and caring to active-duty and retired members. What will strengthen the Foreign Service? First and foremost, we need to focus on making a commitment to public service appealing and feasible for FS members. We want to join the DG in the following pursuits: 1. Making a Foreign Service career work for employees in 2022. This includes addressing the needs of twocareer couples, single FS members and families with children. It means supporting employees who face constant challenges and frustrations, whether traveling with pets or keeping families together or getting help with moves as a single. It also includes ensuring that members of the Foreign Service with disabilities are able to pursue their careers with support and reasonable accommodation. 2. Prioritizing support for employees. This comes up in situations where employees must make difficult and long journeys to and from post, even though the U.S. government travel regulations provide for exceptions to the Fly America Act and city-pair fares. For example, forcing employees to take two or three flights when one direct flight is available and allowable is a morale killer. This kind of bureaucratic frustration, and others like it, drives attrition. 3. Fixing what is broken. AFSA has made progress working with all six foreign affairs agencies to fix what is not working for our members. From intake to assignments, evaluations to promotions, our system continues to be based on the Foreign Service Act of 1980, a law that needs updating and modernizing. The act was adopted only a few years after the end of policies that forced women to resign when they married, and required wives—not spouses, but wives—to be evaluated on their husbands’ annual efficiency reports. There is a lot in the Foreign Service Act that should be preserved, but much also needs updating. 4. Increasing transparency. AFSA has welcomed innovations that have led to the advertising of vacancies for deputy assistant secretary positions as well as other senior State Department positions. This is a best practice that all foreign affairs agencies should follow. It is not just about transparency, but also about ensuring that the best candidates have a real chance of rising to senior positions. 5. Taking care of our people. The Biden administration has done much to support employees who have been affected by Anomalous Health Incidents (Havana syndrome), but recent developments appear to point to an effort to limit relief and exclude many employees who have truly suffered injury in service to their country. We need to see an effort that helps every injured employee, rather than attempts to limit eligibility for support and compensation. 6. Growing the Foreign Service. Today, there are not enough FS members serving overseas. The Biden administration has taken small steps to remedy this situation, but we still have too many overseas posts that are desperately understaffed. We are spending less in real dollar terms on diplomacy and foreign assistance than we did 30 years ago at the end of the Cold War. This severely limits our ability to compete in a new world in which we have to earn and demonstrate our leadership. We wish Director General Bernicat well as she takes on this challenging new position. AFSA is committed to working constructively with her and her team to help make the Foreign Service a more attractive career better equipped to meet our country’s challenges. n
8 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL www.sfiprogram.org SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE SFI-01268 Certified Sourcing Editor-in-Chief, Director of Publications Shawn Dorman: dorman@afsa.org Senior Editor Susan Brady Maitra: maitra@afsa.org Managing Editor Kathryn Owens: owens@afsa.org Associate Editor Julia Wohlers: wohlers@afsa.org Publications Coordinator Hannah McDaniel: mcdaniel@afsa.org Business Development Manager— Advertising and Circulation Molly Long: long@afsa.org Art Director Caryn Suko Smith Editorial Board Alexis Ludwig, Chair Hon. Robert M. Beecroft Jane Carpenter-Rock Gaïna Dávila Harry Kopp Bronwyn Llewellyn Aileen Nandi Maryum Saifee Joe Tordella Vivian Walker Hon. Laurence Wohlers THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly, with combined January-February and July-August issues, by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by email. The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. AFSA reserves the right to reject advertising that is not in keeping with its standards and objectives. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply endorsement of goods or services offered. Opinions expressed in advertisements are the views of the advertisers and do not necessarily represent AFSA views or policy. Journal subscription: AFSA member–$20, included in annual dues; student–$30; others–$50; Single issue–$4.50. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Indexed by the Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). Email: journal@afsa.org Phone: (202) 338-4045 Fax: (202) 338-8244 Web: www.afsa.org/fsj Address Changes: member@afsa.org © American Foreign Service Association, 2022 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to AFSA, Attn: Address Change 2101 E Street NW Washington DC 20037-2990 AFSA Headquarters: (202) 338-4045; Fax (202) 338-6820 State Department AFSA Office: (202) 647-8160; Fax (202) 647-0265 USAID AFSA Office: (202) 712-1941; Fax (202) 216-3710 FCS AFSA Office: (202) 482-9088; Fax (202) 482-9087 GOVERNING BOARD President Hon. Eric S. Rubin: rubin@afsa.org Secretary Sue Saarnio: saarnio@afsa.org Treasurer Hon. John O’Keefe: okeefe@afsa.org State Vice President Thomas Yazdgerdi: YazdgerdiTK@state.gov USAID Vice President Jason Singer: jsinger@usaid.gov FCS Vice President Charles Ranado: ranado@afsa.org FAS Vice President Lisa Ahramjian: ahramjian@afsa.org Retiree Vice President John K. Naland: nalandfamily@yahoo.com State Representatives Joshua Archibald Camille Dockery Kimberly Harrington Maria Hart Christen Machak Hui Jun Tina Wong USAID Representative Sharon Carter FCS Alternate Representative Vacant FAS Alternate Representative Vacant USAGM Representative Steve Herman APHIS Representative Vacant Retiree Representatives Mary Daly Philip A. Shull STAFF Executive Director Ásgeir Sigfússon: sigfusson@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Amber Dukes: dukes@afsa.org Office Coordinator Therese Thomas: therese@afsa.org PROFESSIONAL POLICY ISSUES AND ADVOCACY Director of Professional Policy Issues Julie Nutter: nutter@afsa.org Director of Advocacy Kim Greenplate: greenplate@afsa.org Policy Analyst Sean O'Gorman: ogorman@afsa.org FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Director of Finance Femi Oshobukola: oshobukola@afsa.org Director, HR and Operations Cory Nishi: cnishi@afsa.org Controller Kalpna Srimal: srimal@afsa.org Member Accounts Specialist Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org IT and Infrastructure Coordinator Aleksandar “Pav” Pavlovich: pavlovich@afsa.org COMMUNICATIONS Director of Communications Ásgeir Sigfússon: sigfusson@afsa.org Manager of Outreach and Internal Communications Allan Saunders: saunders@afsa.org Online Communications Manager Jeff Lau: lau@afsa.org Awards and Scholarships Manager Theo Horn: horn@afsa.org Communication and Educational Outreach Coordinator Lola Michel-Infante: michel@afsa.org MEMBERSHIP AND OUTREACH Director, Programs and Member Engagement Christine Miele: miele@afsa.org Manager, Outreach and Strategic Communications Nadja Ruzica: ruzica@afsa.org Membership Operations Coordinator Erin Oliver: oliver@afsa.org Coordinator of Member Recruitment and Benefits Perri Green: green@afsa.org Counselor for Retirees Dolores Brown: brown@afsa.org Member Events Coordinator Hannah Chapman: chapman@afsa.org LABOR MANAGEMENT General Counsel Sharon Papp: PappS@state.gov Deputy General Counsel Raeka Safai: SafaiR@state.gov Senior Staff Attorneys Zlatana Badrich: BadrichZ@state.gov Neera Parikh: ParikhNA@state.gov Labor Management Counselor Colleen Fallon-Lenaghan: FallonLenaghanC@state.gov Senior Labor Management Advisor James Yorke: YorkeJ@state.gov Labor Management Coordinator Patrick Bradley: BradleyPG@state.gov Senior Grievance Counselor Heather Townsend: TownsendHA@state.gov USAID Labor Management Advisor Sue Bremner: sbremner@usaid.gov Grievance Counselors Benjamin Phillips: PhillipsBE@state.gov Briana Odom: OdomB@state.gov FOREIGN SERVICE CONTACTS www.afsa.org
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 9 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Africa at the Center BY SHAWN DORMAN Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. As we were about to go to press with this special edition on U.S. engagement with Africa, Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed out on an Africa tour. During his stop in Pretoria, he gave a major speech launching what is being billed as a new U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa. Tied to that, the White House released a new “U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa.” Read more in the next FSJ. And so this is a great time to hear from some of the best diplomat experts on Africa. Mark Wentling, a retired USAID Senior Foreign Service officer who served in six African countries, offers his sobering perspective on Africa today in “Much Cause for Worry: A Clear-Eyed Look at Africa.” Ambassador (ret.) Tibor Nagy, who served in Africa for 22 years at eight posts and as assistant secretary of State for Africa from 2018 to 2021, takes a more optimistic, though still realistic, view in “A Brighter Future for Africa?” Vice President for the U.S.-Africa Business Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Kendra Gaither, a former FSO, looks to the future and makes the case for the U.S. to engage with Africa as a strategic and economic priority. U.S. Navy Commander Jonathan Ahlstrom, writing from the USS Columbus nuclear submarine, argues in “Higher Education and the New Scramble for Africa” that the U.S. should invest in education for Africans as a vital component of our engagement. In a fascinating look back, FSO (ret.) Gregory Garland recounts how two American politicians were first to prioritize relations with Africa in “Kennedy, Nixon and the Competition for Mr. Africa, 1952-1960.” In the Feature, “Helping Refugees in Poland,” FS family member Lilia Lally describes her experience helping Ukrainians forced to flee home. And in FS Heritage, FSO (ret.) Luciano Mangiafico tells the curious story of “The Short Diplomatic Career of Mordecai Manuel Noah.” In “Retirement Planning: A Mid-Career Checklist,” AFSA Retiree Vice President John Naland, a former director of State’s Retirement Office, offers great advice on how to ensure a comfortable life after the Foreign Service. The Local Lens is a glimpse of busy times in North Sulawesi from Embassy Jakarta’s senior commercial officer, Paul Taylor. If you’d like to see a favorite recent photo of yours travel the world on the Journal’s pages, please submit it to locallens@ afsa.org. In the Speaking Out, USAID FSO (ret.) José Garzón looks back at his long career of democracy promotion and asks some tough questions in “Democracy as a Vocation.” And grown-up Foreign Service kid Louisa Rogers offers a relatable Reflection on “The Lure of the ‘Painful Childhood.’” In his President’s Views column, Ambassador Eric Rubin welcomes Director General Marcia Bernicat and presents a list of priorities AFSA hopes to engage with her team on to strengthen the Foreign Service. AFSA News this month is jam-packed with association happenings, including the 2022 merit scholarship award winners, a Diplomats at Work event with a Foreign Commercial Service officer, a screening of “The Lavender Scare,” the chiefs-of-mission breakfast, an event honoring Archer Blood (and dissent), State VP Tom Yazdgerdi on family member employment, plus columns from AFSA’s USAID and FAS vice presidents, along with welcomes for new Governing Board and Editorial Board members, plus two new staff members. The October edition will include perspectives on Ukraine from Ambassadors (ret.) Bill Taylor and Rose Gottemoeller, and others, as well as a requested article from the Board of Examiners (BEX) to explain the changes to the Foreign Service exam and assessment process. We look forward to shining light on what’s felt like a mysterious process to many, including AFSA. In closing, I offer news from the grammar front. After much debate during recent FSJ style guide updating, we decided to adopt the serial, or “Oxford,” comma, starting with the October edition. For those who don’t care, just know that this is a highly emotional topic for those who do. Please be in touch with responses to articles and other submissions (Local Lens, Off-Road with the Foreign Service, Speaking Out, Feature, FS Know-How, Reflections). Write to us at journal@afsa.org. n
10 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTERS Thanks for the Focus on DEIA I am a member of the Mission Japan DEIA Council, serving on its communications subcommittee. Thank you for the wonderful June 2022 edition of the FSJ with its many articles and resources on promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). Ambassador Gina AbercrombieWinstanley recently visited Japan and, in several of her meetings, mentioned The Foreign Service Journal. We plan to feature DEIA-related content from the Journal in our Mission Japan DEIA Council newsletter. Beau Miller FSO U.S. Consulate General Sapporo FSOT and the Ideological Muddle Although the June 2022 Foreign Service Journal (Focus: A Progress Report on Diversity) tried to present a fair and honest picture of the State Department’s newly announced diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) policies, the policy prescriptions themselves are so nonsensical and contrary to thoughtful discussion that we learned nothing beyond the ideological twaddle DEIA directors regularly mouth. A key element of this ideological muddle is the effort to justify the decision to reduce the central role of the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) for selection of new FSOs, as described in the lengthy interview AFSA President Ambassador Eric Rubin conducted with State’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Ambassador Gina AbercrombieWinstanley. Contrary to the assertions made in that interview, the FSOT by its very objective nature opens the Foreign Service to talented candidates from a great diversity of political opinions, socioeconomic backgrounds and cultural heritages. Its objective standards do not discriminate by sex, race, creed, color or national origins. The entire point of having all applicants pass an objective test for career consideration is to afford equal opportunity to all applicants. Sadly, however, “equality of opportunity” no longer appears to be the objective of State Department leadership, which is trying to substitute the new and invidious concept of “equity.” This, in fact, is an effort to move away from open opportunity toward specific racial, gender and, perhaps, ideological and political goals inappropriate to and destructive of an ethos of public service representing our extraordinarily diverse society. Ed Stafford FSO, retired Philadelphia FSOT and the “Good Diplomat” AFSA President Eric Rubin’s interview with Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley in the June 2022 FSJ (“The Office of Diversity and Inclusion Turns One”) demonstrated Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley’s enthusiasm and dedication in pursuit of her mandate. In making her case, however, regarding the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), she stated: “The reality is that the written test has zero correlation to being a successful diplomat. Zero. Passing doesn’t prove that you’re going to be a good diplomat; it doesn’t prove that you’re going to be a terrible diplomat. It tests a certain body of knowledge at that time.” Disregarding the fact that no one has ever claimed that the FSOT “proves” whether one would be a good diplomat, Amb. Abercrombie-Winstanley offers no evidence to substantiate her categorical statement of “zero” correlation between the test and success as a Foreign Service officer. I would suggest that over the nearly 100 years that passing the test has been required for further consideration as an FSO, by and large it has been a good indicator of likely success. The General Knowledge (“Job Knowledge”) section of the FSOT covers a wide range of topics that demonstrate an applicant is conversant with national and international events, history, politics, math, etc. Doing well on this section indicates an applicant has had the interest and inquisitiveness to pursue the topics under consideration. This, it seems to me, is one of the attributes of a successful FSO—an inquisitive mind. The English Expression and Usage section demonstrates whether an applicant possesses one of the crucial elements required of a successful diplomat, i.e., the ability to express oneself coherently and succinctly. The ability to write well has always been one of the critical elements required of an FSO. One can analyze information and data, reach conclusions and recommend courses of action, but if one cannot write clearly and persuasively
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 11 to convey the findings and recommendations to decisionmakers, it is all for naught. Finally, Amb. Abercrombie-Winstanley states: “Anything that we need, it can be taught” at the Foreign Service Institute. In this, as well, she misses the mark. English-language skills, composition and reading comprehension cannot be “taught” in a two-week course at FSI. Neither can the body of knowledge a successful applicant who passes the FSOT brings to the Foreign Service. Amb. Abercrombie-Winstanley dismissively suggests the FSOT “tests a certain body of knowledge at that time.” But the “body of knowledge,” including English-language ability, demonstrated by successful applicants who pass the FSOT, has historically been one of the key indicators of a successful career as a Foreign Service officer. William H. Barkell FSO, retired Arlington, Virginia Consuls Bearing Arms The May 2022 FSJ included a fascinating article about Robert W. Imbrie (“A Lethal Encounter in Tehran, 1924,” by Michael Zirinsky), providing lots of information about an incident in Foreign Service history known to many of us, but only dimly. Thanks for printing it. However, it raises some questions. Were sidearms standard equipment for American consular officers in the 1920s? If so, were they issued or purchased privately by officers? Was there pertinent guidance about their use in the Foreign Service regulations? Imbrie’s revolver is so prominently displayed in the photos that I wonder about these questions. Professor Zirinsky’s otherwise excellent study is silent on this issue. He does comment, however, that Imbrie “was no diplomat” but rather an “adventurer-spy.” Lots to ponder here. And, by the way, the FSJ is increasingly rich, I find. And in difficult times. Edward Marks Ambassador, retired Washington, D.C. Consuls Bearing Arms— The Author Responds To the best of my knowledge, it was not usual for consuls to pack heat. Indeed, in the material I reviewed about the incident in the National Archives in 1981, the only weapon mentioned was Imbrie’s “shillelagh,” which was wielded by his prisoner who identified it as a “blackjack.” The pictures of Imbrie armed with a pistol, which I had never before seen (the FSJ editorial staff found and chose them), rather make my point that he was more adventurer-spy than “diplomat.” In looking at the Library of Congress site where the photo was found, there is no indication of when and where it was taken, other than the 1924 caption created by the media. My recollection from my research is that the LOC received the photo after Imbrie’s death. Since I am aware of no American “staff member” at the Tehran consulate, my (tentative) conclusion is that the photo was actually taken in Anatolia, when Imbrie was seconded to Ankara to negotiate with Mustafa Kemal amid the struggle to establish the Kemalist regime and to reject the Treaty of Sevres. The headgear in the photo is telling. It seems likely that he had clothed himself in Turkish military gear for his “roughing it” adventure in Ankara and beyond. My recollection of Imbrie’s personnel file and other State Department records is that he did not make “inspection tours” in Iran. The only journey I can surmise is his travel to Tehran, which would likely have taken two months from Washington. The routing would have been something like DC– NYC–London–Paris–Marseille–Bombay–Basra–Baghdad–Khanaqin–Kermanshah–Hamadan–Qazvin–Tehran, which was the route taken by Minister Joseph Kornfeld two years earlier. Iran then had no railways and few car roads, most intercity transport being made by horse, donkey or camel, so it is possible that the photo was taken on the overland journey to Tehran from the railhead at Khanaqin. Going armed on this trip would have been reasonable, since highwaymen
12 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL had a habit of stopping travelers and relieving them of all possessions except their underwear, at least as I recall reading the diplomatic and missionary records. Hope this helps. Michael Zirinsky Professor, Boise State University Boise, Idaho New England Retirees: An Update In response to John Naland’s piece (“An Insider’s Guide to the Re-Employed Annuitant Program”) in the May 2022 FSJ on the restarting of retiree association activities, I am pleased to report that the Foreign Affairs Retirees of New England (FARNE) is up and running. We’ve held two luncheon events since the pandemic started easing. Thanks to Maine volunteer Judith Fergin, in October we met at the Brunswick Hotel in Brunswick, Maine, to hear from retired Senior FSO Susan Thornton about U.S.-China relations. And in late April, we were in Salem, Massachusetts, at the historic Hawthorne Hotel for an address by retired Senior FSO John Dickson about his new book, History Shock: When History Collides with Foreign Relations (University Press of Kansas, 2021). Both events were very well attended, and we have since welcomed several new members who were at these luncheons. (Because of a rise in COVID-19 cases, the April meeting was postponed from January, and as a precaution we asked that all attendees at both meetings confirm their full vaccination status, which made most feel comfortable enough to engage without masks.) Our New Hampshire volunteer, Tom Hull, is now working on the next gathering, planned for his state in the fall. Since its founding in 1983, FARNE members have enjoyed the special collegial atmosphere and the wellinformed discussions that take place at our luncheons. As John Naland noted, the regional retiree associations help us keep in touch with others of similar professional experience, as well as with our profession. AFSA was a major help in getting FARNE off the ground, and continues to provide assistance in getting the news of our events out to prospective members. Liz Barnett FSO, retired President, Foreign Affairs Retirees of New England Boston, Massachusetts Remembering Colin Powell I read Stacy Williams’ Letters-Plus in the April 2022 Foreign Service Journal (“My Role Model, Guiding Light and North Star for 30 Years”) with considerable emotion because the late Colin Powell was also my hero. When my late husband, Larry Foley, was murdered in Jordan in 2002, the then Secretary of State was one of the pillars of support who truly enabled me to keep my head above water. His was one of the many initial formal letters of condolence sent to our family, and he followed up with a personal phone call. I was bolstered by recognition of the contributions Larry made through his efforts in the Peace Corps and as executive officer with USAID. It was Colin Powell’s representative who met the plane when I returned with Larry’s body for autopsy and cremation. The fact that the U.S. Secretary of State not only cared what had happened to us but was also somewhere in the background offering support was a comfort to me. When Secretary Powell began his speech honoring Larry at the following Foreign Service Day, his first few words were so powerful that no one in our family heard the words that followed. We had to ask for a copy of the speech later. Colin Powell was not only a “model of a Servant-Leader” to his people, as America’s top diplomat he was also a warm and caring human being. While I was struggling with shock and grief after my husband’s murder, I felt the weight of the worldwide press focus and the potential political ramifications for Jordan whose geography, people and leaders we had learned to love. I tried to tread softly. It was the brief sentence Secretary Powell wrote on a photo of us together, taken on that Foreign Service Day— “Proud of you.”—that gave me hope and courage, knowing that I met his approval. Secretary Powell has been a hero to many people. I am one of them. Virginia Foley FS family member Guerneville, California “No One Was Listening” Author Responds When I agreed to have my letter published as the April 2022 Speaking Out column (“No One Was Listening: Russia, 1992”), I expected some rebuttal
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 13 Share your thoughts about this month’s issue. Submit letters to the editor: journal@afsa.org CORRECTIONS In the July-August 2022 Reflection, “Pearl Buck’s Rehabilitation in China,” Ms. Buck’s parents’ names should be Caroline and Absalom Sydenstricker. In the July-August 2022 book review, the correct year for the Tet Offensive is 1968, not 1967. We regret the errors. and possibly negative backlash. So I read and reread each section to be sure everything included was exactly as I remembered it and removed anything I judged to be even a little questionable. Since I anticipated negative feedback, it came as a surprise to receive instead several (18+) emails and phone calls from FSOs thanking me for writing the article, for “saying what needed to be said.” In fact, the responses from Mr. Myers (“No One Was Listening…?!” in June 2022) and Mr. Norris (“Unavoidable Chaos, No ‘Shock Therapy’” in July-August 2022) are the first rebuttals I’ve seen. I do dispute some of their statements. For example, if there is any doubt about shock therapy, all one needs to do is an online search for “shock therapy, Russia, 1992.” Not only do these articles establish shock therapy as a real thing, every article supports my thesis. Mr. Norris says that developing cooperatives is very difficult, more difficult than establishing a private sector. What was attempted in Russia was not just establishing cooperatives or a private sector, it was moving a huge economy from communism to capitalism. What could possibly be more complicated and difficult? But shock therapy was in line with Russia policy guidance. Cooperatives were not. I don’t want to discuss point by point these responses. I know from working with USAID that our team in Moscow was very dedicated to doing the best they could within the confines of State Department policy guidance, as is always the case. I don’t doubt they believe what they are saying and are somewhat insulted that I would present an alternative narrative, especially now when we have the war in Ukraine. For my part, I think it’s vital to hear from those who dissent from the established narrative, perhaps more important now than ever. I stand behind everything I wrote in the article. I guess the best we can do is just agree to disagree. I do appreciate the FSJ giving my thoughts a broader audience. It really seems to have hit many in a very positive way, if not Mr. Myers and Mr. Norris. Kristin Loken USAID FSO, retired Falling Waters, West Virginia n
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL focused on the integration of a democratically and economically viable Indian partner into the liberal world order, on one hand, and the prevention of terrorist attacks and nuclear proliferation by Pakistan on the other. The end of the Cold War allowed the U.S. more flexibility in pursuing greater economic integration in South Asia, particularly with India. With a global rebalancing of priorities following the 2017 National Security Strategy, which continues under the current interim NSS, actions designed to bolster the rules-based order in regions like South Asia are now at the forefront of U.S. policy. However, China’s own regional strategy threatens to reverse decades-long progress and stymie future gains. China’s Strategy China is currently Pakistan’s primary supplier of military arms, and its infrastructure investments into Pakistan are expected to exceed $60 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor umbrella. While CPEC creates a significant debt burden for Islamabad, the country lacks any true alternative for financing infrastructure development. China’s investments in Pakistan counter decades-long efforts by the United States to improve Pakistani governance and manage the India-Pakistan rivalry. LETTERS-PLUS Opportunity in South Asia BY CHRIS HIPPNER RESPONSE TO JULY-AUGUST COVER STORY, “U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS AT 50: LEARNING LESSONS AND MOVING AHEAD” Robert Wang’s assessment of U.S.-China relations and recommendation to adopt stronger measures that counter China’s trade practices, as laid out in his July-August article, have merit. His “lessons of history” suggest China will continue to be a challenging competitor, and an occasional partner, for the foreseeable future. In applying more direct measures, I would point to South Asia as a prime region for advancing his approach. With Afghanistan no longer the central driver behind policy in the region, the U.S. should develop a South Asia strategy that advances the region’s economic and political integration into the greater liberal world order and provides an alternative to the Chinese Communist Party’s powerpolitics framework. Such an approach would build on work done by previous administrations and ultimately shape the regional environment to the benefit of our long-term interests, as well as imposing on Beijing the kind of change-inducing costs Dr. Wang describes. The cornerstone of such a strategy would be an increase in diplomatic, economic and military ties with both Pakistan and India. Prior to 2001, U.S. policy in South Asia China’s relations with Pakistan center on a shared suspicion of India, a common desire for economic development and obsession with combating “extremist” groups. Further, China’s predatory economic programs in Pakistan and heavy-handed “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy with India will potentially constrain U.S. diplomacy during any future India-Pakistan crisis. Historically, China avoided making any firm commitments to Pakistan. During the 1971 Pakistan-India War, China publicly supported Pakistan, but privately told U.S. interlocutors: “You have strength to persuade India. You can speak to both sides.” But since 1971, the level of China’s investment in South Asia under the OneBelt, One-Road Initiative has soared, and the region has become key to the country’s continued economic prosperity. China’s economic interests in the region alone suggest it may play a more active role during a future crisis. In the event of another India-Pakistan crisis, how would the U.S. facilitate de-escalation, as it has done historically, if Pakistan now has another major global power to leverage for support and compel India to de-escalate? And, assuming China chooses to intercede on Pakistan’s behalf, would India look solely to the U.S. for support? This scenario quickly starts to look like a patron state–client state standoff between two competing global systems. On one side, the U.S. representing a world Chris Hippner is currently a student at the U.S. Naval War College. He is a member of the U.S. intelligence community who specializes in East and South Asia. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 15 based on rules, established institutions and interests aligned with India; on the other, the CCP, with its revisionist interpretation of global history since the end of the colonial era, supporting Pakistan. Expand U.S. Engagement Dr. Wang is correct: Future U.S. policy should communicate that China’s continued prosperity must occur within the existing rules of the world order. Greater economic and political integration of South Asia, as a whole, into the liberal world order helps shape the strategic environment in which China operates. Greater multilateral trade between the two South Asian countries and the U.S. and its allies creates additional diplomatic triangulation options for crisis management, as well as providing an alternative to China’s predatory economic programs. Further, closer military relations with both Pakistan and India, but especially Pakistan, would provide another pillar for regional stability, even if it simply comes through more traditional forms of security cooperation, the expansion of existing professional military education opportunities, or increased intelligence sharing in areas of mutual interest. When approaching South Asia, one can view it as a hotbed for radicalism that is continually dragged down by historical grievances, or a region of opportunity, ripe for expanded U.S. engagement. China certainly values the region for its own economic growth. The U.S. should engage with both Pakistan and India to bolster their economic and political integration into the rules-based order, and thus shape one region in which China operates. n Greater economic and political integration of South Asia into the liberal world order helps shape the strategic environment in which China operates.
16 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL TALKING POINTS The American Public Likes Diplomats A study published this year by the RAND Corporation evaluating the public view of U.S. diplomats and diplomacy found generally favorable attitudes toward diplomats but limited understanding of what they do, how they are selected and the role of diplomacy in America’s national security establishment. To conduct the study, in 2020 and 2021 RAND posed a series of questions to a nationally representative, probabilitybased sample of more than 2,000 Americans ages 24 and older. Survey respondents and focus group participants considered support for American citizens abroad to be a core and highly valued function for diplomats. They were less aware that diplomats also promote U.S. exports and support businesses. Those surveyed identified understanding of global affairs and negotiating prowess as the most important skills for diplomats. More than half had no opinion on whether they considered U.S. diplomats to be representative of American society. The authors of the study also found what they characterized as “worrisome levels of opinion that American diplomats, while trustworthy, were politically biased.” Nevertheless, the public expressed greater confidence in career ambassadors than political appointees, implying that reduced politicization of State Department positions would be broadly supported by Americans. Despite the fact that more than 65 percent of respondents said they thought diplomacy contributes to national security, when asked whether spending on foreign affairs should be more, less or about the same, respondents favored keeping spending about the same. Finally, the group expressed a clear preference for diplomats to lead foreign policy efforts rather than military leaders. Sustained Support for Ukraine On July 27, the day before Ukrainian Statehood Day, USAID announced its plan to send an additional $75 million in humanitarian aid for those affected by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. This brings the total USAID humanitarian contribution to more than $1 billion, and the total contributed by the U.S. government to more than $1.5 billion. Days earlier, a senior U.S. congressional delegation led by Congressman Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 23. In a joint press release, the delegation pledged to “continue to seek ways to support President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people as effectively as possible as they continue their brave stand.” Meanwhile, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), a breakaway Russiabacked group not recognized by the U.S. government, claimed credit in June for the capture of U.S. military veterans Alexander Drueke and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh. Against warnings that American fighters will be treated as mercenaries if captured by Russian soldiers—and therefore not protected by international rules for prisoners of war—the two traveled overseas as volunteers to help train troops in Ukraine. The State Department said it is in contact with Ukrainian and Russian authorities concerning the captured Americans. A third U.S. citizen, Grady Kurpasi, is missing in Ukraine and at least two Americans are believed to have died in the fighting, The Washington Post reported in July. The capture of the ex-military personnel is a sensitive dilemma, as the Kremlin may use it as evidence that the U.S. has become directly involved in the ongoing conflict. S Talks Equity at State Addressing a global audience from the Dean Acheson Auditorium, Secretary of State Antony Blinken (S) hosted a town hall on May 31 to discuss how the State Department is embedding equity in its foreign affairs work and institutional culture. He was joined by Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Brian McKeon and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley. Secretary Blinken explained that the State Department’s equity action plan, approved by the White House in April and part of his modernization agenda, contains specific actions, metrics and accountability measures to integrate equity into five priority areas: (1) foreign policy development and implementation, (2) foreign assistance, (3) public diplomacy, (4) consular services and (5) procurement, contracts and grants. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink and Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) meet in Kyiv on July 23. U.S. EMBASSY KYIV
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 17 “We’re operating in an incredibly diverse world,” he said. “The idea that we wouldn’t take the fact that we are one of the most diverse countries in the world and use that in our work shortchanges us.” The Secretary reminded the audience that starting in the next rating cycle, which begins in April 2023, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) will be part of the promotion criteria for State personnel. Secretary Blinken described the department’s efforts to integrate equity as “more like turning an aircraft carrier than flipping a switch; it takes sustained effort. There must be a cultural shift.” Deputy Secretary McKeon added that he would also like to see the department moving beyond performative actions to concrete plans. “We need to be thoughtful and innovative in how we put this into practice” here in Washington, D.C., as well as overseas, he said. “Which communities are not usually engaged by our missions and consulates? Are we only talking to elite communities abroad? How can we leverage our diplomatic engagements to ensure they are representative of all segments of society?” Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley said her office recently launched its first DEIA climate survey, which garnered the participation of a third of the department’s workforce. The findings will provide her team with the disaggregated data and insights required to inform their work. She also noted that, when reviewing the State Department’s action plan, the Office of Personnel Management said it was significantly more robust than plans submitted by other agencies. “They were impressed with the over 30 department offices and bureaus who contributed,” she said. “Now on to the next phase: implementation.” Au Revoir, Professional French Diplomacy? On June 2, French diplomats went on strike for the first time in nearly 20 years to protest budget cuts and reforms proposed by President Emmanuel Macron that will transform the structure of diplomatic careers when they go into effect in 2023. In what some are calling the end of France’s professional diplomacy, the measures would create a new body of state administrators in which senior civil servants will no longer be linked to a specific administration, France24 reported in June. Instead, diplomats will be placed in a large pool from all branches of public service, encouraged to switch to other ministries and forced to compete with outsiders for diplomatic posts. The reforms would also merge and gradually phase out the two historic bodies of French diplomacy: ambassadors and foreign affairs advisers. One of the presumed goals of the change is to modernize and diversify the country’s diplomatic corps, created in the 16th century and seen by some in the government as an elitist institution. France currently has the world’s thirdlargest diplomatic corps behind the U.S. and China, with about 1,800 diplomats among a total of about 13,500 officials working at the foreign ministry. The proposed plan is said to affect about 800 diplomats. At overseas posts around the world, including Washington, D.C., numerous diplomats and some ambassadors participated in the daylong strike, according to the Associated Press. In a commentary published in Le Monde in early June, a group of 500 French diplomats wrote: “We risk the disappearance of our professional diplomacy. Today, [diplomatic] agents … are convinced it is the very existence of the ministry that is now being put into question.” They also warned of “the risks of such a decision, which will allow appointments of convenience to the detriment of competence and will result in a loss of expertise and a vocational crisis.” On July 19, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna— herself a career diplomat—announced to the Senate that the planned reforms will not be suspended in response to the backlash. She suggested that unspecified “guarantees” would be obtained to reassure concerned diplomats, French news outlet Marianne reported in July. Afghanistan Now Just weeks before the one-year anniversary of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Diplomacy is a process, not an event. It’s the non-quantifiable art of building relationships for issues you do not yet know you’re going to have and being able to have conversations in ways people will understand. —Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine, director of Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, speaking as part of an online panel discussion during the launch of the federally mandated State Department Learning Agenda on June 30. Contemporary Quote
18 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL human rights abusers and criminals. Police advisers often faced a moral dilemma: whether to partner with corrupt and abusive yet militarily effective police officials who had the support of the local population, or to refuse and risk rising instability, the loss of support for the U.S. intervention and the reduction of its ability to disrupt terrorist cells. Today, earthquakes, flash flooding, ongoing economic instability and rising malnutrition have all led to a humanitarian crisis. Additionally, the latest report on Afghanistan from the United Nations Security Council contains alarming details on the activities of terrorist groups now enjoying the Taliban’s protection. “Afghanistan has reverted to the state it was in before Sept. 11, 2001, when it hosted Osama bin Laden,” Foreign Policy wrote on July 27. Since the Taliban takeover last year, there have been repeated reports of al-Qaida fighters crossing the Pakistan border into Afghanistan, the BBC said, Reconstruction (SIGAR) released its 12th Lessons Learned report. Titled “Police in Conflict: Lessons from U.S. and International Police Assistance Efforts in Afghanistan,” the June 1 report explores the reasons behind the U.S. inability to create an effective police force in Afghanistan, with crucial insights for future efforts elsewhere. The findings “highlight the difficulty of fighting a heavily armed insurgency while trying to develop indigenous law enforcement and civilian policing capabilities,” the report says. As the Talibanled insurgency gained inroads in 2004 and violence escalated, the U.S. and the international community decided to transition from a civilian-led to a military-led police assistance mission. As a result, the Afghan police force’s focus became fighting insurgents rather than stopping criminals and gangsters—many of whom were members of or affiliated with the Afghan government. This shift empowered warlords– turned–police chiefs who, despite being tactically proficient in fighting, were also The Foreign Service’s competitive advantage is its knowledge of foreign countries and peoples, a knowledge gained from living abroad and communicating in foreign languages. Ours is a unique and vital contribution to America’s foreign policy. Experts with substantive knowledge are needed to help clarify U.S. foreign policy goals, but FSOs are needed to carry out those plans. … FSOs are responsible for reporting on developments overseas, but a Foreign Service corps that is poorly trained to use the local language can keep busy doing bureaucratic tasks and never effectively report on social, political or business activities. —Foreign Service Officer Robert Griffiths in a Speaking Out article titled “Preserve Language Pay Incentives” in the September 1997 FSJ. 25 Years Ago The Cornerstone of the Foreign Service: Its Professionals’ Language Skills including some at the top of the U.S.’ most wanted list. On the morning of July 31, a U.S. drone strike killed al-Qaida leader and key 9/11 plotter Ayman al-Zawahri in the heart of Kabul, where he was staying in a safe house believed to belong to the acting Taliban interior minister. No other deaths were reported in the attack. Zawahri, who assumed al-Qaida leadership after the death of bin Laden in 2011, was also suspected of playing a role in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Back in Washington, the U.S. government’s review of Afghanistan is not without conflict. In a June 22 letter to Congress, the Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator, SIGAR Director John Sopko reported that the agencies’ officials were not cooperating with his office’s probe. “Historically, State and USAID officials have honored my office’s requests,” the letter says. “Inexplicably, this long track record of cooperation seems to have abruptly ended. Agency officials now appear to have adopted a premeditated position of obstruction.” State Department spokesperson Ned Price responded that SIGAR “did not request input from the State Department” when drafting a May report on the military’s collapse, “nor did they afford us an opportunity to review the draft before it was finalized.” However, a series of emails between the department and Sopko’s team, released by SIGAR, do not support these claims. In response to a direct request from SIGAR on Nov. 29, 2021, for AFSA’s assistance in reaching Foreign Service officers for the purpose of voluntary interviews, AFSA emailed members on Jan. 13 informing them of the request and including the appropriate SIGAR contact information.
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