The Foreign Service Journal, October 2003

U.S. Middle East policy to angry for- eigners. Richard B. Parker FSO, retired Washington, D.C. Courage to Resign The purpose of the Speaking Out forum is in no way reflected in the mean-spirited, ad hominem piece by David Jones in the June issue. Rather, that piece is a denigration of three FSOs who resigned because of moral and professional concerns over our Iraq policies. Jones clearly supported those policies, and contemptuously dis- misses the dissenters in a manner that reads as both petty and ill- informed. Their resignations re- quired courage and strength of char- acter — even if you disagree with their opinions — representing the Foreign Service far better than “drones and time-servers.” Jones trashes the dissenters because of their distance from the Middle East. He appears to equate this with a complete lack of under- standing, knowledge and experience in foreign affairs in general and, apparently, awareness of administra- tion messages on the subject. There was, however, no reference to his own experience in — or even near — the region at any time, or any recent familiarity with it. Since he probably no longer has access to classified traffic, there are valid rea- sons to question the value of his per- sonal views. Edward L. Peck FSO, retired Chevy Chase, Md. More on Vernon Walters It was a delight to read Fletcher M. Burton’s tribute to General Vernon A. Walters ( FSJ , June). Gen. Walters was, indeed, a celebrated raconteur. Two amusing instances of his knowledge and humor come to mind. I was in a position to brief Walters regularly in 1982, when he was an ambassador at large. On one occasion I mentioned that my wife, Marta, was from a German colony in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The gen- eral replied that he would like to meet her. When I brought her up to his office, he served her a guarana (a Brazilian soft drink). He then began speaking Portuguese with a German accent, sounding just like a native speaker from Marta’s area. While I was assigned to Kuala 8 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 3 L E T T E R S