The Foreign Service Journal, November 2003

of much of postwar U.S. foreign pol- icy. But virtually all of these problems could have seriously jeopardized American interests in regions impor- tant to the United States had they not been resolved or effectively managed. His assignments as ambas- sador to Vietnam and chief negotiator on the Panama Canal treaties involved controversial issues at the heart of both America’s relations with the world and its domestic politics. Bunker played three broadly defined roles during his 25 years as a diplomat. First, in his troubleshoot- ing role he acted as a third-party mediator between hostile govern- ments or civil war factions and as a negotiator representing the United States in bilateral disputes. Second, he headed three U.S. embassies that carried out essentially conventional diplomatic operations. His responsi- bilities in Vietnam fell into a third category. For six critical years there, he led a huge mission whose activi- ties went well beyond those of other U.S. overseas posts and were arguably unprecedented in scope and magni- tude in American diplomatic history. Bunker brought to his assign- ments the classic skills and qualities that are vital to diplomatic success – integrity, creativity, realism, preci- sion, and an ability to step into the shoes of his negotiating partners and understand their priorities. He had seemingly infinite patience, an innate courtesy, and a talent for convincing foreign leaders and officials that he was genuinely interested in helping them reach settlements that would satisfy their needs as well as his own. His impressive physical appear- ance and his gentlemanly, seemingly aristocratic manner contributed to his effectiveness. The Troubleshooter Bunker’s most important contri- butions to U.S. diplomacy came in 38 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 3 Ambassador Howard Schaffer is a retired Foreign Service officer who spent much of his 36-year career dealing with U.S. relations with South Asia. In addition to postings to Seoul and Kuala Lumpur, he served as political coun- selor in Pakistan (1974-1977) and India (1977-1979), as well as ambassador to Bangladesh (1984-1987). In Washington, his assignments included a tour as director of the Office of Indian, Nepalese, and Sri Lankan Affairs, and two stints as deputy assistant secretary of State for South Asian affairs. After retiring from the Foreign Service in 1991, Amb. Schaffer resided in Colombo with his wife, the U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, until 1995, when they returned to Washington. Shortly thereafter, he became Director of Studies at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, a position he still holds. He has also taught classes in South Asian studies at Georgetown, as well as courses dealing with diplomatic practice and key global issues. This article is excerpted from his new book, Ellsworth Bunker: Global Troubleshooter, Vietnam Hawk ($34.95, hardcover, 416 pages), copyright © 2003 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher, www.uncpress.unc.edu. T his book is part of the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Series, co-sponsored by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training in Arlington, Va., and Diplomatic & Consular Officers, Retired, Inc., of Washington, D.C. Contact uncpress@unc.edu fo r more information. Amb. Schaffer is also the author of Chester Bowles: New Dealer in the Cold War , published in 1993 by the Harvard University Press as an Institute for the Study of Diplomacy book. (It was issued in an Indian edition by Prentice-Hall the following year.) Web access to major advertisers. Go to www.afsa.org Click on Marketplace tab on the marquee AFSPA www.afspa.org Bukkehave www.bukkehave.com Charles Smith Corp. Living www.smithliving.com Clements International www.clements.com Diplomatic Auto Sales www.diplosales.com Executive Club Suites www.execlubdc.com Feed The Children www.feedthechildren.org Intelsat www.intelsat.com Harry Jannette International www.jannetteintl.com Hirshorn Company, The www.hirshorn.com Lauder Institute www.lauder.wharton.upenn.edu Laughlin Management www.century21laughlin.com Long & Foster www.simunek.com Oakwood www.oakwood.com Prudential Carruthers www.foreignservicehomes.com Remington www.remington-dc.com SDFCU www.sdfcu.org State Plaza www.stateplaza.com WJD Management www.wjdpm.com For more information about advertisers in the Journal go to: www.afsa.org/marketplace MARKETPLACE