The Foreign Service Journal, November 2003

CALL FOR 2004 AFSA AWARDS Is Dissent Disloyal? BY BARBARA BERGER, PROFESSIONAL ISSUES COORDINATOR L et’s put dissent and theAFSAdissent awards in context. Recently, much attention has been given to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s article in the July/August 2003 issueof ForeignPolicy magazine, whichquestioned the loyalty of the ForeignService in carryingout the for- eign policy of the current administration. In the September/October 2003 issue of ForeignPolicy , a number of policy-makers and current and former Foreign Service officers responded toGingrich. AFSAState VicePresidentLouiseK.Craneassertedthat Gingrich would prefer that State Department employees “…. not speakup, but simply nod vigorously.” Robert L. Gallucci, Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, commented that, “At a time when theUnitedStates is truly vulnerable, the nation cannot afford todistort the for- eign policy-making process by suppress- ing information from the field or critical analysis at home.” S enator Richard Lugar, R-Ind., has introduced legislation —which the administration supports — that would provide a benefit to anyU.S. citizen who is “physically injured, killed or held hostage” as a result of international terror- ism directed at the United States or at an individual because of his/her status as a national of theU.S. AFSAalsosupports this bill,withsome revisions. Aswritten, thebill — S1275, Benefits for Victims of InternationalTerrorismAct of 2003—pro- vides $262,000 in the case of death. This is the same amount paid under the Public SafetyOfficers’ BenefitsProgramalready in place. This amount would not be reduced by any “offsets,” e.g. life insurance policies orworkmen’s compensationbenefits, paid to victims or their survivors. Thelawwouldapplyretroactivelytoinci- dents which occurred after Nov. 1, 1979. Once a victimaccepts apayment, he or she would have to agree not to pursue civil American Foreign Service Association • November 2003 In Brief: NEW EER FORM ................................4 USAID AND BENEFITS........................5 FS HEALTH WATCH............................6 Q&A: RETIREES...................................7 RETIREES IN ACTION..........................8 NEWS BRIEFS ....................................9 Continued on page 3 AFSA NEWS AFSA SUPPORTS NEW BILL Debate on the 2003 Terrorism Victims’ Benefits Bill BY SHAWN DORMAN Continued on page 5 AFSA Welcomes New Governing Board Front row, from left: Louise Crane (State VP), Bill Carter (USAID VP), John W. Limbert (President), Cynthia Efird (State Representative), Stan Zuckerman (Retiree Representative), David E. Reuther (Retiree Representative), Alex Belida (IBB Representative), Ray Maxwell (State Representative). Back row, from left: Gil Sheinbaum(Retiree Representative), DannyHall (Treasurer), TexHarris (Secretary), Charles Ford (FCS VP), Bill Crawford (FCS Representative), TedWilkinson (Retiree Representative), Thomas Olson (USAID Representative), Scot Folensbee (State Representative), JimWagner (State Represenative) Not Shown: George Jones (Retiree VP), Pamela Bates (State Representative), John Sullivan (State Representative).