The Foreign Service Journal, November 2007

A Moment of Crisis: Jimmy Carter, the Power of a Peacemaker and North Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions Marion Creekmore Jr., PublicAffairs, 2006, $26.95, hardcover, 406 pages. In June 1994, Marion Creek- more accompanied former Presi- dent Jimmy Carter and his wife on their historic trip to North Korea to meet with President Kim Il Sung about the country’s nuclear ambitions. With the U.S. pressing the U.N. to apply sanctions, considered a declaration of war by North Korea, Carter was convinced war was imminent. Despite the objections of the Clinton administration and the South Korean government, Carter intervened, brokering a deal that helped lay the foundation for peaceful negotiations between Pyong- yang and Washington. His dramatic intervention played a key role in resolving that nuclear crisis peace- fully, possibly preventing a second war on the Korean peninsula. A Moment of Crisis tells the inside story of the Carter mission, undertaken during a period when the U.S. and North Korea were on the brink of war and pre- serving the integrity of the Nonproliferation Treaty and the credibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency were significant national security priorities. Drawing from Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter’s oral and written recollections, Carter Center documents and the author’s own notes — primary sources not previously available to scholars — Creekmore delivers a gripping firsthand account of the mission’s controversies and suc- cesses, providing insight into dealing with North Korea and other rogue regimes. This narrative outlines the circumstances that can lead to war and profiles the resolve and power necessary to make peace. Marion Creekmore is a retired diplomat who served as ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Republic of the Maldives from 1989 to 1993. From 1993 to 1996, he was the Carter Center’s program director. Creekmore is currently distinguished visiting professor of history and political science at Emory University. Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations Edited by Robert M. Perito, United States Institute of Peace, 2007, $17.50, paperback, 340 pages. Prepared by a guiding committee of representatives from the State Department, U.S. military, United Nations and nongovernmental organizations, the Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations serves as a basic directory to understanding the mission and responsibilities of international organizations that may respond to a crisis. It addresses the security issues for all participants in such operations and provides examples of com- mon international involvement in stability operations, natural disasters and peace missions. It offers a straightforward exploration of the interac- tion and overlap of participating organizations. The Guide identifies who’s who among international organi- zations, NGOs, civilian agencies and the military. It provides a basic understanding of the organizational culture, values, codes of conduct and methods of oper- ation specific to each organization. By dispelling mis- conceptions and prejudices that may exist on all sides, the book aims to facilitate interagency communication and cooperation. Designed to fit easily into a pocket or backpack, it will provide particularly relevant informa- tion for those serving in the field. Robert M. Perito is a senior program officer in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at the United States Institute of Peace. He also acts as coordinator for the Peacekeeping Lessons Learned Project and the Haiti Working Group. A for- mer FSO, Perito served as deputy executive secretary of the National Security Council (1988-1989). In 1990, he received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award for his leadership of the U.S. delegation at the Angola peace talks. He has provided program man- agement and policy guidance for peacekeeping opera- tions in Haiti, Bosnia, East Timor and Kosovo, and for post-conflict operations in Macedonia, Croatia and Albania. The Dragon Looks South: China and Southeast Asia in the New Century Bronson Percival, Praeger Security International, 2007, $49.95, hardcover, 216 pages. In the last decade, China has dramatically increased its influence in Southeast Asia. Bronson Percival exam- ines and explains this continued transformation “from the state most feared into a perceived partner.” He ana- lyzes China’s comprehensive strategy for the region, offering a distinction between Beijing’s mainland and 22 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 7