U.S. AMBASSADORS TO NATO REFLECT ON 75 YEARS IN THEIR OWN WRITE PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2024 CONTROLLING KISSINGER
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 5 November 2024 Volume 101, No. 9 Focus on Foreign Service Authors Features 26 In Their Own Write We are pleased to present this year’s collection of new books by members of the Foreign Service community. 39 Of Related Interest Recent books of interest to the foreign affairs community. 56 The Marginalization of Career Diplomats New data on chiefs of mission suggests that the power and influence of career members of the U.S. Foreign Service are on the decline. By Thomas Scherer and Dan Spokojny 59 Controlling Kissinger A control officer reflects on his experience with the former Secretary of State and their time in Berlin. By Fletcher M. Burton Cover Story 20 NATO at 75 Reflections from U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith and three former ambassadors to the Alliance: Alexander Vershbow, R. Nicholas Burns, and Robert E. Hunter 51 In Their Own Words: An Interview with Four Foreign Service Authors By David K. Wessel
6 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 82 Local Lens Antarctica By Justin Franklin Cover art—General view of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government—Washington Summit, on July 10, 2024 (photo courtesy of NATO). Inset: NATO, comprising representatives of the 12 Atlantic Pact nations, gathers to plan joint defense in Washington, D.C., in September 1949 (photo by Everett Collection Inc./Alamy Stock Photo). Marketplace 75 Real Estate 78 Classifieds 79 Index to Advertisers 7 President’s Views NATO at 75: It’s Personal … By Tom Yazdgerdi 17 Speaking Out My $100,000 EER By Rachel Schneller 80 Reflections The Elephants Make a Comeback By Seth Luxenberg Perspectives Departments 10 Letters 11 Letters-Plus 13 Talking Points 71 In Memory AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 63 Overseas Comparability Pay Update 63 AFSA Happy Hour 64 State VP Voice—State’s Talent Retention Objectives 65 USAID VP Voice—Thank You, Sue 66 Retiree VP Voice—Honoring Fallen Colleagues 67 AFSA Welcomes New Executive Assistant, Jahari Fraser 68 Governing Board Welcomes Heather Pishko 68 A Clean AFSA Audit 68 AFSA Governing Board Meeting, Aug. 21, 2024 69 Emergency Travel Policy Update 69 Foreign Service Grievance Board Updates 70 AFSA’s Good Works—Public Outreach and Education 63
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 7 NATO at 75: It’s Personal … BY TOM YAZDGERDI Tom Yazdgerdi is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. PRESIDENT’S VIEWS In this edition, which celebrates the enduring nature of NATO, you will hear from U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith and three former U.S. ambassadors to NATO: Nick Burns, Sandy Vershbow, and Robert Hunter. Each describes critical moments in the history of the Alliance—including the end of the Cold War and the search for a new relationship with Russia, the response to 9/11, the current war of aggression against Ukraine, and the accession of NATO’s newest members, Sweden and Finland. The personal perspectives and efforts of these high-level diplomats throw into stark relief why NATO has been and remains the most successful alliance in the history of the modern world. Like millions of Americans who have roots in East-Central Europe, I had an abiding desire to see these countries decide their own futures when the Berlin Wall fell. But they would need to be backed up by an ironclad security guarantee that would prevent them from falling victim to aggression from powerful neighbors. When I was of an age that I could understand these things, I asked my grandfather why he had fled Czechoslovakia in the mid-1930s to come to America. He said after Hitler came to power, it was only a matter of time before Czechoslovakia would be occupied and dismantled. As a freethinking journalist in his hometown of Prague, he thought in the aftermath it was likely that he and many others would be rounded up and silenced, or worse. As a graduate student in international relations, I spent the summer of 1989 as a USG-funded exchange student learning Czech in the Moravian capital of Brno. While there, I had the opportunity to visit my grandmother’s first cousin, Jana, at her home in Prague. When Jana wanted to let me know what she really thought, we would take a walk. As a young woman, Jana had witnessed firsthand the trauma of the German occupation of Prague in March 1939. As an ethnic Czech, she found that the occupation meant that many possible life choices were now closed off to her. And things were clearly much worse for Czech Jews, who faced the prospect of being deported and killed. Jana told me she greatly admired President Ronald Reagan. When I asked her why, she said that President Reagan, with what she saw as his uncompromising support of freedom against continued Russian occupation, “gave us hope for a better future.” Those words have stayed with me. A few short months after my language study ended, the road to this better future opened with the advent of the Velvet Revolution in November 1989 and elections in June 1990—the first free and fair elections since the imposition of communist rule in 1948. Fast forward to my fourth Foreign Service assignment, as Czech desk officer in 1997-1999. I had bid this job specifically in the hopes of seeing the Czech Republic, along with Poland and Hungary, become the newest member in the first wave of NATO enlargement. It was not a slam dunk: Some in Congress and in parliaments throughout the NATO alliance had to be convinced that it was in the best interests of the other NATO members to ratify this enlargement. Working at the NATO 50th anniversary summit in Washington in March 1999, I was never prouder than when these three countries formally joined the Alliance and NATO decided to keep the door open for other nations with these same aspirations. I knew then that Jana, who had the chance to live out her final years in a free and independent country, and her fellow citizens would never again have to stand alone. As we celebrate and reflect on NATO at 75, let us remember that the United States is stronger as a country when we commit to working together with our NATO allies. While there remain issues of burden-sharing, inadequate defense spending, and capability gaps, as Amb. Smith points out in her article, there is clearly no alternative to NATO that can confront aggression and promote our shared values and commitment to collective action. Please let me know your thoughts at yazdgerdi@afsa.org or member@ afsa.org. n
8 NOVEMBER 2024 | 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 Deputy Editor Donna Gorman: gorman@afsa.org Senior Editor Susan Brady Maitra: maitra@afsa.org Managing Editor Kathryn Owens: owens@afsa.org Associate Editor Mark Parkhomenko: parkhomenko@afsa.org Publications Coordinator and Content Strategist Hannah Harari: harari@afsa.org Business Development Manager— Advertising and Circulation Molly Long: long@afsa.org Art Director Caryn Suko Smith Editorial Board Vivian Walker, Chair Lynette Behnke, Gov. Bd. Liaison Suzanne August David Bargueño Hon. Robert M. Beecroft Gaïna Dávila Hon. Jennifer Z. 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10 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTERS Hope for Our Climate Thank you to the FSJ for September’s special section on the climate crisis and article, “How the U.S. Is Leading the Global Response.” While it is easy to despair in the face of floods, droughts, and wildfires around the world, the breadth and depth of action highlighted in the five articles and in the FSJ digital archive provide a strong basis for hope. Principal Deputy SPEC Sue Biniaz’s piece outlining the role of the U.S. in “conceptualizing and advancing the framework for global action” and building multilateral alliances provides evidence of the essential role of U.S. leadership in climate diplomacy. The articles highlighting the role U.S. technology and private sector engagement play in addressing climate issues demonstrate the benefits of a cross-sectoral, wholeof-government approach. And FAS Counselor Michael Conlon’s piece, “Fertilizer Diplomacy,” underscores the importance of addressing oft-neglected agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, as the U.S. is doing through the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils program. Of course, we’re still in the early stages of a multidecade journey. But FSJ’s highlighting what climate diplomacy can do is inspiring—and let’s hope it inspires continued U.S. commitment to this vital work. Ladd Connell FSO, retired Environment Director, Bank Information Center Washington, D.C. Introducing Tourists to Diplomacy The 100th anniversary of the Foreign Service is obviously an opportunity to celebrate our past but also an opportunity to provide for the future —by building on that past. One element of that past is the National Museum of American Diplomacy (NMAD) that is located on the 21st Street side of main State. NMAD is intended to become a tourist attraction, as the first and only museum in the United States devoted to telling the story of U.S. diplomacy and its diplomats. The museum’s location near two popular tourist sites—the Lincoln and Vietnam memorials—bodes well for its eventual success. The contents of the museum, however, may not show the high drama that the American public has become accustomed to seeing on TV and in movies, so the question becomes one of attracting tourists to the site. One possibility would be a daily show at the site that would attract the multitude of tourists who make the rounds between the capital’s many attractions. For instance, we could unashamedly copy the world-famous daily event at Buckingham Palace in London: changing the guard. The event could be structured as follows: Every day during the tourist season at a designated time, say 9 a.m., a detachment of U.S. Marines would assemble at the corner of Constitution and 21st Streets. In full dress and led by a color guard and a small military band, the Marines would parade up 21st to the front of the museum. There they would hold a formal flag raising and, perhaps, a small changing of the guard. (Two Marines having been installed in front of the museum doors in advance.) After a short ceremony (10 minutes?), the Marines would return up 21st Street, with the band playing the Marines’ Hymn. Consideration might be given to expanding the ceremony to conclude with a brief Taps ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and something appropriate at the Lincoln Memorial, thereby tying the State Department to two important tourist attractions in the district. Such an event could easily become popular with tourists, providing a dramatic beginning to each visitor’s day. Tour companies could schedule the event into their programmed tours. It would appeal to all ages and interests, lend glamour to the museum itself, and could easily become a popular film clip. The event should not be expensive or difficult to organize. The Marine Barracks in southeast Washington, D.C., exists to support ceremonial missions in the nation’s capital. The barracks is home to units appropriate to this proposed event, including the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Marine Band, and the official Marine Corps Color Guard. The presence of the barracks only 20 or so minutes by car across the Mall makes it logistically easy and not very timeconsuming. The Marine Corps’ historic involvement with the State Department and our embassies makes the connection logical and enables the relatively unknown State Department and Foreign Service to benefit from its popularity with the American public. And the proposal may be attractive to the Marine Corps, a government institution known for its skill at public relations. Edward Marks Ambassador, retired Washington, D.C. n
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 11 LETTERS PLUS Inspired to ponder “The Ideal Foreign Service” by Josh Morris—the thirdplace winner in AFSA’s 2024 Centennial Writing Competition—I would want each U.S. diplomat to be equipped with advanced linguistic proficiencies in one (or more) non-English language, in other words to be “bilingual” … at least. Moreover, I would prioritize bilingualism among FSO candidates during the selection process. While English and French are the only two recognized working languages of the United Nations’ Secretariat, to assume either is sufficient for the critical work of international relationship-building would be a gross simplification, not to mention glaringly egotistical. Currently, the Foreign Service (FS) relegates bilingualism to a subskill within the essential skill (“dimension”) of cultural adaptability. This low prioritization of bilingualism is reflected in the FSO hiring process, which, as of June 2024, comprises five steps: (1) applying for the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT); (2) participating and passing the Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA); (3) completing final reviews (e.g., medical, security); (4) being placed on the register, where additional credit is awarded to veterans and to those with proficiencies in certain languages; and, finally, (5) receiving a final offer. The Ideal, Bilingual Foreign Service BY ROGER W. ANDERSON RESPONSE TO A JULY AUGUST 2024 FEATURE ARTICLE, “THE IDEAL FOREIGN SERVICE” Roger W. Anderson is an independent scholar living in Monterey, California. He earned a PhD in foreign/second language education from Ohio State University as well as master’s degrees in African studies and French from Ohio University and in teaching Arabic as a foreign language from Middlebury College. The content of this essay is the sole responsibility of the author. In burying language testing deep within the process, the FS may be inadvertently losing candidates with invaluable language and cultural knowledge. What’s more, the FS has no mechanism to even ascertain a count of such candidates. Let’s imagine an FSO candidate, a U.S. citizen who speaks, reads, and understands Mandarin Chinese at an ILR (interagency language roundtable) level 3. Level 3 is considered “general professional proficiency” and typically takes a language student at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) two years of study to achieve. Equally impressive is her near-insider cultural knowledge. She acquired these skills either through her upbringing in a Mandarin-speaking community and years of dual-language study (maintained by committed parents and networks), or as a tenacious nonnative speaker aided by study abroad opportunities, including one of the many programs funded by the U.S. government. Currently, if she does not pass the FSOT or the FSOA, she will not become a U.S. diplomat. When rejecting her candidacy, the examiners were not even aware of the exceptional bilingualism and cultural expertise she would bring to the diplomatic corps. Her candidacy simply did not endure through the stage of language testing. To put a finer point on it, the current process values a candidate’s bilingualism less than her general knowledge of international affairs (tested by the FSOT) and her ability to produce a memo and work with others (tested by the FSOA), together referred to hereafter as “diplomatic skills.” This valuation invites the question: Are diplomatic skills in fact more valuable than bilingualism, including advanced proficiency in a Category IV language? Is it more (cost) effective to facilitate the acquisition of a diplomat’s bilingualism and insider-level cultural savoir faire than their general knowledge and administrative skills? Undoubtedly, FSI’s School of Language Studies provides excellent training, yet is the U.S. really positioned to squander linguistic and cultural capital that takes months or even years to cultivate? Further, the secondary effects of her rejection in round one or two should give the FS pause. What message is conveyed to this candidate’s Mandarin-speaking community about the government’s view of the value of maintained language skills? The disinterest it suggests in the potential contributions of Chinese Americans seems counterproductive to current initiatives to render the FS as diverse as the American people. Conversely, if the rejected candidate is a non-native Mandarin speaker, what does her rejection indicate about the value of the Fulbright, Boren, Flagship, or Critical Language scholarships in which she participated, which the U.S. taxpayers provided her?
12 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL In both cases, language learning programs and community-maintained linguistic and cultural identities have no instrumentality vis-à-vis the U.S. government. Only the most committed ethnic communities overcome the U.S. trend of cultural assimilation, including abandonment of bilingualism in favor of English monolingualism. Government-funded education projects become ends unto themselves, which often prove difficult to maintain within government agencies’ budgets. Diplomats’ linguistic needs are in part determined by the structure of the Foreign Service itself, its posting and rotation of diplomats, and so on. While it is crucial to build diplomats’ portfolio of skills, wouldn’t the ideal FSO have advanced proficiencies in a local language? Moreover, the ideal bilingual FS would quickly banish the ancient myth of “clientitis”—or “going native”—that brings into question the patriotism of bilingual U.S. diplomats serving abroad. Ten years ago, the Peace Corps overhauled its application process, allowing applicants to apply for specific positions within specific countries, rather than demand an applicant’s fealty and willingness to accept a worldwide placement. This way, a French major could avoid being sent to Ukraine, and a Russian major to Bolivia. Interagency data sharing could yield insights into how applicants’ preparedness, or even the quality of their service, changed because of this reform. With monumental challenges facing the world, it seems imperative that U.S. diplomats be able to communicate with precision, fluency, and cultural appropriateness in non-English languages. For this reason, the ideal FS and its hiring process should prioritize strong, extant bilingualism over diplomatic skills. Bilingualism is a critical tool for national defense that the Foreign Service has locked away in a drawer that it has lost the key to. I encourage the State Department to maintain the momentum of its recent reforms, which included reducing the dimensions from 13 to 11 (2023), increasing accessibility to the FSOA (2024), and making long-overdue changes to language testing (2022). I encourage it to go even further toward realizing “the ideal, bilingual Foreign Service.” n
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 13 TALKING POINTS Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan Top UNGA Agenda At the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas con ict, the escalating con ict in Lebanon, and the devastating hostilities and humanitarian crisis in Sudan were top concerns. During a high-level Security Council meeting, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the “horrific acts of terror” committed by Hamas while also calling for an immediate cease-fire to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Guterres warned that the escalating violence risks dragging the entire region into further conflict, noting that Israeli strikes recently targeted Hezbollah positions in Beirut. In the General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah, calling it a “battle of good against evil.” His speech was met with wide protests, however. Scores of diplomats walked out of the hall in protest of the ongoing war in Gaza and recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Netanyahu issued stern warnings to Iran, saying: “There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach.” Iran has vowed retaliation following Israel’s recent actions, including attacks on its embassy in Damascus and the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned plea to world leaders in New York City, urging them to reject cease-fire proposals that would only bring a temporary “lull” rather than a lasting and just peace. Zelensky reiterated his peace plan, which calls for the full withdrawal of Russian forces, accountability for war crimes, and security guarantees. His address came as he visited the U.S. to present his “victory plan” to President Joe Biden and other leaders and seek more military aid. Zelensky’s visit coincided with a European Parliament resolution urging the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied weapons on legitimate Russian targets, a move that some European countries, such as Italy, oppose. UNGA: Global AI Partnership Also at UNGA, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Sept. 23 a new public-private partnership aimed at expanding access to arti cial intelligence (AI) technology in developing countries. The Partnership for Global Inclusivity on AI will bring together leading tech companies—including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI—to address critical disparities in AI access, capacity, and application. “AI must be inclusive to be effective,” Blinken said. “We’re working to ensure more people, especially in the Global South, can benefit from AI technology to solve the real-world problems they face, such as climate change, food insecurity, and access to education.” As part of the initiative, the U.S. government will provide $33 million in foreign assistance for AI development, with $10 million specifically allocated to expanding access in developing countries. Additionally, the tech companies involved have committed more than $100 million in total resources, including infrastructure investments, free access to technology, and training programs. Key features of the partnership include the expansion of computer resources to low- and middle-income countries, capacity-building efforts to train local AI developers, and the creation of contextspecific datasets to preserve cultural and linguistic diversity. Blinken emphasized that these efforts aim to bridge the gap between nations and ensure that AI technology is developed and applied equitably across the globe. “This is an important moment,” Blinken concluded. “AI has the potential to transform lives, but we must make sure that no one is left behind.” USAID is an incredibly mission-driven agency where people come to work every day to save lives, to improve lives. It’s honestly inspiring to work, including among those people who criticize me, with the incredibly talented people that could be working in the private sector. Instead, they come to work every day to help people like the people who are suffering in Gaza. More than 40,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza, more than 13,000 children, more than 308 workers. I would honestly be disappointed if my staff were not in churn and pressing for more. And I just feel lucky that I’m in the government, in the room engaging the Israelis, working with a team that’s pushing for a cease-fire, because fundamentally that’s what’s needed most of all, because, clearly, none of us can be satisfied with where things are now in Gaza. —USAID Administrator Samantha Power on “PBS NewsHour,” Sept. 25, 2024. Contemporary Quote
14 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Industry leaders echoed this sentiment, with representatives from Microsoft, IBM, and Google highlighting the importance of investing in local infrastructure, education, and the development of AI models for diverse languages and communities. SecState Visits Haiti On Sept. 5, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Haiti to reinforce the U.S. commitment to a multinational security mission aimed at combating gang violence and supporting the country’s political transition. In his meeting with Haitian leaders, including Prime Minister Garry Conille and the Transitional Presidential Council, Blinken emphasized the importance of swiftly establishing a Provisional Electoral Council to oversee general elections. During a press conference that same day, Blinken acknowledged the progress made since the formation of the Transitional Presidential Council and underscored the need for more international support. He also highlighted U.S. efforts to ensure the mission is sustainable, including consideration of a UN peacekeeping operation. The UN-backed Multinational Security Support mission, led by more than 380 Kenyan personnel, has intensified operations with the Haitian National Police in Port-au-Prince, aiming to end gang control. Blinken also announced an additional $45 million in humanitarian aid, bringing total U.S. support to Haiti this year to more than $210 million. International Treaty for Taliban Accountability Since retaking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has systematically stripped women and girls of their rights, from education and employment to basic freedoms of speech and movement. The regime’s latest decree, making it illegal for women’s voices to be heard by male strangers in public, has sparked global condemnation but no real consequences. A potential international treaty, however, could provide new leverage. In October, an UNGA committee met to decide whether to advance a treaty that criminalizes crimes against humanity, including “gender apartheid.” The proposed treaty has gained momentum amid rising global conflicts and growing awareness of the Taliban’s repression of Afghan women. If approved, the treaty could bring legal pathways to hold violators accountable for enforcing systemic gender oppression. Proponents of the treaty, including Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, have called on countries to classify gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. International recognition of this crime Secretary Blinken meets with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille on Sept. 5. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE H osted by Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Connects delivers timely discussions on today’s most pressing foreign policy challenges. Drawing on his extensive background in U.S. foreign policy and Middle East diplomacy, Miller engages experts and policymakers to provide thoughtful analysis on critical global issues. Many episodes tackle Middle East concerns, especially the Israel-Hamas war. In the Sept. 19 episode featuring former acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord and Southern Poverty Law Center Senior Fellow Eric K. Ward, Miller tackles the rising concern of political violence in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 elections. Together, they explore the drivers of political violence and discuss ways to mitigate the threat. Another recent episode dives into the escalating tensions in the Middle East following significant strikes by Israel against Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. Miller speaks with Amos Harel, Haaretz’s military correspondent, to analyze the potential for a major regional war and the prospects for de-escalation through diplomacy. Podcast of the Month: Carnegie Connects The appearance of a particular site or podcast is for information only and does not constitute an endorsement.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 15 are fascinating places, and the people who work there are bright, and committed, and interesting, and don’t get a lot of ink.” Coll said he tries “to keep diplomats alive in my stories, if I can find someone who is in an interesting place in an interesting time, but also to convey some understanding and respect about what the profession is—and what it isn’t.” Watch the full discussion at https:// bit.ly/ADST_Steve-Coll. Preserving Overseas Pay You said something about the overseas comparability pay authority. ... I completely agree with you. We need to continue this. If we let it lapse, State Department, the Foreign yervice oÒficerĝ, are ÓoinÓ to Òace Ĭē to a 22 ēercent cĬt. That will certainly hinder our ability to recruit and retain these professionals. … Another thing that presents a challenge for us in Africa is the diplomatic presence there on the continent. There are currently six U.S. missions … in Africa that do not have a yenateƪconfirmed am¶aĝĝadorƔ "ĝwatini, Leĝotho, Li¶Ła, Ualawi, Mauritania, and Sudan. —Representative Dina Titus (D-Nev.-1) to Under Secretary for Management John Bass in a Sept. 11 House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on Great Power Competition in Africa. Family Sacrifices And to all our nominees today, I want to thank you for your service to our country, and especially our Foreign Service career professionals, that you ĝacrifice a lot oÒ time awaŁ Òrom ŁoĬr ÒamilŁ and Òriendĝ reēreĝentinÓ oĬr Óreat nation overĝeaĝ. And ; reallŁ aēēreciate thoĝe ĝacrificeĝ that ŁoĬ and your families make. So, thank you very much for what you do for us. —Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in a Sept. 11 Senate Committee on Foreign Relations nominations hearing. Global Consequences You [nominees] have spent your careers serving our country. We have a strange way in America of fetishizing, in a disproportionate manner, wealth and celebrity. But the values that have made this nation as strong as it is are values of service, ĝacrifice, and hĬmilitŁ. he ìo¶ĝ that ŁoĬ all are here ¶eÒore Ĭĝ Òor, have enormous world-affecting consequences, and on the global scale of importance. I am humbled by the dedication you all have. ... And I would be wrong if I did not point out that you don’t do it alone. You all have in your introduction spoken of the families that support you, and they too are evidencing those great American valĬeĝ oÒ ĝervice, and ĝacrifice, and ïnowinÓ the coĬntrieĝ that ŁoĬ ĝerve. —Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in a Sept. 11 Senate Committee on Foreign Relations nominations hearing. Heard on the Hill JOSH could send a powerful moral message, akin to the global response to South Africa’s former racial apartheid system, which ultimately led to its classification as a crime by the International Criminal Court. For Afghan women, the codification of gender apartheid could offer hope in the face of their worsening plight under Taliban rule. Lessons from a Foreign Policy Journalist On Oct. 1, as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series, the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) invited journalist Steve Coll to give a talk, “From Ghost Wars to the Achilles Trap: Lessons from a Foreign Policy Journalist and Scholar.” Coll shared his thoughts on what went wrong in the lead-up to the Iraq War, the importance of oral histories, and the problems with relying on SIGINT— signals intelligence—in conducting research. He shared sometimes-amusing anecdotes about what was happening in Saddam Hussein’s inner circle and what the U.S. government got wrong in its analysis at the time. Coll told the crowd he used ADST’s oral histories to research his most recent book, The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq (also featured in “Of Related Interest,” page 40). Through researching this and other books, Coll became interested in diplomats and the embassies in which they work. “I think [embassies] are a neglected part of the way America lives in the world,” he said. “They Author Steve Coll at DACOR–Bacon House on Oct. 1, 2024. COURTESY OF ADST
16 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The Career 100 Years Ago I hope there will never enter into the mind of the Foreign Service officer a feeling of distaste, of dissatisfaction, a sense of disillusionment because his career is not all that it was felt it might be at the outset. Success in any career is never in anything outside. It is primarily in the satisfaction you get out of work. … Certainly, this satisfaction is possible to those who are engaged in this most important work of promoting and defending the interests of our country in connection with foreign affairs. What could be more appealing to any man of patriotic sentiment than to have an opportunity of that sort? What could be more interesting than to be constantly associated in his work with the currents of influence through the world, with the activities which are really determining the future of nations. Not simply the future of our own national life but the future of the whole human family. You should have the greatest possible satisfaction in the sense of the importance of your work. —Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes in The American Foreign Service Journal (precursor to the FSJ), November 1924. Online Passport Renewal The State Department announced on Sept. 18 that Americans can now renew their adult passports entirely online, marking a shift away from the traditional paper-based process. is new system eliminates the need to print forms or mail checks, o ering a more streamlined experience. “The Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” the State Department noted in its press release. The new online option was tested in a public beta launched in June and is now fully rolled out for U.S. residents. “Thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times,” the department added. The online renewal system is available only for adult passports that have expired within the last five years and is currently limited to citizens residing in the U.S. or its territories. Online passport renewal is available at travel.state.gov/renewonline. House Republicans’ Afghanistan Probe House Republicans released a report on Sept. 9 sharply criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, accusing it of planning poorly and ignoring the warnings of the U.S. military. The report, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), claims the administration chose “optics over security” during the chaotic evacuation, which left Americans and Afghan allies stranded as the Taliban took control. The report downplays former President Donald Trump’s role in setting the withdrawal in motion with his 2020 deal with the Taliban, instead highlighting Biden’s decision to proceed with the withdrawal despite warnings of a swift Taliban advance. The investigation, which involved key official interviews and 20,000 pages of documents, accuses the National Security Council of sidelining military leaders during key decisionmaking points. The Biden administration defended its actions, blaming Trump’s withdrawal deal that left it few options. Despite Republican criticism, Biden has maintained that ending the 20-year war was the right decision. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced contempt of Congress charges after a House Foreign Affairs Committee vote, led by Chair McCaul, advanced the resolution. The charges were a result of Blinken’s failure to appear before the committee to testify on the Afghanistan withdrawal, despite his diplomatic commitments at the UN General Assembly. “As I have made clear, I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives,” Blinken wrote. Critics have noted the political nature of the timing, with Republicans aiming to hold the Biden administration accountable for the chaotic evacuation, while Democrats called it a partisan maneuver designed to sway public opinion ahead of the presidential election. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Mark Parkhomenko.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 17 SPEAKING OUT Rachel Schneller is a Foreign Service officer who joined the State Department in 2001. In 2008 she received the William R. Rivkin Award for Constructive Dissent for her efforts to raise awareness of PTSD and improve services for those suffering following service in conflict zones. In May 2019, I was medically evacuated from post and spent a week in a mental hospital in Northern Virginia, diagnosed with retriggered posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression. I spent another month in outpatient treatment before receiving a medical curtailment. What led to this unfortunate outcome? I had toughed out the previous two years in a toxic work environment under hostile leadership, trying to manage my worsening PTSD symptoms through frequent trips to my post’s health unit for medication and self-care regimens like meditation and yoga—treatments that had helped me recover from my initial bout of PTSD following a tour in Iraq in 2005-2006. Weeks before the medevac, with no warning or preparation, my supervisor emailed me a career-ending statement for my employee evaluation report (EER) that bore no resemblance to my understanding of my performance and included fabricated material. Bewildered, I reached out to trusted colleagues for advice and tried to negotiate with my supervisor, but to no avail. That individual refused to change a word. My reviewing officer avoided me and several days later—again with no discussion or preparation—emailed me an EER review statement that validated my rater’s negative assessment of my performance. This triggered my mental and emotional collapse. The following day, I sought treatment from the regional medical psychiatrist, who authorized an immediate evacuation from post. I flew out that same night. A few hours before my flight, my reviewing officer called me at home as I lay miserable in bed, my husband and young son attempting to comfort me. Word had finally reached our D.C.-based office director of my plight, and he had apparently intervened. The reviewer apologized to me over the phone and pledged to revise their draft assessment. The reviewer offered a confusing explanation of how they had handled my EER—something about not knowing how to deal with the professional risk associated with social media—which made no sense to me at the time. I burst into tears. I was so demoralized and traumatized by this point I knew I required medical intervention. e In September 2021, after two agonizing and expensive years of the equal employment opportunity (EEO) process, I reached a legal settlement with the State Department. My medical evacuation alone cost about $20,000, and my medical curtailment from post likely incurred another $20,000 in forfeited school fees when my son suddenly had to depart post in July. I had retained professional legal representation, fronting more than $40,000 in fees that, ultimately, I recouped. Then there were the costs not so easily calculated: the number of hours State Department lawyers spent working on my case over the 2019-2021 period. In addition, my medical curtailment left a yearlong gap at post in a managerial position, undoubtedly taxing those who had to stretch themselves to cover my workload, to the detriment of our foreign policy interests. Further, I had spent a year in language training in preparation for a three-year position, but the department got only two years’ return on its investment. This estimated $100,000 price tag— ultimately footed by U.S. taxpayers— would have been even higher if my final settlement had included compensatory My $100,000 EER BY RACHEL SCHNELLER In retrospect, there were a number of missed opportunities to correct course and avoid a lawsuit, which would have been to the benefit of all involved, including the American people.
18 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL the encouragement of their supervisors—which also came to light during litigation. In one exchange, my supervisor relayed to their reviewer that the EEO office had not agreed to act on the complaint against me but had offered to mediate between all parties. My supervisor turned down the mediation offer. • While in outpatient treatment, I met with the Office of the Ombuds, explained the state of affairs, and asked for their help. The ombuds agreed to mediate, providing all parties agreed to participate. My supervisors refused to participate. • My direct supervisor’s hostile behavior toward me was no secret. I had alerted my reviewing officer in October 2019 that my supervisor’s punitive behavior was retriggering my PTSD symptoms. I reported higher up the chain on three occasions to my reviewer’s supervisor that my supervisor was abusive, but that senior officer took no steps to stop the behavior, on one occasion asking, “Can’t you just not let yourself be abused?” When asked if I had reported the abuse, this same Senior FSO responded in a legal affidavit that nothing I had reported “sounded like abuse” and that my complaints were “taxing.” • I met with the post EEO counselor the day before my medevac. This counselor later contested that I had begun the EEO process since I had not filed a formal complaint that day. I later discovered this EEO counselor had also handled my supervisor’s EEO complaint damages. In the end, I decided there was no amount of money that could compensate me for what I had endured. I found my settlement satisfactory—my lawyers even told me they had never seen the department go to such lengths to set things right. I did not ask for any measures to be taken against my former supervisors. I cannot think of a single thing they could do that would make up for the working environment I had endured. e I do not want to relitigate my case— that is over and done with. However, a few instructive points show how my situation degenerated needlessly. In retrospect, there were a number of missed opportunities to correct course and avoid a lawsuit, which would have been to the benefit of all involved, including the American people. • My supervisors had somehow gained access to a private Facebook group. They read some anonymous posts on this site and assumed I had written about them. Rather than confront me directly about these posts, they kept their activities secret for months, creating logs of which posts they believed I had made and why they believed my alleged anonymous postings were unfair. These logs did not come to light until the litigation process was underway. • My direct supervisor apparently was so upset about the anonymous posts that they met with the post EEO counselor and filed an EEO complaint against me, with the knowledge if not In the end, I decided there was no amount of money that could compensate me for what I had endured.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 19 against me and was seeking an onward position in our bureau using my supervisor as a reference. That person did not divulge the conflict of interest or recuse themself from my case. • I met with AFSA, but there was nothing they could do until I had a completed EER as evidence of “harm.” My supervisors did not sign off on my EER until post management finally pushed it through in December 2019, after I had retained outside lawyers. Meanwhile, the EEO process requires action within 45 days. • I first attempted to go through the State Department’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism rather than file a legal suit. However, in November 2019, the department declined my request, stating: “It is S/OCR’s policy to decline cases involving agency decisions of curtailments and medical clearances being revoked.” My only alternative at that point was to file a formal complaint. In the summer of 2021, the State Department requested use of the ADR to reach a settlement in my case. Would it have been possible to reach an agreement much earlier (and more cheaply) if we had used ADR in 2019? e The State Department has made progress since my case in many meaningful ways that I hope will prevent further occurrence of cases like mine. I like to think my case helped prompt some of these improvements, but my case alone could not be responsible. I know others in the department have suffered similarly, because I was not the only State Department employee in inpatient and outpatient treatment. I know because there is a support group for victims of bullying in the State Department with nearly 150 members. My main recommendation, based on my experience, concerns accountability. I do not mean accountability to the victim—I have been compensated adequately. I mean accountability to U.S. taxpayers: They are the ones who pay the price for the costs that bullying and mismanagement impose on our ability to further national security interests abroad. Apart from accountability, the department should explicitly state that all EER statements must be truthful and contain no fabricated information, and that willful misrepresentation in an EER will incur strict penalties. As it is, department regulations only specify that EERs should be fair and accurate, but do not state that willful fabrications and inaccuracies are not acceptable. The department should consider incorporating feedback from subordinates into the files of anyone in a managerial position, either through the EER process or some other mechanism. e I share my experience so that other victims know they are not alone and that there is hope. As long as this sort of behavior remains a dirty secret in the State Department, perpetrators will continue to act with impunity. Many of their targets may choose to leave the department altogether, but I hope they remain. I frequently recall the response I received from a psychiatrist while I was in the hospital, struggling to understand what drove my supervisors to their actions. “Sometimes people choose to do the easy wrong thing instead of the hard right thing.” I believe that at State the answers lie in making it easier for people to do the right thing and harder to do the wrong thing. n
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