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December 2003

The December Journal ("We're All in This Together: The World Politics of Energy") offers six articles examining different facets of the global energy supply (and demand). In the process, our contributors point up some interconnections you may not have been aware of.

It also contains our semiannual Schools Supplement, which offers a wealth of information about educational options for Foreign Service families.

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries, please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org.

"International Oil Supply: How Vulnerable Are We?"
Thirty years after the 1973 Arab boycott revolutionized the global energy map, oil is still the main focus of concern for the U.S. and the international economy.
By Amy Myers Jaffe and Jillene Connors

"U.S.-Russia Energy Relations: Policy, Projects or Photo Op?"
The new U.S.-Russia energy partnership was formally launched with great fanfare one year ago. Now it is time for the U.S. to reassess what we really want, and can realistically expect.
By Edward C. Chow

"Making the Most of U.S.-Canada Energy Ties"
Canada is, by a ratio of greater than two to one, the largest exporter of energy to the United States. Yet the realization that our largest and most dependable energy supplier is sitting to our north has yet to sink into most Americans' consciousness.
By John Stewart

"Gas Pipelines and the North Korean Nuclear Crisis"
The key to resolving the North Korean crisis may be a new agreement combining a natural gas pipeline with a scaled-down nuclear energy program.
By Selig S. Harrison

"Lifting the Natural Resource Curse"
Increasing transparency and accountability is the best way to help developing nations use their natural resources to foster economic growth and development.
By Thomas I. Palley

"Iceland: Pioneering the Hydrogen Economy"
Iceland is in the early stages of a pioneering experiment in which the whole country will, in effect, serve as a laboratory. If the experiment is successful, Iceland will become the world's first hydrogen economy by the year 2050.
By Ásgeir Sigfússon

Features:

" 'The First American Official Killed in This War' "
Army Captain Robert M. Losey, America's first military casualty in World War II, would not be its last.
By J. Michael Cleverley

"On American Experience"
A Sri Lankan-American maps the contours of the American Dream, from the taste of Tang in an alley as a child in Colombo, to the celebration the American melting pot of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, to the dance of democracy that keeps it alive.
By Indran Amirthanayagam.

SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT

"A French-Based Education? Mais Oui!"
Foreign Service parents seeking to give their children a good education may wish to consider French-language schools. Here is one family's experience with lycees.
By Roy L. Whitaker and Ninette G.V. Whitaker

"Schools At A Glance"
The following PDF files will provide you with a printable chart containing essential data on educational choices. For more information about the schools in this chart, including links to school Web sites, please visit the "Schools At A Glance" section of our Marketplace.

School Chart Part One (Elementary Schools, Junior High Schools, Junior-Senior High Schools, Senior High Schools part one)
School Chart Part Two (Senior High Schools part two, Distance Learning, Military Schools, Special Needs Schools and Overseas Schools)

School Ads Appearing in the Schools Supplement (part one) (part two)
Viewing the articles above requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

November

The October Journal considers the ways U.S. support for capital punishment affects, and is affected by, international opinion, in "World Opinion Weighs In: The Death Penalty & U.S. Diplomacy."

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries, please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org.

"American Diplomacy and the Death Penalty"
For a country that aspires to be a world leader on human rights, the death penalty has become our Achilles' heel.
By Harold Hongju Koh and Thomas R. Pickering

"The Death Penalty, America, and the World"
Many countries in Europe and elsewhere have abolished the death penalty and are turning up the pressure on the U.S. to do likewise. But foreign views shouldn't control American law.
By Paul Rosenzweig

"International Influence on the Death Penalty in the United States"
The prospects for profound change in the death penalty in the U.S. are stronger now than at any other time in this important issue's long and controversial history. A new concern for world opinion is part of the reason.
By Richard C. Dieter

"The Myth of the Cowboy"
The picture many foreigners have of America as a reckless, gun-totin', cowboy nation that hands out the death penalty willy-nilly is a false one.
By Greg Kane

"A Decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind"
America's continuing attachment to capital punishment puts us far out of step with most of "the civilized world."
By Paul P. Blackburn

In addition, the October issue also includes the following features:

"Foreign Service Specialists Speak Out, Part II"
In a continuation of our September coverage, more specialists share details of their personal and professional lives in the Foreign Service.
By Steven Alan Honley

"Tinctures for a Gaping Wound"
A visit to an Indian village has lasting lessons for a self-declared "Foreign Service brat."
By Sarah Taylor

"A Grace Note: Political and Cultural Change in Bhutan"
A tiny Himalayan kingdom moves toward democracy with cautious determination, striving to balance modernization with tradition.
By Linda Beeman

The September Journal looks at the world of Foreign Service specialists and seeks to answer the question, "All on the same team?" [as Foreign Service generalists].

Due to the sheer volume of contributions we received for this issue, we are only able to post a few of them here. However, AFSA members can read the entire focus section (as well as a number of submissions from specialists that we were not able to publish in the magazine) by clicking on the link below.

Following an introduction by FSJ editor Steven Alan Honley, Bob Guldin leads off our coverage with an overview of the main personal and professional issues specialists face. We follow that with a set of articles highlighting some of the less well-known FS specializations, including Regional English Language Officers, Diplomatic Couriers, Regional Medical Officers, Security Engineering Officers, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service veteranarians.

Next, we feature three pieces contributed by Office Management Specialists, and five articles describing the various facets of Information Management work.

Last, but certainly not least, comes a roundup of vignettes and short commentaries contributed by Foreign Service specialists. These run the gamut from lessons learned (and not) to positive and not-so-positive memories. In fact, we received so many responses that we will run more next month.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries, please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org.

"A Touch of Class: The World of Foreign Service Specialists"
Foreign Service specialists are supposed to be on the same team as all other employees. Are they?
By Bob Guldin

"A Security Engineering Officer's Point of View"
SEO work is challenging and rewarding, but there is definitely room for improvement.
By Craig L. Cloud

"Responding to a Crisis"
A group of 15 Foreign Service veterinarians travel to the U.K. to help fight an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
By Karen Sliter

"Office Management Specialists: On the Move"
Training and new challenges bring unexpected professional and personal experiences, OMSs find.
By Linda O'Brien

"Separate and Unequal"
The vagaries of the Diplomatic List can create special problems for specialists.
By Harry Chamberlain

"Information Resource Officers: Into the Cyber Age"
For IROs, the key is delivering the right information to the right person at the right time, using the right format.
By Ruth Mara, Cynthia Borys and Marge Melun

"Foreign Service Specialists Speak Out"
Specialists share details of their personal and professional lives in the Foreign Service.
By Steven Alan Honley

In addition, the September issue also includes a response to Newt Gingrich's recent attacks on the Foreign Service:

"For Prof. Gingrich, A Little History Lesson"
Newt Gingrich claims the Foreign Service has systematically worked to thwart Bush administration policy and to undermine U.S. interests. Here's why he's wrong.
By Stephen R. Dujack

And we are pleased to present a pair of Speaking Out articles contributed by two Foreign Service officers who resigned from the Service earlier this year:

"Why I Resigned" by John Brown; and
"Why Dissent is Important and Resignation Honorable" by Ann Wright

As it has done each summer since 1995, the July-August Journal features fiction by and about Foreign Service personnel.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries, please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org.

"Indigo and Pepper Soup"
An enterprising FS wife challenges the presumption of hardship in Lagos and her husband's cynicism.
By Patricia L. Sharpe

"Death of a Public Servant"
Eric Fleet was a very annoying man. But who disliked him enough to kill him?
By Nancy Nelson

"Frank Goes for Baroque"
An upwardly mobile junior officer in a backwater discovers the secret to success.
By Hanscom Smith

"A Counselor in Rome"
An FSO has an unexpectedly fulfilling second tour in the Eternal City.
By Peter Bridges

"Through the Glass"
A Russian girl contemplates more than just marriage as she applies for a visa.
By Donna Gorman

"Nita and the First Noble Eightfold Path"
Mrs. Ambassador gets mixed up in a well-intentioned scheme with bizarre consequences. Nita, her enlightened cook, tells the story.
By David McAuley

Our "Speaking Out" column is by Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "Strengthen Diplomacy for the War on Terror."

Finally, this issue also includes the following features:

"Still Telling Their Stories: The ADST Oral History Program"
The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training is preparing to go online with its ever-growing collection of oral histories. Here are some excerpts.
By Kenneth L. Brown and Veda Engel

"Remembering USIA"
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Information Agency's founding. A retired USIA officer recalls the agency's many accomplishments.
By Wilson Dizard Jr.

"To Anita Killed by the Bandits"
This poem is based on a true story.
By Gordon King

"Capitalism and the Mexican Poor"
Until USAID and other international development agencies learn how the lives of the working poor really function, their aid and loans won't benefit those who need help the most.
By James Olsen

This month's issue is especially rich in history, as we look back on our 30 years as a union and honor former Secretary of State George Shultz, winner of this year's Lifetime Contributions to Diplomacy Award. But it is also up to the minute, as we celebrate this year's recipients of AFSA's many other awards, which (along with Sec. Shultz's) will be conferred in a June 26 ceremony.

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

Our semiannual Schools Supplement includes "Schools At A Glance," a comprehensive chart offering essential data on educational choices, and "Christmas in July: Holidays as a Foreign Service Child" by Journal Business Manager (and Foreign Service dependent) Mikkela Thompson. As Mikkela explains, a child raised in the Foreign Service can retain a sense of tradition and still appreciate new cultures, including their holidays.
Download Schools Supplement Part One
Download Schools Supplement Part Two

Our cover story is "A Life of Public Service: George Shultz." A long-time friend of the Foreign Service, George P. Shultz served as Secretary of State from 1982 to 1989, his fourth job of Cabinet rank. This month AFSA is honoring him for his many contributions to American diplomacy as well as a lifetime of public service. This profile also includes an interview with Sec. Shultz conducted by FSJ editor Steven Alan Honley.

Our focus section traces the evolution of AFSA's dual role as a professional/social association and a labor union through a series of five articles.

"AFSA Becomes a Union: The Reformers' Victory"
AFSA's "Young Turks" and "Participation Slates" expanded what had been a professional and social organization into a labor union.
By Tex Harris

"AFSA Becomes a Union: Four Battles"
AFSA's victories 30 years ago paved the way for the progress it continues to make today on behalf of its members and the Foreign Service.
By Tom Boyatt

"AFSA Becomes a Union: Bread-and-Butter Issues"
Besides representing Foreign Service employees on an institutional level, AFSA has always tried to help individual members with their problems. A former chairman of the Members' Interests Committee describes how that role has evolved.
By Herman J. Cohen

"AFSA and the Courts: The Bradley Case"
The 1979 Supreme Court decision in Vance v. Bradley kept intact the legal finding that the Foreign Service has needs and challenges distinct from those of other federal government employees.
By Ted Wilkinson

"AFSA and the Foreign Service Act of 1980"
Following in the footsteps of the "Young Turks," the "Professional Renewal Organization (FS PROs)" AFSA Governing Board played a key role in the negotiations leading up to the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
By Ken Bleakley

Also in this issue:

"Resolving the Palestinian Question"
It has been more than 25 years since Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made his historic trip to Jerusalem. Why hasn't peace come to the Middle East yet?
By Claude Salhani

"Appreciation: From Boswell to Johnson, Vernon A. Walters, 1917 - 2002"
By Fletcher M. Burton

The Foreign Agricultural Service celebrated a half-century of existence in its current form this past March. While FAS is one of the smallest foreign affairs agencies, it exemplifies the best traditions of American diplomacy, as detailed in the May issue of the Journal: "From The Farm To The World: The Foreign Agricultural Service Turns 50."

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

"The Foreign Agricultural Service Today"
The outlook for the Foreign Agricultural Service is generally positive, but there is no shortage of issues for it to address.
By Bob Guldin

"Life In The FAS Lane"
AFSA's Vice President for FAS explains that precisely because FAS is such a small agency, achieving success requires dedication and coordination from all personnel, Foreign and Civil Service alike.
By Ed Porter

"An Unauthorized History Of The FAS"
In a tradition dating back to the American Revolution, the Foreign Agricultural Service has dedicated itself to improving market access for U.S. agricultural and fisheries products.
By Allan Mustard

"High Stakes, High Hurdles: U.S. Farm Trade Policy"
While FAS still carries out its "traditional" functions, including reporting on local agricultural conditions, its activities are increasingly focusing on trade policy and export promotion.
By Eric Trachtenberg

Also in this issue:
"Appreciation: Arnie Schifferdecker, 1935-2003"
We remember former FSJ Editorial Board Chairman and retired FSO and share thoughts on his passing contributed by his friends and colleagues.
By Susan Maitra

"Playing Diplomacy"
An FSO and his children get entangled in more than the game of Diplomacy.
By Larry Lesser

 

Now that the war with Iraq has started, concern is growing in many quarters that the United States will turn its back on the troubled countries of Central Asia -- long before we have achieved our stated goal of assisting them to become economically viable societies with truly democratic governments. But as the cover of the April issue of the Journal declares, for better or worse, the U.S. must remain "Entrenched In The Steppes: Why Central Asia Matters."

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

"The U.S. Redraws the Map"
In setting up military bases in Central Asia, the U.S. redrew the geopolitical map of the region. Here are the major challenges the U.S. now faces.
By Svante E. Cornell

"Putting Human Rights Back on the Agenda"
Over the past decade, U.S. pro-democracy and human rights leverage has been squandered. If not corrected soon, the results could be disastrous.
By Ed McWilliams

"Picking Up the Pieces: The Development Challenge"
The international community needs to plan for the long haul, as the Central Asian nations struggle to build viable economies.
By David Pearce

"Islam & the U.S. in Post-Soviet Central Asia"
In Central Asia, there is plentiful evidence that negative perceptions of the United States create fertile ground for Islamist recruiters.
By Edward Schatz

"Caspian Basin Oil: Just A Pipe Dream?"
Washington has used the promise of huge Caspian oil reserves to attract American investors to the region. But what is the reality?
By Alec Rasizade

"Filling the Void: The U.S. in Central Asia"
Soon after Sept. 11, 2001, Central Asia became the front line in the U.S. war on terrorism. That fact has only reinforced our pre-existing strategic interests in the region.
By Eugene B. Rumer

"Turkmen Archaeology: A Central Asian Surprise"
Turkmen archaeology affords a glimpse into Central Asia's ancient history, and typifies the cultural surprises the region offers.
By Tatiana C. Gfoeller

Also in this issue:

"Helping to Reunite Families: State's Office Of Children's Issues"
Resolving international child custody disputes is a high priority for the State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau. The Office of Children's Issues is on the front line of those efforts.
By Barbara J. Greig

"Arabian Nightmare: The Patricia Roush Case"
Patricia Roush's 17 year-campaign to get her daughters back from Saudi Arabia has received a lot of publicity and high-level congressional attention, but to no avail. She blames the State Department for not doing more to help.
By George Gedda

Secretary of State Colin Powell has now been in office for two years, halfway through President Bush's current term. So it seemed fitting to ask eight foreign journalists from around the world to assess his record thus far at the helm of the State Department, and to offer their predictions for the next two years. The focus section of the March issue of the Journal is devoted to their responses.

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

"From High Hopes To Disenchantment: The View From Mexico"
After plans to upgrade U.S.-Mexico relations crumbled with the Twin Towers, Secretary Powell has had to manage the fallout.
By Jose Carreno

"Secretary Powell: Confidence Without Arrogance"
The U.S.-Russia relationship has emerged as a real partnership, and the personal chemistry between Colin Powell and Igor Ivanov has everything to do with it.
By Andrei Sitov

"Powell And The Arab World: A North African View"
Whatever Colin Powell's personal convictions are with regard to the Arab world, his report card in that regard is not favorable. Nor is it likely to improve in the next two years.
By Bechir Chourou

"Considering Colin Powell And Africa"
Colin Powell gets the credit for a changed tone and unexpected engagement with Africa under the Bush administration, but Africans remain unsure and nervous about U.S. foreign policy goals.
By Charles Cobb Jr.

"Powell And The Middle East: A Voice Of Moderation?"
Powell is viewed in the Arab world as a dove among the many hawks in the Bush administration. But that has fueled a sense of frustration over his lack of influence on U.S. Middle East policy.
By Khaled Abdulkareem

"The Antidote For European Doubts & Worries"
As Europe adjusts to the post-Cold War world and a U.S. foreign policy that alternately troubles and baffles, Secretary Powell has been a reassuring and indispensable reference point.
By Giampiero Gramaglia

"America Needs Powell's Moderation"
Secretary of State Colin Powell's insistence on the priority of diplomacy is appreciated in Turkey.
By Deniz Enginsoy

"Secretary Powell: An American Samurai?"
In the mind of many Japanese, Secretary of State Colin Powell shares important traits with Kambei, the central character in Kurosawa's film "Seven Samurai."
By Hiro Aida

Also in this issue:
"Recalling Past Crises And Evacuations, Part II"
AFSA members and their families share more stories of evacuations and life at posts located in danger zones.
By Steven Alan Honley

Diplomacy has long been a dangerous profession, to put it mildly. But perhaps never has that been truer than in the post-Sept. 11 environment. With anti-Americanism on the rise, and a real possibility, as we go to press, that we may soon be fighting Iraq (and perhaps North Korea) in addition to al-Qaida and its supporters around the globe, even hitherto placid posts are experiencing a new sense of fragility and vulnerability.

Accordingly, it seems especially appropriate for the February issue of the Journal to focus on how the Foreign Service is coping, professionally and personally, with the growing uncertainties of what may someday come to be known as the "Era of Evacuations."

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

Editor's Introduction
By Steven Alan Honley

"Ops: Nerve Center for Crisis Response"
In the Operations Center, the Watch and Crisis Management Support units work in tandem to play the central role in crisis management for State.
By Susan Maitra

"Evacuations 101"
No matter the location, the number of Americans, or the nature of the crisis, the ground rules for evacuating embassy personnel are basically the same.
By Mikkela Thompson

"Responding to Crises Abroad: The Consular Affairs Role"
Consular officers train and participate in crisis management exercises, but nothing can prepare them for some things they will face, as these stories show.
By Barbara Ensslin

"A Coup in Guinea-Bissau: Bissau, 1998"
What started as a quiet Sunday morning for an ambassador about to depart post after three years quickly turned into anything but that.
By Peggy Blackford

"The Guinea-Bissau Evacuation: An Ops Center View"
An FSO relates how serendipity played a helpful role in facilitating one particular evacuation.
By Raymond Maxwell

"FLO: Point of Contact for Employees & Families"
State's Family Liaison Office is playing an ever-greater role in assisting employees and their families in crises.
By Susan Maitra

"Cote d'Ivoire Evacuation: The Peace Corps Component"
A veteran of African development work recounts her experience as the Peace Corps representative on the State Department task force that managed the evacuation of Cote d'Ivoire.
By Kristi Ragan

"Lessons Learned in the 1991 Zaire Evacuation"
Over a decade later, USAID's 1991 Zaire evacuation still holds lessons for other posts.
By Linda Rae Gregory

"Recalling Past Crises And Evacuations"
AFSA members and their families share stories of evacuations and life at posts located in danger zones.
By Steven Alan Honley

Also in this issue:

"Jerusalem Divided"
An FSO who first served in Israel in 1966 and has often returned reflects on the changes there. His sad conclusion? The dream of a unified Jerusalem as a city of peace with open access by all peoples and faiths is slipping away.
By Kenneth Stammerman

January 2003

The January issue of the Foreign Service Journal focuses on the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service from a variety of perspectives.

Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here for free.

Table of Contents
We regret that we are only able to make a few of these items available online. To read other articles and columns, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger (miltenberger@afsa.org) to order copies of the magazine.

"The Business Of America Is Exports"
Overall, prospects for the Commercial Service look good, says Bob Guldin (a former editor of the Journal) . But a number of short-term and long-term factors could threaten the work of the Service.

"Piano Players In A Marching Band: FCS Officers"
AFSA's FCS Vice President counts the way that FCS officers are different from their Foreign Service, Civil Service and private-sector colleagues.
By Peter Frederick

"Going Global With The U.S. Commercial Service"
The U.S. Commercial Service's director general, Maria Cino, describes how her agency helps U.S. businesses, particularly small and medium-size ones, sell their products and services globally.

"Two Decades On The Road Less Traveled"
A Senior Foreign Commercial Service officer observes that the creation of FCS was far from painless, but over the past 22 years, the agency has made substantial progress. Now it must continue on that path, using new tools.
By Stephan Helgesen

"FCS Recollections"
A retired Foreign Service officer who "jumped the ship of State" reviews his experience in the FCS, from his presence at the creation to the challenges of pre- and post-reunification Germany. The conclusion? If he had it to do all over again, he would.
By Jack Bligh

"Lee Boam: The Foreign Commercial Service In Action"
The Commercial Office at Embassy Beijing is the largest in the world. Meet the FSO who runs it.
By Shawn Dorman

"U.S.-China Economic Relations: Problems And Prospects"
The Sino-American economic relationship requires close cooperation between the commercial section and the rest of Embassy Beijing. Here is the Economic Section's perspective.
By Robert Wang