The Foreign Service Journal, January 2004

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 3 T HE M AGAZINE F OR F OREIGN A FFAIRS P ROFESSIONALS Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly with a combined July/August issue by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSAMembers - $13 included in annual dues; others - $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mail- ing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Foreign Service Journal , 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply the endorsement of the services or goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. E- MAIL: journal@afsa.org. W EB: www.afsa.org. TE LEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Association, 2003. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to AFSA Membership, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Printed on 50 percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F Editor S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY Senior Editor S USAN B. M AITRA Associate Editor S HAWN D ORMAN Ad & Circulation Manager E D M ILTENBERGER Business Manager M IKKELA V. T HOMPSON Art Director C ARYN J. S UKO Editorial Intern B ENJAMIN B ODNAR Advertising Intern H ONGYU C HEN Editorial Board J UDITH B AROODY , C HAIRMAN M ARK W. B OCCHETTI S TEPHEN W. B UCK T ATIANA C. G FOELLER C AROL A. G IACOMO W ILLIAM W. J ORDAN L AURIE K ASSMAN H OLLIS S UMMERS B ILL W ANLUND T ED W ILKINSON F O C U S O N U . S . B R O A D C A S T I N G 16 / T HE ABC S OF U.S. O VERSEAS B ROADCASTING By Steven Alan Honley 20 / N EW D IRECTIONS IN U.S. I NTERNATIONAL B ROADCASTING By Brian Conniff 25 / T HE V OICE OF A MERICA E NTERS A N EW E RA By David Jackson 30 / A V OICE FOR THE V OICELESS By Alex Belida 35 / VOA’ S S PECIAL E NGLISH P ROGRAM IS R EALLY S PECIAL By Shelley Gollust 38 / G OING O NLINE AT VOAN EWS . COM By Mollie King 40 / R ADIO F REE E UROPE / R ADIO L IBERTY : T ODAY AND T OMORROW By Tom Dine 43 / R ADIO F REE A SIA : ‘A R ARE W INDOW ’ By Richard Richter 46 / IBB E MBRACES THE D IGITAL A GE By Alan L. Heil Jr. C ONTENTS J a n u a r y 2 0 0 4 Vo l ume 8 1 , No . 1 F E A T U R E S L ETTER FROM B AGHDAD / 49 An FSO recounts a memorable recent week in Baghdad. By Beth A. Payne L ATIN A MERICA : B ACK ON THE R ADAR S CREEN ? / 53 The 9/11 attacks derailed the Bush administration’s plans for a “Century of the Americas.” But now that vision may be getting back on track. By George Gedda M AKING I NSTITUTIONS OUT OF P ROJECTS / 58 Ad hoc aid projects often work very well. But even the best ones usually don’t pave the way for long-term solutions to development problems. By James Olsen K ABUL T RAINING T RIP / 64 A diplomatic courier’s first mission offers provocative geographic and political sights. By James B. Angell Cover and inside illustration by Mikkela Thompson C O L U M N S P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 2004: Year of the Dissident By John Limbert S PEAKING O UT / 13 Time to Speak up for the Voice of America By Myrna Whitworth R EFLECTIONS / 84 By Robert Proctor D E P A R T M E N T S L ETTERS / 7 C YBERNOTES / 10 B OOKS / 70 I N M EMORY / 72 I NDEX T O A DVERTISERS / 82 AFSA N EWS / C ENTER I NSERT Page 16