The Foreign Service Journal, January 2004

led coalition in Iraq, while Nicaragua sent 120. (The only other Latin American country with troops in Iraq is the Dominican Republic, with 300.) Combined, these forces are assisting a Spanish-led brigade in south-central Iraq. No South Ameri- can country has offered troops. Trade expansion is the prime issue on the U.S.-Central America agenda. The United States is negotiating a free trade agreement with Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica (Panama and Belize are not included). If and when the agree- ment is signed and ratified, it should offer the promise of a better econom- ic future for the region. Compared with its grim past, this is a rare period of hope for Central America. Powell has firsthand recol- lections of the 1980s, a period when, as a high-ranking military officer, he personally helped persuade El Salvador’s military brass to surrender power, exhorted members of Congress to support the Nicaraguan Contras in their fight against the leftist Sandinistas and planned for the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama that deposed Manuel Antonio Noriega. The peace that pre- vails on the isthmus nowadays is a wel- come change. Heading home on Nov. 4 after his Central America visit, Powell out- lined to reporters the promise and the problems of the region: “There’s been so much progress on the road to democracy and economic reform, but the problems are still very basic and severe: poverty, economic develop- ment, social development, political development, education of young people, health care — all the stan- dard issues that all developing coun- tries have to deal with.” A big test for U.S.-Latin American relations will come this year. Every nation in the Western Hemisphere except Cuba will be working against a January 2005 deadline for approval of the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. Bush wants to build on what he sees as the huge success of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He says trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico has more than doubled since NAFTA took effect in 1994. He predicts a similar trade explo- sion if free trade were to extend from Alaska to Argentina, a community of 800 million. Critics, of course, argue that free trade has led to the export of U.S. jobs and the hollowing out of America’s manufacturing capability. Some also question whether Mexico and Canada have actually benefited from NAFTA. An FTAA agreement is likely, but one that is far less ambitious than what was originally contemplated because differences on some issues could not be overcome, including complaints, mostly from Brazil, about U.S. farm subsidies, and U.S. insistence on mea- sures to protect intellectual property rights. Hemispheric trade officials decided that these issues are more appropriately handled by the World Trade Organization rather than a regional trade group. But rather than await WTO action, the Bush adminis- tration is working out bilateral free trade agreements with a number of eager Latin American countries out- side the FTAA. Whatever the outcome, the trade issue is giving Latin America more prominence than usual on the admin- 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 57 On the whole, 2003 was not a good year for U.S.-Mexican relations. “Postcards from the Past” By Sam Oglesby “Postcards from the Past” takes the reader on a journey through time and many places; from Southeast Asia to Europe to the streets of New York City. These are all true stories. Some are humorous, some poignant; others are filled with intrigue and murder. They are all fascinating tales which will resonate with readers who have spent much of their lives overseas. Sam Oglesby worked as a diplomat and international civil servant and has spent most of his life in Asia. In this memoir covering more than fifty years of adventure, he takes us through palaces, slums, war, earthquakes and even a hangover as well as exploring the feelings of loneliness and isolation which are sometimes a part of Foreign Service life. Postcards from the Past ISBN# Hardcover 1-4134-1202-5 ISBN# Softcover 1-4134-1201-7 Published through Xlibris Tel: 888-795-4274 ext 276 (phone orders) To Purchase Order by phone or online at www.Xlibris.com www.bn.com or visit your local bookstore