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2008 Foreign Service Journal
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July/August 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 7) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3-4 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Work Requirements By John K. Naland 6 / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 10 / CYBERNOTES 11 / MARKETPLACE PROFILE 13 / A Tireless Advocate for the Foreign Service: Thomas D. Boyatt By Steven Alan Honley FOCUS ON AFGHANISTAN 23 / SALVAGING THE AFGHANISTAN VENTURE To recover its investment in stabilizing Afghanistan, Washington must focus on fostering effective governance. By Edmund McWilliams 31 / PRTS IN AFGHANISTAN: A REPORT FROM THE INSIDE The challenges for American policy in Afghanistan, where the Provincial Reconstruction Team concept was born, remain formidable. By Bruce Rogers, Jim Hope and Robert Kemp 36 / NATO AND AFGHANISTAN: MADE FOR EACH OTHER? The Afghanistan theater of operations is proving to be a critical test of NATO’s capacities. By William Maley 41 / THE PAKISTAN PIECE OF THE PUZZLE Afghanistan’s contentious relationship with its next-door neighbor is a critical element in its continuing troubles. By Frederic Grare FS HERITAGE 46 / “GRACE UNDER PRESSURE:” JOHN PATON DAVIES Two threats a decade apart — one physical, the other political — severely tested China hand John Davies. By Bob Rackmales FEATURES 53 / SPRING IN PRAGUE – 40 YEARS AGO An eyewitness to the short-lived Czechoslovak reform movement’s tragic denouement in August 1968 assesses its legacy. By Kenneth N. Skoug AFSA NEWS 59 / Dissent Awards Turn 40 59 / AFSA Dissent and Performance Awards 60 / Briefs: Aggeler’s Life in the Foreign Service 61 / VP State: Open Season for Cheap Shots 63 / Herter Award: Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman 64 / Rivkin Award: Rachel Schneller 65 / Harriman Award: Luke Zahner 66 / Post Rep of the Year: Julie Eadeh 66 / Guess Award: Craig Gerard 67 / Delavan Award: Virginia Gregory 67 / Bohlen Award: Victor Williams 68 / AFSA 2008 Merit Scholars 70 / Winning Scholar Essay 71 / AFSA Issue Brief: Talking Points 72 / Classifieds 75 / BOOKS 78 / IN MEMORY 87 / REAL ESTATE j 92 / REFLECTIONS ON A HILLTOP IN VENEZUELA By Amanda Ekerson
June 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 6) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT’S VIEWS The Foreign Service Act of 2010 By John K. Naland 6 / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8 / CYBERNOTES 11 / MARKETPLACE 12 / SPEAKING OUT Where Have All the Senior-Level Women Gone? By Susan Crais Hovanec FOCUS ON THE FS PERSONNEL SYSTEM 15 / WHO IS THE “TOTAL CANDIDATE”? FSO HIRING TODAY The Foreign Service intake process has been revamped. Here is a preliminary assessment of the new exam and other changes. By Shawn Dorman 26 / A CAREER OUT OF BALANCE Inadequate staffing, expanding commitments, insufficient budgets and poor management all threaten the Foreign Service’s future. By John K. Naland 30 / GOING IT ALONE: FAMILY LIFE IN THE ‘NEW’ FOREIGN SERVICE Most FS employees will serve unaccompanied tours during their careers. What kind of support can their families expect? By Kelly Bembry Midura 36 / REWARDING FUNCTIONAL POLICY EXPERTISE Structural changes to encourage service in functional policy offices will help the Foreign Service meet the challenges of the 21st century. By Sally K. Horn 43 / THE MOVEMENT TO EMPOWER LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF Empowering Foreign Service National employees in our overseas missions sounds like a no-brainer. But there are real downsides to the idea. By Michael Bricker FEATURES 47 / BUILDING ON THE GOLDWATER-NICHOLS ACT Interagency cooperation between State and Defense has the potential to mitigate the staffing shortfalls that continue to hamper both departments. By Timothy K. Hsia 51 / A LAGOS DIARY: DYING REQUEST FOR A KOSHER BURIAL In this true story, an FS couple respond to a friend’s dying wish to be buried as a Jew — in Nigeria. By Lawrence Cohen AFSA NEWS 57 / MEMORIAL PLAQUE CEREMONY HONORS FALLEN COLLEAGUES 57 / 2008 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL READER SURVEY 58 / BRIEFS: AGGELER IS BACK 59 / VP STATE: THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE 60 / AFSA-PAC TREASURER’S REPORT 61 / ISSUE BRIEF: FOREIGN ASSISTANCE REFORM 62 / VP FCS: UNFINISHED BUSINESS 63 / LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 64 / CLASSIFIEDS 67 / SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT 68/ FLYING SOLO — GOING TO COLLEGE FROM OVERSEAS: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS The logistics of going to college from overseas can be a challenge for students and parents alike. Here are some things to consider. By Rebecca Grappo 81 / SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE 89 / SPECIAL-NEEDS KIDS AND THE FOREIGN SERVICE: DISPELLING THE MYTHS Correcting misconceptions can help FS parents of special-needs kids get off to a good start. By Pamela Ward 93 / BOOKS 95 / REAL ESTATE 100 / REFLECTIONS TROMBONE DIPLOMACY By Fred A. Coffey Jr.
May 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 5) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT’S VIEWS The 10-Percent Solution By John K. Naland 6 / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 10 / CYBERNOTES 13 / MARKETPLACE 14 / SPEAKING OUT Heading Off More Clashes in the Strait of Hormuz By Benjamin Tua FOCUS ON AFRICA 17 / A MIXED RECORD: 50 YEARS OF U.S.-AFRICA RELATIONS Through the first half-century of African independence, with all its disappointments and successes, U.S. engagement has been a constant. By Herman J. Cohen 25 / IMPLEMENTING AFRICOM: TREAD CAREFULLY The Africa Command represents a reorientation of American bureaucratic responsibilities that will probably work well for us, but confuse local governments. By Robert E. Gribben 32 / REFLECTING ON NAIROBI: THE AFRICA BOMBINGS AND THE AGE OF TERROR A survivor recalls the 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and ponders what we have learned. By Joanne Grady Huskey 36 / THE AFRICA BUREAU’S INTELLECTUAL GODFATHERS Though they represented very different perspectives, Ralph Bunche and Richard Nixon helped make AF a reality 50 years ago. By Gregory L. Garland 41/ THREE DAYS IN N’DJAMENA An eyewitness account of the recent civil war in Chad and attendant evacuation of embassy personnel. By Rajiv Malik 44 / AFRAID OF OUR SHADOW: CORRUPTION DEVOURS AFRICA’S MIDDLE CLASS The United States needs to move more aggressively against entrenched corruption in African societies for the sake of the continent’s future. By Daniel Whitman AFSA NEWS 49 / AFSA HQ RENOVATION PROJECT UPDATE 49 / ENTRY-LEVEL CONFERENCE REPORT FROM CAIRO 49 / INVOLUNTARY SMA GETS A BOOST 50 / BRIEFS: PIT BUYBACK 51 / VP STATE: OVERSEAS PAY DISPARITY — DEBUNKING THE MYTHS 52 / VP USAID: IT’S TIME FOR A TRADE-IN 54 / REINVENTING RESOURCES AT THE OVERSEAS BRIEFING CENTER 55 / FLO: 30 YEARS OF SUPPORT FOR FS FAMILY MEMBERS 56 / TRAGEN AWARD FOR FAMILY MEMBER ADVOCATE LESLIE DORMAN 57 / FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS: THANKS, NOW HERE’S YOUR PAY CUT 58 / FIELD NOTES FROM BELGRADE 59 / CLASSIFIEDS 62 / BOOKS 66 / IN MEMORY 75 / REAL ESTATE 80 / REFLECTIONS “WOW — YOU MUST REALLY LIKE WINTER!” By Joan B. Odean

April 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 4) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Win One for Diplomacy By John K. Naland 6 / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 10 / CYBERNOTES 12 / MARKETPLACE 13 / SPEAKING OUT Needed: A New Foreign Service Agenda By Alphonse F. La Porta 15 / PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOCUS ON POLITICAL ISLAM 16 / POLITICAL ISLAM: A PRIMER FOR THE PERPLEXED Washington policymakers should always bear in mind that political Islam may be our enemy or our friend, depending on the context. By Allen Keiswetter 23 / ENGAGING MODERATE MUSLIMS: RISKS AND REWARDS Engaging politically moderate Muslim leaders and institutions has been part of USAID’s mission in the Europe and Eurasia region since 2001. By David A. Atwood 29 / CLIMING THE GREASED POLE: TURKEY’S ISLAMIC DEMOCRACY Religion has been part of the battleground of politics in Turkey for decades, but the struggle over the issue has recently taken a new form. By George S. Harris 35 / A TRADITION OF TOLERANCE IN INDONESIA OFFERS HOPE With the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has the potential to help define Islam as moderate and progressive. By Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid and C. Holland Taylor 41 / EXTENDED-STAY HOUSING GUIDE FEATURE 43 / HEART OF DARKNESS Alfred Erdos’ son breaks the family silence to shed light on the tragic events of Aug. 31, 1971, in Equatorial Guinea. By Chris Erdos 49 / BOOKS AFSA NEWS 51 / JOIN AFSA FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DAY 51 / NO MORE BUSINESS-CLASS TRAVEL 51 / MEMBERS URGE WAR ZONE TAX BREAK 53 / STATE VP: IN DEFENSE OF “TRADITIONAL” DIPLOMACY 55 / AFSA PRESIDENT VISITS RETIREES, PRESENTS AWARD 55 / SINCLAIRE LANGUAGE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED 56 / RETIREE VP: NEEDED – A COMMITMENT TO FIRST-CLASS RETIREE SERVICES 57 / FCS SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS “WORSENING” WORKING CONDITIONS 57 / FSJ CIRCULATION TOPS 15,000 60 / CALL FOR SOSA VOLUNTEER AWARD NOMINATIONS 61 / CLASSIFIEDS 66 / INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 68 / REFLECTIONS Easter in Bombay By Victoria Hess

March 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 3) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Defending Our Future By John K. Naland 6 / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 11 / CYBERNOTES 12 / MARKETPLACE 15 / SPEAKING OUT Member of Household Policy: Failing Our Families By Michael Guest 18 / IN RESPONSE Toward a Post-2012 Approach to Climate Change By Paula J. Dobriansky FOCUS ON IRAQ, FIVE YEARS LATER 22 / AFTER THE SURGE: TOWARD AN 18-STATE FEDERATION Four major proposals for a way forward have been advanced, but they all ignore Iraq’s political center of gravity. By Keith W. Mines 28 / HELPING THOSE WHO HELPED US State has been slow to expedite immigrant visas for Iraqis who have assisted the U.S. government. But there are, at long last, signs of movement. By Shawn Zeller 35 / WORKING AND LIVING IN IRAQ Members share experiences from current or recent service in Iraq. FEATURES 41 / WELCOME TO THE FS BLOGOSPHERE All but unheard of even five years ago, blogging is now well established among members of the Foreign Service. By Marc Nielsen 46 / DON’T REINVENT THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE WHEEL The F process is half a loaf, and only half-baked at that, but still an important first step toward meshing U.S. foreign assistance spending with our strategic goals. By Gordon Adams AFSA NEWS 51 / AFSA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 52 / YEAR IN REVIEW 61 / STATE VP: SHOOTING THE MESSENGER 62 / AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE FS GRIEVANCE BOARD 63 / USAID VP: AN OPEN LETTER TO ADMINISTRATOR FORE 64 / CROSSING THE RUBICON ON THE OVERSEAS PAY GAP 65 / STATE OFFICIALS BLAST AFSA SURVEY 66 / AFSA NEWS BRIEFS 67 / FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS: THE WAY OF THE DIPLOMATIC PRINCESS 68 / CLASSIFIEDS 71 / BOOKS 73 / IN MEMORY 82 / INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 84 / REFLECTIONS The Managua Earthquake of 1972 By Stuart Lippe

February 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 2) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Speaking Up By John K. Naland 6 / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 9 / CYBERNOTES 10 / MARKETPLACE 12 / SPEAKING OUT Taking the King’s Shilling By David T. Jones FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE 15 / A CALL TO ACTION Preparing for and adapting to a changing climate will be one of the central tasks of international relations for the rest of this century. By Timothy E. Wirth 21 / THE POST-BALI ROADMAP Statement to the Thirteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. By Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky 23 / AMAZONIA ON THE BRINK The vulnerability of the Amazon forest makes action on the global climate change agenda even more urgent. By Thomas E. Lovejoy 27 / THE ARCTIC BELLWETHER The world would do well to focus on the Arctic, where the average temperature has been rising at twice the rate of anywhere else. By Robert W. Corell 32 / SELLING THE U.S. POSITION: AN UPHILL BATTLE The Bush administration’s handling of climate change has obscured what is actually a positive U.S. record in many respects. By Joyce Rabens 36 / "IT’S NOT JUST AN IMAGE PROBLEM" An interview with Nigel Purvis, a senior member of the U.S. climate change negotiating team from 1997 to 2002. By Shawn Dorman FS HERITAGE 39 / MR. FOREIGN SERVICE: LOY HENDERSON Before joining the State Department, Loy Henderson was a hero in Estonia’s War of Independence. By Eric A. Johnson AFSA NEWS 45 / AFSA 2007 TAX GUIDE 59 / CLASSIFIEDS 61 / BOOKS 66 / INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 68 / REFLECTIONS Foreign Service Moments By Dorothy C. Shea


January 2008 (Vol. 85, No. 1) For information on how to submit a letter, column or article, or for general inquiries (address changes, etc.), please e-mail us at journal@afsa.org. To submit a piece for possible publication, kindly send it to: authors@afsa.org. To subscribe or place an ad, please contact Advertising and Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger. To order reprints of any articles appearing in the magazine, please contact Business Manager Andrew Kidd. Viewing the following articles requires the use of Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free. / Front Cover 3 / Table of Contents 5 / PRESIDENT'S VIEWS Bench Strength By John K. Naland 7 / LETTERS 11 / CYBERNOTES 12 / MARKETPLACE 15 / FOREIGN SERVICE MEMBERS SPEAK OUT ON DIRECTED ASSIGNMENTS FOCUS ON PTSD & THE FOREIGN SERVICE 26 / EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION How big a problem is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for the Foreign Service? By Steven Alan Honley 28 / POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A GUIDE Understanding what is happening when you or someone you know reacts to a traumatic event will help you be less fearful and better able to cope. By Raymond M. De Castro, M.D. 35 / RECOVERY: WHEN SURVIVING ISN'T ENOUGH My PTSD came about due to a posting in Iraq, yet State left me to fend for myself when it came to seeking treatment. By Rachel Schneller 42 / NOT ONLY FOR COMBAT VETERANS PTSD is not a new phenomenon within the Foreign Service. Nor do its effects ever entirely dissipate. By Kristin K. Loken 46 / ENCOURAGING EMPLOYEES TO SEEK HELP State officially assures employees that undergoing mental health treatment will not affect their clearances. But is that really true? By Anonymous FEATURES 50 / ECHOES OF THE PAST More than 30 years after the Vietnam War, Americans once again are tilting at windmills to confirm our preconceptions about democracy and freedom. By Dell F. Pendergrast 53 / PAINTING THE SKY: A SCHOOL GROWS IN ACEH In the wake of the 2004 tsunami, a U.S. NGO collaborates with Indonesians to build a school that promises to have a lasting effect. By Margaret Sullivan 57 / AFSA NEWS 57 / IRAQ " PRIME CANDIDATE" EXERCISE CANCELED 57 / AFSA SURVEY RESULTS 58 / BRIEFS: BOARD CHANGES 62 / VP FCS ON THE JOB 63 / VP RETIREE: DEFENDING OUR OWN 65 / ADAIR SPEAKER SERIES LAUNCHED 66 / AFSA SCHOLARS 70 / 2008 DUES RATES 70 / CLASSIFIEDS 73 / BOOKS 75 / IN MEMORY 83 / INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 84 / REFLECTIONS A Cross-Cultural Friendship By Rachel Midura


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