U.S. DIPLOMACY FOR THE - 2020s - PLUS: ARAB SPRING LESSONS
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P U B L I S H E D BY T H E A M E R I CA N F O R E I G N S E R V I C E A S S O C I AT J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1
U.S.
DIPLOMACY
FOR THE
2020s
PLUS:
ARAB SPRING
LESSONS
TAX GUIDE
FOREIGN
SERVICE January-February 2021 Volume 98, No. 1
Features
41
What the Tunisian
Revolution Taught Me
Reflections on the 10th anniversary
of the Arab Spring from a career
diplomat who was there.
By Gordon Gray
Focus on
U.S. Diplomacy for the 2020s
19 28
The Future of the Diplomacy
Foreign Service and Democracy:
A discussion with Putting Values
Ambassadors Nicholas Burns,
Marc Grossman and Marcie Ries
into Practice
American diplomats can play an
important role in addressing the
global weakening of democracy.
By Michael J. Abramowitz
31
Getting State Back
into Nuclear Arms Control
and Nonproliferation 46
Nuclear arms control and
nonproliferation remain critical Believers: Love and
national security challenges. How Death in Tehran
25 prepared is the State Department to
deal with these issues?
An Excerpt
Diversity and Inclusion in On the 40th anniversary of the
By L aura Kennedy release of the Iran hostages, a
the U.S. Foreign Service— fictional FSO heroine stirs memories
Recommendations 37 of the takeover of the U.S. embassy
for Action in Tehran and its aftermath.
The Association of Black American On Boosting By John Limbert and
Ambassadors offers a set of measures U.S. Diplomacy and Marc Grossman
to make diversity and inclusion real National Security:
at State and USAID. Three New Reports
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 5
FOREIGN
SERVICE
Perspectives
Departments
7 97 10 Letters
President’s Views Reflections
A Moment of Hope A Crown and a Nation 13 Letters-Plus
and Possibility By Beatrice Camp
15 Talking Points
By Eric Rubin
98 85 In Memory
9 Local Lens
Letter from the Editor Geneva, Switzerland 88 Books
Picking Up the Pieces By Howard Solomon
By Shawn Dorman
Marketplace
91 Real Estate
94 Classifieds
96 Index to Advertisers
AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION
51 2021-2023 AFSA Governing Board: Call for Nominations
52 State VP Voice—Reforming the State Department
53 USAID VP Voice—Refine, But Don’t Re-define, Development
54 FCS VP Voice—The New Year: An Opportunity to Think Differently
54 AFSA Governing Board Meeting, Nov. 18, 2020
55 AFSA on the Hill—Advocacy in a New Administration
55 The Future of the Foreign Service
58 Reaching New Audiences: A New Year Challenge
59 2020 AFSA Tax Guide
On the Cover—Illustration by Phil Foster.
6 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL
PRESIDENT’S VIEWS
A Moment of Hope and Possibility
BY ERIC RUBIN
L
et me start by offering my warmest ficult four years. The administration pro- denied themselves the advice and wis-
congratulations to President-elect posed unprecedented cuts to our fund- dom of our most seasoned and experi-
Joe Biden, Vice President–elect ing of up to 35 percent every year. AFSA enced career experts. We firmly believe
Kamala Harris and the nominees pushed back. For four years in a row, a that it has been not just their loss, but our
for senior positions announced to date. bipartisan majority in both houses of country’s loss as well.
There is much to celebrate about our Congress resoundingly rejected the cuts At the same time, real progress has
November elections: the largest numerical and passed strong funding to meet our been made in multiple areas in the past
turnout in U.S. history, the first woman and country’s most critical challenges. four years. We deeply appreciate the prag-
first woman of color elected vice president, Early in this administration, we saw matic, positive approach taken by senior
and both domestic and foreign observers some of our best and most respected agency leaders on issues such as COVID-
confirming a free and fair election. senior officers intentionally pushed 19 policy, children with special needs,
AFSA is fundamentally nonpartisan out of the Service, leaving a vacuum paid parental leave, support for employ-
and nonpolitical. We do not endorse can- at the top. We saw colleagues’ loyalty ees who are teleworking and financial
didates or political parties. We are com- questioned because of their ethnicity or support for members of the Service sub-
mitted to representing all our 16,700-plus national origin. We watched the presi- poenaed to testify in the impeachment
members, as well as those in the FS com- dent refer to our nation’s oldest govern- process. There have been many other
munity who are not AFSA members. We ment department as “The Deep State achievements, too many to name here.
represent everyone in the entire Foreign Department” while the Secretary of State And so I end on a positive note.
Service, regardless of political views. stood next to him, smiling. As we welcome the new president and
As both the professional association We saw ground lost on the already administration later this month, we want
and labor union for the Foreign Service, inadequate state of diversity in the Ser- them to know that the Foreign Service is
AFSA is committed to working con- vice, particularly at the senior levels. In determined to help our country succeed
structively with the president Americans some respects, the Foreign Service is now and to carry out the policies of the admin-
have chosen, as well as with his political less diverse than it was 30 years ago. We istration to the best of our abilities.
appointees. I personally have worked for saw respected FS leaders like Ambas- We hope that our most senior col-
six presidents in the past 35 years and have sador Masha Yovanovitch abandoned by leagues will be entrusted with the posi-
given all of them my utmost dedication their superiors in the face of hyper-polar- tions they have prepared for decades to
and loyalty. I know that my colleagues in ization and politicization of U.S. foreign assume. A healthy mix of political and
the Foreign Service have done the same. policy. We saw a shortage of overseas career appointees is a critical element in
This is who we are, and that is what we do. positions that has led to painfully slow making our system work.
This is a moment of hope and pos- promotions, and in some cases early Finally, we hope the new administra-
sibility for our retirements, for some of our best people. tion will accept AFSA’s offer to partner
Service and for our We saw the highest percentage of with them, and with Congress, to review
country’s conduct political appointee ambassadorships needed changes to the Foreign Service,
of diplomacy and in modern times, as well as the unprec- with a view toward modernization and
development. The edented absence of a single career officer reform wherever it is required. There
Service has been serving as a Senate-confirmed assistant is much work to be done, and AFSA is
through a very dif- secretary of State. Our country’s leaders ready to do its part. n
Ambassador Eric Rubin is the president of the American Foreign Service Association.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 7
FOREIGN
CONTACTS
SERVICE
www.afsa.org
Editor-in-Chief, Director of Publications
Shawn Dorman: dorman@afsa.org
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8 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Picking Up the Pieces
B Y S H AW N D O R M A N
W
e welcome the new year Secretaries Colin Powell and later Hillary We summarize three other new reports
and the chance to leave Clinton prioritized growing the Foreign on boosting U.S. diplomacy, from the
2020 behind. The incom- Service, adding to the ranks to create the Council on Foreign Relations, Carnegie
ing administration will ever-elusive “training float.” Endowment for International Peace and
take the helm of a diminished State The Iraq War took away those gains the Center for American Progress.
Department and Foreign Service coming by shifting staff from other posts to fuel In “Recommendations for Action,” the
off four years of a systematic degrading that massive effort—a “tax” that still Association of Black American Ambas-
of public service, diplomacy and profes- echoes today, as losing posts did not get sadors offers a set of measures to foster
sionalism. those positions back and remain under- diversity, inclusion and anti-racism at
Rewind to January 2017. My editor’s staffed and underfunded. State and USAID.
letter asked: “Will the incoming adminis- Exploring the past 100 years in the FSJ Freedom House President Michael
tration realize that diplomacy is man- digital archive, it becomes clear that ups Abramowitz suggests how U.S. diplomats
aged and foreign policy implemented by and downs have been recurring—bouts can address the global weakening of
professional public servants, members of of “worst times” for the Foreign Service democracy. Ambassador (ret.) Laura Ken-
the Foreign Service who have sworn an alternate with attempts to reform and rei- nedy discusses how to get State back into
oath to the U.S. Constitution? Hopefully, magine the strained or threatened system. the critical work of nuclear arms control
yes. And, hopefully, they will turn to the This is one of those latter moments. and nonproliferation.
professionals staffing the foreign affairs The incoming team is pro-diplomacy, Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray
agencies and welcome their input, value pro-development. Some are career dip- reflects on lessons from the Tunisian
their experience, and utilize their deep lomats. (Some are even AFSA members.) revolution that sparked the Arab Spring.
knowledge and understanding.” There is a good chance they will pay And on the 40th anniversary of the release
They did not. To what end? attention to new ideas. And there is room of the Iran hostages, Ambassadors (ret.)
That question—posed by then AFSA for optimism that positive reform may be John Limbert and Marc Grossman offer
President Ambassador (ret.) Barbara possible and is, indeed, on the horizon. an excerpt from their novel, Believers. The
Stephenson in her December 2017 This is the right time for the Journal 2020 Tax Guide rounds out this edition.
column, “Time to Ask Why”—remained to highlight ideas for reform. In recent We invite you to review the recom-
unanswered while the damage contin- months, major reports offering bold mendations in the reform articles and
ued. Much of the mentor class was sum- recommendations have been released. In offer your own input for the new admin-
marily pushed out of the Service. Hiring this edition, we take a close look at several istration, which will be featured in the
freezes took a toll, important positions of them and summarize proposals being March FSJ, along with a new piece on
went unfilled and politicization rose to pitched to the new administration by a risk management from Ambassador (ret.)
a high point. few heavy-hitter diplomats and scholars. Ron Neumann and Greg Starr.
Every new administration makes its Our lead story looks at the 10 recom- We are collecting concise responses to
mark on the U.S. Foreign Service. Some mendations from the Harvard Kennedy this question: “How can the new admin-
build it up (Diplo- School’s Belfer Center study—“A U.S. Dip- istration reinvigorate U.S. diplomacy
matic Readiness lomatic Service for the 21st Century”— and development through the Foreign
Initiative, Diplomacy through excerpts from a discussion AFSA Service, and what are your specific rec-
3.0); others decon- President Eric Rubin had with the authors ommendations?” Please send your note
struct it (the McCarthy of the report: Ambassadors (ret.) Nicholas to journal@afsa.org by Jan. 7.
era, the Redesign). Burns, Marc Grossman and Marcie Ries. Here’s to renewed U.S. diplomacy and
development in 2021. n
Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 9
LETTERS
Mike Mansfield footnote to U.S. diplomatic history that the Calacoto neighborhood of La Paz.
and Mongolia looms large in the history of a country The trip from El Alto was all downhill,
After 27 years of fits and starts, in Janu- that became the first Asian communist and my Chevy moved along just fine. The
ary 1987 the United States established country to build a democracy. problem came when I arrived at the house,
diplomatic relations with Mongolia, then Please contact us by email at lake.joe. which was on level ground. The six-cyl-
one of the most isolated countries in the michael@gmail.com. inder engine, coupled with an automatic
world. This accomplishment was the Joseph E. Lake transmission, was insufficiently powerful
culmination of efforts by multiple Foreign Ambassador, retired for the car to surmount the tiny ramp lead-
Service officers over many years, repeat- Portland, Oregon ing over the curb and onto my driveway.
edly frustrated by Soviet and Chinese and After several attempts, by putting the
efforts to prevent recognition, each for Michael Allen Lake car in low-low gear and flooring the accel-
their own reasons. Alexandria, Virginia erator, I succeeded in getting it onto the
Did you work with Ambassador carport, just barely.
Mike Mansfield in contacting the govern- Car Tales in Bolivia An embassy-recommended local
ment of Mongolia in the 1980s? If so, we On reading the November Reflection mechanic removed enough emission-
would love to hear from you; we want to (“The Fastest Car in All Bolivia,” by George control equipment from the car’s engine to
ensure this piece of diplomatic history is Herrmann), it occurred to add a modicum of horsepower, sufficient
not forgotten. me that the Plurinational for me to drive around town the rest of my
We have written an article State of Bolivia would tour—mostly in second gear.
that will be published in the be thrilled to learn that T.J. Morgan
upcoming book Socialist and they have a “port on the FSO, retired
Post-Socialist Mongolia: Nation, Pacific Coast,” some- Asheville, North Carolina
Identity, and Culture (due out in thing successive Boliv-
March 2021). Our article frames ian governments have History Repeats Itself
the establishment of diplomatic sought ever since they When I read the October Reflection—
relations alongside the beginning lost their coastline “Nixon in Moscow, March 1967” by retired
of Mongolia’s transition from the to Chile during the SFSO Jonathan Rickert—I had to pinch
world’s second-oldest communist late-1800s War of the myself to see if I hadn’t dozed off.
country to the first attempt to create Pacific. Though Bolivia is one of just two The reason: In the spring of 1965 I
a democracy and free market economy landlocked South American countries, the was vice consul in Helsinki. The embassy
in Central Asia. other being Paraguay, it has negotiated received a message from Washington
In researching the article, we found access to and use of ports in Chile and that former Vice President Richard Nixon
that there is an overlooked aspect of the Peru at various times over the years. would be arriving soon with a delegation
road to recognition—the role of Ambas- When I served in La Paz from 1980 to from Newfoundland, Canada. “Please
sador Mansfield in Tokyo. His activities 1982, our personal vehicles were extend courtesies, etc.”
are not reflected in declassified files from shipped to post by air. Some Ambassador Tyler
that period, and the memories of those we weeks after arriving, I picked PUBLISHED
BY T H E A M
Thompson was not what
E R I CA N FOREIGN S
ERVICE AS
S O C I AT I ON
have spoken to suggest that other senior up my 1980 Chevy at La Paz’s you would call a big
O CT O B E R 2
020
U.S. officials may have been involved in airport in El Alto. Nixon fan. He appointed
1985 to 1986, and possibly earlier. A crew from the embassy’s his lowest-ranking FSO
If you were one of the those who general services section (me) as control officer,
worked with Amb. Mansfield in this dismantled the large wooden instructing me to keep an
effort in Washington, Tokyo or elsewhere, crate in which my car had been eye on them. But as this
or if you know of someone who was, we shipped, and supplied a little MAKING INCL
USION REAL was a Canadian show, I was
would love to hear from you. gas and a jump-start to enable McCARTHYISM
REVISITED
not to extend any invita-
You could help shed light on a me to drive it to my house in tions to visit the embassy.
10 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALThe Canadian delegation, some six to
eight strong, was to consult with Finnish
producers of pulp and paper machinery
with an eye to supply Newfoundland with
equipment for a new facility to produce
pulp and paper, using the abundant wood
from the province’s forests.
In fact, the visit was a sham, to divert
attention from an oil refinery project that
was being opposed by the environmental
movement in Newfoundland. The delega-
tion was to generate publicity about the
proposed pulp and paper plant for the folks
back home.
Newfoundland Premier Joseph Small-
wood led the delegation, and he made a
couple of speeches and held a press con-
ference. But the focus of attention was on
the delegation’s legal counsel, former Vice
President Richard Nixon, then practicing
law in New York City.
Nixon made sure he generated pub-
licity on behalf of his clients, but he was
clearly underemployed. As the embassy
liaison, I spent lots of time with the del-
egation, especially with the former vice
president, much of it one on one. Nixon
struck up a dialog with me, much as
though I were an important person. He
quizzed me about my origins, education,
posts, etc. He might as well have been
interviewing a prospective delegate to
the 1968 Republican Convention.
He was not shy about listing his own
foreign policy experience. He regaled
me with tales of his travels, particularly
his experience dealing with the Soviets,
inevitably recalling his famous “Kitchen
Debate” with Nikita Khrushchev at a U.S.
trade show in Moscow in the late 1950s.
“That reminds me,” he said. “Since we’re
so close, I wonder if it would be possible to
extend our trip and make a visit to Mos-
cow? I think we could afford a few more
days, but of course we’d have to get visas on
short notice. That could be a hitch.”
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 11As luck would have it, I had an This Is Still My
“assistant vice consul” in my office. He Father’s DACOR
spoke Ukrainian from birth and was the John Bradshaw’s article in the Sep-
embassy’s informal contact with the tember FSJ (“This Is Not Your Father’s
Soviet embassy in Helsinki. His bosses DACOR,” AFSA News) caught my eye.
were keen to have close contact with My husband, son and I recently spent
the Soviets and were willing to extend four days in the guest rooms of this his-
unlimited representational funds to this toric treasure. My late father, Ambassador
end. Unsurprisingly, so were the KGB ele- Sheldon T. Mills, was an early member of
ments in the Soviet embassy. DACOR. He championed its raison d’etre
This had led to a shameless series of with his Foreign Service colleagues and
social events involving the two Soviet encouraged us to become members at the
consular officers and the two of us. We outset of our own Foreign Service careers.
even exchanged dinners in each other’s He would have been pleased to see
homes. We introduced our Soviet friends DACOR opening to the wider foreign
to American bourbon and gin. They affairs community. So, in a sense, DACOR
brought quantities of vodka and cham- is “still my father’s DACOR.”
pagne. Sometimes there was food, too. Situated at 1801 F St. NW in Washing-
We were all supposed to be consular ton, D.C., and built in 1825, the DACOR
officers, so we sometimes discussed con- Bacon House is listed on the National
sular matters. As the drinks flowed, we Register of Historic Places (shown on
assured each other we would grant visas some district maps as Ringgold-Carroll
to the most unlikely prospective visitors House). It boasts a range of treasures
to our respective countries with lightning from paintings and carpets to teapots and
speed. chandeliers.
So I reminded my dear colleague of The DACOR Bacon House is a living
this arrangement when I appeared in his testament to American history, culture
office with six to eight passports and fully and diplomacy. Its central location
completed visa applications. offers easy access to the National Mall
He was as good as his word, and and its museums and monuments, as
the very next day I proudly presented well as restaurants.
Messrs. Smallwood, Nixon and company Without sacrificing any of the build-
with their passports, fully stamped for a ing’s historic ambience, our stay was made
30-day visit to the USSR. highly satisfying by modern bathrooms,
Mr. Nixon’s luck, however, did not comfortable beds, coffee makers, a micro-
hold in Moscow, where his request to wave and quiet surroundings.
visit his old pal Khrushchev was turned If one seeks historical and cultural
down flat. He had no better luck two enrichment, we highly recommend a stay
years later, as described in Jonathan Rick- at DACOR Bacon House.
ert’s amusing recollection. Linda Mills Sipprelle
And they say history never repeats FSO, retired
itself! Princeton, New Jersey n
Harrison Sherwood
FSO, retired
Longstanton, Cambridgeshire, Submit letters to the editor:
England journal@afsa.org
12 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALLETTERS-PLUS
RESPONSES TO DECEMBER FOCUS,
“A Conversation with Ambassador Edward J. Perkins: 2020 Recipient
of the AFSA Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy”
Remembering My Mentor
and Dear Friend
BY STACY D. WI L L I A M S
M
any of you have learned When I first joined the State Depart-
of the passing of Ambas- ment in 1997, my many mentors within
sador Edward J. Perkins TLG always pointed to two successful and
in November. Dr. Martin consummate professionals who came
Luther King Jr. noted before them: Career Ambassador Terence
that longevity has its place. Amb. Per- A. Todman and Ambassador Edward J.
kins lived an incredible life during his 92 Perkins. Little did I know that I would be
COURTESY OF STACY D. WILLIAMS
years with us. fortunate enough to have both men take
Some point to the need to mourn the a real interest in me. They were always
loss of this gentle giant. I, in turn, see the present and took an active role in guiding
importance of celebrating the gain we my efforts to forge a successful career
received through his wisdom, experi- path. They supported my multifaceted
Ambassador Edward J. Perkins and
ence, presence and the profound impact Stacy Williams celebrate the Thursday initiatives to elevate and advance the goals
he made on all of us. He was a godfather, Luncheon Group’s 45th anniversary at of the Thursday Luncheon Group as the
the State Department in 2018.
colleague and friend to me for much of group’s president.
my adult life. Luncheon Group as a founding member. I first met Amb. Perkins shortly after
In life we must recognize certain As I celebrate my 50th milestone in a few the release of his autobiography, Mr.
symbols. I am from Shreveport, Loui- years, so will TLG. Ambassador: Warrior for Peace (Uni-
siana. Amb. Perkins grew up on a farm In 2007, TLG honored Amb. Perkins— versity of Oklahoma Press, 2006). My
in Monroe, Louisiana, about 1.5 hours author, dynamic leader, mentor, motivator, job within TLG was to greet him at the
from my home. We agreed that from promoter of excellence, transformational airport, transport him to the Army Navy
where we started in life, it was highly diplomat—with its Pioneer Award. It was Club and, the following day, drive him
unlikely that we would both enjoy given in recognition of his outstanding to Fort Myer, Virginia, for his book sign-
careers at the State Department. My service as a professional diplomat and his ing. As any curious individual would do,
childhood home’s numerical address leadership as ambassador to South Africa I read every page of his book in advance
was 1407. I sent many holiday cards to and to the United Nations during times of of our encounter and learned that he
Amb. Perkins at his Washington, D.C., great crisis. had served as ambassador to Liberia,
apartment, which was also 1407. The award also recognized his cham- South Africa, the United Nations and
But the most profound connection pioning, as the first African American Australia.
was that I was born in 1973—the same Director General of the Foreign Service, I learned about his work as Director
year that Amb. Perkins was busy set- the creation of a Department of State that General, initiating the Thomas R. Picker-
ting the stage to establish the Thursday reflects the diversity of America. ing Fellowship to increase diversity within
And TLG saluted the ambassador’s the Foreign Service as prescribed by the
Stacy D. Williams is chair of the Diversity service at the University of Oklahoma, Foreign Service Act of 1980. This program
Council in the State Department’s Bureau of where he continued to cultivate and served, in turn, as the model for establish-
Western Hemisphere Affairs. He has served as mentor a new generation of foreign ment of the Charles Rangel program. For
president of the Thursday Luncheon Group. affairs professionals. many years, Amb. Perkins was always pres-
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 13ent to welcome each group of Pickering
and Rangel Fellows during annual recep- Remembering Ambassador
tions co-hosted by TLG and the Associa-
tion of Black American Ambassadors.
Perkins in His Hometown
What captured my attention was
the fact that when he was assigned as BY NIE LS M ARQUARDT
K
ambassador to South Africa, apartheid
had a firm hold on the country; but udos to AFSA both for hon- At present, about one-third of Lewis
shortly after his departure from Pretoria, oring Ambassador Edward & Clark’s 2,000 students are people of
apartheid ended. Speaking with him, J. Perkins this year with color, representing significant progress
I tried to connect the idea that he was a Lifetime Achievement since Ed Perkins’ pathbreaking, early
responsible in some profound way for Award, and for the wonder- days on campus!
this paradigm shift within the country. ful interview with him (December FSJ). For more detailed information about
He simply said, “I had a great team. We With his sad passing on Nov. 7, it was this initiative, and to make tax-deductible
had a mission and had some success,” and timely and fitting to see him so honored contributions online, go to: https://bit.ly/
then he went on to a different subject. That as the trailblazer he was. LewisandClark-initiative.
was a profound insight for me, because I I am writing now to make readers The second idea we discussed was
learned that President Ronald Reagan had aware of activities intended to honor and renaming Jefferson High School after
given Amb. Perkins the rare opportunity to remember Amb. Perkins here in Port- Amb. Perkins. While we are not advo-
create policy on the ground given the deli- land, Oregon, his former hometown. He cating this, it seems obvious that having
cate situation in the country and height- graduated from Portland’s Jefferson High Oregon’s only majority African Ameri-
ened interest in the U.S. Congress. School and first attended college at the can high school named after a lifetime
My meeting with Amb. Perkins would city’s Lewis & Clark College. slaveholder—however distinguished he
be the beginning of a remarkable relation- Several months ago, I was privileged may be otherwise—may be offensive to
ship that informed my decision to become to speak by telephone with him, to make some.
a servant leader as Amb. Perkins modeled sure that he was personally on board with It, therefore, seems quite possible that
in his own life’s work. My mission has our efforts here to secure his local legacy. the Portland Public School Board may
been, and continues to be, to build on the He enthusiastically endorsed both ideas decide to rename the school. If they do,
solid foundation he established. One of we discussed. there is a strong argument for renam-
my proudest moments occurred during The first was to create an “Ambassador ing it after the man who is arguably the
TLG’s 40th anniversary event when, in Edward J. Perkins Speaker Series” at Lewis school’s most distinguished graduate,
his remarks, Amb. Perkins recognized my & Clark. We aim to offer annual lectures Amb. Perkins.
mother and acknowledged my work as TLG in his honor by renowned international Any reader who wishes to register sup-
president: https://bit.ly/Perkins-video. affairs scholars and practitioners. port for this idea may send a short email
I hope this short narrative conveys Lewis & Clark is a small, liberal arts to PPS Board Member Amy Kohnstamm:
my appreciation for Amb. Perkins’ college with a focus on international akohnstamm@pps.net.
targeted efforts to invest in others, his affairs, diversity and inclusion, and the With these efforts we hope that Amb.
interest in building strong societies as a environment and sustainability. It also Perkins’ remarkable life and distinguished
public servant, and his commitment to offers one of the oldest and strongest career will also be remembered here in
excellence in international affairs. I am, overseas study programs of any college Oregon, where so much of it began. n
indeed, most grateful for having shared in America.
many meaningful years with this giant Find the interview with Ambassador
of a figure who was recognized this Niels Marquardt is the first diplomat-in- Perkins, conducted shortly before his
year with the American Foreign Service residence at Lewis & Clark College in Port- death, in the December Journal. For his
Association’s Award for Lifetime Contri- land, Oregon. During a 33-year diplomatic obituary, see page 86.
butions to American Diplomacy. n career, he served as ambassador twice.
14 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALTALKING POINTS
The Transition Begins
T he head of President-elect Joe
Biden’s State Department Transi-
tion Team “is pushing to revitalize the
agency and make it more diverse,” NPR
reported on Nov. 18.
Former Assistant Secretary of State for
African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield
leads the State Department Transition
Team. She has also been selected as the
incoming Biden administration pick for
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,
which will be a Cabinet position.
Ambassadors (ret.) Thomas-Green-
field and William Burns argue in an
article for the November/December
Foreign Affairs that “the United States
GETTY IMAGES/CHANDAN KHANNA
needs a top-to-bottom diplomatic
surge. … The Trump administration’s
unilateral diplomatic disarmament is a
reminder that it is much easier to break
than to build. The country doesn’t have
the luxury of waiting for a generational Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, deliv-
replenishment, marking time as new ers remarks at the Nov. 24 event in Wilmington, Delaware, where the president-elect
announced his nominees for Cabinet-level positions in diplomacy and national security.
recruits slowly work their way up the
ranks.”
Among other familiar names on the On Nov. 23, the General Services Biden’s national security nominees
transition team: Ambassadors (ret.) Administration informed President- promised changes from the past four years.
Nancy McEldowney, Michael Guest and elect Biden that the formal transition “We have to proceed with equal
Roberta Jacobson. On Dec. 3, Kamala process could begin. measures of humility and confidence,”
Harris announced Amb. McEldowney as Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee to
the pick for national security adviser to Biden Promises New be Secretary of State, said at the event.
the vice president. Heading the USAID Foreign Policy Era “Humility because, as the president-elect
transition team is Linda Etim, former
USAID assistant administrator.
“The most important confidence-
“T ogether, these public servants
will restore America globally,
its global leadership and its moral lead-
said, we can’t solve all the world’s prob-
lems alone. We need to be working with
other countries. We need their coopera-
building step will be to have a president ership,” Biden said as he introduced tion. We need their partnership. But also
with a Secretary of State who trusts the his national security team to the confidence, because America at its best
professionals and empowers them to nation on Nov. 24 in Wilmington, still has a greater ability than any other
do their jobs, instead of a daily dose of Delaware. country on earth to bring others together
contempt,” Thomas Countryman told “It’s a team that reflects the fact that to meet the challenges of our time.”
the Los Angeles Times. Countryman, the America is back, ready to lead the world, “And that’s where the men and women
former top arms control official, was not retreat from it. Once again sit at the of the State Department, Foreign Service
dismissed at the same time as Amb. head of the table. Ready to confront our officers, Civil Service, that’s where they
Thomas-Greenfield at the start of the adversaries and not reject our allies. come in,” added Blinken, who served as
Trump administration. Ready to stand up for our values.” Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 15“While our country has had some
Contemporary Quote excellent ambassadors from outside
the ranks of the career Foreign Service,
The team meets this moment, this team behind me. They embody
over the past few decades, an increasing
my core beliefs that America is strongest when it works with its
number of nominees have few credentials
allies. Collectively, this team has secured some of the most defining
national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory, but have made large campaign contribu-
made possible through decades of experience working with our partners. tions,” Kaine told the magazine.
That’s how we truly keep America safe without engaging in needless “This bill will require presidents to
military conflicts, and our adversaries in check, and terrorists at bay. justify their noncareer nominees by citing
—President-elect Joe Biden, announcing his national security team on Nov. 24. their specific relevant skills and allow
greater oversight and accountability of
these appointees.”
2017. “I’ve witnessed their passion, their right to rejoin Paris on day one. And you’re Former diplomats and experts who
energy, their courage up close. I’ve seen right to recognize that Paris alone is not track ambassadorships told Foreign Policy
what they do to keep us safe, to make us enough. At the global meeting in Glasgow, that “the bill would represent one of the
more prosperous. I’ve seen them add one year from now, all nations must most significant reforms in four decades.”
luster to a word that deserves our respect, raise ambition together, or we will all fail Out of President Donald Trump’s 189
diplomacy. If confirmed, it will be the together. And failure is not an option.” ambassadorial appointments, 81 (or 43
honor of my life to help guide them.” Vice President–elect Kamala Harris percent) have been political, according to
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Green- said a top priority of the Biden admin- the AFSA Ambassador Tracker.
field is Biden’s pick for U.S. ambassador istration will be to get the COVID-19 Between 1953 and 2008, 32 percent of
to the United Nations (which will again pandemic under control. ambassador appointees were political,
be elevated to a Cabinet position). “On “Our challenge here is a necessary according to research by Ambassador
this day, I’m thinking about the American foundation for restoring and advancing (ret.) Dennis Jett.
people, my fellow career diplomats and our leadership around the world,” she Kaine’s bill would require the State
public servants around the world,” she said. “And we are ready for that work. We Department to publish financial disclo-
said at the press conference. “I want to will need to reassemble and renew Amer- sures on political donations going back
say to you, ‘America is back. Multilateral- ica’s alliances, rebuild and strengthen the 10 years, Foreign Policy reports.
ism is back. Diplomacy is back.’” national security and foreign policy insti- Presidential administrations would
“The challenges we face—a global tutions that keep us safe and advance our also be required to outline an ambas-
pandemic, the global economy, the nation’s interests.” sadorial candidate’s language skills and
global climate crisis, mass migration and Biden also nominated Jake Sullivan, knowledge of the country to which he or
extreme poverty, social justice—are unre- who served previously as director of she is appointed.
lenting and interconnected, but they’re policy planning at State and as national
not unresolvable if America is leading the security adviser to Vice President Biden, AAD Advocates
way,” she added. as his national security adviser. 13 Steps on Diversity
Biden, who has pledged to rejoin the
Paris Agreement on climate change, nomi-
nated former Secretary of State John Kerry
Scaling Back Pay-to-Play
Ambassadorships?
I n a Dec. 1 press release signed by
Ambassadors (ret.) Thomas Pickering
and Ronald Neumann, the American
as a special envoy on climate. Kerry will be
a Cabinet-level official and will sit on the
National Security Council, underscoring
S enator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) has intro-
duced a bill—S4849, the Ambassador
Oversight and Transparency Act—that
Academy of Diplomacy urged the State
Department to take “specific steps” to
“foster a climate of inclusion, increase
the Biden administration’s commitment to seeks to curb the number of political accountability and transform the U.S.
fighting climate change. appointees being slotted into ambas- diplomatic service to a more competitive
“To end this crisis, the whole world sadorships, Foreign Policy magazine service truly representing the nation.”
must come together,” Kerry said. “You’re reported on Oct. 26. The steps are, in summary:
16 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL1. Establish a senior-level (assistant 50 Years Ago
secretary or above) Chief Diversity and
Inclusion Officer, reporting directly to the
Secretary of State, with adequate budget Toward A Modern Diplomacy
and staff to coordinate action across the
department.
2. Require a deputy assistant secretary
T he first stage of the reform movement within
the foreign affairs community is complete.
The process began in 1968 with the publica-
(DAS) in each bureau and the deputy tion by AFSA of “Toward a Modern Diplomacy.”
chief of mission (DCM) at post to be Secretaries Rogers and Macomber have
responsible for diversity and inclusion in responded with great perception and courage
coordination with the CDIO. to this unprecedented desire for self reform.
3. Add “advancement of diversity and The 13 task forces have studied the problems
inclusion” to the core precepts for evalua- faced by the foreign affairs community in a new
tion and promotion. decade and have submitted their recommendations to
4. Explore the use of gender/ethnic the Secretary. The first phase of reform is realized; the second, and more
neutral anonymous procedures by pro- difficult, is about to begin.
motion panels. The second phase requires translation of the task forces’ recommenda-
5. Include “significant advancement tions into practice. It will not be easy. Fundamental changes are always discon-
of diversity and inclusion” as criteria for certing and sometimes even painful; indeed the level of pain may mirror the
Senior Performance Pay and Presidential success of reform.
Awards. —Foreign Service Journal Editorial of the same title, February 1971 FSJ.
6. Include specific language on
officer’s record of actively promoting
diversity and inclusion in mandatory 360
review process for all assignments for address internal misperceptions about U.S.-Europe Relationship
supervisory officers. the Fellowship program. Forever Changed?
7. Strengthen accountability measures
for supervisors and managers.
8. Require bureaus, DCMs and the D
12. Maintain a 50 percent increase
in the annual number of Pickering and
Rangel Fellows.
I n a Nov. 16 interview, the European
Union’s top diplomat, Joseph Borrell,
told Time magazine that four years of
Committees to report (twice a year to the 13. Ensure that the assessor teams in turmoil under President Donald Trump
Secretary via the CDIO) the demographic the Board of Examiners have participants “has left Europeans with a lasting sense
data on all candidates considered and from underrepresented communities. that U.S. support is not necessarily
chosen for key positions. The detailed AAD proposals follow on dependable.”
9. Include an assessment of the nomi- the association’s June 9 presentation of “You will never rewind history,” said
nee’s track record in advancing diversity five general recommendations. Borrell, the E.U.’s vice president and chief
and inclusion in the Certificates of Com- The State Department’s now widely of foreign affairs. “Trump has been a kind
petency required for all ambassadors. acknowledged failure to cultivate a truly of awakening. And I think we should stay
10. Establish an internal certificate diverse workforce was the subject of a awake. We cannot say ‘oh Trump is no
of competency for DAS/DCM/principal January 2020 Government Accountability longer there, we can go back to our previ-
officer and other senior positions that Office report (GAO-20-237). ous state of mind.’”
includes an assessment of leadership It was also the topic of an Oct. 29 Time reported that while most of the
skills in promoting diversity and inclu- virtual panel discussion at Georgetown 27 E.U. leaders have sent public mes-
sion. University’s Institute for the Study of sages of goodwill to the incoming Biden
11. Convene a group of senior FSOs Diplomacy chaired by ISD Director administration, E.U. officials behind the
who began their careers as Pickering and Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine scenes “have also warned of the need to
Rangel Fellows to develop proposals to (see https://bit.ly/state-diversity). remain cautious about the United States,
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 17given that Trump’s trenchant nationalist a future U.S. administration leaving the goals require the United States and
views clearly have strong support among pact again. other countries to revise assumptions
Americans.” Further, a political risk consultancy and develop a new strategic doctrine to
“What led to the election of Donald firm, the Eurasia Group, said in a note address the primacy and magnitude of
Trump four years ago remains,” French to investors on Nov. 17 that the Biden the China challenge.”
Minister of State for European Affairs administration will find it difficult to The report consists of three sections
Clément Beaune said Nov. 13 at the abandon the stiff sanctions President analyzing China’s conduct, the intel-
Paris Peace Forum, a virtual meeting of Trump imposed on Iran. lectual sources of China’s conduct and
world leaders and diplomats. “This kind China’s vulnerabilities, as well as a short
of discomfort of globalization, this fear The U.S. and Asia concluding section, “Securing Freedom,”
of China, this concern about multilater-
alism, remain.”
Borrell told Time he believes that
O n Nov. 20, the State Department
Office of Policy Planning released
“The Elements of the China Challenge,” a
which outlines 10 steps the United States
should take to meet the challenge.
“Meeting the China challenge
divisions between the United States and 74-page report on China. requires the United States to return to
Europe “could come to a head” over Iran “The Trump administration achieved the fundamentals,” the paper argues,
and China early in the Biden presidency. a fundamental break with the con- including rejuvenation of U.S. constitu-
While President-elect Biden has said ventional wisdom,” the paper’s intro- tional democracy, strong alliances and
he will rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, duction states. “It concluded that the development of “sturdy policies that
Borrell said that will be a challenge, in CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] stand above bureaucratic squabbles and
part because signatories will be wary of resolute conduct and self-professed interagency turf battles and transcend
short-term election cycles. The United
Site of the Month States’ overarching aim should be to
Our World in Data: ourworldindata.org secure freedom.”
Meanwhile, President Trump
snubbed Asian counterparts by failing
F rom poverty and disease to
climate change and inequality,
making progress against the world’s
to participate in two key Asia-related
virtual summits in mid-November.
Neither Trump nor any Cabinet-
largest problems is the focus of Our level officials participated in the recent
World in Data. Association for Southeast Asian Nations
Operated by researchers at the (ASEAN) or the East Asian Summit.
United Kingdom’s University of Oxford profiles featuring coronavirus statis- China signed a trade pact with 14 other
and the Global Change Data Lab, the tics that are updated every day. Asian countries that same weekend.
website features 3,100 charts across “We believe that a key reason why Derek Mitchell, former U.S. ambas-
nearly 300 topics. All are free and we fail to achieve the progress we are sador to Myanmar, told Washington Post
open source. The site covers trends in capable of is that we do not make columnist Josh Rogin: “It’s really a trav-
health, food provision, income growth enough use of this existing research esty, and it undermines all the Trump
and distribution, violence, rights, wars, and data: the important knowledge is administration’s pretensions of having
energy use, education and environ- often stored in inaccessible databases, a thoughtful and strategic approach to
mental changes, among others. locked away behind paywalls and bur- the China challenge. If you are seeking
Our World in Data created a data- ied under jargon in academic papers,” to demonstrate you are a resident power
base on testing for COVID-19 that is according to the team behind the web- in Asia in competition with China, you
used by the United Nations, the World site. “The goal of our work is to make need to act like it.” n
Health Organization and the White the knowledge on the big problems This edition of Talking Points was
House. The site features 207 country accessible and understandable.” compiled by Cameron Woodworth and
Shawn Dorman.
18 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALFOCUS
THE FUTURE OF THE
FOREIGN SERVICE
A Discussion with Nicholas Burns,
Marc Grossman & Marcie Ries
A
PHIL FOSTER
FSA was delighted to host a conversa- AFSA President Eric Rubin: Welcome. We’re going to have
tion on Nov. 19 with the co-authors of a over 400 members joining us, and that’s fantastic. We’re very
new report from the Harvard Kennedy lucky to have with us, presenting the key conclusions of the report
School’s Belfer Center for Science and and taking questions from our members, three of our most distin-
International Affairs, “A U.S. Diplomatic guished veteran diplomats who have been leading this effort.
Service for the 21st Century.” With 476 They are Ambassador Nicholas Burns, the Goodman family
people attending on Zoom, AFSA Presi- professor of the practice of diplomacy and international relations
dent Eric Rubin facilitated the discussion at the Kennedy School at Harvard, a retired Foreign Service offi-
with Ambassadors (ret.) Nicholas Burns, Marc Grossman and cer and former under secretary of State for political affairs, former
Marcie Ries, who presented the 10 recommendations made in the ambassador to NATO and to Greece, and a real thinker about the
report and then took questions for about 45 minutes. The speak- Foreign Service.
ers gave credit to Ambassador (ret.) Nancy McEldowney as a big The second is Ambassador Marc Grossman, currently with
part of the thinking behind the study. She was invited to join the The Cohen Group in Washington, who also served as under sec-
Biden transition before the report was completed. The follow- retary of State for political affairs, Director General of the Foreign
ing is excerpted from the transcript of the event. Find the entire Service and director of human resources, assistant secretary of
discussion at https://bit.ly/FutureFS-event. State for European affairs and U.S. ambassador to Turkey, as well
as our special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Our third co-chair is Ambassador Marcie Ries, a senior fellow
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 19at the Belfer Center’s Future of Diplomacy Project and a senior Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton; with two former
adviser at the Foreign Service Institute’s School of Leadership CIA directors; and two former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.
and Management, who served for 37 years in the Foreign Service We learned much from all of them. We believe there’s a possibility
and is a three-time chief of mission. of a bipartisan consensus that State needs to be strengthened.
This is a moment in history where we have a chance to We wanted to reach out to citizens, too, because after all,
rebuild, reshape, redirect, reform the Foreign Service for the 21st everything we do in government is on behalf of the citizens of the
century. Some might argue we’re 20 years late. I would agree with United States. And we met with more than 800 people in World
that assessment, but I also believe that better late than never is a Affairs Council meetings.
very important principle in life, and it’s time to get going on this.
And I believe most of our members agree. ACTION #1—REDEFINE THE MISSION
Ambassador Nicholas Burns: What we want to do today is Ambassador Nicholas Burns: Recommendation number
present our argument that the United States needs to invest more one: The new president, Joe Biden, and the new Congress, Repub-
in the State Department and lift up diplomacy. Let me just tell you licans and Democrats, should work together on a bipartisan basis
a little bit why we conducted this project. We’ve been concerned to define a new 21st-century mission and a new mandate for the
for years that the State Department is underfunded; that it hasn’t Foreign and Civil Service.
had, maybe especially in recent years, adequate leadership; that We think the State Department should be restored to play
diplomacy in effect has been sidelined since 9/11 by respective a major part in policymaking in Washington, D.C. State’s been
administrations, not just the Trump administration; and that if we sidelined in many respects from that role. The State Department,
could do something to help the current Foreign Service officers, our embassies and consulates—275 of them around the world—
specialists and civil servants, we wanted to do that. are the lead executors of any administration’s foreign policy. Also
We argue in this report that the United States needs a stronger restore the role of our ambassadors as the president’s personal
Foreign Service, a more high-performing Foreign Service. In representative and the leader of the country team in embassies
other words, a more effective Foreign Service. And we also argue around the world, because that role is being undercut in many
that as President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President–elect Kamala parts of the world.
Harris prepare to take office, diplomacy is going to be a more
important tool in the American national security arsenal. ACTION #2—REVISE THE
If we have to end the war in Afghanistan, American diplomats FOREIGN SERVICE ACT
will end the war at the negotiating table as they are trying to do Ambassador Marc Grossman: The second recommendation
now. If we’re going to deal with these very difficult competitor, is to revise the Foreign Service Act. I’ll give you five reasons that,
adversarial countries, China and Russia, we’re going to have to in the end, we decided that it was time now to see if we could get
have diplomats at the table, in our embassies and consulates a new Foreign Service Act.
deployed to deal with them. First, 40 years is a long time since 1980. We honor the people
Once in a generation, you have to look within yourself in a ser- who brought that Foreign Service Act of 1980 into being, but
vice like the military or intelligence community, or like the State there’s been an enormous amount of change since then.
Department, the Foreign Service and Civil Service. And you’ve got Second, there are principles that we believe should move
to be honest about your failures, honest about what’s not working. unchanged from the act from 40 years ago to today—a career
And you’ve got to commit to reform. in Foreign Service, a nonpolitical Foreign Service, criteria for
We held 40 workshops and met with more than 200 people. We ambassadors, up-or-out, worldwide availability, peer review, all
talked to lots of active-duty Foreign Service officers at the entry the things that are so important to that 1980 Act.
level, at the midlevel, at the senior level; we talked to specialists, Third, we listened carefully to our colleagues in the military,
we talked to civil servants, and we talked with high-level military who said: “If you don’t get this in writing, if it isn’t in legislation,
and intelligence colleagues. And, of course, we’ve reached out to you will never succeed at doing this over the long term.”
members of Congress, Republican members of the Senate and Fourth, this is the foundation for so many of the other recom-
House, Democratic members of the Senate and House, and staff mendations that we’ve made.
members of the important committees. We met with senior State And fifth, very importantly, we’ve found a very great reservoir
Department officials; with Secretaries Madeleine Albright, Colin of people on Capitol Hill and in our community, as well, who
20 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALYou can also read
