2008: The Way We Were in Bullet Points

• Foggy Bottom tweet show
  
  
• Multiconfessional democracy
  
  
• Popularity contest
  
  
• Stand the test of time
  
  
• Iraqi Tax
  
  
• War Supplemental
  
  
• Stretched
  
  
• Unfunded mandates
  
  
• Stepping up to the plate
  
  
• Forward deployed
  
  
• Tired old quotes
  
  
• Prime candidate
  
  
• Expeditionary
  
  
• Directed assignment
  
  
• Global Repositioning
  
  
• Transformational Diplomacy
  
  
• Quote/Unquote
  aka: air quotes
  
  

Can it be that the world is self-selecting then?
Or has time transformed every mind?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? could we? should we?

\~/ Stay safe, have fun, I’ll see you next year!

Insider Quote: What We Need to Know

Wretchedness is a good teacher, though, and gradually something happened. When Ahmed, the impoverished student cramming under my streetlight, confided colorful details about Islamist movements at his university, when Mohammed the biologist discoursed on overexploitation of fish stocks, and when a royal third cousin gossiped about companies controlled by His Sherifian Majesty, it was not because my French accent had improved (though it had), but because I was no longer a stranger.

Diplomats must persuade non-English-speaking politicians to take the risk of telling us what we need to know rather than what we want to hear.

John Brady Kiesling
Why Don't We Talk Anymore?
Utne Reader March / April 2007

Why the Legacy Tours? Rutherford B. Hayes Memorial BP Station

Photo from Diplopundit's Archive
cca-nc-nd/3.0

Ever wondered why our elected leaders and very important folks go on legacy tours/interviews or even write their own books? Or have their surrogates defend their record, spin us if needed to shore up their legacy?

I've always thought that this has to do with claiming their "correct" place in history, but in a visit to Ohio in 1999, a much simpler reason surfaced and gave me a better appreciation of this legacy shoring up business. In Delaware, Ohio – specifically on #17 E. William Street.

Downtown, on US 36/William Street, a half-block east of Sandusky Street, there is a plaque on the north side, directly in front of the BP station. The plaque marks the birthplace of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19^th President of the United States, now a gas station owned by British Petroleum.

Joe Mcelwee on Paying homage to a land of presidents did this same route in 2004:

Dozens of gas stations are operated in this bustling community, but I looked for the BP station on East William Street. Adjacent to the pumps stood a monument behind a phone booth flanked by bushes. Etchings on the slab indicated that Rutherford B. Hayes was born here in 1822. I filled my tank and headed inside.

“People stop here to see the president’s birthplace?” I asked the clerk. He studied me from behind the counter.

“Nope. They just want gas.”

“What happened to Hayes’ house?” I asked.

He shrugged.

The Washington Pugilist (December 19, 2008) recaps history for many of us who may not remember:

“In one of the most controversial presidential elections in the nation's history, the Democratic candidate won the nation's popular vote but lost the election. Everyone remembers the details; a Florida election that was "too close to call;" accusations of fraud and the destruction of Democratic ballots; and southern blacks forced at gunpoint to the ballot boxes to vote Republican. Don't remember that last part, you say?

Well, you can't be blamed for forgetting the 1876 election of Rutherford B. Hayes. His somber, bearded face adorns no currencies or mountainsides, nor are there famous national monuments in his honor. His homestead, in Delaware, Ohio was demolished, so that a gas station could be erected. The birthplace of our nation’s 20th 19th president is now marked only by a modest memorial plaque, standing with humility and honor in the parking lot of a BP."

And so – can you really blame the living for their legacy tours, interviews, forthcoming books, centers, temples of worship, er libraries, and whatever else is in their “no BP station preventive insurance” checklist?

The Rutherford B. Hayes Memorial BP Station stands in great contrast to the memorials made in his name in the small country of Paraguay where he is still revered as a great hero. Paraguayans celebrate a holiday in President Hayes's honor, named a city, department or province, soccer team, sports club, national holiday, and museum for him. He is reportedly also commemorated in textbooks, monuments and folklore. Why? Our 19th President was the arbitrator in a boundary dispute between Paraguay and Argentina after the War of the Triple Alliance where Paraguay suffered some 300,000 military and civilian casualties in 1864 - 1870.

On November 10, U.S. Ambassador Liliana Ayalde participated in a ceremony at the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to introduce a new Paraguayan stamp that pays homage to President Rutherford B. Hayes and the 130th anniversary of the Chaco territory arbitration in which President Hayes decided in Paraguay’s favor.

Bill Clinton already has a boulevard named after him in Priština; a Clinton statue is also in the works. Kosovo Albanian authorities have also recently decided to name one of the main streets in Priština after outgoing U.S. President George Bush. Listening to these legacy talks fill one's head with endless wonder - what will the natives build in Afghanistan and Iraq?


I am, of course, curious if the "no BP station preventive insurance” plan also has global coverage.

PSA: Ballpark Figure Needed for London

Winfield House, State Department Photo

Somebody in Georgia is interested in the ambassador’s gig in London, and the following search phrase kept landing in this blog:

“insider what does an ambassador have to spend at court of st james's”

Insider’s initial response: Like J. P. Morgan says, “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.”

Insider’s less snarky response after I’ve had coffee – I’ll ask around.

Can't say how much you spend as top diplomat in London representing the United States at the Court of St. James. But over in Rome, our man there did 220 dinners, lunches and receptions since 2006, which amounts to some 6 representational functions per month. I'm quite sure he has spent out of pocket, just can't say how much out of pocket or, if one gets a tax deduction for spending on behalf of Uncle Sam (best consult a professional on the tax thingy).

If anyone out there has ever been an Ambassador to the Court of St. James and has Winfield House as your digs, would you please let us know? I think a ball park figure would be much appreciated.

Insider Quote: On Why You Need an Escape Clause

The couples I see with the most success are the ones with an escape clause. Before they even fill out their first form, they sit down and say, “We’ll give it a fair shot for two years, if either of us is unhappy we’ll go home.” Truth is, life as an FS spouse can be stifling. There aren’t a whole lot of outlets or opportunities, just the endless rounds of Embassy life. So don’t enter into a Foreign Service marriage unless you’ve got a commitment that you can go home if you aren't happy.

Shannon Stamey
Ex-Wife of a U.S. Diplomat
August 29, 2007 │A Cautionary Tale

DS: I think this piece should be required reading for all those contemplating life in the Foreign Service but most especially if you are the accompanying spouse or partner. An escape clause is a wise counsel, please write it down.

The Hard Lessons of the Meandering Memos

© Jupiter Images

As planning for the invasion went forward, the Departments of Defense and State produced remarkably similar assessments of what could go wrong. In October 2002, Secretary Rumsfeld and his aides wrote a "Parade of Horribles" memo discussing 29 possible catastrophes. In retrospect, the memo proved remarkably prescient. Number thirteen was not finding weapons of mass destruction...

In mid- December, Secretary Powell received a twelve-page warning—co-authored by Ryan Crocker, eventual Ambassador to Iraq—titled "The Perfect Storm." This memo presciently warned that the struggle for dominance after the fall of Saddam would likely inspire violent clashes between and among Iraq's sects, tribes, and ethnic factions, possibly leading to the country's fragmentation.

Neither the "Parade of Horribles" nor "The Perfect Storm" memos were shared with the National Security Council's Executive Steering Group on Iraq and neither Rumsfeld nor Powell summarized the concerns they raised for officials working on day-to-day Iraq planning

Oct. 2002
Hard Lessons, Chapter 1 pg. 13
From ProPublica

Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience
The draft of a federal report by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. Annotations are based on the review's findings. The draft was provided to reporters at The New York Times and ProPublica by two people outside the Inspector General's office who have read the draft.

The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) is the successor to the Coalition Provisional Authority Office of Inspector General (CPA-IG). SIGIR was created in October 2004 by a congressional amendment to Public Law 108-106 (55KB PDF), triggered by the June 28, 2004, dissolution of the CPA.

You can read online the 508-page draft report here.

Foreign Service Blogger Index

photo from wikimedia commons

I just published the “Foreign Service Blogger Index,” page currently listing 99 blogs by Foreign Service officers, specialists, family members and a couple by ex-FS members. Most blogs are open and accessible to anyone but a few are restricted to invited readers only (those blogs are marked on the list). The index will be updated regularly and the link to it will be permanently posted in the Foreign Service Blogs in the left hand column of this blog. If I missed your blog please let me know.

I have also moved my collection of Think-Tanks and FS Organizational Resources from the left hand column to a web page accessible here. The link will be permanently listed under Web Links in the left hand column of this blog.

Finally, a new addition to my links – is a collection of Leadership & Organizational Life blogs and resources online and an updated Online News and Magazine collection, both appearing in the left hand column of this blog. I hope this pruning helps you get around here better.

Update: 12/26
AFSA has put together a Foreign Service Blogger Index recently. I have decided to no longer update my blogger index which I have pulled down shortly after Madam le Consul's The Consul Files was shut down.

Video of the Week: Learned on the Firing Line

Leadership Lessons Learned on the Firing Line
Anne M. Mulcahy
November 9, 2006
Running Time: 55:02

Anne M. Mulcahy was named CEO of Xerox in 2001, and chairman in 2002. She previously served as president and chief operating officer, and president of Xerox's General Markets Operations. Mulcahy began at Xerox as a field sales representative in 1976, and progressed into senior management positions, including vice president for human resources. She subsequently served as vice president and staff officer for Customer Operations. Mulcahy earned a B.A. in English/Journalism from Marymount College in 1974. She is a member of the boards of directors for Citigroup Inc. and Target Corporation, among others.

Mulcahy has drawn a number of lessons from her harrowing turnaround tale. Leaders must “listen with a bias toward responding,” even during prosperous times, so they can learn about deep-seated problems and jump on them proactively. This means seeking out critics for “the straight scoop.” Simplify the corporate structure and communicate “a few clear priorities” – in person, if possible. She notes that previous Xerox managers had relied on a “classic, Powerpoint slide solution to organizational effectiveness” but it “was a nightmare when you went around the world and couldn’t find anybody who had clear responsibility for anything.” Make sure you’ve got the right people for the right jobs -- diversify and make sure to hire “people who are different and smarter than you are, with skills you don’t have.” And if the organization is struggling or failing, articulate a vision of the future that employees and customers can buy into. Finally, lead with humility. Great leaders burn with ambition for their companies, not for themselves.

MIT World is a free and open site that provides on demand video of significant public events at MIT. MIT World's video index contains more than 500 videos. Browse the Videos

TelCons: Have Teeth, Will Bite

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The National Security Archive, an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University posted on December 23 the Kissinger Telephone Conversations: A Verbatim Record of U.S. Diplomacy, 1969-1977. The entire transcripts are available here but you need a ProQuest account to read.

The Archive says that “The transcript of the April 15, 1972, phone conversation is one of over 15,500 documents in a unique, comprehensively-indexed set of the telephone conversations (telcons) of Henry A. Kissinger—perhaps the most famous and controversial U.S. official of the second half of the 20th century. Unbeknownst to the rest of the U.S. government, Kissinger secretly taped his incoming and outgoing phone conversations and had his secretary transcribe them. After destroying the tapes, Kissinger took the transcripts with him when he left office in January 1977, claiming they were “private papers.” In 2001, the National Security Archive initiated legal proceedings to force the government to recover the telcons, and used the freedom of information act to obtain the declassification of most of them. After a three year project to catalogue and index the transcripts, which total over 30,000 pages, this on-line collection was published by the Digital National Security Archive (ProQuest) this week.”

And here’s the part that should give every bureaucrat pause, “Kissinger never intended these papers to be made public, according to William Burr, senior analyst at the National Security Archive, who edited the collection, Kissinger Telephone Conversations: A Verbatim Record of U.S. Diplomacy, 1969-1977. “Kissinger’s conversations with the most influential personalities of the world rank right up there with the Nixon tapes as the most candid, revealing and valuable trove of records on the exercise of executive power in Washington,” Burr stated. For reporters, scholars, and students, Burr noted, “Kissinger created a gift to history that will be a tremendous primary source for generations to come.” He called on the State Department to declassify over 800 additional telcons that it continues to withhold on the grounds of executive privilege.”

What you do, say or write is public record, whether you like it or not. Some 29 transcripts are posted in the NSA website in PDF format. Below is a couple that most probably did not make into Mr. Kissinger’s books:

III. After the “Halloween Massacre”: Secretary of State Only

Documents 24A and B: “The Guy That Cut Me up Inside this Building Isn’t Going to Cut Me Up Any Less in Defense”

A. With New York Times columnist James Reston,
3 November 1975 (pdf)
B. With Treasury Secretary William Simon,
3 November 1975 (pdf)

A few days earlier, Kissinger learned that President Ford had shaken up his cabinet: Kissinger was fired as national security adviser, replaced by his deputy Brent Scowcroft; James Schlesinger was fired as Secretary of Defense, replaced by White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld, and William Colby was to leave the CIA, with George H.W. Bush taking his job. Engineered by Donald Rumsfeld and presidential aide Cheney (who subsequently became White House Chief of Staff), the purpose of the “Halloween Massacre” was to strengthen Ford’s political position as the 1976 campaign approached. Speaking with Reston, Kissinger was not sure what caused the turnover, but Kissinger thought that in the case of Schlesinger, that the President had “had enough” of what he saw as Schlesinger’s back-stabbing in the media. A conversation with William Simon was even franker. Simon had disabused reporters that Kissinger had somehow engineered the cabinet change; indeed, he believed that things would be “worse” for Kissinger with Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. Kissinger agreed: “the guy that cut me up inside this building isn’t going to cut me up any less in Defense.”

Hey! I’ve heard of these old dogs before … you think new tricks gets better or worse with age?

A Review Team for the FRUS Fracas

Just before DC shut down for the holidays, the following statement was released on the FRUS fracas:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met yesterday, December 22, with members of the Historical Advisory Committee (HAC) to discuss the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series and concerns expressed by some current and former members of the HAC about the series. Secretary Rice stated her strong support for the FRUS series and underscored its importance to academic and general audiences. Secretary Rice also told the group that she had asked an outside Review Team to provide recommendations about how to ensure the FRUS series remains the gold standard for diplomatic history scholarship.

Members of the Review Team, Professor Warren F. Kimball (Rutgers University), Professor Ron Spector (George Washington University), and Ruth Whiteside (Director of the Department of State Foreign Service Institute), will report their recommendations to Secretary Rice and Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Sean McCormack.

I supposed that is good news - the intention is there to be fully present until the last moment. But wasn’t the Assistant Secretary the same one who walked out of that contentious meeting? You'd think that the Review Team’s report would go to 66 and to the guy who oversees the Bureau of Public Affairs. Seems a conflicted setup, is all ... but maybe it does not really matter now; bound to get another review soon.

Related Post:
Domestic Disturbance in the Public Affair’s Shop

Insider Quote: Quiet, De Facto Military Takeover

While serving the State Department in several senior capacities over the past four years, I witnessed firsthand the quiet, de facto military takeover of much of the U.S. government. The first assault on civilian government occurred in faraway places -- Iraq and Afghanistan -- and was, in theory, justified by the exigencies of war.

Thomas A. Schweich
"The Pentagon is muscling in everywhere.
It's time to stop the mission creep"

WaPo │Sunday, December 21, 2008; Page B01

Thomas A. Schweich served the Bush administration as ambassador for counter-narcotics in Afghanistan and deputy assistant secretary of state for international law enforcement affairs.

Season's Greetings

Season’s Greetings to Diplopundit’s readers in the United States and across many interesting places around the world. Have a Merry Christmas, an exuberant Kurban Bayram, a joyous Kawanzaa, a festive Hannukah and a warm night by the fire with all your loved ones and friends!

And I'd like to send extra warm thanks to Diplopundit’s blogging friends and referrers who helped us through our start-up year: Digger at Life After Jerusalem, Jerry at Avuncular American, Consul-at-Arms, TSB at the Skeptical Bureaucrat, Jill at The Perlman Update, and Brian at Foreign Service Husband.

A Foreign Service Christmas Story

Photo by Tomasz Sienicki licensed under cca 2.5

James Wagner, staff member of The Times editorial pages, former FS kid and son of U.S. diplomat Jim Wagner, pens in the LAT, The Best Present Ever, on how his father's return after being held hostage in Peru made Christmas for him when he was 10 years old:

The greatest Christmas present I have ever received came two days early and with a rough beard. It was my father, weary and unshaven, after five days as a hostage.

He and my mother left our home in Lima, Peru, on Dec. 17, 1996, to attend a party at the Japanese Embassy in honor of the Japanese emperor's birthday. My mother returned later that night.

My father didn't.

A lanky and reserved man, my father grew up in Ohio but left to see the world and serve his country in the U.S. Foreign Service. In 1996, he was a political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Peru.

[…]

My parents weren't strangers to violence. My mother grew up in Nicaragua as the country was torn apart by civil war. My father was shot in the leg and left for dead at a shopping center one night in Venezuela after three thieves stole our family car. My parents knew how to react on hearing explosions. Inside the mansion, they took cover near an interior wall.

Continue reading the story here.

Officially In: Steinberg and Lew, the New "D"

The WSJ posted on December 23, 2008, 4:05 pm the announcement of key members of Obama’s national security team, including James B. Steinberg for Deputy Secretary of State, and Jacob Lew for Deputy Secretary of State, and the appointment of Thomas E. Donilon as Deputy National Security Advisor and Antony “Tony” Blinken as National Security Advisor to the Vice President.

WaPo has more on this:

“Obama's Secretary of State designate Hillary Rodham Clinton will have two deputies, according to an announcement from the transition office. One, former Clinton administration official James B. Steinberg, will focus on policy, while the other, former Office of Management and Budget director Jacob Lew, will focus on budget and resources.

Lew's appointment to what is essentially a new position at State -- usually there is only one deputy -- is a possible sign of Clinton's interest in expanding resources for the department. While many past secretaries have voiced interest in growing the size and influence of the department, some of Clinton's informal advisers say she is deeply interested in revitalizing the role of diplomacy in national security policy -- and needs more resources to do so.”

Brief bios from the announcements made late yesterday:

James B. Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State

James B. Steinberg became dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs on January 1, 2006. Before joining the School, he was the vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. (2001-2005), where he supervised a wide-ranging research program on U.S. foreign policy. From December 1996 to August 2000, he served as deputy national security advisor to President Bill Clinton. During that period he also served as the president’s personal representative (”Sherpa”) to the 1998 and 1999 G-8 summits. Prior to becoming deputy national security advisor, he served as chief of staff of the U.S. State Department and director of the State Department’s policy planning staff (1994-1996), and as deputy assistant secretary for analysis in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1993-1994). Steinberg is a member of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board, the President’s Council on International Activities of Yale University, the board of directors of the Pacific Council on International Policy, the senior advisory council of The American Assembly’s Next Generation Project, the board of advisors of the Center for a New American Security, the board of advisors of The Yale Journal of International Law, and the editorial board of The Washington Quarterly. He also is a member of the D.C. Bar. Steinberg is the author of and contributor to many books and articles on foreign policy and national security topics, including Difficult Transitions: Foreign Policy Troubles at the Outset of Power, Protecting the Homeland 2006/2007 and An Ever Closer Union: European Integration and Its Implications for the Future of U.S.-European Relations. Steinberg received his B.A. from Harvard in 1973 and J.D. from Yale Law School in 1978. Steinberg is married to Ms. Sherburne B. Abbott, director of the Center for Science and Practice of Sustainability at the University of Texas at Austin. They have two daughters, Jenna and Emma.

Jacob Lew, Deputy Secretary of State

Jacob J. “Jack” Lew is a Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Citi Alternative Investments, where he is responsible for operations, technology, human resources, legal, finance and regional coordination. Previously, Mr. Lew was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of New York University, where he was responsible for budget, finance, and operations (including capital projects and human resources). Prior to joining NYU, Mr. Lew served in President Clinton’s cabinet as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and led the Administration budget team, from the preparation of the President’s budget through final negotiations with Congress. He was also a member of the National Security Council. From 1979 to 1987, he was a Senior Policy Advisor to House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Mr. Lew serves on the Corporation for National and Community Service Board and chairs its Management, Administration, and Governance Committee. He co-chairs the Advisory Board for City Year New York and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Brookings Institution Hamilton Project Advisory Board, and the National Academy of Social Insurance. He is a member of the bar in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

Read more on the other nominees here.

Update: 1/22/2009:
Nominations: Secretary Clinton's Deputies

White Powder for Christmas? No, Thanks!

The envelopes containing white powder started arriving at U.S. embassies on December 15, 2008. As of today, 19 embassies have reportedly received envelopes with the white powder: Berlin, Bern, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Luxembourg, Madrid, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Reykjavik, Riga, Rome, Stockholm, Tallinn, The Hague, Tokyo and yesterday, Nicosia. All European posts except one (Tokyo); all EU-member states except two (Bern, Switzerland and Reykjavik, Iceland). Looks like somebody has a nasty Christmas humor; somebody who deserves all 22 criminal statutes gift-wrapped and delivered, preferably with a substantial fine and 20 years in jail.

Is there any rhyme or reason why these posts were selected? One of the journalists during the daily press brief asked if perhaps somebody just went through the alphabetic list of our European posts. You can see the list here, it’s not -- or he/she/they/it would have started with Ankara (by capital), or Adana (by post) or Albania (by country). All but three of the recipients were countries in the European Union. If the EU countries were specifically targeted, it does not explain the inclusion of two non-EU states (unless the perpetrator/s were too lazy to look up the composition of the EU) and it also makes me wonder if 12 more letters are in the postal pipelines (12 missions in EU countries have not reported receipt of similar letters).

It makes one curious what kind of choo-choo train runs inside the brain of somebody like this? Is there a serial fiancée visa petitioner out there who was refused visas for his/her multiple girlfriends/boyfriends from EU countries and now felt wronged? But also felt wronged by 40 state governors? That seems so over the top…. couldn’t you just pick up and throw a shoe at somebody instead? I have to admit, that would be a lot of shoes ...

One December 19, the FBI released the following statement:

Since Monday, December 8, letters containing a note and suspicious white powder have been received by the offices of more than 40 governors across the country. Additional letters have been received at several U.S. Embassies overseas, said Robert E. Casey, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Dallas FBI.

The white powder in each of these letters has been field screened and the tests have met with negative results. The powder has been forwarded to local laboratories and testing to date has been negative for biological agents. The FBI has contacted the governors’ offices and the State Department to be on the lookout for additional letters.

Today, Mr. Casey announced the release of additional information regarding these mailings, to solicit the public’s help to identify the person or persons responsible for these crimes. Photographs of envelopes sent to governors’ offices are below. Although the photographs are of the envelopes sent to the governors of North Carolina and Connecticut, they are similar in content to all letters sent to the governors’ offices and embassies overseas.

envelope photos from www.fbi.gov

These envelopes have the following characteristics:

#1. The postmarks reflect mailing on December 4, December 8, or December 11, 2008.

#2.The postmark is either “Dallas, Texas” or “North Texas”. The “North Texas” postmark reflects the envelope was processed through the mail facility in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

#3.The return addresses used have been one of four addresses for FBI offices in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and El Paso, Texas. Names have been redacted from these addresses; the FBI is not disclosing the names at this time.

#4.There is a note within the envelope. The content of that note has been the same in each mailing. Although the content of the note is not being disclosed at this time, the meaning of the message is not clear.

Although the substance contained in the mailings is not harmful, the threatening mailings not only constitute a federal crime, but cause alarm to victims and victim institutions and expend costly resources of police, fire, and other emergency responders and state, local, and federal laboratories.

The FBI and United States Postal Inspection Service intend to vigorously investigate these crimes and arrest the person or persons responsible.

The Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for these mailings.

Anyone with information on who may be sending these letters is requested to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324), the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455, or local law enforcement. If you receive a letter, please notify the FBI and your local authorities. Information on how to handle a suspicious package can be found on www.fbi.gov.

Update 12/25: Our Embassy in South Korea also received white powder in the mail according to AP a couple of hours ago. That makes 20 posts now, with two in Asia.

Update: 12/26: Our U.S. Embassy in Madrid was in the news for receipt of white powder in the mail; and today, the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan for receipt of a similar item on the 23rd.
Current count of the white powdered mail received at US missions according to news reports:
Asia - 2
Europe - 19
SCA - 1


Related Item:

Hazardous Materials Training from the U.S. Fire Administration
4.4 MB PDF Download Page

Quickie: Out with the Old and in with the New

The NYT is reporting today that HRC is recruiting Jacob J. Lew, the budget director under President Bill Clinton, as one of two deputies, according to people close to the Obama transition team (Clinton Moves to Widen Role of State Dept.). Mr. Lew’s focus, they said, will be on increasing the share of financing that goes to the diplomatic corps. He and James B. Steinberg, a deputy national security adviser in the Clinton administration, are to be Mrs. Clinton’s chief lieutenants.

[…]"The recruitment of Mr. Lew — for a position that was not filled in the Bush administration — suggests that Mrs. Clinton is determined to win a larger share of financial resources for the department. A well-connected figure who was once an aide to Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill, Mr. Lew now works for Citigroup in a unit that oversees hedge funds. “If we’re going to re-establish diplomacy as the critical tool in America’s arsenal,” a senior transition official said, “you need someone who can work both the budget and management side. He has very strong relations on the Hill; he knows the inner workings of how to manage a big enterprise.”

Very promising. Sounds good to you? Read more on Jacob Lew and NYT's brief bio here; also James Steinberg.

Update: Steve Clemons just posted in the Note that James Steinberg got "the white smoke signal that he gets the Deputy slot."

How Could You, Zain Verjee?

As part of the legacy interview series which started in early December with Fox News, the Secretary sat down with Zain Verjee of CNN on December 17 in Washington, D.C. Below is part of that interview. You can read the entire text here.

QUESTION: The worst breach of national security in the history of the United States came under your watch.

SECRETARY RICE: Absolutely.

QUESTION: Did you ever consider resigning?

SECRETARY RICE: I believe that this was – this was --

QUESTION: Taking responsibility?

SECRETARY RICE: I do take responsibility. But this was a systemic failure. The United States of America had experienced terrorist attacks in 1993, in 1998 in our embassies abroad, in 2000 against the Cole, and then finally in September of 2001. But the fact of the matter is that we had not thought of this. We, the administrations before us, had not thought of this as the kind of war against the terrorists that we were going to have to wage.

And by the way, some of the things that people have been most critical of have given us, really, the capacity to respond. The ability to surveil terrorists through the Terrorist Surveillance Act so that there isn’t a gap between what terrorists are saying when they are abroad and what terrorists are saying when they’re in the United States. These are tools that simply didn’t exist prior to September 11^th.

[…]

QUESTION: Do you regret your role in the Iraq war?

SECRETARY RICE: I absolutely am so proud that we liberated Iraq.

QUESTION: Really?

SECRETARY RICE: Absolutely. And I’m especially, as a political scientist, not as Secretary of State, not as National Security Advisor, but as somebody who knows that structurally it matters that a geostrategically important country like Iraq is not Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, that this different Iraq under democratic leadership --

QUESTION: But it still (inaudible) into total chaos and (inaudible).

SECRETARY RICE: No, under a democratic – well, but look, we are at a place now where because of difficult decisions that the President took we have an Iraq that is well on its way to being a multiethnic, multiconfessional democracy --

QUESTION: Many Iraqis don’t agree with you.

SECRETARY RICE: -- that is stable. Well, you only have to look at the case. You only have to look at the declining violence. Fragile, yes, but declining.

QUESTION: Okay.

SECRETARY RICE: And you have to ask yourself, would you really rather have a Middle East, which you know has to be different than it’s been for these many years, would you really rather have an Iraq with Saddam Hussein at its center? That’s the other choice, and I don’t think that’s a good choice for the world.

QUESTION: What needs to happen for the world to say that the Iraq invasion was justified, positive, and right?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, it will take some time for the effect of a change in Iraq to an implacable – from an implacable foe to a friend of the United States to show its effects. But when I see the Egyptian Foreign Minister go to Iraq for the first time in 30 years, when I see that the Iraqis stood up to Iran, despite all of Iran’s efforts –

QUESTION: And the Iraqis are showing through -- throwing shoes at the President?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, an Iraqi is throwing a shoe at the President. Let’s remember again, Zain, if there was anything that was unfortunate about that incident, it was that it was what got reported. Because as a serious scholar of international politics, do I really think that 30 years from now or 20 years from now or 10 years from now, that will be – a shoe being thrown at the President is somehow going to be what was important about Iraq? Of course not. And that’s why when people report on today’s headlines instead of on history’s judgment, they make a mistake.

QUESTION: On a personal note --

SECRETARY RICE: Yes.

QUESTION: What about you? What have people got wrong about you?

SECRETARY RICE: Oh, I don’t know and I really don’t care.

Doggone Canadian asking these questions! After all the time you spent together traveling to Libya and elsewhere, you had the balls to ask these questions? Son of a motherless goat! But looks like Zain got a hug after the interview and an invite to "come to California."

Where, Oh Where: Secretary Rice’s Final Visit

Photo from DipNote Blog

I’m really oh, drat - a latecomer on this -- but apparently as of September 7, 2008, the current Secretary of State (66) has traveled to 83 countries in 88 days and has racked up over one million air miles. If that’s not impressive enough, just take a look:

Total Travel Time: 2118.19 hours (88.26 days)
Total Countries Visited: 83
Total Trips Taken: 80
Countries Visited and Mileage: 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008

There is only so much time in a day so according to the official website Secretary Rice uses her airplane as a mobile office while she is en route to her destination. The Secretary's plane is a reconfigured U.S. Air Force Boeing 757 that is outfitted with a cabin for the Secretary, seats for the staff, and security and a communications section for continuous information anywhere in the world. And no, she does not need any card; she has her own frequent flyer program.

Several days ago, DipNote bloggers posted this question for the blogosphere to chew on: Where Should the Secretary Make Her Final Official Visit?

Somebody encouraged her to “visit Mexico as a final visit, emphasizing the importance of our relationship to that country.” Another one suggested that she “Pick a country that the United States has never been or had relations with and make that the most wonderful experience by bringing our Country values to them.” The writer implored that she “Open the doors to people who never had the chance to communicate with us Americans. It would almost be like the days of Columbus who sailed the seas looking for new lands. Bring gifts and warm thoughts, our beliefs and customs. Above all bring the HEART OF AMERICA to them!”

Uhm, perhaps the lost tribes of the Amazon? But let’s get this straight - lowly diplomats conduct first contact not the sitting Secretary of State. If we try this with the uncontacted tribes of the Amazon, some poor entry level officer of the expeditionary stripes would have to bid for this Indiana Jones' gig and then fight his/her way into (and obviously, out) the forested areas in the Brazilian/Peruvian border. The assignment would have to be paneled and travel orders need to be cut .... you know, the drill. But doing that between now and January 1st -- well -- good luck!

The best suggestion so far for 66^th’s last official visit? “Space!”

Of course, the final frontier! The writer justifies the trip this way: “Only outer space can underline the message that Dr. Rice has been not only a "Columbus", but also an "Astronaut" teaching global diplomacy without frontiers.”

Move along Neil Armstrong. I like space, too. But with time running out, perhaps we should settle for something more ambitious on earth like Somalia or Zimbabwe between now and January 20?

But wait – Somalia has been a failed state for many years now (we don't even have an embassy there), so what would be accomplished with one last visit there unless the pirates are planning a mass surrender? Zimbabwe? I think only if Bob, the Mugab needs some hand holding in deciding whether to relocate to another country outside the continent (uhm, he just said, "Zimbabe is mine"; I don't think he wants to pack). Of course, there’s always Baghdad, but how do you say goodbye to the largest embassy in the galaxy without pissing off the smaller ones?


This has been a really long trip. I can perfectly sympathize if she is having a hard time picking a destination.

Of course, it might be helpful to point out that 1) her foreign contacts are already preparing for their engagement with the next SoS (this ambassador in DC noted that there was no point in meeting with the Bush people anymore, so he suddenly finds he has too much time on his hands); and 2) what could not get done in the last four years, cannot get done in the next 28 days.


So – the best advice is probably to go where she’d have the most fun. Her passion reportedly has always been music and Russia; and she has already played Brahms for the Queen at Buckingham Palace. So, the last visit ought to be one last trip to old Russia – perhaps a river cruise between Moscow and St. Petersburg? Or she could play with the St Petersburg Philharmonia, the oldest Philharmonic Society in Russia? Numerous renowned musicians of the XIX century performed in its hall: Lizst, Berlioz, Wagner, Mahler, Rubinstein, Schumann, Viardo, Sarasate and more. Not at all bad company.

I'm sure all living SoS can attest to the challenges and difficulties of being this country's top diplomat; she deserves a break. Besides the plane has a full tank until January 20.

Update 12/25: Sorry folks! Not Mexico, Zimbabwe, Russia, space, etc. - 66 is going to China! I hope she brings "heart of America" to our top financiers. Read James Fallows current piece in The Atlantic on America's Chinese banker.

Save a Tree - Send an eCard

screencapture from mypunchbowl.com

I used to write those long, Christmas letters to send to relations and friends. I don’t know if it’s a function of age or something else but as the years went by, those letters seemed to be getting out later and later every year.

One year I’ve decided that we won’t send those anymore. Saving a tree would be the best excuse among the several that I did come up with. So one year we did an e-greeting on a mini-disc, another year we did photos in PowerPoint, another year via email -- just to tell friends we're thinking about them and we're fine. 2008 is perhaps the year of the e-cards.

The e-card studio of mypunchbowl.com offers hundreds of beautiful, free e-cards that you can customized with colors, fonts, or images of your choice. The studio provides a simple way to email your friends or even share your e-card on Facebook or Twitter. The company is reportedly striving for an electronic equivalent to the classier (but more expensive) sort of card that you might find in a real stationary store. The service makes use of an impressive card editor which features an intuitive tool along with a textured “virtual paper.” The designs are elegant and not at all tacky. Service is free but requires registration.


Mypunchbowl is in the same line of business as evite.com which has its own holiday e-cards in addition to electronic invitations, but the e-cards from the mypunchbowl are just much, much nicer. Another option is called www.smilebox, but this one requires that you download an application in your computer before you can start using their service. So I decided to skip it; too many "live" things residing in my computer already.

When you care enough to hit send


That's the motto of someecards.com. If you want irreverent e-cards without the the warm fuzzies, the only place to go is www.somecards.com, number 36 in Time Mag's 50 Best Websites of 2008. One of the top five sent says: “When work feels overwhelming, remember that you’re going to die,” the rest of that most-popular group are a tad too much for this blog. Here's the blurb in its website:

Someecards.com is possibly to probably the best site on the Web for free, funny ecards. We have greeting cards for every occasion - from important to utterly pointless. Send greetings for apology, birthday, baby, breakup, congratulations, encouragement, farewell, flirting, friendship, get well, sympathy, thanks, thinking of you, wedding, workplace, and holidays like Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We suggest you e-mail them to friends, family, coworkers, loved ones, liked ones, and anyone else with fingers.

No registration required, and you can cc: your own email for every e-card you send. Just note that someecards is not intended for use by people under 18 years of age. Here's one of the tamer ones:

screencapture from someecards.com

Just a quick note if you are with State. E-cards may still fall under the unacceptable category of materials received in your government email account (clogs up the system and all that) so you might think about these e-cards for private email accounts.

Insider Quote: Best Job in the World

“I enjoy what I’m doing now but it’s nothing like working on foreign policy,” he said. “In my 37 years of service I may have gone home tired or frustrated with how a decision came out, but I never went home and asked myself if what I was working on was worthwhile.”

Ronald E. Neumann
Former Ambassador to Afghanistan
President, American Academy of Diplomacy
From Hiring Window Is Open at the Foreign Service
NYT │ December 20, 2008

Related Items:
Check out Careers at State here
Careers at State Newsletter viewable here

Quickie: The Legacy Of Condoleezza Rice

How many of these are we going to see in the next few weeks? CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson has just penned "The Legacy Of Condoleezza Rice" (Charles Wolfson Analyzes The Rhetoric And Reality Behind The Secretary Of State's Tenure):

"As America’s top diplomat Rice recognized changes in the world and instituted reforms inside the Foreign Service, sending more diplomats to posts in India, Pakistan, Brazil, and Nigeria and fewer to cushy jobs in Paris and Rome and Berlin. Rice was able to get enough money from Congress to add more diplomatic personnel (italics mine) and she has her supporters in the career ranks. At his retirement ceremony, outgoing Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs C. David Welch said of Rice: “…you have shown unparalleled respect for the career service, and that will be hard to match. Even in tough moments…you were positive. You have strength and confidence that are inspiring.” Others, however, compare Rice to her predecessor, Colin Powell, and find her lacking when it comes to supporting their professional needs."

Oy! Read the rest here.

Video of the Week: The Deferred Life Plan

From Stanford University's Entrepreneurship Corner -- Randy Komisar warns against the concept of a deferred life plan, when people put off what they really want to do for what is expected of them. According to Komisar, this is when you are deferring your sense of excitement and passion for what you really care about. Working hard is not inconsistent with the deferred life plan, he adds, but doing so for a product that you do not have interest in is.

Komisar was a co-founder of Claris Corporation, served as CEO for LucasArts Entertainment and Crystal Dynamics, and acted as a "virtual CEO" for such companies as WebTV, Mirra and GlobalGiving. He was a founding Director of TiVo where he is currently chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee. Earlier Randy served as CFO of GO Corporation and Senior Counsel for Apple Computer, following a private practice in Technology Law.


Randy holds a BA in Economics from Brown University and a JD form Harvard Law School. He is a Consulting Professor of Entrepreneurship at Stanford University and author of the best-selling book The Monk and the Riddle, as well as several articles on leadership and entrepreneurship.

To view all 11 segments from his talk on the Venture Capitalist Innovation Process, click here.

Quickie: Protectern Launched!

© artwork licensed by clipart.com


Protectern
(Includes tilt adjustable protective shield.
Only $459.95 On sale for $259.95 + shipping)

I'm wondering if the shoe-throwing incident has any economic significance for the serial entrepreneur. Something below from my 7Dwarves supplier:

Our beautiful post-modern titanium lectern with protective shield, as seen many times on national TV:

Ultra-contemporary, good looking and light; the massive 25 inch leg diameter adds strength & stability; high desktop at 20 3/4 wide X 15.5; 26 inches minimum to 47.5 inches maximum height; generous two-inch book stop for holding large amounts of paperwork; smooth and easy to use ergonomic round knobs; rolled edges on desktop for comfort while speaking; protective feet insure all floor surfaces remain damage free; easy to transport and/or store.

Above all, this lectern 2.0 design has fully adjustable tilt protective shield made of toughened glass. Supported with 100% assurance to keep the person behind the lectern safe. Say goodbye to duck and cover during press conferences, and other public events. Buy Protectern now!

Same or next business day shipping always * Free customer pickup in SW Michigan eliminates shipping fees * Discounted shipping for multiple units * We have in-stock replacement parts * Not sold in stores *

Note: Proprietary design. All Rights Reserved. Design your own, please.

Our Man in Rome, a Top Pizzaiolo and More

Villa Taverna Gardens
photo from reallyrome.com/blog licensed under cca-nc-nd 3.0

I realized that after the last of the cabinet positions are filled, there will be a sprint for the next rung of plum positions for undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, directorships and of course, political ambassadorships (a lot of that in the news lately).

If Italy is in your list, some heads-up here – our current guy there may be a hard act to follow.

I almost missed this one until somebody called my attention to James Suckling’s Pizza Diplomacy in the September 2008 issue of the Wine Spectator (sorry, the article is available to online subscribers only). Mr. Suckling, the magazine’s European bureau chief based in Italy wondered “whether pizza will continue to have an important role at the U.S. Embassy in Italy once Ron and Georgia leave after this year’s election.”

Ron, of course, is Ronald P. Spogli, who was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Italy on August 10, 2005. His official bio states that after Stanford and Harvard, Mr. Spogli together with Bradford M. Freeman, founded Freeman Spogli & Co. in 1983, one of the leading private equity investors in the United States. Based in Los Angeles, Freeman Spogli & Co. has invested in 36 companies since the firm’s founding, totaling in excess of $12 billion of enterprise value.

According to the article, Ambassador Spogli’s first love is Italy; he apparently speaks near perfect Italian, is a serious wine lover and above all, he is a pizzaiolo, an individual pizza maker that strives to make the best pizza that he possibly can (he made Tex-Mex pizza for President Bush when he was in Rome).

He reportedly has a mammoth pizza oven in the garden of Villa Taverna, his own sommelier (wine specialists earn between 35K-149K), and this past October presided over the groundbreaking of the wine cellar construction at the Villa, the 16th century residence in Rome that has served as home for our ambassadors in Italy for the last 75 years.

When the ambassador hosted a wine and pizza do for the Wine Spectator writer and three other Tuscan winemakers at the Villa, Mr. Suckling reports that the group’s favorite wine was the Marchesi de’Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcio Castelgiocondo Ripe al Convento Riserva 2001 (a bottle will set you back $100.47 but it got 97 points in Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale; ). Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce the name, I had difficulty just typing (wine bottles have surnames!). And they apparently enjoyed several different pizzas including one topped with gorgonzola and celery!

Mr. Suckling’s account also includes a small item about the ambassador’s behind the scenes involvement “in trying to resolve the recent controversy” regarding Brunello di Montalcino. Apparently a real turmoil involving grape types, impounding of wine, magistrates, etc. has roiled the wine world for some time now. And I had no idea.

Are you sweating yet?

Despite being a top pizzaiolo, the ambassador’s serious love of wine will probably mark his tenure in Rome in the most tangible way. WineNews reports on the embassy wine cellar:

“It will be the first wine cellar ever constructed in the residence of an American ambassador, and it is a decidedly significant choice that of the residence in Italy, a country so well known for its eno-gastronomic history, culture and tradition. And it is also for this reason that Spogli himself has donated some great Italian wines: “yes, I am a great wine enthusiast, but in this case” – explained Spogli – “I am not the protagonist; there are wineries that have invested in this project. During moments of representation (220 dinners, lunches and receptions), wine has always played an important role in the U.S. embassy. For this reason I said to myself, ‘We must create a wine cellar as a place for meetings and tastings’. It is a project of over one million dollars.”

I’d be shock off my socks if Uncle Sam is footing the bill on this one. More news on the design of the cellar which is extremely fascinating for one whose entire wine cellar sits in a kitchen rack:

Design of the state-of-the art cellar is the work of renowned Italian architect Agnese Mazzei, who recently designed a new winemaking facility and cellar at her family’s famed Castello di Fonterutoli winery in Tuscany.

The Mazzei family was inspired to participate in part to strengthen their historic ties with the United States. Among the illustrious ancestors of the Mazzei family is the famous Filippo Mazzei, a personal friend of Thomas Jefferson. In addition to planting Jefferson’s vineyards in Monticello, Virginia, Filippo shared many ideas which eventually were incorporated into the Declaration of Independence. Filippo has since been honored with an U.S. postal stamp and is considered an American Patriot.

Agnese Mazzei, the architect describes the cellar: “The wine cellar at Villa Taverna is hypogeum, that is, almost completely underground. It has been created from a link to the catacombs and, thus, from the villa the wine cellar can be reached passing under the entire garden. It is structured on three levels: the wine cellar, with all of the ideal conditions that it must have; the reception hall; the tasting area. It is a vertical project, from the garden only a skylight can be seen, and the three levels are connected by landings. Once the work is completed, it will be able to hold 5,000 bottles conserved at a constant temperature.”

WineNews wonders why the wineries are united in the wine cellar project at Villa Taverna? It asked Piero Mastroberardino, the head of one of the most important and well known Italian wineries in the world who replied: “It is a beautiful message of friendship on behalf of the American government, and it is an important partnership project between an enormous institution, the U.S. government, and a smattering of small companies from the world of prestigious Italian winemaking who make this country great.”

It sounds like our man in Rome is doing a fabulous job. But just in case you’re a congressional staffer reading this, I'd like to assure you that not everyone in the Foreign Service live in a world like this. I should point out a few things:

#1 Career diplomats cannot afford their own sommeliers
Their spouses, if they are lucky may get embassy jobs that pay less than the lowest paid sommelier.

#2 Career diplomats cannot cart around a massive pizza oven
7200 lbs for household effects is what everyone gets; whether you have two kids or half a dozen; can you imagine adding a pizza oven?

#3 A bunch think an $8 bottle of wine is expensive
Sometimes our finest think fine wine comes in those cute boxes and they drink them in plastic or Dixie cups.

#4 Some think a Reidel cup is a regatta, a boat race thingy like America’s Cup. Can you blame them? The world’s first series were developed with the help of the Association of Italian Sommeliers!

#5 Most career diplomats do not live in villas
My neighbors live in a dinky apartment with no place for a growing boy to run; but they were told gratefulness is in order and free housing is no grounds for yawping. They don’t have Villa Taverna’s enviable gardens, instead they had postage size public parks all over the city; but the dogs owned all of them, literally! Unfortunately, the dogs have yet to teach their masters the art of scoop the poop, so walking on the grass or letting baby Jack or Jill crawl all over the place is really not, not recommended. I guess you can call that real life with a splash of whine.

In any case, I really can’t blame you if your heart is set on that ambassadorship in Rome. Italy was the United States' thirteenth-largest trading partner in 2007, with total bilateral trade of $44.9 billion. Our foreign direct investment in the country at the end of 2006 exceeded $28.9 billion (can't find the 2007 data). And it is home to the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet, as well as 13,000 of our military personnel.

I'm sure this is a fantastic gig; and in such a romantic and incomparable place, too. But Ambassador Spogli is going to leave some pretty large shoes to fill. And there is that 5,000 cellar that also needs filling up (and not with the $8 kind). I hope this heads-up is helpful. E buona fortuna.