Comment on Indonesia We present here (in wide page format) two parallel comments on the current state of play between the United States and Indonesia: on the left, one by a foreign affairs scholar, Theodore Friend, and on the right … Read more

Cultural Characteristics and Foreign Affairs Personal Musings by Roy M. Melbourne I have been struck repeatedly over the years how cultural idiocyncracies can affect foreign relations in significant ways. The reflections below represent an effort to explore how some of … Read more

  Jack Nixon’s long career as a USAID officer included several years in Haiti during the 1970’s. Retired, he now lives in France with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and several pets. His most recent previous article, a tongue–in–cheek piece entitled … Read more

  Following upon American Diplomacy’s presentation in a previous issue of an account of Rwanda’s decline into chaos by a former U.S. ambassador to that troubled nation, we have the distinct pleasure to present a thoughtful discussion by a noted … Read more

Stuart Kennedy, a retired Foreign Service officer, is director of the Foreign Affairs Oral History Program, based at the Foreign Service Institute outside Washington, D.C. In a previous issue of American Diplomacy (Vol. I, No. 2), Mr. Kennedy, described the … Read more

In Search of Foreign Monsters. . . . Italy’s Meddling Should Remind Us of Our  Own  by J. R. Bullington In the spring and summer of 1997, all of Italy somehow became outraged by the death sentence imposed on Joseph … Read more

   “Witness to History”    PRESENT AT THE FOOTNOTE The very nature of their calling — long stretches of service abroad — makes it likely that members of the U.S. Foreign Service sooner or later witness history being made, and over … Read more

Theory on usefulness of war gets shot down Brassed Off by Francis T. Underhill  On the day I was sworn in as ambassador to Malaysia, I also signed a letter that read: “Dear Mr. President, I hereby submit my resignation … Read more

“Remembering Vietnam” Ambassador Marks entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1956 and promptly was drafted into the army. Upon return two years later, he embarked on a career that took him to eight posts abroad (including Guinea-Bissau, where he was … Read more

The Army Specialized Training Program: Gateway to the Foreign Service by Curtis F. Jones America’s unreadiness for World War II was systemic. At Bowdoin College, student attitudes mirrored the national pattern. As late as the fall of 1941, a number … Read more