StateStateM A G A Z I N E

U . S . D E PA R T M E N T O F S TAT E

NOVEMBER 2005

China’s

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State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly,except bimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Department ofState, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postagepaid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing locations.Send changes of address to State Magazine, HR/ER/SMG, SA-1,Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108. You may alsoe-mail address changes to statemagazine@state.gov.

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Deadlines: November 8 for January 2006 issue.December 8 for February 2006 issue.

StateStateRob Wiley

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bill PalmerWRITER/EDITOR

Jennifer LelandWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Teddy B. TaylorEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Larry Baer

Kelly Clements

Pam Holliday

Pat Patierno

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CDC FSNs Wandani Sebonego (left) andPride Masuku test for hepatitis.

Riding High-Tech in BotswanaIN OUR NEXT ISSUE:

2 Direct from the D.G.

3 From the Editor

4 In the News

36 Medical Report

38 People Like You

40 State of the Arts

41 Appointments

42 Retirements

43 Obituaries

ON THE COVERA man walks along a rainy pathin Chengdu. Photo by Corbis.

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2005

NUMBER 495

Rioters trashed the central market inJuba, southern Sudan, after a Sudanesefactional leader and vice president diedin a helicopter crash in July.

8 POST OF THE MONTH: CHENGDUU.S. diplomacy flourishes in Southwest China’s Storehouse of Heaven.

14 OFFICE OF THE MONTH: TERRORISM FINANCE ANDECONOMIC SANCTIONS POLICYThis office strikes terrorism where it hurts—in the pocketbook.

16 THE FOGGY BOTTOM SOCIETYReaching out to civil service foreign affairs professionals.

18 ONE-ON-ONE“Citizen Ambassadors” engage Muslims on Under Secretary Hughes’ listening trip.

20 REPORTING FOR DUTYCalled up for a surprise tour in Iraq, inactive reservist returns with new perspectives.

26 RESPONDING TO DISASTERDepartment volunteers help bring order to hurricane chaos on the Gulf Coast.

28 KATRINA AFTERMATHState mobilizes a superb team in support of the New Orleans Passport Agency.

30 THE ART OF DIPLOMACYNonprofit foundation decorates U.S. embassies with American art.

32 A FRAGILE PEACEOne leader’s death brings renewed commitment to a troubled Sudan.

34 VIRTUAL REALITYVirtual Principal Officers support transformational diplomacy with technology.

32KEEPING THE PEACE

2 STATE MAGAZINE

DIRECT FROM THE D.G.AMBASSADOR W. ROBERT PEARSON

This month, I would like toprovide you with an update onthe status of Civil Service reformlegislation and HR system reformcomponents.

In July 2005, the Office ofManagement and Budget and the

Office of Personnel Management sent a “Workingfor America Act” proposal to Congress. The pro-posed legislation differs from that currently beingimplemented at the Department of Defense andDepartment of Homeland Security, because it ismuch more targeted at pay reform and includesfewer changes in the areas of labor relations,adverse actions and appeals processes.

The proposal addresses two major issues in thecurrent Civil Service system: (1) “market sensitiv-ity” (Annual pay adjustments are currently thesame for all occupations and grades.) and (2)“performance sensitivity” (Within-grade increas-es are currently based primarily on longevity, notperformance.)

If the legislation is adopted, the statute wouldestablish ground rules for overall pay adjust-ments, and major features of the new pay systemwould apply government-wide. Agencies thatalready have separate authority, such as DoD,DHS and others, could opt in to the new system,but aren’t required to do so. Agencies such as Statethat are still under the current Civil Service mayseek an exception and develop their own systemusing the framework set forth by the legislation.

Under the proposed legislation, occupationalgroups and pay band levels would be establishedby OPM, and rate changes for each occupationalgroup and pay band would be based on marketsurveys. Annual adjustments would consist ofthree components: (1) a national market adjust-ment that would vary by occupational group andband; (2) a local market adjustment that wouldvary by occupational group, band and location;and (3) performance-based pay increases.

If the legislation is adopted, performance-based pay increases would likely account for 25 to

50 percent of the total pay increase on average.Employees rating less than Fully Successfulwould not receive any pay increase, not even thenational or local market adjustments.

Under the current Administration proposal,all agencies would be required to terminate theuse of the current Civil Service personnel systemby 2010, with OPM approving new systemsthat reflect the legislation. Under theAdministration’s proposal, agencies couldrequest alternative occupational, banding andpay structures that would then require OPM’sapproval.

In the interim, while the proposed legislationis debated and OPM continues to work out thedetails, we are reaching out to those agencies thathave implemented reformed personnel systemsto identify what would make the most sense forState. Clearly, the trend in all reform proposals istoward performance-based systems.

The Department has recent experience inimplementing performance-based pay. Duringthis past year, we designed and implemented apay-for-performance system for senior managersin both the Senior Foreign Service and SeniorExecutive Service. The systems have worked wellto date, and we continue to seek ways to fine tuneor improve them.

Given the links between the Foreign Serviceand Civil Service human resource systems, CivilService modernization will affect the ForeignService, since the Foreign Service Act requiresthat the compensation schedules for the CivilService and the Foreign Service be, to the extentpossible, comparable.

Congress may begin debate on the Working forAmerica legislation this fall. Any system we designwill include full participation of the Department’sleadership and bureau-wide employee advisorygroups, as well as our participation and full dis-cussion with our workforce labor representatives.More information on the Working for Americalegislation can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/results/agenda/working.html. �

Civil Service Modernization

3NOVEMBER 2005

FROM THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Called the “storehouse of heaven” because of its agricul-tural abundance, southwest China has a long and richhistory. When the U.S. consulate staff moved into its currentcomplex in 1993, they were surrounded by vegetable fieldsand dirt roads. Today, the consulate is responsible for anarea larger than Western Europe and a population of morethan 200 million people.

Mention “virtual” to many Department veterans, andtheir first thought might be of something less than real orsome entity floating in cyberspace. But to Manu Bhalla, thefirst Virtual Principal Officer for Davao, a major city in thePhilippines, virtual is very real. He—and the other 14Virtual Principal Officers around the world—became the“face” of the Department in key cities and areas where per-manent buildings and full-time staff do not exist.

The global war on terror has many fronts. The profes-sionals at the Office of Terrorism Finance and EconomicSanctions Policy play a huge role on one of those fronts bydisrupting the terrorists’ access to traditional financing.Cutting off money flowing through traditional channelsforces terrorists into riskier and more costly avenues. Butthis front changes constantly, and close international coop-eration is a must.

When disaster struck the Gulf Coast, Departmentemployees answered the call. Katrina Task Force volunteerspitched in from Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi to the

Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters inBaton Rouge, helping restore order to the chaos fromHurricanes Katrina and Rita. Meanwhile, Consular Affairs,the Bureau of Administration and the Bureau of DiplomaticSecurity worked overtime to account for all of theDepartment’s New Orleans Passport Agency employees.Once the employees were accounted for, the team locatedand recovered almost 1,000 crates of material from the NewOrleans office and transported them to the Passport Centerin Charleston, where employees processed more than115,000 applications in less than three weeks. AssistantSecretary for Consular Affairs Maura Harty called it anexample of superb teamwork.

Equally at home in the Truman Building and the KennedyCenter, Alfredo Pulupa lives a charmed—and charming—life. The Department’s very own Piano Man makes musicduring his free time and helps make policy as a key player inthe Bureau of Political-Military Affairs during normal workhours. He moves in interesting circles: he once playedGilbert & Sullivan for Ginsburg and O’Connor. That’sSupreme Court Justices Ruth Bader and Sandra Day.

State Committed toKeeping Passport Officein New Orleans

I regret that the October article onHurricane Katrina and the NewOrleans Passport Agency notes “pass-port officials…will eventually relocatethe office.” At no time have officialsfrom the Bureau of Consular Affairsconsidered relocating the passportagency from New Orleans.

I am very concerned that the errorin the article may raise unnecessaryconcerns for our employees in NewOrleans that their jobs are at risk, at atime when they are recovering fromthe trauma of the hurricane and goingabout the difficult task of rebuildingtheir lives. In all of our communica-tions with them, we have assured themthat we are committed to resumingoperations in New Orleans as soon as

it is safe to do so. The staff of the NewOrleans Passport Agency is among themost hardworking in the Departmentof State and they are irreplaceable. Ontheir behalf, I’d also like to thank theState Department family for so gener-ously donating to the EmployeeEmergency Relief Fund, which benefit-ed our colleagues in New Orleans.With our collective efforts, the NewOrleans Passport Agency will be backup and running as soon as possible.

Maura HartyAssistant SecretaryBureau of Consular Affairs

Translators, Not InterpretersMy husband (a retired Foreign

Service Officer) and I have enjoyed thework of Brian Aggeler since we firstencountered his strip while we were

posted to Mumbai, India. His pointedand very funny renderings of the inter-nal workings (or lack thereof) of theState Department and the ForeignService kept us laughing all throughour time at the consulate.

This might be nitpicking, but I’d liketo correct a small error in the strip thatappeared in the October issue. It wasentitled “The Adventures of HarlanBonmot, Mediocre Translator.” Funny,but essentially inaccurate. What Mr.Bonmot was engaged in was interpret-i n g f o r t h e a m b a s s a d o r. Aninterpreter works in an oral medium, atranslator in a written one.

Don’t let this stop Mr. Aggeler fromcontinuing doing what he does so well!

Maureen Riley-PolaskyFrederick Polasky Fairfax, Va.

4 STATE MAGAZINE

I N T H E N E W S

OutstandingService

FSO Honored for Organizing Iraq Local ElectionsTobin Bradley, a Foreign Service officer serving as a special

assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, has beenawarded the prestigious Service to America InternationalAffairs Medal for 2005 based on his outstanding contributionsas political adviser for the Coalition Provisional Authority inIraq.

Under dangerous circumstances, Mr. Bradley organized 15local elections in southern Iraq and developed a voting systemthat the United Nations used as the basis for the January 2005national elections.

He was honored along with eight other award recipients ata ceremony on Sept. 28. The nine honorees, described by TheWashington Post as “career bureaucrats who perform for thegovernment well outside the limelight,” were chosen frommore than 500 nominees for their contributions to criticalmissions of the federal government.

Mr. Bradley accepted the award “on behalf of all of the StateDepartment officers that have volunteered for service in Iraq,Afghanistan and all of the other hot spots around the world.These officers are truly on the front lines of American foreignpolicy.”

According to the Partnership for Public Service, whichcreated the awards in 2002 along with the Atlantic MediaCompany, Mr. Bradley set out to establish direct district andcity council elections in Dhi Qar province.

The nonprofit organization’s web site says that “for eachelection, he used his Arabic speaking skills to build trust withlocal Iraqis, organizing town meetings and seeking input.” In

the first two elections he ran, it was one family, one vote,which meant virtually only men voted. So he changed therules to give two votes to each family and women’s participa-tion jumped dramatically, the web site says. He also overcame

serious security problems and managed on a shoestringbudget.

In February 2004, The Washington Post said Mr. Bradley’swork “may stand as one of the most ambitious democraticexperiments in Iraq’s history.”

Tobin Bradley, left, accepts his award from National Intelligence DirectorJohn Negroponte.

State Cracks ‘Best Places to Work’ Top Ten

5NOVEMBER 2005

I N T H E N E W S

The State Department came in 10th in the “2005 BestPlaces to Work in the Federal Government” rankings—ajump from its 19th-place ranking two years before.

The Department was honored at a “Top Ten” dinner Sept.15, where Director General Robert Pearson and other staffersaccepted a plaque.

The rankings were made by American University’sInstitute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation andthe Partnership for Public Service. They were based on ananalysis of survey results from 30 major departments andagencies.

On Sept. 20, Robert Tobias, the director of ISPPI, was fea-tured in the Department’s second Management SpeakerSeries presentation, cosponsored by the Bureau ofAdministration and the Young Professionals Society. He toldsome 60 employees gathered in the Loy HendersonAuditorium that the Department’s scores increased over2003 scores in all 10 categories included in the survey.

The Department scored high in “effective leadership” and“skills-mission match,” which are the biggest drivers ofemployee satisfaction and engagement, he said.

The Department’s lower scores were in the “family-friendly” category, which considers such factors as length ofworkday and performance-based rewards.

The best place to work, according to the survey, is theOffice of Management and Budget. It was followed in therankings by the National Science Foundation, NuclearRegulatory Commission, Government Accountability Officeand Securities and Exchange Commission.

Tobias said the rankings were created to attract publicinterest in the government as a “best place to work,” give

potential job applicants information and links to federal jobinformation, create incentives for increased attention to

federal workplace issues and give managers a road map forunderstanding and increasing employee commitment.

He said one in three federal agencies had higher scoresthan the private sector, compared with one in eight in 2003.He noted that the feds scored higher on issues such as work-life balance and cooperation.

The Department delegation at the Sept. 15 awards dinner poses with itsplaque. From left, Norris Bethea, Judy Ikels, Susan Swart, BrendaGreenberg, Debbie Vaughn, Director General Robert Pearson, JaniceBarnett and Patricia Pittarelli.

The introduction of Microsoft Office 2003 to overseasposts also brought the need for training. In August, theinformation management training division of the ForeignService Institute’s School of Applied InformationTechnology ran a two-week Regional End User TrainingProgram in Manila, which was attended by ForeignService National instructors and staff from throughoutSoutheast Asia.

The course prepared these trainers to take Office 2003specialist exams and to impart their new skills at poststhroughout the region. Students covered materials inMicrosoft Word 2003, Excel 2003 and Outlook 2003 in theclass taught by FSI’s Alice Tanoue.

This type of training plays an important part in estab-lishing a stable, skilled team of local instructors whoremain in their regions.FSN trainers pose with instructor Alice Tanoue, fifth from left.

FSI Trains Instructors in New Software

6 STATE MAGAZINE

I N T H E N E W S

Embassy Gives Boost toStudent-led College Fair

BE AN EVERYDAYHERO FOR CFC

Singaporeans place a premium on advanced education,but the task of choosing a university can be overwhelming.The recent Experiences 2005 education fair made that choicea bit easier by offering the opportunity to converse withcollege students from nearly 40 American universities.

The Experiences effort began six years ago when severalSingaporean students attending U.S. universities decided tocreate an event where prospective students could connectwith current college students. This year, for the first time, theorganizing committee contacted the U.S. Embassy inSingapore for sponsorship. The embassy’s Office of PublicAffairs provided financial assistance and helped the studentsformulate a strategy for publicizing the fair. The CommercialSection introduced the students to several American busi-nesses interested in connecting with prospective students. Asa result of this collaboration, the students raised additionalfunds and increased their marketing efforts.

At the July 24 fair, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Judith Ferginopened the event and visited all the booths to meet with eachuniversity’s representative. Angela Yoong, one of the leadorganizers, said, “Mrs. Fergin’s presence increased the enthu-siasm of both the attendees and participating universities,contributing greatly to the success of Experiences 2005.”

The Commercial Section ran a booth for the U.S. Embassy.Consular officer Susan Wong conducted a seminar about thevisa application process for approximately 120 students. AlexAntilla, an Embassy intern, facilitated a question and answer

session with Singaporean students about university life in theUnited States. Other Embassy interns promoted their respec-tive schools.

The 2,500 visitors attending the fair marked the highestturnout in the event’s history. With 38 U.S. universities rep-resented, including the Ivy League and other elite schools, thecaliber of participation was unprecedented.

Other positive outcomes included the promotion of U.S.products and services, such as student loans and airlinetickets, by American corporate sponsors. The sponsorshipcommittee said, “The Embassy’s efforts aided us tremen-dously in gathering financial support, and also raised theprofile of Experiences 2005 among alumni associations andU.S. companies.”

From left, John To, Jonathan Hung and Seraphina Kuah, co-chairs ofExperiences 2005, and Chargé d’Affaires Judith Fergin officially openthe event.

Child Development Center employeesShannon Ross, back center, and Roxana Blancoshare the stage with children from Diplotots atthe Combined Federal Campaign’s earlyOctober kickoff in the Harry S Truman building.Deputy Assistant Secretary Linda Taglialatelaofficially opened the 2005 CFC under the theme“Be an Everyday Hero.” The campaign runsthrough December 16.

7NOVEMBER 2005

I N T H E N E W S

ONE-STOP SHOPPING IN MEXICOFOR EDUCATION INFORMATION

Welcome to Mexico’s EducationUSA. The first cooperativeproject of this scope at any U.S. embassy, it brings togethermultiple embassy elements—the public affairs section, theU.S. Agency for International Development and the ForeignCommercial Service—along with partner institutions: theFulbright Commission and the Institute of InternationalEducation and its educational advising center.

This combined effort will enable the partners to promoteeducational opportunities in the United States more effec-tively by providing one-stop shopping for information aboutU.S. government education programs.

At their exhibit at a meeting of the Mexican Association ofUniversities and Institutions of Higher Education, publicaffairs staff released a Spanish-language pamphlet that listsall education-related programs. The brochure’s cover designwas selected through a competition among design studentsof the Universidad Iberoamericana. A special web site forEducationUSA was designed by staff from the BenjaminFranklin Library, the embassy’s public library in Mexico City.

Participants in EducationUSA have continued their col-laboration, with joint exhibits and presentations at teachersconferences and college fairs, including the StudyUSA Fair inTijuana.

For more information, visit the EducationUSA web site atwww.usembassy-mexico.gov/educationusa.

From left, Martha Sanchez, Department of Commerce; Nichole Johnson,Institute of International Education; and Claudia Mendiola, BenjaminFranklin Library, staff the EducationUSA booth at the 11th Meeting of theMexican Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education.

Workshop Addresses Child Abduction IssuesThe first-ever workshop on the Consular Response to International Parental Child Abductions

was held August 22–24 and was attended by 23 Foreign Service officers from19 countries.

Sponsored by the Office of Children’s Issues in the Bureau ofConsular Affairs, the workshop featured presentations by CI officers,the Office of Mental Health Programs, the National Center forMissing and Exploited Children, the Department of Justice, theFBI, Interpol and workshop participants themselves. Spirited dis-cussions were held on topics such as welfare andwhereabouts visits and how to work with internationalorganizations such as Interpol.

CI applauded the ingenuity of consular officers ineffectively using the good contacts they developed atpost. Officers gave specific examples of cases they hadhandled, leading to a better understanding of the broadrange of issues that come into play in these cases.

By the end of the workshop it was clear that there is a needfor continued training and discussion of abduction issues for both FSOsand FSNs. CA is hoping to transform the workshop into a regular consulartraining course at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center.

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Despite the booming economy,most people in Chengdu still getaround by bicycle.

9NOVEMBER 2005

P O S T O F T H E M O N T H

By Bill Coleman

CHENGDUSOUTHWEST CHINA’S ‘STOREHOUSE OF HEAVEN’

10 STATE MAGAZINE

The eighth-century poet Li Bai wrote,“The road to Shu is more difficult than reachingthe azure heavens.” The ancient kingdom of Shu is part of today’sSichuan province, and it is no wonder that Li Bai found the road so chal-lenging. To the west of Sichuan is the Tibetan plateau— “the roof of theworld”—at an average altitude of more than 13,000 feet. To the south liesthe infamous Golden Triangle and the tropical lands of Southeast Asia.To the east, deep gorges, rivers and lakes form natural barriers. Finally,precipitous mountain ranges separate Sichuan from central China to thenortheast and from the steppes of the Muslim regions to the northwest.

Ambassador Clark T. Randt (third from right, back row) joins (third from left, back row) former consul general Cornelius Keur, Mrs. Sommay Keur and ConsulGeneral Jeffrey Moon in the consulate garden with traditional lion dancers and consulate Foreign Service National employees at the opening of the KeurCommunity Center.

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11NOVEMBER 2005

A T A G L A N C E

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2005

Country name: China

Capital: Beijing

Government: Communist state

Population: 1.3 billion

Median age: 32 years

Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslimand Christian

Total area: 9.6 million square kilometers

Approximate size: Slightly smaller thanthe United States

Currency: yuan (CNY)

Per capita income: $1,200

Chief exports: Machinery and equipment,plastics, optical and medical equipment, andiron and steel

Export partners: United States (22.8 percent),Hong Kong (16.2 percent) and Japan (12.4percent)

Modern communication and transportation links have, ofcourse, broken down many of Sichuan’s once formidablegeographic barriers, making its capital, Chengdu, an impor-tant center of business, commerce and culture.

Home of the U.S. Consulate in southwest China, Chengduhas a long and rich history. Recent archaeological evidencefrom the city center suggests humankind inhabited theSichuan basin as early as 1500 B.C., making Chengdu one ofthe oldest cities in the world. With its alluvial soil and mildclimate, Sichuan’s agricultural wealth has fed all of China formillennia, earning Sichuan the moniker of China’s “store-house of heaven.”

Early footprintFormal U.S. involvement in the consular district—which

today includes the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan,and Guizhou; Chongqing municipality; and the TibetAutonomous Region—began in 1905 with the arrival of anAmerican consul in Chongqing. After Nationalist China,embroiled in a war with Imperial Japan, relocated its capitalto Chongqing in 1937, the United States offered unofficialmilitary support in the form of the Flying Tigers, Americanvolunteers who protected the skies over southwest China.The U.S. Embassy was located in Chongqing from 1942to 1946.

The U.S. government opened the consulate general inChengdu in 1985. Construction of the consulate compoundbegan soon thereafter and the staff moved into its currentlocation in 1993. At that time, vegetable fields surroundedthe consulate and an unpaved road led past its mainentrance.

But in the past 12 years, Chengdu has changed dramatical-ly. High-rise buildings have replaced the vegetable fields, andthe dirt road, now paved, is lined with businesses, restaurantsand retail stores offering everything from traditional crafts toPrada bags and Chinese dumplings to American fast food.

Paralleling Chengdu’s burgeoning development, the con-sulate has also grown. In the past four years alone, thenumber of direct-hire Americans has doubled to 25. Theformer consul general’s residence, which was firebombed in1999 by Chinese students following the accidental NATObombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, was recentlyconverted into a multifunctional community center forstaff use.

The consulate is responsible for a geographic area largerthan Western Europe and a population of more than 200million people. Reporting duties, consular services, publicdiplomacy outreach and management support activities arenumerous and varied.

Of all the work the consulate does, however, none is morevisible or challenging than work in Tibetan areas. Whether itis visiting monasteries to better understand issues surround-ing religious freedom, speaking at local schools or assistingAmerican citizens who encounter health problems on theTibetan plateau, working in the sometimes primitive andalways harsh environment is an experience no one in theForeign Service ever forgets.

12 STATE MAGAZINE

Right: Awe Moon, left, and Protocol AssistantSu Guorong pause and ponder cliff-sideBuddhist sculptures in Dazu, Sichuan Province.Left: Office Management Specialist DeborahVaughn shares a moment with an adolescentpanda at the Wolong Nature Reserve outsideChengdu. Bottom: Political Section ForeignService National employee Lobsang Tseringtakes a break inside a nomad’s tent in Kardze,Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

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Growth spurtTwo other U.S. government agencies are also located in

Chengdu. Peace Corps volunteers assist China with its “GreatWestern Development” program by teaching English andenvironmental education to students in more than 50 uni-versities, colleges and middle schools across the consulardistrict. Taking advantage of the breakneck pace of econom-ic development in southwest China, the Foreign CommercialService promotes U.S. business.

In the past two years, Germany, South Korea, Thailand andSingapore have opened consulates in Chengdu. The arrival ofmore diplomats, as well as more Western companies, hasbrought important benefits. Chengdu’s once quiet diplomat-ic community is larger, schooling options for consulatechildren are more diverse and health care facilities areimproved.

Life is comfortable and improving daily. Housing, locatedon the consulate compound and in nearby housing develop-ments, is spacious, the cost of living is low and activities inthe city—from horseback riding to calligraphy lessons—abound. Panda viewing at Chengdu’s panda research centerand in one of their last remaining natural habitats just westof the city is also popular. Villages with stone lanes, bambooforests and traditional tile-roofed buildings are nearby.

Slightly farther away are alpine valleys, glacial lakes and thesnow-capped mountains of the Tibetan plateau.

But perhaps the most popular activity in Chengdu istaking it easy, for which local residents are known through-out China. Teahouses furnished with bamboo chairs andtables are found on every block, parks are filled everyweekend and the shuffling sound of majiang (mahjongg)tiles—a traditional Chinese game and favorite pastime inChengdu—can be heard at all times of the day and night.

The only thing more widespread than teahouses andmajiang games are restaurants. Chengdu residents take theireating very seriously. Sichuan is the home of numerousfamous dishes, including “hot pot,” a fiery broth of boilingoil, red chili peppers, meats and fresh vegetables. Anotherpopular dish is “mapo tofu,” similar to hot pot in spiciness,but with an added flavor of Sichuan peppercorns thatprovide a numbing, tongue-tingling sensation. BesidesChinese cuisine, Chengdu also boasts a wide variety of inter-national food, including Tex-Mex, Italian, Indian, Japanese,Korean and Thai.

Chengdu is an outward-looking city in the midst of rapidchange. Work is rewarding and life always interesting insouthwest China. �

The author was, until recently, the general services officer atthe U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu.

Author Bill Coleman, second from right, and wife Asuka accept hospitali-ty from Tibetan monks in a monastery in Lithang, Kardze, TibetanAutonomous Prefecture.

Disrupting the financing of terrorism is animportant element of U.S. strategy in the globalwar on terrorism. The Office of TerrorismFinance and Economic Sanctions Policy in the

Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs is one of the keyplayers.

Identifying and cutting off the money flow has proven tobe central to undermining terrorist groups. Closing off thelegitimate banking system to terrorists’ funds transfers forcesthem into higher-cost and riskier channels.

The agenda is ever changing. As traditional financing insti-tutions come under increased scrutiny, terrorists are turningto new ways to move funds, including through informalchannels (wire transfers, cash couriers) and illegal activities(money laundering, smuggling, diversion of charitable dona-tions).

Hawala, an alternative remittance system that originated inIndia before the introduction of traditional Western bankingpractices, is used around the world. Although it and similar

systems are often referred to as underground banking, theyoperate in the open with complete legitimacy. They are oftenheavily and effectively advertised.

What is challenging from the point of view of tracking ter-rorist funds is that hawala makes minimal or no use ofnegotiable instruments. The system functions on the basis oftrust between dealers and is often grounded in family orregional affiliations.

Obviously, as terrorist financial networks expand in com-plexity and global reach, no country has the capability totrack and defeat them without the cooperation of others.This office manages international outreach on terrorismfinance for the U.S. government, working with U.S. lawenforcement, intelligence and regulatory agencies, as well theNational Security Council and relevant regional and func-tional bureaus at State.

The office supports submitting to the United Nations thenames of individuals and groups linked to Al Qaeda, Usamabin Laden and the Taliban, which requires international

14 STATE MAGAZINE

O F F I C E O F T H E M O N T H

THIS OFFICE GIVES THE BAD GUYS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY BY MARILYN BRUNO

The BucksStop Here

From left, Jenny Ley, Jonathan Turak, LaToya Young, MarilynBruno, Daniel Schmerin, David Nelson and Karen Noble.

The BucksStop Here

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action to freeze assets and ban traveland arms sales. Through this “desig-nation” process, nearly 400 terroristfacilitators have been publicly identi-fied, and more than $174 million inassets have been frozen since 2001.

The office also networks with ter-rorist finance coordinating officersin each overseas mission, providingthem with regular updates, a classi-fied web site with a vast variety ofresources and formal trainingopportunities in terrorism finance,including a three-day course offeredseveral times a year at the ForeignService Institute.

The sanctions side of the officeworks to deny terrorist states and other offenders of interna-tional norms the economic benefits of trade with the UnitedStates. It works with other bureaus and offices to develop andimplement sanctions programs, including against Syria, Iran,Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Burma. Policy isdynamic; the office constantly works to calibrate sanctionsagainst all those countries, tightening or loosening them inconjunction with diplomatic and policy developments.

Sanctions policy can allow for exemptions so that human-itarian, scientific, scholarly or cultural exchanges maycontinue despite other trade and investment restrictions. Inthe wake of the December 26, 2003, earthquake in Bam, Iran,the office processed hundreds of licenses so that humanitar-

ian assistance could be swiftly provided despite other sanc-tions against Iran. Also, the office interceded to make surethat a license was granted for work in a highly sanctionedcountry to research vaccinations for a deadly childhooddisease.

Finally, many foreign missions in Washington can thankthis office for helping them find banks to transfer theiraccounts to after the closing of Riggs Bank.

This office stays busy, giving the bad guys a literal run fortheir money. �

The author is a program officer in the Office of TerrorismFinance and Economic Sanctions Policy.

15NOVEMBER 2005

Office name: Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions Policy

Symbol: EB/ESC/TFS

Office Director: David D. Nelson

Staff size: 15

Office location: Harry S Truman Building

A T A G L A N C E

Above: LaToya Young, Karen Noble and JonathanTurak work on sanctions. Left: Daniel Schmerin,Office Director David Nelson and Marilyn Bruno plothow to follow the terrorists’ money.

16 STATE MAGAZINE

TheFoggyBottomSociety

REACHING OUTTO CIVIL SERVICEFOREIGN AFFAIRSPROFESSIONALSBY JOHN CONLON

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Above left: Deputy Assistant Secretary Linda Taglialatela, Director General W. Robert Pearson and Foggy Bottom Society President Jack Bobo sharetheir views on the Department’s commitment to its Civil Service employees. Right: Foggy Bottom Society members and other Department employeeslisten as Director General W. Robert Pearson discusses the Department’s engagement of its Civil Service employees.

The State Department utilizes a professional staff encom-passing a broad array of backgrounds to implement thePresident’s foreign policy. In particular, the foreign affairsprofessionals of the Civil Service serve a key function withinthe Department.

They represent the United States at home and abroad, fre-quently traveling overseas to carry out the Department’s

foreign policy mission while maintaining long-term con-tacts with local embassies and interagency groups. Theyserve the Department by using their area, foreign-languageand technical expertise and by serving on the front lines offoreign policy formulation and engagement.

A group of civil servants recently founded the FoggyBottom Society to increase awareness of Civil Serviceforeign affairs professionals and promote greater cama-raderie and cohesion among them; to encourage training ofCivil Service employees in international affairs and otherjob-related skills; to provide guidance to employees incareer development and foster the creation of new career

opportunities; and to provide a forum for networking andexchange of information on workplace matters and interna-tional affairs.

The Department officially recognized the organizationlast spring. At an event hosted by the society on Aug. 8,Director General Robert Pearson affirmed the Department’scommitment to working with the Foggy Bottom Society

and providing a wide rangeof career developmentopportunities to its civilservants.

Some members look forways to climb the careerladder, and seek advicefrom fellow civil servants.Others are interested intemporary assignments inother bureaus to providecross training and variety totheir resumes. Some simplyw a n t t o k n o w w h a tCongress and the Officeof Personnel Managementhave in store for theDepartment’s Civil Service

personnel under current reform proposals.The Department has responded positively to the Society’s

career development, training and job mobility proposals.The Society is open to all of the Department’s Civil

Service foreign affairs professionals, regardless of rank orposition. All civil servants willing to devote time and shareideas and expertise can check out the Society’s web site atwww.foggybottomsociety.org. �

John Conlon is the chairman of the Foggy Bottom Society’sPublic Outreach and Recognition Committee. He is a civilservant for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

Some members look for ways to climb thecareer ladder, and seek advice from fellow civilservants. Others are interested in temporaryassignments in other bureaus to provide crosstraining and variety to their resumes. Somesimply want to know what Congress and theOffice of Personnel Management have in storefor the Department’s Civil Service personnel....

18 STATE MAGAZINE

On the Road‘CITIZEN AMBASSADORS’ ENGAGE AUDIENCESON UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES’ TRIP TO EGYPT,SAUDI ARABIA, AND TURKEY BY KAREEMA DAUOD

LFrom left, Gretchen Welch, William O’Brien,Kareema Dauod and Gordon Gray are servedsnacks by their hosts at Dar el-HekmaWomen’s College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Language and one-on-oneengagement play powerful rolesin bridging cultures. I learned thiswhen I was chosen recently toaccompany Under Secretary ofState for Public Diplomacy andPublic Affairs Karen Hughes andher deputy, Dina Habib Powell,on their first official trip to theMiddle East and Turkey. PH

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I was selected for this special role because of my experienceas a co-op student employee in Under Secretary KarenHughes’ Office of Policy, Planning and Resources and as aPhD student at Georgetown University majoring in Arabiclinguistics. William O’Brien, a teacher from Wisconsin recom-mended by Senator Russ Feingold, was asked to be the otherpioneer “citizen ambassador.”

Thanks to my Arab-German-American and Muslim back-ground, I was uniquely able to relate to the students, opinionleaders, women activists and others we met on the trip. Ienjoyed engaging them on a personal level and doing my partto help explain life as an American Muslim.

I spoke about my experiences living as an American in adiverse and tolerant country. Students in particular, whomight have been intimidated by politicians, were comfortableexpressing to me their frank opinions about the United Statesand its foreign policy. I was firm in rebutting several mythsabout the role the U.S. plays in the world. But I believe Idemonstrated that, though we may not agree on everything,there is plenty we all have in common, and that should be thebasis for collaboration and dialogue.

One of my favorite recollections was being asked, at anopinion leaders lunch in Cairo, if I—a Muslim in govern-ment—was an exception. I said no, and added that Muslimsare prominently represented in all aspects of Americansociety.

I learned that language plays a powerful role inbridging cultures and differences. Both Dina and Iwere able to converse in Arabic with those we met

in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Though English is widely spokenin both countries, the ability to speak Arabic, understand theculture and relate to people was very much appreciated.

I came to be seen as an American with a face and an iden-tity, not just a title. The trust and acceptance Bill and Igained from our counterparts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia andTurkey was truly spectacular. We went away forever changed,feeling we had contributed a little toward global peace andunderstanding.

As a result of this week-long trip, I was able to establish con-tacts with students, opinion leaders, journalists and citizenswho I now keep in touch with via an online chat group. I’ll talkto students in Jeddah soon in a digital video conference. Manygood ideas have sprouted from these contacts, such as youthsummits, web chats, targeted exchanges and internships.

As Ambassador Hughes continually stresses, public diplo-macy is a two-way street. We seek to listen and be heard.

On behalf of the newly launched citizen ambassadorprogram, I invite your ideas on how to make this world asmaller and better place for all of us. Please send constructivecomments on improving the image of Muslims in the U.S. orAmericans abroad to Sul5daka@gmail.com or check out“youandstate” on Yahoo Groups. �

The writer is a co-op student employee in Under SecretaryKaren Hughes’ Office of Policy, Planning and Resources.

As Ambassador Hughes continuallystresses, public diplomacy is a two-waystreet. We seek to listen and be heard.

Left: Kareema met these exchange students in Bab Zuweila,Egypt. Below: The author takes a break during a busy dayin Cairo.

20 STATE MAGAZINE

On July 1, 2004, Third Platoon was transporting

supplies from Tikrit to Balad, a community near

Baghdad. The daily trip typically took two and a

half hours to travel about 70 miles, since the

convoy averaged 35 mph. For safety, speeds rarely

reached 50 mph. After hours of loading cargo,

securing it with tie-downs or plywood sheets,

the 23-truck convoy hit the highway.

21NOVEMBER 2005

A DayLike Anyin Iraq

Story and photographsby Margaret Smith

22 STATE MAGAZINE

ach truck containedtwo drivers, with a trailer in tow. Together,truck and trailer could haul about 49 tons ofcargo, typically water, food, ammunition andvehicle parts. Convoys purposely looked men-acing to discourage attacks. A 50-calibermachine gun and grenade launcher protrudedfrom each truck and soldiers always pointedtheir guns out the open windows.

The road was mostly a rural four-lane desertthoroughfare divided by a dirt median, litteredon the sides with abandoned vehicles and fruit stands.Many of the vehicles were stolen and simply left by theroadside, the driver having set out on foot after breakingdown.

As usual, intelligence was limited, just word-of-mouthreports of enemy activity soldiers would bring back from pre-vious trips. It seemed the written reports of bombings orinsurgent attacks never got included in the formal briefings.

Danger fluctuated. There were “hot periods,” when road-side bombings and small-arms attacks occurred daily. Thena week might go by without an incident. Those periodswere the worst because it seemed like the calm before thestorm.

After the convoy departed the third checkpoint along theroute, which at the time was manned by American forces,the lead truck observed a fruit box on the edge of the road.

The lead truck contained the Third Platoon’s most sea-soned gun crew. It ensured that the road ahead was safe for

the rest of the convoy. Instinct told them to be leery of thebox even in an area filled with roadside markets wherevendors commonly discard used boxes.

Because disturbed dirt or wires are signs an object mightbe a bomb, you can’t be certain until you get close. By then,unfortunately, it’s too late. In some cases, there are no wiresbecause the bomb is set off electronically. Fortunately, thebombs are not very accurate. They’re sometimes placed toofar from the road, and faulty connections delay detonationby up to a minute. It’s also difficult to time the explosion forthe instant a vehicle is passing by.

The lead truck gunner and driver paused for a moment,studying the threat. Unable to see any signs of a bomb, theyproceeded cautiously. There were no people in the area, asuspicious sign. As a precaution, the driver crossed themedian and moved to the opposite side of the highway,putting a traffic-lane’s width between the truck and the box.Such a tactic on American highways would be as deadly as

E

The convoy’s lead truck burns,top. A watchful soldier providessecurity, bottom, while waitingfor the recovery crew to arrive.

23NOVEMBER 2005

a bomb, but Iraqi motorists regularly cross highwaymedians to avoid traffic jams. There’s little regard for thelaw and few police officers to enforce it.

Just as the lead vehicle passed the seemingly benign box,there was a tremendous explosion and three trucks weredestroyed. A few moments of surreal silence followed. Thenit was shattered by the crackle of gunfire as hidden insur-gents ambushed the vehicles. The convoy fought back withcovering fire.

As the battle raged, a vehicle pulled alongside the burninglead truck. Its driver ran over and assisted the gunner, nowstruggling to untangle himself from the gun mount on topof the truck. The second driver in the lead truck tried tohelp, but he had been blinded by the blast.

Seconds after the gunner was freed, the lead truck wasengulfed in flames. Now the rescue focused on the secondtruck that was hit. The driver couldn’t move. Both legs weretorn up by shrapnel. The other driver managed to get out ofthe truck, but was very disoriented and could hardly seebecause his glasses had been shattered and blood coveredhis face. No soldiers were injured in the third vehicle.

During the fighting, two other soldiers sustained third-degree burns while maneuvering their automatic rifles,sizzling hot from the sustained shooting.

Six soldiers now needed medical attention fast. Therewere no medics in the convoy, so a request for a medicalevacuation team was sent—by e-mail! Our radios had poor

reception and there was only one cell phone in ourcompany of 135 soldiers. But two trucks had satellite links.

A series of e-mails describing the injuries flashed backand forth, frantically typed between taking cover andreturning fire. Medical teams are not dispatched withoutthis information.

Finally, after about 15 minutes of suppressive fire, theinsurgents retreated, allowing the injured to be moved to asafe area for treatment. A landing zone was marked, and 45

minutes later a helicopter flew the most seriously woundedsoldiers to a hospital. Twenty minutes later, an ambulancearrived to assist with the three remaining soldiers.

Now attention focused on the damaged vehicles. Becausethey contained navigation equipment with classifiedcoding, weapons and ammunition—all valuable to theinsurgents—arrangements were made to tow them away.

A secure perimeter was set up until a recovery crewarrived two hours later. But towing these vehicles isn’t assimple as calling your roadside wrecker.

The loads need adjusting and tow bars attached. Thesetrucks are enormous. It takes three very strong soldiers tochange just one of the four-and-a-half-foot-high tires. Andit takes four soldiers to install the tow bar—three to lift it inplace and another to hammer the pins that secure it to thedamaged truck.

The convoy eventually delivered its supplies at Baladwithout further incident. Third Platoon decided that delay-

Six soldiers now needed medical attentionfast. There were no medics in the convoy,so a request for a medical evacuationteam was sent—by e-mail!

24 STATE MAGAZINE

ing the mission any longer would grant theinsurgents a victory, so the trucks were loadedwith “retrograde”—destroyed and damagedequipment—for the return trip, or “back haul.”

It wasn’t a Sunday drive.Thirty minutes outside the gate, another

explosion rocked the convoy. Fortunately, it wasa miss. Suppressive fire was returned as theconvoy continued on. Another 45 minutesdown the road, another explosion, anothernear miss. When Third Platoon finally arrivedat home base, the relief was palpable—but onlyfor a few hours. The platoon would soon bepreparing for its next mission.

The injured soldiers recovered. The leadtruck gunner required several surgeries to healthe upper portion of his left arm. Although hemay never be able to lift it more than fiveinches, he plans to stay in the Army reserve. Thelead truck’s driver recovered with only a four-inch scar on his right cheekbone. The driver ofthe second vehicle still has shrapnel in his leftleg and walks with difficulty. And the only scarscarried by the soldier with the shattered glassesare in his memory.

Not every day was so intense, but many were.Attacks were likely each time we left oursecured area. �

Margaret Smith, a transportation manager inthe Bureau of Administration and a captain inthe U.S. Army Reserve, spent a year in Iraq.

Bullet holes are visible in the windshieldof the third truck in the convoy, top.Wounded soldiers get attention in a triagearea set up on the highway, middle. Thefire ebbs, leaving the lead truck a charredhulk, bottom.

25NOVEMBER 2005

Unlikely Call Thrusts Employee into DangerBy Paul Koscak

Margaret Smith was shocked whenshe got the call to report for duty thatwould take her to war-torn Iraq. Sowas her boss.

What’s more shocking is that Ms.Smith, who negotiates with contrac-tors to move employee household

goods in the Bureau of Administra-tion, wasn’t even an active reservist.

After joining the Army Reserve in1995, she performed the requiredmonthly drills and the annual twoweeks of active duty for five years.After that, she was assigned to theinactive ready reserve, essentially nomore than a name on a list.Traditionally, inactive status is abureaucratic backwater where re-servists generally perform no dutyand the chances of being called uponare nearly nil.

Until now.With the vast drawdown in

America’s regular armed forcesduring the past decade, the opera-tions in Iraq and Afghanistanrequired the Pentagon to fill theshortfall with active guard andreserve forces and then an unprece-dented call-up of inactive reservistswith critical skills. Ms. Smith, a trans-portation officer, is one of them.

“I received a call in December 2003informing me I was now on activeduty and needed to immediatelyreport to Mobile, Ala., for training,”she says. “I told them I had a job, twokids that needed day care, no uni-

forms and no military ID. So theygave me five days.”

The experience gave her a new per-spective. Fewer things bother hernow, says the Manassas. Va., resident.

“I take mass transit and I listen tothe woes of other people—howinsignificant,” she says. “It’s amazinghow people in Iraq live—some with

no shoes. My kids complain whentheir shoes don’t light up.”

She’s also more aware of her sur-roundings and maintains a distancefrom suspicious people.

“I don’t drive over potholes, notonly because it can ruin your align-ment; that’s where insurgents placedbombs,” she says.

Her only physical change, sheadded, is a hearing loss sufferedduring her tour that causes her tospeak louder.

“It was difficult and challenging—not unlike many of the assignmentsour Foreign Service employees andother civilians face daily in Iraq,” shesays. “When colleagues ask about my

experience, my standardresponse has been: ‘It wasdifficult, but my entirecompany returned and forthat I am very thankful’. ”

She also acknowledgesthe hardships endured bythe Iraqis.

“For years, they’ve livedwith the potential of violence underthe old regime,” she says. “And nowthey’re often caught in the cross firebetween the military and the insur-gents. Nevertheless, many are gratefulthat America has come to help.” �

The author was a writer/editor forState Magazine.

After answering an unexpected call to work as a transportation officer in Iraq, MargaretSmith returned with a new perspective on life in the U.S.

“It was difficult and challenging—not unlikemany of the assignments our Foreign Serviceemployees and other civilians face daily in Iraq.”

26 STATE MAGAZINE

In the aftermath of twin natural disasters—HurricanesKatrina and Rita—that displaced hundreds of thousands ofLouisiana and Mississippi residents and devastated theirhomes and businesses, the entire nation sprang into action.The Department became one of the early responders, callingon its staff to help support operations in the Gulf region.

Biloxi, Miss., and the small coastal towns nearby bore thebrunt of Hurricane Katrina. The Department deployed twoarmored mobile communications units from the manufac-turer’s storage facility in Jennings, La., to Keesler Air ForceBase to support communications for the relief effort. TheDepartment loaned Unit 001 to the Air Force for use as atemporary operations facility until the damage to the AirForce communications building could be repaired.

Carol Perez and George Rowland of S/ES-EX were on handto review the operation and encourage the troops. Joe Coleand the Information Resource Management bureau staffassigned to this mission briefed the Secretary’s staff and intro-duced them to the Air Force representatives on hand. SpecialAgent Julie Miller and her colleagues conveyed their appreci-ation to the Secretary’s staff for the Department’s support.

As events progressed, the mission moved to FEMA head-quarters, set up in a former Dillard’s department store in

Baton Rouge, La. The IRM staff coordinated the transfer ofUnit 002 to the Louisiana State Police Academy, which wasthe main landing zone and law enforcement staging area forthe New Orleans operation.

Several of the staff from the LAN/WAN services divisionand the Messaging Services Office contributed to the successof the operations. They provided telephone, radio and com-puter data support for Ambassador Joseph Sullivan and hisstaff. Working closely with members of the U.S. Agency forInternational Development, these Department volunteerswere tasked with coordinating the generous internationalaid the U.S. received from other countries. The staff alsosupported the foreign diplomatic missions located in storm-ravaged New Orleans.

The BackboneAny operation of this size depends on communications.

When the decision to deploy resources was made, theDepartment set up Task Force 3 to identify its humanresources. The technical and operational assets were identi-fied and funding was made available.

The IRM Bureau had a large contingent of highly skilledstaff providing feet on the ground. They included Joe Cole,

DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEERS BRING ORDER TO CHAOS BY BRIAN COEN

RESPONDING TO DISASTER

Debris litters Biloxi, Miss., in the wake of Katrina.

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Brian Coen, Torey Gaspie, Brian Mason, Curtis Potts, JohnWilliams, Brad Raupp, Ed Schilling, Roger Smith, Sow Thongand Kevin Gatlin.

Ken Wallace headed the system operations once commu-nications were established. IRM’s staff coordinator was JudyDulisse, deputy division officer for the LAN/WAN ServicesDivision. She managed the staff and material logistics, coor-dinated funding and shipping and established agreementsamong various bureaus.

Setup and OperationsThe information management technical specialists

assigned to the various offices in the IRM bureau were ableto coordinate and establish satellite, radio, telephone anddata linkups in Biloxi and Baton Rouge. The Departmentprovided multichannel, short-range handheld radios toFEMA field teams assigned to areas where utilities were com-pletely out of service.

The specialists set up telephone and Internet access for“State South” operations. Telephone technical specialistTorey Gaspie volunteered to provide generator maintenancefor the temporary senior staff lodging at the FEMA head-

quarters. The specialist team set up two servers and nineclient workstations with ISDN 3 Mbps line connectivityprovided by FEMA IT personnel.

Unit 002, set up at the Police Academy, was equipped withclassified network access, and four Voice Over InternetProtocol lines provided over satellite links. Radio techniciansset up two repeater locations to support the local diplomaticsecurity agents from the New Orleans field office.

Special Agent Charles Bolden, assigned to the NewOrleans regional office, helped with interagency coordina-tion and the logistics support at the Louisiana PoliceAcademy site. His assistance was vital to the mission’ssuccess.

As this massive relief effort continues, the Departmentstill has a role in the area. The New Orleans offices will needrestoring and the lives of their staff need to be made wholeagain. The memories of this disaster and the Department’sresponse to it will live on—later. For now, there’s still plentyof work to do. �

The author is acting liaison office branch chief for LAN/WANservices in the Overseas Building Office.

STATE DEPARTMENT SOUTHOn Aug. 30, the day after Hurricane Katrina made

landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Operations Centerreached out to the Office of International Affairs of theDepartment of Homeland Security to offer StateDepartment assistance to track welfare and whereaboutsinquiries about foreign citizens as well as internationaloffers of assistance. The Department’s permanent CrisisManagement Team began handling inquiries fromforeign governments regarding their nationals and sentout a message to all missions on welfare and where-abouts preparations.

On Friday, Sept. 2, the Executive Secretary, HarryThomas, directed the formation of a larger task force tocoordinate Department activities on welfare and where-abouts, process and respond to international offers ofassistance and link with Missions overseas. The TaskForce was initially led by Ambassador Eileen Molloy andsubsequently by Deborah A. McCarthy, with assistancefrom Operations Center Director John Bass and his team.

International offers jumped dramatically from 7 onAug. 30 to 122 on Sept. 9, including cash pledges ofmore than $760 million. The Department coordinatedoffers of assistance from foreign governments, politicalentities and international organizations and alsoinformed governments of specific requests for assis-tance based on needs conveyed to the Department byFEMA. The Department also coordinated with theDepartment of Defense to facilitate international militarysupport and linked with the United Nations and otherorganizations that offered assistance.

DHS and the Department of State agreed that theOffice of Foreign Disaster Assistance of AID would

convey offers of assistance to FEMA and coordinateresponses. Following acceptance of the offer by theDepartment, OFDA was the logistical point of contactfor receipt of the material. An OFDA representative wasincluded on the Task Force. State officers were alsoassigned to the OFDA/RMT Task Force. To assist in thedistribution of the assistance as well as with welfare andwhereabouts, the Department established a forwardoffice—State Department South—with 70 persons tosupport the Joint Interagency Field office in BatonRouge. Led by Ambassador Joseph Sullivan, the officeincluded representatives from State bureaus as well asOFDA.

A significant portion of the material internationalassistance received came from NATO countries andpartners, as well as Mexico. The acceptance and deliveryof much of this assistance was coordinated with NORTH-COM and other DOD elements. This “mil-to-mil”coordination enabled NORTHCOM to quickly receiverequired assistance, the Task Force to update the assis-tance matrix, and State principals to stay informed. Tohelp transport airlift of European assistance, NATOstood up the Euro-Atlantic Disaster ResponseCoordination Centre and provided a liaison located withthe OFDA/FEMA cell staff to assist in coordinatingNATO airlift.

As of Oct. 11, 150 countries, political entities andinternational organizations had made offers of assis-tance. We have accepted offers from 108.

With the disbandment of the Task Force on Sept. 18,a Katrina Working Group has continued to process offersof assistance.

28 STATE MAGAZINE

The overwhelming human and physical destructioncaused by Hurricane Katrina affected all Department of Stateoperations in New Orleans, especially the Passport Agency.Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Hartylauded the efforts of her counterparts in the Bureau ofAdministration and Bureau of Diplomatic Security to helpState employees in the region who suffered unimaginablelosses as a result of the storm and subsequent flooding. Shecalled the Department’s efforts a “classic example of whatsuperb teamwork can accomplish.”

One of the three largest domestic passport service facili-ties, the New Orleans Passport Agency was evacuated twodays before Hurricane Katrina to protect the welfare of itsemployees. Once the extent of the devastation of HurricaneKatrina was made clear, CA’s first priority was to locate all ofthe New Orleans Passport Agency’s 85 employees and ensuretheir safety.

It took some real detective work to locate all of them. CAworked round the clock to find colleagues and to keep intouch with them on a daily basis thereafter. Agent FrankWilkins of Diplomatic Security spent hours combing the

HURRICANEKATRINA

AFTERMATH

HURRICANEKATRINA

AFTERMATHDEPARTMENT MOBILIZES IN SUPPORT OF

NEW ORLEANS PASSPORT AGENCYBY PAUL PEEK

Above: A tractor-trailer carries nearly 1,000 crates from New Orleans tothe Passport Center in Charleston. Right: Recovery team workersremove boxes of passports from the New Orleans Passport Agency. PH

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lists of evacuated persons compiled by the Red Cross andother sources on the Internet, as well as scouring personnelfiles for clues regarding relatives who might be aware of anemployee’s whereabouts. Stanley and Associates, CA’sprimary contractor and private sector contractor, was ableto locate all 45 of its employees. Personnel from theDiplomatic Security and Human Resources bureausassigned to New Orleans were also accounted for quickly.

Every effort has been made to assist the employees inobtaining every possible benefit and source of relief.Government employees and contract colleagues are onadministrative leave. Subsistence allowances are also beingmade to government employees to help offset temporaryhousing costs.

As this issue went to press, many of the affected employ-ees had not been able to visit their homes to survey theextent of the damage to their property. A significant numberof those who did visit their homes reported major damagerequiring extensive reconstruction. Department employeescan help speed their recovery through a donation to theEmployee Emergency Fund. More details are available in theDepartment Notice dated Sept. 6.

Although the building where the New Orleans PassportAgency is located sustained little damage, the Departmenttemporarily closed the Agency and transferred work from

the region to the National Passport Center and theCharleston Passport Center. In addition, a Department teamof volunteers traveled by truck convoy to Baton Rouge andthen on to New Orleans to secure controlled items and pass-port applications in progress—a mammoth task.

Consular Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for PassportServices Frank Moss, who led the recovery efforts, character-ized the conditions under which they worked in New Orleans

as “horrendous.” Nevertheless, cooperation amongCA, DS, the Bureau of Administration and a con-tract transportation company was magnificent.Within two days, the recovery team loaded andcarried close to 1,000 crates—including the com-puter servers—down 13 floors in an unlit,sweltering stairwell and loaded them onto atractor-trailer for final delivery to the PassportCenter in Charleston.

With the help of 15 additional specialistsbrought in from other passport agencies and manyhours of overtime and weekend work, the remark-

able employees in Charleston processed more than 115,000passport applications for New Orleans within 2 and one-halfweeks. Under Secretary for Management Henrietta H. Foretraveled soon afterward to meet New Orleans employees sta-tioned temporarily in Charleston and to thank andcongratulate the Charleston team for its extraordinary effort.

The situations into which the New Orleans PassportAgency employees have settled since Katrina struck varygreatly. Some are as far away as Atlanta and Dallas; some havegone back to work on a temporary basis in other passportagencies in Houston, Philadelphia and the CharlestonPassport Center. Others have returned to the New Orleansarea and are beginning the long, slow process of rebuildingtheir homes and their lives. �

The author is an operations officer in Passport Services FieldOperations.

Secretary Condoleezza Rice and DirectorGeneral Robert Pearson directed the Departmentto reach out to not only employees, but alsoretirees in the path of Katrina.

The Office of Retirement searched its retireedatabase and found 72 annuitants in the affectedareas of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, saidDirector David Dlouhy.

The office delivered a roster to the HurricaneTask Force, which worked with the Red Cross tosearch for each individual. The Task Force tried tocontact every affected annuitant either directly orthrough intermediaries. Many had evacuated thearea, complicating the task of finding them. TheDepartment used the new RNet site to reach out to

annuitants to help locate those who were evacuat-ed. The Department's message reached theretirees, many of whom checked in to let theDepartment know their status and whereabouts.

Those who need assistance are getting it. Oneretiree from Waveland, Miss., is being helped bythe Department, the American Foreign ServiceAssociation and the Senior Living Foundation.Another, who lived in New Orleans and lost every-thing, is staying with family in Houston. For tworetirees living in the same Mississippi area who hadnot previously met, the hurricane brought themtogether for the first time. Retirees pitched in tofind people in their areas and to make sure thateveryone survived.

RETIREES GET HELP AND HELP EACH OTHER

With the help of 15 additional specialistsbrought in from other passport agenciesand many hours of overtime andweekend work, the remarkable employ-ees in Charleston processed more than115,000 passport applications for NewOrleans within 2 and one-half weeks.

30 STATE MAGAZINE

The Art of Diplomacy

The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies isa nonprofit organization that was founded in 1986 byLeonore Annenberg, Wendy W. Luers, Lee Kimche McGrathand Carol Price. Approaching its 20th anniversary, theorganization has contributed more than 1,000 works of artto the State Department and assists the Department in itsefforts to exhibit and preserve fine and decorative art in U.S.embassies around the world. Through both commission andpurchase, FAPE has acquired some of the finest examples ofAmerican art and funded restoration and preservation proj-ects for the historic embassies that belong to the U.S.government.

FAPE’s latest project is the Art in New Embassies Program,which commissions American artists to create site-specificworks for embassies. Once an artist has been selected and hasagreed to create a work, the embassy architects, the StateDepartment, FAPE and the artist work together to ensurethat the art is sensitively integrated with the building and itsgrounds. The works are all donated by the artists, and FAPEprovides the funds to pay for their fabrication.

FAPE’s first site-specific installation was a large-scalebronze sculpture by Joel Shapiro, installed in 1999 at the U.S.Embassy in Ottawa. Subsequent commissions for new build-ings have included two sundials by Maya Lin for theconsulate in Istanbul, a Sol LeWitt work at the embassy inTunis and a sculpture by Elyn Zimmerman at the embassy inDar es Salaam.

Two of FAPE’s most exciting new projects are for theembassies in Beijing and Berlin. Skidmore, Owings & Merrillhas designed the Beijing compound, and artists EllsworthKelly, Louise Bourgeois and Martin Puryear are contributingworks. For Berlin, which was designed by Moore RubleYudell, Sol LeWitt has created a wall mural that will be seenalong the grand procession from Alexander Platz to theBrandenburg Gate.

Another significant FAPE initiative is the Lee KimcheMcGrath Original Print Collection, named for FAPE’sfounding director. As part of this project, each year a distin-guished American artist donates an edition of original printsfor display in U.S. embassies. The Original Print Collection

NONPROFIT FOUNDATION DECORATES U.S. EMBASSIESWITH AMERICAN ART BY JENNIFER A. DUNCAN

In 2004, FAPE commissioned American artist SolLeWitt to create a wall mural for the entrance to theconsular building at the future U.S. Embassy in Berlin,Germany, which is slated to open in 2008.

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Above: Assembly of Friends is a large-scale sculpture that groupssix related geometric forms around a granite-rimmed pool.Created by American artist Elyn Zimmerman, the work was com-missioned by FAPE in 2002 for the U.S. Embassy in Dar esSalaam, Tanzania, and was installed in June 2004. Top left:Marigold by Alex Katz was the 2004 donation to the Lee KimcheMcGrath Original Print Collection. Bottom left: In 2003, FAPE com-missioned American artist Ellsworth Kelly to create two 18-foot-high wall sculptures for the entrance to the consular building atthe new U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, which is scheduled toopen in 2008.

began in 1989, when Frank Stella donated TheSymphony in an edition large enough for a print to besent to every American embassy. Some of thecountry’s leading printmaking workshops, includingGemini G.E.L. and Tyler Graphics Limited, havedonated the printing of artists’ portfolios.

FAPE’s aim is to create a meaningful and appropri-ate permanent collection of art for every embassy.Through its work, FAPE enables art to serve as a cul-tural ambassador, promoting freedom of expressionand encouraging international understanding amongindividuals and nations. �

The author is director of the Foundation for Art andPreservation in Embassies.

32 STATE MAGAZINE

A FRAGILE PEACE

Apprehension and uncertainty filled the air as I packed asleeping bag and emergency supplies for an advance trip toJuba, southern Sudan, for the funeral of Sudanese First VicePresident Dr. John Garang.

Dr. Garang, who for more than 20 years led the SudanPeople’s Liberation Movement/Army, had formally becomepart of a new government that united the mostly Muslimnorth with the mostly Christian south only three weeksbefore, when he died in a helicopter crash returning fromUganda on July 30. His untimely death set off several days ofrioting, arson and looting, resulting in more than 100 deathsand hundreds more fleeing Khartoum and Juba, where mostof the violence had occurred. The morning I left for Sudan,I heard on the BBC that 18 people, mostly Arab shop ownersand merchants, had been killed the day before in Juba.

Two assistant regional security officers, Jared Campbelland Damon Rice, joined me, along with political officersErin Tariot and Craig White, an Arabic speaker. We depart-ed Nairobi via charter plane for Juba, a city of 250,000,where none of us had ever been before.

We were met at the airport by Ahmed Juma and FathiYousif, Khartoum-based Foreign Service National employ-

ees who worked for the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment. Both were originally from southern Sudanbut had left 20 years ago when the war between the northand the south broke out.

Emergency AidBecause of the recent violence and looting, there was no

food or medical supplies. Logistic arrangements were beingmade on the fly. Stephanie Funk, who led USAID’s SudanField Office in Nairobi, worked with other Embassy officersto coordinate the delivery of emergency aid and support forthe American delegation that would attend the funeral twodays later. The aid included tons of food, fuel, water, tentsand cooking utensils for the thousands of mourners whopaid their respects in New Site (Garang’s home) and Juba.

In an effort to promote calm, the field office supportedthe travel of journalists and increased broadcasting on theUSAID-funded Sudan Radio Service to document events inthe wake of Dr. Garang’s death. The embassy donated equip-ment to assist with crowd control and security.

Confusion reigned, and plans were constantly changing.By the time we arrived in Juba on Aug. 4, the city appeared

ONE LEADER’S DEATH BRINGS RENEWED COMMITMENTTO A TROUBLED SUDAN BY RICHARD MEI, JR.

The rioting following the death of JohnGarang left a scene of desolation inJuba’s burned-out central market.

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calm, as a curfew was being enforced. Through our firstnight there, we did not hear any gunshots, although wecould still see smoke from stores in the central market thathad been torched a few days before. Given the rumors sur-rounding Dr. Garang’s death and the subsequent violence,the big question was: Would the peace agreement hold?

The United States helped broker that peace through yearsof negotiations that culminated in the signing of aComprehensive Peace Agreement in Nairobi in January,2005. Then-Secretary of State Colin Powell witnessed thesigning.

Then Assistant Secretary for African Affairs ConstanceNewman and Deputy Secretary’s Special Representative forSudan Roger Winter were dispatched from Washington toreaffirm the U.S. commitment to the peace agreement, andthey spent two days prior to the funeral traveling aroundsouthern Sudan with the body of John Garang. On the dayof the funeral, they were joined by the head of the U.S. del-egation, USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios, then Chargéd’Affaires to Sudan John Limbert and Congressman DonaldPayne, who made a detour from his planned trip to Kenya.

Aug. 6 was game day and the first of three flights fromNairobi (plus Natsios’s flight from the United States) wasscheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m. By the time the plane carry-ing Dr. Garang’s body arrived, around noon, nearly 40planes crowded Juba’s small airport, bringing dignitariesfrom numerous countries and badly needed supplies.Thousands of soldiers representing both the SPLA and thegovernment of Sudan lined the road from the airport to All

Saints Cathedral, while tens of thousands of Sudanese citi-zens mobbed the roads, church and burial site. Many werecrying, even wailing.

Pivotal RoleThe widow, Rebecca Garang, and Sudanese President

Omar Hassan al-Bashir reiterated an important message:The memory and legacy of John Garang would live by com-pletely implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement,which Bashir had signed with his former foe.

The role of the United States at this time of crisis was notjust making a one-off donation, but continuing the pivotalposition it played throughout the process of bringing peaceto southern Sudan. In giving thanks during the eulogies, Dr.Garang’s eldest son, Mabior, singled out the U.S. govern-ment and President Bush for their steadfast diplomaticsupport.

The emergency aid and logistical support that we wereable to provide in those few days reflected the combinedefforts of various elements of the Department and USAIDin Washington, Khartoum and Nairobi. With criticalsupport from the United Nations—in particular the WorldFood Program, which provided ground transportation—this was a truly international effort that helped to ensurethat John Garang’s vision for a peaceful Sudan would notdie with him. �

The author is the Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy inNairobi.

The role of the United States at this time of crisiswas not just making a one-off donation, but con-tinuing the pivotal position it played throughoutthe process of bringing peace to southern Sudan.

Above: Mourners line the road in Juba on the day of thefuneral. Left: Arabs flee Juba after becoming the targets ofviolence. Below: USAID Administrator Andrew Natsion speaksto Americans representing non-governmental organizationsin Juba.

34 STATE MAGAZINE

“I am the virtual principal officer for Davao” was how Iintroduced myself during the year I managed the East Asianand Pacific Affairs Bureau’s first virtual consulate in thatsouthern Philippine city. The greeting invariably elicited achuckle. It was often followed by quips such as, “Do you get avirtual paycheck?” or “Do you get virtual satisfaction?”

The satisfaction was very real. I was the “face” of the U.S.government in Davao, the largest city in the troubledMindanao region. As VPO, my task was to help coordinate theinteractions among more than 25 U.S. government agenciesin the Philippines and Davao, improve the focus of our pro-gramming and outreach and generate a perception in theminds of key “Davaoenos” that America was present andactive, even though we did not have a building or full-timestaff in the city. I worked out of the embassy in Manila, butperiodically traveled to Davao to reinforce the importantface-to-face component of the program.

Implementing the virtual presence post model is transfor-mational diplomacy in action. We employ traditionaldiplomatic outreach tools and programming and enhancethese with new technology. This helps us reach out to nontra-ditional audiences in locations that have become moreimportant in an age of globalization and instant communica-tion. In Davao, a city of 1.1 million people, we developedrelationships with local government, media, academia, non-governmental organizations, the business community,religious denominations and resident American citizens.

MULTIPLIER EFFECTThe multiplier effect of electronic diplomacy allows the

VPP to reach a broader audience than is possible through tra-ditional diplomacy alone. We developed a branded web site(www.usvirtualconsulatedavao.org.ph) that, in effect, substi-tuted for the physical building, and publicly declared ourengagement with Davao.

The VPP pioneered live online chat sessions as a vehicle foroutreach in Davao. By leveraging the 14 American Corners inthe Philippines as venues for students and faculty to join inthe chats, we turned the sessions into vehicles for outreach tothe entire country. Without any permanent U.S. governmentbuildings or personnel in Davao, the virtual post achievedmany of the net benefits of a traditional consulate in a cost-effective manner.

Launching the VPP forced us to tackle some of the cultur-al challenges that must be met if transformational diplomacyis to have meaning in the Department. I had to explain to mysupervisors and their superiors the how, why, what, when andwhere of a new idea in an environment where everyone wasalready fully occupied with pressing tasks.

After getting critical buy-in from my chain of commandand the front office, I had to sell the idea to the country team,which represented several individual agencies with their ownperspectives and priorities. The challenge was to explain howthis new investment could support individual agency goalswhile also promoting our collective interests as Americans.

VIRTUAL PRINCIPAL OFFICERS SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIONAL DIPLOMACYWITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY BY MANU BHALLA

VIRTUAL REALITY

Former Ambassador Francis Ricciardonebuys a t-shirt from a vendor during his visitto launch the U.S. Virtual Consulate Davaoin October 2004.

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At the same time, we began early to cultivate buy-in fromour target audiences in Davao. We met with local governmentofficials, media, academia, American wardens and the busi-ness community, not just to communicate and educate, butalso to seek their input. When Virtual Consulate Davao waslaunched, it was not just a U.S. government initiative, it was ajoint project in which many communities had a stake.

SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHVirtual Consulate Davao was launched with much fanfare

on Oct. 6, 2004. During the first six months, we recordedthousands of hits to the web site and received hundreds of e-mail inquiries. We conducted 10 chat sessions with more than800 participants on topics such as visas, American CitizenServices, adopting children in the Philippines, studying in theUnited States and the State Department Reports on HumanRights and Trafficking in Persons.

Fifteen embassy sections visited Davao and the ambassadorvisited three times. We held two large events in the city, ourlaunch and a U.S. election watch. Two “Embassy on the Road”programs in Davao provided services to 250 Americans andDavaoenos.

The results from these mission investments were very clear.We achieved a marked improvement in our relationships withthe local government, media, academia, the nongovernmentalorganization community and the Ulama League, a group of

Muslim scholars. As a mission, our collective outreach effortshad more focus and greater impact.

The VPO role demonstrated its effectiveness as an internalmanagement tool for embassy coordination with Davao. Italso offers professional development and leadership opportu-nities for entry-level personnel. Not surprisingly, when Ideparted Manila, eight entry-level candidate officers at postapplied for my position.

The VPO role allowed me to apply my private-sector expe-riences in implementing change, new projects and newtechnologies. And it allayed any fears that the Departmentbureaucracy might stifle innovation.

I encourage all entry-level officers to consider the VPO roleif a virtual presence post might be relevant where they are.This could be an ideal fit for newly hired personnel who areless likely to reject nontraditional ideas just because “we’venever done that before.”

If your post is not yet among the 15 that have adopted thevirtual presence post concept, advocate for it. Transforma-tional diplomacy includes using the latest technology tools.Most important, it is about sending a signal to our increas-ingly skeptical foreign partners that “America cares.” �

The author was the first virtual principal officer during his2003–05 tour at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. He now works inthe East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau.

THE AMERICASBrazil–USVPP Belo Horizontehttp://virtual.embaixada-americana.org.br/belohorizonteBrazil–USVPP Fortalezahttp://virtual.embaixada-americana.org.br/fortalezaBrazil–USVPP Porto Alegrehttp://virtual.embaixada-americana.org.br/portoalegreCanada–USVPP Northwest Territorieshttp://www.canadanorth.usvpp.gov/nwt/index.aspCanada–USVPP Nunavut http://www.canadanorth.usvpp.gov/nunavut/index.aspCanada–USVPP Yukon http://www.canadanorth.usvpp.gov/yukon/index.aspPanama–USVPP Colonhttp://colon.usvpp.govVenezuela–USVPP Barquisemetohttp://embajadausa.org.ve/vppwebsite/barquisimeto.phpVenezuela–USVPP San Cristobalhttp://embajadausa.org.ve/vppwebsite/sancristobal.php

EUROPE AND EURASIADenmark/Greenland–USVPP Nuukhttp://www.usembassy.dk/AmericanCorner/index.htmRussia–USVPP Chelyabinskhttp://usa.chelyabinsk.ural.ruRussia–USVPP Novouralskhttp://usa.novouralsk.ural.ruRussia–USVPP Permhttp://www.usa.perm.ural.ruRussia–USVPP Snezhinskhttp://www.usa.snezhinsk.ural.ru

Russia–USVPP Tyumenhttp://usa.tyumen.ruSan Marino–USVPP San Marinohttps://sanmarino.usvpp.gov/index.htmlSweden–USVPP Gothenburghttp://stockholm.usembassy.gov/vppUnited Kingdom–USVPP Cardiffhttp://www.usembassy.org.uk/wales/index.html

EAST ASIA AND PACIFICAustralia–USVPP Adelaidehttp://adelaide.usvpp.gov/AdelaideAustralia–USVPP Brisbanehttp://brisbane.usvpp.gov/BrisbanePhilippines–USVPP Davaohttp://www.usvirtualconsulatedavao.org.phSolomon Islands–U.S. Virtual Embassyhttp://www.usvpp-solomonislands.orgVanuatu–U.S. Virtual Embassyhttp://www.usvpp-vanuatu.org

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAEgypt–USVPP Ismailiahttp://ismailia.usvpp.gov

SOUTH ASIABangladesh–Rajshahi http://www.usembassy-dhaka.org/rajshahi/index.html

Virtual Posts By Region

36 STATE MAGAZINE

M E D I C A L R E P O R T

The climbing party relaxes at base camp as the challenge of Mt. Ararat looms behind them.

BY PETER GUERIN, M.D.

TWO BYTWO

Practicing Medicineon Noah’s Mountain

“And on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the arkcame to rest on the mountains of Ararat.”

Many readers will recognize this as a quote from the Bibleand will have heard of Mt. Ararat, a snow-capped dormantvolcanic mountain that rises 16,945 feet above the plains inthe far northeast of Turkey, near its borders with Iran andArmenia.

At the end of July, I had the opportunity to climb Mt.Ararat with a group of American colleagues and friends. Iwas also able to study firsthand the effects of high altitude onhuman physiology—my fellow climbers.

I prepared for my trip by doing a bit more exercise, buyingsome extra equipment and designing my high-altitude study.While researching high-altitude illness, I found the “LakeLouise Self Assessment Scoring for Acute MountainSickness.” It asks participants to score themselves for thesymptoms of headache, gastrointestinal distress, fatigue,dizziness and difficulty sleeping. My plan was to have each ofthe climbers take the assessment and record vital signs— PH

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blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate and percent oxygensaturation of blood—once a day, preferably in the morning.

We flew from Ankara to the city of Van well rested and wellprepared. We then took a bus to Dogubayazit, at 5,000 feetelevation, where we spent the night in a comfortable hotel.The following day, we piled into a truck with our gear andproceeded to the foot of the mountain, starting our hike atabout 7,000 feet. Luckily, we had horses carrying all of ourgear except for personal items, which we carried in daypacks.

We spent two nights at a camp at 10,000 feet, from wherewe hiked to a higher camp at 14,000 feet before going backdown to sleep. This helped us acclimatize. The next day, we

hiked back up to the higher camp, from where the followingmorning we would make our final ascent to the summit.

Our guide wisely decided to have us ascend the mountainslowly and sleep no higher than 14,000 feet. It has been ade-quately demonstrated that whether high-altitude illnessoccurs or not is determined by the rate of ascent, altitudereached, altitude at which an affected person sleeps and indi-vidual physiology. Three of these factors can be altered, butnot the fourth (well, maybe just a little).

All of the climbers but one took the drug Diamox (aceta-zolamide), which helps increase the respiratory drive andimprove oxygenation, thus hastening acclimatization. It hasbeen well documented that Diamox can not only treat, butalso prevent, high-altitude illness, especially for those whoplan an ascent from sea level to more than 9,000 feet in oneday and for those with a history of acute mountain sickness.

During my data collection, I found there were quite a fewin our group who had headaches (one of the first signs ofhigh-altitude illness/acute mountain sickness), some decreasein appetite and difficulty sleeping our first night at 10,000feet. However, despite these symptoms, everyone had essen-tially a normal pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate,with oxygen saturations in the low 90s (at sea level, a normalperson would have 100 percent saturation). After our firstnight at 14,000 feet, most of the climbers had worsening LakeLouise scores, increased blood pressure and pulse and oxygensaturations in the high 80s. The good news was that everyonefelt much better after our third night at 14,000 feet and allsymptoms resolved by the time we returned to 5,000 feet.

Those who were more physically fit did not acclimatizeany quicker; however, they seemed to have consistentlylower pulses and blood pressure and were able to climbmore quickly.

The counter-example of how not to acclimatize wasdemonstrated by an Iranian group that climbed at the sametime we did. This group climbed the mountain in two days,and as they descended we noticed many of them stumblingand appearing very fatigued. Tragically, one member of theirgroup died near the summit. It was hypothesized that hisdeath was a combination of a pre-existing heart conditionand the high altitude. As it turned out, they were climbingthe mountain illegally and had only one guide for 40 people.They were all later questioned and held by the Turkish mili-tary police.

We all enjoyed our climb and our time together. We metmany Kurdish families grazing their animals on the summerpastures of Mt. Ararat. In addition to the Iranians, there weremany groups of German climbers and a few English, Frenchand Dutch. We never did see Noah’s Ark, but were assured bya member of our group that there have been many sightingsof it—on the other side of the mountain. �

The author is the regional medical officer at U.S. EmbassyAnkara.

Our guide wisely decidedto have us ascend the moun-

tain slowly and sleep no higherthan 14,000 feet. It has been

adequately demonstrated thatwhether high-altitude illness

occurs or not is determined bythe rate of ascent, altitude

reached, altitude at which anaffected person sleeps and

individual physiology. Three ofthese factors can be altered,

but not the fourth (well,maybe just a little).

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STRIKING A CHORD

38 STATE MAGAZINE

P E O P L E L I K E Y O U

PIANO MAN BALANCES TWO PROFESSIONS BY PAUL KOSCAK

Alfredo Pulupa practices backstage at the Roundhouse Theater in Bethesda, Md., where he played synthesizer for the musical production of Once onThis Island.

Imagine: You leave your desk at the Truman Building, walk to theKennedy Center, meet a singer and rehearse for a half hour. Youboth then walk on stage before an admiring audience of thousands.With your ID badge stowed securely in your shirt pocket, you sit at amagnificent grand piano, strike the keys and the vocalist performs.

The applause is palpable, deafening, intoxicating. You leave thecenter, walk back to your desk and continue where you ended lessthan a few hours ago—reviewing those reports.

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It’s one of several venues where thisaccomplished operatic and classicalpianist—and office manager in theBureau of Political-Military Affairs—weaves together his passion andprofession.

He’s been playing the keyboard sinceage 11, after watching an inspiring clas-sical piano performance.

Mr. Pulupa played French horn inhigh school, graduated from CatholicUniversity with a music degree andfound work as a backup musician, con-ductor and music director for schools,

churches and dinner theaters. Hebecame known in Washington theater.

Then he got a job.“I admire those who try to make a

living at this,” he says. “It’s possible,but it’s tough. You’re working whenothers are playing, and when they’renot, you’re too exhausted to doanything.”

He joined the State Departmentintending to stay “just a little while.”That was 12 years ago. In the bureau’splans, policy and analysis division, Mr.Pulupa, 49, manages about 20 people“who can operate pretty independent-ly.” He credits his musical career inpart to his supervisors, who providethe flexibility he needs to do daytimeand/or late-night performances.

But having a musician on call is alsoa pretty good deal for the Department.When the Truman piano was deliveredfrom the White House a few years ago,he was asked to inspect the instrument.He played the Missouri Waltz, a songPresident Truman himself played onthe grand piano. “I was amazed at itscondition, considering all the moving,”

he says. He also entertained at someretirement receptions and a birthdayparty hosted by Secretary Colin Powell.

Mr. Pulupa also provides music forother musicians in recording sessions,plays in pit orchestras and in musi-cals—jobs outside the limelight.

“I live in a parallel universe,” he says.“I work with players who play theclubs, but I don’t work the clubs.”

While many musicians aim forsuccess in New York or Los Angeles, theDistrict native claims Washington hasits own special excitement, particularlyin the performing arts, private recep-tions and benefits. He recalls playingsome Gilbert & Sullivan selections at aSupreme Court dinner when JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg approached him.

“She said, ‘Would you mind playingif we sang along?’, ” Mr. Pulupa remem-bers. “She and Justice Sandra DayO’Connor and their husbands weresitting right behind me. It was surpris-ing; they knew all the words.” �

The author was a writer/editor for StateMagazine.

Left: Alfredo Pulupa played a beautiful grandpiano in Noel & Gertie, a play about the stagerelationship between Noel Coward and GertrudeLawrence. Carl Randolph played Coward, NancyRobillard, left, directed and Tracy McMullanplayed Lawrence. Below: In costume and char-acter, Alfredo joins fellow performers, from left,Michael Stebbins, Maureen Kerrigan and BruceNelson.

Having a musician oncall is also a prettygood deal for theDepartment. When theTruman piano was deliv-ered from the WhiteHouse a few years ago,he was asked to inspectthe instrument. Heplayed the MissouriWaltz, a song PresidentTruman himself playedon the grand piano.

By John Bentel

The Foreign Affairs Recreation Association and the State ofthe Arts Cultural Series hosted an exciting array of recentnoontime concerts, which included Natalie Carter, mezzo-soprano, and classical pianists Pallavi Mahidhara and JohnRobilette.

Natalie Carter, a native Washingtonian, presented an out-standing selection of classical and spiritual music. Shestudied at the Peabody Conservatory with noted vocal coachPhyllis Bryn-Julson. From her opening number of CharlesGounod’s Ave Maria through her closing selection ofAmazing Grace she controlled her electrifying voice withexacting precision. Samuel Brock and Stanley J. Thurstonwere outstanding piano accompanists. The audienceresponded with a standing ovation.

Pallavi Mahidhara began piano lessons at age 5 and willattend the Curtis Institute of Music in the fall, studying underIgnat Solzhenitsyn. At 17, she is already a seasoned veteran ofthe concert stage and competition circuit. Pallavi presentedcompositions of Mozart and Liszt. Her extraordinary touch,

velocity, expressive sensitivity and understanding of rubatorevealed a maturity rarely seen in one her age. Her interpre-tation of the Mephisto Waltz was particularly exciting.

John Robilette presented an outstanding program of musicby Frederick Chopin. John created the Artistic Ambassadorprogram and a Voice of America concert series and is a pastmember of the International Advisory Board of the VanCliburn International Piano Competition. He is intimatelyfamiliar with Chopin’s nuances. The audience fully under-stood why The Washington Post described John as “afirst-class artist who seems to be able to intuit effortlessly thecomposer’s intent.” �

The author is a computer specialist in the ExecutiveSecretariat.

MEZZO-SOPRANOELECTRIFIESNOONTIMEAUDIENCE

STATE OF THE ARTS

40 STATE MAGAZINE

Caryl Traten Fisher, director of the State of the Arts Cultural Series,poses with pianist Pallavi Mahidhara, right.

November 9 76-year-old ragtime pianist “Susie” and Sam Brock

November 23 Jazz pianist Dr. Harold Kaufman

December 7 Jeannette Fang, winner of the Young ArtistsInternational Piano Competition

December 21 Christmas program

Performances are on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m.in the Dean Acheson Auditorium.

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A P P O I N T M E N T S

U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria. JohnRoss Beyrle of Michigan, a careermember of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor,is the new U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Bulgaria. Previously, hewas deputy chief of mission inMoscow and before that, actingspecial adviser for the NewIndependent States. His other over-

seas assignments include Sofia, Prague and Vienna. He ismarried to Foreign Service officer Jocelyn Greene and theyhave two daughters.

U.S. Ambassador to Ghana. PamelaE. Bridgewater of Virginia, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to the Republicof Ghana. Until recently, she wasdiplomat in residence at HowardUniversity. Before that, she was deputyassistant secretary for African Affairs.She was ambassador to Benin and also

served in Nassau, Pretoria, Durban, Brussels and Kingston.

U.S. Ambassador to Denmark. JamesCain of North Carolina, a communityleader and political activist, is the newU.S. Ambassador to Denmark. He waswith the international law firm ofKilpatrick Stockton and served aspresident of the National HockeyLeague’s Carolina Hurricanes. Heserved as Republican national com-mitteeman for North Carolina from

2003 to 20005, and regional chairman for the Bush-Cheney‘04 campaign. He was President Bush’s emissary to the inau-guration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of thePhilippines in 2004. He is married and has two daughters.

Assistant Secretary for AfricanAffairs. Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer ofVirginia, a professor and governmentofficial, is the new Assistant Secretaryfor African Affairs. Until recently, shewas ambassador to South Africa.Before that, she was senior director forAfrican Affairs at the NationalSecurity Council. She came to theNSC from Harvard University, where

she was assistant professor of public policy at the KennedySchool of Government.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel. RichardHenry Jones of Nebraska, a careermember of the Senior ForeignService, class of Career Minister, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to Israel.Previously, he was senior adviser andcoordinator for Iraq policy. He hasbeen ambassador to Kuwait,Kazakhstan and Lebanon. He was alsochief policy officer and deputy

administrator for the Coalition Provisional Authority inBaghdad. Other overseas assignments have included Riyadh,Paris and Tunis. He is married and has four children.

U.S. Ambassador to Mali. TerencePatrick McCulley of Oregon, a careermember of the Senior ForeignService, class of Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofMali. Previously, he was deputy coor-dinator for Iraq Assistance in theBureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Hewas deputy chief of mission in Togo,Senegal and Tunisia and also served in

Niger, South Africa, Chad and Mumbai, India. He is marriedand has two sons.

U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia.Gillian Arlette Milovanovic ofPennsylvania, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class ofMinister-Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Republic ofMacedonia. Until recently, she wasdeputy chief of mission in Pretoriaand before that, DCM in Stockholm.Her other overseas assignments

include Sydney, Paris, Cape Town, Brussels and Gabarone.She is married and has two daughters.

Assistant Secretary for Educationaland Cultural Affairs. Dina HabibPowell of Texas, a former seniorWhite House staffer, is the newAssistant Secretary for Educationaland Cultural Affairs. She is also prin-cipal deputy to Karen Hughes, undersecretary for Public Diplomacy andPublic Affairs. Previously, she wasassistant to the President for

Presidential Personnel. She has been director of congression-al affairs for the Republican National Committee and was astaff member for then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

42 STATE MAGAZINE

R E T I R E M E N T S

A P P O I N T M E N T S

U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania.Michael Retzer of Mississippi, a busi-nessman and political activist, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania. He developed arestaurant chain in 20 locations inMississippi. He has been electedseveral times as chairman of theMississippi Republican Party andserved as treasurer of the National

Republican Party. He was a founding member of the DeltaWildlife Foundation and Mississippi Wildlife Foundation.

U.S. Ambassador to Italy. RonaldSpogli of California, a businessman, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to Italy. Heis the co-founder of Freeman Spogli &Co., a private equity investment firm,and has served on the boards of morethan two dozen companies. He is amember of Stanford University’sOverseas Study Council and the Boardof Visitors of Stanford’s Institute for

International Studies. In 2002, he was appointed to theFulbright Foreign Scholarship board by President Bush. He ismarried and has two children.

U.S. Ambassador to Germany.William Robert Timken Jr. of Ohio, abusinessman, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Federal Republicof Germany. During a 43-year tenurewith the Timken Company, he servedas President, CEO and Chairman. Hehas chaired the National Associationof Manufacturers, the ManufacturingInstitute and the Ohio Business

Roundtable. In 2003, he was appointed chairman of theSecurities Investor Protection Corporation. He is marriedand has six children.

U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.Ann Louise Wagner of Missouri, apolitical activist, is the new U.S.Ambassador to Luxembourg.Previously, she was a two-term co-chair of the Republican NationalCommittee. Before that, she was chairof the Missouri Republican Party formore than six years. She held man-agement positions at Hallmark Cards

and Ralston Purina. She is married and has three children.

U.S. Ambassador to the KyrgyzRepublic. Marie L. Yovanovitch ofConnecticut, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class ofCounselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.Prior to her appointment, she wassenior adviser to the under secretaryfor Political Affairs. Before that, shewas deputy chief of mission in Kiev.

Her other overseas assignments include Ottawa, Moscow,London and Mogadishu.

Arenas, ManuelCamp, Sally AnnCoe, Rodney E.De Graffenreid, William L.Fairchild, Clarence E. IIIFretz, Robert L.Garno, David L.Ives, Phillip R.

Krischik, Mark B.Lamson, John CottonMacabio, Nemesia J.Mailhot, Paul JosephMains, John W.Minikes, Stephan M.Nist, Theodore ArthurNye, Marcia Louise

Paul, Thomas J.Purvis-Smith, Terryl A.Schermerhorn, R. StephenSterenberg, MargaretVazquez, Edward H.Wagner, Jimmie E.

Albro, Denise A.Beard, Janet BaynarCestero, MildredCoffey, John W.Coleman, Alvin L.Crafton, DianeDavis, EddieGlapion, John E.

Krass, Allan S.Larson, Peter J.Lewis, Joan A.Meehan, Sheila M.Morello, VincentParmer, Pamela J.Wills, W. Emma

CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENTS FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENTS

43NOVEMBER 2005

G. Michael Bache, 77, a retired ForeignService officer, died Aug. 8 of pancre-atic cancer in Tom’s River, N.J. Heserved in the Army before joining theDepartment in 1951. His overseaspostings included Pusan, Munich,Abidjan, Stockholm and Bonn. Afterretirement, he worked as an invest-ment and estate planning counselor.He enjoyed playing cello in string

ensembles.

Theodore Brown, 73, former directorof the U.S. Information Agency’sOffice of Security, died of Parkinson’sdisease Feb. 17 in Clinton, Md. Heserved 20 years in the Air Force beforebecoming a civilian investigator,working chiefly for the U.S.Information Agency. He retired in1981. He worked for the Departmentas a re-employed annuitant until the

early 1990s. He was a pilot and enjoyed flying.

Dorothy W. Crockett, 81, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedSept. 2 in Melbourne, Fla., after an extended illness. Sheserved for 29 years with the U.S. Information Agency and thepredecessor agency to the Agency for InternationalDevelopment, retiring in 1974. Her overseas postings includ-ed Paris, Rome, Moscow, Milan, Malta, Abidjan andBelgrade. She was an avid stamp collector.

Alfredo R. Guzman, 62, husband of retired Foreign Serviceofficer Cecelia Guzman, died April 12 of cancer in Mesa,Ariz. He accompanied his wife to assignments inMontevideo, Naples, Quito, Amman and Damascus. Heworked in contract positions at various posts.

Jacob J. Harris, 95, a retired ForeignService officer, died Aug. 11 of conges-tive heart failure in North Ft. Myers,Fla. He served 34 years with the NewJersey state police before joining theDepartment in 1964. His overseaspostings included Vietnam andThailand.

Virginia I. Harris, 90, wife of retiredForeign Service officer Jacob Harris,died Oct. 9, 2004, in North Ft. Myers,Fla. She accompanied her husband onpostings to Vietnam and Thailandbefore they retired to Florida in 1974.

David E. Mark, 81, a retired ForeignService officer, died Sept. 17 while onvacation in Montana. He served in theArmy Air Corps during World War IIand joined the Department in 1946.He served overseas in South Korea,Finland, Romania, Moscow, Genevaand Burundi, where he was ambassa-dor. After retirement, he consulted oninternational affairs for Alcoa. He

helped establish the American embassy in the former Sovietrepublic of Georgia and helped the Georgians write theirconstitution. He was a member of the Council on ForeignRelations and a New York City tour guide.

David J. Mastrogiuseppe, 50, a CivilService employee, died Aug. 16 inWashington, D.C. He was a contractemployee with the U.S. InformationAgency before joining theDepartment in 1999. He was a physi-cal security engineer with the Bureauof Overseas Building Operation.

Elizabeth H. O’Grady, 87, widow of Foreign Service officerJames O’Grady, died Sept. 30. She accompanied her husbandto postings in Bremen, Basel, India, Malta and Angola. Sheserved in various capacities in the Washington, D.C.,Episcopal Diocese and was an advocate for racial inclusion inchurches and for social justice.

O B I T U A R I E S

44 STATE MAGAZINE

O B I T U A R I E S

IN THE EVENT OF DEATHQuestions concerning employee deaths should be direct-

ed to the Office of Casualty Assistance at (202) 736-4302.

Inquiries concerning deaths of retired employees should

be directed to the Office of Retirement at (202) 261-8960.

Jack P. Orlando, 56, a retired ForeignService officer, died May 31 inWashington, D.C., of complicationsfrom myelofibrosis, a bone marrowdisease. His overseas postings includ-ed Montreal, Brasilia, Vancouver,Warsaw and Bogotá. After retirement,he worked for the NationalTransportation Safety Board.

Noel H. Petrin, 73, a retired ForeignService specialist, died Sept. 14 ofcancer in Elizabeth City, N.C. Heserved in the Marine Corps for 23years before joining the Departmentin 1978. His overseas postings includ-ed Cairo, Tokyo, Alexandria, Geneva,Casablanca, Madras and Hamburg.He retired in 1994.

Morris William Roberts, 56, a ForeignService officer, died Aug. 18 ofprostate cancer in Rocky River, Ohio.He joined the Department in 1990and served overseas in Romania,Malaysia, Bahrain, Egypt andVancouver, Canada.

Judith Ann Schmidt, 66, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedSept. 3 of lung cancer. She served overseas in Paris, Rome,Guyana, Ethiopia and Beirut. She was an avid animal loverand conservationist who was active in wildlife organizationsand animal refuges such as Savannas, the World WildlifeFund and the Humane Society.

Gyorgy Vajay, 63, a retired ForeignService specialist, died March 13 ofpulmonary fibrosis in Gainesville, Fla.He escaped Hungary during the 1956revolution and served 30 years in theNavy before joining the Departmentin 1991. His overseas postings includ-ed Beijing, Riga, Brussels, Kosovo andBudapest.

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