Table Of Content

American Ambassadors in a Troubled World Recent Titles in Contributions in Political Science United Germany: The Past, Politics, Prospects H. G Peter Wallach and Ronald A. Francisco Watergate and Afterward: The Legacy of Richard M. Nixon Leon Friedman and William F. Levantrosser, editors Health Insurance and Public Policy: Risk, Allocation, and Equity Miriam K. Mills and Robert H. Blank, editors Public Authorities and Public Policy: The Business of Government Jerry Mitchell, editor Shepherd of Democracy: America and Germany in the Twentieth Century Carl C. Hodge and Cathal J. Nolan, editors Gerald R. Ford and the Politics of Post-Watergate America Bernard J. Firestone and Alexej Ugrinsky, editors The Democratic System in the Eastern Caribbean Donald C. Peters The Third World and South Africa: Post-Apartheid Challenges Richard J. Payne The Brazilian Legislature and Political System Abdo I. Baaklini Self-Determination in Western Democracies: Aboriginal Politics in a Comparative Perspective Guntram F.A. Werther United States Electoral Systems: Their Impact on Women and Minorities Wilma Rule and Joseph F. Zimmerman, editors Comparative Judicial Review and Public Policy Donald W. Jackson and C. Neal Tate, editors American Ambassadors in a Troubled World Interviews with Senior Diplomats Dayton Mak and Charles Stuart Kennedy Contributions in Political Science, Number 303 GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mak, Dayton. American ambassadors in a troubled world : interviews with senior diplomats / Dayton Mak and Charles Stuart Kennedy. p. cm.—(Contributions in political science, ISSN 0147-1066 ; no. 303) Includes index. ISBN 0-313-28558-6 (alk. paper) 1. United States—Foreign relations—1945-1989. 2. Ambassadors- United States—Interviews. 3. United States—Foreign relations administration. I. Kennedy, Charles Stuart. II. Title. III. Series. E840.M335 1992 327.73-dc20 92-7398 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 1992 by Dayton Mak and Charles Stuart Kennedy All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 92-7398 ISBN: 0-313-28558-6 ISSN: 0147-1066 First published in 1992 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21 Contents Preface vii The American Ambassador: A Historical Perspectivespectivee 1 1 Ambassadorial Backgrounds: Who Are They?e tthey? 7 Appointments: How to Become an Ambassadorbassador 21 Ambassadorial Seminar: Preparation for the Posthee post 33 Managing an Embass embassy 51 Conducting Business with Heads of Stateof state 69 Coping with Policy and Washington Bureaucracyeauracyy 79 Troubles in Asia: Korea and Laoand laoss 955 The Six-Day War, June 1967: Egypt, Jordan, and Israeld israel m 1077 The Jonestown Affair: Guyana, 1978a, 1978 125 Cyprus: Preventing a Greek-Turkish Warish warm 141 vi Contents 12. The Fall of Saigon: Spring 1975 159 13. Nicaragua, 1979: Somoza Out, Sandinistas In 179 14. Terrorism, Coups, and Other Violence 191 15. The American Ambassador and the Future 213 Appendix A: President's Letter to Ambassadors 215 Appendix B: Interviews Used in Text 219 Appendix C: Master Organization of a United States Diplomatic Mission 223 Index 225 Preface The material for this book has been taken from transcripts of taped interviews of over seventy U.S. ambassadors and other senior diplomatic officers who served in embassies abroad and whose experiences were recorded under the Association for Diplomatic Studies' Foreign Affairs Oral History Program. The texts are verbatim with minor editing in the interests of brevity and clarity. The transcripts in their entirety may be read at the Lauinger Library of Georgetown University or at the De partment of State's Foreign Service Institute. The authors, retired Foreign Service officers, wish to thank all of the persons whose experiences are recorded here as well as those who volunteered their time to conduct the interviews. Our particular thanks go to William Morgan and Norman Pratt, retired Foreign Service officers, and Ambassador Andrew Steigman of Georgetown University for their most helpful advice and assistance throughout the project. We also want to thank our transcribers, Marion Henderson, Thomas Stern, Debbie Read, and Elizabeth Beuter. Special thanks are due to the librarian of the Lauinger Library, Dr. Susan Martin, and her assistant, Karen Laufman, and the Special Collections Division's George M. Barringer and Jon Reynolds, all of Georgetown University. This page intentionally left blank 1 The American Ambassador: A Historical Perspective Representing the president and the American people abroad as ambassador of the United States of America to another nation is a singular honor. Men and women, successful in their various careers, have been proud to serve their country as ambassador. To a Foreign Service officer, it is the acme of a career. There have been times when the life of the ambassador abroad was a comfortable one; a handsome place to live, a fine office in which to work, domestic and office help to assist and a place of honor and privilege in the foreign community. In those times the persons of the ambassador and his family as well as the staffs of the chancery and residence were protected as a matter of accepted diplomatic courtesy. The world has changed. The virtual end of colonialism and great power domination has let loose a host of ideas, interests and goals sometimes considered inimical to American interests. Some elements, viewing the United States an obstacle to their goals have turned to street violence and terrorism against American commercial establishments and U.S. embassies. Ambassadors themselves have become favored targets. The once quiet embassies and comfortable residences of ambassadors have been turned into armed fortresses, heavily guarded with access carefully restricted. In some capitals ambassadors, their families and their staffs have become virtual prisoners in their own embassies. Transportation for the ambassador is often now an armored sedan surrounded fore and aft by a convoy of armed guards.

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How do American citizens become ambassadors, and how do they serve as U.S. representatives overseas during such troubled times? What is embassy life really like? How do ambassadors deal with host governments and with officials back in Washington and conduct operations during emergencies and serious