A crisis between India and Pakistan erupted between November 1986 and March 1987 after India launched the largest-ever military exercise…
Modern Turkey’s History of Military Coups
The July 2016 attempted coup d’état in Turkey was the latest in a series of military interventions in the nation’s…
Windshield Tour of a Military Coup in Benin
The small Western African country of Benin (formerly Dahomey) has had a turbulent post-colonial history. Since gaining independence from the…
“Military overreach cannot be offset by diplomatic incapacity”
2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, the devastating “war to end all wars.” While…

The Madrid Train Bombings: An Account of Terrorism
Many nations felt the disastrous repercussions that followed the 9/11 terrorist attack, and this was the unfortunate case for Spain…

The Fight for Equal Opportunity as a Foreign Service Spouse in Germany, Switzerland, Tanzania, and More
As a spouse of a Foreign Service Officer (FSO), one is exposed to a unique lifestyle in the world of…

A Trailblazing Visa to Apartheid South Africa
When Ulric Haynes joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1964 as the desk officer for Southwest Africa, the United States…

The Remnants of Vietnam in the Philippines
It was the end of a long, hard road. Although the Vietnam War had finally officially concluded, the Fall of…

Experiencing the Lebanese Civil War as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon—Robert S. Dillon
“I traveled in a long convoy, with armed body-guards. Much of the concern for our safety stemmed from the assassination…

The Peace After Chaos—Genocide in Burundi
Welcome to Burundi For former United States Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, Joseph C. Wilson IV, the…