On November 23, 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 was flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi when the plane was hijacked by three Ethiopians. One report later described them as “young (mid-twenties), inexperienced, psychologically fragile, and intoxicated.” It would turn out to be the deadliest hijacking in history until 9/11. The men threatened to blow the… Read More "Ethiopian Flight 961 — The Worst Hijacking in History Before 9/11"
Leaving with Their Heads Held High – The U.S. Expulsion from Eritrea, 1977
Throughout its history, there have been numerous occasions where the United States has been forced to shut down its embassies quickly, usually because of war or because the U.S. had fallen into disfavor with the host government. Eritrea in 1977 was one of those instances. However, with the fall of Saigon and the panicked evacuation from… Read More "Leaving with Their Heads Held High – The U.S. Expulsion from Eritrea, 1977"
The Achille Lauro Hijacking — “These sons of bitches must be prosecuted”
On October 7, 1985, four men, including mastermind Muhammad Zaidan, aka Mohammed Abul al-Abbas, from the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) hijacked the Italian MS Achille Lauro liner off the coast of Egypt, as she was sailing from Alexandria to Ashdod, Israel. Holding the passengers and crew hostage, they directed the vessel to sail to Tartus,… Read More "The Achille Lauro Hijacking — “These sons of bitches must be prosecuted”"
Oil, Blood and Steel: The Failed Attempt to Create a Democratic Congo
This is the story of how a corrupt multinational oil company, a self-centered dictator, lingering ethnic tensions, and lack of attention from the West all served to undermine efforts to transform a Marxist-Leninist client state into a democratic African nation. Congo’s struggles have for years been complicated by outside influence from its former colonial ruler,… Read More "Oil, Blood and Steel: The Failed Attempt to Create a Democratic Congo"
From Nation-Building to Black Hawk Down: U.S. Peacekeeping in Somalia
Somalia has become synonymous with well-meaning but ill-fated humanitarian intervention. Live television footage of American soldiers being dragged in the streets by the very insurgents they hoped to defeat in the Black Hawk down incident disillusioned Americans from the concept of nation-building abroad. Many credit the U.S.’s embarrassment in Somalia to the international community’s failure… Read More "From Nation-Building to Black Hawk Down: U.S. Peacekeeping in Somalia"
The Search for Peace in Southern Africa – Oil, Angola, and the Proxy Wars
During the Cold War, the United States and the USSR engaged in a zero-sum game throughout the globe; while mutually assured destruction prevented the two nuclear superpowers from fighting a hot war, they did conduct an extensive war of proxies on nearly every continent. In the 1970s, just as Saigon – and American influence in… Read More "The Search for Peace in Southern Africa – Oil, Angola, and the Proxy Wars"
The Overthrow of President Obote and Evacuation from Uganda
After a disputed election brought Milton Obote (at right) to power in Uganda in 1980, one of his opponents, Yoweri Museveni, led an armed resistance against the government. The subsequent Ugandan “Bush War” between Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) and the government’s Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) lasted from 1981 to 1986. In 1983, ethnic… Read More "The Overthrow of President Obote and Evacuation from Uganda"
“You’re Outta Here!”: Getting Declared Persona Non Grata
When a nation declares a diplomat “persona non grata,” it is essentially kicking him or her out of the country. The host nation does not have to explain why it wants to PNG someone, but that person must leave the country in a given time period, often within 24-48 hours. Governments declare people persona non… Read More "“You’re Outta Here!”: Getting Declared Persona Non Grata"
Despite its less-than-auspicious opening on July 17th, 1955 (unexpected massive crowds, insufficient water and melting pavement), Disneyland has occupied an almost mythical place in people’s hearts for generations. Yet when you think of Disneyland, you picture kids running around and/or screaming, Mickey ears, incredible rides, turkey legs, and princesses – so many princesses. You probably… Read More "Disney World: The Happiest Diplomatic Meeting Place on Earth"
A Never-ending Tragedy — The Onset of the AIDS Crisis in Africa
The spread of AIDS in Africa in the 1980s and 90s presented unique challenges for U.S. diplomats suddenly faced with a public health epidemic. Not only did local hospitals and medical resources become overrun, diplomatic communities and Americans living abroad were threatened by the emergence of HIV/AIDS. While countries such as Uganda implemented crucial AIDS… Read More "A Never-ending Tragedy — The Onset of the AIDS Crisis in Africa"