While U.S. diplomatic missions attempt to build relationships with the nations in which they maintain embassies, these relationships don’t always…
“Apparently I have been kidnapped” — The Death of a Vice Consul
In 1974, Bobby Joe Keesee (in photo), recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his actions during…
Counterinsurgency in Eastern Afghanistan — Governance
After 9/11, the United States recognized the instability within made Afghanistan a sanctuary and breeding ground for terrorism — evident…
Horrible Bosses: Internal Tension at the U.S. Mission in Geneva
After years of serving in Africa, you finally get a nice cushy assignment at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, with…
Returning the Crown of Saint Stephen to post-Cold War Hungary
For centuries, it was the national symbol of a nation. For decades, it was kept in Fort Knox for safekeeping.…
The Afghan Invasion as Seen from U.S. Embassy Moscow
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was, among other things, a horrible political miscalculation, lasting nine bloody years and resulting in the…
Re-establishing Ties with Cuba, 1977
“Cuba ought to be free and independent, and the government should be turned over to the Cuban people.” That in…
The Birth of NATO
After the devastation of World War II and the ensuing Cold War with the Soviet Union, nations across the globe…
The U.S. Invades “A Little Island Called Grenada,” Part II
Planned in secret and executed quickly, the U.S. intervention garnered a mixed and fervent reaction. For the most part, the…
KAL 007: A Targeted Assassination?
On September 1, 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 en route on its second leg from Anchorage, Alaska to Seoul,…