“Cuba ought to be free and independent, and the government should be turned over to the Cuban people.” That in…
The Vietnamese Boat People
After the United States withdrew from South Vietnam in 1975, communist North Vietnam quickly took over and established the Socialist Republic…
More No-tell CODELs
Members of Congress often travel abroad on official trips for business purposes in order to meet with governmental officials and…
The 1969 ‘Soccer War’ Between Honduras and El Salvador
Every four years, the world’s attention turns to the spectacle that is the World Cup. Rivalries can be fierce as…
The Final Days of Paraguaya’s Alfredo Stroessner
On February 3rd, 1989 tanks rolled into Paraguay’s capital Asuncion, led by General Andres Rodriguez. Briefly bullets and bombs rattled…
The Dramatic Hostage Crisis and Daring Rescue at the Japanese Embassy in Peru
It sounds like something out of a novel: a group of rebels, helped by an American, seize an embassy in…
An Iran-Contra War Story with Oliver North
Oliver North is a former United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel who served as a National Security Council staff member during the Iran–Contra affair, a political scandal involving…
El Salvador, the Sheraton Hotel Siege and the Jesuit Murders — November 1989
The civil war in El Salvador lasted from 1979-1992 and was fought between the government and the Farabundo Martí National…
“The U.S. values amateurism over professionalism in diplomacy”
Chas W. Freeman, Jr. is one of those rare diplomats with brilliant language abilities who also was involved in an…
Behind Embassy Walls
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy Behind Embassy Walls: The Life and Times of an American Diplomat “A solid contribution to…