Chas Freeman was U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm and consulted frequently with General Norman Schwarzkopf and others…
Desert Storm “The War Never Really Ended” — Part I
It was the first major foreign policy crisis for the U.S. since the end of the Cold War. Iraq, which…
Hard Rock Hotel Panama: Noriega and the U.S. Invasion, Part II
The U.S. and SOUTHCOM had spent considerable time and effort planning for the invasion and had mapped out several places…
Fifty Years in USAID
Back to Memoirs and Occasional Papers Fifty Years in USAID: Stories from the Front Line Published in November 2012 by…
The Iran Hostage Crisis– Part II
In these excerpts, Bruce Laingen, then Charge d’Affaires of U.S. Embassy Tehran and one of the “super Satans” kept hostage at the…
Tie a Yellow Ribbon — The Iran Hostage Crisis as Seen from the Home Front
Penelope (Penne) Laingen is the wife of Bruce Laingen, who had served in Germany, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before being…
Fascinating Figures
Diplomacy and foreign policy attract some of the smartest, most dedicated, and most interesting figures in every generation. In this…
Present at the Footnote
Back to Memoirs and Occasional Papers Present at the Footnote: Personal Commentary on American Diplomacy In Present at the Footnote,…
The Other War
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan “From Vietnam combat soldier to Iraq and…
Losing the Golden Hour
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy Losing the Golden Hour: An Insider’s View of Iraq’s Reconstruction “Spike Stephenson has provided a…