Finding Diplomats for Perilous Posts

[Tom Odom]

I know Embassies have cultural sections as part of public affairs and these do cultural exchanges and such, but anyone heard of a cultural section that would primarily be involved in anthropological or sociological research and reporting? In my experience, the Embassy people I come across are quite estranged from local people and are much less informed than Peace Corps, USAID, USAID contractors, etc. I know they get briefings and training on local culture, but this would be Embassy funded research on the cultural components of specific issues. Could be political or economic issues, but from a cultural perspective.

Good question and no answer that you would hope for; I have been in or around 6 different embassies and the DoD head as Defense Attache in 2. Very few show any interest in what you suggest. I did a long cable out of Zaire on the alternate economy using a couple of sources who just kept a running diary for a week on how they got buy. Only one FSO showed interest in it and he was in the political section, not economics. Stan and I gave the econ a officer a crash course on Zairian information management when rumors and reports of dreams suggested all US 100 dollar bills were bad.

Worst sensing of social environment by a senior FSO? Here are some candidates:

A Dept Assistant Secretary of State who came into Zaire on a push democracy tour ands asked me how I was going to reform the Zairian Armed Forces

The Deputy Chief of Mission in Zaire who routinely quoted his cook at country team meetings

The Chief of Mission/Charge in Zaire who dismissed the Rwandan refugee crisis in 1994 as something that would blow over in 2 weeks

An FSO in Rwanda who at a local American community meeting in March of 1994 dismissed concerns over military style drilling by the Interahamwe as boy scout activity

An Ambassador in Zaire who dismissed the RPA led and organized invasion in 97 as the establishment of a local security zone

These are just a few.....

Tom