February 2016 by The Washington Diplomat

Inside: Medical

Special Section Medical

A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

VOLUME 23, NUMBER 2

February 2016

FEBRUARY 2016

WWW.WASHDIPLOMAT.COM

Cost of Cancer For Cancer Survivors, Expenses

United States

Presidential Jockeying Reveals Peculiarities Of American Politics

Keep Mounting t HEALTHDAY

NEWS

cancer diagnosis is costly, and new research suggests it remains costly even that after the disease has been treated. “Cancer survivors are facing high costs even economic burden is substantial,” after years. The said study author Zhiyuan health services researcher Zheng, senior at the American Cancer Society’s Surveillance and Health Services Research program. For example, the study found that non-elderly survivors of colon cancer had extra faced about $17,000 in extra expenses of about $20,000 expenses, and older survivors annu- of breast cancer ally. Those extra expenses had about $14,000 in extra included direct medical costs, medical costs well as lost productivity. For survivors of breast cancer as and lost productivity, the study found. der 65, the economic burden unThe findings are scheduled totaled for publication in the May prostate cancer it was approximatelyabout $14,000, and for sue of the Journal isof the National $9,000, the research revealed. A previous study — published Cancer Institute. For elderly people, colon journal Cancer — also revealed in the October issue of the cancer survivors had extra significant economic fallout costs of about $19,000 a year. Senior prostate cancer survivors 26

EUROPE

We need to understand the long-term effect of higher expenses, not just emotionally but also in terms of how it affects choices that patients make about treatment.

KATHRYN WEAVER

| 25

SERBIA EYES EU

The fight for the White House is in full swing. But getting to the point where you can enjoy all of the perks of being president first requires that you navigate the U.S. election process, and that takes perseverance, a thick skin and an appetite for the quirks and peculiarities that make up an American election. / PAGE 7

Twenty years after the Dayton accords brought peace to the bloodstained Balkans, few Europe-watchers would call the relationship between Belgrade and Brussels a budding romance. Nevertheless, once-isolated Serbia is finally getting serious about joining the European Union — even as the continent’s worst refugee crisis since World War II threatens to sink the EU itself. / PAGE 15

United States

Omnibus Spending Bill Doesn’t Shortchange Foreign Affairs Budget After years of partisan wrangling, a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill passed Congress with surprisingly little rancor. Parsing the sweeping funding package for fiscal 2016 reveals ample funding for foreign aid programs, and a telling diplomatic security provision for a post-Benghazi era. / PAGE 11

Culture

Embassies on Display In 2016 Winternational Over 30 embassies came out to show their wares in a colorful midday celebration of culture, travel and tourism. / PAGE 30

People of World Influence

Diplomatic Spouses

Tech Guru Foresees Innovative Future

Long Commute for Hungarian Husband

In “The Industries of the Future,” Alec Ross, one of America’s foremost innovation experts, ponders how technology is transforming not only business and diplomacy, but also everyday lives. / PAGE 5

Szabolcs Ferencz, a senior vice president with Hungary’s top oil and gas company, shuttles between D.C. and Budapest to support his wife, the country’s first female ambassador to the U.S. / PAGE 33

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Contents

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | February 2016

21 25

33 NEWS 5

People of World Influence Hillary Clinton’s point man on innovation ponders the industries of the future.

Peculiarities of Politics The road to the White House is paved with distinctly American quirks.

Reneging on Gitmo?

Guantánamo Bay, the world’s most expensive prison, threatens to outlive Obama’s presidency.

Breaking Down the Budget

The sweeping omnibus spending bill has a little something for everyone, including diplomats.

Scourge of Mutilation

Ambassador of the Year The NUACC gives its Ambassador of the Year award to Lebanon’s outgoing envoy.

Chilean artist Jorge Tacla explores the impact of man-made catastrophes on the collective psyche.

21 Diplomacy Verbatim

Small in size, the prestigious microstate of Monaco is rich in personality.

Dance ICONS seeks to create an international clearinghouse for choreographers.

Digital Diplomacy Forum Can online platforms replace old-fashioned face-to-face interactions?

Self-Inflicted Wounds

In Sync

Dining

Are in-demand D.C. restaurants that refuse to take reservations worth the wait?

MEDICAL 25 Costly Aftermath New research suggests that cancer remains costly long after the disease has been treated.

REGULARS

CULTURE

40 Events Listing

For some, there’s no room for political niceties in the fight against female genital mutilation.

Winternational Embassy culture was on full display.

15 Cover Profile: Serbia As the Balkans emerges from its bloodstained past, Belgrade is casting its lot with Brussels.

Diplomatic Spouses Hungary’s Szabolcs Ferencz pulls double duty commuting between two capitals.

38 Cinema Listing 42 Diplomatic Spotlight 45

World Holidays

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WD | People of World Influence

Innovative Foresight Hillary’s Tech Guru Ponders ‘Industries of the Future’ by Michael Coleman

lec Ross has come a long way from his college days, when he spent late summer nights sweeping up filthy floors after rowdy concerts at the Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia. Today, Ross is one of America’s foremost innovation experts, a badge he burnished as Hillary Clinton’s first-ever senior advisor for innovation during her tenure as U.S. secretary of state. The 44-year-old consultant, author and father of three young children now travels in lofty circles. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt wrote a blurb for his new book, and Ross counts some of America’s top (and richest) techies as close friends. But in a Diplomat interview, the West Virginia native said he’s glad he grew up around blue collars instead of silver spoons, explaining how the experience helped him better understand how the world works and how technology is transforming lives from the broom closet to the boardroom. While at the State Department, Ross worked to bring statecraft into the 21st century. Among other things, he developed an internet freedom agenda; helped NGOs create online communities; trained America’s diplomats to be more tech-literate; and pushed for the use of network technologies in conflict zones such as Syria and Libya. Prior to serving in Foggy Bottom for four years, Ross was a member of the Obama-Biden presidential transition team. Now a visiting fellow with Johns Hopkins University, the tech guru started his career as a sixth-grade teacher in inner-city Baltimore, Md., working with Teach for America. Ross’s new book, “The Industries of the Future,” out this month, takes a layman’s approach to some of the most complex innovation issues of the 21st century, explaining in plain language where technology will take us in the next 10 years. The book focuses on industries that will transform the global economy, from cybersecurity to genomics to big data and beyond. The Diplomat talked with Ross about his book, the future of innovation and how it will transform not only business and culture, but also diplomacy.

The Washington Diplomat: What was the impetus for “The Industries of the Future?” Why did you write it? Alec Ross: I see a huge divide between people who understand the forces that are shaping our future and those who don’t. I wrote the book not for the coastal elites, although I hope they read it and enjoy it. I wrote it to try to widen the circle of people who understand the forces that are shaping our future. It’s written for people who are college educated, but the reader doesn’t have to be someone with three graduate degrees. This is in part my own response to concerns about inequality. As I study the industries of the future — genomics, cyber, the codification of money markets and trusts, artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics — what I see is that it [inequality] is happening to an even far greater degree. There will be more well-being, but the economic beneficiaries will remain relatively small. I wrote this book to try to get some more people in.

TWD: There has been a lot of talk in recent years about “big data,” and you devote a chapter of your book about it. People who are educated but not necessarily tech-savvy may have a vague, or abstract, understanding of big data, but many don’t fully understand what it means or why it is important. How do you describe big data to the layman?

“

ics and science is coming in and driving a lot of the decision-making that would have once been developed through experience and instinct. I think we’re going to live in a future where we’re telling the robots what to do or the robots are telling us what to do. I find that a little bit scary because you can’t lose the creativity, the humanity or the skills that are developed within the liberal arts. It’s important for people to blend between the technical and the non-technical.

Land was the raw material of the agricultural age. Iron was the raw material of the industrial age and data is the raw material of the information age. He or she who owns the data in today’s and tomorrow’s economy will wield the political and economic power.

Ross: Land was the raw material of the agricultural age. Iron was the raw material of the industrial age and data TWD: You became Hillary is the raw material of the Clinton’s right-hand man on information age. He or she innovation at the State Departwho owns the data in today’s ment after helping now-Presiand tomorrow’s economy dent Obama target voters and will wield the political and get them to the polls in a pretty economic power. It’s no difrevolutionary, tech-savvy way. ferent than understanding How did that campaign expeland rights 500 years ago or rience lead to a job at the State industrial policy 150 years Department? What did Clinton ago. At its most simple, what want you to do at State? big data does is take the ocean of information that Ross: I was the convener of is currently being produced technology policy for Barack by 16 billion-plus internetObama’s 2008 campaign. My connected devices and helps area was technology and polus draw meaning out of it. icy. Hillary Clinton noticed Big data functions both like and she designed a job for me a microscope and a telescope. that didn’t previously exist. It functions like a microscope During her Senate testimony in that it allows us to examine [at her confirmation hearing] smaller details than we could Alec Ross in December 2008, she said, see using the naked eye, and author of ‘The Industries of the Future’ “The promise and peril of the it functions like a telescope in 21th century can no longer be that it allows us to see things contained by vast distances at a scale that we couldn’t otherwise connect and it and national borders.” There was an early recogniallows us to make correlations we couldn’t otherwise tion that connection technologies would contribute make. to the peril and promise of her tenure as secretary of So for diplomats who are working in humanitiesSee Ross • page 6 based fields, what this really means is that mathemat-

”

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 5

Bashar al-] Assad — and they were being targeted because of their digital footprints. They were being targeted because of the GPS on their mobile phones; they were being targeted because of what they were posting on Facebook. Working with partners in Silicon Valley, we developed a series of products that we injected into the digital bloodstream through the refugee camps in Lebanon. It was basically taking people’s mobile phones in Syria and instead of making them more vulnerable, we enabled them to be safer. It was obscuring their GPS and other things. This was for everyday people, not just people who are engaged in connectivity. We did this overtly. The goal was not to train high-value assets. The goal was to keep the Syrian people from being slaughtered by their president.

Ross Continued • page 5

state. What she did at the State Department that she didn’t do in her first presidential campaign was create a home for young, innovation-focused, technology-focused diplomats. She created this space on the seventh floor of the State Department that was truly empowered and brought new people into creating diplomatic products. With the benefit of some retrospection, it worked. We put a lot of points on the board. A lot of people think about this as just ‘tweeting diplomats’ and that is the most banal version of it. This is not just updating public diplomacy. The most consequential work we did … focused on real, hard national security issues. But because we brought some technology savvy, we were able to do some things — often working in other departments and agencies in government — that historically wouldn’t have come out of the State Department. TWD: When you arrived at the State Department, what did you find in terms of technological or innovation capacity? Ross: It certainly didn’t lend itself to innovation, but I really think the Foreign Service was the major reason why it was a success. I think the Foreign Service felt emasculated during the George W. Bush presidency and felt like the State Department had become a subsidiary of the Defense Department. When we showed up, what I encountered was a Foreign Service that was raring to reassert itself. They had a muscular new secretary of state

Photo: State Department

Alec Ross, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s senior advisor for innovation, responds to #AskAlec questions on his Twitter account, @AlecJRoss, during a Q&A session on Jan. 19, 2012.

in Hillary Clinton. Everybody told me that the Foreign Service would be very averse to this [innovation push] and I found the exact opposite. All of the projects we did had the Foreign Service at its core and a lot of the myths about the State Department proved not to be true. They wanted to demonstrate they could be as big a part of the solutions in addressing foreign policy challenges as the CIA or the Defense Department. TWD:: The term “digital diplomacy” has become quite a buzzword in the diplomatic realm in recent years. What does it mean?

www.rma.edu 6 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

540-636-5484

Ross: I personally don’t use the term digital diplomacy. I call it 21st-century statecraft. I define it as complementing traditional statecraft with the technologies, networks and the demographics of the 21st century. It’s adding new tools to the diplomat’s toolbox. TWD: What does it mean in practical terms? Ross: I’ll give you a couple of examples. Hillary always visited with civil society organizations whenever she traveled around the world. As you recall in 2009 and 2010, we were in an economic crisis, and the American taxpayers were not going to start writing huge checks to civil society organizations around the globe. Hillary wanted to know if there was a way we could build the capacity of these civil society organizations — working on everything from democracy movements, women’s rights, to clean water or whatever else. So we built a program called Civil Society 2.0 through which we basically began doing training, bringing in sort of the rock star techies that people like me and others had relationships with in Silicon Valley. By the time I left, we had 1,100 civil society organizations from more than 40 countries around the globe using technology as a way of turbo-charging their work and building capacity. We also created this thing called the Virtual Student Foreign Service. We found there was a mismatch between what diplomats wanted to do and what they were capable of doing using technology. What we did is build an internship program where college students could intern at embassies all over the world. A student could be at Florida State and interning at the embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, and basically leverage her technology chops to help diplomats do their jobs. This was a crazy idea and I wasn’t sure if it was going to work or not. Not only has it worked, but 19 other departments and agencies in the federal government have adopted the model. There have been over 1,000 virtual student Foreign Service interns. This is a massive, massive success. Over 1,000 kids have had internships with embassies around the world. We also launched an Internet Freedom Agenda. We wanted people to be able to exercise their universal rights regardless of where they were. Part of what we knew is that people were being killed in Syria — some of the opposition to [Syrian President

TWD: There is a lot of talk about the advantages of technology in exercising diplomacy. But isn’t diplomacy also face-to-face exchanges? Are you concerned that the human element of diplomacy, which is about making connections with people who are different than us, could be lost? Ross: It [technology] complements traditional diplomacy. While I was in the job, even though I was supposedly innovationfocused, I traveled over half a million miles to 44 countries. Even I, who was supposed to be as internet-centric as anybody, still spent an enormous amount of my time doing face-to-face diplomacy. What presents a far greater danger to reducing face-to-face diplomacy is not these digital tools … it’s the security posture of our embassies. Our embassies have become fortresses. They cannot be very welcoming places because of the very severe security. TWD: When you look at what happened in Benghazi, Libya, a few years ago with the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans by Islamic radicals on the anniversary of Sept. 11 — and the massive political fallout back home — the enhanced security mindset is easy to understand. It’s a dangerous world, right? Ross: The increasing security mindset we have about protecting our diplomats is necessary but we can’t rein in our diplomats too much. That’s the bigger threat. Like with curfews, if our diplomats have to be inside three hours before any other diplomats … I mean, if it’s 10 p.m. and it’s bedtime in Beirut, it’s hard to get a lot done. [Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan] Ryan Crocker has spoken very compellingly about this. I worked really closely with Chris Stevens. We worked with Chris on the project that restored communications to rebel-held territory in eastern Libya before Chris was ambassador, and Chris died doing exactly the kind of diplomacy we need our diplomats doing — very forward-leaning diplomacy. People like Chris Stevens and Ryan Crocker and these guys who are the best at working in very tough environments would get out there. So for me this digital stuff can only be complementary. The thing that worries me about reducing the face-to-face [relationships abroad] is this very tough security posture we’re imposing on our diplomats. I recognize where it comes from, but we also need our diplomats to get out there. WD Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

WD | United States

Peculiar Politics Road to White House Paved With Distinctly American Quirks by Karin Zeitvogel

o you want to be president of the United States? It seems like an attractive job: six-figure salary, nice house, company car, private plane, although you sometimes have to share it with journalists. But getting to the point where you can enjoy all of those perks first requires that you navigate the U.S. election process, and that takes perseverance, a thick skin and an appetite for the quirks and peculiarities that make up an American election. We’ve compiled a list of some of the oddities and eccentricities that make the road to the White House such a distinctly American journey.

The Debates Debates have been a part of the U.S. political landscape since 1858, when Abraham Lincoln, who was not yet president, faced off against Stephen A. Douglas, one of two senators for the state of Illinois. Lincoln wanted Douglas’ state senate seat and the two agreed to debate in most of Illinois’s nine congressional districts. They also agreed on a format for the debates: One of them would open with an hour-long address, the other would then speak for an hour and a half, and then the first would have half an hour to rebut the other’s points. Sounds scintillating, right? Well, thousands turned out to watch each of the seven debates, which focused on the hot-button issue of the day: slavery. Among other things, Douglas noted that the Declaration of Independence (which states that “all men are created equal”) was written by white men and, therefore, intended for white men only. Lincoln argued that it applied to all men regardless of skin color. Lincoln lost the senatorial election, but the debates are said to have propelled him to his presidential election win in 1860. Over 100 years later, there was another landmark debate, between incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon and a young senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. The 1960 debates were the first to be televised, and the medium immediately became a necessary tool in the kit of anyone who wants to be elected to office. The 1960 debates “ushered in a new era in which crafting a public image and taking advantage of media exposure became essential ingredients of a successful political campaign” and “heralded the central role television has continued to play in the democratic process,” the History Channel writes. While most radio listeners said they thought Nixon won the first debate, a majority of the 70 million who tuned in on television deemed Kennedy, who appeared far more poised and natural on camera, the victor. Fast forward to 2015. Prior to the first Republican debate in August last year, none of the more than dozen candidates was polling higher than 20 percent. But after the first debate, businessman Donald Trump surged ahead of the rest of the field. If the candidate face-offs allow candidates to “showcase their oratory skills (or betray their inarticulateness), display their sense of humor (or reveal their lack thereof) and capitalize on their rivals’ gaffes (or seal their fate with a slip of the tongue),” as the History Channel says, then just why Trump’s debate performances have helped him so much is open to … debate. Still the frontrunner as 2015 drew to

Photo: Gage Skidmore

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to supporters at a hangar at Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona last December.

“

America’s obsession with political surveys has reached record heights in this presidential campaign season, with polls of early states, polls of the nation, and even a ‘poll of polls’ that determines who gets a slot on the GOP debate stages. Matt Viser reporter for the Boston Globe

”

a close, Trump has had undiplomatic, unpresidential and sometimes incomprehensible things to say about Mexicans, Muslims, debate moderators, women, politicians, the media, the president and even his own daughter. Yet he continues to surf the wave of mass appeal.

Bottoms Up Politics can be a blood sport, even for the spectators. With a crowded lineup of contenders hurling jabs and insults at one another, the recent Republican presidential debates have been both spirited and, at times, dispiriting. But a little booze can help the verbal sparring go down a bit easier.

The newest political drinking game to capitalize on the empty rhetoric that on-camera debates tend to inspire is GOP debate bingo, which involves knocking back a tipple when a candidate utters a particular word or phrase. GOP debate bingo cards produced by Newsweek magazine include the names Hillary Clinton, Ronald Reagan, John McCain and Jesus, and the phrases “don’t interrupt me,” “we need a wall” and “we need smaller government.” The aim of playing bingo and downing shots during the debate is to “make watching the debate as painless as possible,” Newsweek says. Can’t access Newsweek online? No worries. The LA Times, Washington Post, USA Today and doubtless others have all produced similar GOP bingo boards. Among some of the other popular platitudes: “lower taxes,” “make America great again,” “repeal Obamacare” and “protect the Second Amendment.” Republicans don’t have the monopoly on drinking, or drinking games for that matter. This time around, however, the Democratic race, dominated from the start by frontrunner Hillary Clinton, hasn’t inspired the same kind of devotion, and creativity, that the unpredictable Republican slugfest has. But the concept of booze as a balm to the absurdity of politics is a universal one. The principle of GOP bingo appears to stem from the State of the Union drinking game, which was dreamt up by two Princeton University students in 2002 and could easily be transcribed into other languages and other countries’ politicians’ slips-of-the-tongue or speech patterns.

Pervasiveness of Polls “America’s obsession with political surveys has See Politics • page 8 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 7

Politics Continued • page 7

reached record heights in this presidential campaign season, with polls of early states, polls of the nation, and even a ‘poll of polls’ that determines who gets a slot on the GOP debate stages,” Boston Globe journalist Matt Viser wrote in the Dec. 26 edition of the paper. According to the Globe, there have been nearly 90 percent more polls of Republican voters in the first three primary and caucus states — Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — during this election cycle than the last time around, in 2012. The number of polls is up so sharply in part because it is so much easier to put together an online survey. Typing “make your own online survey” into a Google search produces 93 million results. But it could also be that polls are proliferating because of the wide-openness of the Republican race for the White House. At the time of writing, there were still a dozen candidates in the Republican race for the nomination after former New York Gov. George Pataki dropped out Dec. 29 (the American term is that he “suspended” his campaign). The United States is one of the few countries where the publication of poll results is permitted throughout the election cycle. Singapore is at the other end of the spectrum and bans polls throughout the campaign period. Many European countries ban the publication of poll results immediately ahead of elections, from up to 15 days before voting (Italy) to 24 hours prior (France).

Photo: Obama for America

Precincts for the Iowa caucuses are designated during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007. Iowa holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses while New Hampshire holds the country’s first primary during an election year.

Photo: Barbara Kinney for Hillary for America

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to voters at the Osage Community Fire Department in Iowa during a campaign stop last month.

Iowa Caucuses On the Democratic Party side, there are only three candidates: Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who is a distant third to the other two. O’Malley organized an event in Iowa at the end of December that drew one person — a man identified as Kenneth. There are mitigating circumstances; a snowstorm was sweeping across the Midwest. O’Malley sat and talked with Kenneth but was not able to convince the lone guest to vote for him at the Iowa

8 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

caucuses, according to the Hill newspaper. Akin to O’Malley’s one-man audience, Iowa wields an outsize influence on the U.S. electoral process. The state is of strategic importance to all the candidates, Republican or Democratic, because in early February it holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses to choose, or move a step closer to choosing, each party’s candidate for the nomination. Primaries are state-level elections in which party members vote to pick a candidate who runs in the general election. Currently, 34 U.S. states hold primaries, with New Hampshire being the first. Caucuses, on the other hand, are community meetings (in schools, churches and even homes) where registered members of a political party gather to vote for their nominee. Caucuses, the oldest form of choosing delegates in the U.S., are usually held in addition to a state convention. Iowa holds the first caucus in the nation every presidential cycle and is fiercely protective of its first-in-the-nation status, which provides a major economic boost to the state. As a result, the Midwestern state of 3 million is considered a bellwether in the campaign cycle, one that draws legions of politicos, journalists, advisors and, of course, candidates. Yet out of the state’s total population, only a tiny sliver (at times barely over 100,000 people) participates in the voting. As a result, not everyone appreciates the myth and lore surrounding Iowa. The caucuses have been called overhyped, archaic and unrepresentative. In addition to the fact that a small minority of voters — fewer than 10 percent — participates, critics also note that Iowa is not representative of the ethnic diversity of the United States: In 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 92 percent of the state’s population was white. Voters in the Hawkeye State also tend to be rural and evangelical or born again Christian. In addition, critics say that only the most die-hard party activists vote, skewing the national debate toward hardline positions. But defenders of the caucus system point out that it forces candidates to interact with well-informed voters. They say it embodies grassroots democracy and encourages oldfashioned retail politicking. “It’s not just show up and vote,” a primer posted on the Fox News website a month before the February 2012 caucuses said. “And unlike in a primary, supporters of particular candidates are allowed to campaign on site. In fact, it’s part of the process. Before any votes are cast (and the term ‘vote’ is used loosely here), supporters and surro-

gates of the various campaigns are permitted a few minutes to make the case for their candidate. This process means it’s in every candidate’s interest to have a speaker at all caucus sites, as a way to sway uncommitted Iowans at the last minute,” Fox News said. After the last-minute speeches, people who attend the caucuses write down their choice on a piece of paper, and the results are tallied. Those results don’t indicate whom Iowa will choose as their parties’ nominees, however. That is done after a somewhat convoluted process that culminates at the parties’ national conventions. In fact, trying to explain the Iowa caucus system is no easy task. Former CNN presenter Larry King once said he never understood the vaunted tradition. But everyone knows about Iowa because its residents are the first to cast a ballot for president. “Iowa got its leadoff position not because anyone thought this state would be a good place to begin a presidential nominating process, but simply because its multistage delegate selection rules required the state’s Democratic Party to change the timing of the 1972 caucus,” which was held in late January, even before the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, write the authors of “Why Iowa? How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nomination Process.” Iowa has a four-step electoral process. The reason the Iowa Democratic caucus was moved up to January in 1972 was because new party rules, which were intended to make the selection process more transparent, dictated certain calendar requirements. That year, however, there was a shortage of hotel rooms for the planned June date of the Iowa state convention, so the caucuses were pushed up, ahead of New Hampshire’s primary. When the Democrats moved their Iowa caucuses up, the Republicans decided to do the same in 1976, which is when candidates began investing time and resources into the contest. The caucus calendar in Iowa is now enshrined in state law and in the two parties’ rules. If another state decides to preempt Iowa and leapfrog ahead of it, that state is punished by being allocated fewer delegates at the national convention, where the eventual nominee is chosen. As a result, the status quo is maintained, even though every four years, other states try to usurp Iowa’s coveted status. It was in 1976 that the Iowa caucuses took on the importance that they have today. The little-known governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, “came in and worked the state, worked the caucuses very carefully, and he won,” government affairs consultant Philip Smith said on Northeastern University’s website. “And that surprised everybody and it got his name on the national agenda. If he

hadn’t have won those caucuses in 1976, he would have stayed as a peanut farmer,” Smith said. But losing at the caucuses does not sound the death knell for a candidate’s political ambitions. Bill Clinton won just 2 percent of the Iowa caucus vote in 1992 but went on to be nominated as the Democratic Party’s candidate, and then to win the presidency. In 2008, the eventual Republican Party nominee, John McCain, polled 13 percent at the Iowa caucuses, far behind Mike Huckabee’s 34 percent. McCain was eventually chosen as the GOP candidate for the White House but lost to Barack Obama (who, incidentally, became a household name after winning Iowa). Despite its spotty record for picking winners, particularly on the Republican side, Iowa can provide candidates with a high-profile bump, especially if they fare better than expected. Analysts also note that since 1972, no candidate who has finished worse than fourth place in Iowa has won the Democratic or Republican nomination.

New Hampshire Primary The Feb. 9 primary in the Northeastern state of New Hampshire comes hard on the heels of the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses and is seen as a way of giving an early voice to the New England region — much like Iowa gives an early and important voice to the Midwest. The South and West have their voices heard in the South Carolina primary and Nevada caucuses, the first rounds of which are scheduled for Feb. 20. In the New Hampshire primary, residents vote directly for the candidate of their choice. But just how representative the Granite State is of the mood of the country is up for debate because, like Iowa, New Hampshire is predominantly white. It is also a small state with roughly the same population as the Texas city of San Antonio. Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire in 2008, but Obama, who won the Iowa caucuses that year, won the Democratic Party nomination. Obama was just the third Democrat in 30 years to lose in New Hampshire but go on to be chosen by his party to contest the presidential election. Bill Clinton, meanwhile, was the only candidate to lose in both Iowa and

Photo: Scout Tufankjian for Obama for America

President Obama talks to a supporter by phone in Columbus, Ohio, during his re-election campaign.

New Hampshire and go on to win the presidency. According to CNN, South Carolina is often seen as the tie breaker between Iowa and New Hampshire, having predicted the eventual nominee in every primary race since 1980 except for 2012, when Newt Gingrich won.

Why Tuesday? Another oddity of the U.S. voting system is the fact that Americans always vote on a Tuesday. And they do not get a day off work to vote. The system dates from the time when the United States was an agrarian nation and many people lived in rural areas and traveled by horse and buggy. County seats, where elections were held, were often far from voters’ farms, and they needed a day to travel to these larger towns and cities to vote and a day to get back. The vote could not be held on or around Sunday, because it would interfere with the Sabbath. Wednesday was typically “market day” for farmers so Tuesday was chosen because it was a “court day” back in the 1800s — the day when landowners would be in town

anyway to conduct business. So in 1845, a law was passed declaring the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day. Clearly, the law is outdated. Happily, there are steps to change it. In 2013, Democratic lawmakers Steve Israel and Louise Slaughter, both from New York, re-introduced national legislation to move Election Day from the first Tuesday in November to the first full weekend of the same month. The Weekend Voting Act would mandate national polls to be open from 10 a.m. Eastern Time on the first Saturday in November to 6 p.m. Sunday in the 48 contiguous states — i.e. not Alaska and Hawaii, which are too distant from the East Coast to be bound by its time zone. “Voting should be easy and accessible,” Congressman Israel said when he first introduced the bill in 2009. “This is why, in 1845, Congress decided that voting on a Tuesday made sense…. But times have changed, and Tuesday voting just doesn’t make sense anymore. By moving Election Day from a single day in the middle of the workweek to a full weekend, we are encouraging more working Americans to participate.” In addition to recognizing that most Americans no longer travel by horse and buggy, it’s hoped that moving Election Day to the weekend will help to boost voter turnout. The United States currently ranks 138 out of 172 countries in terms of voter turnout, according to MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff (who, incidentally, at the time of writing, was attending a Donald Trump rally in the Iowa town of Council Bluffs). Even in the landmark 2008 election, which saw Obama become the first African American elected to the White House, “Turnout was up, but barely higher than in 2004,” Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-founder of the Why Tuesday group, said. Polling stations are usually open for 12 hours on Election Day, meaning that most Americans only have an hour or two to cast their ballots either before or after work. WD Karin Zeitvogel (@Zeitvogel) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 9

WD | United States

Indefinite Detention Obama and Guantánamo Bay: Captive of His Own Making? by Sean Lyngaas

ampaigning for president in 2007, Sen. Barack Obama described the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as a stain on the American soul. In one of his first executive orders as president, Obama called for the detention center’s closure within a year. Seven years since that directive, what has been labeled the most expensive prison on earth still houses scores of detainees, and the political fight over closing it threatens to outlive Obama’s presidency. There is often daylight between campaign rhetoric and presidential policy, but for civil liberties groups, the chasm is glaring when it comes to Obama’s pledge to shutter the prison. Despite the criticism, the president has made substantial progress in closing down the controversial facility. Under his administration, the number of Guantánamo detainees has been more than halved from 242 to 93; some have been returned to their home countries while others were resettled in third countries. (Over 500 detainees were moved under President George W. Bush.) Another 10 detainees from Yemen were resettled in Oman in midJanuary, and 30 more could be released by the summer (some detainees have been eligible for release for years). But that still leaves several dozen remaining detainees who are effectively in legal limbo: They have not been charged with a crime but have been deemed too dangerous to release. Capitol Hill lawmakers repeatedly thwarted the administration’s efforts to shut down the detention center, citing fears of housing suspected terrorists on U.S. soil or releasing them to other countries where they could potentially return to the battlefield.

Opportunities and Omens Retired Air Force Col. Morris Davis, who was chief prosecutor at the prison from 2005 to 2007, quipped that the issue has become so partisan that Obama would have had better luck closing Guantánamo had he stated the opposite goal. Davis said Obama blew an opportunity to close the prison in the first two years of his presidency, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress. “I think it’s convenient for the administration to say, ‘Oh, we want to close it and Congress won’t let us,’ which there’s a measure of truth to that, but, again, I think it ignores that they 10 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

Photo: JTF Guantanamo / Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Nistas

Army 1st Sgt. Tina Brown, Army Maj. Jennifer Reed and Army Sgt. Rosalyn Anderson run in front of the “Honor Bound” sign at Joint Task Force Guantánamo ‘s Camp Delta during a physical fitness session on June 16, 2010.

“

I think that there is just a very strong tendency for us to get worked up around issues that don’t actually make us safer but make for good political sound bites. U.S. President Barack Obama

”

had the opportunity to do it and didn’t,” Davis said in an interview. He resigned in protest as chief prosecutor in October 2007 in part because waterboarding-induced testimony was allowed in commission hearings. The aborted attempt to resettle two Uighur prisoners who were mistakenly imprisoned at Guantánamo was an early omen of the Obama administration’s struggles with Congress on the issue. In May 2009, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) vehemently protested the administra-

tion’s plan to release the prisoners in his district, and the White House abandoned the plan. That month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers rejected the administration’s request for $80 million to help close the prison. That turn of events was “the moment when it became clear to all that Obama’s government was not going to sail along and close Guantánamo,” wrote New York Times reporter Charlie Savage in his book “Power Wars.” Republicans have also chided Obama for not moving more aggressively to close the prison in the early years of his presidency. “2009 was the year, politically, when the table was set for the president to spend political capital to do that; he failed to do that,” said Charles “Cully” Stimson, who was deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs from 2006 to 2007 under President George W. Bush. Republican control of the House and Senate now poses a formidable challenge to Obama’s efforts to close Guantánamo. Congress’s annual defense policy bill has been a vessel for erecting new barriers to shuttering the prison. The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2016 put additional restrictions on detainee transfers to certain foreign countries. Obama signed the bill in November while calling those restrictions “unwarranted and counterproductive.”

The threat of terrorist attacks has also fueled the sense among some Americans, fanned by political rhetoric, that terrorists are simply too dangerous to house in the United States — even in maximum-security facilities that already hold high-profile terrorists. Obama has said the fight over a relatively small number of detainees has damaged America’s “moral authority” and provided fodder for extremist recruitment. “I think that there is just a very strong tendency for us to get worked up around issues that don’t actually make us safer but make for good political sound bites,” the president said at a recent press conference. “Whether it’s refugees or Guantánamo, those are handy answers particularly for folks who aren’t interested in engaging in more serious debate on how do we invest in a long, hard slog of dealing with terrorism.” Stimson spoke at a Dec. 8 Heritage Foundation event where Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) gave a speech on why he opposed closing Guantánamo. The Iraq War veteran cited recent terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris as a reason for keeping the facility open. The U.S. government needs a prison in a remote area that is secure from attack where interrogators can ply their trade, Cotton argued. See Guantánamo • page 45

WD | United States

Budget Breakdown Omnibus Grab Bag Has Something For Everyone, Including Diplomats by Sean Lyngaas

ashington’s budget battles have grown increasingly dramatic in recent years, with a seemingly inverse relationship between the intensity of negotiations and the length of funding cycles. The tussle for fiscal 2016, however, was different, with eleventh-hour verbal jousting taking place behind close doors, and all sorts of policy measures buried deep in the 2,000-plus pages of law that will guide federal spending for the next fiscal year. After years of partisan wrangling that led to a series of stopgap spending bills and temporary tax fixes, the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill passed both chambers with surprisingly little rancor. Newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was able to quell a conservative uprising against the bill, which ends a period of belt-tightening by boosting both defense and non-defense discretionary spending. The parties found consensus and compromise in their bid to avert a government shutdown: Democrats won tax breaks for renewable energy and resisted Republican efforts to cut Planned Parenthood funding and restrict Syrian refugees, while Republicans delayed several Obamacare-related taxes and ended a 40-year ban on crude oil exports. The legislation, which includes nearly $700 billion in tax breaks, provides federal agencies and private businesses with a measure of fiscal stability and marked a return to the normal appropriations process after years of dysfunction. President Barack Obama signed the $1.8 trillion spending and tax package into law in December. Parsing the text reveals significant funding for foreign aid programs, and a telling diplomatic security provision for a post-Benghazi era.

Uptick in Foreign Affairs Spending “There are a couple of huge pluses” for supporters of foreign aid in the omnibus package, said George Ingram, a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution. One is the fact that appropriators gave agencies a relatively healthy dose of foreign aid funding to work with — $52.68 billion in “State and Foreign Operations.” That is shy of Obama’s request but considerably more than draft legislation had earmarked, according to Beth Schwanke and Erin Collinson of the Center for Global Development (CGD). In total, the bill allocates $3.4 billion more in international spending than the previous fiscal year (excluding emergency funds for Ebola). For Ingram, a former senior staffer on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, another reason to rejoice is that, after years of delay, Congress finally approved quota reforms to the International Monetary Fund, giving emerging economies like China and India greater voting power in the organization. A combination of a recalcitrant Congress and an administration that hadn’t invested enough political capital in the issue explains why it took five years to get the IMF quota reform approved, said Ingram, a former official at USAID. The CGD’s Clay Lowery and Scott Morris welcomed Congress’s passage of the quota reform as long overdue and hoped the move would restore

Photo: Glen Johnson / State Department

Secretary of State John Kerry is surrounded by photographers in the Rayburn House Office Building shortly before his testimony a year ago in front of the House Appropriations Committee on the State Department’s fiscal 2016 budget request.

“

During these troubling times, it’s more important than ever that Americans representing us abroad are well-protected…. Both sides of the aisle believe we have a moral obligation as well as a national security imperative to safeguard our diplomats.

”

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)

what they said was lost U.S. credibility at the IMF. “The United States played a leadership role in crafting the 2010 package, only to see that leadership eroded each year Congress failed to act,” they wrote in a blog post. In an interview with The Diplomat, Ingram highlighted a perhaps overlooked bottom line of this administration: Despite the budget turmoil of the last several years, foreign assistance funding has done relatively well under Obama. Over the last four fiscal years, for example, funding for USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation — two key pillars of foreign aid poli-

Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

President Obama signs the 2014 Appropriations Act in the New Executive Office Building of the White House on Jan. 17, 2014.

cy — has been relatively steady. Over that period, USAID’s base budget has averaged $1.42 billion annually, while MCC’s has averaged $887 million. In terms of proving return on investment to lawmakers, Ingram said the MCC has metrics for justifying investments built into its mandate, while USAID is playing catch-up in that category. Schwanke and Collinson, the CGD analysts, breathed a sigh of relief at the budget deal, but lamented that more investment could go a long way. “The overall [international financial institutions] numbers are nowhere near as terrifying as the House and Senate draft … bills, though they’re still grim given how much development bang for our buck we get through the” multilateral development See Bu dget • page 12 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 11

Budget Continued â&#x20AC;˘ page 11

banks, they wrote in a blog post. Other areas that received a funding bump from 2015 figures include the Peace Corps, maternal and child health, and the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Yet development professionals celebrating the foreign aid budget should read the fine print. A significant portion of the foreign aid money â&#x20AC;&#x201D; $14.9 billion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; comes through the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, an end-around to budget caps. Ingram worries that the OCO trick may not be available to lawmakers in future years, meaning a lower base budget when it comes to foreign aid. While Schwanke and Collinson welcomed the increase in budgeting for USAIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operating expenses from fiscal 2015, they hinted at the tall administrative challenges facing the agency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were pleased to see $1.283 billion â&#x20AC;Ś for USAIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operating expenses, short of the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request, but at least higher than FY15,â&#x20AC;? wrote Schwanke and Collinson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Less than ideal is that no funds are provided for new positions. As we raised in July, it seems shortsighted to limit new hiring if USAID continues to make good on its efforts to become more than a contracting pass through.â&#x20AC;? USAID got a boost in late November when, after months of delay, the Senate finally confirmed Gayle Smith as the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head. Ingram hopes that Smith, a

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Diplomatic Security Prioritized For seemingly every generation of American diplomats, a crisis drives home the dangers of the job. For years, the 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was that emblem of insecurity. For todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diplomats, the defining moment is the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador to that country and three other Americans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem for the State Department comes when there is value in maintaining a diplomatic presence even as the security situation in the host country is deteriorating,â&#x20AC;? P.J. Crowley, a former assistant secretary of state for public affairs, told The Diplomat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what happened in Libya. Our diplomats were serving a vital purpose, but the host nation could not guar-

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seasoned development official, can use the administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final year in office to drive home reforms such as more closely intertwining policy and budgeting. When asked if Smith had the budget she needs to usher in change at USAID, Ingram said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;She has adequate resources. Does she have the resources she really needs to do her job? No, she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;? Ingram echoed Schwanke and Collinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belief that USAID needs more funding for staffing. The former USAID official also worried that, thwarted by a Congress often lukewarm on the idea of climate change, the agency wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the funding it needs to meet the ambitious climate commitments the Obama administration made in Paris in December.

What does this mean? It means that, as a publication audited by Circulation Verification Council (CVC), we have a clear understanding of our impact, including the number of households we reach, how much weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re read and our influence on purchasing decisions. When it comes to serving readers and advertisers, CVC is the standard.

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12 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

Highlights of the State and Foreign Operations Budget Total $52.68 billion

Millennium Challenge Corporation $901 million

International Peacekeeping Contributions $2.46 billion

Power Africa $76.7 million

U.N. Organizations $1.4 billion (excluding UNESCO) Democracy Programs $2.3 billion HIV/AIDS: $6 billion Maternal and Child Health $750 million Malaria $674 million Water and Sanitation Programs $400 million Programs to Combat Trafficking in Persons $72 million

Israel $3.1 billion (military aid) Jordan $1.275 billion (economic and military aid) Egypt $1.3 billion (military aid); $150 million (economic aid) Tunisia $141.9 million Ukraine $525 million (economic aid, including loan guarantees); $85 million (military aid) Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund $175 million Migration and Refugee Assistance $3.06 billion

Peace Corps $410 million

Disaster Relief $2.79 billion

Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs $590.9 million, including $236 for the ulbright Program

Central America $750 million (to respond to the surge of unaccompanied children crossing the border)

What’s in the Rest of the Budget? in disaster aid); includes $11 billion for Customs and Border Protection and $5.8 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Department of Defense $572.8 billion (including $58.6 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations); includes $715 million for the Iraq Train and Equip Fund, $1.1 billion to assist friendly countries in defending against violent extremism, $789 million for the European Reassurance Initiative and $250 million in lethal and nonlethal aid to Ukraine

Department of the Interior and Environment $32.1 billion; includes $2.8 billion for the National Park Service and $8.1 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency

NASA $19.3 billion

National Institutes of Health $32 billion

Food and Drug Administration $2.7 billion

Head Start $9.2 billion

Nuclear Weapons $8.8 billion

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education $162.1 billion

Nonproliferation $1.9 billion IRS $11.2 billion District of Columbia $730 million Department of Homeland Security $40.9 billion (in addition to $6.7 billion

antee basic security.” The 2016 budget plan includes $3.4 billion for embassy security, including funds to continue implementing recommendations of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board. More than three years after the Benghazi attack, Congress passed a measure in the omnibus that grants the State Department authority to conduct “best-value” contracting for security at embassies across the globe. The State Department had hitherto been incentivized to hire the cheapest security firms for embassy security, with exceptions for “high-risk” embassies, according to Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), who sponsored the new provision along with Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas). Now, the best-value provision will be extended to all embassies. The new contracting provision is one of the few bipartisan things to come out of the Benghazi siege, which has placed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Republicans’ crosshairs. Frankel told The Diplomat that one of her first hearings as a congresswoman, in January 2013, saw Clinton testify that the contracting statute needed to change. Since Clinton’s testimony, lawmakers have taken incremental steps to try to make State Department acquisition officials less beholden to price when choosing diplomatic security. A provision allowing “bestvalue” contracting at high-risk embassies

Veterans Affairs and Military Construction $79.8 billion Transportation, Housing and Urban Development $57.3 billion; includes $1.4 billion for Amtrak

Th e Bedroom

Credit: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

President Barack Obama signs the 2014 Appropriations Act in the New Executive Office Building of the White House on Jan. 17, 2014.

made it into the fiscal 2014 and 2015 appropriation bills, and the efforts culminated in this year’s omnibus extending the measure to all embassies. The provision made sense “given the circumstances of how dangerous the world was becoming,” Frankel said. “During these troubling times, it’s more important than ever that Americans representing us abroad are well-protected,” she said. “This is an example of once an issue is brought to the surface, we can move quickly,” the Florida Democrat added. “Both sides of the aisle believe we have a moral obligation as well as a national security imperative to safeguard our diplomats.” WD

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Sean Lyngaas (@snlyngaas) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 13

WD | Human Rights

21st-Century Barbarism No Place for Niceties in Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation by Karin Zeitvogel

eyla Hussein was 7 when it happened to her. She remembers hearing her sister screaming from the room adjacent to their bedroom and then someone saying, “Go get Leyla.” Then, she recalls being held down on a table, her legs pinned back, and a searing pain that caused her to black out. At the ripe old age of 7, Hussein had become one of millions of girls who are the victims of female genital mutilation (FGM), though she prefers the term survivor. Today, the Somali-born social activist is leading the charge to end FGM, which, she notes, impacts some 140 million girls around the world, even in places you might not expect. “It still happens in the U.K., in Canada and Europe. It’s happening here, in the U.S. Girls with my accent have undergone FGM,” Hussein said in her London accent at the one-day Censored Women’s Film Festival in Washington, D.C., where the many different ways that violence is perpetrated against women were exposed in disturbing films and discussed by panels. Among those practices are FGM, honor killings, rape and child marriage. While FGM is considered barbaric in many parts of the world, contrary to popular belief, it has thrived in both the developing and developed world. “A lot of people think FGM happens ‘over there,’” said Charlotte Feldman-Jacobs, the gender program director at the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). But data collected by the PRB and, in a separate study, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that half a million women and girls in the United States are at risk of or have been subjected to FGM. That’s a significant jump in numbers from 1997, when an earlier study found there were nearly 170,000 FGM-at-risk women in the United States. The steep increase is blamed partly on the rise in immigration from Africa and the Middle East to the United States, experts note. FGM is practiced mainly in Africa and in some Middle Eastern countries, by “households at all educational levels and social classes,” Feldman-Jacobs said, and “among many religious groups, although no religion mandates it.” FGM, in fact, is deeply ingrained in many patriarchal societies and predates Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The practice stems from the cultural belief that a woman’s virtue and chastity will be preserved if she can never experience sexual pleasure. Myths and misconceptions about the practice also abound (some, for instance, believe it confers good luck or is largely symbolic and doesn’t result in any real damage). FGM refers to procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or intentional injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM is mostly carried out on young girls some time between infancy and age 15, often by traditional circumcisers — using, scissors, blades or crude instruments in settings where hygiene can be nonexistent (although it is sometimes done at clinics or medical offices). It has no health benefits but plenty of harmful, and in some cases horrific, side effects. According to the U.N. Population Fund, immediate complications include severe pain, shock, hemorrhage or infection, which in some cases can lead to death. Among the long-term consequences are urinary incontinence,

14 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

Somali-born social activist Leyla Hussein is leading the charge to end female genital mutilation, which, she notes, impacts some 140 million girls around the globe, in both the developing and developed world.

“

We need to challenge the attitude that it’s OK for women to go through this…. I’d love to see Americans pissed off about this because that would be at my level of being pissed off. Leyla Hussein director of ‘The Cruel Cut’

”

recurrent infections, psychological trauma, scar formation, cysts, abscesses, sexual dysfunction, fistulae, infertility and increased childbirth risks. Although the precise number of women and girls who have been cut is hard to quantify, because no one wants to talk about FGM, best estimates are that the number is somewhere between 100 million and 140 million. But since FGM was recognized as a health and human rights issue in the early 1990s, efforts to end the practice have been stepped up and anti-FGM laws have been passed in 25 of the 29 African and Middle Eastern countries where PRB collected data. This has helped to significantly drive down the number of girls who are cut each year. Leyla Hussein says that enacting legislation is vital

if FGM is to be wiped out. But she cautions that the laws on the books must also be applied, including in the United States and Britain. FGM was outlawed three decades ago in the U.K. and the United States banned it in 1996, but girls are still being “circumcised” in both countries (many people don’t use that term because it implies that male and female circumcision are related, when in fact they are vastly different). Girls are also being cut when they return to their parents’ countries of origin on holiday. That practice has been given the casualsounding name of “vacation cutting.” But its innocuous name belies the far-reaching and life-changing consequences of vacation cutting. Britain recognized the phenomenon in 2003 when it passed a law whereby anyone convicted of taking a girl out of the country to be cut could face 14 years in prison. Since July 2015, the U.K. has also had a law that allows a girl, a local authority or anyone else to apply to a family court for a protection order against FGM, including when “vacation cutting” is suspected. In such instances, passports can be confiscated. On the day the law came into force, police in Bedfordshire obtained an order to stop two girls from traveling to Africa, citing fears that they would be mutilated. Two weeks later, British police investigated the case of a girl they suspect underwent FGM in Malaysia when she was an infant. A few months later, however, two women who were suspected of performing FGM on girls slipped through the net and fled to Africa, the London Evening Standard newspaper reported. One of the women had been arrested in Bristol on suspicion that she had mutilated “one or more girls” and that See Mutilation • page 20

WD | Cover Profile

Serbia: EU in 2020? As Balkans Emerges from Bloodstained Past, Belgrade Casts Its Lot with Brussels by Larry Luxner

wenty years after the Dayton accords brought peace to the bloodstained Balkans, onceisolated Serbia is finally getting serious about joining the European Union — even as the continent’s worst refugee crisis since World War II threatens to sink the EU itself. While few Europe-watchers would call the relationship between Belgrade and Brussels a budding romance, there’s no question the 28-member EU has warmed up to the idea of some day welcoming into its club a country whose leaders, not so long ago, faced accusations of perpetrating Europe’s most horrific atrocities since the Holocaust. On Dec. 14, 2015, nearly two years after the launch of accession negotiations, Serbia opened the first two of 35 chapters contained in the treaty. “This is the best news we’ve had in years,” said Djerdj Matkovic, Serbia’s ambassador to the United States. “We became a candidate country in January 2014, and we think that in four or five years, we can successfully conclude all these chapters. After that, it’s the EU’s decision whether it will admit Serbia as a member.” At the EU-Serbia Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels where the talks were held, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic declared, “We no longer have to dream about the EU. Now we just have to do the hard work.” Serbia may very well realize its goal of being a full-fledged EU member by 2020, but the thorniest hurdle will be recognizing Kosovo, its former province. It is unclear whether Chapter 35 obliges Serbia to not only “normalize” ties with Kosovo but eventually recognize its independence — a step over 100 nations including the United States have already taken since the predominantly Muslim autonomous region broke from Serbia in 2008. (Within the EU itself, five member states still don’t recognize Kosovo: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.) Matkovic conceded that 10 years ago, shortly before his government formally applied for EU membership, support for European integration was much higher. “It is declining partly because the EU is putting more and more conditions on Serbia which none of the other countries had to do before,” said the ambassador, citing a recent poll in which 52 percent of Serbs favored EU membership, while 26 percent strongly opposed it. “That worries me.” But there’s more to it than the Kosovo issue, said Stephen Blank, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. “The EU doesn’t look as good a bet as it did 10 years ago. It’s in trouble, and public opinion senses that,” he told us. “I’d also suggest there are forces inside and outside Serbia that are contributing to defaming the EU and making it look bad — though the EU is doing such a good job of that on its own.” Between the migrant crisis and anemic economic growth, the EU is not as exclusive a club as it once was. “As the EU confronts the multiple challenges of migration, Russia’s assertiveness, and the eurozone travails, the continuing enlargement process is of the utmost importance,” wrote Ivan Vejvoda, senior vice president of programs at the German Marshall Fund. “Size matters. Serbia is the biggest country in

“

Photo: Lawrence Ruggeri of Ruggeriphoto.com

There is still some hatred. But hatred is one of the most irrational feelings. Although we cannot forget the past, we cannot repeat the atrocities…. We don’t have to be in love with each other, but we should support each other in this EU process. I think it’s our best guarantee for a better future.

”

Djerdj Matkovic ambassador of Serbia to the United States

the Western Balkans. And although all six countries of the region matter, if the biggest one advances to membership, there will be further consolidation of stability and security, while enhancing the EU’s credibility as a peacemaker and inspiration of democratic reform.” Vejvoda said Serbia’s EU accession process has been ongoing ever since the democratic changes following the fall of the Milosevic regime 15 years ago.

And that process, he added, will be helped by Belgrade’s principled response to the influx of desperate Middle Eastern refugees now flooding Europe. From January through early October 2015, the government registered about 200,000 refugees transiting Serbia (of which 600 chose to remain permanently). Of the total, 65 percent were Syrian, 20 percent Afghan and 17 percent Iraqi; the rest are Pakistanis and Africans. “The refugee crisis has challenged all of Europe, and Serbia is just one piece of that puzzle,” Vejvoda told us. “But Serbia has done exceptionally well and has received kudos from every corner for welcoming these people coming through what is called the Western Balkan route. It has gone the extra mile in being accommodating and working with other major European countries, especially Germany, to be part of the solution.” Matkovic couldn’t agree more. “We are a hospitable nation and welcome all foreigners. We know that these people fleeing their countries aren’t doing it for fun,” the ambassador said. “They are forced to leave, so we try to approach this issue in a very humane way.” Unlike Hungary, for example, which in September built a razor-wire fence along its border with Serbia. That dropped the number of migrants entering Hungary on a daily basis from 6,353 to 29 within a week of the fence’s completion, forcing them to find an alternative route to Germany and points beyond. Matkovic said “the EU should deal with this crisis,” because the moment they cross from Turkey to Greece, the refugees are entering EU territory; they then cross into Serbia and re-enter the EU in Hungary or Croatia. “According to EU regulations, the country where they first enter should deal with them,” he noted. See Serbia • page 16 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 15

Before They Went There

They Came Here

Photo: Embassy of Serbia

Knez Mihailova Street is a popular shopping and pedestrian thoroughfare in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

Serbia Continued • page 15

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Late last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders finalized a 17point plan calling for 100,000 refugees to be temporarily housed in processing centers on their way north; half are to stay in Greece, and half in the Western Balkans, mainly Serbia, according to Vejvoda. “Serbia has stepped up to the plate and has taken on its full responsibility,” said the Serbian scholar. “An aspiring EU member is expected to behave according to EU values and rules, however challenged it may be.” Blank agrees with the ambassador that Serbia will likely join the EU by 2020, but he thinks it will have to bite the bullet on Kosovo, home to a sizable, vocal Serb minority. “If Serbia is going to become a member of the EU, I think [full recognition of Kosovo] will be a condition,” he said. “I’m almost certain it would be a condition for NATO membership. NATO is not going to accept a country with outstanding issues.” Yet ethnicity is still a big deal in this part of the world, and has been ever since the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, when the invading Ottoman army defeated a Serbian prince for control of the region. “Kosovo is the cradle of Serbian civilization, culture and statehood. Medieval Serbia was established in Kosovo, and our first capital was Prizren,” said the ambassador, who was born in a village near Vojvodina. “There is still some hatred. But hatred is one of the most irrational feelings. Although we cannot forget the past, we cannot repeat the atrocities,” Matkovic said, recalling the bloodshed of the 1990s. “We don’t have to be in love with each other, but we should support each other in this EU process. I think it’s our best guarantee for a better future.” Matkovic observed that despite past hostilities, his country today enjoys “excellent relations” with the other five republics that once comprised Yugoslavia. That includes Macedonia, which the U.N. still officially — and awkwardly — refers to as the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” out of deference to Greece, though the ambassador stressed that “we would like the name issue to be solved as soon as possible.” Matkovic, who presented his credentials to President Obama one year ago, spoke to The Washington Diplomat in late December from his Wisconsin Avenue office suite. The Serbs moved into their nondescript building (which also houses the embassies of Af-

ghanistan, Burundi and Gambia) following the mid-2015 expiration of a lease on the Kalorama property they had been renting from the Ethiopian government. Slovenia inherited the former Yugoslav Embassy, but once workers finish renovating the old ambassador’s residence at 2221 R Street, the Belgrade government will formally move its mission back there, permanently. Serbia is landlocked, yet the medieval monasteries, quaint villages and Danube River vistas depicted in travel posters throughout the embassy could potentially draw millions of tourists — if only the country were better developed and more accessible. “Unfortunately, Serbia has a negative image in the United States and it is not based on truth,” said Matkovic. “Those who visit Serbia are surprised by how friendly and open the people are. Everyone is accepted, and they will show you around.” Come next June, Air Serbia will offer direct flights between New York and Belgrade five times a week for the first time since 1992, when sanctions ended the daily nonstop flights that linked Belgrade to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. It’s easy to see why Matkovic harbors so much nostalgia for the old Yugoslavia, a Wyoming-size communist federation that consisted — people often joked — of six republics, five nationalities, four languages, three religions, two alphabets and one boss: President Josip Broz Tito, who ruled the country from the end of World War II until his death in 1980. “I am from the generation which grew up in Yugoslavia, and which lived very well,” said the 60-year-old diplomat. “We had all the advantages of a respected country, traveling abroad and without any limitations.” Indeed, he said, security, prosperity and even freedom flourished under Tito — the son of a Croat father and a Slovene mother — who promoted “brotherhood and unity” while managing to keep a lid on nationalist sentiments. But after Tito’s death on May 4, 1980, tensions among the six Yugoslav republics emerged, leading to the country’s disintegration in 1991 and the horrific Balkan wars that came to dominate the 1990s. About 140,000 Bosniaks, Croats, Serbs, Kosovar Albanians, Macedonians and Slovenes died, according to the International Center for Transitional Justice, in a conflict that became synonymous with ethnic cleansing, genocide and rape. Even after the November 1995 accords signed at an airbase in Dayton, Ohio, put an

end to the Bosnian war, hostilities broke out between Serbs and Kosovars three years later. The United States responded to increasing human rights abuses against Kosovo’s Albanian-speaking population by spearheading a NATO bombing campaign against Serbia — marking the first time in NATO’s history that it used military force without the approval of the U.N. Security Council. On Oct. 6, 2000, President Slobodan Milosevic was overthrown by his own people, and by 2003, Yugoslavia had been effectively reduced to nothing more than Serbia and Montenegro. But even that rump state didn’t last long; in June 2006, tiny Montenegro declared its independence, with Serbia following two days later. “In Yugoslavia, we had a high standard of living and could afford to go skiing in the winter and take shopping trips to Italy. We had 16 airports, with internal flights to Zagreb, Skopje and Ohrid,” recalled Matkovic. “Today, even the bus is more expensive than the flights were back then.” The diplomat has decorated his office with a scale-model Airbus A320 jumbo jet emblazoned with the Air Serbia logo, as well as a portrait of Serbian-American physicist, inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, who was born in Croatia and immigrated to New York, where he died in 1943. Matkovic began his Foreign Ministry career in 1981, and his first post was to Ottawa (1986-90). From 1993 to 1998, he also served in Zimbabwe — the only member of the U.N. Security Council that voted against sanctions on Yugoslavia. Next came a four-year stint in Budapest, and in 2007, Matkovic arrived in Washington as a political counselor at the Serbian Embassy. After that, he directed the Americas division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and finally served as foreign policy advisor to the prime minister before returning to Washington for his current assignment.

serbia at a Glance Independence June 5, 2006 (from the state union of serbia and Montenegro) Location southeastern europe, between Macedonia and Hungary Capital belgrade Population 7.1 million (July 2015 estimate) Ethnic groups serb 83.3 percent, Hungarian 3.5 percent, Romany 2.1 percent, bosniak 2 percent, other 5.7 percent, undeclared or unknown 3.4 percent (2011 estimate)

GDP growth -1.8 percent (2014 estimate) Unemployment 19.7 percent (2014 estimate) Population below poverty line 9.2 percent (2013 estimate)

Exports Iron and steel, rubber, clothes, wheat, fruit and vegetables, nonferrous metals, electric appliances, metal products, weapons and ammunition, automobiles

GDP (purchasing power parity) $95.8 billion (2014 estimate)

GDP per-capita (PPP) $13,400 (2014 estimate)

“I’m really honored to be the ambassador of Serbia here at this time,” Matkovic told The Diplomat. “I very much appreciate U.S. support for Serbia’s integration, and the attention they give us.” Serbia’s relations with the West and longterm EU prospects improved after the May 2011 arrest of Europe’s most-wanted war crimes suspect, Gen. Ratko Mladic, who had evaded capture for 16 years. Upon Mladic’s arrest, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle told reporters that “a great obstacle on the Serbian road to the European Union has been removed.” But Belgrade’s continued cooperation with the International War Crimes Tribunal is crucial for eventual EU admission. In fact, the two figures most associated with Bosnian Serb wartime atrocities are now facing trial in The Hague: Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, who was arrested in Serbia in 2008. “Serbia is the only country which has admitted war crimes were committed in the name of our people, but we have to be very

National flag of Serbia

souRce: cIa WoRld FacTbooK

careful of individualizing these crimes. You cannot hold a whole nation responsible,” said Matkovic. “Those who committed crimes should be tried and punished. Croatia and Bosnia don’t admit war crimes were committed in their name, and nobody from the other countries has ever apologized to Serbia.” While Belgrade has made significant strides on the legal front, the biggest hurdle on the diplomatic front remains Kosovo. “Our position is that we would like normalization with Pristina, but not a formal or full recognition as an independent republic,” the ambassador said, noting that “a big percentage of our foreign trade is already with Kosovo.” Matkovic said he has “an informal relationship” with Kosovo’s envoy in Washington, Vlora Çitaku, “but nothing official.” Even so, Serbia has already negotiated energy, telecommunications and water supply issues with its smaller neighbor — even issues as arcane as whether Kosovo can keep its own +383 international dialing code.

“We can accept that Kosovo has its own code, but we’d like their telecom system to be integrated so that when you’re making calls from Kosovo to Serbia, it doesn’t count as an international call, and that Serbian telecom operators can be present in Kosovo,” said Matkovic. “The aim is to have a good business relationship and more profits.” Profits and business are precisely what the nation of 7.1 million needs. Serbia has still not fully recovered economically — neither from the bruising sanctions of the 1990s, nor from the regional financial crisis that hit Europe over a decade later. Annual per-capita income is only $6,000, and the country’s projected GDP growth of 0.8 percent won’t be enough to pull it out of its current difficulties, Vejvoda warned. Blank of the American Foreign Policy Council said that the Balkan states, particularly Serbia, suffered disproportionally as a result of the 2008 economic crisis. And 2016 doesn’t look any brighter. “The refugee crisis will really hit them hard because the Balkans are directly in the line of fire,” he said. “The real problem is that Europe doesn’t have fast growth or jobs for these people. The Europeans have to respond not with the ungracious attitudes we’ve seen but by liberalizing their own labor laws.” In late December, Serbia was also hit with its biggest corruption scandal in decades, with police arresting 80 people, including a former minister. Two former interior ministry officials, several current and former mayors, and others were detained on abuse of office and money laundering charges. According to Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, the alleged offenses date to 2004 and involve the suspected embezzlement of 7.8 billion dinars (about $70 million). “This shows Serbia’s determination to address systemic corruption — unlike Ukraine, see seRBia • PaGe 18

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Serbia Continued • page 17

where they’re not moving on this very crucial issue,” said Vejvoda of the German Marshall Fund. “The fact that Serbia has the promise of full EU membership is a huge incentive to deal with the challenges of a society coming out of communism and war. That goes hand in hand with structural reforms. You can’t be serious as a country if you don’t deal with corruption.” Not everyone, however, is thrilled with the prospect of Serbia aligning itself with Europe. Blank cited Moscow’s “nefarious” opposition to anything that would improve Serbia’s ties with Kosovo and result in mutual recognition, and eventual EU membership for both countries. “The Russians are determined to prevent the integration of Serbia into Europe and resolution of issues arising out of the conflicts of the 1990s. They want to gain control of strategic sectors of the Balkan economy — not just Serbia — and use that as leverage. They’re also selling arms to Serbia, and in 2009, they wanted to establish an army base at Nis.” Matkovic says that Serbia enjoys “excellent relations” with Moscow despite its unhappiness with the Kremlin’s recent aggression against Ukraine.

Photo: Rade Prelic and Oksana Ooskic / Tanjug News Agency

Serbian Red Cross personnel assist Syrian and Iraqi refugees arriving in the town of Šid, near Serbia’s border with Croatia. An estimated 500,000 refugees have crossed through Serbia in 2015 on their way north to Germany and points beyond.

Photo: Embassy of Serbia

Kalemegdan Fortress, located in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, is one of the country’s most important historical monuments.

“After the annexation of Crimea, Serbia stated on several occasions that we support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea,” he said. “We opposed Russia’s move to annex Crimea, but we will not introduce sanctions because Russia is one of our most important economic partners.” For one thing, Serbia imports 90 percent of its gas from Russia, and although gas “is only 20 percent of our energy mix, we are very much

18 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

dependent on that.” Even so, Matkovic says his country is seeking ways to diversify its gas supply. “We are in negotiations with EU partners and the U.S. about the possibility of building interconnections. Southern Stream has been cancelled and we are in a quite delicate situation, because we have to supply our people and industries with energy.” Although Coca-Cola, Philip

Morris and a few other U.S. multinationals operate in Serbia, less than 10 percent of the country’s foreign direct investment comes from the United States. Serbia’s current leading sources of FDI are Germany, Italy and Austria. Asked if there are any downsides to casting Serbia’s lot with Brussels, Matkovic thought for a minute. “You have to harmonize your foreign and security policies 100 percent with the EU. And if you

want to be a member, you have to act accordingly,” he replied. “Sometimes, we have different views, like with regard to Russia. Also if you want to be in the eurozone, you don’t have independence but instead must rely on richer countries, which will decide what is best for everyone. Sometimes small countries suffer, but the advantages [of EU membership] far outweigh the disadvantages.” They certainly do, says Blank. “There’s no other game in town,” he observed. “What’s the alternative, staying outside the EU? That’s a non-starter.” WD Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

WD | United States

Ambassador Accolades NUSACC Honors Lebanon’s Outgoing Envoy, Antoine Chedid

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by Larry Luxner

or the first time in its 11-year history, the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador of the Year award has gone to a Lebanese diplomat: Antoine Chedid. NUSACC presented Chedid with the prize Dec. 8 at a luncheon attended by more than 100 business and government leaders at Georgetown’s RitzCarlton hotel. “Let me thank NUSACC for hosting this event and for honoring me with this prestigious award, which I will cherish dearly; it will occupy an important place in my heart and in our home,” said Chedid, who is departing his Washington post after having served as Beirut’s top envoy here since July 2007. Chedid noted that the first Americans came to Lebanon 180 years ago, and the first Lebanese arrived on U.S. shores 25 years later. “Americans and Lebanese admire freedom and tolerance, democracy, the right of free expression and the support of civil rights. The partnership between Lebanon and the U.S. dates back many years and continues to grow,” Chedid said, adding that Lebanon’s 4.4 million inhabitants — and the many millions more living in the diaspora — are known for their innovation and business savvy. “The Lebanese are farmers and fishermen, bakers and builders, professors and processors, actors and attorneys, poets and especially politicians,” he said. “But if you scratch a Lebanese, you will find our real identity as bankers, and especially merchants. It is as such that our international role can be understood, a role for which Lebanon has received world renown. Our commercial and entrepreneurial roles are still our trademark.” As Amin Salam, NUSACC vice president of business development, noted, “Lebanon is neither measured nor defined by size or population, [but] by the resounding success of its people across the world — in every continent and in every trade.” Despite Lebanon’s turbulent past, including the 1975-1990 civil war that killed over 100,000 people, Chedid said his multiethnic country has overcome hardship and boasts a well-educated, capable and innovative population; a strong banking sector that has outperformed all other sectors; a servicebased economy; a free-market environment; and a resilient private sector. “Like the legendary Phoenix,” he said, “Lebanon has always emerged from the ashes and has steadily regained its former vitality.”

Americans and Lebanese admire freedom and tolerance, democracy, the right of free expression and the support of civil rights. The partnership between Lebanon and the U.S. dates back many years and continues to grow.

”

Antoine Chedid

ambassador of Lebanon to the United States

Photos: National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce

Lebanese Ambassador Antoine Chedid (above and front center below), is flanked by, from left, Robert Fadel, a member of the Lebanese Parliament; Nicole Chedid, wife of the ambassador; Heather Pederson of Boeing; NUSACC President and CEO David Hamod; Tunisian Ambassador Fayçal Gouia; Gen. George Joulwan of Emergent Biosolutions; Gerald Feierstein, principal deputy assistant secretary of state; Lawrence Silverman, deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs; Ken Hyatt, deputy undersecretary for international trade; Marie Royce of Alcatel-Lucent; and Amin Salam, NUSACC’s vice president of business development.

David Hamod, president and CEO of NUSACC, praised Chedid and his wife Nicole for their “gracious hospitality,” observing that “Lebanon has faced more than its fair share of challenges over the years, but Tony has met these challenges with grace, dignity and aplomb.” The room was filled with dignitaries, including numerous current and former ambassadors who came out to toast the popular envoy. “You have had a major contribution to the building, consolidation and expansion of the trusted partnership we enjoy with the United States through your work with the U.S. State Department, Congress and officials of many

other key institutions,” wrote Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam. “The credibility you enjoy has been instrumental in this accomplishment.” Added Secretary of State John Kerry: “Your personal advocacy on key issues has had a meaningful impact, from securing greater assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces to your efforts in the coalition to fight extremism to supporting the communities in Lebanon hosting Syrian refugees. This richly deserved award recognizes your outstanding efforts over the past eight years in advancing U.S -Lebanese relations at a crucial time in the region.” Kerry’s letter was read aloud by Gerald Feierstein, principal deputy assis-

tant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Feierstein added some appreciative words of his own: “Thanks to Ambassador Chedid’s dedication and work, the relationship between Lebanon and the United States has never been stronger. And I am sure that the strong foundations he has laid here in the United States will allow our two countries to make further strides together, particularly as Lebanon faces enormous external and internal challenges.” The audience also heard from former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who called Chedid “by far the strongest, best ambassador to serve Lebanon in Washington,” while Salim Zeenni, president of the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce in Beirut, thanked Chedid “for your perseverance and support and, above all, for your confidence and faith and for always being there at the right moment, especially during this very crucial period for Lebanon and the United States.” Since NUSACC launched its Ambassador of the Year ceremony in 2004, the award has gone to diplomats from Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The prize recognizes ambassadors for outstanding service in support of U.S.-Arab commercial relations. Widely regarded as the voice of American business in the Arab world, NUSACC serves as the U.S. point of contact for the national chambers of commerce in 22 Arab nations. WD Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 19

Mutilation conTInued • PaGe 14

“the procedure, illegal in Britain since 1985, might have been carried out here,” the paper reported. The two women escaped to Africa after “attempts by police to persuade local social services to obtain a court FGM protection order were rebuffed,” according to the Standard. Activists say the failure of social services to act to keep the women from fleeing is a sign of how much work needs to be done to change the mindsets of people who commit FGM. Hussein said that having statutes on the books is important, but only if they have teeth. She noted that no one has ever been convicted under Britain’s three-decade-old FGM act or its vacation cutting law. Many human rights groups argue that the most effective approach to combat FGM is an incremental one that works with local leaders, educates the population, dispels misconceptions and doesn’t inflame cultural sensitivities. But Hussein doesn’t do subtlety. She believes that the way to banish FGM is to shock and outrage ordinary people into action. She contends that far too many people remain silent on the scourge either because of ignorance or fear of offending different cultures. “I’d love to see America get pissed off about this,” she said at the film festival in Washington. “But it needs to come from all sides. The government won’t listen if people say, ‘We don’t see these women,’” she argued, calling on health professionals in particular to stop ignoring the glaring signs that a

woman or girl has been cut. Hussein put her shock tactics into action in Britain, with a large degree of success. A documentary film she made with Love Productions and Channel 4 Television led to the government calling an emergency meeting on FGM after Home Secretary Theresa May refused in the final scene of the film to meet with Hussein. To boost awareness among Britons of FGM, Hussein set up a pink tent, festooned with bunting depicting vaginas, on the south bank of the Thames River in London. “It’s cunting, not bunting,” Hussein declared in the film “The Cruel Cut,” using crude slang for vagina. It’s part of Hussein’s philosophy that, sometimes, political correctness and diplomacy have to be thrown to the wind to make a point, and she can think of no point that is more worth making than denouncing FGM. Outside the pink tent, Hussein handed out colorful cupcakes with a decorator’s rendition of a vagina on top to passersby and invited them inside the tent to learn more about FGM. The camera focuses on the facial expressions and twitching hands of the audience members as Hussein shows them pictures of level three FGM, also known as infibulation. Infibulation entails excising the clitoris and labia and stitching together the edges of the vulva to prevent sexual intercourse. Hussein described it as having “everything taken off and you’re stitched from top to bottom and left with a very small opening through which you’re expected to urinate, menstruate, have intercourse at some point and give birth,” she explained to the visibly uncomfortable audience in Washington. Angela Peabody, a Liberian immigrant

to the United States who heads the Global Woman Peace Foundation in Virginia and counsels FGM survivors, told The Washington Diplomat that one woman who “was stitched up told me it takes her 30 minutes to urinate. These are the kinds of things victims go through. So it’s not just the initial cut. It’s what comes after. FGM is a life sentence.” The pictures of infibulations and lesser levels of FGM that Hussein exposed inside the pink tent and in Washington are upsetting. In “The Cruel Cut,” many of the people who ventured into the pink tent after delighting in their vagina cupcakes said they were prepared to become anti-FGM warriors. They also said they had no idea that such misogynistic, barbaric practices existed, especially in a place like Britain. Hussein’s scare tactics could contribute to FGM being wiped out within a generation, something UNICEF said in an August 2015 report is possible. Surveys conducted by UNICEF found that two-thirds of women and almost two-thirds of men living in the 29 countries where FGM is most practiced think that the cutting of girls should stop. “If public dialogues can be initiated, people may begin to see that social expectations about the practice are no longer valid,” the UNICEF report said. “Finding ways to make hidden attitudes favoring the abandonment of FGM more visible, and opening the practice up to public scrutiny in a respectful manner, as is being done in many programs throughout Africa, can provide the spark for community-wide change.” Those who defend FGM say it’s a traditional cultural practice and a rite of passage that should remain private. Women, in fact, many of whom underwent the procedure themselves as children, often subject their

daughters or granddaughters to it under the belief that it is simply an inherent part of growing up. But Hussein rejects those defenses, saying FGM is nothing but child abuse and a form of torture that should land practitioners on a sex offender’s list. She also notes that, as a so-called rite of passage, FGM is supposed to represent the moment when a girl becomes a woman. Hussein was cut when she was 7 to groom her for a husband — hardly the age of a girl preparing to enter womanhood, let alone wedded bliss. Perhaps knowing the gruesome details of what happens behind millions of closed doors and seeing the graphic images of mutilated women will spur Americans into action, Hussein said. “We need to challenge the attitude that it’s OK for women to go through this,” she said. “Until there’s public outrage in the U.S., the government won’t listen or do anything,” she added. “That’s what happened in the U.K. We used the film to aggravate the British, and they are very PC — even their anger is very PC.” “I’d love to see Americans pissed off about this because that would be at my level of being pissed off.” WD Karin Zeitvogel (@Zeitvogel) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Follow The Diplomat connect at www.washdiplomat.com.

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WD | Diplomacy Verbatim: Beyond Diplospeak

Monaco in Miniature Small in Size, Prestigious Microstate Is Rich in Personality by Dave Seminara

Editor’s Note: Diplomacy Verbatim is a new column that features intimate conversations with top experts and envoys for their firsthand insights into the world of diplomacy and foreign affairs.

onaco is the world’s second-smallest country at just under one square mile, and one of its most densely populated. It has long been known as a seaside playground for the rich and famous or those who wish they were. But according to Monaco’s articulate ambassador in Washington, Maguy Maccario Doyle, Monaco is not only teeming with people and prestige, it’s also packed with history and flair. Before arriving in Washington in 2013, Maccario was Monaco’s longtime consul general in New York City, serving there since 1995. She started her U.S. career at the Monaco Government Tourist Office in New York in 1976, becoming director for North America in 1994. In 2008, Maccario was appointed vice president of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation-USA, spearheading fundraising events and partnerships (with, among others, Travel + Leisure magazine, Disney, Tesla and M.I.T.). In this month’s installment of “Diplomacy Verbatim,” we ask her about diplomats “going native,” her country’s reputation as a tax haven and why it’s great to be a citizen of Monaco.

The Washington Diplomat: You’ve been representing your government in various capacities since 1976, all here in the U.S.? Maguy Maccario Doyle: That’s right. I started my career in tourism — at the time, we opened a small information center for tourists in New York. There were only two of us, just the director and myself. TWD: Some countries, like the U.S., restrict the number of years their diplomats can be posted to the same country, for fear that they might ‘go native’ if they’re there too long. Maccario: I don’t completely agree with that. It takes so long to get used to a country. Even in an English-speaking country, you are still dealing with a new culture. It takes time to understand the culture and to build relationships with people. In order to make an impact, you really need to … know what’s happening.

TWD: But during your career, did you ever feel like you needed a change from the United States? Maccario: We don’t have embassies in many places…. I feel like I could do more here in the U.S. with this being such a great, powerful country. When you’re a foreign diplomat for a long time in one country, you become part of that country. The U.S. today is my adopted country, so I think I can accomplish much more now knowing both cultures. Here I can help Monaco understand what the U.S. is all about and vice versa. TWD:You must know the U.S. very well by now, but are there still some things about the culture or the politics here that you find difficult to understand?

“

When you’re a foreign diplomat for a long time in one country, you become part of that country. The U.S. today is my adopted country, so I think I can accomplish much more now knowing both cultures.

”

Maguy Maccario Doyle ambassador of Monaco to the United States

Maccario: You never have a handle on everything. I’ve seen this country change and evolve. When I moved to New York in 1976, the city was in bankruptcy. Look at New York today! I’ve seen a transformation of some of the country’s key cities. Look at Chicago. I remember, years ago, being told to be careful there because there were some

Photo: Tony Powell / Courtesy Embassy of Monaco

dangerous parts, and now it’s wonderful. Washington also wasn’t as exciting and international as it is now. Now regarding the politics here, I’m always surprised by the politics in the United States. All these debates that are now being held, for example, this is very different from the way we do things in my country. We don’t have elections. There is one leader: It has been the Grimaldi family for seven centuries. We all work for one leader. Here, you have one administration and then another one comes in and changes things. I’m not sure if we achieve a lot of things that way. It takes so much time to get things done, and you are always thinking about re-election, so are you really doing something for the long-term good? And will you have time to make it a reality because a new administration might come in and change things? TWD: How can foreigners make sense of Monaco’s history? Maccario: Start with the Grimaldi family. They have ruled Monaco for

seven centuries. When Marco Polo was coming back from India, this was the beginning of an era of trade. Monaco had a natural harbor that was perfect for trade. There were two Italian families, the Ghibellines and the Guelphs, who were heavily involved in this trade. Monaco is a Catholic country; there is no separation of church and state. The Ghibellines held the fortress of Monaco; the Guelphs were supported by the pope, though, and they wanted to take over the fortress because of its strategic location on the Mediterranean. In 1297, the first Grimaldi, François, used a trick to get inside the fortress by dressing up as a monk. When they got inside, the Grimaldis took over the fortress of Monaco. This is what you see on the Coat of Arms of Monaco: You have two monks brandishing a sword. This is in memory of François Grimaldi taking over the fortress of Monaco. TWD: Is it a miracle that Monaco still exists as an independent country? See Monaco • page 22 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 21

Monaco conTInued • PaGe 21

MAccARIO: I think so, yes. There are some countries that have some magic to them — we are one of those. Remember, once the Grimaldi family took over, the country changed hands many times, they lost it, they won it back, etc. When you look at all the tribulations of European history, it is quite amazing that this small country has been able to survive seven centuries under the rule of one family. TWD: Is the fact that it has survived a testament to their diplomacy? MAccARIO: Absolutely, because we have no army, so everything has been done through negotiation. TWD: With no army, who protects your borders? MAccARIO: The French.

Monaco — the world’s second-smallest country and one of its most densely populated — has long been known as a seaside playground for the rich and famous.

TWD: Has the immigration crisis touched Monaco? Are there refugees finding their way to your country?

cRedIT: cHaRly Gallo / Monaco PRess cenTRe PHoTos

MAccARIO: They aren’t arriving in Monaco, per se. When I was there in September, there were some refugees at the border of France and Italy. And we have taken some refugees. TWD: Monaco is a rich country. How come more migrants aren’t trying to get in? MAccARIO: There is no room. Remember,

we are only one square mile. Also, it is pretty guarded. We have a strong police force. We check who comes in, even though there is no real border where you show passports. We are well aware of who is coming to Monaco.

MAccARIO: No, it’s very difficult. But we have accepted some refugees. We’ve given them housing, not in Monaco, per se, but we have an agreement with France, so we resettle them there.

TWD: And there are no cheap apartments in Monaco, so it’s not exactly an easy place for a migrant to get settled?

TWD: Your government pays for them to live in France? MAccARIO: Yes.

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TWD: Monaco is known for its low taxes but is there also a strong social safety net, free health care, university education and so on? MAccARIO: Absolutely, although citizens are entitled to some protections that residents do not get. We have just 7,000 nationals and 30,000 foreigners who live in Monaco. We have 120 nationalities living peacefully together. TWD: Has Monaco always been considered a tax haven? MAccARIO: It’s not a tax haven. It has a softer fiscal structure but if you set up a company in Monaco and you make more than 25 percent of your income outside Monaco, you’re taxed the same as the French, because we’re under the French tax system. The advantage is really for the Monegasque only, the nationals that are really completely exempt from tax. There is no real estate tax, no inheritance tax, etc. For nationals, there is a great health system for them. There is the possibility for apartments for them to live in. Because we are so small, there are greater protections for them. TWD: So if you are a Monegasque citizen, you can get a subsidized apartment? MAccARIO: You can, because real estate in Monaco is so expensive — a one-bedroom apartment could cost you $1 million. Some of the local people don’t have that kind of income, so there are areas that are specifically reserved for the nationals. TWD: Kind of like rent-controlled apartments?

MAccARIO: Yes, only for the Monegasque. The government owns those apartment buildings and decides who gets those apartments.

TWD: So the advantage for wealthy foreigners to come live in Monaco is that they can lower the tax burden from their home country by residing outside of it? MAccARIO: It depends on the rules in their own country. In the U.S.A., you pay taxes no matter where you are in the world, but that is not the same structure for Germany, the U.K. and other countries. TWD: Are there any poor people living in Monaco at all? Is anyone unemployed? MAccARIO: No, not really. Everyone is employed. TWD: Tell us about your family? MAccARIO: I was born in Monaco and moved to the U.S. when I was in my 20s. I married an American that I met while jogging in Central Park many years ago, in the late ’70s. I had two daughters with him. I’m not married any more. My daughters were born in New York, so they have American passports. One graduated from Georgetown University and the other from GW [the George Washington University]. TWD: Did you start your career in tourism promotion or did you have some jobs before that? MAccARIO: I had a few jobs here and there. My parents were art dealers, so I minded the gallery when I was young. And I worked at the Yacht Club of Monaco when I was young. That was my first official job. TWD: Working at the Yacht Club of Monaco, you must have met some rich and famous people? MAccARIO: I did. I met Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Also, the movie director see monaco • PaGe 24

WD | Digital Diplomacy Forum: 21st-Century Statecraft

Distant Diplomacy Can Online Tools Replace Traditional Face-to-Face Exchange? by Molly McCluskey

“I

don’t see how an ambassador can operate effectively in the 21st century without social media support,” Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero said in his introduction to “Beyond Social Media: The Role of Data Visualization, E-Learning and Digital Mapping in Diplomacy,” the latest event hosted by the Italian Embassy as part of its Digital Diplomacy Series. Speaking of Twitter and Facebook specifically, he said, “They’re very important for people who work in or around international affairs.” The ambassador then invited people to follow the embassy on its new Instagram account. The Nov. 2 event was co-hosted by TechChange, which provides online courses in technology and social change, and featured a refreshingly all-female panel that included Sarah Frostenson of Vox Media; Heba Ghannam of UNICEF; Sarah Heck with the White House; Suzanne Philion from Yahoo!; and Jennifer Walsh of the State Department. (To understand how truly unusual an all-women panel is, particularly in Washington, check out this insightful satirical blog that documents the abundance of all-male panels at http://allmalepanels.tumblr. com.) “While preserving its traditional roots and policies, diplomacy is changing, very deeply and very profoundly,” Bisogniero said. “We need not only to embrace that technology and innovation, but really to understand their role in what we do and how we relate to all players.” That issue of relating, and general relativity, has been on my mind over the past several years as I’ve covered digital diplomacy. There’s no question that digital tools help people connect and interact online, but can they replace old-fashioned face-to-face engagement altogether in certain settings? Digital diplomacy events, in particular, seem ripe for testing such a theory. To attend a digital diplomacy event, one must first either receive an invitation, usually via email, or notice a public listing, often on Facebook, Twitter, Eventbrite or, in this case, Meetup, a local language group. Attendees then RSVP, usually through various digital platforms, and tweet, like or share their enthusiasm about the event — ideally before, during and after — to increase its social media exposure. Of course, the attendance portion still typically requires a person to be physically present, unless the event is

Photos: Embassy of Italy

There’s no question that digital tools help people connect and interact online, but can they replace old-fashioned face-to-face engagement altogether in certain settings? live-streamed on TV or the web. Years ago, attendees might handwrite thank you notes to the hosts, although these days, even such manners made easier by email seem to have fallen by the wayside. Attendees are then knowingly or unknowingly added to an email distribution list and, in some cases, encouraged to watch a recording of the event afterward, to further appreciate any nuances they might have missed while they were half paying attention to the speakers and their phones simultaneously. I was prepared to do all of the above for Italian Embassy discussion. I had even charged my phone and brought an additional charge pack, as these events often have too many demands on too few power outlets. My day was then derailed by a meeting that ran long and I found myself still across town when the panel began. In a previous era, that might have been the end of the story. But in a world of instant access, I was able to follow the event via Twitter while simultaneously

chatting with a colleague. Then later in the week, I watched the video on YouTube. I had access to the same information and insight from the speakers as those in attendance, even though I undoubtedly missed out on the embassy’s excellent pizza afterward. I also missed out on a networking opportunity and the sort of personal conversations that arise by sitting next to someone with a shared interest. But by following the discussion on Twitter, I was able to digest a condensed version, along with instantaneous commentary on the speakers’ remarks. And by watching the video later, I was able to fast-forward through the lessthan-scintillating bits of the Q&A segment, saved myself a cab ride in rush hour, skipped the calories of the pizza reception and was able to engage more fully in my previous meeting, without rushing out mid-conversation. I will never truly know what I missed out on by not attending in person, and whether I would have met my next source or picked up a scoop for a new

Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero welcomes guests to “Beyond Social Media: The Role of Data Visualization, E-Learning and Digital Mapping in Diplomacy,” a discussion held at the Italian Embassy as part of its Digital Diplomacy Series.

article. There’s also the sheer pleasure (perhaps the kind that only a Beltway audience can truly appreciate) from being physically present at an intellectual gathering. As a result, the digital experience may never quite match up to the physical one. But as Ambassador Bisogniero pointed out, effective diplomacy is underpinned by “social media support” — the emphasis being on the word support. Digital tools supported my inability to be there in person, but didn’t replace the experience altogether. WD Molly McCluskey (@MollyEMcCluskey is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 23

Monaco

Gambling was introduced in Monaco in 1886.

conTInued • PaGe 22

and producer Sam Spiegel. This was 1972, I think. TWD: You have a host of famous athletes who live in Monaco, but they don’t compete on the international stage for Monaco.

TWD: What are some common misperceptions about Monaco?

MAccARIO: No they don’t. It doesn’t work that way.

TTWD: Has your country ever tried to convince some of these athletes, like Novak Djokovic for example, to get citizenship and represent Monaco at the Olympics and other competitions? MAccARIO: Well, if they took a Monaco passport, they’d have to give up citizenship for their home country. We don’t allow dual citizenship. They don’t want to give up their citizenship. Your heart is where you’re born, where you come from. TWD: A lot of people don’t realize that Monaco has its own language, Monégasque. Is it considered a language or just a dialect? MAccARIO: It’s a language. It’s being taught in school in Monaco and is spoken by a segment of our population. It’s a mix of Italian and a little of Portuguese and other languages. We have been under so many protectorates over the years. We were under the Spanish protectorate for 100 years; we were also part of what is now Italy, so there is a mix. TWD: Is it the first language taught to school-

back without provoking a revolution, went to the king of France and negotiated, at the suggestion of his mother, Caroline, the introduction of gaming into Monaco. Caroline had seen that some principalities in Germany had been successful with gaming. She thought that since gaming was illegal in France and Italy, it could be a great asset for Monaco, so that is how it was introduced in 1886.

cRedIT: K. PRouIn / MITI InFo IMaGe / Monaco PRess cenTRe PHoTos

children in your country? MAccARIO: No, French is the first language. French is the official language. Students can also learn Monégasque if they choose. TWD: Monaco is obviously a very small country but is it possible to get off the beaten track and discover things that most tourists don’t notice? MAccARIO: It’s small, so you notice the key things when you come to Monaco. It is a magical setting, being on the Mediterranean Sea. The open sky, the light, there is a beauty to the landscape. The Old Town of Monaco has kept its medieval charm. The palace and the fortress are very interesting, [as are] the gardens, the Oceanographic Museum, which was built in the early 1900s. It has a fantastic aquarium. What I like about Monaco is that you can walk everywhere. It

is one of the easiest countries in the world to walk across. We have the Monte Carlo Open tennis tournament in April, there is the Grand Prix of Monaco, the yacht show every September. Our National Day is Nov. 19, which is also a great time to visit. All the streets are decorated in red and white. This is a time of feast and wealth. TWD: Monaco has also long been associated with gambling. Has it always been a place for those with money? MAccARIO: Not always, no. Under the rule of Charles III, Monaco was in bankruptcy. In the 19th century, our income came from flowers and oil from olive trees…. The producers of flowers and the olive trees were heavily taxed by Monaco and they wanted to revolt, to be returned to France. The prince, knowing that he couldn’t hold them

Visit Jordan & The Holy Land

MAccARIO: People think that since we’re small there isn’t much to do. They say, ‘Oh, I’ve seen Monaco.’ I ask them where they stayed and they say, ‘We stayed in Nice, came to Monaco for a day trip to see the palace and we left.’ But there is much more to see than people imagine. There is also a misperception that you can’t see Monaco on a budget, that it’s too expensive. Actually, you can. There are more than 130 restaurants in Monaco. Sure, you can go to the Michelin-star restaurants and you can spend a fortune there. But you can also go to local brasseries and bistros, where the food is delicious, and you don’t have to spend a lot and everywhere you go, there are fantastic views. And there is the open market, which is a charming part of Monaco where you can sample local food. TWD: Is there a national dish people will find at this market? MAccARIO: There is. It’s called barbagiuan. It’s like a pocket dough, filled with Swiss chard, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley. It’s like a finger food — very delicious. WD Dave Seminara (@DaveSem) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

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24 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuARy 2016

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Medical A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

•

February 2016

pHoto: paMeLa MooRe / iStoCK

Cost of Cancer For Cancer Survivors, Expenses Keep Mounting •

“

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cancer diagnosis is costly, and new research suggests that it remains costly even after the disease has been treated. “Cancer survivors are facing high costs even after years. The economic burden is substantial,” said study author Zhiyuan Zheng, senior health services researcher at the American Cancer Society’s Surveillance and Health Services Research program.

For example, the study found that non-elderly survivors of colon cancer had extra expenses of about $20,000 annually. Those extra expenses included direct medical costs, as well as lost productivity. For survivors of breast cancer under 65, the economic burden totaled about $14,000, and for prostate cancer it was approximately $9,000, the research revealed. For elderly people, colon cancer survivors had extra costs of about $19,000 a year. Senior prostate cancer survivors

faced about $17,000 in extra expenses, and older survivors of breast cancer had about $14,000 in extra medical costs and lost productivity, the study found. The findings are scheduled for publication in the May issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. A previous study — published in the October issue of the journal Cancer — also revealed significant economic fallout

We need to understand the long-term effect of higher expenses, not just emotionally but also in terms of how it affects choices that patients make about treatment. KatHRYn WeaVeR

”

associate professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest School of Medicine

See CANCER • page 26 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuARy 2016 | 25

Cancer Continued • page 25

from a cancer diagnosis. That study said that people in the United States diagnosed with cancer miss hundreds of hours of work, are less likely to remain employed and suffer major drops in income. The new study is based on surveys done from 2008 to 2012. More than 3,000 people who had survived cancer took the surveys, as did more than 100,000 people without cancer. Among the cancer survivors, there were 540 colon cancer survivors, nearly 1,600 female breast cancer survivors and almost 1,200 prostate cancer survivors. Compared to people without a cancer diagnosis, cancer survivors between the ages of 18 and 64 faced extra medical expenses — not including expenses such as lost productivity — each year of about $3,600 if they had prostate cancer. Medical costs were about $5,100 more for female survivors of breast cancer and about $8,600 for colon cancer survivors. Cancer survivors are also likely to miss more than a week of work each year, the researchers found. In elderly cancer survivors, the additional annual medical costs ranged from $2,300 to $4,900. There was no additional loss of productivity when compared to other elderly people who hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer, the study showed. Medical expenses included in the study were costs for services, such as office and hospital visits, medications and home health care. For example, colon cancer survivors under the age of 65 typically paid almost $600 more a year for medication than people without cancer. They also spent almost

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$5,000 more on costs connected to office visits. And, typically colon cancer survivors spent about $3,500 a year on inpatient care, the study reported. Cancer survivors often have to cope with a variety of ongoing medical expenses such as medication, check-ups and treatment for issues like thinking problems, fatigue and side effects, explained Kathryn Weaver. She is an associate professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, N.C. The study authors noted that the findings don’t include changes that might come from the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called Obamacare. But Zheng said health care reform may dramatically improve these numbers by making it easier for people with pre-existing conditions to get insurance and eliminating patient costs for certain preventive procedures. What can people do to get help with handling the costs of surviving cancer? “Most cancer facilities should have a financial counselor who’s available to help talk about resources, and nonprofits may offer visits with financial planners at free or reduced cost,” Weaver said. However, “this can be a difficult process for patients, since it is hard to find reliable information regarding the cost of treatments before they are obtained,” said Stacie Dusetzina, an assistant professor of pharmacy and public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As for future research, Weaver said, “We need to understand the long-term effect of higher expenses, not just emotionally but also in terms of how it affects choices that patients make about treatment.” WD Copyright (c) 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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February 2016

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events

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES

Loving Nudge Réka Szemerkényi has enjoyed an illustrious career as a former national security advisor to the prime minister, but it was her husband, a top official with Hungary’s oil and gas company, who gave her the nudge she needed to become Budapest’s first female envoy to the U.S. / PAGE 33

ART

Man-Made Wounds Chilean artist Jorge Tacla explores the aftermath of man-made catastrophes and their impact on the collective psyche in “Hidden Identities,” now on display at the Art Museum of the Americas. / PAGE 34

DANCE

Taking Next Step Dance ICONS is creating one virtual clearinghouse where choreographers from all over the world can connect with one another. / PAGE 35

DIPLOMACY

EXPANSIVE

DISPLAY Tiny cups of strong Turkish coffee. Coconut slices from Fiji. Hand-painting by artists from Bangladesh. Delicate Ukrainian embroidery. The fourth annual Winternational Embassy Showcase offered all that and more as 2,500 visitors browsed exhibitions organized by a record 34 embassies. / PAGE 30

DINING

EVENTS

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

Are restaurants that don’t take reservations worth the wait? / PAGE 36

Art / Festivals Music / Theater / PAGE 40

Iranian Negotiations / Palestinian Solidarity Choral Arts Society Gala / PAGE 42 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016 | 29

WD | Culture | Diplomacy

Global Melting Pot Winternational Showcases Food, Culture from Dozens of Countries •

BY LARRY LUXNER

iny cups of strong Turkish coffee. Coconut slices from Fiji. Hand-painting by artists from Bangladesh. Delicate Ukrainian embroidery, just in time for the holidays. The fourth annual Winternational Embassy Showcase offered all that and more. The Dec. 9 event took place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRB/ITC), which at 3.1 million square feet ranks as the largest federal building in Washington. It attracted 2,500 visitors for a colorful midday celebration of culture, travel and tourism, organized by Trade Center Management Associates (TCMA). As Azerbaijani-born violinist Rafael Javadov entertained the crowds with his classical, jazz and klezmer music, people browsed the exhibitions organized and staffed by a record 34 embassies including the African Union (which represents 54 countries); the 28-member European Union; and the 22-member League of Arab States. “It’s wonderful for the African Union to be a part of this and show off our culture, music, art and books,” said Seraphine Manirambona, policy officer at the AU Mission. Added Marcelo Magnou Perez, cultural attaché at the Uruguayan Embassy: “It’s great to talk to so many people from so many different walks of life. We’ve made a lot of new friends, not only from this area but from all over the PHOTOS: LARRY LUXNER United States.” Above, guests converge on the Ronald Reagan Building’s 2016 Winternational showcase. Andrew Gelfuso, vice president of global business development at RRB/ITC, kicked off the At right, Jan du Plain dances with Ambassador of South Africa Mninwa Johannes event — co-sponsored by a number of local entities Mahlangu during Winternational. including The Washington Diplomat — with a short speech. “Today, we have convened a dynamic mix from the Giovanna Washington, D.C., and diplomatic communities for a Baina, one-of-a-kind event,” said Gelfuso. “I’d like to thank culture and each and every embassy for sharing your cultural education heritage and traditions with us here today. Each of us officer at the Embassy will take home knowledge and memories, and I hope of Bolivia, you’ll take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to displays bring home gifts for your loved ones during this holithe book day season.” “El Libro The Ronald Reagan Building and International del Mar” at Trade Center opened in 1998 as the first and only fedthe Bolivian eral building dedicated to both government and pribooth. vate use. Mandated by Congress to bring together the country’s best public and private resources to create a national forum for the advancement of trade, TCMA was selected as the building’s exclusive manager in support of this mission. At Winternational, participants happily wandered world we want.” around, munching on Asian delights, drinking tea and Ziauddin spoke as fellow snapping up souvenirs amidst a dizzying cacophony A visitor chats with the representative Bangladeshi Dilruba Hosof languages. sain applied delicate designs to at the Mauritius Embassy booth during “We have to have more events like this. It’s going Winternational. the hands of girls and women; to connect the whole world together, especially these across the aisle, author Frida days, when we have such a hard time with prejudice,” said Shahin Mafi, Larios proudly displayed her indigenous Mayanfounder of the Azar Foundation for Children of the World. “Such a thing language books at El Salvador’s booth. will help everybody, not only Americans.” That such an event takes place every year in the Mohammad Ziauddin, the ambassador of Bangladesh, which has the nation’s capital — home to 184 embassies at last world’s fourth-largest Muslim population, called Winternational “a replica count — is only fitting, said Myron Belkind, former of a global village.” president of the National Press Club. “You have people from all over the world — all nationalities, races and “Washington is the world’s leading interna- Maps of Ghana on display religions — and they’re mixing so well, intermingling, interacting, eating SEE WINTERNATIONAL • PAGE 32 each other’s food and learning each other’s cultures,” he said. “This is the

30 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016

WD | Culture | Diplomacy

Gizem Salcigil White serves Turkish coffee to visitors.

PHOTOS: LARRY LUXNER

Visitors enjoy traditional South African food.

Visitors inspect Ukrainian embroidery and handicrafts.

Handicrafts from El Salvador are displayed.

Ladies wear traditional dress at the Indonesian Embassy booth.

Author Frida Larios displays her indigenous Mayan books at the El Salvador booth.

Andrew Gelfuso, vice president of global business development for the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, top left, poses with diplomats at Winternational 2016. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016 | 31

WD | Culture | Diplomacy

Nishantha Perera of Sri Lanka promotes Ceylon tea.

Banana chips, tea, canned tuna and other Mauritius products on display.

Washington Diplomat sales manager Rodolfo Carrasco and Changu Newman, wife of the ambassador of Botswana

Winternational CONTINUED • PAGE 30

tional city. Paris has the Eiffel Tower; London has Buckingham Palace,” he noted. “But Washington has a vibrant international community, and today epitomizes that.” A variety of nations ranging from Australia to Uzbekistan see the festival as a once-in-a-year chance to publicize their unique cultural attributes. “We are about to celebrate our 50th anniversary of independence in 2016, so we’re pulling out all the stops,” said Hosai Rashid of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade David John Newman, ambassador of Center; Carolina Kitras, cultural attaché at the Embassy of Panama; and Botswana, which is considered one of Af- embassy liaison Jan du Plain rica’s most prosperous, well-managed countries. Said fellow Ambassador Román Macaya of Costa Rica: “It’s our second time at Winternational, and we’ll certainly be here every year. It’s something we don’t miss and it’s a great opportunity to showcase what Costa Rica is all about.” One of the smallest and most remote countries exhibiting at this year’s festival was Fiji, a South Pacific archipelago of 880,000 people spread across 300 islands. “Just looking around the room and looking at the vibrancy of the different nationalities here, it’s the richness of the world you’ve been able to capture here,” said Fiji’s ambassador, Naivakarurubalavu Solo Mara, as his consular officer, Clarita Phillips, offered visitors coconut pieces, banana chips and, of course, bottles of natural artesian Fiji water. John Drew is chief executive of TCMA, the group that manages the Ronald Reagan Building through a public-private partnership with the General Services Administration. The TCMA team at RRB/ITC provides a central forum for building connections, fostering diplomacy and advancing global commerce by offering a rich mix of signature events such as high-profile economic summits, conferences, business matchmaking seminars and cultural programs like Winternational. “The turnout is beyond belief, from both the embassies and the local community,” Drew said as the Dec. 9 event was wrapping up. “We could not be more pleased with how things have turned out today.” Stay tuned for the next Winternational festival, set for Dec. 9, 2016. WD Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat. 32 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016

Traditional hand-painting at the Bangladesh booth

Washington Diplomat publisher Victor Shiblie and Sameh Alfonse, deputy chief representative of the Arab League

Ambassador of South Africa Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu; Changu Newman; and Ambassador of Botswana David John Newman

PHOTOS: LARRY LUXNER

Dilruba Hossain paints Jamie Frungillo’s hand at the Bangladesh booth.

WD | Culture | Diplomatic Spouses

Juggling Act Hungarian Husband Pulls Double Duty in Two Capitals •

BY GAIL SCOTT

éka Szemerkényi is a European security and energy expert who has worked as national security advisor to the prime minister in addition to stints at the World Bank, think tanks, NGOs and Hungary’s main oil and gas company. But it was her husband who gave her the nudge she needed to become Hungary’s first female envoy to the United States. “I’m here as ambassador because of my husband,” said Szemerkényi, exchanging a big smile with Szabolcs Ferencz, who works as senior vice president of corporate affairs for the Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group. “I had had a terrible day at the office in Budapest,” Szemerkényi recalled. “At the very end of that day, I was asked to be Hungary’s ambassador to Washington. The whole drive home, I talked myself out of it.” With two busy careers and four children, who now range in age from 7 to 15, she thought an ambassadorship might be too much. As soon as she got home and told her husband about the offer, however, Ferencz began planning for how they would pull it off, insisting that she take the high-level position. Szemerkényi had never served as an ambassador before and Hungary had never had a woman as its top diplomat in Washington. Now, a year since Szemerkényi took up her post, everyone in the family makes it work. Ferencz splits his time between Budapest and Washington, commuting back and Réka Szemerkényi is Hungary’s first female ambassador to the U.S. while her forth once a month, while the siblings look after each other. “We’ve had nan- husband, Szabolcs Ferencz, is vice president of corporate communications for the nies before but this time when we started to look for one … the older children oil and gas company MOL Group. said they could take care of themselves and that they would take care of their little sister too,” Szemerkényi said. regard us as cousins.” He added that Middle Eastern countries might be more For the big move to D.C., “the ladies took off first and the men stayed be- willing “to take a diminished risk” with Hungary than with a corporation hind,” Ferencz said, explaining that their three daughters and their mother from Great Britain or the United States. went to the U.S. while their oldest, Zsombor, who For his part, Ferencz is intimately familiar with the U.S., was in the second half of his eighth-grade year, rewhere he completed his post-graduate studies alongside mained in Budapest to finish school. Today, all of the his wife. Both were Fulbright scholars at the Johns Hopchildren have settled in the U.S.: Zsombor attends kins School of Advanced International Studies in the midGeorgetown Prep, commuting by Metro for sports 1990s. “I was very much impressed and traveled around and late afternoon activities. Boroka, 13, and Hanga, the country,” he said. 12, go to the Washington International School, while During his current forays to D.C., Ferencz finds time to their youngest, Réka, named after her mother, is in jog from the Hungarian Residence on 30th Street. “I love first grade at Horace Mann Elementary. “The oldest running up and down Massachusetts Avenue, on the Mall is in charge. If I am here, I work 9 to 3 when they are and around the White House.” The residence has a small in school,” Szemerkényi noted. pool but he gives that up to their children. Meanwhile, Ferencz shuttles back and forth beWhile he’s fond of American life, Ferencz, whose mothtween the two capitals for his job at MOL Group, er was an opera singer, said he loves Hungarian culture — where he has worked for over a decade. “I spend 18 “the quantity and the quality, evening concerts and thedays in Washington and then go back to Budapest SZABOLCS FERENCZ ater.” where everything awaits me,” he told us. “When I’m Before joining MOL Group in 2003, Ferencz worked in husband of Hungarian Ambassador there, I work all the time — nights and weekends … government and political communications. From 2000 to Réka Szemerkényi usually about 16 hours a day.” 2002, he was chef du cabinet for the Hungarian Ministry Ferencz previously worked as vice president of of National Cultural Heritage. In 1998, he worked directly corporate communications for MOL Group and country chairman and CEO for the prime minister as director of communications. of its Romania branch. The Hungarian multinational oil and gas group, headFerencz, in fact, was born and raised in Romania but talks about his adquartered in Budapest, operates in 40 countries across Europe, the Middle opted homeland with pride. “Hungary is a great country. It is full of creative East, Africa and Asia and boasts 28,000 employees. people, many inventors,” he told us, noting that Hungarians invented the Ru“I am a juggler,” he said. “It’s like, how many plates can I have in the air at bik’s Cube, ballpoint pen, the first electric motor and binoculars. “Budapest is once?” the most beautiful city in Europe. It has a great history and beautiful buildIn addition to jetting between Hungary and the U.S., Ferencz has now add- ings, especially the Parliament.” ed the Middle East to his business travel portfolio. “Commuting between two While the historic city draws tourists from all over the world, recently Hundifferent worlds, the Middle East and Hungary,” has been a challenge, Ferencz gary has become more synonymous with the populist backlash against illegal said, citing possible cultural misunderstandings and language barriers; Fer- immigration that is sweeping the continent. Last year, the government of fiery encz speaks German and Romanian in addition to Hungarian, but not Arabic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán erected a controversial border fence and took or Farsi. other measures to keep out the tide of migrants and refugees who have fled Nevertheless, he noted that, “Hungarians have a certain advantage. The Middle East holds hostility to the West and their origins are in the East. They SEE DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES • PAGE 37

“

I am a juggler…. I spend 18 days in Washington and then go back to Budapest where everything awaits me.

”

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016 | 33

WD | Culture | Art

Self-Inflicted Wounds ‘Hidden Identities’ Probes Tragedy of Man-Made Catastrophes •

BY KARIN SUN

Hidden Identities: Paintings and Drawings by Jorge Tacla THROUGH JAN. 31 ART MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAS 201 18TH ST., NW

(202) 370-0147 | WWW.MUSEUM.OAS.ORG

ans of Alain Resnais’s 1959 classic film “Hiroshima Mon Amour” will remember the movie’s famous opening sequence in which the bodies of two lovers embrace while apparently covered in a grainy layer of dust and ashes, evoking the image of human corpses lying under the rubble of a collapsed building. This opening scene perfectly captures the essence of Chilean artist Jorge Tacla’s “Hidden Identities” exhibit, both in its surreal and slightly nebulous imagery and in its use of human bodies to explore the themes of trauma and memory. Much like Resnais’s film, “Hidden Identities” explores the aftermath of man-made catastrophes and their impact on the collective psyche. The exhibit consists of 41 paintings, created with oil and cold wax on canvas, depicting damaged buildings and human victims. The series also includes a collection of 66 pencil sketches, done on plain notebook paper, that reflect the themes of the exhibit in a more abstract and conceptual way. Tacla told The Washington Diplomat that he first began to work on the series in 2005, and that the number of works in the exhibit has grown significantly over the past decade. Perhaps as a tribute to the anonymity of mass catastrophe victims, the individual paintings have no titles but are simply denoted with a number. The artist, who was born in Chile and lives and works in both Santiago and New York, has witnessed at least two major man-made crises during his lifetime. The first occurred on Sept. 11, 1973, when military revolutionaries bombed the Palacio de la Moneda in Santiago and ousted Chile’s socialist, democratically elected president, Salvador Allende. Exactly 28 years later, Tacla again witnessed the depth of human depravity in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Many of the paintings in his exhibit are modeled on his personal photographs of the catastrophes he witnessed as well as media images of similar events. In a blog posting, Tacla explained that the 1973 coup d’état in Chile made him appreciate the tenuousness of man-made structures. “When the Palacio de la Moneda was hit, it was the first time I realized that man-made constructions could be so fragile,” he said. “The presidential palace was a symbol of state power and government and after that moment, I realized even those great institutions were immensely fragile.” Although the premise behind “Hidden Identities” was inspired by Tacla’s personal experiences, the artist explained that the central themes of the exhibit could apply to any global man-made calamity. “My works deal with recent and historical events and permanently seek the nucleus of a determined crisis such as the current civil war in Syria, the Gaza conflict, the Beirut bombing in 2006, the Oklahoma City terror attack in 1995, among so many others,” he told The Diplomat. Tacla said that the damaged buildings he depicts are meant to represent human bodies. “Once buildings have been struck, they are no longer rigid cement structures; they become more organic and thus they are more similar to the human body,” he wrote in his blog post. “When the building opens up because of a catastrophe, its internal biology is exposed. Its bursting tubes and poles resemble the human body with its veins, muscles and bones.” He added that the resemblance of the collapsed buildings to human corpses highlights a deeper connection between physical and psychic damage. “In my work, memory and human skin react in the same way once it is affected by trauma,” he said. “If you are punched, your skin bruises, it is marked. Memory

34 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND CRISTIN TIERNEY GALLERY

Chilean artist Jorge Tacla’s “Hidden Identities” is a series of paintings, created with oil and cold wax on canvas, that depicts damaged buildings and human victims.

develops those sequels as well. The marks on memory are what interest me, because they are also the marks which lead to the unhinging of human beings.” Tacla said that just as personal trauma leaves indelible marks on an individual’s memory, man-made catastrophes affect the collective memory of nations and societies. Tacla attempts to capture these psychological reverberations in a series of notebook drawings that contain highly abstract diagrams labeled with words and short phrases, including a particularly striking depiction of what appears to be a human body subjected to chemical radiation accompanied by the sentence: “It is all just chemicals.” Another central element in Tacla’s work is the relationship between the victims and perpetrators of man-made tragedies. “The general concept behind ‘Hidden Identities’ refers to the relationship between the victim and the aggressor, from the most intimate dimension to the most global one,” he told The Diplomat. He said that the act of perpetrating a mass catastrophe is one that permanently alters the identity of both victim and aggressor. Disaster victims tend to lose their individual identities and become mere statistics, while the horrific nature of murder causes perpetrators to become alienated from their own identities. Tacla highlighted one painting in particular of a bed in a rubble-strewn room as an example of illustrating the complex victim-perpetrator dynamic. “It represents the most intimate moment between the aggressor and the victim,” he said. “It also represents the relationship between pain and pleasure.” All of these hidden themes tie together into one grand, overarching purpose: to denounce human rights atrocities and commemorate their victims. Art, Tacla says, is a particularly effective medium to highlight these atrocities because of its power to endure. “The contemplative space of art plays an essential role in society,” he said. “Once you read the newspaper you throw it into the garbage, but art stays. You have Picasso’s ‘Guernica,’ for example. Years after the end of the Spanish Civil War, it continues to remind us of those who suffered during the attack of this city.” WD Karin Sun is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

WD | Culture | Dance

Virtual Moves Dance ICONS Creates Online Clearinghouse for Choreographers •

BY LISA TROSHINSKY

PHOTO: MORGAN PETROSKI / INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR ADVANCEMENT IN CHOREOGRAPHY

Bulgarian-born, D.C.-based choreographer Vladimir

horeographers all over the world Angelov, seen above with the National Ballet of Mexico, will now have one virtual clearingcreated Dance ICONS to serve as a virtual clearinghouse house where they can network for for choreographers around the world. jobs, find grants and even learn new dance techniques. Dance ICONS will have multiple compoThe recently launched International Consornents, he explained. The first will be a database tium for Advancement in Choreography (also of national and international choreographers known by its moniker, Dance ICONS), founded with names and contact information. The secby veteran choreographer Vladimir Angelov, is ond will be an online newsletter listing activi“the first and only global [digital] network that ties, such as residencies and creative opportuwill serve choreographers of all genres, all nanities, information on grants, books, videos, tionalities and all levels of experience,” Angelov links and showcases of new talent, trending told The Washington Diplomat. choreographers “pushing the envelope” and “This one-of-a-kind global network will proother features. vide essential information, including a database The third component will be a weekly live PHOTOS: INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR ADVANCEMENT IN CHOREOGRAPHY of residencies, festival announcements, comwebinar, in which a master choreographer will missioning opportunities, educational resources for the mentor young choreographers on the art form. rising young dance maker and mentoring opportunities “Right now there is a gap between young and established chofor leaders in the dance field,” he said. reographers,” Angelov said. “We’d like to have a platform where, Dance ICONS, based in D.C. and now on Facebook and for example, Dance Place [a notable D.C. dance performance, Twitter, will go live as a website in February. rehearsal and training facility] would invite a famous choreogA Bulgarian native who now resides in D.C., Angelov rapher to set up a classroom with about 20 young choreograhas choreographed works for the Kirov/Mariinsky Balphers and teach choreography. This would be videotaped and put let, Tokyo City Ballet, National Ballet of Mexico, Ballet on our website. Ultimately, we would be able to have members Arizona, San Francisco Ballet, Richmond Ballet and the watch these classes live. We have been negotiating with the priWashington Ballet. He graduated from the National Balvate sector and universities to do this.” let School in Sofia and completed his master’s degree in Finally, Angelov said he would like Dance ICONS to be a venchoreography at American University in D.C. ue where choreographers can dissect their craft. Angelov’s newly formed group estimates that there are “People have dance competitions, but how do you know if some 500,000 or more choreographers around the world, dance is good?” he said. “What is the measurement of excelspecializing in everything from professional ballet companies and sports team lence? There’s nothing for people to look up the steps for judging. This may be cheer squads to hip hop and Zumba. Angelov said he saw an informational a new market opportunity to help establish standards of excellence.” and networking gap for choreographers and wanted to fill that void. Dance ICONS, though in its early stages, already has partnerships and rep“Choreographers don’t have a way to connect with each other,” he said. resentatives from more than a dozen countries, including Brazil, the Philip“There’s an organization for dance teachers, an American Guild of Musical pines, Israel, South Korea and France. An online GoFundMe.com campaign Artists, but there’s no global organization committed to choreographers. Italy, has raised more than $10,000 for the organization’s initial start-up costs. WD Bulgaria and Israel have associations for choreographers, but the U.S. doesn’t have one. I decided to start one and make it international.” Lisa Troshinsky is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016 | 35

WD | Culture | Dining

No Reservations Is the Wait Worth It For In-Demand Hotspots? •

BY MICHAEL COLEMAN

“N

o Reservations” isn’t just the name of Anthony Bourdain’s former show on the Travel Channel; it’s the hottest trend in Washington’s booming restaurant scene. Patrons hoping to score a table at the nationally renowned Rose’s Luxury on Capitol Hill start lining up about midafternoon or earlier, even though the restaurant’s doors won’t open until 5 p.m. Show up after five and expect to wait in line, put your name on a list and then wait some more — sometimes for several hours. Rose’s, as well as many other in-demand restaurants that don’t take reservations, estimates your seating time and promises to text when your table is ready. That leaves diners a choice: have a drink at the restaurant bar (if there is one), cool your heels at a neighboring bar, go home and wait or run an errand or two. The policy rankles some, but the restaurants say it gives more people a chance to dine without making a reservation that could take weeks to honor. It also puts more customers in the limited seats. We’ve been to Rose’s several times and generally feel the culinary payoff is worth the hassle. This month we sampled two other restaurants exercising the no reservations policy. One of them — the inventive Thai spot Little Serow that opened on 17th Street in November 2011 — is a pioneer of the trend. The other — the modern Filipino Bad Saint in Columbia Heights — welcomed its first customers in late 2014.

BAD SAINT We arrived at Bad Saint at 5:55 p.m. on a Sunday night, shortly after its opening time. The tiny restaurant’s 25 seats were already full and nine people waited in line ahead of us. The cheerful hostess took our name and telephone number, asked if we had any food allergies (we don’t) and predicted we’d get a text for a seating at about 7:15 or 7:30 p.m. Instead of drinking, we strolled three blocks over to Best Buy and Target and did some BAD SAINT shopping. At 7:30 p.m., I texted Bad Saint to check our 3226 11TH ST., NW status. Not quite ready, came the reply. At 7:50 p.m., we got WWW.BADSAINTDC.COM the text we were waiting for, and we were seated by 7:55. To say Bad Saint is cozy is an understatement. Two tiny wooden booths along the front left wall snuggle four diners apiece. Several more counter seats face the buzzing kitchen, while a halfdozen more front the glass window overlooking 11th Street. The Bangles’s hit song “Walk Like an Egyptian” pulsed from the ’80s playlist spiked by tunes from Madonna, the Cure and Pat Benatar. It’s a small place, but Bad Saint has crackling, fun energy. We kicked off with kinilaw, a tasty bowl of cool coconut puree mixed with zippy watermelon radishes and small, dense chunks of mackerel. The mackerel added a meaty, protein-packed punctuation point to an otherwise light starter. Next, a plate of ginisang ampalaya — sautéed bitter melon — arrived hot, flavorful and fragrant. The bitter melon is as advertised, and will momentarily turn your taste buds inside out while it overpowers the earthier, typical Filipino flavors. A boiled farm egg and preserved black beans help keep things grounded, however, and flecks of habanero pepper add a spicy kick. Good stuff. As the ukoy fritters arrived, the hostess bopped by singing along to Benatar’s 36 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016

PHOTO: BAD SAINT

Bad Saint in Columbia Heights specializes in Filipino fare, above, while Little Serow, left, has earned acclaim for its inventive take on Thai food.

“Love is a Battlefield.” The happy commotion couldn’t quite distract us from the immense, golden glistening globes arriving simultaneously. At first glance, the stringy orbs conjured an exotic sea creature. Our server urged us to dig in with our hands, so we did. As if the thin, crisp, batter-fried sweet potato puree wasn’t inviting enough, our palates quickly detected plump chunks of freshwater shrimp tucked inside. The more we dunked the fritter into the tangy dipping sauce — a simple, sharp concoction of white vinegar, red onion flecks, serrano pepper slivers and garlic — the more our mouth burned. Sometimes, pain is pleasure. Other flavorful dishes piled up, but I kept PHOTO: MICHAEL COLEMAN returning to the fritters until they were demolished. Unfortunately, the pancit bihon guisado — rice noodles, wood ear mushroom and lemon oil — was subtle to the point of irrelevance, and we didn’t come close to finishing it. But if you arrive at Bad Saint with an appetite on a cold winter night, seriously consider the kalderetang kordero, a showstopper at the end of the menu. It consists of lamb neck, sunchokes and castelvetrano olives — bright green gems with a meaty, buttery flesh. This beautiful, glistening brown dish was warm, slightly salty, creamy and oh-so-deliciously rich. We were pleasantly surprised by Bad Saint’s generous portions. For the price of small plates in many D.C. restaurants, the powerful kitchen delivers what amounts to near-full entrées. But we were a bit distressed by the pacing. Five dishes arrived within 10 minutes of each other, leaving hardly any room to maneuver in the little space. Bad Saint obviously wants to turn tables and discourage lingering. But you might consider ordering two or three menu items first, then placing a second order to avoid feeling rushed, or worse, eating lukewarm food. But pacing was a small quibble considering it was the best meal we’ve had in the New Year.

LITTLE SEROW A few nights later, we finally tried Little Serow, the much-heralded and inventive Thai restaurant next door to Johnny Monis’ signature eatery, Komi. This time we beat the rush and arrived at 5:25 p.m. on a Wednesday. The

WD | Culture | Dining

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frigid cold and mid-week slot put us 15th in broth. Not exceptional, but certainly a step line, allowing an immediate seating at 5:35. beyond typical lemongrass Thai soups. Little Serow’s menu is prix fixe at $59 per Up next: a pile of shredded catfish with person sans any alcohol. Not cheap for Thai mint, lime and khi nu chiles. I was dubious, food, but this isn’t your ordinary American but the interplay of chiles, mint and lime had Thai experience. my palate spinning. The subtle catfish mush With just 28 seats, Little Serow manag- accompanied by crisp, fresh cabbage wedges to feel spacious. Exposed brick painted es served as a solid foundation and helped an appealing shade of turquoise and the focus the dish. We were less impressed with cream-colored corrugated tin roof evoke the fak thawng nueng — roasted pumpkin the feeling of an updated but rural Thai wedges with a yellow bean and lobster roe shack. Diners get cozy in small booths and puree. The purple squash was nicely cooked at a long, gleaming white counter that slic- but couldn’t stand up to the intensely rich es the dining room in half. At first glance, puree. Not bad, but not extraordinary. Little Serow’s white plates appear to be paWe had similar ambivalence about a curper. What? Paper plates at fifty-nine bucks ried, stir-fried shrimp, scallion and scrama pop? A closer inspection reveals them to bled egg dish that arrived next. Somehow be porcelain — a playful the egg rang an off-note in the trick that enhances Little midst of all the flavorful seaSerow’s rustic, out-offood. The dish was reminiscent LITTLE SEROW the way vibe. A ’50s-era of pad thai without the noodles. 1511 17TH ST., NW soundtrack pumped out We didn’t finish it. WWW.LITTLESEROW.COM classic country songs — Little Serow’s kitchen got think Hank Williams, back on track with the final Patsy Cline and early course, a whole whitefish scored Willie Nelson. Little Serow’s menu is fiercely and grilled to perfection and draped in a authentic and on our visit, the seven-course rice powder. The fish’s crispy skin remained menu was all seafood served northern Thai- intact with delicate, tender mild flesh unstyle, which means spicy. Bring it on. derneath. We ate this with our fingers, dipWe started with gaap kai buu — half of ping the piping hot chunks of fish flesh into a small, roasted coconut husk filled with a a tangy vinegar sauce. It was a fine finish to dusky brown mud crab and shrimp paste. a decent, if not exceptional, meal. A plate of fresh-cut watermelon radishes, Many restaurants opting to bypass the cabbage slices and cucumbers showed up, traditional reservation systems are takalong with a bamboo basket of sticky rice. ing chances with their menus, as well. Not Our server suggested we use the vegetables everything works, but chances are you’ll or fingerfuls of sticky rice to swipe the paste be glad you made the effort and took the from the husk, so we did. Smoky-spicy and journey. WD dense, the crab mix got our taste buds popping. A second course of tom saep soup Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) with squid, lemongrass and mushroom was is the dining reviewer for The piquant and delicate with a steamy, tangy Washington Diplomat.

DIPLOMAT DINING GUIDE Call (301) 933-3552 to Advertise Your Restaurant in the Diplomat Dining Guide.

Diplomatic Spouses CONTINUED • PAGE 33

war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan for the safety of Europe’s shores. Both Ferencz and Szemerkényi defend the measures their prime minister has taken to stem the flow of migrants into the country and say the criticism he has attracted in Western media is unwarranted (also see “Hungary’s New Envoy Tries to Set Record Straight About Her Boss” in the June 2015 issue). “Hungarians for a very long time had a very good reputation. There have been misconceptions only in the last few years and those have been based on the Hungarian character,” Ferencz told us. “Hungarians are rebels; it is rooted in their nature. They have a rebellion and they are punished. Then, they have a rebellion again. It is not a coincidence that the country refused to accept the current wave of immigrants…. Hungarians always rebel.” While Szemerkényi has spent much of her ambassadorship explaining Hungary’s anti-immigrant policies while Ferencz deals with energy issues back home, the couple keeps their professional and private lives separate by following two important rules. First, at home they do not discuss business,

Réka Szemerkényi and her husband Szabolcs Ferencz are pictured with their four children, who range in age from 7 to 15.

especially when they are with the family. Second, according to the ambassador, when someone walks up to one of them with a request, they ask that person to call their office and leave a message or ask for an appointment. “We’ve found that gives us more time for each other and our family.” WD Gail Scott is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Culture arts & entertainment

Plan Your Entire Weekend. www.washdiplomat.com

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRUARY 2016 | 37

WD | Culture | Film

Cinema Listings *Unless specific times are listed, please check the theater for times. Theater locations are subject to change.

Amharic Mussa Directed by Anat Goren (Israel, 2015, 60 min.) Twelve-year-old Mussa won’t speak. A refugee from Darfur living in Tel Aviv, he’s been bussed from his troubled neighborhood to an upscale private school for the past five years. Despite the bond he shares with his friends and teacher, Mussa is alone; his parents struggle to make ends meet, leaving Mussa with his voiceless thoughts (Amharic, Arabic, English and Hebrew). West End Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m.

Cantonese IP Man 3 Directed by Wilson Yip (Hong Kong, 2015, 105 min.) Donnie Yen ignites the screen in a return to the role that made him an icon — as Ip Man, the real-life Wing Chun grandmaster who mentored Bruce Lee. In this third installment of the blockbuster martial arts series, when a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer (Mike Tyson) make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand. AMC Rio Cinemas 18

Czech Cremator Directed by Juraj H erz (Czechoslovakia, 1969, 95 min.) Karl works at a stately crematorium in Prague. Obsessed with his duties, he believes he is liberating the souls of the departed. With Nazi forces gathering at the Czech border, Karl descends into a mania that allows him to wholly enact his disturbed beliefs. Washington DCJCC Fri., Feb. 26, 1 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Feb. 28, 12:30 p.m.

English 45 Years Directed by Andrew Haigh (U.K., 2015, 95 min.) A married couple preparing to celebrate their wedding anniversary receive shattering news that promises to forever change the course of their lives. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music Directed by Marsha Emerman (Australia, 2015, 79 min.)

Majid Shokor, a Muslim Iraqi living in Australia, finds a hidden Jewish connection in his favorite childhood music. Startled and energized by this discovery, he travels to Europe, Israel and Iraq, meeting musicians of all faiths who share his love of the Iraqi sound (English and Arabic). Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Thu., Feb. 25, 8:45 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sun., Feb. 28, 7 p.m. West End Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 8:30 p.m.

Carvalho’s Journey Directed by Steve Rivo (U.S., 2015, 85 min.) At a time when the US was busy pushing and re-defining its borders, the nascent medium of photography was just starting to take root. At the center of this artistic and geographic expansion stood an observant Sephardic Jew from South Carolina, Solomon Carvalho. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 6:30 p.m.

Chimes at Midnight Directed by Orson Welles (France/Spain/Switzerland, 1965, 116 min.) This brilliantly crafted Shakespeare adaptation was the culmination of Orson Welles’s lifelong obsession with the Bard’s ultimate rapscallion, Sir John Falstaff, the loyal, often soused childhood friend to King Henry IV’s wayward son Prince Hal. Here, Falstaff is the main event: a robustly funny and ultimately tragic screen antihero played by Welles with towering, lumbering grace. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Feb. 12

Eva Hesse Directed by Marcie Begleiter (U.S., 2015, 105 min.) German-American artist Eva Hesse (1936-1970) created her innovative art in latex and fiberglass in the whirling aesthetic vortex of 1960s New York — her flowing forms were in part a reaction to the rigid structures of then-popular minimalism, largely a male-dominated movement. National Gallery of Art Sat., Feb. 27, 3 p.m.

The Lady in the Van Directed by Nicholas Hytner (U.K., 2016, 104 min.) In 1973, the residents of the leafy London enclave of Camden Town found their liberal pieties tested by the arrival of an eccentric, elderly vagrant who lived out of her van and upset the neighborhood’s prevailing pretensions of charity and inclusiveness. Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s E Street Cinema

38 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

Look at Us Now, Mother! Directed by Gayle Kirschenbaum (U.S./India/France, 2015, 84 min.) Gayle Kirschenbaum is unmarried, artistic and independent — not to mention the one with the big nose. With a mother as loudly critical as hers, the wounds dated back to childhood. The two women take a trip to India together, sign up for the same dating site, and even seek out couples’ therapy. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Thu., Feb. 25, 6:15 p.m. JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville Sun., Feb. 28, 1:30 p.m.

The Man on the Moon Directed by Mark Craig (U.K., 2016, 95 min.) When Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan stepped off the moon in December 1972 he left his footprints and his daughter’s initials in the lunar dust. Only now is he ready to share his epic but deeply personal story of fulfillment, love and loss. Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market Opens Fri., Feb. 26

Many Beautiful Things Directed by Laura Waters Hinson (U.S./Morocco/U.K., 2015, 70 min.) Lilias Trotter, a great but obscure female artist, managed to win the favor of the celebrated critic John Ruskin in Victorian England — an age when it was generally assumed that women were incapable of producing high art. With her legacy on the line, however, Lilias made the seemingly odd decision to travel to French Algeria to work with women and children. We are left to ponder, how might the history of art have been different if Lilias had remained in England? National Gallery of Art Sat., Feb. 6, 2:30 p.m.

Portrait of a Serial Monogamist Directed by Christina Zeidler and John Mitchell (Canada, 2015, 82 min.) Fortysomething Toronto TV producer Elsie is the kind of nice Jewish girl your mother warned you about: the serial monogamist who seems to have slept with everyone in town. When Elsie coolly cuts it off with sweet performance artist Robyn, her friends challenge her to stay single for five months — no bars, no clubs, and (for goodness sake) no volunteer work. Washington DCJCC Mon., Feb. 29, 6:15 p.m.

Race Directed by Stephen Hopkins (France/Germany/Canada, 2016, Jesse Owens’s quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler’s vision

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | February 2016

of Aryan supremacy. Area theaters Opens Fri., Feb. 19

The Record Man Directed by Mark Moormann (U.S./Bahamas, 2015, 110 min.) Brooklyn-born Henry Stone exported the music of Miami to the world. From distributing records out of his ’48 Packard to establishing the largest independent label of the 1970s, he was a shrewd record executive with an ear for hits and a knack for discovering talent. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Feb. 28, 2:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC Mon., Feb. 29, 8:15 p.m.

In Search of Israeli Cuisine Directed by Roger Sherman (U.S., 2016, 97 min.) If you believe the fastest way to the heart is through the stomach, this delectable, eye-popping culinary journey through Israel is your personal valentine. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sun., Feb. 28, 5:15 p.m.

Where to Invade Next Directed by Michael Moore (U.S., 2016, 110 min.) “Where to Invade Next” is an expansive, rib-tickling, subversive comedy in which Michael Moore, playing the role of “invader,” visits a host of nations to learn how the U.S. could improve its own prospects. Angelika Mosaic Area theaters Opens Fri., Feb. 12

The Witch Directed by Robert Eggers (Canada/U.S., 2016, 92 min.) A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession. Area theaters Opens Fri., Feb. 19

Farsi 316 Directed by Payman Haghadi (Iran, 2014, 72 min.) Can the story of a nation be told entirely through shoes? An old woman who has lived through Iran’s tumultuous recent history, she recalls the events of her life and her nation through the shoes she and those close to her wore over the years. Freer Gallery of Art Sat., Feb. 27, 5 p.m.

Atomic Heart Directed by Ali Ahmadzadeh (Iran, 2015, 93 min.) In this surreal Tehran nocturne, two drunk party girls get into a car

accident and receive help from a mysterious stranger. He pays off the other driver and enlists the girls in an errand involving a supposedly dead dictator, whose weapons of mass destruction are hidden in another dimension. Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Feb. 28, 7 p.m.

Jafar Panahi’s Taxi Directed by Jafar Panahi (Iran, 2015, 82 min.) The affable director crisscrosses Tehran behind the wheel of a taxi, giving rides to a variety of denizens, ranging from a pirated DVD dealer to his charmingly chatty young niece, to the human rights lawyer who worked with him when he was in prison. Freer Gallery of Art Sat., Feb. 20, 5 p.m.

Melbourne Directed by Nima Javidi (Iran, 2014, 91 min.) Set entirely in the apartment of a young couple getting ready for a trip to Australia, it features gripping performances from two of Iran’s most talented actors, Peyman Moaadi and Negar Javaherian. Amid the bustle of final preparations, an unexpected tragedy forces the couple to debate decisions with serious moral implications and no easy answers. Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Feb. 21, 5 p.m.

Monir Directed by Bahman Kiarostami (Iran, 2015, 54 min.) Bahman Kiarostami’s new documentary looks at Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, who pioneered new forms of geometric mirror work in the 1970s. The film is preceded by “Wolkaan” (2015, 30 min.), in which two unfolding family stories — one set in Tehran and the other somewhere in middle America — dip into strange and seemingly unrelated episodes. National Gallery of Art Sat., Feb. 13, 2 p.m.

French No Home Movie Directed by Chantal Akerman (France/Belgium, 2015, 115 min.) At the center of Chantal Akerman’s enormous body of work is her mother, a Holocaust survivor who married and raised a family in Brussels. AFI Silver Theatre Mon., Feb. 29, 7:15 p.m.

Once in a Lifetime Directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar (France, 2014, 105 min.) A dedicated high school history teacher in France is determined to give her inner-city pupils the best

education possible. Overcoming their apathy, however, is proving to be difficult. Frustrated but undaunted, Anne tests her multicultural and multi-faith classroom with a unique assignment: a national competition on the theme of child victims of the Nazi concentration camps. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 4:15 p.m.

Greek Forever (Gia panta) Directed by Margarita Manda (Greece, 2014, 82 min.) Costas, a driver on the Athens rapid transit green line finds himself enamored of Anna, a passenger he notices daily taking his train from Athens to Piraeus. Too wary to reach out, Costas remains content to quietly watch as Anna makes the daily trek to her job as a ticket seller, until an unforeseen event finally offers Costas his golden ticket. National Gallery of Art Sun., Feb. 14, 4 p.m.

Xenia Directed by Panos H. Koutras (Greece/France/Belgium, 2014, 134 min.) Two brothers meet in Athens for a road trip to Thessaloniki, where they hope to track down their estranged biological father — a Greek who never married their now-deceased Albanian mother (Greek, Albanian and Italian). National Gallery of Art Sun., Feb. 7, 4 p.m.

Hebrew Arabic Movie Directed by Eyal Sagui Bizawe and Sara Tsifroni (Israel, 2015, 60 min.) It is hard to believe today, but not long ago, Israeli families of all backgrounds would huddle next to the TV each Friday to watch the week’s “Egyptian movie” — usually a heart-rending melodrama or musical. Did anybody ever wonder how Israel’s official TV station was able to bypass sealed borders to obtain these beloved Arab Movies of the Week (Hebrew and Arabic)? Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 12:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC Sun., Feb. 28, 5 p.m.

Baba Joon Directed by Yuval Delshad (Israel, 2015, 91 min.) Yitzhak runs the turkey farm his father built after they immigrated from Iran to Israel. When his son Moti turns 13, Yitzhak teaches him the trade in hopes that he will take over the family business — but Moti’s dreams

The Dream (El somni)

lie elsewhere (Hebrew and Farsi; opening night of the Washington Jewish Film Festival). AFI Silver Theatre Wed., Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Thu., Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.

Directed by Franc Aleu (Spain, 2014, 82 min.) “The Dream” documents a uniquely Spanish experiment in communal creativity. A distinguished assemblage of international artists took part in a dinner event — “an opera in 12 plates.” (Spanish, Catalan, English and French; preceded by “The Dream of Luis Moya (2011, 45 min.), which examines one of the strangest architectural projects ever undertaken). National Gallery of Art Fri., Feb. 5 7 p.m.

Barash Directed by Michal Vinik (Israel, 2015, 90 min.) Naama Barash, 17, enjoys drugs, alcohol and hanging out with likeminded friends, while her rebellious, army-enrolled sister wreaks havoc by dating a Palestinian before going AWOL altogether. As her parents fret about their older daughter’s disappearance, Naama meets a wild girl in school and discovers the intoxicating rush of first love. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 8:45 p.m.

Héctor Medina stars in “Viva” as a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers who dreams of being a performer himself.

The Chaos Within

Tikkun

Directed by Yakov Yanai Lein (Israel, 2014, 85 min.) For 10 years, Yakov Yanai Lein tracks his relationship with his mother, a Holocaust survivor who learned the secrets of Kaballah from her husband before devoting herself to saving humanity from self-destruction. Closer to home, she helps Yanai collect the shattered pieces of his heroin-saturated past and save his own world. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 6:15 p.m.

Directed by Avishai Sivan (Israel, 2015, 120 min.) A young ultra-Orthodox man experiences a crisis of faith in this formally daring drama that employs bravura and often-shocking imagery (Hebrew and Yiddish). Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 8:15 p.m.

Encirclements Directed by Lee Gilat (Israel, 2014, 98 min.) A 13-year-old growing up in a working class Moroccan-Israeli community, Aharon is having a tough time. His father is distant; bullies hound him on the street; and the girl of his dreams barely knows he exists. When he is chosen to carry the Torah scrolls for Simchat Torah, however, his streak of bad luck seems over. JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville Sat., Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Marzipan Flowers Directed by Adam Kalderon (Israel, 2014, 73 min.) After her husband dies in an accident, a 48-year-old kibbutznik is scrutinized by neighbors and threatened by her status as a beautiful widow. Lonely and out of her element, she forges a connection with a new roommate, a transgender woman with a mysterious past. West End Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 4:30 p.m. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 6:45 p.m.

Mountain Directed by Yaelle Kayam (Israel/Denmark, 2015, 83 min.) An Orthodox woman lives in the Jewish cemetery on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives. While her husband works and the children are at school, she is left alone on the hill. One night, she happens onto an unsettling sexual scene. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Thu., Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre Sat., Feb. 27, 6:45 p.m. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sun., Feb. 28, 3:15 p.m.

The Mamboniks Photo: Magnolia Pictures

Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt Directed by Ada Ushpiz (Israel/Canada, 2015, 125 min.) The German-Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt caused uproar by coining the subversive concept of the “Banality of Evil” while reporting on the trial of Adolph Eichmann. Her private life was equally controversial (Hebrew, English and German). Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Mon., Feb. 29, 8:45 p.m.

Wedding Doll Directed by Nitzan Gilady (Israel, 2015, 82 min.) Hagit, a young woman with a mild mental disability, works in a toiletpaper factory and lives with her nurturing and protective single mother. When a relationship develops between her and the son of the factory owner, Hagit hides it from her mother. Washington DCJCC Thu., Feb. 25, 8:30 p.m. West End Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 8:30 p.m.

Women in Sink Directed by Irish Zaki (Israel/U.K., 2015, 40 min.) This is the story of a little hair salon in the heart of the Arab community in Haifa; it is the story of a friendship between Arab and Jewish women in the city, which is considered a model of coexistence; and it is the story of Iris, the film director. Washington DCJCC Sun., Feb. 28, 12:30 p.m.

Yona Directed by Nir Bergman (Israel/Germany, 2014, 100 min.) Focusing on the early ’60s, we witness a turbulent slice of famed Hebrew poet Yona Wallach’s life. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Thu., Feb. 25, 8:45 p.m.

Hungarian Son of Saul (Saul fia) Directed by László Nemes (Hungary, 2015, 107 min.) In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival upon trying to salvage from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son (Hungarian, Yiddish, German and Polish). Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Japanese Only Yesterday (Omohide poro poro) Directed by Isao Takahata (Japan, 2016, 118 min.) It’s 1982, and Taeko is 27 years old, unmarried and has lived her whole life in Tokyo. She decides to visit her relatives in the countryside, and as the train travels through the night, memories flood back of her younger years. In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Feb. 26

Persona Non-Grata Directed Cellin Gluck (Japan, 2016, 135 min.) The heroic tale of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat posted in Lithuania during World War II, is brought to screen in sweeping fashion in this instant epic. Washington DCJCC Sat., Feb. 27, 1:30 p.m.

Polish Demon Directed by Marcin Wrona (Poland/Israel, 2015, 94 min.) In this chilling, modern interpretation of the Dybbuk legend, Piotr’s joy at visiting his bride-to-be at her Polish home is quickly upended by his discovery of human bones on the property (Polish and Yiddish). Landmark’s E Street Cinema Thu., Feb. 25, 8:45 p.m.

A Grain of Truth

Russian

Directed by Borys Lankosz (Poland, 2015, 110 min.) A horrendous crime has been committed in the picturesque small town of Sandomierz: The body of a murdered woman, a well-liked local social activist is found. Prosecutor Teodor Szacki, recently moved down from Warsaw, recognizes that the murders are connected to allegedly historic Jewish ritual killings. Washington DCJCC Sat., Feb. 27, 4:30 p.m.

Natasha

Klezmer

Directed by Eva Neymann (Ukraine, 2015, 76 min.) Starting with Sholem Aleichem’s enchanting tales, Eva Neymann concocts a strong, dreamy potion of a film that invokes young love in a Ukrainian shtetl. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Feb. 28, 5:15 p.m.

Directed by Piotr Chrzan (Poland, 2015, 97 min.) In 1943, a group of Polish villagers gathering in the woods to discover a listless and injured man. Recognizing him to be a Jewish musician, the party heatedly argue about what to do next: turn him into the authorities for a hefty fee? Leave him be? Hide him? Landmark’s E Street Cinema Thu. Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. Washington DCJCC Mon., Feb. 29, 3:30 p.m.

Raise the Roof Directed by Yari Wolinsky and Cary Wolinsky (U.S./Poland, 2014, 85 min.) Inspired by images of magnificent wooden synagogues in 18th-century Poland — the last of which were destroyed by the Nazis—artists Rick and Laura Brown set out to reconstruct a replica of the stunning, mural-covered Gwozdziec synagogue. JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville Sun., Feb. 28, 11:30 a.m.

Summer Solstice Directed by Michal Rogalski (Poland/Germany, 2015, 95 min.) Poland, 1943: Love, friendship and fate connect a simple Polish country boy, the daughter of a local farmer, a young German soldier and a Jewish girl from Warsaw. The four of them come across something that both threatens and provides an escape from their harsh reality: love. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m.

Directed by David Bezmozgis (Canada, 2015, 93 min.) Sixteen-year-old Mark Berman, the son of Latvian-Jewish immigrants, wiles away his hours reading Nietzsche, smoking pot and watching porn. His slacker lifestyle is upended when a 14-year-old hurricane, named Natasha, enters the picture. West End Cinema Sun., Feb. 28, 5 p.m.

Song of Songs

Spanish The Club Directed by Pablo Larraín (Chile, 2015, 98 min.) Four priests live together in a secluded house in a small, seaside town. Each of them has been sent to this place to purge the sins from the past, living according to a strict regime under the watchful eye of a female caretaker. The fragile stability of their routine is soon disrupted by the arrival of a fifth man, a newly disgraced companion. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Feb. 19

Dirty Wolves Directed by Simón de Miguel (Spain, 2015, 105 min.) In this World War II thriller imbued with notes of magical realism, Manuela works in the Wolfram (aka tungsten) mines in rural Galicia. A ruthless Nazi brigade, intent on harvesting the rare metal to feed the Third Reich’s war machine, has captured the mines. When Manuela’s sister helps a Jewish prisoner cross the border to Portugal, they are unwittingly forced into a desperate test (Spanish and German). West End Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 6:15 p.m.

Directed by Alexis Gillespie (U.S., 2015, 100 min.) In the 1950s, a group of free-spirited, mostly Jewish dancers from New York City fell in love with a sultry dance from Cuba called the mambo, earning them a nickname: the mamboniks (Spanish and English). Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sun., Feb. 28, 12:30 p.m.

Viva Directed by Paddy Breathnach (Ireland/Cuba, 2016, 100 min.) Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Feb. 19

Turkish Mustang Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (France/Germany/Turkey/Qatar, 2015, 97 min.) In a village in northern Turkey, five free-spirited sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Ukrainian The Dybbuk. A Tale of Wandering Souls. Directed by Krzysztof Kopczynsk (Poland/Ukraine/Sweden, 2015, 86 min.) The Ukrainian city of Uman is the burial site of Rebbe Nachman, one of the most important figures of Chasidism. Every year, tens of thousands of Jews travel there to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and visit the Rebbe’s grave. The annual flow of visitors helps brings this poor post-communist city back to life, but the ghosts of Ukrainian nationalism and religious intolerance are revived as well. (Ukrainian, Hebrew, Russian and Yiddish). Washington DCJCC Fri., Feb. 26, 3 p.m. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Feb. 27, 2:15 p.m.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 39

WD | Culture | Events

Events Listings

ranging from innovative photographs made in the earliest years of the medium’s history to key works by important 20th-century artists and contemporary pieces that examine the ways in which photography continues to shape our experience of the modern world. National Gallery of Art

*Unless specific times are listed, please check the venue for times. Venue locations are subject to change.

ART Through Feb. 3

Hidden Identities: Paintings and Drawings by Jorge Tacla With the earliest works in the series dating to 2005, “Hidden Identities” by Chilean artist Jorge Tacla is composed of a rich series of paintings and drawings that explore central themes of mutability of identity, collective memory, the physical and psychological fallout of trauma, and the omnipresent yet latent potential for change. The inspiration for this body of work comes from the social, political and historical events of the artist’s life during the chaos of the Chilean coup d’état. OAS Art Museum of the Americas

Seeing Nature: Landscape Masterworks from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection

Feb. 13 to June 12

Konstantin Makovsky: The Tsar’s Painter With Hillwood’s “A Boyar Wedding Feast” as the centerpiece, this exhibit offers a new perspective on Konstantin Makovsky’s work and its popularity in Gilded Age America, where it satisfied the appetite for dramatic historical stories, exotic settings and costumes, and admiration of European art and culture. In a dramatically lit setting, exquisite objects and details from the painting will be brought to life through groupings of 17th-century objects of boyar life, such as intricately embroidered garments and pearl-studded kokoshniki (women’s headdresses). Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens Feb. 13 to July 31

Heart of an Empire: Herzfeld’s Discover of Pasargadae Located in southwestern Iran, Pasargadae was the first capital of the ancient Achaemenid Persian Empire (circa 540 B.C.) and the last resting place of Cyrus the Great. Impressed with its ruins, German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld (1879–1948) briefly surveyed the site for the first time in 1905, returning to conduct more extensive excavations. Featuring

Through March 18

Through April 24

Postwar Germanic Expressions: Gifts from Michael Werner

Through March 20

Photo: Jhpiego

Works by Kennard Copeland are among the pieces that examine human rights, equality, dignity and respect in “Africans of the Diaspora,” on display at the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire.

selections from the Freer|Sackler Archives’ rich holdings of Herzfeld’s drawings, notes and photographs, this exhibition illuminates one of the most important sites of the ancient world. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Feb. 22 to June 3

In the Library: The Intersection of Commerce and Instruction in Art The art we experience often depends as much upon the materials available to the artists who make it as it depends on the artists themselves. This exhibition looks at a variety of literature surrounding artists’ materials and instruction, and charts the ways in which the increasing commercialization of their production may have affected the practice of artists, especially following the industrial revolution. National Gallery of Art Through Feb. 28

Designing America: Spain’s Imprint in the U.S. Through a mix of historic documents, text narration, images and audiovisual elements, this exhibit examines the important contributions that Spain made to the construction of U.S. territory, landscape and cities, starting with the first settlements to the present day. This cross-sectional survey enlightens the historical, political and cultural events that have marked the course of 500 years of

40 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

common history between the United States and Spain. Former Spanish Residence Through Feb. 28

Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today This exhibition presents dynamic women designers and artists from the mid-20th century and today making groundbreaking commercial and industrial designs, maintaining craft traditions and incorporating new aesthetics into fine art. National Museum of Women in the Arts

of the man in this stunning array of documents from his own lifetime. “Shakespeare, Life of an Icon” brings together some of the most important manuscripts and printed books related to Shakespeare’s life and career, giving us a firsthand look at the most famous author in the world. Folger Shakespeare Library

The Jewish Museum Vienna on International Court The Austrian Cultural Forum presents two exhibitions touring from the Jewish Museum Vienna: “Lessing Presents Lessing,” works by noted photographer Erich Lessing, curated by his daughter Hannah Lessing; and “A Good Day,” a multimedia installation by Andrew Mezvinsky based on Primo Levi’s account of survival in Auschwitz. The two shows offer intimate insights into Austrian Jewish life past and present, serving as a platform for discussion, experience and confrontation. Embassy of Austria

Feb. 6 to May 8

This major exhibition exploring the evolution of American and European landscape painting features 39 masterpieces, spanning five centuries, on loan from the collection of philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul G. Allen. “Seeing Nature” showcases the development of landscape painting from intimate views of the world to artists’ personal experiences with their surroundings. The Phillips Collection

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | February 2016

Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World Some 50 bronze sculptures and related works survey the development of Hellenistic art as it spread from Greece throughout the Mediterranean between the fourth and first centuries B.C. Through the medium of bronze, artists were able to capture the dynamic realism, expression, and detail that characterized the new artistic goals of the period. National Gallery of Art Through March 27

Shakespeare, Life of an Icon We will never have a photograph of William Shakespeare or a recording of his voice, but we can catch glimpses

The Phillips presents recently acquired gifts of German and Danish art to the museum’s permanent collection, generously given by art collector Michael Werner. A selection from the 46 works are on view, painting, sculpture and works on paper by Georg Baselitz, Jörg Immendorff, Per Kirkeby, Markus Lüpertz and A.R. Penck. The Phillips Collection Through May 15

Louise Bourgeois: No Exit Louise Bourgeois’s ties to surrealism and existentialism will be explored through 17 works on paper and four sculptures. National Gallery of Art Through May 22

Salon Style: French Portraits from the Collection Presenting works at the salon — an exhibition sponsored by the Royal Academy of Art in Paris — marked success for artists in 18th-century France. The famed artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun was among the first women to exhibit at the event, yet she was by no means the only one. Drawn from the museum’s rich collection, this focus exhibition visualizes the world of the art salon and reveals how French women artists inspired each other as well as

male artists who noted their great success. National Museum of Women in the Arts Through May 30

The Lost Symphony: Whistler and the Perfection of Art As part of “Peacock Room REMIX,” this exhibition reconstructs how Whistler’s unrealized quest for “the perfection of art” intersected with less-rarified concerns about patronage, payment, and professional reputation. Freer Gallery of Art Through June 5

Perspectives: Lara Baladi Egyptian-Lebanese artist Lara Baladi experiments with the photographic medium, investigating its history and its role in shaping perceptions of the Middle East, particularly Egypt, where she is based. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

DANCE Feb. 12 and 13

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan Artistic director Lin Hwai-min brings his acclaimed contemporary dance troupe back to the Kennedy Center for the first time since 2010 with a multimedia work that depicts the life cycle of rice. Tickets are $19 to $75. Kennedy Center Opera House Feb. 23 to 28

Mariinsky Ballet: Petipa’s ‘Raymonda’ Russia’s legendary company returns with the last “grand ballet” of the 19th century. Set in medieval Hungary, the story follows a beautiful countess torn between her betrothed,

Through Feb. 29

Africans of the Diaspora Artists Kennard Copeland, Carmen Torruella Quander, Cherif Mamadou and Edmond Nassa capture the spirit of the diverse continent, with pieces representing human rights, equality, dignity and respect for all. Proceeds from the art sales will benefit Jhpiego, a global health nonprofit and affiliate of Johns Hopkins University Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire Through March 13

Celebrating Photography at the National Gallery of Art: Recent Gifts Marking the culmination of a yearlong celebration of photography at the museum, this installation brings together an exquisite group of gifts,

Photo: Karli Cadel

Following his turn in “The Flying Dutchman,” renowned bass-baritone Eric Owens stars in the Washington National Opera’s “Lost in the Stars.”

WD | Culture | Events

a crusading knight and the arrival of a handsome warrior. Tickets are $49 to $225. Kennedy Center Opera House

Feb. 16 to 21

Shen Yun Performing Arts 2016: Experience a Divine Culture Shen Yun Performing Arts, the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company originating from America, invites you to experience this divine culture of the Middle Kingdom, as it brings the profound spirit of this lost civilization to life on stage with unrivaled artistic mastery. Tickets are $60 to $250. Kennedy Center Opera House

Feb. 24 to 28

The Washington Ballet Presents ‘Director’s Cut’ Daring works by William Forsythe, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Septime Webre that redefine the boundaries of classical ballet come together in “Director’s Cut.” Tickets are $30.50 to $100. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Feb. 17 to March 27

Romeo and Juliet

MUSIC

and bamboo flute. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

In this passionate and lyrical piece, set among the gears of a giant clock, the greatest of Shakespearean lovers race against time itself to outrun their fate. One of the original “Wordless Shakespeare” productions, Synetic’s “Romeo and Juliet” received six Helen Hayes Award nominations and two wins. Tickets start at $35. Synetic Theater

Feb. 10 to March 6

Feb. 20 to March 6

Fri., Feb. 5, 8 p.m., Sat., Feb. 6, 8 p.m.

Solas Hailed by the Washington Post as “one of the world’s finest Celtic-folk ensembles,” this quintet’s diverse repertoire includes innovative original songs as well as Irish classics. Tickets are $25 to $28. Wolf Trap Sat., Feb. 6, 2 p.m.

Pedja Muzijevic In his Washington Performing Arts debut, Bosnian-born pianist Pedja Muzijevic, who is known for artfully mixing the new with the old, performs a novel alternation of Haydn’s sonatas with contemplative works by 20th-century luminaries John Cage, Morton Feldman and a world premiere by Jonathan Berger. Tickets start at $55. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

Photo: Scott Suchman / Ford’s Theater

One of the greatest American plays of the 20th century, “The Glass Menagerie” explores the visceral bonds of family.

demand as a soloist with orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world. With her husband, renowned Swiss pianist Andreas Haefliger, Piccinini offers an uninterrupted, dramatic program, alternating between solo and duo masterworks and contemporary compositions. Tickets are $50. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

Mon., Feb. 8, 8 p.m.

Chinese New Year: Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra The culmination of a weekend of events celebrating Chinese New Year, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, featuring pianist Haochen Zhang and violinist Dan Zhu, makes its Kennedy Center debut under the baton of Muhai Tang. Tickets are $15 to $89. Kennedy Center Concert Hall Thu., Feb. 11, 7 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 5, 8 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m.

Mummenschanz Let your imagination run wild with a witty and whimsical performance for all ages featuring this celebrated troupe of Swiss entertainers. These unique artists perform in complete silence on a blackened stage with common household objects and simple forms to create ingenious illusions and amusing narratives that provide light-hearted insights on life. Tickets are $29 to $48. George Mason University Center for the Arts

Join the British vocal octet, hailed as “impeccable in its quality of tone and balance” (Gramophone) as they present “Light Devine,” a performance exploring the desire for comfort and light throughout the ages. Tickets are $35. Wolf Trap

Budapest Festival Orchestra

Photo: Christopher Mueller

THEATER

Voces8

Mon., Feb. 15, 8 p.m.

Broadway vet Ed Dixon stars in “Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose,” playing at Signature Theatre until Feb. 7.

Sonatas,” with a recital presented by Washington Performing Arts that features the final sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Tickets start at $40. Music Center at Strathmore

The Budapest Festival Orchestra, though still relatively young at 32, has quickly established itself as one of today’s most “in demand” orchestras. Under the baton of maestro Iván Fischer (former music director of the National Symphony Orchestra), the Budapest Festival Orchestra marks its return to D.C., where acclaimed pianist Marc-André Hamelin will join the orchestra for an evening of works by Weber, Liszt and Prokofiev. Tickets start at $55. Kennedy Center Concert Hall Fri., Feb. 19, 8 p.m.

globalFEST: Creole Carnival “globalFEST: Creole Carnival” features the reigning queen of Haitian songs, Emeline Michel, Rio’s innovative samba masters, Casuarina, and Jamaica’s one-stringed guitar virtuoso, Brushy One String, in a world premiere collaboration. Tickets are $35. GW Lisner Auditorium

Washington Performing Arts Presents Marina Piccinini with Andreas Haefliger

Wed., Feb. 24, 8 p.m.

Hailed by Gramophone as “the Heifetz of the flute,” Marina Piccinini is in

Pianist Sir András Schiff concludes his ambitious project, “The Last

Sir András Schiff: ‘The Last Sonatas’

Feb. 14 to 28

Señorita y Madame: The Secret War of Elizabeth Arden & Helena Rubinstein With biting humor, Gustavo Ott explores hatred and admiration through the rivalry between the two giants of beauty and business: Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein. Against the vibrant historical backdrop of the zenith of industrialization, the rise of Fascism, The Great Depression, two World Wars and the invention of advertising, both became pioneers in marketing and influenced how women saw and presented themselves. Tickets are $38 to $42. GALA Hispanic Theatre Mon., Feb. 8, 6 p.m.

Chinese New Year: Beijing Opera, Acrobats and Chinese Traditional Music by Henan Arts Troupe Performers from Henan Province showcase Beijing Opera--combining singing, speaking, acting, and martial arts — with stunning acrobatics and music on pipa, erhu

Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical Directed and co-written by Tony nominee Moisés Kaufman, with heralded Cuban-American playwright Eduardo Machado, and music adapted from Bizet’s opera by twotime Grammy Award-winner Arturo O’Farrill, this “Carmen” brings the action of one of the most sensual stories of all time to Cuba on the verge of revolution in 1958. Tickets are $38 to $75. Olney Theatre Center Feb. 12 to 20

Washington National Opera: Lost in the Stars Following his turn in “The Flying Dutchman,” renowned bass-baritone Eric Owens stars in Kurt Weill’s final work for the stage, a gripping musical tragedy based on Alan Paton’s classic 1948 novel “Cry, the Beloved Country.” Tickets are $69 to $255. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater Through Feb. 14

The Critic & The Real Inspector Hound Experience a madcap night of life in the theater with two classic behind-the-scenes comedies, “The Critic” and “The Real Inspector Hound.” First, playwright and adaptor Jeffrey Hatcher returns with a fresh take on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 18th-century romp “The Critic,” a whirlwind comedy about bad theater, worse playwrights and, worst of all, the critics. The laughs continue with Tom Stoppard’s absurdist tour-defarce “The Real Inspector Hound,” an ingenious play-within-a-play in which two critics find themselves caught up as unsuspecting suspects while they watch a classic 1950s-style whodunit in the style of Agatha Christie. Please call for ticket information. The Shakespeare Theatre

songs and music. Tickets are $20. Kennedy Center Family Theater Through Feb. 21

Sweat A group of close friends shares everything: drinks, secrets and laughs. But when rumors of layoffs shake up the local steel mill, the fragile bonds of their community begin to fray and a horrific crime sends shock waves across two generations in this play based on America’s industrial decline at the turn of the millennium. Tickets are $40 to $90. Arena Stage Feb. 23 to March 27

Othello Among the exotic airs and mysterious shadows of Cyprus, newly married and promoted Moorish general Othello finds himself the pawn in the manipulative games of his right-hand man, Iago. Please call for ticket information. Shakespeare Theatre Company Sidney Harman Hall

Kabarett & Cabaret

Through March 6

Featuring iconic songs and forgotten Berliner and Viennese cabaret gems, The In Series production of “Kabarett & Cabaret” pays tribute to the art form of cabaret and its ties to the Jewish émigrés who fled Nazi persecution and brought the dark, raunchy world of cabaret to 1940s Hollywood. Tickets are $42. Source

The City of Conversation

Through Feb. 21

The Glass Menagerie One of the greatest American plays of the 20th century, “The Glass Menagerie” explores the visceral bonds of family as Southern matriarch Amanda frets constantly over her two live-in adult children — the painfully shy Laura and Laura’s restless poet brother Tom. Tickets are $17 to $64. Ford’s Theatre Through Feb. 21

OLIVERio: A Brazilian Twist A spunky girl on the streets of Rio masquerades as a boy to look for her mother, only to discover a new kind of family, in this world premiere musical inspired by Charles Dickens’s classic novel and featuring original

Georgetown hostess Hester Ferris runs in an elite circle, opening her home for political foes to lay down arms and raise a glass. When her son’s formidable, conservative wife comes on the scene, the parlor pleasantries of D.C.’s past descend into entrenched posturing and an ultimatum that could implode the family. Please call for ticket information. Arena Stage Through March 6

A Midsummer Night’s Dream It is easy to lose yourself in the enchanted woods of Shakespeare’s timeless romantic tale. This magical comedy of tangled lovers, mischievous fairies — and a band of players to boot — is given a fresh, new staging by Aaron Posner, with D.C. favorites Holly Twyford as Bottom and Erin Weaver as Puck. Tickets are $35 to $75. Folger Theatre

Culture arts & entertainment

Plan Your Entire Weekend. www.washdiplomat.com

Photo: GBS PHOTOGRAPHY / Synetic Theater

Zana Gankhuyag and Irina Kavsadze portray Shakespeare’s iconic star-crossed lovers in “Romeo and Juliet” at Synetic Theater. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 41

WD | Culture | Spotlight

Diplomatic Spotlight Sameh Alfonse, deputy chief representative of the League of Arab States; Andrew Gelfuso, vice president of Photos: Samia Abdelwahed global business development at the Ronald Reagan Building; Ambassador of the Arab League Salah Sarhan; Ambassador of Lebanon Antoine Chedid; David Thorne, senior advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry; activist Ralph Nader; and David Hamod, president and CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Arab-American Day The panel “Trends in Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa,” moderated by Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute, kicked off the fourth annual Arab-American Day — an all-day event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center attended by over 600 people that also included an evening reception hosted by Ambassador Salah Sarhan of the League of Arab States as well as political activist Ralph Nader.

David Thorne, senior advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry; Clovis Maksoud, former U.N. representative of the Arab League; keynote speaker Ralph Nader, and Nahlah al-Jubeir, director of the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission.

February 2016

Moderator Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute; Khaled Ismail, CEO of Egypt’s Klangel; Firas Ben Achour, president of Tunisian American Young Professionals; Saud Al Noweis, commerce, trade and economic counselor at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; Sarah Heck, director of global engagement at the White House; and Bert Kaufman, co-director of the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) program.

Ambassador of Lebanon Antoine Chedid; Ambassador Salah Sarhan, chief representative of the Arab League in Washington; and David Hamod, president and CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Choral Arts Society Concert and Gala Ambassador of Singapore Ashok Mirpuri and his wife served as the honorary patrons of the 35th annual Choral Arts Society Holiday Concert and Gala held at the Kennedy Center. Founded in 1965, the Choral Arts Society is comprised of over 180 professional-caliber volunteer singers whose mission is to share the art of choral music through public performance, community outreach and education initiatives.

Photos: Russell Hirshon, for Choral Arts

Gala chair Loran Brueggan Aiken, Gouri Mirpuri, Ambassador of Singapore Ashok Mirpuri and Debra Kraft. Tony Parker of Parker Tide and Claire Parker.

Choral Arts Society Artistic Director Scott Tucker, Jacqueline B. Mars and Debra Kraft.

Robbie and Loran Aiken, Cathy Jones of Cushman & Wakefield, Debra Kraft and Choral Arts Board Chair Nick Smith.

George and Ashley Wilson and Whitney and Sean McDonough

Jim and Jennifer Bognet, founders of Bognet Construction.

Barbara Rossotti of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and former IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti.

Robert Liberatore, chair of the Faith and Politics Institute; NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg; and David Reines, head of surgery at Inova.

Pam Johnson and CEO and President of PE Systems Wesley King.

Robbie Aiken and Ambassador of Finland Kirsti Kauppi.

Downton Abbey at Britain

Icelandic Food and Fun Ambassador of Iceland Geir H. Haarde and his wife welcomed top chefs from the area to their residence to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the worldacclaimed Reykjavík Food and Fun Festival, which pairs some of the most renowned chefs from both sides of the Atlantic with Reykjavik’s best restaurants for the first weekend in March.

Iver Kessler of Gallagher Benefit Services, Lexy Kessler of Aronson LLC, Cathy O’Neill and SunTrust President Dan O’Neill.

Ashley Antle, CEO of SalientCRGT Brad Antle and Jean Antle.

Reykjavík Food and Fun Festival producer Baldvin Jonsson, Ambassador of Iceland Geir H. Haarde, his wife Inga Jona Thordardottir and Icelandic celebrity chef Siggi Hall.

Photos: Gail Scott

Icelandic celebrity chef Siggi Hall and Ris chef Ris Lacoste.

Allen Leech (who portrays Tom Branson), Susie Westmacott, outgoing British Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott, Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes), Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley) and Kevin Doyle (Molesley) celebrate the final season of “Downton Abbey” at the British Residence.

Photo: UK in the US

Palestinian Solidarity Diplomats from the Czech Republic, Cameroon, Sudan, Arab League and the newly appointed ambassador of Yemen turned out to celebrate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at a reception held at the Park Hyatt hotel, where author, professor and former Arab League Ambassador to the U.N. Clovis Maksoud was honored.

Yemeni Ambassador and former presidential aide Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Palestinian Ambassador Maen Rashid Areikat and Jumana Areikat.

42 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016

From left, First Secretary at the Czech Embassy David Frous; Ambassador of Cameroon Joseph B.C. Foe-Atangana; Ambassador of the Arab League Salah Sarhan; Ambassador of Algeria Madjid Bouguerra; Ambassador of Tunisia Fayçal Gouia; Muawiya Osman Khalid of the Embassy of Sudan; Ambassador of Yemen Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak; and Libyan Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Wafa Bugaighis.

From back row left, attorney Albert Mokhaiber, Jumana Areikat, Dr. Mokless Al Hariri, Maria Al Hariri, journalist Victor Shalhoub, Palestinian Ambassador Maen Rashid Areikat and First Secretary at the PLO Delegation to the U.S. Hakam Takash join honoree Clovis Maksoud.

Photos: Ray’s Photography

Steve Galpern, director for Israeli and Palestinian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, talks with a guest.

WD | Culture | Spotlight

Iranian Nuclear Deal

Rock Creek Park Anniversary At 125 years, Rock Creek Park is the third oldest National Park and the first and largest urban national park in the country. A recent reception held at Sidwell Friends School commemorated the signing of legislation in 1890 establishing Rock Creek Park. Guests enjoyed culinary delights from the capital area’s finest restaurants, including Ben’s Chili Bowl, BlackSalt, Bread Furst, Cafe Milano, One Eight Distilling, Restaurant Nora, Ripple, Ris and Whole Foods.

In mid-January, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to the Palais Coburg Hotel in Vienna, Austria, where diplomats from Washington, Tehran and the P5+1 countries put the finishing touches on a landmark accord to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. In addition to the successful implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which ended decades of estrangement between the U.S. and Iran, a prisoner swap between Washington and Tehran was announced.

Gala co-chairs Dennis McClellen and Betty Kotcher of the Rock Creek Conservancy Board of Directors Tommy Wells; director of the District Department of the Environment; Tara Morrison, superintendent of Rock Creek Park; Ward 4 District Councilmember Brandon Todd; Clif Grandy, secretary of the Rock Creek Conservancy Board of Directors; and Nancy Lucas.

Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Dafna Tapiero, board member of the Fund II Foundation

From left, Green Ribbon panelists Lori Kaplan, president and CEO of the Latin American Youth Center; Mark Buscaino, executive director of Casey Trees; Lisa Alexander, executive director of the Audubon Naturalist Society; Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Carter Roberts, president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund; Harvard professor emeritus Edward O. Wilson; Doug Barker, president of Barker + Scott Consulting; Audrey Peterman, founding director of Earthwise Productions; Ari Novy, executive director of the U.S. Botanic Gardens; Rachel Goslins, executive director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities; Hedrick Belin, president of the Potomac Conservancy; and Tommy Wells, director of the District Department of the Environment.

Audrey Peterman, founding director of Earthwise Productions, and Tara Morrison, superintendent of Rock Creek Park.

Champagne Holiday Kick-Off

Jennifer Griffin of Fox News and Laura Denise Bisogniero, wife of the Italian ambassador.

The Institute for Education (IFE), a nonprofit that promotes leadership, civility and common ground, hosted its second annual Champagne Holiday KickOff at the home of coach Kathy Kemper, IFE’s founder and CEO. Coach Kathy Kemper, Ambassador of Luxembourg Jean-Louis Wolzfeld, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith and Ambassador of Italy Claudio Bisogniero.

Secretary of State John Kerry poses with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano at the Vienna International Center.

Photos: State Department

Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and their respective advisers sit across from one another.

Secretary of State John Kerry speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif via phone en route to Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Md.

Secretary of State John Kerry sits with State Department Chief of Staff Jon Finer.

Jim Valentine, Ulla Rønberg and Ambassador of Denmark Lars Gert Lose.

Qatari National Day

Luxembourg Concert

Italian Christmas Party

Music director and pianist Richard Danley, Embassy Series founder and artistic director Jerome Barry, German-Luxembourgish singer Adrienne Haan and Ambassador of Luxembourg Jean-Louis Wolzfeld attend an Embassy Series holiday performance at the Embassy of Luxembourg featuring Haan.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and coach Kathy Kemper, founder and CEO of the Institute for Education.

Photo: Morris Simon Courtesy of Genevieve Spielberg Inc.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) greets Ambassador of Qatar Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari at the Qatari National Day celebration at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in D.C.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and Devika Patil, a digital ambassador for the Institute for Education, attend a holiday party hosted at the Italian Residence, known as “Villa Firenze.”

Ambassador of Belize Patrick Andrews and his wife Josefina Elena Andrews.

Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson addressed the crowd.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuary 2016 | 43

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Around the world holidays MEXICO ANGOLA Feb. 4: Beginning of the Armed Struggle Day

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Feb. 21: Shaheed Dibash Day (Martyrs’/Language Day)

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Feb. 2: Anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty Feb. 24: Independence Day

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Guantánamo continued • Page 10

“In the end, moving Guantánamo detainees to the United States will create a federal prison population that is more dangerous, more jihadist and much more costly to keep locked up,” the senator asserted.

guantÁnaMo reVelations Not all of the administration’s battles over closing Guantánamo have been external. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his predecessor, Chuck Hagel, have faced pressure from the White House to quicken the pace of detainee transfers. The defense secretary is required by a 2011 law passed by Congress to ensure security requirements have been met before personally signing off on detainee transfers to other countries. So in theory, if a former detainee returns to the battlefield and attacks Americans, the defense secretary could face the political fallout. White House officials have reportedly been frustrated by Carter’s slow approval of transfers; he did not decide on any new transfer proposals in his first six months in office. A recent Reuters report found that Pentagon officials have consistently thrown up obstacles to transfers by, for example, refusing to provide documentation on detainees to foreign governments considering accepting them. The Pentagon has also placed new restrictions on journalists seeking access to the facility. Some officials in the intelligence community could have a vested interest in keeping the prison open. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on the CIA’s use of torture after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks casts new light on the pending cases of some Guantánamo detainees. The abridged report’s release in December 2014 allowed lawyers for some Guantánamo defendants to, for the first time, speak openly in court about the torture to which their clients were allegedly subjected. Chris Anders, senior legislative counsel at the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, argues that some U.S. intelligence officials are

Photo: Kathleen t. rheM

this photo from 2005 shows the entrance to camp 1 in the u.s. military’s guantánamo Bay detention center, a sprawling complex that was established in January 2002 by the Bush administration.

opposed to the closure of Guantánamo for the same reason they fought to suppress the Senate committee’s report: They fear scrutiny of the torture they inflicted. “The living, breathing testimony as to what actually took place are the detainees who are still at Guantánamo,” Anders told The Diplomat. If Obama is weary from the drawn-out saga of Guantánamo’s closure, he is trying not to show it, insisting that he is resolved to shutter the prison. At a year-end press conference on Dec. 18, the president described his plan to whittle away the number of detainees through transfers to other countries. But that drawdown will still leave Guantánamo with an “irreducible population — people who pose a significant threat, but for various reasons, it’s difficult for us to try them in an Article III court,” Obama said. That final group of detainees, what Obama calls the “irreducible population,” comprises several dozen detainees who have not been charged but are deemed too dangerous to

release. Those detainees could prove to be the thorniest obstacle to the prison’s closure. Obama will have to decide if he wants to circumvent Congress and send the detainees to U.S. prisons via executive action, which would almost certainly invite court challenges. In a November op-ed in the Washington Post, two of Obama’s former top advisers on Guantánamo urged the president to go it alone, arguing that congressional restrictions on where the president houses detainees are unconstitutional. “The question here is not whether the president can unilaterally take the nation to war or hold detainees without congressional authorization,” wrote Gregory Craig and Cliff Sloan, respectively the White House counsel in 2009 and the special envoy for Guantánamo closure in 2013 and 2014. “The question is whether Congress can tell the president where military detainees must be held. The answer is an emphatic no.” But Obama hopes that, with congressional help, unilateral action won’t be necessary.

“We will wait until Congress has definitively said no to a well-thought-out plan with numbers attached to it before we say anything definitive about my executive authority here,” Obama said at the year-end press conference. For Morris, the former Guantánamo chief prosecutor, turning a page on an era of indefinite detention should mean coming up with an improved framework for military commission trials. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of 9/11, still awaits trial at Guantánamo. But his case has been tainted by the fact that, according to the Senate committee report, the CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times. “We’ve screwed this up so bad it’s beyond the point of redemption,” Morris said of the use of military commissions for 9/11 suspects. WD Sean Lyngaas (snlyngaas) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | FEBRuARy 2016 | 45

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