diplomatic connections autumn 2010

Unique Coverage of Events Worldwide

Chelsea Clinton marries ~ A Regal WeddingFergie, Will.i.am and Shakira perform at World CupAngelina Jolie promotes movie SALT worldwide

QUARTERLY BUSINESS • AUTUMN 2010$4.95

Chelsea Clinton marries ~ A Regal WeddingFergie, Will.i.am and Shakira perform at World CupAngelina Jolie promotes movie SALT worldwide

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDawn Parker

AssIsTANT TO THE EDITORJulie Pomeroy

ADVERTIsING EXECUTIVEsHiam Awad and Gloria Ainey

AssIsTANT TO ADVERTIsING EXECUTIVEsAmy Kachelries

ART DIRECTORLarry smith

DIPLOMATIC CORREsPONDENTsJames Winship, PhD and Roland Flamini

To contact an advertising executiveCALL: 202.536.4810FAX: 202.370.6882

EMAIL: [email protected]

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IMs (Inquiry Management systems)304 Park Avenue south, 11th Floor

New York, NY 10010TOLL FREE: 877.467.8721 X701

Website: www.ims.com

Marc Highbloom, Vice [email protected]

Maria D’Urso, Project [email protected]

Contributing Photographers

Christophe Avril, Gustavo Gargallo, Huyen Pham

To order photos from the events go to:www.diplomaticconnections.com

send any name or address changes in writing to:Diplomatic Connections

4410 Massachusetts Avenue / suite 200Washington, DC 20016

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Diplomatic Connections does not endorseany of the goods and services offered herein

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Copyright 2010 by Diplomatic Connections

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DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS

FRONT COVER PHOTOS Chelsea Clinton, daughter of US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, marries Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, New York. Spain and The Netherlands compete in World Cup 2010 Final Match in Johannesburg, South Africa; Will.i.am, Fergie and Shakira perform at the World Cup ceremony celebrations; Angelina Jolie promotes movie SALT around the world.

INSIDE FRONT COVER THE PENINSULA CHICAGO

INSIDE BACK COVER THE ELYSIAN HOTEL CHICAGO

BACK COVER INTERCONTINENTAL THE BARCLAY NEW YORK

Admiral Leasing 28

Amtrak 21British Embassy, United Cerebral Palsy 94

British Embassy, PM Cameron 66 & 70

Canadian Embassy , RAdm GREENWOOD 76

[The ] Carlyle Hotel in New York 32

Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding 100

[The] Corcordia Hotel 85

DC Livery 107

Dentist, Dr. Tarek Mogharbel 98

Diplomatic Connections’ October Reception 123

Dragon Runner 69

Dutch Embassy 44

Elysian Hotel in Chicago 54 & 124Fergie and Will.i.am at the World Cup 34 & 37

[The] Fairfax at Embassy Row 12

Finland, Interview with Ambassador Lintu 108Four seasons Hotels and Resorts 118

Grove Dental Clinic 96

Hay Adams 4, 5 & 46

Helga’s Catering 122

InterContinental Hotels Group 36

Japanese Embassy, Ambassador Fujisaki 86

Jim Coleman Cadillac 8

Jumeirah Essex House New York 35Malta, Interview with Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia 115McLean Furniture Gallery 6Mick Jagger at World Cup 42

Mila 90

Precise Home Management 14 QinetiQ North America 69

Ritz Carlton 105

sALT, Angelina Jolie 52

saudi Arabia, King Abdullah 60

saudi Arabian Airlines 64

shakira at World Cup 38 & 40sofitel Chicago Water Tower 22, 23 & 26

United Nations, Actor Ed Norton 48

United Nations, Pakistan 80

UK - Us Alliance 66 & 70

Us Limo system 117

U.s. sedan service 25

Waldorf Astoria 1, 30 & 63

Waldorf Towers 1, 30 & 63Washington Hospital Center 99

Wings Jets 10World Cup 2010 16

Cover photos:

Chelsea Clinton and Marc MezvinskyGenevieve de Manio

Fergie and Will.i.amGianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images

Pedro Rodriguez and Dirk KuytLars Baron/Getty Images

shakiraMartin Rose/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie and Brad PittKevin Winter/Getty Images

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d i p l o m at i c c o n n e c t i o n s B U s i n e s s Q U a R t e R lY | a U t U m n 2 0 1 0 3

Dear Readers,

Diplomatic Connections Autumn, 2010 issue is unique in that we cover events domestically as well as internationally. Therefore, this edition is extraordinarily differentiating with one reason being that we have magnificent coverage of the monumental and historical World Cup that took place in south Africa this past summer. With our constant coverage of Royal families around the world, we wanted to include photos of the spanish Royal family, especially when all the excitement was taking place directly subsequent to the match. Thus, this particular publica-tion is filled with a showcase of photos taken of the World Cup as well as the spanish Royals and the moments they shared with their nation’s team in the locker room directly following the game. Many worldwide celebrities, such as: Fergie, Will.i.am and shakira performed before and after the event and we have added those to the collection of valued photos for your viewing.

In addition, Angelina Jolie stars in the current hit movie “sALT.” Diplomatic Connections covered this story because our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., was used as a backdrop in selective segments of the film. It has already premiered around the globe and we give you an inside glimpse into the days Jolie spent in promoting the film in several international cities.

The daughter and only child of our current Us secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was recently married and we’ve published some beautiful photos that reveal how this story-book wedding has already made history.

As in previous editions, I would like to emphasize and bring your attention to our featured advertisers throughout this Autumn issue becauseDiplomatic Connections magazine would not be funded without their valued presence. Many fine establishments and corporations have made an important decision to support the Diplomatic Community via our publication. The merchants and service providers presented here within are representing their companies in a capacity to do business with the Diplomatic and International Arena. They have postured them-selves in a significant way that facilitates international commerce and trade.

Many of these professionals will be attending our upcoming Diplomatic Connections’ Diplomat Appreciation Reception being held on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010, at the Embassy of Austria in Washington, D.C., so that Diplomats and staff can have another opportu-nity to get acquainted with these representatives who encompass a variety of industries. This prestigious Diplomatic Connections’ reception provides a proper platform for an exclusive introduction to perhaps conduct future business in the international market. SAVE THE DATE ~ October 13th! The evening’s cuisine will be provided by Helga’s Catering (page 122). We look forward to seeing you there and covering this wonderful event in one of our upcoming editions.

We’d also like to remind you that your opinions matter to us; thus, we are looking to you, the Diplomat, for the type of articles and advertis- ments your Embassy would like to see featured and to read about. Diplomatic Connections is continuously seeking your professional recom-mendations for advertisements from your domestic and international business partners. Therefore, any business introductions to further pursue future funding of the magazine would be greatly appreciated. We welcome and invite you to contact us with your submissions and ideas to: [email protected]

sincerely, Dawn Parker Founder and Publisher

Diplomatic Connections now has Online Classifieds for FREE. There is NO CHARGE for Diplomats and Staff Representatives to post items on the Diplomatic Connections website. To post your classifieds simply go to:www.diplomaticconnections.com

Realizing that there is a great need for an Online Classifieds site because of thetransitional lifestyle of a diplomat, we’ve made it easy for you, the Diplomat and Staff Representative, to buy and/or sell directly on the Diplomatic Connections website.

POST YOUR FREE

ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.DiplomaticConnections.com

ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS!

View of the White House and Washington, DC from the rooftop of the Hay Adams Hotel

View of a guestroom at the Hay Adams Hotel overlooking the White House

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MCLEAN FURNITURE GALLERY ELEVATES HOME FURNISHING TO AN ART FORM www.mcleanfurniture.com

McLean Furniture Gallery's infinite design possibilities and fine furniture options are best described as truly the “stuff that dreams are made of” to quote now- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As Senator, Mrs. Clinton then wrote this line to Mrs. Tehmina Khan, the President of McLean Furniture Gallery ("the Gallery") in a July, 2000 letter. Today, the ultimate attestation to the Gallery's presence in the Washington, DC area is simply the fact that it has beat out its competition by continuing to thrive during difficult economic times. Founded in 1984, the Gallery is celebrating its 26th year by garnering exclusive licenses to sell several upscale furniture lines to its customers. The Exclusive, sole distributorship this side of New York is a proud position for manufacturers with a global reputation. Housed in their own shopping center the new Fairfax location encompassing nearly 44,000 square feet, is a state of the art building designed by Leo Daly. Customers are able to view ap-proximately 100 different furniture brands in the largest resource room in the Metropolitan Area.

"Catering to different tastes" has been the mantra of the founder and President, Tehmina’s perception was to be a “unique” resource. Never wanting to be categorized as a simply traditional furniture store, Tehmina and her de-sign team have expanded the breadth of home furnishings by including eclectic, contemporary, neo-classic and Franco-Italian, traditional and classic styles to the discerning elite. Not to be outdone by any other showroom, the Gallery has consistently kept its prices down by scaling down on overhead and offering customers a variety of price-points. Also, delivery and installation costs are amazingly low compared to the competition. In house designing includes field visits, auto-cad presentation, 3D sketch and their fabric resource from UK, Italy and the Best of American Fabric makers is outstanding. Globalization has also benefitted the home furnishings business; along with traditional classic American brands such as Henkel-Harris, Century, EJ Victor, Hickory White, Maitland Smith, Christopher Guy, Francesco Molon, Bernhardt, and others, customers can also peruse classic and famous Italian lines such as Francesco Molon and Rho Mobili. Francesco Molon, the creators of exquisite empire and contemporary Italian furniture made in Ven-ice, Italy. Makers of the finest walnut heritage collection. Francesco Molon supplier of fine furniture to a long list of Heads of State, 150 five and six star Hotels around the world, has selected the Gallery as their exclusive distributor in the Metropolitan area. This is really a "one stop shop" -- our home furnishings, is a turnkey opera-tion, says Tehmina. Corporate or Residential projects include custom draperies, area rugs, lighting, artwork, fine china and accessories. And, like every successful Washington DC business, the Gallery counts the diplomatic community amongst its favorite clients, innumerable Residences, multiple clubs including Fort Myer and Fort McNair and over 40,000 private homes to boast of and most importantly dozens of Interior design firms that use our resource exclusively. MFG runs a corporate and furniture leas-ing business for multiple corporations sustaining accounts and Embassies. Recently has had the honor of designing and furnishing the newly-refurbished historical Wyoming residence of the Libyan Ambassador, in Washington DC, New York and Englewood New Jersey. "This was a project close to my heart", says Tehmina. "Working with the Embassy of Libya was a com-pletely professional and lovely experience, as our design team brought beautiful properties to life", she added. Every job is unique the Kennedy Warren, Canadian project, Brunei, Malay-sian projects, Josephine and Quarters Seven are unforgettable experiences. We are a DC institution, and my team shows the same enthusi-asm for locating a hard to find piece as it does for our corporate or embassy clients" says Tehmina. "We pride ourselves on be-ing able to work within a budget and making dreams come true within that budget, be it big or small."

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McLEAN FURNITURE GALLERY

RAISING FURNITURE TO AN ART FORM SINCE 1984

“YOUR UNIQUE AND EXCLUSIVE RESOURCE FOR THE BEST VALUE AND SELECTION OF FINE HOME FURNISHINGS FROM OVER 100 MANUFACTURERS”

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The Exclusive Distributer of Francesco Molon from Italy. Welcome to the trade.

Specials for Interior Designers. Raising Furniture to an Art Form.

Weekdays 10 am-7pm —— Saturdays 10am-6pm —— Sundays 12-5pm 8500 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031

Tel: 703 280 8210 fax: 703 573 8722

Complete Design services and Financing Available. All major credit cards welcome.

Domestic flights or International flights,Wings Jets customizes each flight with its

Boutique level service. Call 888.946.4753 for a quote.

For more information, kindlyvisit Wings Jets online atwww.WingsJets.comor call 1.888.WINGS.JETS(888.946.4753)

F12 w w w. d i p l o m at i c c o n n e c t i o n s . c o m

2100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008 202.293.2100

Luxurycollection.com/Fairfax

Th e F a i r f a x at E m b a s s y Ro w

Traditional and elegant

in style, the 259 guest

rooms and suites feature

elevated beds dressed in

crisp duvets, 300 thread

count linens, adorned

with rich gold embroidery.

The luxurious marble

bathrooms allow for

tranquil rejuvenation and

quiet contemplation.

Fd i p l o m at i c c o n n e c t i o n s B U s i n e s s Q U a R t e R lY | a U t U m n 2 0 1 0 13

Nestled among the stately

mansions of Massachusetts

Avenue, The Fairfax at Embassy

Row, A Starwood Luxury

Collection Hotel, is a Washington,

D.C. landmark with a rich history

that spans more than seventy-five

years. With its legendary restaurant,

The Jockey Club, The Fairfax at

Embassy Row is the epicenter

of international discussion and

American politics. It is the place to

be in Washington, D.C.

The Fairfax at Embassy Row,

a Starwood Luxury Collection

Hotel, is located in the heart of

Embassy Row in Washington,

D.C. The Fairfax offers superior

accommodations, amenities

and services to all of its

international travelers.

Shirley Phull, the newly appointed

Director of Diplomatic Sales at The

Fairfax at Embassy Row, serves

the needs of the city’s embassies

exclusively through the partnering and

the processing of all communication

between the embassies and The

Fairfax. Ms. Phull brings experience,

talent, commitment and savoir faire to

the fulfillment of the various needs of

the hotel’s diplomatic clientele. It is

this level of dedication that sets

The Fairfax at Embassy Row apart

from the rest.

Embassy of Mexico National Day Event

Prime Minister of Haiti, Jean-Max Bellerive at The Fairfax

Event at the Embassy of United Arab Emirates

Ambassador Fatima Veiga, Cape Verde

Embassy of Morocco National Day Event

PRECISE HOME MANAGEMENT

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ood help is hard to find, as the old say-

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graduating from the prestigious Ivor spen-cer International Butler

school in sydney, Low-rey served as Head stew-

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adventures he settled in the United states where he worked as a butler for

one of Maryland’s most prominent families. In 1998 Lowrey left his position to start Precise

Home Management to address a lack of resources he saw for both homeowners and domestic staff. Today, Precise Home Management is a leading Domestic staff-ing Agency and Consultancy, thanks to Lowrey’s vast knowledge of domestic affairs, his attention to detail and his dedication to total satisfaction.

1007 North Calvert Street, Baltimore MD, 21202 410.659.9200 Office 410.659.9202 Fax

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duties as well as detailed lists of all the em-

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regarding the house, its contents and its

occupants. Invaluable for insurance pur-

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year, in a long awaited development,

Precise Home Management will be

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private estates, with services and software

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WWW.PRECISEHOME.COM


THE OCTOPUS WORE REDDuring lunch at the spanish

Embassy residence in Washington on

July 11, Ambassador Jorge Dezcallar

and his wife Teresa served up more

than gazpacho, tortilla de patata and

paella: they served up a spanish

victory over the Netherlands to win

the soccer World Cup.SOCCERWORLD CUP

THE

AKA FOOTBALL[ ]

Spanish players parade through the streets of Madrid on July 12th, 2010, a day after winning the World Cup for the first time, 1 - 0 against Holland. Over one million fans lined the streets of Madrid to watch as the Spanish team parades through main streets on an open bus.

LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Im

ages


is almost by definition sedate

and well ordered – the ambassador’s refuge from the daily

grind. But at the spanish residence on that historic afternoon,

the atmosphere was anything but sedate. shouts of triumph

and shrieks of delight filled the long salon. Diplomats hitherto

known for their gravitas hugged each other with abandon. Even

the figures in the massive, priceless Flemish hanging wall tapes-

try of dancing musicians seemed to share in the jubilation.

With Iker Casillas Fermandez, Captain and Goalkeeper, lead-

ing their team, spain won their first European Championship in

44 years and a single goal, made by midfielder Andres Iniesta,

in extra time had earned spain the coveted 2010 Champion-

ship and first ever FIFA World Cup. And as his 160 or so guests

went wild with joy around him in celebration of this great occa-

sion, Ambassador Dezcallar (wearing a red t-shirt, the spanish

team’s regular colors) declared, “It took 120 minutes to make a

goal, but I think we played very well, and we deserved to win.

It’s a great day for soccer, a great day for spain, and a great day

for spaniards.”

The same scene was doubtless replicated wherever in the

world there were spanish natives, but nowhere more than in

spain itself where the success of La Fuerza Roja (the red force)

was a hugely welcome boost to national pride and prestige at a

time of serious Europe-wide economic issues.

There was even an e-mail circulating with a redesign of the

red and yellow spanish flag adding an octopus in the center – a

By Roland Flamini

An embassy residence

tribute to Paul the Octopus who, according to news reports, had

been picking winners in the World Cup, and had predicted a

spanish victory. There was no psychic octopus on display at the

spanish embassy residence – except, of course, in the paella.

Among the congratulations that poured into Ambassador

Dezcallar was a letter signed by 16 members of the U.s. Con-

gress praising the “elegant and electric performance” of the

spanish eleven and expressing “admiration for (the team’s) ac-

complishment, tinged with a little envy” -- plus a light hearted

warning that the U.s. is determined to do better in 2014. “Be-

ware, the Americans are coming,” the letter cautioned.

The build-up to what has been called the greatest sporting

event in the world began on Aug 25, 2007, when Tahiti played

New Caledonia in the first qualification game. Teams from 206

competing nations subsequently played 912 matches, culminat-

ing in the final between spain and the Netherlands in soccer

City, Johannesburg, watched by 84,490 fans, and millions on

television world-wide. The spaniards were heavy favorites, but

Ambassador Jorge Dezcallar with his wife, Teresa celebrating with fans at the Embassy of Spain Residence on July 11, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

President Barack Obama watches the U.S. vs. Ghana World Cup Soccer game before a meeting at the G20 Summit in Toronto, Canada, Saturday, June 26, 2010.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Niloufar Ehsassi


started in the worst way by losing to switzerland. After that,

they found their characteristic, almost balletic style, based on

precision passing, and won every game, including a 1-0 victory

over the powerful, young German team, another strong favorite.

It was a first World Cup title for spain, which is only the eighth

winner of the top championship in 77 years – a reflection of

the degree to which a handful of national teams in Europe and

Latin America have dominated the contest.

Washington’s large diplomatic population was a microcosm

of the –usually --friendly rivalry between nations generated by

the FIFA World Cup (to give it its official title, FIFA being the

Federation of International Football Associations). Before some

of the matches, it became accepted practice for the ambassadors

of the two opposing national teams to wish each other luck.

(Thankfully, there are no known instances of an ambassador of

a winning team calling his counterpart to gloat.) The pervasive

competitive spirit also infiltrated the state Department where

the different country desks rooted for their respective nations.

The U.s. matches also prompted top level wagers. Presi-

dent Obama bet Prime Minister David Cameron an English

lager against the best American beer that the U.s. would beat

England. The U.s. Ambassador to Britain, Louis susman, chal-

lenged sir Nigel sheinwald, his British counterpart in Wash-

ington, The terms of that wager: a meal in a DC steakhouse if

the English won, and in a London pub if the game went the

other way, with the loser in either case picking up the check.

The exchange of emails, inevitably, found its way to the Web,

including a barbed message from the British Embassy’s Martin

Longden to an American embassy official in London. “The (Brit-

ish) Ambassador takes his steak like American soccer victories

– somewhat rare,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Congressman Tom Harkin (D-IA), bet slovenia’s

Ambassador Roman Kirn a bottle of Iowa’s Templeton rye whis-

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron trade bottles of beer to settle a bet they made on the U.S. vs. England World Cup Soccer game (which ended in a tie), during a bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in Toronto, Canada, Saturday, June 26, 2010.


Spain's midfielder Andrés Iniesta (R) shoots and scores a goal during extra time at the 2010 FIFA football World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain on July 11, 2010 at Soccer City stadium in Soweto, suburban Johannesburg, South Africa.

PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images

Spain vs Netherlands at World Cup, South Africa, 2010


key that the Americans would be successful against slovenia.

Ambassador Kirn put up a bottle of slovenian wine. In the

event both matches resulted in a draw. The U.s. and England

drew 1-1 draw, thus avoiding any awkwardness in the so-called

“special relationship” between London and Washington; and

the U.s.-slovenia encounter evened out at 2-2.

More than just a sport, soccer is a universal language, and

one in which the U.s. is becoming increasingly fluent. The

Americans may call it “soccer” – originally an English term, but

no longer used in England -- to distinguish it from the local

brand of football, but 19.4 million people in the U.s., the num-

ber registered by the Nielsen ratings service, watched as Ghana

put paid to American hopes. What’s more, only one in four of

those 20 million watched on Univision, the spanish-language

network, undermining the widely held equation: soccer equals

Hispanic immigrants.

Furthermore, the soccer audience amounts to less than a

fifth of this year’s record superbowl viewership of 106 million;

however, on average it’s more people than watched last year’s

World series games, even though they were broadcast live in

prime time. As for playing the game, five million American

adults are regulars, not counting the children.

Give a ball to a boy almost anywhere in the world, and he

will instinctively drop it on the ground and start kicking it: in

America, children are still divided between those who would

kick the ball and others whose instinct is to throw it. Yet more

American children play soccer than any other team sport, either

informally or in organized leagues. While soccer may be an

import, it has introduced “soccer moms” as a key political de-

mographic. And in contrast to those other popular U.s. sports,

soccer also broadens our horizons: it’s the only team sport in

which America competes internationally.

There is an irony in the fact that, while the World Cup

unites nations like almost nothing else, soccer’s “labor market”

has been globalized, with the best talents holding lucrative

contracts to play for clubs in countries other than their own.

Predictably, European clubs were the biggest “employers” of

participants in south Africa. The Economist magazine did the

math and reported that of the 736 players in the 32 participat-

ing squads, 545 played for European soccer clubs, with no

Top row, left to right: Queen Sofia of Spain; Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands. Bottom row, left to right: Felipe, Prince of Asturias, Letizia, Princess of Asturias, Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende enjoy the atmosphere ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Final match between the Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City Stadium on July 11, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Clive Rose/Getty Images


distinction of race, creed or color.

For example, nine of the U.s. World Cup squad spend much

of each year in Britain, where they play for British clubs. The

ill fated French team took the prize for diversity with its large

number of players of African and Arab origin: France’s star

player Nicolas Anelka is a convert to Islam as is his teammate

Franck Ribery. Anelka, incidentally, was one of a dozen play-

ers from Chelsea Football Club all playing for their respective

nations in the World Cup event. Brazil’s Kaka and Portugal’s

Cristiano Ronaldo were among the 10 players from spain’s Real

Madrid; its arch rival Barcelona topped the list with 13. Ar-

gentina’s Lionel Messi has played for Barcelona since boyhood.

Most of the Algerian national team were born in France. For the

first time in World Cup history two brothers played in oppos-

ing teams. Kevin-Prince Boateng, playing for Ghana, faced his

brother Jerome in the German squad – a German victory. Both

brothers have dual German and Ghanaian nationality.

In the World Cup, expect is the unexpected, and the south

African World Cup series had it in spades. To the experts the

main shocker was the Brazilian meltdown, and the dismal

performance by Argentina, and as a result the championship is

back in Europe. But only three of Europe’s traditional big six

stayed the course – spain, the Netherlands, and Germany. Both

England and Italy gave uncharacteristically lackluster perfor-

mances: German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer commented

Sara Carbonero, girlfriend of Iker Casillas, admiringly watches him play during the 2010 World Cup Final match. July 11, 2010

STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

/AFP/Getty Images

Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas (top center) jumps up to catch the ball over Spain's defender Carles Puyol (center bottom) as Netherlands' striker Robin van Persie (far left) eyes the ball during the 2010 FIFA football World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain on July 11, 2010 at Soccer City stadium in Soweto, suburban Johannesburg, South Africa.

Clive Mason/Getty Im

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continued on page 27


Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images

Spain’s goalkeeper, Iker Casillas (top center) pulls off a save as Spain’s defender, Carles Puyol (center bottom) falls and Netherlands’ striker Robin van Persie (far right) looks on during the 2010 World Cup football final at Soccer City stadium in Soweto, suburban Johannesburg on July 11, 2010.

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Pedro Rodriguez of Spain and Dirk Kuyt of the Netherlands battle for the ball during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Final match between Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City Stadium on July 11, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Lars Baron/Getty Images

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that the way the English played against America “had very little

to do with football.” The French quit south Africa after a less

than favorable display of internecine fighting that caused Presi-

dent Nicolas sarkozy to call a special cabinet meeting.

The other World Cup winner was Africa. Firstly, because

host country south Africa organized a near faultless World Cup

series (the first in an African country), and can thus be forgiven

the extremely irritating vuvuzuelas sounding like the unrelent-

ing buzzing of a million bees. The south Africans were excellent

hosts. The stadiums were impressive; the restaurants and stores

did big business. Moreover, what didn’t happen is as significant

as what did: the World Cup was mercifully free of any terrorist

incident. secondly, because the star players of Ghana, on which

Africa’s hopes were pinned, played vigorous football, sending

the U.s. home with their 2-1 win, but falling to Uruguay in a

nail biting penalty shootout in the round of 16. Whether south

Africa can turn its success to advantage in building itself a bet-

ter future is yet to unfold. But while spain won the champion-

ship, the 2010 World Cup tournament will always belong to

south Africa.

Nelson Mandela during the 2010 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at Soccer City Stadium on July 11, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Com

mittee South Africa

continued from page 20

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Spain's goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas (R) shows the trophy to Spain's King Juan Carlos (C) at the Royal palace in Madrid on July 12, 2010, a day after Spain won the World Cup for the first time 1-0 against Holland. Far left: Spain's coach Vincent Del Bosque

DOMIN

IQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Spanish Royal Press/Borja Fotógrafos/Getty Images

Left to right: Joan Capdevila, Fernando Llorente and Princess Letizia of Spain celebrates the victory in the Spanish dressing room after Spanish football team won the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Soccer City Stadium on July 11, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands during the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Cape Town Stadium.

Netherlands Team - the 2010 FIFA World Cup - Final match was between Netherlands and Spain


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Singer Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas performs on stage during the FIFA World Cup Kick-off Celebration Concert at the Orlando Stadium on June 10, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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US band Black Eyed Peas signer Stacy Ann Ferguson, AKA Fergie (right) and Will.I.Am perform during the FIFA World Cup Kick-off Concert at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 10, 2010 ahead of the start of the 2010 World Cup football tournament.

GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Im

ages

Spain's team celebrates on a stage set up for the team in Madrid on July 12, 2010, a day after they won the 2010 FIFA football World Cup match against the Netherlands in Johannesburg, South Africa.

DANI POZO/AFP/Getty Im

ages


Shakira performs a song during the kick-off celebration concert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Orlando Stadium on June 10, 2010 in Soweto, South Africa.

Martin Rose/Getty Im

ages


Singer Shakira performs ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ at the closing ceremony, prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Final match between Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City Stadium on July 11th, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Clive Rose/Getty Images


SHAKIRA performs with South African band, Freshlyground, during the closing ceremony, prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Final Match between Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City Stadium on July 11th, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.


mittee South Africa



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left to right: Doug Band, English Musician Mick Jagger, former President Clinton and Terry McAuliffe together watch England vs the United States at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 12th, 2010 in Rustenburg, South Africa.

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Wayne Rooney of England (center, number 10) is surrounded by Michael Bradley (center, number 4), Oguchi Onyewu (far right, number 5) and Ricardo Clark (bottom left, number 13) of the United States during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match between England and the USA at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 12th, 2010 in Rustenburg, South Africa.

Martin Rose/Getty Im

ages


DUTCH EMBASSY HOSTS NEARLY400 PEOPLE TO WATCH THE

By Bert Bentsink

soccer team advanced to the final of the World Cup, one of the biggest

sporting events on the planet. In 1974 and 1978, the Netherlands played

against West-Germany and Argentina but unfortunately lost to each country. The Dutch team,

coached by Bert van Marwijk, entered the World Cup final ranked fourth while spain entered

as the current European soccer Champion. To celebrate reaching the final game, the Royal

Netherlands Embassy organized a viewing party. Nearly 400 American and International guests

along with Dutch embassy staff representatives watched the tension-filled match together.

For the third time in its history the Dutch national

WorldCupFinal

H.E. Renee Jones-Bos, Ambassador of the The Netherlands to the U.S. (right) and DCM Gerard van der Wulp

Huyen Pham

Huyen Pham


he Royal Netherlands Embassy is tucked away in

a residential area off of Connecticut Avenue and it

can be challenging to find. However, on the 11th of

July, no soccer fan from the greater Washington D.C. area had

trouble finding the place. Numerous cars, packed with Dutch

supporters dressed in orange arrived at the Embassy blowing

their horns to let their presence be known. One could already

hear the ‘vuvuzelas’ being blown from miles away.

At the gate, the visitors were welcomed by bright orange

decorations and a large sacred national flag that hung promi-

nently and proudly on the Embassy’s front wall. Hundreds of

people wearing orange hats, beads and feathers to support the

‘Nederlands Elftal’ packed the embassy’s main hall and audi-

torium. Large screen televisions and a theater size projection

screen were carefully positioned as not to miss one second of

this historical final match that partly was so monumental be-

cause of the fact that south Africa was the first African nation to

host this event. The cafeteria was also transformed into a

playground for children, where the smallest Dutch soccer fans

could gather, watch the game and dream of one day becoming a

football player.

Guests snacked

on traditional

Dutch treats and

beverages includ-

ing ‘bitterballen,’

‘frikandellen’ and

Heineken. The

American attendees

were just as enthu-

siatic as the Dutch

who watched the

game. several

guests including a visitor from Latin America proudly pro-

claimed they were cheering for the Dutch. One guest, Priscilla

Villareal stated: “Although I have Mexican roots and my parents

are cheering for spain, I cheer for the Netherlands because

I have a lot of wonderful Dutch friends.” Unfortunately, her

cheering could not keep the Dutch from their third defeat in a

World Cup Final, but a party like this should be an incentive

for the players to reach the final again in 2014. As we say in

the Netherlands, “Hup. Holland. Hup.”

THuyen Pham

Huyen Pham


ACTOR ED NORTON APPOINTED ASUN AMBASSADOR OFBIODIVERSITY

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and actor Edward Norton, newly-appointed UN Good-will Ambassador for Biodiversity, hold up a "2010: International Year of Biodiversity" tee-shirt.

UN Photo/M

ark Garten


is the vast variety of

life forms within a delicate global ecosystem that sustain the

planets’ fisheries, rainforests, prairies and wildlife through all

of the many changes caused by nature and man-kind. Earth-

quakes, oil spills, floods, tornadoes and droughts have their

potentially damaging effects not just on human beings but the

habitat of many species of animals, plants and organisms as

well. By studying the adverse effects of these natural and man-

made disasters through maintaining biodiversity, we can more

efficiently preserve sustainable fisheries and agriculture.

The oil spill in the Gulf is a prime example of how humans

contribute to creating an unhealthy environment for nature’s

ecosystem. The United Nations’ secretary-General Ban Ki-

moon is giving much needed attention to this international

issue starting with designating Academy Award-Winning Actor

Ed Norton as the UN Goodwill Ambassador of Biodiversity.

July 8th, Mr. Norton began to make his contribution of cre-

ating global awareness by addressing press at the UN just subse-

quent to his formal appointment. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive

secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Kiyo-

Biodiversity

UN Photo/M

ark Garten

Actor Edward Norton (left) accepts a Goodwill Ambassador lapel pin from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as part of his induction ceremony as UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity.

Actor Edward Norton (centre) addresses a press conference shortly following his appointment as UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. He is flanked by Ahmed Djoghlaf (left), Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe


President Barack Obama is briefed about the ongoing response to the BP oil spill by, from left, Carol Browner, assistant to the President for energy and climate change, National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, aboard AIR FORCE ONE en route to the Gulf Coast, June 14, 2010.

President Barack Obama and other officials tour the Theodore Staging Facility in Theodore, Alabama, June 14, 2010, where oil containment boom and other equipment is cleaned, decontaminated and repaired. This was the President’s fourth trip to the Gulf Coast to assess the ongo-ing response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Official White House photo by Pete Souza



taka Akasaka, Under-secretary-General for Communications and

Public Information, joined in panel with the accomplished actor

to discuss this topic and answer questions about their collective

goals. Mr. Norton expressed his hopes to engage the world in

real conversation about biodiversity and bringing unprecedented

international attention to the subject.

The ramifications of the Gulf oil spill are not just being

taken seriously by the United Nations, but also our nation’s

Commander-in-Chief. President Obama and members of his

staff have made their way to the Gulf several times to calculate

the loss of biodiversity and they continue to evaluate what it will

take to restore the ecosystem to the pristine state it once was.

President Barack Obama walks to the Tarmac Field House at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 4, 2010, with Senator David Vitter, R-LA (left), New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (right) and others, for a briefing on the response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.



A N G E L I N A J O L I E I N

S A L T

US actress Angelina Jolie attends the premiere of her latest film, the spy-thriller ‘Salt’ in Tokyo, Japan on July 27th, 2010.

KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images


SALT is a 2010 American/French action-thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce, written by Kurt Wimmer and Brian Helgeland, starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Daniel Olbrychski and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The filming took place in our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. as well as New York City and Albany (upstate), New York between March and June 2009. CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) finds herself on a quest of vindicating the integrity of her name, na-tional duty and patriotic honor when she is falsely ac-cused, by Russian defector, Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski), of being a Russian Spy, a KGB sleeper agent.

While she is being investigated, her life becomes a constant race of avoiding apprehension in the process of trying to unsubstantiate his claim. she is her own advocate using the expert skills she learned during the many years of her career as an agent to circumvent capture. The movie begins with salt interrogating Orlov, who tells her about “Day X,” an operation established, regulated and led by a formidable Russian from the reticent years of the obscure Cold War, and its mission to destroy the United states, the country she swore allegiance to as a child. Orlov manipulates the cross-examination by claiming that salt is a Russian spy. Her national loyalty is continuously questioned throughout the film while she zealously tries to denounce the allegations. The ending is somewhat ambiguous leaving room for the viewers imagination as to salt’s true identity.

Jolie traveled the world, Los Angeles, Cali-

fornia, USA; Paris, France; London, England;

Moscow, Russia; Seoul, Korea and Tokyo,

Japan to promote the premier of the movie.

People from around the Globe received Jolie

with open arms and great enthusiasm. Jolie

is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassa-

dor and contributes her time and talents to

many worthy humanitarian causes.

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WHAT IS A SLEEPER AGENT?KGB is an acronym for (Komitet Gosu-darstvennoy Bezopasnosti or Committee for State Security). It was the National Security Agency, Soviet Intelligence Service and Secret Police of the Soviet Union from March, 1954 until November of 1991. Our nation’s CIA would be its equivalent. For a more detailed explanation, a sleeper agent, in espionage, is one who has penetrated, acclimated and blend-ed into the society of the country of in-terest and ‘gone to sleep,’ so to speak. All communication with one’s sponsor or hosting agency will have become virtually nonexistent and no chances are taken as not to reveal the agent’s position of ‘deep cover.’ Assimilation into regular, everyday life as an average citizen is imperative to the operation to precisely develop and maintain the most productive infiltration. The agent who can be financially self-sufficient is the one who is of most value. This is because with the exchange of money, there is always a tangible trail left behind and any overt activity can be more easily detected. Concealment on every level is essential to the progress of the enterprise. Often, natives of the targeted na-tion, are recruited more aggressively because of their language skills and knowledge of the respective culture. If a person of this caliber is attained, their significance in the operation dramatical-ly escalates and they become known as what’s referred to as an ‘agent of influ-ence.” Historically, it’s a strategy that has proven to be incredibly successful and is a blueprint of brilliant design.

Washington, D.C. was backdrop for movie

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US actress Angelina Jolie exiting the stage after greeting Japanese fans at the premiere of her latest film, the spy-thriller ‘Salt’ in Tokyo, Japan on July 27. The film was released nation-wide in Japan starting from July 27th, 2010.

KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Im

ages


Angelina Jolie attends the UK premiere of ‘Salt’ held at the Empire Leicester Square on August 16th, 2010 in London, England.

Dave Hogan/Getty Images


Liev Schreiber plays the role of Ted Winter, Salt’s friend and colleague at the CIA. Naomi Watts is his partner in real-life and accompanied him to the premiere in Los Angeles, CA. They met on the set of the 2006 drama The Painted Veil, have been a couple since then and have two sons together.

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Actor Liev Schreiber and actress Naomi Watts at the premiere of Sony Pictures’‘Salt’ at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on July 19th, 2010 in Hollywood, California.

Jason Merritt/Getty Im

ages


Actress Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt arrive at the premiere of Sony Pictures’ “Salt’ at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on July 19th, 2010 in Hollywood, California. A fan is giving Jolie a bouquet of flowers.


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Kevin Winter/Getty Im

ages


King

PresidentAbdullah

ObamaVISITS

at the white house

President Barack Obama

hosted the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-saud at the

White House for high-level discussions about

ongoing peace efforts in the Middle East and

throughout the world. The topics of dialogue

included Iran’s nuclear program, talks between

Israelis and Palestinians and the prevention of

worldwide extremism.

In late June,


© Saudi Press Agency


President Barack Obama walks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and members of the Saudi delegation toward the South Lawn Driveway prior to the King's departure from the White House.June 29, 2010 Directly behind King Abdul-lah (on left) is Saudi Ambas-sador to the United States, H.E. Adel Al-Jubeir.


During the meeting—King Abdullah’s first at the White

House since ascending to the throne in 2005—President

Obama commended King Abdullah for his leadership in the

Arab Peace Initiative. The leaders agreed that it is of utmost

importance for Israel to resume joint talks with the Palestinians,

Lebanese and syrians to ensure a sustained peace in the Middle

East. These efforts, the leaders asserted, should further the

cause of security for years to come.

King Abdullah also expressed his strong support for the

United Nations “P5+1” efforts to hinder Iran’s nuclear program.

The P5+1 convocation, consisting of China, Russia, Germany,

France, the United Kingdom and the United states, has urged

Iran to meet its international obligations under UN security

Council and IAEA resolutions. saudi Arabia is committed to

a nuclear-free Middle East, and therefore maintains that all

nations in the Region should forego the possession of nuclear

weapons.

With regard to the leaders’ discussion of joint counterterror-

ism activities, saudi Arabia has long been lauded for its proac-

tive efforts to combat international terror financing and money

laundering. President Obama took note of this in the meeting

and praised the Kingdom for its successful counterterrorism ac-

tions against Al-Qaeda.

Official ties between the United states and saudi Arabia date

back to when President Franklin Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz

first met and established a relationship in 1945. since then, the

countries’ partnership has experienced the continuing expan-

sion of economic, business, scientific and educational ties,

including historically high numbers of saudi students studying

in the United states at the present time.

President Barack Obama and National Security Advisor General James Jones, right, watch as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and members of the Saudi delegation depart along the South Lawn Driveway of the White House. June 29, 2010




Left to right: HRH Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud; H.E. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States (slightly back); HRH Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, General President of the General Intelligence Presi-dency; Mr. Puneet Talwar, Senior Director for Iraq, Iran & the Gulf States, NSC;Ambassador Jim Smith, US Ambassador to the United States; General Jim Jones, National Security Advisor to the President; President Barack Obama; The Honorable Robert Gates, US Secretary of Defense

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forces are the second largest NATO contin-

gent in Afghanistan after the U.s., and the

British and the Americans have borne the

brunt of the fighting, though not all of it. Cameron told troops

their “great and important work” would never be forgotten. He

also announced -- to cheers -- that the government was increas-

ing their combat allowance. And he said Britain would with-

draw “with heads held high -- just as soon as the Afghans can

take responsibility for their own security.”

His reference to this being “a vital year” in the Afghan

conflict has a note of urgency, but avoids echoing President

Obama’s insistence on a planned deadline for starting a U.s.

withdrawal. Downing street is known to be skeptical about

advertising a withdrawal timetable. However, Cameron did

say that the Atlantic alliance must move “further and faster” in

stabilizing Afghanistan. This has become the prime minister’s

mantra, as he faces growing domestic opposition to the Afghan

war with its rising toll of British deaths.

And the prime minister followed the Obama formula of

calling the Afghan conflict “not a war of choice, but a war of

necessity: not a war of occupation, but of obligation.”

The large British military presence has meant large casual-

ties. To date, 327 British military personnel have been killed in

the Afghan conflict -- 75 percent of them as a result of explod-

ing improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, the Taliban’s weapon

of choice. The U.s. military recorded 8,159 IED incidents in

Afghanistan in 2009 – a significant jump from 3,867 in 2008.

The British Labour administration had been criticized for

failing to equip the armed services for the job they were called

upon to do. During his visit Cameron announced that his

government was spending 67 million pounds ($100 million)

to counter the IED threat. The aim is to increase the size of the

Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force so as to have

specialist IED teams attached wherever UK troops are deployed

in southern Afghanistan, and to bolster the available equipment

for detecting and neutralizing the insurgent bombs.

To drive home the point of government concern over the

high mortality rate from roadside bombs, Cameron was filmed

and photographed using a metal detector and inspecting a

Dragon Runner, a hi-tech bomb disposal robot that fits into a

bag-pack already in use by the British army.

Like his two predecessors, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair,

Cameron spent the night at a British base in Helmand province,

the main battleground against the insurgent Taliban where most

of Britain’s 10,000 troops are deployed, and shared his morning

joe with a group of soldiers. A stream of British officials and

BOOST FIGHTUK TO

UK

AGAINST ROADSIDE BOMBS

By Roland Flamini

David Cameron’s first visit to

Afghanistan as prime minister in

June was a balancing act between

warm praise for British forces

and talk of an exit strategy.

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during a joint press confer-ence with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan. June 10, 2010

© Crow

n


Prime Minister David Cameron recently visited Camp Bastion and was given a demonstration by soldiers who are working to disable improvised electronic devices (IED’s) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. June11, 2010

© Crow

n


celebrities have recently visited the troops in Helmand, includ-

ing soccer player David Beckham, and Prince Charles, the heir

to the British throne.

Cameron read the assembled troops a message from the

English World Cup team’s soccer coach, Fabio Cappello,

calling him “the most important man in England.” Cappello

called the soldiers serving in Afghanistan “the real heroes,” not

the star soccer players then about to compete in South Africa.

That was certainly true; and after the ignominious defeat of

the English soccer team, more so.

Prime Minister David Cameron addresses troops afterstaying overnight in Camp Bastion in Southern Afghanistan. June 11, 2010

Traveling across Kabul by Chinook to the press conference with President Karzai. June 11, 2010

The PM visited the Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) where he relaxed with personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. June 11, 2010

The Prime Minister met Robert M. Gates, the US Secretary for Defense, at Downing Street to discuss the situation in Afghanistan before traveling there to visit the troops. June 7, 2010

© Crow

n©

Crown

© Crow

n

© Crow

n


President Barack Obama talks with Vice President Joe Biden while walking throught the Red Room of the White House on their way to meet and greet the British Prime Minister, David Cameron. July 20, 2010



AN ESTABLISHED ALLIANCEAre Anglo-American ties a “special relationship” or just a “partnershipof choice”?

standing beside British Prime Minister Cameron at

the White House in July, President Obama hailed

what he called the “truly special relationship” between

Britain and America. The two countries, he said,

shared a common heritage, a common language “most

of the time,” and common values. When the U.s.

and the U.K. stand together “our people and people

around the world are together, and they are more

secure and they are more prosperous.”

By Roland Flamini

British Prime Minister Cameron with US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden inside the White House. July 20, 2010

© Crow

n


British Prime Minister Cameron and Barack Obama walking through the White House. July 20, 2010

In The White House


It’s a relationship that

goes beyond politics,

impacting business and

culture. Confidence in

each other’s financial

institutions generates

a lot of trans-Atlantic

business. For example,

U.S. investment in the

U.K. is worth $400

billion, which is more

than in France and

Germany combined.

© Crow

n

In The White House


Lavish praise from a president who until recently has been

criticized for being indifferent towards Europe, and Britain in

particular. But U.s. presidents waxing lyrical about Anglo-

American relations when British prime ministers come calling

is a ritual designed to reassure the British that all is well in

the relationship. Only up to a point, on this occasion: Cam-

eron was continuously grilled by American senators as well as

reporters about the BP oil spill, and whether the oil giant had

played a role in the 2009 release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi from

a scottish prison, the only person convicted of the bombing of

Pan Am flight 103 in 1988.

The U.K. as a veto-wielding member of the U.N. security

Council and a key member of NATO, is useful to Washing-

ton. It provided troops for Iraq and Afghanistan, and the two

countries share intelligence. They both hold largely common

views on issues such as the possible threat of a nuclear Iran.

However, whether this amounts to a special relationship in

which U.s. bi-lateral ties with Britain matter more than ties

with Germany or France has been the subject of trans-Atlantic

debate for years, including a recent hearing by the Foreign Af-

fairs Committee of the House of Commons, and even a movie

was produced with this very topic addressed. Former British

Ambassador to the U.N., sir Jeremy Greenstock, told the Com-

mons committee “British officials don’t use the term ‘special

relationship.’ We might have to respond to it in public if it is

thrown at us by Americans, but we don’t regard it as special:

we regard it as an asset that has to be nurtured and worked at.”

still, the special relationship is not entirely the result of British

self-delusion. Whatever it’s called, that asset is the undisputed

special status Britain enjoys in Washington. What one British

official describes as “a certain weight in the system” gives the

British exceptional access, which they use to try to influence

U.s. decisions on issues of interest to themselves. Tony Blair

also tried selling the European Union the idea that the special

relationship made Britain the ideal intermediary between the

U.s. and Europe – a role the European Union didn’t appreciate

and the U.s. didn’t consider necessary. U.s. officials are less

convinced that the relationship is holy writ; they generally ar-

gue that the arrangement benefits the Brits more than the U.s.

Although, they don’t hesitate to invoke it whenever seeking

London’s help.

It’s a relationship that goes beyond politics, impacting busi-

ness and culture. Confidence in each other’s financial institu-

tions generates a lot of trans-Atlantic business. For example,

U.s. investment in the U.K. is worth $400 billion, which is

more than in France and Germany combined. London theater

productions are imported to Broadway wholesale. British tele-

vision is a source both of inspiration and actual shows for its

U.s. counterpart – more, in fact, than the reverse.

To some French politicians, the special relationship amounts

to “the Anglo-saxons” (a favorite French term) ganging up on

the rest of the world. True, the common heritage and the com-

mon language help generate trust. But British officials main-

tain that bi-lateral ties with the U.s. work best when Britain

has something to offer. 10,000 British troops – far more than

from any other ally -- didn’t deploy in a relatively safe area of

Afghanistan, with instructions not to fire unless fired upon.

They are stationed in southern Afghanistan, a hotbed of Taliban

insurgency, fighting and getting killed. “The substance of the

bi-lateral relationship is extraordinary – whether it is the invest-

ment relationship, the trade relationship or what we gain from

intelligence and military relationships,” sir David Manning,

former British Ambassador to Washington, told the Commons

committee. “There are all sorts of payoffs, but they are so be-

cause we bring something important ourselves. It is objectively

in our interest and in (U.s.) interest.”

Because it was first used by Winston Churchill in World

War II to define his relations with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the

personal rapport at the very top continues to be regarded as a

public measure of the state of relations – Maggie Thatcher and

Ronald Reagan, Tony Blair’s remarkably dexterous feat of being

close to Bill Clinton and then George W. Bush, the earlier rap-

port between Harold Macmillan and John F. Kennedy. Accord-

ing to political folklore, it was Thatcher who stiffened President

Bush sr.’s determination when he was having second thoughts

about launching Desert storm I. “Don’t go all wobbly on me

now, George,” she is reputed to have told him.

The reverse, getting off on the wrong foot and staying there,

is also true: Barack Obama and Gordon Brown – the ridicu-

lous gift of 25 DVDs that can’t be played on the British system,

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron talk on the South Lawn of the White House. July 20, 2010



the five refusals before Brown was granted a one-on-one with

Obama. All of which feeds into British sensitivity about where

they stand with their historical ally. But meanwhile, the people

lower down the food chain, the government ministers, military

officials, ambassadors and spooks are managing the relation-

ship and making it work. still, following the public perception

of a Brown-Obama debacle, Prime Minister Cameron seems

cautious about trying to establish a cozy relationship with

Obama. Let’s not get hung up on the special relationship, he

said before his U.s. trip. The alliance should be a hard headed

“partnership of choice” serving national interests on both sides.

Which, despite the rhetoric, is what has always been. Wash-

ington sources confirm David Manning’s contention that intelli-

gence swapping is an unpublicized benefit from this more than

routine bi-lateral cooperation. The U.s.-Russian spy swap in

July offered a rare public glimpse of the close working relation-

ship between the U.s. and British intelligence services. Two of

the jailed agents released by the Russians in exchange for 10

Russian spies were flown directly to the U.K., not to America.

At least one of them had been spying for Britain, and the U.s.

agreed to include them in the swap package.

The British claim – justifiably, according to knowledgeable

U.s. officials – that Tony Blair’s close ties with Washington

enabled him to initiate secret exchanges between Libyan leader

Moammar Gaddafi and Washington that eventually led to Libya

giving up its plans to produce weapons of mass destruction.

It was also the British who worked hard on the Americans to

think about a different relationship between NATO and Russia.

The result of this was the NATO-Russian Council. But U.s.-

U.K. ties have had some major setbacks since World War II.

Reagan’s friendship with, and admiration for, Thatcher did

not stop the U.s. from voting in the U.N. to censure the British

decision to confront, and eventually defeat Argentina’s invasion

of the Falkland Islands – the Malvinas to Buenos Aires. The

British government openly distanced itself from the U.s. war

in Vietnam. President Clinton’s decision to grant Jerry Adams,

leader of the pro-IRA movement sinn Fein, a U.s. visa was

bitterly – but unsuccessfully -- opposed by the British govern-

ment. The worst clash, though, was in 1956, when President

Eisenhower tried to stop Britain, France, and Israel from going

to war against Egypt to prevent President Gamal Abdel Nasser

from taking control of the suez Canal. Without U.s. support,

though, the three nations faced an impossible challenge to take

and hold the canal; and they were forced to abandon the fight.

It’s a measure of the strong ties between the two countries

that within six months it was business as usual. Prime Minister

Macmillan wrote to Eisenhower, saying: “Your government and

many of your people think we acted foolishly and precipitately

and illegally. Our government and many of our people think

you were too hard on us – and let us down. Well, that’s over

– spilt milk. Don’t let’s cry over it –still less wallow in it.” The

two leaders met in Bermuda and the special relationship – or

whatever it is -- was restored.

President Obama bids farewell to PM Cameron as he departs the White House. July 20, 2010

The Prime Minister and President Obama walking into the Oval Office. July 20, 2010

© Crow

n

© Crow

n


NEW ATTACHÉ AT THE HELM

Rear AdmiralRICHARD GREENWOOD

Rear-Admiral Richard Greenwood, Incoming Defence Attaché – Canada, and his wife Monika; Janet and Paul Bergson, Bergson & Company – Government Relations Consultants; Major-General Doug Langton, outgoing Defence Attaché -- Canada.

Rear Admiral Richard Greenwood, Defence Attaché – Canada at the Canadian Embassy Officers’ Club on August 6th 2010.


By Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas MartinEmbassy of Canada

summertime is always bitter-sweet for diplomats and

attachés throughout Washington DC. That’s because

roughly one third of the diplomatic corps changes every

summer. Friends say goodbye to colleagues from nearly

200 countries represented in the Greater DC area, and as

moving vans carry away the furniture and belongings of so

many people, more moving vans invade the city with new

diplomats.

The Canadian Embassy is no different.

In July and August, scores of Canadians made the trek

back to Canada including Major-General Doug Langton,

Canada’s Defence Attaché to the United states.

“My wife Pepper and I will miss the many new friends

we have come to know from around the world, during our

posting here,” says MGen Langton, “and of course work-

ing at the Embassy, and especially in the heart of DC, has

given us a unique view of American culture and politics.”

MGen Langton retired from the Canadian Forces after

35 years of service and moved to Canada’s capital, Ottawa.

On August 6, 2010 the Canadian Embassy’s Officers’

Club hosted a special luncheon to say farewell to MGen

Langton and his wife Pepper Mintz and to welcome

Canada’s new Defence Attaché, Rear Admiral Richard

Greenwood and his wife Monika.

More than 100 well-wishers from a dozen countries

attended the buffet lunch.

Commander Doug McDonald, Assistant Canadian

Forces Naval Attaché offered toasts to the incoming and

outgoing Defence Attachés.

“To RAdm Greenwood…I’d like to welcome you to

Washington and congratulate you on your appointment

as Canadian Forces Defence Attaché,” says Cdr McDon-

ald. “A posting here is not only a great opportunity, but

it is also a great honour to represent our country here in

Washington DC.”

D I P L O M AT I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E R LY | A U T U M N 2 0 1 0 77

By Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas MartinEmbassy of Canada

Summertime is always bitter-sweet for diplomats and

attachés throughout Washington DC. That’s because

roughly one third of the diplomatic corps changes every

summer. Friends say goodbye to colleagues from nearly

200 countries represented in the Greater DC area, and as

moving vans carry away the furniture and belongings of so

many people, more moving vans invade the city with new

diplomats.

The Canadian Embassy is no different.

In July and August, scores of Canadians made the trek

back to Canada including Major-General Doug Langton,

Canada’s Defence Attaché to the United States.

“My wife Pepper and I will miss the many new friends

we have come to know from around the world, during our

posting here,” says MGen Langton, “and of course work-

ing at the Embassy, and especially in the heart of DC, has

given us a unique view of American culture and politics.”

MGen Langton retired from the Canadian Forces after

35 years of service and moved to Canada’s capital, Ottawa.

On August 6, 2010 the Canadian Embassy’s Officers’

Club hosted a special luncheon to say farewell to MGen

Langton and his wife Pepper Mintz and to welcome

Canada’s new Defence Attaché, Rear Admiral Richard

Greenwood and his wife Monika.

More than 100 well-wishers from a dozen countries

attended the buffet lunch.

Commander Doug McDonald, Assistant Canadian

Forces Naval Attaché offered toasts to the incoming and

outgoing Defence Attachés.

“To RAdm Greenwood…I’d like to welcome you to

Washington and congratulate you on your appointment

as Canadian Forces Defence Attaché,” says Cdr McDon-

ald. “A posting here is not only a great opportunity, but

it is also a great honour to represent our country here in

Washington DC.”

DC body.indd 77 8/26/10 6:56:39 AM


“To MGen Langton,” continued Cdr McDdonald, “your lead-

ership style and openness have made for a very pleasant work

environment. You will be missed. We wish you well in your

retirement.”

Before coming to Washington, RAdm Greenwood was Direc-

tor General Maritime Equipment Program Management, the

Canadian Forces senior naval engineer. He is no stranger to the

area as he served as an exchange officer at the David Taylor Na-

val ship Research and Development Center in Carderock, MD in

the mid-1980s.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the relationships Doug

Langton has established in the past few years,” says RAdm

Greenwood. “The United states-Canada relationship is quite

unique. Our capital cities are less than 10 hours apart by car, we

are the world’s largest trading partners and our militaries have

an extraordinarily high-level of interoperability.”

That interoperability is clearly demonstrated by Canada’s

Navy with the United states Navy. The Canadian Navy has been

extremely active over the past 20 years. Global operations dur-

ing the 1990s included active duty in the first Gulf War, enforc-

ing the arms embargo in the Adriatic sea during the war in the

former Yugoslavia and international humanitarian missions.

More recently, the Navy has deployed numerous war ships

in support of efforts in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks,

deterring pirates off the coast of somalia in the Gulf of Aden

and closer to home, relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and

the earthquake in Haiti. In short, Canada’s Navy is an effective

partner in global security.

In conjunction to his duties as Defence Attaché to the United

states, RAdm Greenwood is the commander of more than

400 Canadian Forces members serving throughout the United

states as liaison and exchange officers, students on advanced

education courses and military attachés and support staff at the

Canadian Embassy.

RAdm Greenwood is Canada’s 25th Defence Attaché. The

first dates back to Air Vice Marshall H.L Campbell in October

1949. Coincidentally, RAdm Greenwood takes over Defence At-

taché duties during the Centennial year of Canada’s Navy.

Mr. Chuck Scaperotto, Boeing Corp., and Kathryn Cross, President for the State of Connecticut – American Gold Star Mothers Inc.

Vice-Admiral Carlos Gamarra, Peru; Commander Charles-Marie Matte, Canada; Rear-Admiral Mauricio Caucho, Peru; Commodore Eric Fraser, UK; Rear-Admiral Roberto Pereyra, Argentina

Captain (Navy) Richard Bergeron, Canadian Forces Naval Attaché; Captain John Stubbs, U.S. Navy; and Hal Neal, Office of Naval Intelligence

Colonel Michel Duhamel, Canadian Forces Military Attaché, Michael Colman, Deputy Chief, U.S. Defense Foreign Liaison; Major April Tunyavongs, U.S. Air Force

Graham Webber, Second Secretary Defence Strategy – UK; Christine Jutzi, Canadian Embassy; Magnus Nordenman, Associate Director, Program on International Security – the Atlantic Council of the United States; Kevin Adams, First Secretary of Defence – Canadian Embassy


Lieutenant Colonel Keith Osmond, Commanding Officer, Canadian Forces Liaison Staff (Washington), and Lieutenant-Colonel Pat McAdam, Assistant Canadian Forces Military Attaché

Captain Jaakko Savisaari, Naval Attaché - Finland, and Pepper Mintz, wife of Major-General Langton

Colonel David Erickson, Defence Cooperation Attaché – Canada; Ted Hack, General Dynamics

Lieutenant-Commander Robert D’Eon - Canada; Commander Doug McDonald, Asst. Canadian Forces Naval Attaché, Captain Jaakko Savisaari, Naval Attaché – Finland; Major Gilbert DMeza, Military Legislative Assistant to Congressman Zach Wamp (Tennessee); Captain Andrew Graham, Legislative Fellow to Congressman ‘Buck’ McKeon (California)

Lieutenant Colonel Aldo Ferrari, Argentina; Lieutenant-Colonel Diego De Las Casas, Peru; Vice-Admiral Carlos Gamarra, Peru; Captain Jose Aguayo, Mexico

Lieutenant (Navy) Suzanne Thistle presents a set of Navy Centennial marble coasters to Mr. William McKeever, Deputy Chief, Americas Division – USAF International Affairs

Left to right: Hiam Awad, Diplomatic Connections; Lorraine Martin; LCol Douglas Martin, Canadian Forces Public Affairs Attaché; Ken Martin; Alexandra Martin and Major Benoit Proulx, Staff Officer, Training and Doctrine, Embassy of Canada


Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s helicopter flies over monsoon flood waters in Punjab Province, near the city of Multan, Pakistan.

UN Photo/Evan Schneider


hile there, he met with Pakistani leaders to convey the message that the

devastation has gained international attention and to express the full support

of the United Nations and the global community.

UN Secretary-General Reacts to

Catastrophic Floodingin PakistanUN secretary-General Ban Ki-moon travelled to Islamabad

on August 15th to witness, first-hand, the impact of the

recent catastrophic flooding that unfortunately hit Pakistan.


Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) meets with Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, at the Presidential Palace in Pakistani capital, Islamabad.


Pakistanis affected by their country’s widespread, torrential floods receive wheat flour and other provisions from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Alipur, in the Muzaffargarh district of Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre, white shirt) arrives by helicopter in Sultan Colony, an encampment of people displaced by Pakistan’s heavy monsoon floods, in Punjab Province, near the city of Multan.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to a group of women in Sultan Colony, an encamp-ment of people displaced by Pakistan’s potent monsoon floods, in Punjab Province, near the city of Multan.

UN Photo/W

FP/Amjad Jam

alUN

Photo/Evan Schneider



Hussain Haroon, Pakistan’s Envoy to the UN, joined the secre-

tary-General upon his arrival and accompanied him as he was

received by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister shah Mehmood Qureshi

and Interior Minister Rehman Malik at the Chaklala military air

base near Islamabad.

The UN recently catapulted the appeal for the nations of the

world to lend a financial helping hand and contribute to the

victims of this cataclysmic event. Twenty percent of the 460

million dollars that was requested has already been collected

according to Press secretary Elisabeth Byrs of the UN Office for

the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The dona-

tions came fairly expeditiously, this being attributed to the acute

timeliness of the secretary-General’s efforts to visit Pakistan

shortly after the flood actually happened.

Us secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, joined the General As-

sembly meeting at the UN in New York subsequently to discuss

how the capital raised would be allocated for necessities that

were of imminence to the Pakistani people, for instance: the

basics - water, food, shelter, medical equipment and provisions.

This is one of the worst disasters to ever hit Pakistan. Nearly

20 million people were affected by the disaster and once the

water tapers, a more accurate assessment of the damage can

be measured. The World Health Organization expressed its

concern for the potential increase in medical care the Pakistani

citizens may require due to the diseases that may result from

the contaminated water of the flooding.

If you wish to donate, go to: www.un.org for additional

information.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Hillary Rodham Clinton,Secretary of State of the United States of America on August 19, 2010 at the United Nations in New York City after the Secretary-General’s trip to Pakistan.

Hillary Rodham Clinton (right), Secretary of State of the United States of America, meets with Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan, shortly before a General Assembly meeting on emergency relief for victims of Pakistan’s tor-rential flooding, at UN Headquarters, New York.

UN Photo/M

ark Garten

UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras


Pakistanis displaced by heavy monsoon floods cheer on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as he arrives to visit their camp in Punjab Province, near the city of Multan.

Pakistanis affected by their country’s widespread, torrential floods receive wheat flour and other provisions from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Alipur, in the Muzaffargarh district of Punjab Province.

Pakistanis affected by their country’s wide-spread, torrential floods receive wheat flour and other provisions from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Alipur, in the Muzaffar-garh district of Punjab Province.


UN Photo/W

FP/Amjad Jam

al

UN Photo/W

FP/Amjad Jam

al

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A Japanese Tea Ceremony

Tea Master Soin Sen (inset), future head of the Omotesenke family, prepares tea for Ambassador and Mrs. Fujisaki

O


n June 22nd, a new chapter was added to a cen-

turies-old story from Japan. The story is that of

chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. The chapter

is the Eastern Region, UsA chapter of Omotesenke

Domonkai tea society, the fourth U.s. chapter, which will cover

territory from New York to Florida. Its inaugural ceremony

was held at Yuyu-an tea room within the Residence of Japanese

Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, overlooking a pond of playful

carp. To conduct the ceremony, soin sen, the future head of

the Omotesenke family and the 15th descendent of the “father

of tea ceremony,” sen no Rikyu, made the journey from Kyoto,

Japan.

Omotesenke refers to one of the “three sen houses,” or san-

senke, of tea. sen no Rikyu’s grandson had three sons, each of

whom became the founder of a school of tea. In contrast with

the slightly more prevalent Urasenke, the Omotesenke school

prepares less frothy tea, leaving a foam-free “lake” in the middle

of the cup. Many practitioners point to another difference

between these two major schools of tea: the utensils. It is said

that where Urasenke wants to show off more intricate pieces,

Omotesenke values simplicity and humility in design.

Nowhere is this more evident than it was at the June 22nd

ceremony in the presence of Chigusa, a large earthen jar recent-

ly acquired by the Freer Gallery of Art and generously lent for

display at Yuyu-an tea room. Chigusa, meaning “abundance of

varieties,” possesses a rich history that is deeply entwined with

that of chanoyu. Like the tea ceremony, Chigusa first traveled to

Japan from China and it has been watching over the tea ceremo-

ny like a guardian spirit ever since, looking over the shoulder

of history’s greatest tea masters, a silent witness to significant

moments in chanoyu. In addition to the historical documents

that came with the jar, Chigusa bears the initials of four of its

legendary former owners to attest to its history. It is a history, as

Deputy Director of the Freer Gallery and recipient of the Order

of the Rising sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, Dr. James Ulak put

it, of being “admired and caressed by a who’s who of Japan’s

cultural giants.” The initials include those of tea enthusiast Ju

soho, who hosted the 1573 tea ceremony at which Chigusa and

sen no Rikyu himself crossed paths.

A fifth marking can also be found on the jar. The origin

of the character “sho,” meaning auspicious, inscribed on the

bottom of the vessel is unknown, but one would like to imag-

ine its presence at the inaugural ceremony of the Omotesenke

Domonkai’s Eastern Region, UsA chapter as an omen of a bright

future for chanoyu in the United states. At the very least, Chi-

gusa is a vessel to carry the spirit of chanoyu across the Pacific.

By Susan Laszewski

Chigusaabundance of varieties

simplicity and humility

chanoyu

Soin Senkotobuki

auspicious


Tea Master Soin Sen, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki and his wife, Yoriko, prepare for the ceremony in Yuyu-an tea room overlooking the carp-filled pond and tea garden.

Japanese Ambassador's Residence


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INTRODUCING THE

UN Photo/Marco Dormino


recently attended a dinner with some wonderful new

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By Dr. Bob Arnot

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preserving the omega 3 content. Larger

sizes fail to grind the hard shell, smaller

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As our lovely dinner ended, I pledged to help fight the scourge

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large part in.

Mila™ is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is intended for educational purposes. It is not to be construed as providing medical advice or substitution for professional services. All information provided is general and not specific to individuals. We endeavor to state the case properly and educate our associates appropriately. Lifemax © does not, in any way, represent treatment, cure or mitigation of disease. Persons experienc-ing health problems should consult a medical professional.

Please e-mail: [email protected] if you are in-

terested in knowing more about MILA or purchasing MILA.

Nutrition Comparison

8x more Omega-3than Atlantic farmed or wild salmon

6x more Calcium than milk

3x more Iron than spinach

2x more Potassium than bananas

15x more Magnesium than broccoli

2x more Fiber than bran flakes

6x more Protein than kidney beans

4x more Selenium than flax seed

9x more Phosphorus than whole milk

More Antioxidants than blueberries


Dr. Bob Arnot is a TV Emmy

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Prevention Diet, The Prostate Cancer Protection Plan, and the

The Miracle Seed is gluten–free, trans-fat free, sugar-free, high in fiber and protein, has no taste or smell and can be deliciously combined with many foods! Its supreme biological properties are not diminished by heat in the baking process, therefore making it easy to incorporate into your favorite recipes. Mila™ is a mixture of Salvia his-panica L. seed which has been carefully selected to maximize its nutritional value. The mixture is mechanically processed using a proprietary system that optimizes the bioavailability and increases its nutritional value. Nothing is added to the product – it is a pure form of Salvia hispanica L. and is simply the best available today.

T H E M I L A™ R E V O L U T I O N

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Healthy Breast Cook Book. As a

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Dr. Arnot; Carolina Gonzalez; former President Clinton Arnot


United Cerebral Palsy & Capability Scotland Celebrate Efforts to Advance Rights for People with Disabilities at British AmbassadorEmbassy Residence

EMPOWERINGDISABLEDTHE

Actor & United Cerebral Palsy Board Trustee Cheryl Hines Helps Commemorate Anniversaries of Americans with Disabilities Act & Disability Discrimination Act

H.E. Sir Nigel Sheinwald, British Ambassador to the United States and American Actress Cheryl Hines


was a perfect evening on Thursday, June 18 at the

Embassy Residence of the British Ambassador and Lady

sheinwald in Washington, DC. Leaders who are advanc-

ing rights for people with disabilities and VIPs flocked

together for an evening of celebration and to look towards a future

of life without limits for people with disabilities. United Cerebral

Palsy (UCP), a leading service provider and advocate for children

and adults with disabilities, and UCP affiliate Capability scotland,

brought this group together to commemorate the 20th anniversary of

the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 15th anniversary

of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in the United Kingdom.

The event drew quite the crowd. In addition to the hosts, British

Ambassador & Lady sheinwald, attendees included Actor and UCP

Board Trustee Cheryl Hines; Alan Dickson, Chief Executive, Capabil-

ity scotland; stephen Bennett, President & CEO, United Cerebral

Palsy; Bruce Merlin Fried, Chair, Board of Trustees, United Cerebral

Palsy; Joe stettinius, President, Cassidy Turley, the event’s Transatlan-

tic Underwriter; Linda, Jack and David Maguire; current and former

legislators; government officials; corporate leaders; advocates; mem-

bers of the media; Embassy staff and members of the United Cerebral

Palsy Board of Trustees, the majority of whom are people, or part of

family, impacted by disabilities. Also in attendance were the United

Cerebral Palsy Young Benefactors, a newly formed group of young

men and women who support, communicate and extend the vision

of Life Without Limits for people with disabilities and transform the

cause to bring this vision closer to reality.

After guests made their way

through the receiving line, they

enjoyed a garden party reception

in the first floor public rooms of

the residence, garden and pool area

while a jazz trio played in the back-

ground. Remarks were made by

the British Ambassador; Alan Dick-

It

son, Chief Executive, Capability scotland; stephen Bennett, President

& CEO, United Cerebral Palsy; and Michael Burke, Jr., Chair of the

United Cerebral Palsy Young Benefactors.

“The excitement generated at the Embassy event hosted by the

British Ambassador and Lady sheinwald is a critical step in our

global movement to achieve a Life Without Limits for people with

disabilities,” said stephen Bennett, President & CEO, United Cerebral

Palsy. “Celebrating historic pieces of civil rights legislation that radi-

cally changed the lives of all people with disabilities – the Americans

with Disabilities Act and the UK’s Disability Discrimination Act –

compound how far we have come in the last 60 years since United

Cerebral Palsy was founded. We should use the 20th and 15th

anniversaries of this legislation as benchmarks for the key landmarks

that will come next for people with disabilities. We must sustain

a movement with a single goal: ensuring a life without limits for

people with disabilities.”

Founded more than

60 years ago by parents of

children with cerebral palsy,

today UCP is a leading ser-

vice provider and advocate

for children and adults with

disabilities.

The UCP mission is to

advance the independence,

productivity and full citizen-

ship of people with dis-

abilities through an affiliate

network. This includes approximately 100 local service providers

reaching over 176,000 individuals daily in the U.s., Canada, scot-

land and Australia. The national office in Washington, DC advocates

on behalf of individuals with disabilities; advances federal disability

public policy (Disability Policy Collaboration); and develops forward-

thinking programs like Life Without Limits and My Child Without

Limits. Additional information is available at the UCP website at

www.ucp.org.

Like United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Capability scotland was

founded more than 60 years ago by parents of children with cerebral

palsy. Today, the organization campaigns with, and provides educa-

tion, employment and support services to, children and adults with

disabilities across scotland in order

that they achieve equality and have

choice and control in their lives.

Additional information is available

at the Capability scotland website

at www.capability-scotland.org.uk.

Connie Cochran, CEO of Easter Seals UCP of North Carolina; Alan Dickson, Chief Executive, Capability Scotland; Bruce Fried, United Cerebral Palsy Board of Trust-ees; Michael Burke, Sr., United Cerebral Palsy Board of Trustees; Stephen Bennett, President & CEO, United Cerebral Palsy

Ann Cody, Blaze Sports America; John Kemp; Desiree Filippone, US Olympic Committee; James Sterns, Former Chair of UCP and cur-rently President of International Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation

Actress Cheryl Hines with members of the Young Benefactors Organization

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our friendly staff is our greatest asset. they are excited about dentistry, have high standards for quality and integrity, and are motivated to achieve the best result for our family of patients. we pride ourselves on patient communication. Feedback from our patients about an experience in our office is always welcome. our dedicated staff has one primary goal - your utmost comfort! they are all able to answer any questions regarding the latest in dental care. please feel free to contact them at any time. Dr. Maqsood A. Chaudhry DDSmaqsood a. chaudhry, d.d.s. is highly experienced and qualified in the fields of general and family dentistry. His eclectic abilities range from surgical placement of implants and restorative procedures to in-stalling modernized ways of teeth straight-ening such as invisalign and ceramic Braces. with over ten years of practice in cos-metic dentistry, dr. chaudhry is exceptional in the implantations of porcelain veneers, metal free bridges, ceramic crowns, inlays and on lays, composite veneer, belly glass, and instant straightening of the teeth with bonding. He is well experienced in treatment and prevention of periodontal diseases, tempo-mandibular joint disorder, bad breath, snor-ing maladies, oral lesions (brush biopsy), and surgical management of gum disease. Using state of the art endodontic techniques and instruments allows dr. chaudhry to complete delicate surgical pro-cedures such as wisdom teeth extractions. combining technology, acuity, and meticulous handling, dr. chaudhry ensures comfort for his patients during anesthetic administration or nitric oxide sedation.

dental implants are a great way to re-place missing teeth and also provide a fixed solution to having removable partial or complete dentures. implants provide excellent support and stabil-ity for these dental appliances. dental implants are artificial roots and teeth (usually titanium) that are surgically placed into the upper or lower jaw bone by a dentist or periodontist - a specialist of the gums and supporting bone. the teeth attached to implants are very natural look-ing and often enhance or restore a patient’s smile! dental implants are very strong, stable, and durable and will last many years, but on occasion, they will have to be re-tightened or replaced due to normal wear.

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reasons for aligners:

* Reduction in general tooth decay* decreased likelihood of developing periodontal disease* decreased likelihood of tooth injury* Reduction in digestive disorders

Fortunately, orthodontic braces havebeen adapted and modified to make them more convenient for adults. there are now a wide range of fixed and removable orth-odontic devices available, depending on the precise classification of the malocclusion.

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was one of the last buildings designed by the famous

architect, stanford White who together with his firm,

McKim, Mead and White were the pre-eminent classi-

cal American architects of the late 19th and early 20th centu-

ries. The estate is one and a half hours from New York City

proper and situated directly on the picturesque Hudson River.

Marc and Chelsea have known one another since her teens.

Mr. Mezvinsky is the son of former members of Congress

~ Rep. Ed Mezvinsky, D-Iowa and Rep. Marjorie Margolies-

Mezvinksy, D-Pennsylvania. Although, they met in our nation’s

capitol, Washington, DC, they would actually become

closer friends when they both attended stanford University.

The wedding ceremony was conducted in a modern-day

mixed-fashion as Reform Rabbi James Ponet, Yale University’s

Jewish chaplain since 1981 (Mezvinsky is Jewish) and Rev.

William shillady of New York’s Park Avenue Methodist Church

(Clinton is Christian Methodist) shared in the blessing of this

union. They were married under a chuppah (literal Hebrew

meaning “covering”) , a canopy under which a Jewish bride

and groom stand while exchanging their wedding vows. It

is also commonly practiced and recommended in Judaism to

have an open sky directly above the Chuppah as it symbolizes

the blessed home the pair will build with one another. During

the ceremony friends and family recite the seven (7) traditional

ItU.S. Secretary of State,

Hillary Clinton and former

U.S. President, Bill Clinton’s

only child and daughter,

Chelsea Clinton, 29, was

wed to Marc Mezvinsky, 32,

on July 31st, 2010 in a

small, quaint upstate New

York town called Rhinebeck

at the Astor Courts estate,

a Bueaux Arts Mansion.


blessings and a Ketubah (literal Hebrew meaning “document”),

a special type of a formal wedding contract; it’s considered to

be an established intricate and necessary part of a conventional

Jewish marriage. In addition to these customs, the wedding

took place on a saturday evening just previous to the conclu-

sion of the Jewish sabbath. The groom wore a yarmulke and

prayer shawl to signify and honor his heritage.

security was at an all time high especially with Hillary Clin-

ton being the Us secretary of state under the current Obama

administration. The roads to or near the exclusive estate were

secured and a no-fly zone was implemented. Additionally, all

modern technological devices of any and all kinds were not

permitted to be used by the guests.

Chelsea wore a Vera Wang gown and Wang, an American de-

signer and family friend of the Clinton’s also attended the wed-

ding. While secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, wore a gown by

Oscar de la Renta in a rich wine-color shade.

The reception was in a stately and stylish tent magnificently

transformed into a sea of floral brilliance with blue, pink and

violet hydrangeas and roses arranged as a center piece for each

and every table where the 400 guests would be sitting. The

interior was majestic and elegant with rich fabric draperies

decorating the entire room from the ceiling to floor. The poles

supporting the tent were adorned with wreathes of luxurious

flowers. The lighting was imperative considering the recep-

tion was during the evening hours and perfectly positioned

Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State and mother of the bride (left), Dorothy Rodham, grandmother of Chelsea & mother of Hillary Clinton with Chelsea Clinton

© Barbara Kinney

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throughout the entire tent were gorgeous chandeliers radiantly

illuminating the room magically creating a soft and yet glitter-

ing ambiance.

This wedding marks a very important historical and monu-

mental time in that Chelsea’s mother, Hillary Clinton, is very

much in the political arena representing the United states in

the capacity of secretary of state continuously meeting with

World Leaders and Foreign Dignitaries around the globe. And

her father, former President of the United states, Bill Clinton, is

still very much in the public eye in that he is continuously and

selflessly helping in a variety of humanitarian causes, especially

one near and dear to his heart, Haiti, as he’s the United Nations

special Envoy for Haiti.

This wedding will rank and be recorded as one of the most

noteworthy and highly significant historical social events not

just in America but around the world in the 21st century. It

will interest and fascinate people universally for generations

to come.

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Finnish Embassy Becomes

to Win Environmental Certification

“It’s not easy being green . . . but it’s worth the effort!”

H.E. Pekka Lintu, Ambassador of Finland to the United States


KJames A. Winship, Ph.D.

ermit’s song might be a parable for the environmental

movement in the United states and across the globe. It’s

not easy being green because it requires people to change

their energy and resource use habits . . . and, besides, who knows

whether all this concern about global warming, pollution, re-

source depletion and carbon footprints is for real or not? Change

might have been the theme of the last presidential election in

the United states, but the global economic slowdown has scared

people into thinking that change is something they’re not sure

they want to make.

If environmental change is going to come it requires pioneers

– people and institutions who are willing to make change them-

selves in order to provide models for the rest of us. And that is

exactly where the Embassy of Finland on Massachusetts Avenue

has decided to take the lead.

The modernistic Finnish embassy built in 1994 is a rectangu-

lar steel building placed so deeply on its odd shaped lot, wedged

between Massachusetts Avenue and Fulton street on the verge

of Normanstone Park, that it almost disappears into the trees.

Inside the structure the spaces are vast and open, and the back

wall of the building is made almost entirely of glass such that

the boundary between indoors and outdoors virtually disap-

pears. Transparency, a fundamental principle of the Finnish

government, provides a thematic link between the structure and

its official functions. Natural light on blond wood and chrome

creates a lightness that makes the building almost seem to float in

its natural environment.

By its appearance no embassy in Washington could look more

environmentally appropriate for its setting, and by analogy it

would be easy to assume that the Finnish embassy was the very

model of ecological correctness. And that assumption would

have been wrong. Not that the building was an energy eating,

carbon spewing monster, but there was room for improvement . .

. lots of improvement.

For decades the Muppets character, Kermit the Frog, has entertained

the children of the world with his persistent identity crisis. Being

a talking frog in a human world, not to mention being green, is a

struggle . . . and it’s sometimes painful. But Kermit’s plaintive song

reflects a voyage of discovery and growing self-confidence: “I’m green

and it’ll do fine. It’s beautiful. And, I think that’s what I want to be.”

This photo was taken at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C. The image reflects how the country of Finland has truly incorporated the concept of establishing a truly "green" environment. Behind the Ambassador is an entire wall that is constructed of all glass that looks out upon the gorgeous woodlands that are still currently preserved right in the center of the city. The structure of the building lends itself to a very atrium kind of atmosphere and gives an unrestricted, peace-ful feeling of being close to nature.


The embassy staff committed to reexamining their “built”

environment with the goal of bringing it into conformity with the

newest standards of environmental responsibility and sustainabil-

ity for existing buildings. Electricity use was cut more than fifty

percent and natural gas consumption was reduced by sixty-five

percent. By cutting its energy demands and saving resources such

as water and paper, the embassy is now preventing greenhouse

gas emissions equivalent to the energy consumption of ninety

average American households.

Finnish Ambassador Pekka Lintu has described the project

as giving the embassy and Finland’s diplomatic representatives

“street credibility that will, I believe, help my country to promote

her environmental agenda here in Washington. We practice what

we preach.” In the process, the embassy is being a good neighbor

to the surrounding community, setting the example that investing

in green technology results in long-term savings, supporting the

creation of green jobs, the transition to a greener global economy,

and increasing awareness of how global environmental issues can

become local energy and resource saving initiatives.

As acknowledgment of the embassy’s accomplishments it has

received “Energy star” certification from the Environmental Pro-

tection Agency identifying it as among the top twenty-five percent

of facilities in the United states in energy efficiency. Earlier this

year the embassy also achieved the U.s. Green Building Council’s

Leadership in Energy and Environmental [LEED] certification.

Appropriately, the LEED Gold

plaque presented to Ambas-

sador Lintu was fabri-

cated from recycled

glass bottles.

If embas-

sies are icons of

their country’s

spirit and policy

initiatives, then

ambassadors are

the personification of that spirit and those policies. Pekka Lintu

has been the Ambassador of Finland to the United states since

January 2006 and previously served as Finland’s Ambassador

to Japan for six years. It was there that he met his wife Laurel

Colless, a New Zealander working in Tokyo at the time. Much of

his diplomatic career has been focused on trade issues represent-

ing Finland at the 133-Trade Policy Committee of the European

Union and in that capacity participating in the World Trade Orga-

nization’s Doha Development Round.

Ambassador Lintu shares his country’s love for sports and fit-

ness, but there is an artistic side as well. Few other ambassadors

can say that they are the translators of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano

de Bergerac from the original French in Finnish, all the while

retaining the original’s rhyming verse scheme. It was that play

that introduced the word “panache” into the English vocabulary,

referring to Cyrano’s way with words and his persuasive skills,

not to mention a flare for the dramatic.

And that is the way that Pekka Lintu represents his country

in diplomacy – with great confidence, quiet but focused energy,

the courage of his country’s views, thoughtful fervor, a zest for

entertaining, and just a touch of personal verve . . . that is with a

soupçon of panache.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you very much ambas-

sador for letting us come to the embassy and sit down with you

for a few minutes today. It’s always a privilege. The embassy has

gone green. You’ve received the Energy star rating awarded by

the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] for meeting strict

energy performance standards, and you’ve received the LEED

[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certification of-

fered by the U.s. Green Buildings Council. Why did you decided

to undertake this green project?

Ambassador Lintu: Four reasons I would say. First of all,

environmental issues and climate change are important in my

country’s agenda, domestically, but also here in the Us and glob-

ally. so this is why we do this, it is important. secondly, people

like the architecture and they appreciate the way the building fits

into the surrounding nature and they think that this must be a

green building. since it was not built as one, I thought it really

deserved to become a green building. Thirdly, we wanted to be

a good corporate citizen in Washington, D.C. Fourth, it made

good economic sense for us. We are saving money by being

green and by being more energy efficient.

Diplomatic Connections: Has there been a great deal of

interest from other embassies in following your model?

Interview with the Ambassador of Finland to the United States – H.E. Pekka Lintu

Dr. James Winship of Diplomatic Connections interviewing Ambassador Lintu


Ambassador Lintu: I know that there are several embassies

which are at one stage or another of taking a similar path. To

speak about our experiences we organized a meeting here at our

embassy for all the embassies together with the state Department.

We invited everybody. We had about sixty or seventy embassies,

and they came here to ask us questions. We also introduced them

to our partners - the Us Green Building Council, the EPA, and

the Chicago Climate Exchange - and they told the audience what

they can do in order to help them. so, of course, we think that it

would be good if there would be more and more embassies going

green in the future.

Diplomatic Connections: What were some of the things

you actually did, some of the changes that have resulted in these

high ratings and the accompanying savings?

Ambassador Lintu: First, we started with rather common

sense things, which were not that sophisticated in the beginning

because quite clearly we saw that we were using way too much

energy. so, the first things were to check what we could do with-

out disrupting our operations too much, regulating the use of our

heating, our lighting and our water consumption. We switched

to using these systems only when we needed them and not run-

ning them all the time. Then from there, we developed more and

more sophisticated energy management systems and retro-fitted

equipment to dramatically improve energy efficiency. We were

able during a few years time to cut down our energy consumption

by more than half in this building.

Diplomatic Connections: Was making all these changes and

achieving certification a painful process?

Ambassador Lintu: I wouldn’t say so. You could say that

there was a lot of paper work to fill in because the building has so

many systems, but I wouldn’t say it was painful and I don’t think

that it has made our work here more difficult in any way. I think

that, on the contrary, by thinking through this process we have

found ways of both being more efficient and also enjoying the

environment we work in more.

Diplomatic Connections: And are you a model not just

for the embassies here in Washington? Is there a similar policy

in Helsinki for public buildings? Are they trying to go greener as

well?

Ambassador Lintu: As a matter of principle the Finnish

government says that this is what we should do. How we are

accomplishing the goals varies depending on the place. The

LEED certification system is an American system, and in Europe

there are other certification systems. Even in Finland there is one

which we are following but it is not exactly the same as the LEED

system is here.

Diplomatic Connections: How does this microcosm, if you

will, this little world of greening the embassy translate into the

larger diplomatic issues of environmental politics ~ the Kyoto

Treaty as well as cap and trade systems? What is Finland’s posi-

tion on several of these broad environmental initiatives to reduce

carbon emissions?

Ambassador Lintu: Finland’s position is largely formulated

as part of the European Union policy, because as you know the

European Union is a leading activist in this case. Finland does

her own share but that is part of first formulating EU policy and

then implementing it. Our objectives, our targets, our policies

are part of the bigger EU policy which has been very much for-

ward looking in the last two years.

Diplomatic Connections: The embassy building is actu-

ally engaged in carbon trading to offset your remaining carbon

footprint at this point. How does that work?

Ambassador Lintu: The embassy has become a zero emis-

sions activity site, and to accomplish that we are members of

the Chicago Climate Exchange. There is always some carbon

footprint remaining even though we try to be cleaner and cleaner.

There is also the carbon footprint left by our business travels.

What we have committed ourselves to doing is that as a member

of the CCX we are paying to offset these remaining emissions.

so whatever emissions we have here are reported yearly to the

Chicago Climate exchange. They calculate how much we should

then pay to offset these carbon emissions. That money is then

used for environmental progress somewhere else. so the net ef-

fect then becomes carbon neutral.

I was just visiting Chicago a few weeks ago and I also visited

the CCX, and I asked, “Where is our money going now and

why?” I found out that we are supporting projects in India.

Diplomatic Connections: It is helpful when people see that

there is a link between their contribution and a specific project, as

opposed to just the general efforts in environmental progress.

Ambassador Lintu: I think it’s good for the ownership

thinking.


and things should continue to improve a little next year as well.

Basically, our economy has been in good shape and it has been a

very competitive economy for a long time. At first we thought we

might just weather the storm, but it has been a severe disturbance

for us.

Once the global crisis became big enough and our interna-

tional markets started to decline, we began to feel the pinch. Our

exporting companies started to lose the market and investment

flows were drying up. so we came to a halt quite suddenly and

last year was quite difficult.

I would still say that the basic structures of our economy are

quite solid. But we will need an orderly international recovery so

the trade and investment mechanisms can start to work.

Diplomatic Connections: Do you think that the Euro sector

can survive? Can the Euro survive? This is the first real test that

the Euro is in a serious down turn.

Ambassador Lintu: The Euro is down, and that has been an

additional challenge now with the news coming from Greece as

well as some other countries. That shows me that there are some

challenges that we have to think more carefully about, and this

is what our political leaders have been doing for several months

already. I think that they have come out with rather strong an-

swers, but it will certainly take some time to get back to where we

were. It is perhaps a bit harder to restore confidence than people

expected when the monetary union was created.

Diplomatic Connections: Let’s return to the energy ques-

tion but in a different way. We’ve seen the return of Russia to an

increased position of power after its lowest ebb following the col-

lapse of the soviet Union. Finland imports a good deal of natural

gas and electrical capacity from Russia but there is also a newly

stated policy of becoming self sufficient in electrical generating.

Does that mean that Finland is about to go nuclear in its power

generation? And how does that decision mesh with your green

emphasis?

Ambassador Lintu: Well yes it is true, we are importing a lot.

We are importing not only gas and electricity but also oil from

Russia. That is because we don’t have any hydrocarbon resources

of our own so we have to import everything. We don’t have very

much energy resources indigenous to us, the only thing that we

have abundantly is bio-mass, that means wood, and we are us-

ing a lot of that. so that means that our portfolio in renewable

energies is rather big compared to other countries because we are

using bio-mass, but that’s about it. We don’t have a lot of hydro;

we don’t have a lot of wind, yet.

so we have to find a solution if we want to be serious with

our obligations to cut down on emissions. That is why we have

seen that nuclear energy for us is the means, at least for the time

Diplomatic Connections: speaking of ownership, let’s bring

these issues down to the immediate Washington, D.C. metropoli-

tan area. The embassy recently sponsored an event that put the

problems of the Chesapeake Bay alongside the problems of the

Baltic sea. How are the two bodies of water similar, and what

lessons might be drawn from trying to reduce the pollution that

threatens both?

Ambassador Lintu: That was part of the question that we

posed ourselves, so what is similar? What would be the best

practices that we could learn from each other? The similarities

are that both areas are in-land seas. In each case you have several

states, the littoral units, literally bordering the sea and forming

the watershed that drains into it. In your case they are states, in

our case they are nation-states. We are nine nation-states around

the Baltic sea, and in your case there are six states plus D.C. so

what is needed is cooperation by all of these parties.

A third crucial issue is that both are in trouble. And that is

precisely because these are inland seas. That means that the

water does not flow as freely as it does in an ocean without these

close boundaries. We may be in even more trouble in the Baltic

sea because it is also rather shallow. Research shows that the wa-

ter in the Baltic sea changes only every twenty-five years, so it is

a very slow process. Everything, all kinds of pollution, accumu-

lates and concentrates there.

Diplomatic Connections: We both share concerns with

things like agricultural runoff.

Ambassador Lintu: Yes, that is a big factor in both areas.

And there are other pollution sources. Urbanization around the

area, new development areas and the changing landscape all im-

pact the water quality and the marine life in these inland seas. I

found this session very useful. All that we heard was not positive,

but there is growing public awareness of the risks we face and a

recognition that we have to do something.

Diplomatic Connections: Certainly as people look at the

declining crab population and the oyster populations in the

Chesapeake Bay it brings environmental concerns home in a very

personal way. The richness of the Bay was so much a part of

people’s economic and social life that it was taken for granted for

much too long.

Turning to some larger questions, Finland like the United

states has experienced the global economic slowdown in severe

ways. If I am reading the reports correctly you have actually had

negative GDP growth this year. How is Finland trying to deal

with these issues within the limits of the European Union but also

within the possibilities of the EU?

Ambassador Lintu: Well, to be precise I think that we had

negative growth last year. But this year we are in positive growth


being. This is why we are basing part of our energy needs on

nuclear. And that means that if the parliament approves new

nuclear power plants, then we could become a self-sufficient state

in electricity. We will not be importing on a continuous basis. so,

yes, we are depending on nuclear energy for the time being.

Diplomatic Connections: Has the nuclear waste issue

entered in to the discussion at all from the point of view of the

green environmental concerns about how it’s handled?

Ambassador Lintu: We have legislation in place that says

clearly that we can neither export nor import nuclear waste. That

means that we have to take care of it ourselves. And there is a

plan which also has come to the legislative process to deposit the

nuclear waste in the bedrock. That facility is under construction

and should be ready in 2020. It is located in the vicinity of our

biggest power plant in western part of Finland, and it is about

1.5 miles into the bedrock. We think that is safe because our

bedrock is very solid and we don’t have any movement. Then,

of course, we have to make new decisions and see whether new

licenses are approved. But this basic capacity of waste deposit

should take care of what we have currently and what we are now

about to approve.

Diplomatic Connections: It’s fascinating to see that the

return of nuclear power to the world stage after the fears that

were generated by the disaster at Chernobyl and the accident

at Three Mile Island here in the United states. For a long time

people were quite leery of nuclear power. suddenly it’s back on

the drawing board in a very, very big way. And, of course, France

has generated over 40% of its electricity with nuclear for a very

long time.

Ambassador Lintu: We have already some 30 years of

experience, and the reliability of our nuclear plants has been very

good.

Diplomatic Connections: Let us turn to some more specific

foreign policy questions. The first one, because obviously it’s

important to readers here in the United states, is Finland’s role

in the Afghan effort and the international security force. Could

you tell us a bit about the size of that effort and how it works

alongside the presence of the United states in Afghanistan? How

you might see the future playing out? How long will Finland stay

in Afghanistan?

Ambassador Lintu: We are one of the 46 countries which

form the IsAF [International security Assistance Force], and to

Inside the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Lintu standing on the very modern-looking, grand staircase that leads from the entrance of the building to the elegant event space where many diplomatic and cultural receptions are held.


look back Finland already has more than fifty years of experi-

ence in international peacekeeping. These days you speak not

only about peacekeeping but also about crisis management, so

this is a crisis management operation under NATO. This is one

of our biggest missions; we have another one which is rather big

in Kosovo, also under NATO. International crisis management

is a continuing part of the Finnish international effort not only in

military terms but in civilian affairs as well.

I could say that in Afghanistan, Finland has a three-pronged

approach. One is that we have the IsAF troops which total less

than 200 altogether. Then we have the civilian side including

the EUROPOL [European Police Office]. We have a rather big

share of that effort with almost thirty officers there already, which

makes us one of the biggest contributors. Not long ago, I’d like

to add, a Finnish person was named commander of EUROPOL.

And then we have our aid package which is considerable by

Finnish standards.

What we anticipate to happen of course is the same as ev-

erybody who is participating. IsAF expects to contribute to the

Afghan state by helping to reestablish security and stability of the

country in order to turn it back over to the Afghanis themselves.

How long will that take? We don’t know. We haven’t set any

time limit to our own IsAF participation, but that will be reevalu-

ated constantly. We strongly believe in this cooperation, and we

think that all three elements of it are important.

Diplomatic Connections: Recently the newspapers carried

headline stories about billions of dollars of mineral wealth in Af-

ghanistan. Knowing that this mineral wealth is there and getting

at it are two different questions. One of Finland’s great specialties

has been the development of mineral resources. Does Finland

see a role for itself in the development of mineral resources in

Afghanistan?

Ambassador Lintu: It’s certainly too early to say anything

about that but one basic factor is certain, we are interested in

supporting elements in the Afghan economy that could help

them to develop themselves.

Diplomatic Connections: Historically as people looked

at Finland, they learned about Finland as a neutral power, as

much by the necessities of geographic proximity to Russia and

the soviet Union as by choice. Finnish policy documents refer to

a policy of “active neutrality.” How does that idea translate into

foreign policy? How does Finland see its diplomatic role in post

Cold-War Europe?

Ambassador Lintu: Our foreign policy has always adapted

itself to the country’s needs and to the circumstances. During the

Cold War, it was the appropriate policy to stay neutral as it was

for many other countries in Europe. However, since the Cold

War has been over and Finland joined the EU, we don’t speak

about neutrality anymore. In the strict sense of the word, we are

not neutral anymore because we are a member of the European

Union. But we are still militarily non-allied because we are not a

member of any military alliances.

Diplomatic Connections: But Finland is a member of the

Partnership for Peace, related to NATO, and you have been very

active in the OsCE [Organization for security and Cooperation

in Europe] as it has developed. Before that, Finland was active in

formulating and gaining acceptance of the Helsinki Accords and

subsequently in the formation of the CsCE. How does Finland

fit into these structures, to use the technical term, the security

architecture, of Europe? How do you balance the principle of

non-alignment with involvement with NATO, the OsCE, and

the possibility of a common defense policy within the EU in the

future?

Ambassador Lintu: First of all, NATO and OsCE are quite

different types of organizations. NATO is a political-military

alliance and OsCE is rather an organization for improving the

security and promoting democracy of human rights in Europe.

so, their memberships are quite different; OsCE has twice the

number of members. Finland is not a member of NATO, though

we are working in close cooperation with them. We maintain the

option to become a member one day if it is deemed appropriate,

but for the time being this is not the case.

We are members of the OsCE. Although, that is a different

type of organization. It is a larger process and it seeks larger solu-

tions to the European security. We just held the chairmanship of

the OsCE back in 2008.

Diplomatic Connections: Before departing, Mr. Ambassa-

dor, we have to note that a substantial majority of your profes-

sional staff here at the embassy are women.

Ambassador Lintu: I mean if you think of Finland today I

think that maybe that is something you can note in your article,

that is what Finland is. We have a female president, we are go-

ing to have a female prime minister in a couple of days and the

majority of the cabinet members are women.

It is not only because of the numbers, but I happen to believe

that the large number of women in Finland’s work force is very

much behind our success in many areas like education, welfare

and society. Much of that success comes from women having

ownership and fully participating in society.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, Ambassador Lintu.


mbassador Miceli-Farrugia is also the founding

partner with Marchese Piero Antinori of the bou-

tique Meridiana Wine Estate in the exotic Mediter-

ranean archipelago of Malta. He recently explained

the birth of his passion for winegrowing.

Diplomatic Connections: Mark, how did a diplomat like you

get involved in winemaking?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: It was really the other way

around. I was already a winemaker when I was offered the oppor-

tunity to practice my second passion – diplomacy – on graduating

from Malta’s Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic studies. My

passion for winemaking dates back to 1985 when I was market-

ing Italian wines and met a French oenologist who enquired: “You

must make good wine in Malta?” I looked at him cynically. Malta

then produced lackluster wines. He persisted: “There are essen-

tially six factors that determine wine-making. Malta already has

them or can acquire them.”

Diplomatic Connections: What were these factors?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: “You come from the Mediter-

ranean wine zone which produces some 65% of the world’s wines.

Good wines are made north of Malta in sicily, south - in Lampe-

dusa, and west - in Tunisia. secondly, you must have soil, and

wine doesn’t require a particularly rich soil. Thirdly, it is neces-

sary to plant suitable wine-grape varieties. Certain Mediterranean

islands make ‘wine’ out of table grapes – eating grapes. since eating

Winemaking ConnectionsMalta

grapes do not possess adequate sugar-acidity ratios, these produc-

ers first supplement their wines with sugar, then tartaric acid, and

often dispense with grapes altogether.

Diplomatic Connections: What about the other factors?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: The fourth factor is viticulture:

the need to husband and train one’s vines on trellises – man-made

supports. I mentioned that Maltese farmers never trellised their

vines due to the strong winds gusting over the islands’ relatively

flat landscapes. Vine-trellising is essential to reduce humidity

and avoid disease. Besides, all vineyards are affected by winds.

The solution is to plant one’s vines in the direction of the prevail-

ing wind. The first vines will protect those behind them….Even

more important though, is the fifth point: “vinification technol-

ogy.” Temperature-controlled fermentation is costly but permits the

production in central Mediterranean islands not only of excellent,

robust, red wines but also of the more

delicately flavored white wines.

Diplomatic Connections: And what

about the sixth point?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: The

sixth point is ‘The luck of the year’.

Firstly, damaging strong winds are rarely

experienced during the flowering season.

secondly, with having a favorable climate,

we don’t face ruinous frost or hail during

An interview with H.E. Mark Miceli-Farrugia, Malta’s Ambassador to the United States of America.Sophia Backlund

Sophia Backlund

Sophia Backlund

Josette, Chris and Ambassador Mark Miceli-Farrugia

Fenici Wines shortly to be launched in Washington DC

the harvests: we can easily pick grapes in the peak of summer.

Therefore, one will also enjoy good quality of fruit.”

Diplomatic Connections: so, the idea was sown?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Yes, the idea was sown, but I

needed to confirm the project’s feasibility. This I obtained through

a Maltese oenologist – Roger Aquilina - who had studied winemak-

ing with Germany’s best – in Geisenheim. Roger, who subsequent-

ly became our oenologist, explained why Malta had never seriously

developed its winemaking potential. Prior to our entry into the

EU, Malta’s winemaking sector had lacked the all-essential regula-

tory framework. We, therefore, set out to test our Frenchman’s

theory and successfully grew 10 different varieties grafted onto

three different rootstocks on a small piece of land loaned to us.

Diplomatic Connections: And the rest is history?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Almost. In 1989, we success-

fully tendered for a lovely piece of agricultural land – 47 acres (19

hectares) – flanking what had been a World War II fighter air base

at Ta’ Qali, the center of Malta’s main island. However, we still

needed the critical start-up capital – 3 million dollars - to build

our farmhouse winery at the heart of our vineyard. And our finan-

ciers were as skeptical about Malta’s winemaking potential as I had

been originally. The only way we finally got the project going –

five years later in 1994 – was when a respected friend and pioneer

in his own right – Marchese Piero Antinori of Tuscany agreed to

put both his capital and technical support behind our project. We

planted the white varietals - Chardonnay, Vermentino, and Viog-

nier - and the red varietals – Cabernet sauvi-

gnon, Merlot and syrah. We organized a

succession of wine-tastings at our

w i n e r y to promote our mission

statement: “World-Class Wines of

M a l t e s e Character” - internation-

ally acclaimed wines grown exclusively in Malta. And then, yes, the

rest was history.

Diplomatic Connections: Did the market take to your wines

immediately?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: To our astonishment, the more

upscale customers bought out our first vintage in weeks. They were

clearly motivated by a sense of national pride as well as product

satisfaction. Progressively, as government drew up regulations in

conformity with the EU, the whole winemaking sector converted to

the new quality-oriented philosophy.

Diplomatic Connections: But why would Marchese Piero

Antinori - already owning several wineries throughout Italy and

the New World - be interested in investing in a relatively unknown

winemaking country like Malta?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: For two reasons essentially:

firstly, because every wine zone produces wines possessing their

unique character. A chardonnay grown in Malta will have a dif-

ferent consistency to one grown in Burgundy, Tuscany or the Napa

Valley. secondly, because Marchese Piero was convinced that

Malta’s climate was more favorable to quality viniculture than tradi-

tional winegrowing areas.

Diplomatic Connections:

Why did you choose the name

‘Meridiana’?

Ambassador Miceli-Farru-

gia: For marketing purposes,

I believed that it was neces-

sary to put our wine estate on

the international wine map.

‘Meridiana’ means ‘south of

Europe.’ Furthermore, ‘Meridi-

ana’ also means sundial in Latin;

hence, the sundial logo embodied

in Meridiana’s façade.

Diplomatic Connections: What inspired you to name your

wines Isis, Bel…..?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Marketing considerations

dictated this. Now that we had, thanks to the name of Meridiana,

put Malta on the southern European map, we needed to project

Malta’s distinctive character. And Malta is distinguished amongst

its European partners by its unique semitic language – a language

bequeathed to us by the Phoenician traders who dominated the

Mediterranean between 1,000 – 200 BCE. Hence Isis – the Phoeni-

cian goddess of navigators, Bel - the Phoenician god of Fertility. In

fact, the name Fenici pays tribute to the Phoenicians who originally

spread winemaking culture throughout the Mediterranean.

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Diplomatic Connections: However, not all of your names

represent Phoenician deity, do they – Nexus, Mistral?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Yes, you’re right. I needed

names that were as pronounceable as they were original and

identifiable. And I was eventually obliged to resort to names of

fantasy. Nexus represents the marriage between Malta’s Old World

geographical location and Meridiana’s New World vinicultural

technology, Mistral is inspired by the prevailing cool, North West-

erly wind which favors wine-growing on our islands. We explain

these names on our website: www.meridiana.com.mt

Diplomatic Connections: As you yourself stated, here in

Washington you are practicing your other passion – diplomacy. In

the meantime, who’s looking after your first passion in Malta?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Thankfully, I have a team of

committed, equally passionate staff overseeing Meridiana. I’m

obviously in regular communication with them.

Diplomatic Connections: Is it true that your wines are repre-

sented in Washington?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Yes, Meridiana has just shipped

its first order to a fine wines store in DC and one can find further

information concerning where to obtain our wines on our website.

This first shipment consists of Fenici White (Vermentino & Viog-

nier) and Fenici Red (syrah & Merlot). In due course - subject to

availability - we may also ship some out of our other wines as well.

Diplomatic Connections: I’ve heard you refer to the similari-

ties of conducting diplomacy and marketing wine. What do you

mean exactly?

Ambassador Miceli-Farrugia: Few people in North America

know much about Malta. Whether you are conducting diplomacy

or marketing wine, you are constantly seeking to convey two mes-

sages to your publics. On the one hand, you are trying to help

them identify with you by focusing on similarities in values and

cultures – our people’s struggle for political freedom and the rule

of law; our businessmen’s quest for product quality. On the other

hand, you are trying to generate interest by highlighting appeal-

ing differences. The diplomatic challenge is to demonstrate what

makes Malta so unique to American legislators or businessmen:

our central Mediterranean location serves to bridge the EU with

North Africa. Likewise, the winemaker’s challenge is to spotlight

what makes Maltese wine stand out from the competition: our

central Mediterranean climate characterizes our agricultural pro-

duce with unparalleled flavor!

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, Ambassador Miceli-

Farrugia.



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With 188 guest rooms and only 10 on

each floor, the Elysian ensures you will

receive not only privacy during your stay,

but also expansive accommodations

averaging 890 square feet. Each guest

room and suite has been furnished with

classic pieces that have a modern inter-

pretation: king-size beds are lined with

460-thread count Rivolta Carmignani

Italian linens, and bathrooms feature

both a soaking tub and separate shower

with white Carrara marble and dual

vanities with LCD televisions. To relax,

cozy up next to the fireplace in the

sitting room or enjoy an alfresco after-

noon on the private, furnished terrace

overlooking the bustling Gold Coast.

In addition to your comfort, your

privacy is of utmost priority; our

European style courtyard and secure

underground hotel entrance ensure

discreet arrival and departure.

As an amenity to our guests, a private

fleet of BMW automobiles provides

local transportation upon request.

this page, clockwise from top left: guest suite terrace; courtyard fountain; wet bar in each room; european style courtyard; one of many bmws available; oversized bathrooms. opposite: lobby.

the elysian

executive suite

premier gold coast suite

premier gold coast suite

deluxe king

The cuisine at the Elysian will surely

impress even the most discerning

palates. Balsan, named after Coco

Chanel’s original financier, is a casual

yet elegant dining spot focused on

seasonal items from local artisanal

farms and serves breakfast, lunch, light

dinner and late-night bites. Ria kicks it

up a notch as Elysian’s signature dinner

spot, featuring global influences and an

emphasis on the freshest ingredients

from around the world. And you can

always start or spend your evening

at Bernard’s bar, featuring creative

cocktails inside a leather and wood

“member’s only” style bar. Don’t worry

— here, everyone is a member. Private

dining rooms are also available for

cuisine and conversation.

Escape from the stress of everyday

life with a relaxing retreat inside the

Elysian’s Spa & Health Club. Spanning

a spacious 14,000 square feet, the spa

and health club features a mosaic-tiled

lap pool, private treatment rooms,

Pilates and Gyrotonics studio, and

a men’s atelier. At the Elysian, we

believe that each treatment should be

a purposeful experience that will leave

you feeling delighted and restored.

Let our expertly-trained therapists and

specialists help you select a holistic

treatment tailored to your needs.

From sophisticated wedding receptions

to stately business meetings, the

Elysian’s four private spaces are perfect

for any function, with each room

displaying the signature 1920’s elegance

and glamour. If business is your

pleasure, the Fitzgerald Boardroom,

which comfortably accommodates up

to 12 people, is the ideal escape from

the daily doldrums of the office.

Faulkner and Hemingway — with their

floor-to-ceiling windows — are also

available to host smaller gatherings

and meetings in a variety of configura-

tions. The Sinclair Ballroom is perfect

for any type of occasion — it can hold up

to 270 for a reception, 160 for a banquet

or 130 for a dinner with a dance floor.

this page, clockwise from top left: elysian spa & health club mosaic-tiled lap pool, sinclair ballroom, ria, balsan, and fitzgerald boardroom.

11 east walton, chicago

312.646.1300

elysianhotels.com

11 east walton chicago t 312 646 1300 elysianhotels .com

some say travel is not what it used to be. we look forward to proving otherwise.

Once, hotels were synonymous with a style of life as it

should be lived. Today, one of these landmarks stands at

the corner of Rush and Walton, carrying with it 188

expansive guest suites, a European-style courtyard,

two distinctive restaurants and an incomparable

spa and health club. And a hotel stay is once again

remarkable. To arrange a stay at Chicago’s newest

hotel, kindly contact us or your travel professional.

Do you live an InterContinental life?

THE WORLD MEETS AT THE BARCLAY

Since 1926, we have catered to presidents, dignitaries and visitors from around the world. For

unsurpassed hospitality there’s only one place to be. InterContinental New York Barclay.

For delegation travel and diplomatic events, please contact:

Nicole McClure, Director of Diplomatic Affairs

212-906-3267

[email protected]

www.intercontinentalnybarclay.com

©2010 InterContinental Hotels Group. All rights reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and/or operated.

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diplomatic connections autumn 2010

Documents

world cupangelina jolie

british embassy

japanese embassy

dutch embassy

canadian embassy

embassy row

floornew york

united nations