Bray foreign affairs portfolio

The
Foreign
Area Officer
Program at DLI
Joint FAO Course, International Relations
and Regional Topics
W. Patrick Bray, U.S. Army Public Affairs

[ 2 ]
Lt. Col. Landale on Special Operations
Within a Country Team
FAO Program Guest Speaker Series
By W. Patrick Bray
LT. COL. GORDON LANDALE from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey
spoke to Foreign Area Officers in language training at the Defense Language Insti-
tute Foreign Language Center March 15 about U.S. Army Special Operations and
how it can work within a country team to advance U.S. priorities.
A country team is the foundation of a U.S. Embassy and includes many inter-
agency personnel to promote diplomacy abroad. Some country teams are further
augmented by the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. Special operations,
which include U.S. Army Special Forces, Psychological Operations and Civil Af-
fairs, can bring even more capabilities to the team, according to Landale.
Landale, with special operations experience in various theaters and joint task
force duties with NATO, began his 21-year career as an infantry officer before go-
ing to Special Forces selection in 2001. During the qualification course he trained
in a mock embassy, but it would take 15 years before he stepped foot into a real
embassy in Tajikistan.
“Without the Defense Attaché, I would not have known what to expect,” said
Landale, speaking about the importance of interoperability.
U.S. Government agencies along with the departments of State and Defense
must collaborate to achieve U.S. priorities in a given country under the Integrated
Country Strategy – the ambassador’s multi-year plan that articulates those priori-
ties.
Peacetime engagements by special operations go hand-in-hand with the diplo-
matic relationships built by FAOs. Special operations has a diverse portfolio and
are used for a variety of purposes during peacetime to identify and resolve pending
W. PATRICK BRAY is a U.S. Army Civilian Public Affairs Specialist reporting
on the Foreign Area Officer Program at the at the Defense Language Institute
Foreign Language Center. He holds a Master of Science in International Relations
with a concentration in Asia Regional Affairs from Troy University, Alabama.

[ 3 ]
crises or conflicts. Many of the conflicts
occur in parts of the world plagued by
disease, starvation, poverty and civil
strife.
Though they have regional respon-
sibilities, special operations troops must
notify the embassy before conducting
missions in a foreign country unless
there is a designated operation, such as
Enduring Freedom. For Landale, FAOs
helped close the gap in Tajikistan be-
tween the country team and special op-
erations.
Landale is a defense analysis gradu-
ate at NPS and the director of the Com-
mon Operational Research Environment
Lab there. The CORE Lab research-
es the irregular warfare environment,
which integrates geospatial, cultural,
relational and other data for use by field
operatives. He spoke as part of the FAO
program’s monthly officer professional
development speaker series, which is a
critical part of FAO training at DLIFLC.
The monthly program is an essential ad-
dition to the biannual Joint Foreign Area
Officer Course Phase I, usually held in
January and June.
FAOs, who come from the four
branches of the U.S. military, are region-
ally focused and are considered experts
on political-military issues. Once their
FAO training is completed, they are
expected to serve as defense attachés,
security cooperation officers and polit-
ical-military planners worldwide.
FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • March 15, 2017

[ 4 ]
DR. GUY ZIV, an associate professor at the American University School of Inter-
national Service in Washington, D.C., spoke to Foreign Area Officers in language
training at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Feb. 15 about
current Israeli policy and the role of the U.S.
Coincidentally, Ziv’s lecture took place on the same day Israeli President Ben-
jamin Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump in Washington, in which they
spoke about settlements, the Iran Deal, the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusa-
lem from Tel Aviv, and the two state solution – two states for two groups of people.
Trump has declared that he is not wedded to the two state solution, a change from
U.S. policy, according to Ziv.
“U.S. support of Israel is one of the few bipartisan issues in Washington today
and the reason is that the two nations are democratic and share common values such
as self-determination, social justice, pluralism and multiculturalism,” said Ziv.
But the U.S. and Israel also have shared interests. Israel is considered a very
dependable ally, from the Cold War to fighting radical regimes of today and in the
prevention of proliferation of nuclear weapons, especially in Iran.
As the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel receives an annual aid pack-
age from the U.S., receiving about $38 billion in 2016. In return, the U.S. receives
Israeli technology, which is considered well advanced in areas such as airport se-
curity and cyber security, along with intelligence sharing from the Mossad, the
national intelligence agency of Israel. Intelligence sharing is considered one of the
most valuable elements of the U.S.-Israeli relationship.
Ziv’s statement is derived from Gen. George Keegan who once said that “The
Dr. Guy Ziv on U.S. – Israeli Policy
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 5 ]FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • February 15, 2017
ability of the U.S. Air Force in particu-
lar, and the Army in general, to defend
whatever position it has in NATO owes
more to the Israeli intelligence input
than it does to any other single source
of intelligence, be it satellite reconnais-
sance, be it technology intercept, or
what have you.” Keegan was the former
head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence from
1972 to 1977 and has publicly declared
that “Israel is worth five CIAs.”
Between 1974 and 1990, Israel pro-
vided the U.S. with $50-80 billion in
intelligence, research and development
savings, and Soviet weapons systems
captured and transferred to the U.S.
The biggest issue facing Israel today
just may be the two state solution, said
Ziv. A critical element of that is the two
states will have to live side by side in
peace. Israel and the U.S. both worry
that Palestine could become a haven for
jihadists.
“Whether Trump will pursue the
two state solution is critical,” said Ziv.
“The one state solution is not a solution.
Different groups are incapable of living
together.”
Ziv compares the pro-settlement
lobby in Israel to the NRA in the U.S.,
meaning that both lobbies have no real
opposition. Palestinians are wary of new
settlements. According to some Zionist
Jews, all of Israel belongs to them as a
Jewish homeland, but Zionism comes in
different forms. Some pragmatic settlers
would simply like to be compensated
for leaving.
As for the Iran Deal, Netanyahu lob-
bied against it, but there has been no in-
dication by the Trump administration of
reneging on the deal, according to Ziv.
As for now, we can only wait and see.
Ziv has a background in policy, hav-
ing worked at the U.S. Department of
State, on Capitol Hill, and for leading
non-profit organizations that promote
American involvement in Israeli-Pales-
tinian peacemaking. He spoke as part of
the FAO program’s monthly officer pro-
fessional development speaker series,
which is a critical part of FAO training
at DLIFLC. The monthly program is an
essential addition to the biannual Joint
Foreign Area Officer Course Phase I,
usually held in January and June.

[ 6 ]
THE FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAM at the Defense Language Institute
Foreign Language Center hosted the Joint FAO Course Jan. 23-27 at the Wecker-
ling Center on the Presidio of Monterey.
FAOs, who come from the four branches of the U.S. military, are regionally fo-
cused and are considered experts on political-military issues. FAOs typically begin
their careers at the one-week course. Once their FAO training is completed, which
includes language training and graduate school in a regionally focused topic, they
are expected to serve as defense attachés, security cooperation officers and politi-
cal-military planners worldwide.
Col. Phil Deppert, DLIFLC commandant, welcomed all the new FAOs to the
Institute and to their profession during his welcoming remarks Jan. 24. Though
Deppert is a military intelligence officer, he spoke about the cooperation and the
need for FAOs in the services.
The week consisted of training and guest lecturers who are experts in the field
of foreign affairs, specializing in regional topics, global plans and operations, and
security cooperation. The advice offered ranged cultural faux pas in a foreign coun-
try, to how to navigate the diplomatic halls of the Embassies where they will be
serving.
Welcome to the community
KEYNOTE SPEAKER Rear Adm. Todd Squire, director for international en-
gagement, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon in Washington,
“Welcome to the Community”
January 2017 Joint FAO Course
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 7 ]
D.C., welcomed the young officers to
the community of FAOs.
“I’ve always wanted to be a FAO,
even before I joined the Navy,” said
Squire, who is a two-time graduate of
DLIFLC in German in 2002 and Turkish
in 2010. He offered some career advice
to the upcoming FAOs.
According to Squire, there are three
things the FAOs must always keep in
mind. FAOs are strategic enablers to the
warfighters; FAOs must be able to com-
municate complex ideas precisely and
succinctly in both writing and verbally;
and FAOs must always sustain superior
performance.
“We need you there [foreign assign-
ment] so relationships are already built,”
said Squire.
Squire quoted Secretary of Defense
James Mattis in “recognizing that no
nation is secure without friends, we
will work with the State Department to
strengthen our alliances.”
“And that’s you,” added Squire.
However, not everything is just
work. Squire also wants FAOs to enjoy
the experience of being a FAO as he
relished all of his assignments abroad,
which included Japan, Germany, Turkey
and India.
“Don’t forget to take it all in,” said
Squire.
The diplomatic enterprise
FORMER AMBASSADOR to the
Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Phillip Car-
ter, spoke to the FAOs about embassy
settings and country team assignments.
FAOs in the field will work with the U.S.
Embassy’s Foreign Service Officers and
other interagency personnel in a country
team to promote diplomacy and solve
problems before they become disputes.
“The foundation of an embassy is
the country team and the team captain is
the ambassador,” said Carter.
Ambassadors are appointed by the
president, confirmed by the Senate and
are the personal representatives of the
President in a foreign state. All U.S.
personnel in a country are under the di-
rection of the ambassador except in a
situation where a geographic combatant
commander has jurisdiction over De-
fense personnel, such as U.S. Pacific or
European Command.
Carter told the FAOs that “diploma-
cy is a contact sport.” FAOs will be ex-
pected to build relationships as part of
their job.
“If you spend the bulk of your week
in your office you are doing something
wrong,” said Carter. “It’s about people
and your relationship to them.”
The language enabled FAO
RETIRED U.S. ARMY Brig. Gen.
Matthew Brand spoke about the lan-
guage enabled FAO Jan. 26. He served
as a defense attaché in the Republic of
Georgia and is a Russian linguist. He
also served as the former deputy chief
of staff for strategic plans and policy at
NATO, his final assignment.
As part of their training path, a
FAO could spend anywhere between 26
weeks to 64 weeks in class, seven hours
Joint FAO Course • January 23-27, 2017

[ 8 ]
per day at DLIFLC studying a foreign
language.
“We are training you in this lan-
guage so you can talk to people. You
cannot get access to somebody if you
can’t speak their language,” said Brand.
“The most important tool in your kit is
your language.”
Brand also spoke about empathy,
understanding and perspective and how
these can help them be better FAOs.
“We’re going to ask you to learn
more than foreign language. Step out-
side your culture. Learn something
better and new,” said Brand. “Exploit
things you’re good at and work on
things you’re not.”
Brand’s final advice to the FAOs was
to assimilate all the wisdom from the
guest speakers at the Joint Foreign Area
Officer Course and take it with them
abroad, but if they ever find something
that they do or learned does not work,
“change it to something that does.”
Joint FAO Course • January 23-27, 2017

[ 9 ]
DR. CHRISTOPHER DARNTON, an associate professor of national security af-
fairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, spoke to Foreign Area Officers
in language training at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
Jan. 18 about the U.S. role in Latin America.
“Latin America has become a zone of peace with an asterisk,” said Darnton,
summarizing the geographic region. His asterisk implies that “Latin America has
had very few wars, but does not mean the hemisphere is unified.”
The U.S. is concerned with instability among other regional problems.
“We have not seen the last difficult regime change in Latin America,” said
Darnton.
Darnton based his lecture on security issues defined in the U.S. Southern Com-
mand posture statement, which includes transnational organized crime; foreign
terrorist fighters; Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah; regional stability; and Russia and
China engagement.
The corner stone of U.S. foreign policy in Latin American, according to Darn-
ton, is the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which in summary states that there will be no
new European colonies allowed in the Caribbean and South America. For the U.S.,
is was all talk for a century, but more than willingly enforced by the British Navy
as London and Washington were in agreement.
President Theodore Roosevelt later added a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
in 1904.
“If a nation shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and de-
cency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays its obligations, it
Dr. Christopher Darnton on the U.S. and
Latin America
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 10 ] FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • January 18, 2017
need fear no interference from the Unit-
ed States,” according to the corollary.
Whereas the U.S. views its mod-
ern foreign policy as globally strategic
and beneficial to all, the southern per-
spective is it is a reminder of past im-
perialism connected with the Monroe
Doctrine and the corollary, according to
Darnton.
“Historical legacies run deep in Lat-
in America,” said Darnton.
Considering countries such as Cuba,
Panama and a few others, “They will not
have forgotten that we have occupied
their country for a number of years,”
said Darnton.
Even references such as “America’s
backyard” is offensive and implies im-
perialism, Darnton also added.
U.S. policy in the region has
changed from that of intervention such
as the 1983 invasion of Grenada to one
of security cooperation such as Opera-
tions New Horizons, Tradewinds and
PANAMAX.
The way forward, according to
Darnton, is more sincere and consistent
support for human rights and democra-
cy. The lessons we have learned in Latin
America will always remain important,
but he also believes that external great
power involvement should not be of
such great concern to the U.S.
“We’re still having a hard time
wrapping our heads around Latin Amer-
ican sovereignty,” said Darnton. “If Lat-
in America is not a massive strategic
priority for us, why should it be for Iran
or Russia?”
Darnton elaborated on angles in
which Russian and Chinese involvement
could be great for the U.S. in that eco-
nomic growth leads to stability and thus
fewer problems in the region. Further-
more, he added that Russia and China
expending resources in Latin America
are resources they cannot divert some-
where else. “And that’s good for us,” he
said.
Darnton’s teaching interests include
Latin American politics, Brazil in world
affairs and International conflict resolu-
tion among others. He spoke as part of
the FAO program’s monthly officer pro-
fessional development speaker series,
which is a critical part of FAO training
at DLIFLC. The monthly program is an
essential addition to the biannual Joint
Foreign Area Officer Course Phase I,
usually held in January and June.

[ 11 ]
RYAN GINGERAS, associate professor in the Department of National SecurityAf-
fairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, spoke to Foreign Area Officers
in language training at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
about recent events in Turkey Oct. 19.
“Because of the July 15th failed coup attempt this year the Turkish military
is weakened, demoralized and has lost a lot,” said Gingeras. “One of the worst
sectors affected was the press with the purging and prosecuting of opponents, and
anti-American sentiment postured by the government is now at its highest.”
The failed military-lead coup attempt only strengthened the power of Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seen as a pillar of the state, according to
Gingeras. There is now an increased drive to strengthen the position of the presi-
dent and the central government leading to mass purges and arrests.
Erdogan’s government alleges the coup’s leader to be of the Gulen Movement,
a pacifist, modern-oriented version of Islam that is designated a terrorist organiza-
tion in Turkey. The movement’s founder, Fethullah Gulen, lives in self-imposed
exile in the U.S., thus leading to anti-American sentiment associated with the coup.
“The actual details of the coup are not entirely clear. The full size of those who
participated in it, who the ringleaders were, is not fully known,” said Gingeras,
making it unclear if the Gulen Movement was behind the attempt. “But what is
clear is that the government has feared and cracked down on this movement for
nearly three years.”
The coup makes Turkey’s relationship with the West as a military ally in the
NATO structure problematic, Gingeras continued to explain. Turkey is historically
Ryan Gingeras on Recent Developments
in Turkey
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 12 ] FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • October 19, 2016
dependent upon NATO for deterrence
from threats in the Middle East and the
U.S. maintains a presence at the Incirlik
Air Base in southern Turkey.
On the opposite end, questions of
sovereignty and threat perceptions lead
to patterns of disagreement between
NATO and Turkey, something Russia
has capitalized on as they both desire to
selectively spite Western allies, accord-
ing to Gingeras.
Turkey’s relationship with Russia,
though, is also problematic. Histori-
cally, Russia had been in conflict with
the Ottoman Empire for centuries and
those same sentiments have carried
over between modern Turkey and Rus-
sia to this day. They both have a clear
disagreement about the future of Syria,
for example, an area of high concern in
foreign affairs with the ongoing Syrian
civil war and the rise of ISIL.
Despite the hostility Turkey and
Russia do share multiple interest in mat-
ters of economics and concerns with
NATO, according to Gingeras.
“The short answer is it’s hard to say
about the relationships (Turkey, NATO
and Russia). There are and will be con-
flicting patterns of behavior in the short
and long term,” said Gingeras.
Shifting his focus to Turkey as an
ally against ISIL, Gingeras discussed
Turkish affairs in Syria since 2011 as
Ankara has taken a hardline stance on
the removal of Syrian President Bashar
Al Assad and supports the Free Syrian
Army. Numerous Turkish citizens have
gone to Syria to fight on both sides of
the conflict. Many of them have also
been found within the ranks of ISIL.
Furthermore, the presence of three
million Syrian refugees will undoubted-
ly affect Turkey’s domestic politics and
foreign policy for some time to come.
Gingeras compares the Syrian refugee
situation in Turkey to that of refugees
in the U.S. after the revolution in Cuba.
They helped shape the U.S. hardline
stance against Fidel Castro for decades,
said Gingeras.
“Turkey is here to stay in Syria,”
said Gingeras, and will likely shape
post-war politics after the conflicts in
Syria are over.
Gingeras specializes in issues re-
lated to empire, organized crime, na-
tionalism and inter-communal violence
in the Balkans, Turkey and the North
Caucasus. He spoke as part of the FAO
January and June.

[ 13 ]
DR. SHARAD JOSHI, an assistant professor of nonproliferation and terrorism
studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, spoke to
Foreign Area Officers in language training at the Defense Language Institute For-
eign Language Center Sept. 14 about relations between India and Pakistan.
In his presentation “Assessing the India-Pakistan Dyad,” Joshi spoke about why
this issue is important within U.S. National Security Strategy. The U.S. identifies a
plethora of problems in Asia as it continues its rebalance to Asia and the Pacific, ac-
cording to the strategy. In South Asia, the U.S. works with both India and Pakistan
to promote strategic stability, combat terrorism, and advance regional economic
integration in South and Central Asia.
“In this partnership we always have to consider the other power,” said Joshi,
referring to India and Pakistan as a hyphenated partnership. “For example, one can-
not just go to Islamabad or just go to New Delhi without going to the other.”
The problem herein is that India and Pakistan have been at odds with each other
since the British Partition of India of 1947, which created India and the Dominion
of Pakistan, later splitting into Pakistan and Bangladesh. Since then, India and Pa-
kistan fought wars with each other from 1947-1948, in 1965, and in 1999. Kashmir,
the disputed northernmost province of India, is at the heart of the tensions between
the two countries. The vastly-Muslim province has religious and cultural ties to
Pakistan, but is geographically located in India.
Both states have developed nuclear weapons and want to be viewed as re-
sponsible nuclear states, but neither has signed the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty, which commits states with nuclear weapons to pursue disarmament, while
Dr. Sharad Joshi on the India –Pakistan
Dyad
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 14 ] FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • September 14, 2016
states without nuclear weapons agree to
forgo developing or acquiring weapons
of their own.
India has signed a nuclear deal with
the U.S. known as the U.S.-India Civil
Nuclear Agreement in which India sepa-
rated its civil and military nuclear facili-
ties and placed all its civil nuclear facil-
ities under International Atomic Energy
Agency safeguards.
India and the U.S. are the world’s
largest democracies, who share inherent
values and mutual interests. This forms
the cornerstone of cooperation in the ar-
eas of security, energy, and the environ-
ment. The U.S. supports India’s role as a
regional provider of security and its ex-
panded participation in critical regional
institutions.
“India wants to be one of the deci-
sion makers regarded as one of the ma-
jor world powers,” Joshi said about In-
dian foreign policy.
Pakistan’s foreign policy is reactive
to India and has sponsored terrorism in
the past with the intent to “bleed the In-
dian Army from within,” said Joshi.
South Asia is a hub of global jihad-
ism and terrorism, according to Joshi.
In November 2008 an Islamic militant
organization based out of Pakistan con-
ducted a series of attacks in Mumbai
gaining the world’s attention.
Terrorists in the region have ac-
quired their own financial structures
and some have earned legitimacy, such
as during the devastating 2005 Kashmir
earthquake, when terrorist organiza-
tions, labeled such by India, conducted
relief efforts amongst the population.
But frequent bilateral meetings do
take place between India and Pakistan.
“Every time there is a change of
government in India there is the expec-
tation that he or she is going to forge a
new path with Pakistan,” said Joshi.
Joshi spoke as part of the FAO pro-
gram’s monthly officer professional
January and June.

[ 15 ]
FRANK ARCHIBALD, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency Na-
tional Clandestine Service from May 2013 to January 2015, spoke to faculty, staff
and Foreign Area Officers at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language
Center Aug. 18.
Archibald spoke about how language and culture has helped him throughout his
national security career and offered encouragement to the teachers in getting their
students to achieve higher proficiency levels.
“Individuals in relationship to the state are more powerful today than they ever
were before and that is because of technology,” Archibald said, as he held out his
cellphone. He talked about how people are more connected today than ever before.
“Technology can be a power for good or a power for evil.”
Throughout his career Archibald’s work focused on international relations be-
tween states such as that between the Soviet Union and the U.S. in the Cold War,
but today individuals are becoming more powerful through the connectivity of
technology. Therefore, he stressed, the importance of understanding relationships
down to the individual, and with that comes the thorough understanding of lan-
guage and culture.
“When I was in Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo), once a month I
would go places in the east where they haven’t had anybody from the Embassy in
decades.” said Archibald, and then, following one particular trip, “one of the lin-
guists said to me ‘Frank, you’re always so much better in French the day you come
back from your trips to the east.’”
These trips are how Archibald dealt with language and culture understanding
Former CIAAgent on Language and
Culture Knowledge
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 16 ] FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • August 18, 2016
in his career.
Previous to his address to the staff
and faculty, DLIFLC commandant, Col.
Phil Deppert, told Archibald that im-
mersions are something instituted by
DLIFLC to reach higher levels of pro-
ficiency, with plans to continue and ex-
pand the program.
Archibald already knows that “im-
mersions are a win,” in his own words,
because immersion teaches culture and
language. He had previously been a CIA
case officer who worked in a foreign
language himself and also a case officer
who worked through an interpreter.
“When speaking with someone of
another culture, not only must linguists
understand the foreign language but their
body language and the context of what
they are saying within that culture,” said
Archibald. “These things often become
lost through use of interpreters.”
Therefore, Archibald encouraged
the faculty to motivate their students to
strive for fluency, but he understands
that fluency takes time and students
must be committed.
“Tell them it is a lifelong journey.
The ability to speak a foreign language
and understand someone else’s culture is
a gift that they take with them through-
out their life. It will broaden their life
experience, but it takes commitment,”
said Archibald.
Later that afternoon, Archibald
spoke as part of the FAO program’s
monthly officer professional develop-
ment program focused on regional top-
ics and political-military issues. The
monthly program is as an essential addi-
tion to the biannual Joint Foreign Area
Officer Course Phase I.

[ 17 ]
KATHLEEN WALSH, associate professor of national security affairs at the U.S.
Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, presented lectures on China
at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center July 21.
Walsh spoke about two current topics of interest in international affairs in her
presentation titled “21st Century China: U.S. partner, rival or adversary?” to stu-
dents studying Mandarin Chinese and to Foreign Area Officers in language training
at the institute.
“Western scholars don’t truly understand China. They try to predict where Chi-
na might fail, but they are not doing a very good job of explaining why China has
succeeded despite all the challenges and obstacles,” said Walsh.
The first topic covered the South China Sea and a recent ruling from the Perma-
nent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands. On July 12, the court ruled in
favor of the Philippines in the 2013 case Republic of Philippines v. People’s Repub-
lic of China in the Spratly Islands dispute.
The Spratly Islands are a cluster of more than 100 reefs, sandbanks and islets
in the South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China and
Taiwan all lay claim to some or all of the islands. The court’s ruling states that
China’s claim of having historic rights to the islands is invalid under international
law because China has artificially built up islands of interest, while technically no
feature in the Spratly Islands meets the definition of the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea. Additionally, it is not clear if China lays claim to only land
territory or all the territorial waters surrounding the islands.
Kathleen Walsh on Current Topics on
China
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 18 ] FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • July 21, 2016
Either way, China has stated that it
will not abide by the court ruling.
“I think this issue is going to be a
turning point in China-U.S. relations
and global affairs. It will determine if
China is a partner, rival or adversary,”
said Walsh.
Under the U.N. definition an island
must be self-sufficient, with an ability to
sustain human life, to include producing
fresh water. However, China claims that
each islet is in fact an island and con-
tains its own exclusive economic zone,
or EEZ. This is where the South China
Sea dispute is today.
Walsh further explained the signifi-
cance of the Spratly’s. An EEZ is 200
nautical miles from the coast under
U.N. law. If each reef or islet scattered
throughout the sea were to theoretical-
ly have an EEZ that belonged to China,
no ships could transit the South China
Sea without Chinese permission plac-
ing Southeast Asian economies and the
world economy under Chinese control,
according to Walsh. Modern Chinese
maps already show the Spratly’s as part
of China.
China also interprets an EEZ to
mean no presence of foreign military as-
sets within the zone. The U.S. Navy and
Air Force, along with other forces in the
region, frequently enter the South China
Sea which currently holds a “freedom of
navigation” status.
“Why are the Chinese doing this?
Are they going to continue and what
does this mean?” Walsh asked the stu-
dents in an open ended question refer-
ring back to her opening statement that
scholars do not fully understand China.
The second topic covered Chinese
globalization through China’s Silk Road
Economic Belt and the 21st-century
Maritime Silk Road, which is better
known as the One Belt, One Road ini-
tiative.
In this initiative China is establish-
ing infrastructure across Central Asia,
which closely follows the historic Silk
Road, to better establish trade with Eu-
rope. China is also building infrastruc-
ture in Africa as part of the maritime
Silk Road, which passes through the
South China Sea and transits the Indian
Ocean to Africa.
China is expanding its economic
zones outside of its own borders as an
alternative to the U.S. dominated inter-
national order. According to Walsh, this
is an effort to marginalize the U.S. by
looking west and uniting Eurasia and
Africa under the Chinese model of glo-
balization. The initiative is going partic-
ularly well in Africa as China is build-
ing infrastructure that African countries
otherwise could not afford, especially
improvements to ports, highways and
railroads.
Both China and the U.S. view these
actions differently. Where the U.S. may
perceive some things China does as a
threat, China sees itself as only modern-
izing under its own model of globaliza-
tion.
“The Chinese are succeeding. They
believe their model is the best,” said
Walsh, which led her to ask another
open ended question. “Is communism
dead in China?”

[ 19 ]FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • July 21, 2016
Socialism with Chinese characteris-
tics was best described by Deng Xiaop-
ing, the Chinese leader following Mao
Zedong, in 1989 when he said, “You are
in a room with two doors. One door says
politics; one door says economics. If
you open the economic door, you can go
the full distance to basically whatever
you want. If you open the political door,
you are going to run right into walls, and
eventually you are going to run into the
State.”
Today, Xi Jinping, President of the
People’s Republic of China, is putting
ideology (Maoism/Marxism) back on
the table.
“We thought the Chinese were be-
coming more like us – predictable if you
will – but now it is going the other way,”
said Walsh. “Is Xi the new China? To be
determined – we’ll have to wait and see
whether China is partner, rival or adver-
sary.”
Walsh spoke as part of the FAO
development, which is a critical part of
FAO training at DLIFLC. The monthly
program is as an essential addition to
the biannual Joint Foreign Area Officer
Course Phase I, usually held in January
and June.

[ 20 ]
DR. WADE HUNTLEY, academic director of the Regional Security Education
Program at the Naval Postgraduate School, also in Monterey, spoke to ForeignArea
Officers in language training at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language
Center June 21 about North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.
Huntley’s teaching interests include nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
proliferation and non-proliferation, and Northeast Asian security. He gave FAOs a
detailed lecture on North Korea’s quest to obtain the bomb.
“Why does North Korea do anything it does?” asked Huntley, who explained
that motives of the world’s most secretive and isolated regime are sometimes baf-
fling.
Huntley began by discussing the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which
commits states with nuclear weapons to pursue disarmament, while states without
nuclear weapons agree to forgo developing or acquiring weapons of their own. In
the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, pushed North
Korea to sign the treaty.
Then, the world began to change dramatically. The Berlin Wall fell and the
Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing both took place in 1989, followed by the
downfall and 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, North Korea’s main benefactor.
“The Soviet Union left North Korea out in the cold (after the collapse),” said
Huntley. “In the early to mid-1990s North Korea was imploding. We didn’t realize
it then because the problem was chronic rather than acute.”
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions may have begun as a way to ensure regime
survival, Huntley also added, leading to the first nuclear crisis.
Dr. Wade Huntley on North Korean
Nuclear Weapons
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 21 ]FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • June 21, 2016
In 1994, North Korea expelled in-
vestigators from the International Atom-
ic EnergyAgency prompting the Clinton
Administration to try to deal with the
situation. Former U.S. President Jimmy
Carter traveled to North Korea and was
able to work out an agreement with Pres-
ident Kim Il Sung. Known as theAgreed
Framework, it allowed North Korea to
replace nuclear reactors with light-water
reactors, which is allowable under the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Kim Il Sung died later in 1994 and
was replaced by his son, Kim Jong Il.
In 2002, the Agreed Framework col-
lapsed as a result of a dispute between
the Bush Administration and the gov-
ernment of Kim Jong Il. North Korea
pulled out of the Nuclear Nonprolifer-
ation Treaty and restarted its nuclear
program, leading to the second nuclear
crisis.
The Bush Administration began a
series of talks that included North and
South Korea, the U.S., Japan, China
and Russia – the Six Party Talks – be-
cause the U.S. favored a broad, region-
al discussion rather than bilateral ne-
gotiations. The talks had some success
throughout the remainder of the Bush
Administration but have not occurred
since 2008 when North Korea walked
away.
Today, most experts on Northeast
Asia are still trying to determine how
Kim Jong Un, who took power after the
death of his father, Kim Jong Il in 2011,
will shape the direction of North Korea.
“Most analysts come to a consensus
that the primary focus of North Korea is
regime survival,” said Huntley.
The way ahead for the U.S. is a
policy of “strategic patience,” which is
unlike the more confrontational Bush
Administration approach of the early
2000s. The policy suggests that the U.S.
can afford to wait for North Korea to
make its own decision to denuclearize.
“The U.S. has left a chair at the table
for North Korea in the Six Party Talks
and has waited for eight years,” said
Huntley. “North Korea still hasn’t come
(around).”
Huntley spoke as part of the FAO
development program, which is a crit-
ical part of FAO training at DLIFLC.
The monthly program is as an essential
addition to the biannual Joint Foreign
Area Officer Course Phase I, usually
held in January and June.

[ 22 ]
DANIEL EIZENGA, a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida and a re-
searcher with Sahel Research Group, shared his understanding of Boko Haram with
Foreign Area Officers in language training at the Defense Language Institute For-
eign Language Center May 19.
“The point I want to drive home is that some will argue this is a Nigeria specific
problem, but Boko Haram is a regional phenomenon,” said Eizenga.
Eizenga began with the history and geography of the ethnically, religiously and
linguistically diverse region where Boko Haram has gained influence. The Fran-
cophone Sahel, as it is referred to in the academic community, is the crossroads
between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa and was previously colonized by the
French.
According to Boko Haram, colonization brought Western systems to Africa and
thus these things brought corruption, said Eizenga.
Boko Haram emerged in the 1990s as an extension of Al Qaeda to overthrow
Western influence. It operates in northeastern Nigeria and parts of Niger, Chad and
Cameroon. The U.S. State Department classifies Boko Haram as a terrorist organi-
zation and Nigeria sees it as an insurgency and Jihadi organization. More recently,
Boko Haram has pledged its allegiance to and adopted the black flag of ISIL, which
has plagued parts of Iraq, Syria and even Libya.
Approximately 2.5 million people have been displaced by Boko Haram, which
creates a huge humanitarian crisis. It has destroyed entire villages and massacred
populations, said Eizenga.
“Despite all of this, Boko Haram gains a lot of support and recruitment because
Daniel Eizenga on the Threat of Boko
Haram
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 23 ]FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • May 19, 2016
it plays itself as the victim, someone
who has been persecuted by the Nigeri-
an government,” said Eizenga.
Boko Haram gained international at-
tention in 2014 when it kidnapped more
than 250 schoolgirls from a government
secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria.
Boko Haram is actually a nickname,
which the organization has accepted,
that is usually translated as “Western
education is forbidden.” According
to Boko Haram, they were saving the
schoolgirls from non-Muslim education.
Today, Nigeria claims that Boko
Haram is defeated but is still conduct-
ing terrorist attacks in the region. Unlike
ISIL, Boko Haram is not trying to set up
a state and it holds no territory today.
Instead it wants to purge the region of
Western influence and disavow those
whom it views as not true Muslims.
Eizenga’s recommendation for what
the U.S. can do in the region is to contin-
ue with humanitarian assistance because
it counters the perception that U.S. sup-
port is based solely on force. The U.S.
currently conducts military-to-mili-
tary cooperation with Nigeria in which
U.S. troops help train Nigerian forces
through the National Guard State Part-
nership Program.
Eizenga spoke as part of the FAO

[ 24 ]
DR. CRAIG WHITESIDE, a professor at the Naval War College Monterey located
on the campus of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, spoke about the most
recent National Security Strategy with Foreign Area Officers in language training
at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center April 21.
The National Security Strategy is a document prepared by the executive branch
of the U.S. Government for the Congress, which outlines the major national securi-
ty concerns of the U.S. and how to deal with them.
The Goldwater–NicholsAct of 1986 required that the President issue a National
Security Strategy annually. However, according to Whiteside, though the strategy
is “supposed to be done every year, it is not a strategy if you change it every year.”
“What is a strategy?” Whiteside asked as he began his discussion. “It’s really
big picture stuff. How do we achieve our end state, what are the ways, and what are
the means?”
Whiteside focused most of his discussion on the differences between the 2010
and 2015 National Security Strategy. The 2010 strategy was called a dramatic de-
parture from its predecessor as it advocated increased engagement with Russia,
China and India, and introduced the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.
However, since then, the world has seen dramatic events occur such as the Arab
Spring, the Syrian Civil War and the rise of the Islamic State, as well as a renewed
fear in Europe of a resurgent Russia.
The 2015 strategy, to address these concerns, is “a vision and strategy for ad-
vancing the nation’s interests, universal values, and a rules-based international or-
der through strong and sustainable American leadership,” according to the docu-
Dr. Craig Whiteside on U.S. National
Security Strategy
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 25 ]FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • April 21, 2016
ment itself.
Whiteside discussed with the FAOs
the ways and the means to achieve these
goals.
“The ways are our campaigns. The
means are our resources such as mili-
tary units, diplomacy, money, unfettered
access to markets, a secure homeland,
and maintaining hegemony,” said Wh-
iteside.
Whiteside further discussed in-
struments of national power, known as
DIME – diplomacy, information, mili-
tary and economics – and how they play
in the most recent strategy.
“Though our interests may change
from administration to administration,
the themes do not,” said Whiteside.
Whiteside said that some new issues
that future strategies should address
should be the reorganizing of the Uni-
fied Combatant Commands, such as the
forming of a U.S. Cyber Command and
the combining U.S. Northern Command
with U.S. Southern Command. The
combatant commands reflect the Na-
tional Security Strategy in their mission.
Whiteside is an Associate Profes-
sor at the Naval War College Monterey
where he teaches national security af-
fairs to military officers as part of their
professional military education. He is
also a retired U.S. Army officer with
counterinsurgency experience in Iraq
from 2006 to 2007.
Whiteside spoke as part of the FAO

[ 26 ]
RETIRED KOREAN MAJ. GEN. LEE SEO-YOUNG, now a professor at the Ko-
rea National Defense University, spoke about the alliance between the U.S. and Ko-
rea to students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Feb. 10.
Lee gave his presentation, titled the Republic of Korea – U.S. Alliance: Past,
Present and Future, to students at the institute’s Asian School II in Korean and then
again later in English to the Foreign Area Officers.
Speaking to the FAOs, “You are the experts between the U.S. and the country
in which you serve,” said Lee, who served as a Defense Attaché for Korea in Wash-
ington, D.C., where he often worked on issues related to the alliance.
Korea and the U.S. have maintained a bilateral Alliance for more than 60 years.
Born out of the Korean War, the alliance grew stronger, both during and after the
Cold War. Today, both nations “go together,” as their slogan suggests, to meet the
security challenges of Northeast Asia.
Beginning his presentation, Lee spoke about what he learned while researching
alliances.
“Most alliances last no more than 10 years,” said Lee. “The Republic of Korea
– U.S. Alliance has lasted for 60.”
In the first stage of the alliance during the 1950-1953 Korean War under the
United Nations Command, Gen. Douglas MacArthur commanded all U.N. forces
fighting in Korea. Afterwards, Seoul and Washington signed a mutual defense trea-
ty authorizing further stationing of U.S. troops in Korea. In 1978, Korea and the
U.S. established the Combined Forces Command taking over warfighting from the
U.N. Command.
Maj. Gen. Lee Seo-young on the U.S. –
Korea Alliance
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 27 ]FAO Program Guest Speaker Series • February 10, 2016
As part of mutual defense, Korea
and the U.S. work together on East Asia
security issues and the U.S. rebalance
to the Asia/Pacific region. Korea, also
supported the U.S. in Vietnam, the Gulf
War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Lee served
in Baghdad in 2004.
A major focus for the alliance is still
North Korea as the alliance has faced
thousands of North Korea armistice vio-
lations in six decades.
The continuing U.S. relationship
with Korea is vital to both nations, ac-
cording to Lee. While the alliance is
meeting the security challenges it faces
today, it is evolving to ensure it can meet
any potential challenge in the future.
Lee spoke as part of the FAO pro-
gram’s monthly officer professional de-
velopment program, which is a critical
part of FAO training at DLIFLC. The
monthly program is as an essential addi-
tion to the biannual Joint Foreign Area
January and June.

[ 28 ]
IT TAKES COOPERATION to solve international problems such as Ebola in Libe-
ria, the Syrian refugee crisis, island disputes in the South China Sea or how best to
deal with ISIL, but Foreign Area Officers are up to the task.
Every FAO is an expert on political-military issues in a particular region of the
world, is knowledgeable of security cooperation, highly trained in language skills
and interpersonal skills, and is an experienced officer. As the largest FAO program,
Army officers transition from their primary-career fields to a full-time FAO-career
track. However, all four branches of the U.S. military contribute to the FAO pro-
gram.
A portion of FAO training takes place in Monterey, California, at the Defense
Language Institute Foreign Language Center where FAOs study a foreign language.
The institute hosts the Joint Foreign Area Officer Course biannually, an added bo-
nus while the FAOs are studying at the Presidio of Monterey, for the purpose of
bringing in seasoned experts on international affairs and career FAOs with numer-
ous foreign assignments. The most recent course was held Jan. 25-29.
Political-military
RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE Maj. Gen. Randy Kee, a former political-military
planner, as keynote speaker gave a presentation titled “Reflections … the arena of
Political-Military” Jan. 26.
“As you serve, you are the dash between the political and the military,” said
Kee.
Foreign Area Officers Learn From the
Experts at DLI
January 2016 Joint FAO Course
By W. Patrick Bray

[ 29 ]Joint FAO Course • January 25-29, 2016
Kee drew upon experiences from his
multiple assignments around the world.
He spoke about a myriad of strategic
challenges facing the U.S. in 2016, citing
the Middle East and ISIL as an example.
He also spoke about access to resources
around the world and that competition
for resources creates conflict.
“Being good at political-military
may ultimately save us in our resources.
We talk a lot about building partner ca-
pacity. When we do, we can underinvest
in that area and focus elsewhere,” said
Kee.
“Nations we have invested in are
much more resilient when bad things
happen.”
In his final assignment, Kee served
as U.S. European Command director of
strategy, planning and coordination be-
fore his retirement in December 2015.
“Nations will choose to make con-
trary policies to us simply because they
have grievances with us. As a FAO, you
can help change that narrative,” said
Kee, as he cited the current situation in
Russia and Ukraine as an example.
During his time in Europe, Kee
dealt with situations concerning Russia
and the current security situation in the
Ukraine. He was also faced with how
some European countries dealt with the
migration crisis emanating from Syria.
“This is just one example of dis-
placement from one area to the next
and it causes a security concern. Where
some of you serve will be impacted by
these immigrations. That’s going on in
Europe right now,” said Kee.
Language-enabled FAOs
RETIRED U.S. ARMY Brig. Gen.
Matthew Brand spoke about the lan-
guage enabled FAO Jan. 28. He served
as a defense attaché in the Republic of
Georgia and is a Russian linguist. He
also served as the former deputy chief
of staff for strategic plans and policy at
NATO, his final assignment.
“We are training you in this lan-
guage so you can talk to people. You
cannot get access to somebody if you
can’t speak their language,” said Brand.
“The most important tool in your kit is
your language.”
As part of their training path, a
FAO could spend anywhere between 26
weeks to 64 weeks in class, seven hours
per day at DLIFLC studying a foreign
language.
“The most important person you
should know is yourself,” said Brand,
who recommends that the FAOs become
familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type In-
dicator questionnaire to assist in their
language learning.
In theory, Myers-Briggs determines
how humans process information and
which of the four psychological func-
tions is dominant for one person most
of the time - sensation, intuition, feeling
and thinking.
“How does this apply to language
learning? One thing we all have in com-
mon is we learn every day. If the lan-
guage learning piece is tough for you,
try a different technique,” said Brand.
Brand’s final advice to the FAOs was
to assimilate all the wisdom from the

[ 30 ] Joint FAO Course • January 25-29, 2016
guest speakers at the Joint Foreign Area
Officer Course and take it with them
abroad, but if they ever find something
that they do or learned does not work,
“change it to something that does.”
Embassy 101
FORMER AMBASSADOR to Fiji
David Lyon spoke about embassy set-
tings Jan. 26, where FAOs will work
with Foreign Service Officers together
on a day-to-day basis to promote diplo-
macy and solve problems before they
become disputes.
“In the field the most important rela-
tionship is between the ambassadors and
the geographic combatant command-
ers,” said Lyon.
Ambassadors are appointed by the
president, confirmed by the Senate and
are the personal representatives of the
President in a foreign state. All U.S.
personnel in a country are under the di-
rection of the ambassador except in a
situation where a geographic combatant
commander has jurisdiction over De-
fense personnel, such as U.S. Pacific or
European Command.
The second most important person
in an embassy is the deputy chief of mis-
sion and is the key adviser to the ambas-
sador.
“FAOs live in both worlds (Depart-
ment of State and Defense). You have
to satisfy your immediate boss in the
embassy and your home agency,” said
Lyon.
Breaking down the staff structure of
an embassy, Lyon informed the FAOs
of who they will be working with when
they arrive at their duty stations. U.S.
embassies and consulates are made up
of consular and management sections,
political and economic sections, public
diplomacy and public affairs sections,
and regional security officers and U.S.
Marine security guards. FAOs work
with Foreign Service Officers and other
officers from every section on any num-
ber of issues.
All of these sections work togeth-
er combined with strategic planning to
promote U.S. diplomacy abroad, but it
is still difficult to plan for what could
happen next in the world.
“Foreign affairs is too squishy. It’s
so difficult to predict the future. If some-
one had predicted the Arab Spring we
could’ve had more Arabic linguists and
more Foreign Service Officers in those
countries,” said Lyon.
“Foreign Service Officers, just like
FAOs, sign up for service and adven-
ture, but without the expectation of put-
ting our lives in danger. I really want to
commend you for what you do and your
service,” said Lyon.
Lyon retired from the U.S. Foreign
Service in 2005 following a 33-year ca-
reer with the Department of State. His
final posting was to Suva, Fiji, where
he served as Ambassador to the Pacific
Island countries of Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru,
Tonga and Tuvalu.
Security cooperation
REAR ADM. Todd Squire, director
for international engagement, Office of

[ 31 ]Joint FAO Course • January 25-29, 2016
the Chief of Naval Operations, at the
Pentagon in Washington. He is a two-
time graduate of DLIFLC in German in
2002 and Turkish in 2010, and he served
in Japan, Germany, Turkey and India.
He spoke briefly about the FAO role in
security cooperation Jan. 26.
Squire defines security cooperation
as DOD interaction with foreign defense
establishments to build relationships
that promote specific U.S. interests.
“It sounds daunting, but at the end
of the day, it’s really not that hard,” said
Squire.
Squire said that a good beginning is
to understand the U.S. codes and rec-
ommend that FAOs learn these among
other policies. Security assistance under
Title 22 is a Department of State respon-
sibility and security cooperation under
Title 10 is a Department of Defense re-
sponsibility.
Between State and DOD, Squire
echoed what many speakers at this and
previous Joint Foreign Area Officer
courses said – FAOs have many bosses
and to get used to that, but to remember
that the ambassador is the President’s
direct representative in a foreign coun-
try and the closest at hand.
Culture
ALL OF THE SPEAKERS agreed
on the importance of having cultural un-
derstanding and language skills as key
to being a successful FAO.
“We spend a lot of time learning
about foreign cultures otherwise we
wouldn’t be FAOs,” said Squire, who
wants FAOs to enjoy the experience
as much as he enjoyed his assignments
abroad.
Kee also told FAOs to understand
the culture of where they serve and that
they have to be able to be a bridge be-
tween cultural differences.
“Give them dignity, courtesy, re-
spect and kindness. This goes a long
way,” said Kee.
Brand also spoke about having em-
pathy, understanding, and broad per-
spective regarding certain situations,
which will ultimately make one a better
FAO.
“We’re going to ask you to learn
more than foreign language. Step out-
side your culture. Learn something
better and new,” said Brand. “Exploit
things you’re good at and work on
things you’re not.”
Once their FAO training is complet-
ed, they are expected to serve as defense
attachés, security cooperation officers
and political-military planners world-
wide. The concept of equipping military
officers with regional expertise, lan-
guage skills, and knowledge of U.S. and
foreign political-military relationships
dates back to 1889 when the U.S. sent
permanent military Attaches to London,
Paris, Vienna, and Saint Petersburg.

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