Ambassador of Georgia Levan Mikeladze Seeking Stability in Turbulent World by Brian J. Karem Georgia is always on his mind, but a good Washington Wizards NBA basketball game isnít far behind. ìIím a big Michael Jordan fan,î says 45-year-old Levan Mikeladze, the newest ambassador to the former Soviet Georgia. Mikeladze is the embodiment of Georgia: admiring of things Western but uniquely his own. The father of two teenage girls, Mikeladze is happy that they have become ìWesternized,î but not so much by living in Chevy Chase, Md., that they forget their culture. He struggles daily to straddle that line in not only his dealings with his daughters, but with his young country as well. ìGeorgia is pro-Western and eager to participate in NATO. At the same time, we know we havenít matched our expectations, but weíve made progress. We want to build a democratic society with real Western values, but Georgiaís stability is very fragile. I have to recognize it."...more... Eliot A. Cohen Strategic Studies Professor Helps Shape Debate on War With Iraq by John Shaw Eliot A. Cohen is one of Washingtonís most respected voices on military issues for many reasons. As professor and director of the strategic studies program at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at The Johns Hopkins University, Cohen is blessed with a sweeping historical perspective, a probing and creative mind, and an engaging personality. But as much as anything else, Cohen is listened to because he speaks plainly, clearly and forcefully about life-and-death issues. In a city that thrives on caution, indirection and evasion, Cohen refuses to mince words or duck controversial topics...more.... GOP Control of Congress Likely To Push Free Trade Deals Along by Larry Luxner From Singapore to South Africa, business executives and diplomats across five continents are hopeful that the Republican victory in last monthís mid-term elections will lead to U.S. free trade agreements (FTA) with their governments. Yet the United States has signed FTAs with only four countries: Canada, Mexico, Israel and Jordan. Under an FTA, protectionist tariffs on imported goods are gradually lowered and eventually eliminated, thereby resulting in increased exports and, in theory, more jobs...more... Embassy Security May Not Be Proportionate to New Terrorist Risk by Alan B. Nichols In October 2002, a rifle-toting postal worker in New York, angry over human rights violations in North Korea, jumped a fence at the U.N. headquarters and fired several rounds into the air before he was arrested. U.N. Security Chief Michael McCann told the Associated Press that the complex on the Lower East Side lacked the necessary security because of ìfinancial restraints upon the organization.î...more... Diplomatic Security Groups Receiving Line ï Italian Friends

Culture Section Ireland Looking for Ways To Continue Economic Boom by Sean OíDriscoll In 1991, a national Irish newspaper published a survey in which teenagers listed their greatest concerns about the future of the country. The results were not surprising: Unemployment, mass immigration and the spiraling political violence in Northern Ireland topped the list. Those surveyed had precedent to back up their fears: During the 1980s, the Republic of Irelandís unemployment rate rose to almost 20 percent (the second highest in the developed world), and borrowing per capita was three times that of Mexico...more... Airlines Saving Lives With Defibrillators, But Water Purity May Pose Health Risks by Gina Shaw When we think about airline safety in the post-9/11 world, we primarily think about deadly serious issues, such as shoe bombers, airport metal detectors and debates over arming pilots. But your safety in the air also depends on how well your health is protected while you fly. This month, weíll take a look at two recent developments that could affect your onboard health. First, the bad newsóor perhaps you could call it the ìewwwî news. Have you thought about what might be in your airplaneís water supply? Some recent reports tell a less-than-appetizing story about what may be swirling around in there...more... Gay Foreign Affairs Group Making Strides but Still Has Long To-Do List by Sanjay Talwani Bob Gilchrist, the new president of Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), doesnít have to hide his sexual orientation from the federal government. But 10 years ago, things were different. The State Department could revoke security clearance for gays and lesbians. Partners were hidden and relationships were often clandestine. Career Foreign Service officers faced interrogation or outright hostility. Many were forced to choose between partner and career...more... Man With a Mission Local Photographer Restores 19th-Century Church in Labor of Love by Serena Lei Larry Ruggeri has been photographing foreign ambassadors to the United States for eight years, totaling nearly 100 covers for The Washington Diplomat alone. His thriving business, Ruggeri Photography, includes clients that range from AT&T to the FBI, covering magazine editorials to high-tech advertisements. Recently, he purchased and restored a condemned 19th-century church in Hyattstown, Md., now available for weddings and often used as a studio. Ruggeri takes all of his work in stride. A self-taught photographer, Ruggeri is the rare, unpretentious mix of businessman and artist, grounded in his firm devotion to family and God...more...