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Posted on Sat, November 07, 2009 - 2:59:11

Heather in South Dakota writes:

Barriers -- physical, cultural, gender-based, what have you -- do not facilitate peace or growth. They are a degrading and lazy solution to our most…

 From the entry 'What Lessons Can We Learn From the Fall of the Berlin Wall?'.
Posted on Sat, November 07, 2009 - 1:36:33

Joe in Tennessee writes:

1. Freedom without food is not freedom at all...

2. A political adversory who once was strong, will not stay in that situation and use…

 From the entry 'What Lessons Can We Learn From the Fall of the Berlin Wall?'.
Posted on Sat, November 07, 2009 - 1:30:27

Joe in Tennessee writes:

Some walls were made to keep things in...

 From the entry 'Voices of U.S. Diplomacy and the Berlin Wall'.

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Blog entries for  Aaron Snipe

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Talking the Walk Once Again: Sharing Diplomacy With My Hometown
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He recently participated in the Hometown Diplomat Program.

Explaining our foreign policy to audiences abroad is one of the many tasks faced by U.S. diplomats serving overseas. During my Read Entire Post


Reflecting on My Time in Iraq
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer who recently completed his assignment with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Muthanna, Iraq.

It’s tough to sum up a year in Iraq in one final post. The best summary of my time in Iraq actually lies in the telling of the tale. With more and more diplomats serving on Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Iraq and Afghanistan, my experience is not uncommon. Yet, I can’t help but feel there were, indeed, many unique aspects of my…

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Listening To Learn the Language
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna, Iraq.

Transiting back to Iraq from my final R&R in the United States, I settled in for my last eleven-hour flight to Kuwait. As I decided upon which book and magazines I would read during the long journey, a cacophonous family of countless children came pouring onto the plane. With an empty seat to my right and left, I braced for the worst. I quickly reached deep into my backpack to retrieve…

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Talking the Walk: Explaining the Provincial Reconstruction Team Mission
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna, Iraq.

If you've read my previous DipNote posts, you know that diplomats and development professionals are making a real difference in rural Iraq. Our work with our Iraqi counterparts in the Department of Veterinary Affairs is helping revive Muthanna's agricultural sector. This is certainly important work, but as a the PRT's public diplomacy officer, it's my job to ensure that Iraqis know…

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Working With Iraqi Farmers Reminds Me Why I Serve
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna, Iraq.

Sometimes I find myself muttering five little words: I hate being in Iraq.

The problem with this statement is that it’s actually not true.  I don’t hate being in Iraq.  Working in the fast-paced, high-stress environment of a PRT is always a challenge.  The seven-day work week can be difficult to manage.  But, when I step back from the stress and look…

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City Slicker Learns To “Dip” Sheep in Iraq
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is as a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Iraq.

Seven years ago, I was working in the financial services industry in New York City. I had recently taken the Foreign Service exam and was pretty pessimistic about my chances of passing. I didn’t like my job very much, but I loved my office. It was in the old Metropolitan Life Insurance Company…

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Front Lines to Main Streets in Iraq
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna, Iraq.

I’ve had my share of sleepless nights since I came to Iraq, but my insomnia these days has more to do with the big-picture questions facing this land, than the heat, IEDs, or rocket attacks. Late one night not long ago, I finished reading a fascinating new book about Iraq. At the end of the book, the author published a copy of an unclassified U.S. Army memo dated June 21, 2008.…

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Muthanna Art Exhibit Takes Risk, Earns Respect
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Muthanna, Iraq.

A few weeks ago I posted a blog entry entitled, “The Colors of Warka,” in which I chronicled the United States Ambassador’s trip to Muthanna. During that visit the Ambassador attended the first-ever exhibition for women artists in Muthanna. I wrote a bit about…

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Sound Merchants Share Jazz With Iraqis
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Muthanna, Iraq.

In the late 1950s, the United States sent American jazz musicians—including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington—to foreign countries far and wide as part of a cultural outreach initiative.  Last year, the New York Times highlighted a then-new photography…

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The Colors of Warka
Posted by: Aaron Snipe

About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Muthanna, Iraq.

The title of the art exhibit was The Colors of Warka, named after the ancient Sumerian goddess of beauty, Inanna. When January 10th rolled around, and the Ambassador's Black Hawks touched down in Muthanna, the exhibit was ready to go. The Ambassador’s agenda for the visit was packed full of meetings and appearances designed to give the Ambassador a taste of what PRT Muthanna…

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