Ambassador of South Africa Sheila Sisulu Moving Beyond a Black and White World by John Shaw Virtually no nation has accomplished as much as South Africa has over the last decade, yet few countries face future challenges that are as daunting. Sheila Sisulu, South Africaís ambassador to the United States, says her nationís enormous achievements are a central reason she is confident it will overcome the parade of difficulties it faces.... more... Professor Anthony Lake Ex-Foreign Policy Advisor Warns of Possible Nightmares by John Shaw When Anthony Lake served as President Bill Clintonís top foreign policy adviser, he spent most of his waking hours worrying about what could go wrong in the world. Now out of government service and working as a university professor and consultant, Lake still sees a planet packed with threats. He has identified a half-dozen nightmares that will keep President Bushís foreign policy team awake for many nights during the next four years. In an interview at his tiny, cramped office at Georgetown University, Lake said the new administration must deal with a globalized world that offers enormous opportunities but also poses huge challenges. more... Legal Sparrows Embassies Shy Away From Seeking Attorney's Advice on Matters of U.S. Law by Tim Deady Late on the night of Jan. 3, 1997, Gueorgui Makharadze, a diplomat at the Embassy of the Republic of Georgia, plowed his car into the rear of another car on Dupont Circle. A young woman passenger in the car he struck was killed. It was later d etermined that Makharadze had been drinking before the accident. There was a public outcry that Makharadze should be prosecuted. But he was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity. Eventually, the United States and Georgia negotiated an agreement waiving Makharadzeís immunity. Prosecution proceedings then began against the diplomat... more... Hotel Section

Pioneering Entrepreneurs Hope To Make tiny Uruguay Export Giant by Larry Luxner Roni Lieberman was 21 years old when, armed with a few thousand dollars and an engineering degree from one of Uruguayís most important universities, he started his own software business. Today, that company, Memory Computec, employs 40 programmers and subcontracts another 60 to develop inventory, payroll and online accounting software. Operating out of a brightly painted, three-story office in downtown Montevideo, the company counts more than 12,000 small businessesófrom florists to fast-food outletsóamong its clients. Liebermanís main product is Memory Magus, a homegrown version of QuickBooks. With a retail price of only $390, Magus is so popular that the company has begun exporting it to Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. Last year, exports of Magus exceeded local sales for the first time. ìUruguayís software industry has grown tremendously in the last three or four years,î said Lieberman, who is also president of the 170-member Uruguayan Software Chamber. ìToday, weíre exporting software all over the world, but mainly to other Latin American countries because of similar language, customs and business practices.î more... Spy Tunnel Story Inspires Russian Party by Tim Deady It was one of those events that can only happen in Washingtonóa reception last month to honor former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Robert Strauss at the 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C., residence of Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov. It was difficult to turn around without spilling caviar or vodka on guests such as Sandy Berger, Katherine Graham, Tom Foley, Kenneth Duberstein, William Daley and Michael Deaver. And then there were the hangers-on journalists, who were too numerous to mention. The party came just a few days after news broke that during the height of the Cold War, the United States may have dug a spy tunnel to the Russian Embassy on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown. more... Culture Section