ëWar Should Remain Last Resortí Ambassador of France Jean-David Levitte by Larry Luxner Barely three months into his new job, French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte finds himself at the center of the most serious policy rift between the United States and France in decades. With President Bush preparing to declare war against Iraqóand France threatening to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution approving such a waróitís easy to sympathize with Levitte when he says heís had a ìrough startî in Washington. ìOur long history of friendship has been strained by many difficulties, and we are in one of these difficult periods now,î Levitte explained to The Washington Diplomat in a lengthy interview on Feb. 13. ìMy duty as French ambassador is to do whatever possible to try to solve this difference of views in a friendly way. My hope is that soon, weíll again be working hand in hand to promote our common values.î...more... Professor Shibley Telhami Analyst Fears U.S. Will Win War In Iraq but Lose Peace in Middle East by John Shaw Shibley Telhami is a warm and cheerful man who has a dark and growing fear. A leading expert on the Middle East, he is concerned that the United States will soon wage a war with Iraq, secure a decisive military victory, but then lose the peace in the Middle East....more.... After Leaving Enforcement, Official Worries About Lack of U.S. Terrorist Financing Probes by Sean OíDriscoll The first time I met the government official in charge of tracking down terrorist financing around the world, it was a somewhat disappointing encounter. Jimmy GurulÈ, the Treasury Departmentís undersecretary of enforcement, sat with two advisers who took detailed notes during our interview. His answers were extremely reserved and unrevealing, and he deflected four questions about Saudi Arabia, which he described at a congressional hearing as only taking ìbaby stepsî to cut down on terrorist-linked charities. When GurulÈ returned from the World Economic Forum, however, the reason for his reticence became all too clear. Unexpectedly, GurulÈ quit his post. Less than a month before the Homeland Security Department came into operation, he left government work entirely and returned to lecturing at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana....more... Washington Area Schools Offer Diverse Selection of Multicultural Programs by Carolyn Cosmos That Washington, D.C., should provide opportunities for international students is not surprising. What may startle some people, however, is the wealth of multicultural programs for adolescents available at both public and private schools in the District. Here is a potpourri tour of a few such initiatives, old and new, within the city boundariesósome at news-making institutions, others tucked away and decidedly more low-key....more... Four Offices in State Department Provide Range of Services to Foreign Diplomats by Alan B. Nichols Both through informal arrangements and formal bilateral or multilateral agreements, the U.S. State Department works closely with some 180 nations around the globe on a host of issuesófrom terrorism and worldwide hunger to international tradeóall aimed at promoting peace and prosperity at home and abroad....more...

Come and join us for a unique affair of the diplomatic kind. moreÖ Join our e-list: Sports Section Culture Section Liechtenstein: Small in Size, Big in Ambitions by Anna Gawel For any new embassy starting out in Washington, making a name for yourself in a city already crowded with big-name embassiesóall vying for the same political influence, media coverage and public recognition as youóis no easy feat. But for an embassy that represents a nation the actual size of Washington, D.C.óthe name of which most Americans can scarcely pronounce let alone point out on a mapóthat task can be infinitely more daunting. Yet none of that phases the tiny principality of Liechtenstein, which recently set up a new embassy in Washington and relocated its U.S. ambassador, Claudia Fritsche, from the Liechtenstein U.N. Mission in New York....more... Columbia Disaster Leaves NASA at Cooperation Crossroads by Sanjay Talwani If there was anything positive abo ut the Feb. 1 explosion of the space shuttle Columbia, it was the notion that the United States might now enter a new era of international cooperation for space research, particularly with the expansion and maintenance of the International Space Station...more... Early Screening for Colon Cancer Greatly Improves Survival Rate by Gina Shaw March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Monthóthe perfect time to ask yourself: Do you know how your colon is doing? The good news is that more people can answer ìyesî to that question than ever before. A study found that screening rates for colon cancer among people over the age of 50 increased significantly between 1997 and 1999, from 49 percent to 55 percent. Now, the bad news: Do the math. If 55 percent of people over 50 are being screened for colon cancer, that means 45 percent of themónearly halfóstill are not getting screenedóand that can have deadly consequences....more... Screening and Diet Tips