Kuwait Watches Old Enemy Fall Ambassador of Kuwait Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah by Larry Luxner With bombs falling literally in Kuwaitís backyard, Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabahóthe countryís ambassador to Washingtonónervously follows CNN, worried about the effect this latest war between Iraq and the United States will have on his tiny, oil-rich emirate. ìIím glued to the phone, much more than the TV, calling officials and friends back home, getting first-hand information. My first concern is for Kuwaiti citizens who are here in the U.S.,î he says. ìWeíve established hotlines and networks to be able to inform them of every single development. Thatís my first priority.î...more... President of Refugees International Kenneth H. Bacon Educating the World About Struggles of Refugees by John Shaw Kenneth H. Bacon began to think deeply about the struggles of refugees when he was a senior U.S. Department of Defense official watching the Balkans unravel in the 1990s. From his position as an assistant secretary of defense, Bacon pondered the enormous suffering that was unfolding before the worldís eyes in Kosovo. But even in this tragedy, he saw a glimmer of hope....more.... Cutting-Edge Chancery Plans are Lesson in Persistence for Swedes by Gail Scott If current Swedish Ambassador Jan Eliasson gets his way, Sweden will finally have its own chancery here after more than three decades. The House of Sweden, as it will be called, will be Swedenís spectacular diplomatic showcase and Washingtonís first embassy ever built directly on the Potomac River. Interestingly, here in the most important diplomatic posting in the world, Sweden is still the only major country without its own embassy building. Eliasson is the fifth Swedish ambassador in a row who has yearned to change that....more...

Come and join us for a unique affair of the diplomatic kind. moreÖ Join our e-list: Hotel Section Culture Section Potential for Cyber-terrorism May Be Just High-Tech Hype by Sean OíDriscoll All across the country, technology companies are making billions of dollars upgrading computer technology and holding seminars on this new threat to the U.S. way of life. They cite alarming figures: According to federal statistics, 70 percent of the nationís power plants, including nuclear plants, reported being hacked into during the past year. But an obvious question arises: If 70 percent of the nationís power plants have been hacked, why then have there been no life-threatening attacks by terrorists? And why, for that matter, have none of the diplomatic missions in Washington ever faced a serious cyber-attack?...more... Area Hospitals Slowly Preparing Smallpox ëResponse Teamsí by Gina Shaw The first mass vaccinations for smallpox in the United States in three decades began in February as hospitals in the Washington area and around the country began inoculating ìresponse teamsî of physicians, nurses and other health care workers....more...