Portion from "Pinstripes and Reds"

It is my personal experience regarding U.S. policy toward Romania which would expose the naïveté of this misguided policy and should force a serious reevaluation of the U.S. position vis-a-vis Romania. One might think that someone who knew the language and history of the country would be welcomed as ambassador or at least one whose input would be strongly considered. Not so. American foreign policy toward Romania is usually carried out by persons whose knowledge is usually greatly limited. There is a real need for long-term, on-the-ground, in-the-trenches specialists on Romania who actually weigh in on U.S. policy decisions. Alas, the DOS is bereft of specific expertise on Romania. Thus these misguided policies are in large part due to the accommodating attitude of an elite group of State Department personnel who run their own agenda regarding U.S. policy toward Romania irrespective of the realities of the situation.

Perhaps most disheartening is the DOS policy which seems to help perpetuate the misery. The GOR, [and not the children], remains the chief beneficiary of the U.S. policy. It seems as though it is business as usual in U.S.-Romanian relations. Human rights groups have expressed frustration that the DOS and the embassy in Bucharest are showing little practical concern and interest in pursuing reports of corruption [and abuse with respect to the children]. Why not do what was done in 1986 -- pass a Senate resolution denouncing the GOR's hostility to resolving the registered cases honorably and quickly. It is all well and good to "warn" Romania to keep its promise to process the cases. But the damage has been done and continues to be done. Romania has taken everything -- and given nothing.

Abandoned Romanian children have less and less basis for hope for support from those in the American government because it is those very people who are betraying them by allying themselves with and rewarding their oppressors. One embassy official [from the more distant past] said that if we are wimps in the matter, Romania will crap all over us. We must put the interests of the children first. We must keep in mind our obligations to seek improved conditions for the children of Romania. This will help counter the institutional tendency at State to emphasize the concerns of the country in which Foreign Service officers are serving and help to counter the excessive and unhealthy loyalty to the DOS system and its elite. We must do more to consider the historical, linguistic, cultural, and other differences which impinge on decisions.

U.S. policy should not extend loans, grants, aid or any other forms of assistance through the World Bank, IMF, etc. And individual American banks should not be permitted to do this either. Basic human rights [including those of abandoned children to a permanent family] are of paramount importance because they reflect how the GOR respects it's own citizens [children]. Time and time again the U.S. has chosen to overlook violations of these rights and have accorded Romania hundreds of millions of dollars of aid. They have cited Romanian "assurances" that progress would be made. Time and time again, these assurances turn out to be tragically empty promises [read "lies"]. Yet the U.S. government declines to speak out forcefully or do anything practical about it.

The U.S. should take the lead by withdrawing aid from Romania. Instead the "pinstripers" of Washington work behind the scenes with the GOR and its representatives to tie together aid for Romania; but only on Romania's terms. The comments of many Romanians [now made as a voice for the abandoned children] emphasize: "Never forget what the GOR is doing to destroy us. And never forget what the U.S. government is doing to help the GOR regime keep us in this situation." I for one shall not forget.

Adapted from "Pinstripes and Reds" by David B. Funderburk, former Ambassador to Romania