Rick Francona - Interview With an Oregon Editor

As I was about to retire in 1998 after 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, I was contacted by the Naval Institute Press and asked if I would be interested in writing a book about one aspect of my career. It had come to their attention that I had served at the American Embassy in Baghdad in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War while participating in a sensitive intelligence assistance program with the Iraqi military. Later, I served as General Norman Schwarzkopf's interpreter during the Gulf War. They thought a personal account of how Iraq turned ally to enemy would be an interesting story. That led to the publication of Ally to Adversary - An Eyewitness Account of Iraq's Fall from Grace, named by the Oregonian as one of the top ten regional books of 1999.

SB: Do you write for traditional venues as well as online?

RF: I do some newspaper articles and have received a preliminary acceptance for a magazine article about the former lifeboat station, but I find that with my speaking and lecture schedule, plus my work with the Point Orford Heritage Society, I just don't have time for more writing. I am also spending more time designing websites for local non-profit organizations, small businesses, and individuals (www.francona.net).

SB: Do you write for other online sites?

RF: Not at this time

SB: Where do you get the inspiration for your Middle East Politics column? Is it all from your personal experience?

RF: I try to keep current on events in the region by reading as much as I can find, be it online or through professional periodicals. I also make time to read all the book I have collected over the years, many older texts that contain a wealth of background.

I think my inspiration comes from reading what journalists and officials are saying about the Middle East and providing "value added," or "okay, so what does that really mean," from my personal experience.  While some journalists are indeed knowledgeable about the Middle East, most are not - they are merely on assignment and will move on to the next crisis - and few have had the level of access I enjoyed while stationed at various embassies and posts in the region, or have

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