Joseph J. Sisco: The Passing of a Gentleman

On 23 November 2004, Joseph J. Sisco passed from the scene, and on that day Mediterranean Quarterly lost a valued mentor, a true friend, and a scholar. The editors of this journal, which he so proudly spoke of and to which he contributed his thoughts on critical issues, will miss his sober assessment of complex events and his unlimited faith in the eternal goodness of America. Dr. Sisco was a true patriot, a loyal friend to those he worked with, and a man of deep convictions to those who challenged him. He joined our editorial board ten years ago, taking the place of another giant of American diplomacy, Philip Habib. But unlike Habib, who operated in retirement from the distance of the Hoover Institution, Dr. Sisco was deeply involved in shaping the policies of Mediterranean Quarterly without ever attempting to influence its content. For him, freedom of the press was a sacred intellectual credo that defined his and our Americanism. As he was fond of saying to the editors during numerous luncheons, "All ideas, properly expressed, deserve to be heard; if shallow, they will be cancelled out by better ones."

History has recorded his contributions to American diplomacy and his pivotal role in defusing major crises. Here we can only add a few personal memories from a life worth honoring. Dr. Sisco's journey was truly complete in terms of public achievements, legacy, and integrity. He started off by facing the adversities experienced by an immigrant family that had decided to seize the opportunities America offered. Though orphaned at nine, an extended Italian family took over where his father had left off and imbued him with a sense of pride in his Italian heritage that ensured he could overcome life's adversities and prepared him to help others achieve their potential. He served his country in war and peace, in the limelight of diplomacy, in the silent world of intelligence, and in the bright lights of academia. But no matter what the calling, Dr. Sisco did it all with the highest level of integrity, determination, and utter intellectual honesty. He was not too kind to pretentious fools and never in awe of the self-proclaimed stars of modern diplomacy. He knew exactly who he was, what he could do, what was right or wrong, and what causes to espouse, and he did it all without wavering in his core commitment to a respected America in a world at risk.

We believe the overview he authored for the recent special issue of Mediterranean Quarterly (fall 2003) on "The World after Iraq" was his last major essay. This piece captures his sense of urgency for our times and his insights into the direction American foreign policy ought to take in the twenty-first century. He soberly assessed the world after 11 September and warned of the daunting tasks facing America in an age of terror. Speaking with the experience of a diplomat who had received unparalleled on-the-job training when tested by the nuclear threat (he earned world renown as a troubleshooter who dealt with some of the world's most intractable leaders, including Arabs, Israelis, Greeks, and Turks), he warned of the danger that hesitant leadership may produce:

In this post-11 September, post-Saddam period there is an opportunity—indeed, an imperative—for the United States to lead, not for imperial reasons, but in order to develop a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous regional and global environment and to prevent terrorist attacks at home and abroad. It is an awesome and daunting undertaking, but there is no better alternative.

There are few scholars or policy makers who would argue with such a crisp assessment of the current state of affairs and the centrality of the path the United States must chart in order to successfully navigate the shoals of a culturally fragmented world.

The editors of Mediterranean Quarterly first came to know Dr. Sisco when he served as assistant secretary of state for Near East and South Asian affairs, a region which at that time included Greece and Turkey. Two prominent Greek leaders, George I. Rallis and Dimitrios...