On this day in 1989, two cyanide-injected grapes were found in Philadelphia, PA. The grapes were from Chile, so the USDA announced a temporary ban on importing Chilean grapes.
This sparked a series of protests against the U.S. in Chile. You can read on at the link to learn more about these Chilean… sour grapes.
When you’re at post and away from the US of A, it’s up to the embassy to host a 4th of July party for all the expats and locals who wish to participate.
However, this can go horribly, horribly, horribly wrong.
Read on at the link to see why Lady Liberty is double facepalming!
On this day in 1966, France withdrew from NATO. This cast doubt upon whether this new organization would survive. While France would rejoin in 2009, it did aid NATO politically for the next 40 or so years without being an official member.
While the U.S. embassy in Paris had a little advanced warning, it was still a shock to Foreign Policy Adviser (POLAD) Alan James.
To read more about the difficulty James faced in the aftermath of France’s decision, read on at the link!
