A reading of a cautionary poem about politics and diplomacy in which a small gaffe leads to disastrous consequences. "The Diplomatic Platypus" by Patrick Barrington. Youtube video from SpokenVerse.
6 days ago
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Another Day, Another Evacuation
Image via WikipediaThe State Department has issued the following Travel Alert on the flooding in Peru on January 28:
Heavy rains have caused landslides throughout Peru’s Sacred Valley, blocking overland and train routes into and out of the major tourist destinations of Cuzco and Macchu Picchu. The government of Peru has declared a state of emergency in the affected region. The U.S. Embassy is actively engaged in a joint Peruvian-led effort to help evacuate stranded U.S. citizens and others in Aguas Calientes, at the base of Machu Picchu. U.S. citizens intending to travel to the Sacred Valley of Peru should postpone their plans for at least the next several days.
The Peruvian government and the Embassy are sending helicopters to the city of Aguas Calientes to assist in removing people stranded by the weather. Delays resulting from the rains, high altitude and fuel shortages have hampered air operations. The Embassy sent teams to Aguas Calientes, where many tourists are stranded; to the town of Urubamba, where tourists who are being evacuated from the area of Machu Picchu are arriving; and to Cuzco, to assist American citizens who are stranded there. The road from Urubamba to Cuzco is open and transportation is being provided to the evacuees. U.S. citizens in Cuzco may wish to contact the U.S. Consular Agency located at Avenida Pardo #845, in Cuzco. For inquiries about U.S. citizens in the affected region, please call 1-888-407-4747 or email PeruCuzco@state.gov.
On January 27, the Spokesman confirmed that there are “about 200 American citizens around Aguas Calientes.”
The US Embassy in Peru has issued an update to its Warden Message (Posted: January 27, 2010):
The government of Peru has declared a state of emergency for 60 days in two southeast provinces due to heavy rains. The region has suffered flash floods, landslides and flooding that have closed roads, bridges and railines. The airport in Cusco is operating sporadically.
This measure covers the provinces of Cusco and Apurimac, and their towns of Calca, Cusco City, Urubamba, Canchis Quispicanchi, Anta and the Convention. Included in affected areas are Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu Pueblo.
The U.S. Embassy has sent field teams to Aguas Calientes, where many tourists are stranded; to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, where tourists who are being evacuated from the area of Machu Picchu are arriving; and to Cusco, to assist American citizens who are stranded there. The road from Ollantaytambo to Cusco is open and transportation is being provided to the evacuees. American citizens may wish to contact the US consular agency located at Avenida Pardo #845, in Cusco.
The Embassy is attempting to send helicopters to Aguas Calientes, at the base of the Machu Picchu ruins, to assist in removing American citizens, and in support of Peruvian Government assistance operations. Delays resulting from the rains, high altitude and fuel shortages may hamper air operations.
Working 20-hour days at US Embassy Haiti
For the past week, we have had 2,000 people lining up outside of the embassy, mostly Haitians who have an American family connection and are trying to join that person in the United States. Today, that number doubled, and we had a very close impersonation of chaos. Despite the bedlam outside our gates, what the people in line are doing is very rational. For the most part, Haitians are trying to get the vulnerable in their families out of the country for the time being. I understand that instinct.
Our consular officers are working 20-hour days to provide assistance to those who are entitled based on legal or humanitarian grounds. Their work is not only exhausting, but heartbreaking. Many people have compelling stories about why they should travel to the United States, but not all are allowed under U.S. law. And because we have so many people in line, it is difficult to render service to those who are entitled to it while sorting through those who are just hoping we will let them travel. For example, there was an American citizen child in the line today suffering from a swollen brain and very ill. He was being cared for by a French woman and a Haitian man. Had they had to wait in line like all the rest to get to the consular section, the child might have been endangered. I just happened to be giving an interview near the spot where they were standing, and the TV producer saw the child and pointed him out. We then got the child and woman on the next flight out.
Frustrations in the line are high. All day today, the press section has been broadcasting public affairs messages via Haitian radio explaining who we can help and who we can't. We are now planning more aggressive information campaigns to convince people to come only if they really are entitled to U.S. help. With the situation as it is now, we are really worried someone who survived the earthquake will be crushed on our doorstep.
Our consular officers are working 20-hour days to provide assistance to those who are entitled based on legal or humanitarian grounds. Their work is not only exhausting, but heartbreaking. Many people have compelling stories about why they should travel to the United States, but not all are allowed under U.S. law. And because we have so many people in line, it is difficult to render service to those who are entitled to it while sorting through those who are just hoping we will let them travel. For example, there was an American citizen child in the line today suffering from a swollen brain and very ill. He was being cared for by a French woman and a Haitian man. Had they had to wait in line like all the rest to get to the consular section, the child might have been endangered. I just happened to be giving an interview near the spot where they were standing, and the TV producer saw the child and pointed him out. We then got the child and woman on the next flight out.
Frustrations in the line are high. All day today, the press section has been broadcasting public affairs messages via Haitian radio explaining who we can help and who we can't. We are now planning more aggressive information campaigns to convince people to come only if they really are entitled to U.S. help. With the situation as it is now, we are really worried someone who survived the earthquake will be crushed on our doorstep.
Read the whole thing here.
Also read the CSM’s report on the near riots: After near riots, US Embassy in Haiti asks Haitians to stay away.
Now David Ensor Heads to US Embassy Kabul
Ensor, who spent three decades in broadcast journalism (at National Public Radio, ABC and ultimately CNN) and then 3½ years as a London-based PR executive for an oil-trading company, will operate from the heavily fortified American compound in Kabul, and get around using armored vehicles with bullet-proof windows and teams of bodyguards. He has committed to at least a year in country, and will coordinate his efforts with those of two-star Rear Admiral Gregory J. Smith, the Pentagon’s top spokesman in Kabul, and report to U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a former three-star Army general.
Ensor wasn’t the Obama administration’s first choice. Before he started discussing the position with State Department officials in November, it was offered to Asia Society executive vice president Jamie Metzl, a frequent visitor to Afghanistan and a longtime protégé of Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The 41-year-old Metzl—who has been a diplomat, a member of the National Security Council, a spy novelist and a congressional candidate—has spent a good deal of time in Afghanistan, serving as a monitor for last fall’s hotly disputed presidential election that is widely believed to have been rigged by the incumbent, Hamid Karzai. But Metzl passed when he and the State Department couldn’t come to terms on logistical issues, which I hear included the question of whether the post would carry ambassadorial rank. It doesn’t.[…]Ensor brings with him the street cred of a well-traveled foreign correspondent, who spent years reporting from Soviet bloc countries and the Middle East, covered wars in Chechnya and the Balkans, and boasts a deep and wide knowledge of America’s national security and intelligence institutions, especially the CIA. As a Washington correspondent for CNN during the Clinton and Bush administrations, he enjoyed top-level access to government officials, especially the longtime director of the National Security Agency, General Mike Hayden. His early career at NPR also gives him a background in radio, the key mode of mass communications in Afghanistan, and his years supervising the two dozen ABC News employees in the Warsaw bureau potentially lend him relevant management experience.[…]Why would he leave his comfortable life in London, to say nothing of his wife Anita and their two children, in order to put himself in harm’s way? A mixture of career restlessness, a desire to serve his country and simple curiosity, says Dobbs. “As a journalist, you always want to know what it’s like being on the inside.”
Ensor, for now, is keeping his own counsel. “Thanks very much for your interest in my upcoming work in Kabul,” he emailed me on Sunday. “I am sorry but I am not prepared to discuss it yet. Perhaps we could talk after I have taken office, and spent a little time in Afghanistan.”
Read the whole thing here.
On a related note, somebody wrote to ask if we notice “how top heavy the Embassy in Kabul is? DCMs don't want to be called DCMs and invent new titles.” Makes one wonder whose idea this was. The top heavy front office is not unprecedented, of course, given the short history of the US Embassy in Baghdad. But that thing about inventing new titles, that may be unprecedented.
Currently we have Mr. Ricciardone as deputy ambassador at the US Embassy in Kabul. He was previously Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt (2005-2008) and Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Palau from 2002 to 2005. We also have Joseph A. Mussomeli as Assistant Chief of Mission (he was previously Ricciardone’s Deputy Chief of Mission in the Philippines (2002-2005) and later Ambassador to the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia (2005-2008). Then we have Earl Anthony "Tony" Wayne, the Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs. He was previously the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina from November 2006 to June 2009.
However, the embassy’s POL/MIL guy according to the latest listing is Phil Kosnett, a senior Foreign Service officer who served three tours in Iraq. The POL counselor is Annie Pforzheimer, who might be in the SFS, too although we can't confirm it. So there’s still room for more former or current ambassador ranked officials to join the Kabul embassy team.
However, the embassy’s POL/MIL guy according to the latest listing is Phil Kosnett, a senior Foreign Service officer who served three tours in Iraq. The POL counselor is Annie Pforzheimer, who might be in the SFS, too although we can't confirm it. So there’s still room for more former or current ambassador ranked officials to join the Kabul embassy team.
An email to the press office in Kabul inquiring about Mr. Ensor’s approximate arrival in Kabul and his job title has not received a response as of this writing. With the addition of David Ensor and the civilian surge on, I supposed this makes the baghdafication of US Embassy Kabul officially on but we’re not quite there yet.
Related Post:
- David Ensor to US Embassy Kabul? | Dec 16, 2009
- US Embassy Iraq: 5 Years Later, Some Questions Answered | August 10, 2009
- That Unprecedented Title of Deputy Ambassador | March 30, 2009
- Coming Soon - Civilian Surge for Afghanistan? | March 18, 2009
Quickie: Female Diplomats’ Challenge — The ‘Trailing Spouse’
Michael Barrientos started out as a photo editor for The New York Times, which is how I know him. He and his wife are heading back to D.C. soon for two years, awaiting their next posting. I have always wondered what it’s like to be(come) the trailing spouse and know that many ambitious women with global careers and ambitions face these issues as well.
As you might imagine, it requires tremendous flexibility and grace to manage a marriage, two careers and kids while moving from one unfamiliar nation and culture to the next. Thank heaven for such men!
Excerpt from Michael Barrientos:
The toughest challenge has been leaving my job and career. I really loved working at The New York Times. I had the highest regard for the newspaper, what we did, the people I worked with, and hated to step away. We had a lot of conflict early on. I was resentful about leaving a job that I deeply enjoyed and was very satisfied in. It was a hard transition to becoming an instant stay-at-home father and trailing spouse.
Gradually, I have adapted and gotten used to it. I had been in newspapers for so long that it was tough to get used to being out of the industry. There were a number of issues at play, such as Mexican-American family pressure and lack of full support of my decision to step away from my career.
[…]
Advising a Foreign Service spouse would be difficult. It’s an individual decision and not everybody is cut out for it. I have seen a number of spouses and foreign service officers who could not handle the changes in lifestyle, culture and being away from family and friends. I had grown accustomed to it over my career despite growing up in a tight-knit family.
[…]
Our income has been affected. I was paid well at the Times and it was tough giving up two incomes to become a dependent while contributing with my supplementary freelance money. Our marriage has had tough challenges. Not having support of family and friends is tough. The Internet helps tremendously with Skype, social media like Facebook and Twitter, blogs and e-mail. We stay involved in the diplomatic community and established a daily family routine. Families in the Foreign Service are often close because of its nomadic nature.
Read the whole thing here.
Officially In: Theodore Sedgwick to Bratislava
Image via WikipediaTheodore Sedgwick is a business executive with experience in the publishing and timber industries. He founded Pasha Publications, a specialty publisher focused on energy, defense and environment markets, and served as its chief executive for 20 years. More recently, he founded Io Energy, an online energy information company covering the natural gas, coal and electricity industries. He was president of Red Hills Lumber Co., a producer of pine flooring. Mr. Sedgwick serves on a number of private company boards, including Inside Higher Ed, Atlantic Information Services, and Washington Business Information Inc. He has served on the boards of a number of cultural institutions including the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Shakespeare Theater Co. and the Gennadius Library in Athens, Greece. He has also served on the boards of a number of land preservation organizations, including the Civil War Preservation Trust, which he chaired in 2006-2009, and Wetlands America Trust, an affiliate of Ducks Unlimited. He is on the National Council of the Land Trust Alliance.
Mr. Sedgwick is a member of the Chief Executives Organization, an organization of global business leaders. He graduated with honors from Harvard College, cum laude, where he majored in Ottoman History.
* * *
The United States recognized the Slovak Republic as an independent state and established diplomatic relations with it on Jan 1, 1993. Embassy Bratislava was established Jan 4, 1993. Four of the six ambassador to the US Embassy Bratislava were all non-career appointees. Except if you look them up here, the last two, Rodolphe M. Vallee and Vincent Obsitnik are also listed as FSOs instead of political appointees.
If confirmed, Mr. Sedgwick would replace corporate executive, Vincent Obsitnik (born in Slovakia and fluent in the Slovak language) who was appointed to post by President Bush in 2007.
Via Al Kamen:
“Obama last week nominated publishing executive (and, yes, major contributor and bundler) Theodore "Tod" Sedgwick to be ambassador to Slovakia. Sedgwick founded and headed Pasha Publications, which focused on energy, defense and environment markets matters, and ran a lumber company. He's also on the boards of a number of cultural and land preservation organizations. Slovakia, a NATO member, is a lovely country in the heart of Europe. It's small, but Sedgwick only bundled a bit more than $200,000 for the Obama campaign, plus contributing $42,416 of his own money to Democrats in the 2008 cycle and another $10,000 for the inauguration.”
Related Item:
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Andrew Wyllie: How to send him your help and support
I’ve asked the FLO how the Foreign Service community can help and send support to Andrew Wyllie in this time of bereavement. I’m passing along the following information for those interested. I've requested and received permission from the family to release this information here:
To all of Andy Wyllie's friends and family,
Many of you have inquired about ways that you could help the Wyllie family during this extremely difficult time. In lieu of flowers, a financial gift would be greatly appreciated and would be put to good use in order to assist with the numerous expenses that will be incurred during the coming months and weeks.
The monetary gifts will be collected by Andy's brother-in-law, on Andy's behalf, and should be made payable and sent to:
Matt Johnson
6214 Duntley Place
Springfield, VA 22152
(703) 644-0042
mattfjohnson[a]hotmail.com
We greatly appreciate the support that is being given to Andy and his family during this time.
The memorial for Andy's family will be this weekend in Washington, DC. Please contact Matt above for time and location.
As far as cards for Andy, you might direct those to: 8090 Winding Way Court, Springfield, VA 22153.
I know words are poor things in times like this but I'm told that cards and kind thoughts from friends have been a great comfort to him. If you are reading this blog, please send help in any way you can. Thank you.
The memorial for Andy's family will be this weekend in Washington, DC. Please contact Matt above for time and location.
As far as cards for Andy, you might direct those to: 8090 Winding Way Court, Springfield, VA 22153.
I know words are poor things in times like this but I'm told that cards and kind thoughts from friends have been a great comfort to him. If you are reading this blog, please send help in any way you can. Thank you.
Related Post:
Three FS Family Members Perished in Haiti Quake | January 26, 2009
Updated 1/29 per request of the family.
US Embassy Haiti: Local Staff Update
793 | Total FSNs or locally employed staff at US Embassy PaP
28 | FSNs unaccounted for
6 | FSNs killed
6 | Total FSNs injured
3 | FSNs seriously injured
Thanks to Gordon Duguid, acting Deputy Spokesman for taking the time to address this inquiry. He is presently serving with the Haiti Joint Information Center in Port-au-Prince.
Related Post:
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Who Leaked the Eikenberry Cables and Why?
In November 2009, Karl W. Eikenberry, the United States ambassador to Afghanistan and retired Army lieutenant general, sent two classified cables to his superiors in which he offered his assessment of the proposed U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. While the broad outlines of Mr. Eikenberry's cables were leaked soon after he sent them, the complete cables, obtained recently by The New York Times, show just how strongly the current ambassador feels about President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan government, the state of its military, and the chances that a troop buildup will actually hurt the war effort by making the Karzai government too dependent on the United States. Related Article »
Who leaked these cables in November, and who just gave the complete cables to the NYT? Is Diplomatic Security hunting down the culprit/s? Is anyone at Foggy Bottom upset about this? See --Hamid Karzai, himself can now read those cables online. Given that this unavoidably would have an impact on the ambassador’s relationship with Kabul, is somebody after Karl Eikenberry’s head … or job?
Hamid Karzai won the 2009 presidential election after his opponent Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the run-off. He’ll be president of Afghanistan beyond the Obama Administration’s first term so they have to deal with him whether they like it or not. How effective a representative would Ambassador Eikenberry be after this?
Hamid Karzai won the 2009 presidential election after his opponent Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the run-off. He’ll be president of Afghanistan beyond the Obama Administration’s first term so they have to deal with him whether they like it or not. How effective a representative would Ambassador Eikenberry be after this?
Or is it as Nick Mills over at the Huffinton Post puts it: “[I]f the diplomatic waters between the U.S. embassy in Kabul and the Arg Palace were chilly before, you'll be able to skate on them now that the texts of the cables have been published. But does President Karzai care? I doubt it. He obviously feels that the American ambassador's views are irrelevant anyway, that the Western money and military forces will keep on coming whether or not he invites the Eikenberrys to tea.”
Who leaked the Eikenberry cables and why? From Laura Rozen: “But a third former official posits, the motivation may be different: "One more, perhaps obvious note: who stands to benefit from a worsening of the Eikenberry-Karzai relationship to the point that it's untenable?"
That’s the $65 billion question for 2010.
Updated: 1/28
Mother Jones has reported that the State Department just launched a probe on the Afghanistan leak. Read it here. The piece quoted the Department Spokesman saying, "My suspicion is that a copy of a copy or a copy of a copy of a copy found its way to the New York Times." Aha! Whose copy ... and how ... and why? A NODIS cable with extremely limited distribution? Mother Jones also cited NYT for the "why" part. "According to the Times, the full versions of the memos were ultimately provided to the paper by an "American official" who believed Eikenberry's assessment "was important for the historical record."
Pleaze! I'm dense at times but not that dense. We have the FRUS (Foreign Relations of the U.S.) series for the historical record, folks! The "American official" seemed more interested in the "historical record" that he/she did not worry about how this makes life and work more difficult for our man in Kabul and the US Mission in Afghanistan? This is a firing offense.
Mother Jones has reported that the State Department just launched a probe on the Afghanistan leak. Read it here. The piece quoted the Department Spokesman saying, "My suspicion is that a copy of a copy or a copy of a copy of a copy found its way to the New York Times." Aha! Whose copy ... and how ... and why? A NODIS cable with extremely limited distribution? Mother Jones also cited NYT for the "why" part. "According to the Times, the full versions of the memos were ultimately provided to the paper by an "American official" who believed Eikenberry's assessment "was important for the historical record."
Pleaze! I'm dense at times but not that dense. We have the FRUS (Foreign Relations of the U.S.) series for the historical record, folks! The "American official" seemed more interested in the "historical record" that he/she did not worry about how this makes life and work more difficult for our man in Kabul and the US Mission in Afghanistan? This is a firing offense.
HRC Town Hall Meeting – One Year at State
Jan. 26, 2010 | Secretary Clinton holds a Town Hall Meeting with Department of State Employees Marking One Year at State, at the Department of State.
The Full Text is here. Lots of things said but I'm interested in what goes on inside the building. Quick takes from the town hall.
On the Foreign Service loss:
When I spoke to family members who had lost loved ones – Victoria DeLong – and then I spoke with Andrew Wyllie – they both thanked me as Secretary for the outpouring of support that they had received from colleagues. In Victoria’s case, from people who had served with her, who knew her, who had reached out to the family, who had really demonstrated the closeness of community that exists among us. And for Andrew Wyllie, who inconceivably, unimaginably lost his wife on her birthday and his seven-and-a-half and five-year-old children, he mentioned specifically the names of those who had been working with him in these very difficult days to recover the bodies of his wife and children. And again, the sense that it was not even just a community, but a large and extended family came through in everything he said to me.
On misleading media reports and criticisms:
I have absolutely no argument with anyone lodging a legitimate criticism against our country. I think we can learn from that. And we are foolish if we keep our head in the sand and pretend that we can’t. On the other hand, I deeply resent those who attack our country, the generosity of our people, and the leadership of our President in trying to respond to historically disastrous conditions after the earthquake. So what we’re asking for is that people view us fairly.
And we sent cables to all posts. We asked our entire teams to be prepared to respond to any misleading media report. And we stood up for who we are and what we represent. And we saw the change. We’re not going to leave unanswered charges against the United States of America and the kind of work that we do every single day. That has to be, going forward, what becomes the norm, not the exception. We have a story to tell. We have an important message to deliver. And we need every single person to be part of that. So going forward, we’re going to look in a very clear-eyed way at what we do well, what we could improve on, but to make sure that the extraordinary story that the United States has to tell is presented forcefully and effectively in every corner of the world.
On jobs for family members. Nothing new here, maalesef:
QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you. And my second question is that employment opportunities for eligible family members overseas are an important factor in recruitment, retention, and post morale. Seventy-five percent of eligible family members have college degrees, of whom 50 percent have advanced degrees. Can you comment on the prospects for increasing eligible family member employment overseas and also address the possibility of increasing opportunities for employment through the use of teleworking?
QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you. And my second question is that employment opportunities for eligible family members overseas are an important factor in recruitment, retention, and post morale. Seventy-five percent of eligible family members have college degrees, of whom 50 percent have advanced degrees. Can you comment on the prospects for increasing eligible family member employment overseas and also address the possibility of increasing opportunities for employment through the use of teleworking?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, on the last one, teleworking, we are constantly exploring what more can be done. We think it has a lot of advantages. One that we have been promoting is more conferences by teleconference, SVTS, and the like. It saves money, it saves wear and tear, and it can often lead to the same or better outcome than you would get if people had to travel distances. On the teleworking side, similarly, we’re going to explore all kinds of options. I mean, technology gives us the chance to do that.
With respect to family members, again, this is an area that we are constantly reevaluating. We know that when we send someone to serve in a post overseas, the family serves, whether the family accompanies the officer or stays behind. We know that there is a family that is involved in most cases. It really depends on a case-by-case analysis and a post-by-post situational analysis. Some posts, it’s a lot easier. Some we have, as you know, reciprocal agreements with the host countries, others we don’t. So we’re working on this because we know it’s an impediment for a lot of families, but I can’t give you more than the commitment we’ve made to work through this and the fact that we are trying to push as hard as we can to provide opportunities for those who accompany the person who’s assigned.
Civil servant, Walter Bruce on Ombudsman:
This is a Foreign Service organization. We got no doubts about that. But there should be an infrastructure in place that looks out for the interests and advances of those that we consider to be civil servants. (Applause.) I just wanted a status. So, Madame Secretary, all I want to know is – and I’m sure Pat going to be able to tell me this – where we stand on it. (Laughter.) That’s all I have.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much and thanks for your many years of service to our country, first in the military and now here. We’re going to have that ombudsman, aren’t we, Pat? (Laughter.)
UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: Madame Secretary, yes, the law requires that the ombudsman must be a member of the Senior Executive Service. We have no other choice; it’s written in the statute. So we are in the process in all this turnover of recruiting someone because we have to identify an SES position and recruit someone. That process is ongoing.
On Civil Servant Dorothy Burkette who wanted a Civil Service not Foreign Service supervisor:
QUESTION: My name is Dorothy Burkette and I’m sort of coming behind Major Bruce in the sense that I am concerned that I’ve been here 11 years and I’ve never had a good supervisor. I’ve always had – (laughter).
QUESTION: My name is Dorothy Burkette and I’m sort of coming behind Major Bruce in the sense that I am concerned that I’ve been here 11 years and I’ve never had a good supervisor. I’ve always had – (laughter).
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, shall we give equal time to your supervisors? (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Oh, okay. I am concerned because they’re not accountable to anyone. In fact, in the two bureaus I’ve worked in here, the particular supervisor is always supported by management all the way up to the assistant secretary. And whatever they do, as one assistant secretary told me, we don’t ever tell any supervisor what they can do in their office. And so that is a very poor environment to work in and I have experienced that. I’ve been – every office I’ve been in, I’ve been discriminated against. In my present office, one low-line supervisor came in, a young 30-something-year-old, with people in my age group, and with a hard hand and decided to tell all of the supervisory people up to the assistant secretary that I was a terrible person. They accepted it. I had no redress. None of my rights were acknowledged. I was never able to give – I was never given a list of all charges against me. And there is a memo in your office about this, but I’m sure it didn’t get to you. But – so that’s the reason why I’m saying something today.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well --
QUESTION: But we need – as he’s saying Civil Service employees, we need to have Civil Service supervisors. This was a Foreign Service person who knew nothing --
SECRETARY CLINTON: I’m sorry. I --
QUESTION: -- about Civil Service.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, then there really is no – we will certainly pay attention to ensuring that people get their grievances heard. But this is a mixed workplace and Foreign Service officers have a lot of responsibility, Civil Service officers also have a lot of responsibility, and it’s just not possible to say that you can only be supervised by one or the other. That just is not possible.
QUESTION: I just want you to know the organizations I’ve been to which were the Office of Civil Rights, which at one time was known as affirmative action. As you know now, they are – they have to take a neutral approach. So even if what I’ve told is – even if they see a problem, they can’t speak to it.
SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s just not the case.
QUESTION: So that was out with that.
SECRETARY CLINTON: That is not the case. I’m sorry, ma’am.
QUESTION: Well, I’m just telling you this is what happened.
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, I know. But I think we’ve heard that you have some questions that you feel strongly about, and I’m sorry that that’s been your experience, but I think there are a lot of people in the Office of Civil Rights and in the management chain who can listen to that. That doesn't mean they’re going to always side with you. I mean, just because someone feels --
QUESTION: Of course not. Of course not.
SECRETARY CLINTON: -- I mean, I’ve had more criticism in my life than probably whole countries have had. (Applause.) And it doesn't mean that I’m always right or I’m always wrong. But especially when we do have these systems for your grievances to be heard, I really urge you to do that and pursue those and do the best you can under the circumstances.
QUESTION: So what can I do if the union didn’t help me and the Office of Civil Rights didn’t help me?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think you need to ask yourself why nobody is agreeing with you.
QUESTION: Okay. No, I’m not saying that’s what the problem is. But thank you for listening.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Okay, thank you.
Insider Quote: Diplomacy as Ultimate ‘Team Sport”
Absolutely. I’m a strong believer in the idea that if you played on a team, you can be a diplomat. You need different people to do different things at an embassy. Team sports, more so than sitting through a geography class, is a much better preparation for diplomacy. Also, I’ve joked that there are times that you just want to pick up a lacrosse stick and reach across the desk and hit the other guy.
Honestly, sir, that doesn’t sound very diplomatic.
[Laughing] You’re trying to force the ball and get a goal!
Ambassador Christopher Hill
US Ambassador to Iraq
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Haiti Consular Assistance: Two Weeks Later (Update 3)
40,000-45,000 | Estimated number of American Citizens in Haiti
15,000 | Approximate number of American registered at the embassy
2 | Number of Task Force in Washington
2 |Number of Call Centers Set-up
300,000 | Number of calls received
9,000 | Number of cases opened in crisis database
12,300 | Number of cases opened and track in crisis database (1/20)
3,500 | Number of people accounted for in crisis database
7,500 | Number of people accounted for in crisis database (1/20)
4-5,000 | Number of Unresolved Cases (1/22)
4,000 | US Citizen Files in Crisis Database Unresolved (1/25)
2,900 | Number of American Citizen (Amcits) evacuated (1/18)
4,500 | Number of American Citizen (Amcits) evacuated (updated 1/19)
6,174 | Total number of Amcits evacuated (updated 1/20)
9,288 | Total number of Americans/family members evacuated (1/21)
11,500 | Total US/Family Members Evacuated (1/25)
12,083 | Total evacuations as of 1/26
44 | Number of flights
525 | Number of Amcits in Embassy Compound
136 | Number of Amcits at Haiti Airport
24 | Number of Amcit deaths (private Americans 1/18)
27 | Number of Amcit deaths (private Americans updated 1/19)
33 | Total number of Amcit deaths (1/20)
59 | Total Confirmed American fatalities (1/25)
60 | Confirmed American fatalities as of 1/26
45 | Confirmed fatalities (private Americans) (1/22)
55 | Confirmed deaths (private citizens – 1/25)
56 | Confirmed Amcit fatalities (private) 1/26
37 | Fatalities with unconfirmed identities 1/26
24 | Number of immigrant visas for orphan children
146 |Children issued visas and humanitarian paroles (1/20)
400 | Humanitarian Paroles Granted for Orphans (1/22)
363 | Haitian Orphans Evacuated to Date (1/25)
497 | Orphans evacuated as of 1/26
459 | Haitians issued Humanitarian Parole for Medical/Other Reasons
629 | Haitians Paroled for Med, Humanitarian/Other Factors as of 1/26
$23 million | Contribution raised thru Text "Haiti" to 90999 (1/19)
72 | Number of individuals rescued (1/19)
134 | Number of individuals rescued (1/25)
3 | Number of email addresses set up
American Citizen Welfare/Whereabouts: Haiti-earthquake@state.gov
American Citizen W/W in Haiti: ACSPaP@state.gov
Adoption Inquiry: ASKCI@state.gov
11,500 | Total US/Family Members Evacuated (1/25)
12,083 | Total evacuations as of 1/26
44 | Number of flights
525 | Number of Amcits in Embassy Compound
136 | Number of Amcits at Haiti Airport
24 | Number of Amcit deaths (private Americans 1/18)
27 | Number of Amcit deaths (private Americans updated 1/19)
33 | Total number of Amcit deaths (1/20)
59 | Total Confirmed American fatalities (1/25)
60 | Confirmed American fatalities as of 1/26
45 | Confirmed fatalities (private Americans) (1/22)
55 | Confirmed deaths (private citizens – 1/25)
56 | Confirmed Amcit fatalities (private) 1/26
37 | Fatalities with unconfirmed identities 1/26
24 | Number of immigrant visas for orphan children
146 |Children issued visas and humanitarian paroles (1/20)
400 | Humanitarian Paroles Granted for Orphans (1/22)
363 | Haitian Orphans Evacuated to Date (1/25)
497 | Orphans evacuated as of 1/26
459 | Haitians issued Humanitarian Parole for Medical/Other Reasons
629 | Haitians Paroled for Med, Humanitarian/Other Factors as of 1/26
$23 million | Contribution raised thru Text "Haiti" to 90999 (1/19)
72 | Number of individuals rescued (1/19)
134 | Number of individuals rescued (1/25)
3 | Number of email addresses set up
American Citizen Welfare/Whereabouts: Haiti-earthquake@state.gov
American Citizen W/W in Haiti: ACSPaP@state.gov
Adoption Inquiry: ASKCI@state.gov
The Foreign Service in Haiti:
80 | Number of non-essential/family members evacuated
8 | Total Number of Amcits wounded (official personnel)
4 | Number of Amcits seriously wounded (official personnel)
1 | Number of Amcit death (official personnel)
4 | Total USG deaths (official personnel) (1/25)
3 | Official USG Persons Unaccounted for (1/20)
3 | Official USG Persons Unaccounted for (1/20)
4 | U.S. Government individuals unaccounted for (1/22)
3 | Dependents of USG employees killed (1/25)
25 | Number of Consular Officers (augment) sent to Haiti
793 | Total FSNs or locally employed staff at US Embassy PaP (n/c)
75 | Percentage of the local staff who have called in (n/c 1/21)
28 | FSNs Unaccounted for (n/c)
6 | FSNs Killed (n/c)
6 | Total FSNs Injured (n/c)
3 | FSNs Injured Seriously (n/c)
For an account of the immediate aftermath of the earthquake from one of our diplomats on the ground, read FSO Gary Rex's piece, 'The most terrible disaster movie you can imagine' from The Journal Star of Nebraska.
If you are considering giving aid to the Haiti relief effort please Don't Forget the FSN Emergency Relief Fund;
that would help our locally employed staff in the country.
Updated 1/27 with January 26 DPB.
Three FS Family Members Perished in Haiti Quake
Laurence Wyllie, Baptiste Wyllie (5), and Evan Wyllie (7)
The State Department has confirmed that three family members of Foreign Service employees at the US Embassy in Haiti perished during the earthquake.No names have been released so far. From the 01/25/2010 - Daily Press Briefing - January 25:
The State Department has confirmed that three family members of Foreign Service employees at the US Embassy in Haiti perished during the earthquake.
QUESTION: Can I ask you – just going back to that death toll --
MR. CROWLEY: Sure.
QUESTION: -- four U.S. official deaths, meaning the three were dependents?
MR. CROWLEY: Three were dependents.
QUESTION: Well, they actually – so they – but they count as official? I mean, I’m not sure --
MR. CROWLEY: Yeah, they’re part of the official – they were there in an official status as accompanying family members in Haiti.
QUESTION: From the --
MR. CROWLEY: But they’re not – obviously, they’re not U.S. employees.
QUESTION: Okay. But – okay, but – and the --
MR. CROWLEY: They’re children or spouses of.
QUESTION: Four Embassy workers, State Department people?
MR. CROWLEY: Yes, yes.
Updated 11:23 pm
I did not realized that the dependents killed in Haiti were all family members of one employee. State Department employee Andrew Wyllie who was working for the United Nations in Haiti lost "his wife on her birthday and his seven-and-a-half and five-year-old children," according to Secretary Clinton. My heart is full of sadness. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Updated: 1/27
Andrew Wyllie's wife Laurence and his two young sons Evan and Baptiste were lost in the disaster. Click here for the official statement from the State Department.
Updated: 6:28 pm
Andrew Wyllie with wife Laurence and children Baptiste, five, front right, and Evan, seven.
Courtesy photo published in
The Newport Daily Express. (h/t to David L.)
Courtesy photo published in
The Newport Daily Express. (h/t to David L.)
Personal Protective Services (WPPS II) Audits Cancelled by State/OIG
in August 2009 due to insufficient documentation
The OIG office had just released its August 2009 Memorandum Report on the Preliminary Review of the Second Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS II) Contract Task Orders (MERO-A-09-12). The memo informs Administration (A) , Diplomatic Security (DS), the regional bureau, Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) with courtesy copy to Management (M) of the audit cancellation of the WPPS II contracts due to “insufficient documentation.” See excerpt below:
The Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security contracts with Triple Canopy, the U.S. Training Center (formerly Blackwater), and DynCorp for personal protective services around the world, including Jerusalem, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
OIG's review of Triple Canopy, Blackwater, and Dyncorp contract TOs found insufficient documentation to meet the objectives of the audits. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 4.805 requires contract files listed in FAR 4.803 to be retained for a minimum of six years and three months after the disbursement of the final payment on the contract.
OIG requested 34 contract and procurement documents for each TO. The table below depicts the number of documents provided for review and the number not available for review.
Based on DIG's receiving insufficient documentation during its preliminary review of the Office of Acquisition Management, DIG is cancelling the following previously announced audits immediately:
- Audit of Contract Administration of the U.S. Training Center (USTC) Second Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS II) Contract in Afghanistan, Task Order 004, under Contract Number S-AQM-PD-05-D-1098;
- Audit of Contract Administration of the DynCorp Second Worldwide Protective Services (WPPS II) Contract in Iraq, Task Order 009, under Contract Number S-AQM-PD-05-D1099;
- Audit of Contract Administration of the Triple Canopy Second Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS II) Contract in Jerusalem, Task Order 002, under Contract Number S-AQM-PD-05-D-11 00;
- Audit of Contract Administration of the Triple Canopy Second Worldwide Personal Protective Services Contract in Iraq, Task Order 007, under Contract Number S-AQM-PD05-D-1100.
Insider Quote: A Good Life
Ryan Crocker
Former US Ambassador to Iraq
Dean, Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University.
Texas A&M University.
The Argonaut | University of Idaho
Monday, January 25, 2010
Front Office: Exhibit A for Poor Behavior and Bad Management
We have always been a curious cat; it’s a surprise we still have all our appendages together. In any case, we went digging up the case from the FSGB or the Foreign Service Grievance Board. And ta-da – you can read the PDF file of this case here (original word document converted to PDF for accessibility). Of course, like all cases in the FSGB website, this one is also scrubbed of post names, dates, or the names of the individuals involved (except in one page, where we have a first name as a clue).
The FSGB document made mention that the “Grievant was Chief of the Consular Section at the American Embassy in {Host City}, {Host Country} during the bombing of the {Terrorist Event} and the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.” The immediate terrorist event prior to 9/11 was the bombing of USS Cole at the port of Aden, in Yemen in 2000. It also cited the US attack on Afghanistan on October 8 (2001) when “core staff stayed in the Embassy 24 hours a day for 3 days.” Further, it mentions Mildred Patterson “[O]n February 9, grievant’s Career Development Officer informed her that Mildred Patterson (Director, CA/EX) was willing to call the DCM or Ambassador to discuss the leave situation, since grievant was now talking about curtailing over the DCM’s micro-management, perceived harassment, and the annual leave controversy.” Are these good enough clues?
So-- from best I could tell this case came about from an EER covering the rating period around 2000-2002. Now, the folks who are Exhibit “A” for poor behavior and bad management here are senior rank career Foreign Service officers (although I won’t be surprised if the DCM is an FS-01 on stretch assignment). The grievant was an FS-02 Consular Officer, and the controversial Excursion Tour Civil Servant (ETCS) filled-in an FS-03 position, a four-grade stretch position. An FS-03 is equivalent to a GS-12. This one went from what -- GS-8 to like GS-12? Holy mother of goat and all her crazy nephews! How’d that happen, I wonder?
I should note that no political appointee ever served as US Ambassador to Yemen. But after reading this case -- makes one think – you know, at least bad behavior from political appointees lasts no more than 4-8 years tops; career officers who are bad managers just get recycled from one post to the next. I wonder where these folks went? Not all Front Office are like this, of course, but this one is so utterly dreadful and not just because of that Superior Honor Award.
Record of Proceedings | FSGB No. 2004-061
Date: June 8, 2005 | DECISION - EXCISION
Overview:
Grievant, an FS-02 Consular Officer, appeals the Department of State’s denial of her grievance alleging that her April {Year} to April {Year} Employee Evaluation Report (EER) is inaccurate and falsely prejudicial, causing the Selection Board to low rank her in {Year}. For relief she requests removal of the contested language from the EER, replacement of the low-ranking with a mid-ranking, a reconstituted Selection Board and an additional year of time-in-class (TIC).
Grievant was Chief of the Consular Section at the American Embassy in {Host City}, {Host Country} during the bombing of the {Terrorist Event} and the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. The DCM and Ambassador were her rating and reviewing officers. For security reasons, the Consulate was closed to the public for all but emergency citizen services for most of the rating period. However, work continued and grievant was assisted in the Consular Section by TDY officers and local staff. In late August {Year} an Excursion Tour Civil Servant (ETCS) arrived at post to fill an FS-03 position. She was in a four-grade stretch position with almost no prior consular experience. Five of the critical statements in the EER concerned grievant’s integration and management of the ETCS and designating an acting head of section. The other two dealt with grievant’s need to be more responsive and sympathetic to services required by her colleagues.
Grievant contends that her relations with the DCM were tense because of his attempts to micromanage the Consular Section and Front Office attempts to circumvent visa referral procedures. The situation deteriorated after arrival of the ETCS because, although she had a difficult personality, shouted at other officers, did not follow orders, etc., she had a special relationship with the Ambassador and unrestricted access to the Front Office, where she complained about grievant. Grievant alleges that the Ambassador assisted the ETCS with aspects of her EER and directed grievant’s successor to nominate the ETCS for a Superior Honor Award, which she later received. She asserts that though she consulted with the DCM on matters pertaining to the ETCS, she was never counseled on better integrating her into her section. Grievant asserts that in early January {Year} she requested annual leave in late February. Numerous times grievant discussed with the DCM naming the newly arrived Junior Officer who showed promise as acting head of section over the higher ranking, but inexperienced and unreliable ETCS, but he offered no guidance. Later, he conditioned approval of her leave on her designating the acting head first, as well as insisting that a consular officer be on duty during part of her leave (in addition to the Embassy duty officer).
The Department solicited statements from a number of individuals present at the Embassy during the rating period, but chose to rely on and quote extensively from lengthy statements by the DCM and Ambassador in support of their EER criticisms in reaching its decision to deny the grievance. Despite the fact that grievant’s counseling certificate was not drafted and signed by the DCM until four months after the session, the agency asserts that grievant was counseled on managing the ETCS. It contends that even if an inappropriate relationship existed between the Ambassador and ETCS, a skilled supervisor would have been able to rise to the challenge and handle the difficult situation effectively. It discounts grievant’s claims that it neglected to give any weight to statements from colleagues about the ETCS or grievant’s responsiveness to Country Team needs by maintaining that the statements do not support a conclusion that the relationship was not solely professional and that in a previous decision this Board found that a supervisor has a stronger vantage point from which to evaluate an employee’s performance, having knowledge of the broader picture and the impact of employee actions on the organization.
The Board determined that the grievant had carried her burden of proof. In contrast to statements by the DCM and Ambassador, whether solicited by grievant or the Department, numerous statements in the record offered by Embassy colleagues, staff and local employees, overwhelmingly support grievant’s positions on the issues. The Board found that the relationship between the ETCS and Ambassador made it impossible for grievant to adjust her management style to better integrate the officer into the unit. By all accounts, grievant was an extremely hard-working, discreet, nurturing supervisor who provided guidance and training for her staff. She was placed in an untenable position of supervising an inexperienced, temperamental employee who did not follow instructions and who was unhappy with the work and restricted security environment. The Department has offered nothing in support of its position that a skilled supervisor would be able to successfully rise to meet the management challenge presented here.
Criticisms of grievant’s non-responsiveness to Country Team visa referral requests are equally unsupported. Security checks and visa processing requirements changed drastically in the wake of the terrorist attacks. Grievant could not issue visas any sooner than when authorization was received from the Department. Once again, statements by grievant’s colleagues were specific in mentioning the lack of understanding by the Front Office in grievant’s attempts to do things right.
Likewise, the Board found criticisms for failure to more timely designate her back-up or more adequate explanations for the delay to be falsely prejudicial. The DCM never indicated how far in advance he considered reasonable. Grievant apparently named her back-up and the DCM approved her leave request one week in advance. It is uncontested that there were numerous discussions on this difficult issue, yet instead of offering guidance, the DCM conditioned approval of her leave on inappropriate demands, which precipitated Department intervention.
The Board was not persuaded that grievant had been counseled on her management of the ETCS, but even were she counseled, the Board would have found the criticism falsely prejudicial because of the special relationship between the Ambassador and ETCS. The Board held that it was patently unfair to criticize grievant for a situation the Ambassador created and which the DCM allowed to continue.
The Board found that the EER did not meet reasonable standards of completeness, balance, accuracy and documentation. The rater and reviewer were biased against grievant to the point that they were unable to give a fair and reasonable assessment of her performance or potential. The Department was directed to expunge the EER, nullify the low-ranking, replace it with a gap memo and mid-ranking, and extend grievant’s TIC by one year.
Related Items:
Foreign Service Grievance Board: Case 2004-061 | DECISION - EXCISION | Date: June 8, 2005 | PDF
Foreign Service blog: Jen and Michael Kolodner's Yemen Stories and Pics (2001-2002)
Foreign Service blog: Jen and Michael Kolodner's Yemen Stories and Pics (2001-2002)
Af/Pak Stabilization Strategery: The Missing Number
The $400 million indicated below as resource requirement is probably nowhere closed to the actual amount when personal protective service and life support services are taken into account. Since we unavoidably are going to “surge” the contractors into Afghanistan – shouldn't we have those numbers? Just because we can’t see them, doesn’t mean we’re not paying for them.
By the way, you must see this numbers from Sam Stein about how the Top Defense Contractors Spent $27 Million Lobbying At Time Of Afghan Surge Announcement. Ugh!
Hundreds of civilian experts have answered that call to service, and we are now in the midst of the most significant deployment of U.S. civilian expertise to a war zone in decades. The increase, coordinated by the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew, includes some of the top experts from 10 different U.S. government departments and agencies. Many have previous experience in Afghanistan or other conflict environments. U.S. civilian experts contribute to the mission in field, especially in the East and South where a majority of U.S. combat forces are operating and many of the additional 30,000 forces announced by President Obama will deploy. They partner with Afghans to enhance the capacity of national and sub-national government institutions, and to help rehabilitate Afghanistan’s key economic sectors. When their tours are complete, permanent civilian experts are encouraged to continue service on Afghanistan or Pakistan, in Washington or abroad, as well as to help in training their successors. Our goal is to create a cadre of civilian expertise on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Enhanced Civilian Presence: The vast majority of civilian experts deploy to Afghanistan for a minimum of one year. Under the first phase of this uplift, the civilian footprint in Afghanistan will triple from roughly 300 personnel on the ground in January 2009 to nearly 1,000 on the ground by early 2010. We anticipate further increasing our civilian staffing in 2010 by another 20 to 30 percent, concentrating experts in the field and at key ministries that deliver vital services to the Afghan people. Each U.S. civilian hires or works with an average of 10 Afghans and other implementing partner personnel. Additionally, civilians act as force multipliers for military personnel, helping build relationships with local community leaders and coordinate military civil affairs projects with civilian programs. Civilian personnel will remain deployed in significant numbers even after the security situation improves and our combat troops come home.
Expanded Presence in Ministries and Outside of Kabul: Responding to the Afghan government’s request for targeted technical assistance, we are placing more than 50 additional civilian advisors in core Afghan ministries. Outside of Kabul, we are deploying several hundred additional personnel to more than 50 locations. In addition to staffing PRTs, civilians are living and working alongside forward deployed military units in District Support Teams (DSTs). Civilians will also extend our permanent diplomatic presence outside of Kabul by staffing new consulates in Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat, which will serve as assistance platforms for the North and West and also symbolize our long-term, increasingly normal relationship with Afghanistan.
Resource Requirements
Resources available to meet requirements from FY 2010 and prior year appropriations: approximately $400 million.
* * *
A publicly released OIG audit of USTC/Blackwater/Xe’s performance in Afghanistan in 2009 includes this item:
"The Department has decided to open consulates in the north of Afghanistan at Mazar-e-Sharif and in the west at Herat. According to Department cable 027341 of March 29, 2009, 14 Foreign Service Officers will be deployed to these locations in 2009. USTC has submitted a proposal to add 67 personnel to each location. The RSO in Kabul has reported that the security threat in Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat is considerably lower security than in Kabul."
This IG report was prepared last year; before rockets were fired on the new consulate site in western Afghanistan.
This IG report was prepared last year; before rockets were fired on the new consulate site in western Afghanistan.
Related Items:
$250 Million to Counter Extremist Voices in Af/Pak Region
The Taliban and al-Qaeda use information as a weapon, dominating the information space. While our previous strategy focused largely on traditional public diplomacy and communications tools, we are now elevating our communications efforts in importance and innovation. New programs will empower Afghans and Pakistanis to challenge the extremist narrative and offer their own vision for Afghanistan and Pakistan’s future. A sustained media and outreach strategy will set the record straight, highlight key civilian efforts, and explain our larger strategic rationale for the fight in Afghanistan, as well as our strategic support for Pakistan, to the Afghan and Pakistani peoples.
Key Initiatives
Expanded Media Outreach: We will respond more quickly to misinformation, serve as a source of credible information for journalists, conduct polls on key issues, and expand training of Afghan and Pakistani journalists in the United States. We will actively build our partnerships with all parts of Afghan and Pakistani society, including youth, civil society and nongovernmental organizations, and political actors and institutions at all levels.
Building Communications Capacity: Our support will help the Afghan and Pakistani governments communicate effectively with their people, and help people better communicate with one another. We will also leverage new technologies to support people with SMS services, mobile banking, telemedicine, and mobile micro-finance. And we will help build media infrastructure (radio, television, and cell towers) to carry communications into underserved areas dominated by extremist voices.
- In Afghanistan, we are supporting the expansion of the Government Media Information Center in Kabul and an additional 16 provincial satellite offices. We will also enhance communications capabilities in core ministries by providing mentoring, public affairs training, and exchange opportunities for communications personnel.
- In Pakistan we have helped launch Humari Awaz, Our Voice, the first mobile based social network empowering Pakistan’s 95 million mobile users with a voice. Our Voice mobile users harness mobile phones to instantly share news and information with a network of friends and followers via SMS messages. In five weeks, 20 million messages were sent and over 150,000 people enrolled, with an average of 3,000 new followers joining daily.
Taking Back the Airwaves: We are empowering indigenous voices to drown out extremist propaganda. We will expand local radio coverage and support creation of public, private and university radio stations. Using local partners, we will support distribution of content on all media, and use cell technology to help people build communities and get critical information.
Strengthening People to People Ties: Strengthening ties between all aspects of American, Afghan, and Pakistani society will deepen our long-term partnership. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we are enhancing educational opportunities, including teacher training and English language training. Secretary Clinton’s three-day visit to Pakistan in October 2009, much of which was covered live on Pakistani television, underscored our new approach by engaging broad segments of Pakistani society in honest dialogue. This approach will be reinforced with a new public diplomacy and communications effort that will feature: greater engagement with Pakistani media; increased academic and business exchanges; and more robust outreach to the Pakistani-American community through the American Pakistan Foundation and similar organizations. We are also increasing professional, educational, and cultural exchanges.
Milestones
- 24-hour cell coverage is restored in areas of the South and East of Afghanistan.
- Afghans and Pakistanis utilize radio and other media platforms to criticize extremists and hold government officials accountable.
- Enemy propaganda is significantly decreased – in quantity and effectiveness – by July 2011.
- The number of people-to-people exchanges is doubled by 2012.
- U.S. disapproval ratings in Pakistan decrease, with Pakistanis’ increasingly convinced that the United States is committed to a long-term partnership on an array of issues, not just counterterrorism.
Resource Requirements
Resources available to meet requirements from FY 2010 and prior year appropriations: approximately $250 million.
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