tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68972336086593137462024-03-13T15:52:18.776-04:00DiplopunditJust one obsessive compulsive observer, diplomatic watcher, opinionator and noodle newsmaker monitoring the goings on at Foggy Bottom and elsewhere in the worldwide available universe. But just so you know ... read my disclaimer first.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-78167625361853415532012-02-06T00:01:00.006-05:002012-02-11T00:49:04.767-05:00Goodbye and Hello -- visit us in our new digs!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for your kind thoughts and encouragement. Your generous support made it possible for us to move to our new digs and permanent home at <i><a href="http://diplopundit.net/">http://diplopundit.net </a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After today, this blog site in Blogger will no longer be updated. You should be automatically redirected in 12 seconds. If not, visit <a href="http://diplopundit.net/"><i>http://diplopundit.net</i><b> </b></a>and update your bookmarks. </span></div>
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-52686003257399916522012-01-27T01:18:00.015-05:002012-01-30T20:01:41.097-05:00Pirates Hijack DiploPundit - Need Drones Now, Please - What's Next?Now isn't this just straight up highway robbery in the internet super highway or the equivalent of piracy in the Gulf of Aden? Did not even invite me to the launch party. May I please borrow some drones, pretty please?<br />
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<center><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2YVCNwSjLI/TyJooVoFbhI/AAAAAAAABsI/RSiPDy4CzGU/s1600/Blog+thief.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2YVCNwSjLI/TyJooVoFbhI/AAAAAAAABsI/RSiPDy4CzGU/s1600/Blog+thief.png" /></a></center>
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Trying to resolve this issue, in the meantime, I've been wrestling with the following:<br />
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A-- blog on or quit? I'm not playing chicken with content thieves but it's kinda exhausting going hand to hand combat with pirates, especially if you have to cook dinner, do laundry, coach my Geo Bee winner for next elimination, look for a paying job, read up, do research, write stuff, or have hand to hand combat with Blogger pirates, um .... did I mention pirates already? <br />
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B-- blog on but move elsewhere? Thinking .... thinking ... maybe Wordpress.com which is free but has less flexibility or Wordpress.org which has more functionality and quite gorgeous but cost $$$. If you want to help me move to new digs at Wordpress, let me know.<br />
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C-- blog on but transition to a subscription service only? I hate subscription service; I had a few for a while but that did not last very long. So there ... probably not the best idea, nor most popular option. My heart is not in it, so it's not a real option. <br />
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D-- look for a blog sugar daddy to underwrite the whole enterprise? Newt has a superPAC sugar daddy, why can't I have a blog sugar daddy?! Of course, I can't promise you the moon. <br />
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E-- blog out and just die? Over 2500 published posts ...maybe it's time to hang up the blogging hat and try something new? Like, I don't know -- maybe a bodice ripper best seller? <br />
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I may be off the grid for a few days, doing some serious thinking and consulting ... <br />
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-81759707836621613022012-01-25T00:52:00.005-05:002012-01-25T01:02:12.303-05:00Officially In: Linda Thomas-Greenfield -- from Liberia to DGHROn January 23, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the next <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Service" rel="wikipedia" title="United States Foreign Service">Director General of the Foreign Service</a>. The WH released the following brief bio:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister Counselor and currently serves as the <u>U.S. Ambassador to Liberia</u>, a position she has held since August 2008. Previously, she was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the <u>Bureau for African Affairs </u>from 2006 to 2008, and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the <u>Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration</u> from 2004 to 2006. Other assignments have included overseas postings in <u>Nigeria</u>, <u>The Gambia</u>, <u>Kenya</u>, <u>Jamaica</u>, <u>Pakistan</u>, and <u>Switzerland</u>. From 1991 to 1993, she served as a Staff Assistant in the <u>Office of the Director General of the Foreign Service</u>. Prior to joining the Department of State, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield taught Political Science at <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucknell_University" rel="wikipedia" title="Bucknell University">Bucknell University</a>. <br />
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Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield received a B.A. from Louisiana State University and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin.</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKwiPVIiF_4/Tx77qSdmz1I/AAAAAAAABr0/kj7sYw8_cbY/s1600/LIBERIA_clinton+and+ambo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKwiPVIiF_4/Tx77qSdmz1I/AAAAAAAABr0/kj7sYw8_cbY/s1600/LIBERIA_clinton+and+ambo.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secretary Clinton with Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield during the <br />
Embassy Monrovia <a href="http://monrovia.usembassy.gov/events-11912.html">Dedication</a> January 16 and 17, 2012<br />
Photo from US Embassy Liberia</td></tr>
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Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield started her Foreign Service career in 1982 as a Consular Officer at US Embassy Jamaica. She was the 2000 recipient of the Warren
Christopher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Global Affairs in
recognition of her work with refugees. Her embassy bio says that she is a Louisiana native with a reputation for
her culinary prowess. She is married to a retired Foreign Service
Officer and has two grown children.<br />
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If confirmed, she would succeed <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2011/12/officially-moved-nancy-j-powell-goes.html"><b><i>Nancy Powell </i></b></a>who was nominated last December as the next ambassador to New Delhi. <br />
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<b>Related items:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/23/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts"><i>January 23, 2012 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts</i></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/richburg/richbrg2.htm"><i>March 26, 1995 | </i><i>American in Africa | The Washington Post </i></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-62834454167358620802012-01-25T00:29:00.001-05:002012-01-25T01:00:00.622-05:00Officially In: Pamela Ann White --from The Gambia to Haiti<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pamela_White_ambassador.png" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="English: Pamela Ann White, U.S. diplomat. As o..." height="258" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Pamela_White_ambassador.png/300px-Pamela_White_ambassador.png" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pamela_White_ambassador.png">Wikipedia</a></span></span>On January 23, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Pamela Ann White as the next Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti. The WH released the following brief bio:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Ambassador Pamela Ann White, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister, currently serves as the <u>U.S. Ambassador to The Gambia.</u> Prior to serving in The Gambia, she was United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director in <u>Liberia</u>, <u>Tanzania</u>, and <u>Mali.</u> From 1999 to 2001, she served as USAID’s Deputy Director for <u>East Africa</u>. Previously, Ambassador White held a number of overseas positions with USAID, including: Executive Officer in <u>Senegal</u>, <u>Haiti</u>, <u>Egypt</u> and <u>South Africa</u> and Community Liaison Officer in <u>Burkina Faso. </u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Prior to joining USAID in 1978, Ambassador White served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon from 1971 to 1973. She holds a B.A. from the University of Maine, an M.A. from the School for International Training, and an M.S. from the Industrial College of Armed Forces.</span><br />
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If confirmed, Ambassador White would succeed career diplomat, Kenneth Merten, who was appointed chief of mission to Port au Prince on August 2009.<br />
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<b>Related items:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/23/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts"><i>January 23, 2012 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts</i></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiplopundit.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fofficially-in-pamela-ann-white-to.html&ei=iwIfT6O4A8rE2gWb3L2tDw&usg=AFQjCNE2JfQyuij7dBgPBtqan2ZykVF6pQ"><i>Sept 14, 2010 | Officially In: Pamela Ann White to Banjul | Diplopundit</i></a><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-82709742567164132392012-01-25T00:07:00.006-05:002012-01-27T17:38:51.573-05:00US Embassy Manama Relocates Employees and Dependents in #Bahrain<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahrain_map.png" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Manama and Bahrain." height="319" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Bahrain_map.png/300px-Bahrain_map.png" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahrain_map.png">Wikipedia</a></span></span>The State Department issued a new Travel Alert for Bahrain dated January 23, 2012 which warns U.S. citizens to the potential for unrest in the country. Security concerns due to traffic disruptions caused by spontaneous demonstrations also caused the US Embassy in Manama to relocate its employees and family members to different neighborhoods in the capital city. Excerpt:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All travelers to Bahrain face increased scrutiny from Bahraini authorities, and the Government of Bahrain has refused to allow some U.S. citizens permission to enter Bahrain. The airport remains open and operational. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Spontaneous and sometimes violent anti-government demonstrations occur in some neighborhoods, particularly at night and on weekends. These demonstrations have included blockades of major highways, trash can fires, and establishment of unofficial checkpoints. Participants have thrown rocks and Molotov cocktails and used various other homemade weapons. The Ministry of Interior maintains official checkpoints in some areas and routinely uses tear gas, stun grenades, and other crowd control measures against demonstrators. The violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators can make travel in and around Bahrain dangerous without advance warning. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The U.S. Embassy restricts its employees from traveling to specific areas and advises all U.S. citizens to do the same. The recent increase in violent demonstrations along the Budaiya Highway corridor has led to traffic disruptions, effectively restricting travel for those living in the area. The resulting inability to leave one's home for an extended period poses significant safety and security concerns. As a result, Embassy employees and their dependents are being relocated to different neighborhoods. We continue to urge U.S. citizens to follow the latest security guidance and to avoid demonstrations. Please check our Demonstration Notices where the latest information and security guidance along with the latest map outlining the recommended areas of travel can be found. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">There are no indications that Westerners or U.S. citizens are being targeted directly, but recent isolated examples of anti-U.S. sentiment have been seen on the streets and U.S. flags have occasionally been burned during demonstrations. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security by knowing the locations of police and fire stations, hospitals, and the U.S. Embassy.</span></blockquote>
Read in full <a href="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_5656.html"><b><i>here</i></b></a>.<br />
<br />
Not everyone, of course, is pleased with this security precaution. Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute writing in Commentary magazine <a href="http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/01/26/u-s-embassy-relocating-diplomats-in-bahrain/"><b><i>has this to say</i></b></a>: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"While the State Department is right to worry about the security of its
employees, removing diplomats at the first sign of trouble undercuts
diplomats’ ability to gather information.[...] When the going gets tough, that is the time for American diplomats to be
on the street, in local markets, and generally outside embassy walls or
the confines of posh neighborhoods."</span></blockquote>
I don't know that you'd call this "the first sign of trouble." The demonstrations in Bahrain have been on and off since last year. And really, the mission is relocating staff housing in this arid archipelago, it's not like the embassy is shut down for business. <br />
<br />
Perhaps there is something to this that Mr. Rubin may not have considered. Our diplomats in Bahrain continue to meet with their local contacts; feeding the fish in Washington, D.C. three times a day, plus snacks becomes urgent and absolutely necessary. But how effective can our diplomats do their job if they are constantly worried about the safety of their family members who go about their lives in this chaotic and dangerous environment? They do not have security escorts and drivers, you know. Diplomatic spouses and kids, at least, deserve to have snacks and dinners without a serving of tear gas. <br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-9739143138536509992012-01-24T08:01:00.001-05:002012-01-24T08:01:00.614-05:00US Embassy Thailand: CODEL McCain - Jan 20, 2012U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman shakes hands with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra— with <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag tagItem"><a class="taggee" data-tag="123436097729198" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Senator-Kelly-Ayotte/123436097729198">Senator Kelly Ayotte</a></span>, <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag tagItem"><a class="taggee" data-tag="10519905140" href="http://www.facebook.com/SheldonWhitehouse">Sheldon Whitehouse</a></span>, <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag tagItem"><a class="taggee" data-tag="7816456174" href="http://www.facebook.com/joelieberman">Joseph Lieberman</a></span>, <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag tagItem"><a class="taggee" data-tag="6425923706" href="http://www.facebook.com/johnmccain">John McCain</a></span> and <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag tagItem"><a class="taggee" data-tag="105044319540032" href="http://www.facebook.com/Y.Shinawatra">Yingluck Shinawatra</a></span>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGEF3TB-e90/TxyXTeYl7HI/AAAAAAAABqs/h1gY5wBI0vE/s1600/CODEL+McCain_BKK.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGEF3TB-e90/TxyXTeYl7HI/AAAAAAAABqs/h1gY5wBI0vE/s400/CODEL+McCain_BKK.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from US Embassy/BKK/FB</td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-83959938327241904662012-01-24T00:40:00.004-05:002012-01-24T16:49:53.531-05:00Officially In: John Christopher Stevens to Libya<br />
On January 23, President Obama announced his intent to nominate John Christopher Stevens as the next Ambassador to Libya. The WH released the following brief bio:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
John Christopher Stevens, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, served as <u>Special Representative to the Libyan Transitional National Council</u> from March 2011 to November 2011. Prior to this role, he was the Director of the <u>Office of Multilateral Nuclear and Security Affairs</u>. From 2007 to 2009, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Tripoli, <u>Libya</u>. From 2006 to 2007, he was a Pearson Fellow with the <u>Senate Foreign Relations Committee</u>. Previous overseas assignments have included: Deputy Principal Officer and Political Section Chief in <u>Jerusalem</u>; Political Officer in <u>Damascus</u>; Consular/Political Officer in <u>Cairo</u>; and Consular/Economic Officer in <u>Riyadh</u>. In Washington, Mr. Stevens has served as Special Assistant to the <u>Under Secretary for Political Affairs</u>, <u>Iran Desk Officer</u>, and a Staff Assistant in the <u>Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. </u></blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Stevens was a <u>Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco</u> from 1983 to 1985. He holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, and an M.S. from the National War College.</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IlGWM-6TZyE/Tx5Wkr6QAoI/AAAAAAAABrs/GCRqyHuwCMU/s1600/libya_2008_09_06_rice_libya08_600a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IlGWM-6TZyE/Tx5Wkr6QAoI/AAAAAAAABrs/GCRqyHuwCMU/s400/libya_2008_09_06_rice_libya08_600a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken in Libya during Secretary Rice’s trip to Portugal, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, <br />
and Morocco, September 4 -7, 2008. State Dept. Photo by David Y. Lee <br />
John C. Stevens identified with a red arrow</td></tr>
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On 2007, Mr. Stevens <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080914140916/http://libya.usembassy.gov/principal.html"><b><i>arrived</i></b></a> in Libya as the embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission and later became post's Charge’ d’Affaires. His bio indicates that prior to joining the State Department in 1991, Mr. Stevens was an international trade lawyer in Washington, DC. He also taught English as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. He speaks Arabic and French. He was born and raised in northern California.<br />
<br />
During the Libyan Revolution, Mr. Stevens was sent to Benghazi reportedly to establish better links with the rebel leadership, the Interim
Transitional National Council, and draw a better picture of the groups fighting Muammar Qaddafi. At that time, for understandable reasons, the State Department had sought to keep his role low profile,
refusing to release his official biography. He was only mentioned in passing by his boss as an
unnamed “young diplomat.” <br />
<br />
Except for a postage-sized photo posted on the embassy's page in the Internet archive, we're only able to find one photo of Mr. Stevens taken during Secretary Rice's 2008 visit to Libya which we posted above. We'll see more of him when he gets his confirmation hearing and presumably after he gets to Tripoli. If confirmed, he would succeed <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2008/11/our-man-in-tripoli-36-years-later.html"><b><i>Gene Cretz</i></b></a>, a career diplomat nominated by President Bush for the Libya post in 2007 but did not get confirmed until November 2008.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Related items:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/23/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts"><i>January 23, 2012 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts</i></a><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<a href="http://peacecorpsworldwide.org/pickens-writes-writes/2011/03/30/peace-corps-news-secretary-of-state-hillary-clinton-sends-rpcv-john-christopher-stevens-as-special-envoy-to-libya/"><i>Peace Corps News: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sends RPCV John Christopher Stevens as Special Envoy to Libya</i></a><i><br /></i><br />
<i><br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-30/clinton-sends-envoy-stevens-to-size-up-libyan-opposition.html">Clinton Sends Envoy Stevens to Size Up Libyan Opposition</a></i><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-64584979451002854962012-01-24T00:27:00.004-05:002012-01-24T16:51:23.234-05:00Officially In: Tracey Ann Jacobson -- from FSI to Kosovo<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tracey_Ann_Jacobson.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="English: Tracey Ann Jacobson, U.S. Ambassador ..." height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Tracey_Ann_Jacobson.jpg/300px-Tracey_Ann_Jacobson.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="212" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;"> Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tracey_Ann_Jacobson.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></span>On January 23, President Obama announced his intent to nominate <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracey_Ann_Jacobson" rel="wikipedia" title="Tracey Ann Jacobson">Tracey Ann Jacobson</a> as the next Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo. The WH released the following brief bio:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Deputy Director of the <u>Foreign Service Institute (FSI)</u>. Prior to joining FSI, she served as <u>U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan</u> (2006-2009) and <u>U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan</u> (2003-2006). Previously, she was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riga, <u>Latvia</u>. Prior to her assignment in Riga, Ambassador Jacobson served as Deputy Executive Secretary at the <u>National Security Council</u>. Other assignments have included overseas postings in Seoul, <u>Korea</u>; Nassau, <u>Bahamas</u>; and Moscow, <u>Russia</u>. Ambassador Jacobson’s Washington assignments have included service in State Department’s <u>Bureau of Intelligence and Research</u>, Bureau of <u>Western Hemisphere Affairs</u>, and Office of the <u>Under Secretary for Management</u>. <br />
<br />
Ambassador Jacobson received a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. from John Hopkins Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.</blockquote>
<br />
If confirmed, this would be Ambassador Jacobson's third ambassadorial appointment; she would only be the third chief of mission assigned to the US Embassy in Pristina. She will succeed career diplomat, <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2009/05/officially-in-ambassador-chris-dell-to.html"><b><i>Christopher Dell </i></b></a>who was appointed to post in May 2009. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Related item:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/23/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts"><i>January 23, 2012 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts</i></a><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-18548807011556389252012-01-24T00:09:00.002-05:002012-01-24T16:52:26.276-05:00Officially In: Scott H. DeLisi -- from Nepal to Uganda<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scott_H_DeLisi_ambassador.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="English: Scott H. DeLisi, U.S. diplomat. As of..." height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Scott_H_DeLisi_ambassador.jpg/300px-Scott_H_DeLisi_ambassador.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="256" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;"> Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scott_H_DeLisi_ambassador.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></span>On January 23, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Scott H. DeLisi as the next <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_Uganda"><i><b>Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda</b></i></a>. The WH released the following brief bio:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and is currently <u>U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal</u>, a position he has held since March 2010. Prior to his assignment in Nepal, Ambassador DeLisi was the Director of Career Development and Assignments in the State Department's <u>Bureau of Human Resources</u>. During his 30 year career in the Foreign Service, Ambassador DeLisi has served as <u>Ambassador to the State of Eritrea</u> and as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, <u>Botswana</u>. He has also served as Director for Entry Level Programs in the <u>Bureau of Human Resources</u>, Director for <u>Southern African Affairs</u>, and Chief of the Political Section in <u>Sri Lanka</u>. His other postings include assignments in <u>Pakistan</u>, <u>Madagascar</u>, and <u>India</u>. <br />
<br />
Ambassador DeLisi received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Minnesota.</blockquote>
<br />
If confirmed, this would be Ambassador DeLisi's third ambassadorial appointment. He will succeed career diplomat, <a href="http://kampala.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html"><i><b>Jerry P. Lanier</b></i></a> who was <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2009/06/officially-in-jerry-p-lanier-to-kampala.html"><b><i>appointed</i></b></a> chief of mission at the US Embassy in Kampala in 2009. The US Embassy in Kampala was closed in 1973 and was re-established on Jun 18,
1979, with David Halstead as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. No political appointee has succeeded in getting an appointment as US
Ambassador to Kampala since then.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Related item:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/23/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts"><i>January 23, 2012 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts</i></a><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-44677411802170479932012-01-23T18:59:00.001-05:002012-01-24T03:09:15.249-05:00US Mission China: Gong He Fat Choi! Happy Year of the Dragon!Today is the start of the year of the water dragon (23 January <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012" title="2012">2012</a> – 9 February 2013). Happy Year of the Dragon!<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><embed align="middle" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" height="400" quality="high" src="http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMzQyNDU0MTk2/v.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480"></embed></center>
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-90996474526738796172012-01-23T08:45:00.006-05:002012-01-23T08:45:01.198-05:00Foreign Service Overseas Crisis Readiness Online CourseFSI's Transition Center and the Leadership and Management School have put together this short course intended to help U.S Government families and members of household prepare for a crisis overseas. It covers preparations to be done prior to departure for post, and upon arrival at post. It also describes the responsibilities of post personnel who have roles during crisis response and have audio clips from recent evacuees.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8fTcWIc9q0s/Txz3ItGQTQI/AAAAAAAABrk/KoTI0mjm5XI/s1600/OCR_online.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8fTcWIc9q0s/Txz3ItGQTQI/AAAAAAAABrk/KoTI0mjm5XI/s400/OCR_online.png" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />The online course includes five modules, a summary and review questions in each module. I find the review quiz pretty tame with softball questions but it may still be useful to take them. (Example: You're going to Kingston, Jamaica, an island with a warm climate, should you pack sweaters and a warm coat?) <br />
<br />
The course is not embeddable so you have to check it out here: <b>
<a href="http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/ocr/"><i>http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/ocr/</i></a></b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Introduction</blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Planning Ahead Overview<br />
A Post<br />
You and the Mission<br />
Evacuations: What They Mean for You<br />
Resilience</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Planning Ahead: Your Personal Plan</span></blockquote>
<br />
At the conclusion of the brief <a href="http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/overseascrisisreadiness/start.htm"><b><i>course</i></b></a>, there is a useful template for creating a Personal Crisis Preparedness Plan (see pdf below). There is also an option to print out the materials. Make sure you check out the "Resources" tab at the bottom of the screen. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/overseascrisisreadiness/Content/HTMs/Documents/Personal%20Crisis%20Preparedness%20Aid.pdf"><i><b>Personal Crisis Preparedness Aid</b> (pdf)</i></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/overseascrisisreadiness/Content/HTMs/Documents/Go-Bag%20List.pdf"><i><b>Go-Bag List </b>(pdf)</i></a></blockquote>
You never know when a crisis might strike, especially overseas. Preparedness is half the battle, so check this out when you can.<br />
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-22708053420533376632012-01-23T08:32:00.001-05:002012-01-23T08:32:00.541-05:00Quickie: Ding Dongs and Danger Pay in Kosovo<a href="http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/dave-seminara/"><i><b>Via Gadling.com</b></i></a>, another piece from <a href="http://www.daveseminara.com/%20"><b><i>David Seminara</i></b></a>, former FSO, now photojournalist based in N. Virginia who contributes to The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, ESPN, and other publications and sites. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Once the war in Iraq broke out, I would sometimes feel a tinge of guilt over the fact that we could collect the same level of danger pay in Kosovo that our intrepid colleagues in Iraq were getting. But in the Foreign Service, compensation is often based more on the ability of an embassy's management officers, who compile the reports that result in adjustments to things like hardship, danger and cost of living allowances.<br /><br />For example, when I arrived in Skopje, we were receiving hardship pay of 15% above our salaries and no one complained about this until we discovered that Sofia, our neighbor to the East, had just been bumped up to 20%.<br /><br />"Sofia?" we cried. "They have Dunkin Donuts for Christ's sake!"<br /><br />If our Munchkin' eating colleagues in Sofia were getting 20, we thought we deserved 25. An informal task force was developed to try to document why we too deserved more money. The key was to make the place sound as dreadful as possible, and as the resident amateur photographer, I was asked to do my part by taking photos of stray dogs, litter and peeling Communist apartment blocks. The uglier, the better. A good management officer can make Paris sound like Mogadishu and thanks to the efforts of our task force, we were soon bumped up to 20%.<br /><br />The flip side is that some dysfunctional posts had no clue how to document hardship- real or imagined. After Skopje, I was posted to Port of Spain, which, by my account, was much more of a hardship than Skopje, but was classified as a 5% post, largely because we had Roy Austin, a political appointee and friend of George W. Bush as ambassador. Mr. Austin believed that everything was just fine in Trinidad, much to our chagrin.</span></blockquote>
Read in full <a href="http://www.gadling.com/2012/01/20/a-traveler-in-the-foreign-service-ding-dongs-and-danger-pay-in/"><i><b>here</b></i></a>.<br />
<br />
You remember Port of Spain, right? <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-tanka-at-embassy-port-of-spain.html"><b><i>We even wrote a tanka about it</i></b></a>. Why? Well, because it's an exceptionally good study on why the appointments of political ambassadors should be handled with extra care. (Read <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2009/09/that-did-not-work-out-very-well-did-it.html"><i><b>That Did Not Work Out Very Well, Did It? US Embassy Port of Spain Sets Record/s</b></i></a>)<br />
<br />
Port of Spain, by the way, is stuck at <a href="http://aoprals.state.gov/Web920/location_action.asp?MenuHide=1&CountryCode=1066"><b><i>5% as a hardship differential post</i></b></a>. It is pure coincidence, of course, that no management officer in Port of Spain has fully completed a tour in 19 years and that our Bush ambassador there during Mr. Seminara's time was replaced by <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2009/11/officially-in-beatrice-welters-to-port.html"><b><i>an Obama political ambassador</i></b></a> in 2010. <br />
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.gadling.com/2012/01/20/a-traveler-in-the-foreign-service-ding-dongs-and-danger-pay-in/">A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Ding Dongs and danger pay in Kosovo</a> (gadling.com)</li>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-51809626395037278122012-01-23T00:05:00.002-05:002012-01-23T00:09:46.726-05:00US Embassy Vietnam: CODEL McCain - Jan 18-20, 2012U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam David B. Shear with U.S. Senators <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain">John McCain</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lieberman" rel="wikipedia" title="Joe Lieberman">Joe Lieberman</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Whitehouse" rel="wikipedia" title="Sheldon Whitehouse">Sheldon Whitehouse</a> and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Ayotte" rel="wikipedia" title="Kelly Ayotte">Kelly Ayotte</a>, as well as
representatives of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi_Hilton" rel="wikipedia" title="Hanoi Hilton">Hoa Lo Prison</a> in Hanoi during the congressional delegation's visit to Vietnam.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HawvfizSbbk/TxyYrYK9ecI/AAAAAAAABq0/NqOkPirt_ZY/s1600/CODEL+McCain_hoa_lo_500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HawvfizSbbk/TxyYrYK9ecI/AAAAAAAABq0/NqOkPirt_ZY/s400/CODEL+McCain_hoa_lo_500.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from US Embassy Vietnam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X1wAO6uVkvc/TxycJXhoNcI/AAAAAAAABrE/ydHHdEALlOE/s1600/CODEL+McCain_mcFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X1wAO6uVkvc/TxycJXhoNcI/AAAAAAAABrE/ydHHdEALlOE/s400/CODEL+McCain_mcFB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touring the Hanoi Hilton which has been converted into a museum,<br />
Senator McCain points at a photo taken after he was captured in 1967.<br />
Photo from Senator McCain/FB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NF-_-CA0QO8/Txydj_HG5aI/AAAAAAAABrU/81gDPbnTqHE/s1600/CODEL+McCain_mcFB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NF-_-CA0QO8/Txydj_HG5aI/AAAAAAAABrU/81gDPbnTqHE/s400/CODEL+McCain_mcFB2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Senators visiting
<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C3%BAc_B%E1%BA%A1ch_Lake" rel="wikipedia" title="Trúc Bạch Lake">Truc Bach Lake</a> in Hanoi - where Senator McCain landed<br />
after being shot down in 1967 .
They are standing in front of the monument to his capture.<br />
Photo from Senator McCain/FB<br />
<span class="fcg"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8AxTtob2Qw/TxyeCAXB12I/AAAAAAAABrc/RjArF_KzYgc/s1600/CODEL+McCain_mcFB5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8AxTtob2Qw/TxyeCAXB12I/AAAAAAAABrc/RjArF_KzYgc/s400/CODEL+McCain_mcFB5.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowboxTagList">
Senator McCain with Ambassador Shear at Truc Bach Lake.<span class="fcg">— in <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag withTagItem tagItem"><a class="taggee" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vietnam/108153009209321">Vietnam</a></span>.<br />Photo from Senator McCain/FB</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-10482191966119713282012-01-20T22:40:00.014-05:002012-01-24T02:54:50.491-05:00No Vacancy Yet at US Embassy Dublin But ...Pittsburgh media reported this week that Ambassador Rooney is stepping down as U.S. ambassador to Dublin and rejoining the Pittsburgh Steelers. US Embassy Ireland just released a statement by Ambassador Rooney regarding his tenure:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
“In reference to recent media reports, the role of Ambassador from the United States of America to Ireland is extremely rewarding work. It is a privilege to serve President Obama and the country, and to support and expand the excellent relationship we enjoy with Ireland. On July 4, 2012, I will have served three years in Dublin. There is no specific date for departure.” </blockquote>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9rbydcP-ovk/TxpZ86Dc4tI/AAAAAAAABqc/oZ9XPMdSUY8/s1600/amb+rooney_ireland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9rbydcP-ovk/TxpZ86Dc4tI/AAAAAAAABqc/oZ9XPMdSUY8/s1600/amb+rooney_ireland.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from US Embassy Dublin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If Ambassador Rooney steps down after July 4, 2012, that does not leave a lot of time for a new nominee to get vetted and confirmed prior to the presidential election. In all likelihood, a career diplomat, in this case, John Hennessey-Niland, the embassy's deputy chief of mission who arrived in Ireland on April 9, 2010 will keep things running until a new ambassador is nominated and arrived at post. Which may not happen until the election dust settles and we get a new round of ambassadorships, possibly by the spring of 2013.<br />
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That's over a year away, I know ... but hurry! The early bird gets the worm; and the late one doesn't get any embassy in Europe.<br />
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<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"While no decision has been made, we have serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus, including the recent spate of car bombs, and about the safety and security of embassy personnel. We have requested that the government of Syria take additional security measures to protect our embassy, and the Syrian government is considering that request. We have also advised the Syrian government that unless concrete steps are taken in the coming days we may have no choice but to close the mission."</span></blockquote>
<br />
I hope that organized mob does not return for another attack while the Syrian Government is considering the State Department's request. And I don't have an answer for this -- but just how much trust can you have on a government that has no compunction about killing its own people?<br /><br /><b style="color: red;"><i>Update:</i></b><br />WaPo <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/syrian-official-responds-to-threatened-closure-of-us-embassy-thats-their-business/2012/01/24/gIQALaaXNQ_blog.html#pagebreak"><i><b>reported</b></i></a> on January 24 that Syria’s foreign minister shrugged off warnings by the United States that it may close the US Embassy in Damascus due to inadequate security.<br /><br />“That’s their business,” <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walid_Muallem" rel="wikipedia" title="Walid Muallem">Walid al-Moualem</a> was quoted as saying at a press conference in Damascus when asked about the threatened closure by a reporter from the U.S.-funded <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhurra" rel="wikipedia" title="Alhurra">al-Hurra TV</a> station. <br /><br />The US Embassy in Damascus is located on a busy intersection in the heart of the city, and apparently, the Syrian Government has been unresponsive to requests for greater security, including concrete barricades, not just from the US Embassy but also from other diplomatic missions in Damascus. Two months ago, embassies and consulates of Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and France were attacked by Syrian mobs.<br /><br /><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-64381416138909257572012-01-19T08:38:00.002-05:002012-01-19T08:38:01.018-05:002012 Consular Leadership Day Theme: Follow Courageously, Just Not Peter Van BurenThe Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) recently announced its new leadership theme for 2012 which is "Follow Courageously." CA, of course, is the home bureau of some of our consular officers who offended the<i><b> tigers</b></i> with their blogs -- <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2009/11/best-consular-blog-dead-so-very-dead.html"><b><i>MLC</i></b></a>,<a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-do-you-do-with-problem-like-peter.html"><b><i> Peter Van Buren</i></b></a>, to name a couple. Others will remain unnamed in this blog, no sense dragging the blog carcasses out in the open. The consular officers are natural targets; they are some with the most interesting stories in the Foreign Service. But it's a love/hate relationship, see? Anyway, one of our friends inside the Big House excitedly told us this year's theme of following courageously.<br />
<br />
I said, hey, what does “Follow Courageously” mean? Here is what I'm told:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">CA Leadership Tenets</i><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> describe it as the ability to “take ownership of our work and hold ourselves accountable for improving performance and making our organization stronger,” and to “dissent respectfully and help the boss become more effective in the interest of the team and the mission.” </span> </blockquote>
So if you use bad, undiplomatic words in following your conscience, that's probably not following courageously? You should be able to swear without opening your mouth. You should also be able to rock the boat without getting anyone wet. What else? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Following courageously does not mean following blindly. In this day of limited resources, growing workload, and changing circumstances that drive our ability to respond to new challenges, we all need to follow courageously – and that can take many different approaches. <br />
<br />
Following courageously includes challenging the status quo in favor of exploring new, more efficient ways to work – whether enlisting new technologies, changing business processes, or even delegating certain tasks to others. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
CA/P has led the way on social media, using tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to engage stakeholders and customers in new and exciting ways. Many have proposed, either in FSI classes, via cables, or in forums such as CA Leads, the Sounding Board, ACS , and VOxPopuli, innovative solutions to improve processes. For Consular Leadership Day 2012, employees are invited to think about the many ways the section, office, or agency has followed courageously and pushed the status quo envelope. </blockquote>
Challenge the status quo, but not/not in your blog, silly. No mention of Blogger, Wordpress -- either those are not exciting tools or they are dangerous engagement tools. So what do you do if you want to <i>"follow courageously,"</i> and "<i>dissent respectfully</i>" and <i>waaaahhhhhh</i>, excuse me, but no one, NO ONE is listening?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
"Following courageously often means speaking truth to power, especially when the message is unwelcome. Many of us have faced instances when we had to deliver bad news to our bosses, or push back against a decision that was contrary to consular law or policy. It isn’t easy, and some bosses simply don’t want to hear dissenting views, no matter how respectfully presented. Failure to report problems, however, means they just get worse. Offices that do not allow, and even encourage, respectful dissent only undermine their own effectiveness. Successful offices create an environment where employees know they can raise issues safely and be taken seriously – and that management will work with them to remedy problems. As an organization, do you encourage people to speak up about problems and explore solutions? How do you follow courageously with those above your work unit? How can you encourage them to create an environment where respectful dissent is given appropriate attention?"</blockquote>
Nice words but really, in which State Department sector is this real? And when you are not working in a "successful office" what then? What happens when you report certain problems and the tigers bite your head off? Is there anyone in CA who would be willing to loan the courageous follower a Scottish targe or shield for protection from incoming projectiles? My CA friend, unfortunately does not have the answers.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
"Following courageously can mean recognizing and nurturing someone who is a leader without rank - that person who is the “power of one” within your section, office, or agency. You know the type – someone who is a ten-star leader, the “go to” person who gets things done, and is always thinking about what should happen, not just what does happen. It is not always easy for more senior managers to acknowledge and promote the leadership role of these employees, but the best managers will follow courageously themselves, and put the good of the organization first."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
"Following courageously can mean thinking holistically about how we work, creating a “one-team” approach, and achieving economies of scale that maximize the use of scarce resources. Consular Team India’s example of assigning specific country-wide responsibilities to a consulate, or the functional cross-training that occurs in so many posts, are only a few ways that posts are making better use of their resources. </blockquote>
I said, hey, where are these ten-star leaders? Are they in India; I mean, why the special mention? Either they are in India or the consular bureau <strike>favorites</strike> insiders are now in India.<br />
<br />
Thus it was made clear to us that following courageously can take many forms. But I am certain that it does not include writing a book like <b><a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-do-you-do-with-problem-like-peter.html"><i>you know who. </i></a></b><br />
<br />
I mean, did you know that they took away his desk, and his badge, and he's not even allowed to play with paper clips? If he ever gets back to Foggy Bottom, there is a bar of Lifeboy soap with his name on it. Anyway, I heard that he got away with a Skillcraft pen, so he's still writing and doing things and giving folks migraine. But that's a blessing in disguise, the migraine, that is; there is something that beautifully treats migraine -- Botox! An Indian cosmetologist <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/now-cure-migraine-with-a-botox-jab/222249-19.html"><b><i>promised</i></b></a>, "A few prick jabs are like god's gift for the chronic migraine patients." <br />
<br />
Folks, the migraine line starts over there. Follow courageously and stay quiet. <br />
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Pardon me? No, there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Consular Leadership Day has been renamed Peter Van Buren Day. <br />
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-40708861623694415172012-01-19T08:17:00.002-05:002012-01-22T18:00:43.038-05:00Snapshot: Top 10 State Department Assistance Recipients (FY 2011)Via USAspending.gov<br />
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<center><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fz9_hRKvKTQ/Tw3gXgM9BVI/AAAAAAAABp0/-ySEixuRDAQ/s1600/FY2011_Top+Assistance+Recipients.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fz9_hRKvKTQ/Tw3gXgM9BVI/AAAAAAAABp0/-ySEixuRDAQ/s1600/FY2011_Top+Assistance+Recipients.png" /></a></center>
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-2756276741288635752012-01-19T00:09:00.002-05:002012-01-19T04:24:50.036-05:00Peace Corps Returns to Nepal; Withdraws from Honduras Without a Splash<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US-PeaceCorps-Logo.svg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Logo of the United States Peace Corps." height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/US-PeaceCorps-Logo.svg/300px-US-PeaceCorps-Logo.svg.png" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="200" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;"> Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US-PeaceCorps-Logo.svg">Wikipedia</a></span></span>On January 17, the US Embassy in Kathmandu announced the return of the Peace Corps to Nepal after a seven year absence. The announcement coincided with an event hosted by Prime Minister Bhattarai at his office in Singha Durbar and by Ambassador DeLisi at his residence. According to the embassy, the first group of approximately 20 Peace Corps volunteers is scheduled to arrive in Nepal later this year:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"The U.S. Agency for International Development’s collaboration with Peace Corps will build on the strengths and strategies of the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future and Global Health Initiatives partnership with Nepal to reach and impact many more vulnerable Nepalese across the country. The volunteers will be trained as Agriculture and Nutrition Extensionists and will work with rural communities to improve food security and health of the Nepalese people in the context of the two Presidential Initiatives in Nepal.</span>"</blockquote>
The photos from the two events can be found at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassykathmandu/sets/72157628910040525/%20"><b><i>Flickr.</i></b></a> See also the <a href="http://nepal.usembassy.gov/pr-01-17-2012.html"><b><i>embassy statement</i></b></a>, and the Peace Corps <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1937"><i><b>announcement</b></i></a>.<br />
<br />
The bigger news, of course was the withdrawal of the Peace Corps from Honduras this week. On January 16, the Peace Corps pulled out all volunteers from Honduras. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57361548/peace-corps-withdrawal-another-blow-for-honduras/"><i><b>According</b></i></a> to CBS, neither U.S. nor Honduran officials have said what specifically prompted them to withdraw the 158 Peace Corps volunteers. The report also notes that this is the first time Peace Corps mission have been withdrawn from Central America since civil wars swept the region in the 1970s and 1980s. <br />
<br />
On December 21, Peace Corps released the following statement:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Peace Corps is conducting an ongoing review of the security environment in Honduras, and has cancelled its next volunteer training class while this review is being conducted.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All 158 currently serving volunteers are safe and accounted for and will participate in a conference in January before returning to the United States on administrative leave. Peace Corps will review the safety and security climate in Honduras before continuing with volunteer operations.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">“The safety and security of all Peace Corps volunteers is the agency’s highest priority,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams. “During this time, we are going to conduct a full review of the program. We thank the people of Honduras for their strong support of Peace Corps over the years.”</span></blockquote>
<br />
But unlike the return of the Peace Corps to Nepal, one can't really tell what's going on if you look up US Embassy Honduras or the Peace Corps Honduras website. Both are also on Facebook. Ambassador Kubiske herself is on Twitter. But nowhere is the departure of the Peace Corps volunteers mentioned, not even in warden messages to American citizens. Go ahead, take a look: <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/peacecorps?sk=wall"><i>http://www.facebook.com/peacecorps?sk=wall</i></a></li>
<li><i><a href="http://twitter.com/peacecorps">http://twitter.com/peacecorps</a></i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.centralamerica&cntry=honduras"><i>http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.centralamerica&cntry=honduras</i></a></li>
<li><i><a href="http://twitter.com/USAmbHonduras">http://twitter.com/USAmbHonduras</a></i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/embajadahonduras"><i>http://www.facebook.com/embajadahonduras</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://honduras.usembassy.gov/prl12.html"><i>http://honduras.usembassy.gov/prl12.html</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://honduras.usembassy.gov/messuscit2012.html"><i>http://honduras.usembassy.gov/messuscit2012.html</i></a></li>
</ul>
<br />
Peace Corps media arm has statements on a Peace Corps volunteer building a new clinic in Cameroon, on the Peace Corps return to Nepal, and PCVs leading 4 spelling bees in Armenia the last week alone, but absolutely nothing on the withdrawal of its volunteers from Honduras. <br />
<br />
It's like if you don't mention it, it did not happen ....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57361548/peace-corps-withdrawal-another-blow-for-honduras/"><i><b>According</b></i></a> to CBS, on Jan. 24, 2011, a Peace Corps volunteer was robbed and raped near the village of Duyure in southern Honduras. Three men were reportedly found guilty of rape and robbery in that case, according to an employee of the regional court in the southern city of Choluteca who was not authorized to be quoted by name. <br />
<br />
An entry in Peace Corps journals indicates that one of the volunteers in Honduras was also shot in an assault on a bus in early December. After the announcement that Peace Corps was suspending Honduras’ February 2012 training group, a PCV notes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"It has been two weeks since one of our volunteers here was shot in an assault on a bus, and this is the first e-mail that we have receive that really says anything. After two weeks of all of us volunteers e-mailing, texting, and calling each other talking about how we thought Peace Corps Honduras handled the situation with the injured volunteer, and what we thought was going to come of it all, it is nice to see some action being taken." </span></blockquote>
As the incident was called "a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," another PCV reacts:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Where my problem comes in with all of this, in my opinion, is the fact that Peace Corps is treating this incident as if the volunteer had been in a car accident or something more along those lines - something that was completely out of Peace Corps or Honduras‘s control. But, no, she was on a bus… this is a matter of Honduras being the most dangerous country in the world (that is not currently in a war), but it is as if Peace Corps Honduras doesn’t want to own up to that. In one of the e-mials, admin said “If we learn anything that would result in a need to change policy or travel guidance we will communicate that straight away.” So, as a result of this accident, their response is that they might just need to make another policy change. It seems to me that this is their response to everything - make another rule or policy change that will help to avoid situations like this in the future, but for this particular incident, I don’t think there is really anything that can be done. People have to travel in and out of San Pedro Sula and/or La Esperanza. There is no way to avoid that - we already have been instructed to make sure and not travel at night, especially in and out of San Pedro or Tegus, and this volunteer was certainly not - it was noon on a Sunday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">To make this situation worse, it was brought to volunteers attention the following day that there had actually been two other assaults on the same bus company over that week - but Peace Corps had not informed any volunteers of these incidents.</span></blockquote>
So statements and photos about the Peace Corps returning to Nepal when the first batch of volunteers are not even getting there until later this year, but nothing on the Peace Corps leaving Honduras when the departure of the 158 volunteers already occurred. Ow...<br />
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57359870/peace-corps-evacuates-honduras-over-safety/">Peace Corps evacuates Honduras over safety</a> (cbsnews.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/23/international/i094240S61.DTL">Peace Corps cites safety in pullout from Honduras</a> (sfgate.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017264363_apasnepalpeacecorps.html?syndication=rss">US Peace Corps to return to Nepal after 7 years</a> (seattletimes.nwsource.com)</li>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-9912445488796131882012-01-18T00:01:00.003-05:002012-01-18T02:00:52.469-05:00Stop SOPA/PIPA - Contact Congress via http://blacklist.eff.org/<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-5540523401879580052012-01-17T08:06:00.002-05:002012-01-17T12:27:43.356-05:00Have something to say on FS family member employment? Deadline Jan. 31<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Foreign_Service_Journal_2006.gif" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Foreign Service Journal" height="289" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Foreign_Service_Journal_2006.gif" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="216" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 216px;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Foreign_Service_Journal_2006.gif">Wikipedia</a></span></span><i>Via AFSA:</i><br />
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The April issue of the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Service_Journal" rel="wikipedia" title="Foreign Service Journal">Foreign Service Journal</a> will examine how Foreign Service spouses, partners and family members go about finding meaningful employment overseas, both inside diplomatic missions and elsewhere. We want to hear from AFSA members on the extent to which the State Department, USAID and other foreign affairs agencies facilitate those efforts, and are especially interested in your success stories. Please tell us how you got that great job and offer tips for other FS family members in the job market.<br />
<br />
Journalist Shawn Zeller (szeller@cq.com), who has done similar investigative reporting for us in the past, will be writing the lead article, an overview of the subject. Toward that end, he would like to hear from FS personnel and family members who wish to comment on these issues. (While we strongly prefer that responses be on the record, due to the potential sensitivity of the topic Shawn is willing to use material on background.) Alternatively, members are welcome to submit short (1,000-1,500 words) standalone articles on aspects of this general topic for publication in the April focus. To the extent possible, the emphasis should be on sharing best practices and creative solutions to these challenges. <br />
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Kindly send submissions to FSJ Editor Steve Honley at honley@afsa.org, giving your e-mail a subject line such as "For April 2012 FSJ" or "RE: FS Family Member Employment," and include contact information. <br />
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IMPORTANT: All contributors will be identified by name unless they specify they are writing on background (i.e., not for attribution). Tues., Jan. 31, is the deadline for all input, including comments for Shawn Zeller's use, due to our lead time for Editorial Board review, editing and production. However, we would appreciate receiving contributions as soon as possible. All materials are subject to editing for content, style, length and format. Also, please note that we cannot promise to use all items, though we will make every effort. Questions? Contact Steve at honley@afsa.org or (202) 944-5511. Thanks in advance for your assistance!<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-13800019581510183652012-01-17T00:01:00.004-05:002012-01-17T01:22:34.031-05:00Learn more about the Internet Censorship Bills (SOPA/PIPA)<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/10/house-takes-senates-bad-internet-censorship-bill-makes-it-worse.ars">House takes Senate's bad Internet censorship bill, tries making it worse</a><br /><a href="http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2011/10/protect-the-internet.html">Protect The Internet</a><br /><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/sopa-hollywood-finally-gets-chance-break-internet">SOPA: Hollywood Finally Gets A Chance to Break the Internet</a><br /><a href="http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/show">SOPA on OpenCongress</a><br /><a href="http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s968/show">PIPA on OpenCongress</a></span><br />
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Contact Congress, join the strike, petition the State Department via <a href="http://americancensorship.org/"><i>http://americancensorship.org/</i></a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31100268?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="540"></iframe>
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The Internet is going on strike on January 18th. You can help by driving contacts and readers to Congress. The blackout is from at 8AM EST and end at 8PM EST. You can read more and join the strike here: <b><a href="http://sopastrike.com/"><i>http://sopastrike.com/</i></a></b>
<br /><br />ProPublica has put together an <a href="http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/"><b><i>interactive SOPA Opera</i></b></a> with a database that keeps track of where members of Congress stand. Findings
are based on two factors: whether a member is a sponsor of the proposed
bills, and each member's voting record on the current bills' precursors
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/01/16/pipa-is-the-new-sopa">PIPA is the new SOPA</a> (slog.thestranger.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://current.com/entertainment/comedy/93620188_current-community-protests-sopa-pipa-are-you-in.htm?xid=RSSfeed">Current Community protests SOPA/PIPA - Are you In?</a> (current.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/01/13/pipa-weakens-as-sopa-gets-hypocritical/">PIPA Weakens as SOPA Gets Hypocritical</a> (forbes.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://piedtype.com/2012/01/11/internet-censorship-looms-large/">Internet censorship looms large</a> (piedtype.com)</li>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-87976788845919085102012-01-16T16:53:00.023-05:002012-01-16T23:18:05.751-05:00US Mission Russia: Ambassador McFaul Makes Online Splash, and About Those 'Personal' Twitter AccountsEarlier last week, the new US Ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul launched his new twitter account <span class="screen-name screen-name-McFaul pill">@McFaul</span> -- <a href="http://twitter.com/mcfaul"><i>http://twitter.com/mcfaul</i></a>. By Thursday, the US Embassy in Moscow rolled out its introduction video of Ambassador McFaul via YouTube (below). On Friday, he and his family were in route to Moscow, arriving on Saturday, just in time for his new blog to go live. Jet lag not allowed. Today, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov accepted copies of the ambassador's credentials. Ambassador McFaul is now officially the second U.S. ambassador to Russia in 30 years who was not a career diplomat.<br />
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The 2:14 minute YouTube video cross-posted in Ambassador McFaul's brand new blog at <a href="http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/"><i>http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/</i></a> has already garnered 2440 comments. I don't read/speak Russian so I don't know if the comments are favorable or not. <br />
<br />
John Brown of <a href="http://publicdiplomacypressandblogreview.blogspot.com/"><i>John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review, Version 2.0 </i></a>and former CAO at US Embassy in Moscow, has the following via <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-brown/us-ambassador-to-russian-_b_1208580.html"><b><i>HuffPo</i></b></a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I've looked at/listened to newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul's recent video presentation to the people of Russia. Based on my Foreign Service experience in Moscow as Cultural Affairs Officer (1998-2001), several aspects of the talk struck me.</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">First, the </span><b style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">negative</b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> ones, from the perspective of U.S. public diplomacy with the Russian Federation, and especially its younger generation:</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">[...]</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">1. Repeated references to the Soviet Union (including showing a map of that former geographical expression), which collapsed some 20 years ago;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">2. The fact that the Ambassador did not speak in Russian (as his predecessor did fluently on YouTube clips), except for a few words at the end of his remarks*;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">3. The use of the word "help" (translated as pomogat' in the subtitle) in U.S. dealings with the Russian population. Of all things Russians dislike most about foreigners, it is condescension of any sort on their part;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">4. No reference to high Russian culture, except for Tchaikovsky (to which the Ambassador refers in the same breath as he does to Russian hockey); no references, even indirect, to intellectuals who condemned the USSR.</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">5. Irritating, feel-good background music that could be straight out of a U.S. TV commercial for a penile dysfunction pill.</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Positive:</span></b><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">1. Mentioning a new visa agreement that will make it easier for Russians to visit the U.S.;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">2. An effort to reach out to the Russian "provinces" by comparing them to the Ambassador's home state of Montana;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">3. A "down-to-earth" approach that might appeal to the "muzhik" (regular guy) side in the character of many Russians;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">4. Stress on people-to-people exchanges;</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">5. He did not go on for too long, as do so many Russian politicians.</span><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><br style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">*However, it is better, in official remarks, for a foreigner to speak in his own language than address Russians in bad Russian, which will quickly turn off his audience. A few words indicating an appreciation of their language, yes; a long delivery full of grammatical and pronunciation errors, no. The Russians, though more tolerant of foreign accents than some other Europeans, are a bit like the French who cringe when they have to endure an American murdering their mother tongue by trying awkwardly to express himself in it, in his effort to show that he "understands" them.</span></span></blockquote>
Read in full here: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-brown/us-ambassador-to-russian-_b_1208580.html"><b><i>U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul's YouTube Presentation From a Public Diplomacy Perspective</i></b></a>. <br />
<br />
More than the irritating background music, I actually got a headache from the speedy photo transitions in this video. It feels like going on a super sprint, in YouTube - makes you feel dizzzzyyy and out of breath. <br />
<br />
In any case, Ambassador McFaul actually<a href="http://iis-db.stanford.edu/staff/2165/Michael_McFaul-CV.pdf"><b><i> speaks fluent Russian</i></b></a> (as well as Polish and Portuguese), so he could have done this intro video in Russian; instead it is in English with Russian subtitles which is good since a bunch of folks in D.C. and the WH also do not speak Russian.<br />
<br />
Must also note that his new Twitter account is <span class="screen-name screen-name-McFaul pill">@McFaul, not Ambassador McFaul like </span><span class="screen-name screen-name-AmbassadorRice pill">@AmbassadorRice (UN) or </span><span class="screen-name screen-name-AmbassadorRoos pill">@AmbassadorRoos</span><span class="screen-name screen-name-AmbassadorRice pill"> (Japan). Whether or not he continue as U.S. Ambassador to Moscow in a year or two, he remains </span><span class="screen-name screen-name-McFaul pill">@McFaul in the twitterverse. Which is good for him, but not so good for the US Embassy in Moscow, who would have to start from Twitter scratch with a new ambassador in a year or in five years, depending on how 2012 turns out.<br /><br />The same thing with Ambassador Susan Rice, who has some </span>115,653 <i>followers, </i><span class="screen-name screen-name-McFaul pill">and</span><span class="screen-name screen-name-McFaul pill"><i> </i>Ambassador John Roos with </span>48,152 <i>f<span class="user-stats-stat">ollowers</span></i>; both are political appointees. The USUN Mission just like the US Embassy in Japan would have to start from zero when these political appointees end their tenure. Given that these offices actually have social media teams handling their online accounts, wouldn't it make <strike>mire</strike> more sense to use the position not the name as the handle for these accounts? I can only find one -- @WHAAsstSecty -- formerly used by Arturo Valenzuela and currently used by the Acting Assistant Secretary Roberta Jacobson, which has done that. <br />
<br />
And what do you do with http://twitter.com/AmbStephens now that she is no longer the US ambassador to Seoul? Does it go to a twittermentery?<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm also confused about the <a href="http://dashboard.officeofinnovation.org/platform/twitter/accounts"><b><i>"personal"</i></b></a> notations on the ambassadors' Twitter accounts. Isn't a U.S. ambassador the personal representative of the President of the United States overseas, and the public face of the U.S. government in his/her host country? Doesn't it follow that everything he/she says is official? So then to pretend otherwise is rather silly, isn't it?<br />
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-58649769453742052972012-01-14T14:49:00.005-05:002012-01-16T17:58:23.534-05:00US Mission Italy: #CostaConcordia Shipwreck (Contact Numbers)Carnival Cruise's Costa Concordia struck rock off the coast of Isola del Giglio, Italy at approximately 10:00pm CET. It sustained significant damage causing the ship to list severely and the order was given to abandon ship and deploy the lifeboats. The cruise ship which had approximately 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members was on a seven-day voyage. News reports currently put the deaths at three with 40 passengers missing.<br />
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Some footage here:<br />
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The US Embassy in Rome via Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbasciataUSA"><i>https://twitter.com/AmbasciataUSA</i></a> reports that there were 126 Americans onboard and no crew members based on information from local authorities. <br />
<br />
The U.S. Consulate Florence and Embassy Rome are reportedly assisting Americans from Costa Concordia with travel arrangements & documents. We note that the consular section in Florence has two officers and six LE staff. The consular section in Rome is not much bigger with two and a half ELOs, two mid-level supervisors, and the section chief. <br />
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<i>Via US Embassy Rome</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Rome, January 14, 2012</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The United States Embassy in Rome sends its condolences to the families of those passengers of the Costa Concordia cruise ship who died in a shipwreck off the coast of Tuscany early this morning. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The welfare of American citizens in Italy is the highest priority of the U.S. Embassy in Rome, and the U.S. Embassy in Rome and the U.S. Consulate in Florence are working with local officials and the families of the passengers to provide assistance to Americans affected by the accident.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The U.S. Embassy has established an emergency response team. Concerned Americans may call +39 06 4674 1 for emergency information.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Based on information provided by local authorities, the US Embassy estimates 130 Americans may have been on board.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As of 5:00 pm local time, there are no reports of serious injuries to American citizens, though we cannot yet account for all Americans believed to have been present on the ship at the time of the accident.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Further information will be posted on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbasciataUSA"><i>@AmbasciataUSA</i></a> and Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ambasciatausa" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>http://www.facebook.com/ambasciatausa</i></a></blockquote>
The American Citizens Services Units for Rome and Florence respectively also have email inquiry addresses but I don't know how well these accounts are monitored:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Rome: uscitizensrome@state.gov <br />
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Florence: uscitizensflorence@state.gov</blockquote>
<br />
The Carnival company has released the following country-specific contact numbers to reach Costa Cruises:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
U.S. 800-462-6782 <br />
Italy 848505050 <br />
Austria 00438109006565 <br />
Germany +4940570121314 <br />
France +33155475554 <br />
Spain +34934875685 <br />
Portugal +34914185951 <br />
UK 08453510552 </blockquote>
<b style="color: red;"><i>Update 1/16:</i></b><br />The US Embassy in Rome has revised the estimated number of Americans aboard the #Costa #Concordia down to 120, of which 118 have been accounted for. It is also using Twitter for help in locating retired Minnesota couple, <a href="http://t.co/nUCPAEcU"><i><b>Gerald and Barbara Heil</b></i></a> believed to be passengers of Costa Concordia and are unaccounted for. Email any info to <a href="mailto:ItalyConcordiaUSC@state.gov"><i>ItalyConcordiaUSC@state.gov</i></a>. <br /><br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-84414670312327584242012-01-14T14:14:00.007-05:002012-01-14T17:30:23.488-05:00Senator Nelson's Reasonableness Test: US Should Bill Iraq for US Embassy SecurityLast year, Rep. <i><b><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Rohrabacher" rel="wikipedia" title="Dana Rohrabacher">Dana Rohrabacher</a>,</b></i>
the 12th term Republican congressman from California's scenic 46th District
and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee made the news when he called for <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2011/06/cover-your-eyes-congressman-rohrabacher.html"><b><i>Iraq to repay a portion of the "mega-dollars"</i></b></a> that Washington has spent since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Mr. Rohrabacher for the record did not actually say we should ask for a repayment now but once "Iraq becomes a very rich and prosperous country..."<br />
<br />
This past week, it was Nebraska's retiring Democratic Senator Ben Nelson turn at bill collection (TSB has a post on this <a href="http://skepticalbureaucrat.blogspot.com/2012/01/novel-idea-for-funding-diplomatic.html"><b><i>here</i></b></a>) Below is a letter sent by Senator Nelson to Secretaries Panetta and Clinton telling them that the Iraqi government should be responsible for shouldering the cost of US Embassy security in Iraq:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dear Mr. Secretary and Madam Secretary:<br /><br />As you know, the United States concluded its military mission in Iraq in 2011. With that end, the U.S. Department of State now assumes responsibility for the civilian mission, which I understand will be heavily reliant on private contractors for security. I support ensuring the success of our efforts in Iraq, but am concerned about continuing to provide assistance to Iraq’s government, with the total cost being borne by the United States.<br /><br />As a nation, our government continues to look for ways to reduce spending and find efficiencies within the U.S. Department of Defense. Therefore, I believe it is completely reasonable and in line with our agreements with other nations for the Government of Iraq to pay for the security of our remaining State Department personnel.<br /><br />During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in November 2011, General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke about the costs of retaining an American presence in Iraq. He noted that “in any nation in which [the United States is] present diplomatically, the first responsibility for security is the host nation.” Thus, if Iraq is unable to provide security for U.S. personnel, then the Iraqi government should pay for the cost of doing so – rather than our nation’s taxpayers. Therefore, I encourage your departments to enter into an agreement with the Iraqi government to underwrite the costs associated with our continued diplomatic presence there.<br /><br />During that same hearing, I also asked General Dempsey whether it was possible to enter into an agreement with the Iraqi government for cost-sharing in order to continue providing for the security training of Iraqi troops and every other mission we might accept to help the country secure, stabilize and self-govern. General Dempsey responded that such agreements are possible and that there is always a negotiation on the cost and who will bear it.<br /><br />I want to ensure that the burden of such operations is placed primarily on Iraq, in line with those agreements we share with other nations when we conduct multilateral or bilateral exercises around the world. The Iraqi government is more than capable of sharing or underwriting costs associated with a U.S. advise-and-assist presence, as the Iraqi economy continues to grow and government revenues are beginning to increase to that of pre-war levels.<br /><br />While I understand there are many challenges facing the Government of Iraq, it is important for the United States to make it clear that we expect the new government to be responsible for shouldering the cost of security in their nation. I would, therefore, greatly appreciate learning from the Administration what agreements are being made with the Government of Iraq for further missions and how the cost of those missions will be covered. Thank you both for your consideration in this matter. I look forward to your response.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />E. Benjamin Nelson<br />United States Senator </span></blockquote>
<br />
It is true that the host country is responsible for providing protection to diplomatic personnel and missions, as established by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Article 22(2) says that <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity." </span><br /><br />One could argue that Syria did not lived up to its responsibility to prevent "impairment of its dignity" when it allowed a<a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2011/07/pro-assad-mnhebak-mob-attacks-us.html"><b><i> mob to attack our embassy</i></b></a> in Syria in July last year. But other times, the local police protecting diplomatic and consular premises can pay dearly with their lives. During the February 2003 attack of the US Consulate in Karachi, for instance, the gunmen killed two police officers and wounded five
other policemen in front of the consulate. The 2008 American Embassy attack in Yemen resulted in 19 deaths and 16 injuries including six Yemeni policemen. <br /><br />Iraq is responsible for the protection of the US Mission in Iraq, just
as the United States is responsible for the protection of all diplomatic
premises within the United States. But while the host country is expected to provide the outermost security of diplomatic missions, it cannot be expected to provide guard services for the embassy compound. <br />
<br />The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, of course, is like no other diplomatic mission in the world. According to Stratfor's<a href="http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/us-diplomatic-security-iraq-after-withdrawal"><i><b> assessment</b></i></a> of diplomatic security after the troops withdrawal, there are some 16,000 personnel, 5,000 of whom are security contractors working inside our heavily fortified embassy and consulates in Iraq. The remaining 11,000 include diplomats, intelligence officers and analysts, defense attaches, military liaison personnel and aid and development personnel.<br />
<br />
If the Government of Iraq decides that it should have a corresponding number of personnel - 16,000 Iraqis - attached to its embassy in Washington, D.C., how would that work? Congress would be up in arms!<br />
<br />
But perhaps the more tricky part is Article 11 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which says that <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"1) In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission; 2) The receiving State may equally, within similar bounds and on a nondiscriminatory basis, refuse to accept officials of a particular category."</span><br />
<br />
With that number of personnel, there probably is a specific agreement in place. But let's just say that there is none and Senator Nelson gets his way and bill Iraq for the cost of diplomatic security in Iraq. The Iraqi Government may just decide that 16,000 diplomatic, security and support personnel at U.S. Mission Iraq is a tad too much. Due to ongoing security challenges in the country, it may just decide that a, say 150-member US staff is all it could support. Which would actually save the US Government money, and would allow the State Department to reallocate its tight resources to other areas not considered the center of the bureaucratic universe.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6897233608659313746.post-62108012134256296232012-01-13T22:29:00.004-05:002012-01-14T02:00:01.296-05:00The Newtster's Pick for Secretary of State Endorses the Mittster<span class="zemanta-img separator" style="clear: right;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rice_Bolton_March_7_2005.PNG" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Secretary Rice announces the nomination of Joh..." height="204" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Rice_Bolton_March_7_2005.PNG/300px-Rice_Bolton_March_7_2005.PNG" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rice_Bolton_March_7_2005.PNG">Wikipedia</a></span></span>Remember last December when I blogged about <a href="http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2011/12/if-newtster-wins-john-bolton-will.html"><b><i>Newt Gingrich's pick for Secretary of State?</i></b></a> He told some crowd that he would appoint former United Nations Representative <b><i><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Bolton" rel="wikipedia" title="John R. Bolton">John Bolton</a></i></b> as his Secretary of State.<br /><br />But Ambassador Bolton had somebody else in mind. On January 11, Ambassador Bolton <a href="http://youtu.be/8SrgAve5nuQ"><i><b>announced</b></i></a> his endorsement of Mitt Romney on Fox News’ “On the Record” with Greta van Susteren. He called the Mittster “the person who can best lead the party, best articulate our conservative principles, and is most likely to beat Barack Obama.”<br /><br />What took you so long, John B.? Iowa by eight votes? Check. NH by 39.3%? Check. A <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/romney-looks-strong-in-south-carolina-and-beyond/"><b><i>32% projected vote range</i></b></a> in the Palmetto state? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;"><b></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />WaPo's Jennifer Rubin may have the answer:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
"I spoke to former U.N. ambassador John Bolton this morning about his endorsement last night of Mitt Romney. He said he has been contemplating for some time whether to endorse a GOP candidate. “I just thought you oughta decide at some point,” he said. He said it was critical that he back someone who could beat President Obama. “I do think Governor Romney is the best candidate to defeat Obama. Jim Baker [former secretary of Treasury and state] gave me some great advice: ‘Keep your eye on the prize.’ ”</blockquote>
By Friday the 13th, the former U.N. ambassador has <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57359141-503544/romneys-newest-big-name-supporter-comes-out-swinging/#comments"><b><i>showed </i></b></a>that can be one of the Mittster's fiercest attack dogs of President Obama's foreign policy. Via CBS:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
"He's not only the most radical president in history domestically; he is the first president, Republican or Democrat, at least since Franklin Roosevelt, who didn't get up every morning thinking first about what threats the United States faces. [...] He just doesn't care about national security the way other presidents did," Bolton said of President Obama to an audience (in Hilton Head, South Carolina).</blockquote>
Keeping his eye on the prize, no doubt. Maybe he'll be able to parachute to Foggy Bottom from a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/romney-spent-thousands-on-private-planes/"><b><i>Romney plane</i></b></a> ... <br /><br /><br /><script charset="utf-8" expr:src=""http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/Diplopundit?i=" + data:post.url" type="text/javascript">
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