Insider Quote: A Good Life

“I’ve always thought having a good life was about having a lot of options.”

Ryan Crocker

Former US Ambassador to Iraq

Dean, Bush School of Government and Public Service

Texas A&M University.

From US ambassador visits UI

The Argonaut | University of Idaho

Ryan Crocker on the Foreign Service

“The Foreign Service still largely tends to be from the coasts, not a lot from inland America […]. It’s because people don’t know about the Foreign Service or how to get involved. […] I would like for young men and women to know that Foreign Service is an option … One of the greatest modern officers in the Foreign Service was a graduate from UI […]. “Go to hard places and do hard things. At the end of the day, life is about what challenges you stepped up to. Whether it’s the Western Expansion or World War II, we have always stepped up and that’s what makes us great.”

Ryan Crocker Former US Ambassador to IraqDean, Bush School of Government and Public ServiceTexas A&M University.From US ambassador visits UIThe Argonaut | University of Idaho

Probe TV Bids Farewell to Ambassador Kristie Kenney

Last week, Probe TV in the Philippines did a profile of the outgoing US Ambassador to the Philippines, Kristie Kenney.  The show is also on replay apparently every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and every Saturday at 12 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

“The show that started investigative reporting on Philippine TV is on to a new brand of probing. To explain issues relevant to the public, on its 22nd year, ‘Probe’ takes a harder look at the men and women of the hour.”

Here is Probe TV’s introduction to the video:  Farewell, Ambassador Kenney

In the more than 100-year-old love-hate relationship between the Philippines and the United States, no American envoy was spared of occasional brickbats until Ambassador Kristie Kenney. The first female US ambassador to the Philippines has endeared herself to Filipinos from all walks of life in just less than four years.

Reaching out to Filipinos, Kenney embraced the country’s culture and people in a way that no other envoy did -- letting her hair down and dancing on national television, watching her favorite basketball teams in action, mingling with ordinary citizens, and visiting a rebel camp in Mindanao, among others.

As she prepares to leave her post, Ambassador Kenney shares something more with Filipinos -- her life story, for the first time, this Wednesday on ‘Probe Profiles.’

In an exclusive interview with Cheche Lazaro, the Ambassador looks back at the milestones of her tour of duty and candidly talks about her childhood and love life that can pass for a telenovela. Through interviews with Kenney’s co-workers in the embassy and her two household staff, Lazaro pieces together a profile of the Ambassador who gave a new meaning to diplomacy in the Philippines.

The show is in Tagalog and English and subtitles in English.  Transcript of the interview in English is here.  I also appended below the link to the Shall We Dance Christmas (episode 20)  from last December where Ambassador Kenney also appeared (cited in part 1 of the video).

• Ambassador Kristie Kenney Part 1


• Ambassador Kristie Kenney Part 2


• Ambassador Kristie Kenney Part 3


• Ambassador Kristie Kenney Part 4  


• USA Ambassador Kristie Kenney | Shall We Dance Christmas Episode 20 Dec 2009
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I think they did an excellent profile and she came across really well.  They covered topics ranging from her posting in Jamaica as a junior officer, to her stint in the Executive Secretariat (S/ES), navigating being a tandem couple (her husband, Bill Brownfield was first appointed as US Ambassador to Chile and she was going to be the ambassador's wife),  being offered the ambassadorship to the Philippines by Secretary Rice (while she was serving as US Ambassador to Ecuador), US-Philippine relations and more.  Read the interview here.

Related Post:

US Amb to the Philippines Kristie Kenney Blogs Farewell

Related Item:

Ambassador Kristie Kenney's Farewell Reception (Flickr)

            

Ambassador Merten: The Embassy is Doing Its Best

Register online and help the US Embassy /Consulate locate you in an emergency

This morning, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth Merten speaks with TODAY’s Meredith Vieira about logistical challenges behind search and rescue operations in Haiti. He also said the embassy is doing its best but has no way to check on the 40,000 or more Americans estimated to be in the country. This NBC report says that about 450 Americans have been evacuated since Tuesday's disaster. Ambassador Kenneth Merten said "a steady stream" of U.S. citizens has been showing up at the airport and embassy seeking help leaving the country, but so far not in overwhelming numbers.



I think the main challenge in calamities like this is how do you track or trace a large number of people overseas in an emergency.  Even if you have the local addresses, what do you do when phones are not working, when there are no doors to knock on, or when entire neighborhoods are simply gone?



This city has an estimated population of between 2.5 and 3 million people.  The UN’s initial estimate is that 10 percent of the housing in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince has been destroyed, leaving some 300,000 people homeless.  The World Food Program is aiming to feed two million people for about 30 days. That's pretty mind-boggling.

The report also says that U.S. soldiers were sorting the Americans for evacuation at the airport. It quotes that people without citizenship were angry and cites one Vladimir Lexus, a 23-year-old musician who lives in Miami who said: "I can't believe this!"  I don't know what the airport set up is like but if 450 Americans have already been evacuated, I'm sure there are Consular Officials at the airport to check on the citizenship of evacuees and prepare evacuation documentation as they are required to do.  

Update 1/17/2010: This one from NDS: Haiti: Some Numbers | Number of consular staff working the massive crowds at Haiti's airport, before reinforcements from Consular Affairs arrived: 4.  That's right. 4.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This is perhaps also a learning moment for the American traveling public and for those Americans who reside overseas.  First -- as the State Department points out “Millions of Americans travel abroad every year and encounter no difficulties. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency. When an emergency happens, or if natural disaster, terrorism, or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can be your source of assistance and information.”

If you are overseas now, take a moment to register here with the State Department (https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/). By registering your trip or your presence overseas, you help the embassy or consulate locate you when you might need them the most. Registration is voluntary and costs nothing, but it should be a big part of a traveler or overseas resident's planning and security.

Second – if you have children born overseas, it is helpful to document their citizenship as soon as you are able.  You don’t want to document their citizenship amidst an evacuation.  

Related articles by Zemanta

• Haiti earthquake: bodies burning in desperate city (telegraph.co.uk)


• Haiti aid groups fear 'social unrest very soon' (msnbc.msn.com)


• US can't contact thousands of Americans in Haiti (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Ambassador Bleich Sworn-in by SCOTUS Chief Roberts

…at the White House

 Photo from US Embassy Canberra           

Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich was formally sworn in by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts in a ceremony on December 20 at the White House. The event was attended by the Ambassador’s family, government officials and Elizabeth Ward, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian Embassy in Washington. Ambassador Bleich and Justice Roberts worked together as clerks for the former Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Note that he had his SFRC hearing on November 5, and five days later, the Senate discharged from further consideration and confirmed his nomination by unanimous consent.

Excerpt: 

I haven’t been able to keep up with all of my emails since leaving the White House. As some of you know I was confirmed by the Senate on a Tuesday night at 10:15 p.m., and raced out to post soon after, and I’ve had a flood of emails and questions from many of you here. So since so many friends are here, I’d like to respond to some of those emails now.

First. Yes – to those who asked – there were actually senators on the floor at 10:15 at night on a Tuesday night. Actually I prefer Jim Messiness’ explanation for the unanimous vote that every senator, regardless of their political views, shared a desire to send me 10,000 miles away from them.

Second, thank you all for the suggestion about learning how to speak Australian. We are, after all, two great countries separated only by a common language. Becky and the kids and I have begun extensive training and, no worries, mates, we’re picking up ’strine.

Third, because we are all friends here, yes I did tighten up the security on my facebook account recently if you’ve been trying to reach me. I promise that if you stop sending me emails referencing Fosters Lager and your favorite Crocodile Dundee line, I’ll re-friend you. Finally, yes, there are guest rooms, and no you can’t actually move in until we get there first.

Read Ambassador Bleich’s full remarks.

 

BLT on Former Ambassador Robin Raphel

Image by america.gov via Flickr

The Blog of Legal Times has been tracking the news on lobbying disclosures concerning former Ambassador Robin Raphel who is a member of the team of Richard Holbrooke, the Special Representative to the Af/Pak region.  Ambassador Raphel is currently Senior Coordinator for Economic and Development Assistance.

From last week:

January 07, 2010 | State Department Official Lobbied by Former Employer

Robin Raphel, the State Department's nonmilitary aid coordinator for Pakistan and a former lobbyist for Pakistan, attended meetings to help that country craft lobbying strategy until shortly before her new position was announced last summer. Now, new lobbying disclosure reports show her former firm contacted her regarding Pakistan within a month after the announcement.



A filing submitted to the Justice Department this month by lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates reports that the firm, which has a $700,000-a-year contract to represent Pakistan, e-mailed Raphel on Sept. 2 regarding "ROZ legislation" - economic development legislation giving the president authority to establish “Reconstruction Opportunity Zones” (ROZs) in Pakistan’s frontier area with Afghanistan.

Continue reading this entry here.

From last November:

November 06, 2009 | State Department Official Worked on Behalf of Pakistan Immediately Before Taking Job

Newly filed lobbying disclosure documents show that Robin Raphel, the State Department's nonmilitary aid coordinator for Pakistan, attended meetings to help Pakistan craft lobbying strategy less than a week before her government appointment was publicly announced.



Raphel worked for lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates until July 31; her State Department job was announced Aug. 5. Cassidy has represented Pakistan since May. Cassidy’s latest disclosure filings, submitted to the Justice Department Oct. 30, show Raphel attended more than 40 meetings on Pakistan’s behalf in the two months before she left at places including the State Department, and Capitol Hill, though it doesn't specify who she met with.

Continue reading this entry here.

Robin L. Raphel is a career diplomat who served as Ambassador to Tunisia (1997-2000).  In August 1993, during the Clinton Administration she was named the first Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs (1993-1997). Her Wikipedia entry says she retired from the State Department in 2005 after 30 years of service.

Quickie: Former US Ambassador on Those Yemen Myths

Image by eesti via Flickr

“In my experience, there is no deep-seeded affinity between Yemeni tribes and the Qaeda movement. Tribes tend to be opportunistic, not ideological, so the risk is that Al Qaeda will successfully exploit opportunities created by government neglect. There are also family affinities — cousins, linked to uncles, linked to brothers. These do matter. But what matters most is the “mujahedeen fraternity” — Yemenis with jihadist experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. Finally, what would matter — and significantly — would be innocent casualties resulting from counterterrorism operations, which could well set off a tribal response.”

“Forging an effective American counterterrorism policy in Yemen will be as difficult as it is necessary. But misreading Yemeni history and society can only complicate its conception and jeopardize its execution.”

Edmund J. Hull

United States Ambassador to Yemen (2001 to 2004)

from Al Qaeda’s Shadowland | NYT Op-ed | January 11, 2010

 

Related articles by Zemanta

• Obama Won't Be Sending Troops To Yemen (news.sky.com)


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• Yemen's Problems Are Challenge for U.S. (abcnews.go.com)


• West 'not helping Yemen enough' (news.bbc.co.uk)

The ‘Hillary Effect’ on Ambassadorships to the U.S.

Image via Wikipedia

Mary Jordan writes 'Hillary effect' cited for increase in female ambassadors to U.S. for WaPo (January 11, 2010):

Quotable quotes from the article:

"Even when I say I am ambassador, people assume I am the spouse."

Meera Shankar, Indian Ambassador to the US  

(India's first female ambassador in more than 50 years)

"It's a disadvantage that I am here by myself […] but that means I can work late and not feel guilty."

Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo

Ambassador from Bahrain since 2008

"Hillary Clinton is so visible" as secretary of state […] she makes it easier for presidents to pick a woman for Washington."

Amelia Matos Sumbana

Ambassador from Mozambique.

"It's considered normal if a woman goes with her husband but it's not seen as the same if a husband goes."

Angele Niyuhire

Ambassador from Burundi

Jordan writes that Ambassadors' wives have historically played a huge role in entertaining -- a key part of an envoy's job -- so that duty falls to the female ambassadors. "We need a wife, too!" several remarked.

Other tidbits from the article that you might find interesting:  

• “There are 25 female ambassadors posted in Washington -- the highest number ever, according to the State Department.”
  
  

• “Eleven of the 25 female envoys in Washington are from Africa. Four are from Caribbean nations. The others are from Bahrain, the Netherlands, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Oman, Colombia, India, Liechtenstein and Nauru, an eight-square-mile Pacific island with only 14,000 people.”
  
  

• “Women remain a distinct minority -- there are 182 accredited ambassadors in Washington -- but their rise from a cadre of five in the late 1990s to five times that is opening up what had been an elite's men club for more than a century.”
  
  

• “While male ambassadors are usually accompanied by wives, female ambassadors are often here alone. Of eight interviewed, four are divorced and four said their husbands did not accompany them to Washington because of their own jobs.”
  
  

• “More than half of new recruits for the U.S. Foreign Service and 30 percent of the chiefs of mission are now women, according to the State Department. That is a seismic shift from the days, as late as the 1970s, when women in the Foreign Service had to quit when they married, a rule that did not apply to men.”

Read the whole thing here.

More than half of the new recruits in the Foreign Service are women.  That may not be a great conundrum for the FS now, but before too long it will be. 

What would they do with the husbands?

US Amb to the Philippines Kristie Kenney Blogs Farewell

Photo from US Embassy Manila

The US Ambassador to the Philippines, Kristie Kenney posted her “Farewell” on her blog on January 5. She departs the Philippines this month.  Her successor, former DG Ambassador Harry Thomas has yet to be confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Quick excerpt below: 

My memories of the past four years are as diverse as the Philippines themselves. I will never forget the rich cultures of Mindanao or the proud traditions of the Ifugao. I have loved the smiling face of every child our education programs have helped. The look of joy and wonder as they experience the Internet for the first time is unforgettable. Or the dedication of the teachers who serve from small rural schools to large Manila universities. (Sorry if my readers have wearied of me talking about education, but I am still the daughter and granddaughter of public school teachers. I always love helping education and those who teach.) In the Philippines, I have seen the wonders of the oceans and become dedicated to helping protect our environment. I’ve snorkeled with whale sharks, been diving in aquariums, tested jeepney emissions, talked to fishermen about sustainable fishing, seen our Peace Corp volunteers energize communities to create marine protected areas, and watched our USAID team design great programs with Philippine partners to promote clean energy and clean waters.

[…]

This will be my last blog post as the United States Ambassador to the Philippines. I thank all who were kind enough to read and comment on my blog. It has been a privilege to represent the United States in the Philippines. I thank Filipinos throughout the world for the kindness and friendship you have shared with me and so many other Americans. And I hope our paths will cross again. Let me close with an old Irish blessing that has always been a favorite of my Irish-American family:

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

May the rain fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Filipinos from all walks of life are still writing back to thank her, to wish her well, ask that she extend her tour, or send an invitation that she return to the Philippines for a visit.  Read some notes below: 

Dario O. A.| Location: Manila

I feel so grateful to have you as the US Ambassador to the Philippines. But I am more thankful that through you, we have seen the wonders of our country when most of us Filipinos have not noticed of. We have taken for granted our great grandfathers who have fought hand in hand with the Americans during the World War II. […]We have not seen our talented Artists who hold our flag whenever they are performing abroad, instead we are so pessimistic that someday they will just leave our country and stay abroad for good. It is an eye-opening to all of us Filipinos, that indeed, there is still greatness in our country amidst all negative news and dirty politics that surrounds us. But somehow, we will need people to remind us from time to time of such greatness. People like you!

Ruben S. Valenton Jr.

You redefined ambassadorship with a personal and human touch. You’ve been to different provinces, towns, villages…sharing goods, time, listening to the folks and youth.

Noel Bernardo | Location: Manila Philippines

New wikipedia definition of the word AMBASSADOR:

AMBASSADOR = Kristie A. Kenney

Agnes Mercado

my name is mrs. agnes m. mercado, a 60 yr old grandma of 5 and counting, resides at 1306 artemis st. phase 6, v villa olympia, san pedro, laguna, phils. i would like to bid you farewell, madame ambassador KRISTIE KENNEYand thank you for all the kindness and sincere love and concern, humane touch to all the filipinos.

Blogie Robillo

People in Mindanao say, “Kristie loves Mindanao,” and people in the Visayas and Luzon say the same thing about you and their own places. This is a testament to your dedication, sincerity and passion.

Sylvester | Location: Davao

…you are the coolest U.S. ambassador ever!

Confirmed on 12/24: State Dept/USAID Nominations

The following civilian Executive Nominations for the State Department and USAID were confirmed by the Senate yesterday, December 24, 2009. You will note that two nominees subjected to a lengthy Senate hold, Thomas Shannon (for Brazil) and Alan D. Solomont (for Spain) have now been confirmed. Dr. Rajiv Shah’s nomination to be USAID Administrator was also confirmed.

PN504 * BRAZILThomas Alfred Shannon, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

PN798 * EQUATORIAL GUINEAAlberto M. Fernandez, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

PN822 * MAURITIUS/REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLESMary Jo Wills, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mauritius, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Seychelles.

PN874 * SPAIN/ANDORRAAlan D. Solomont, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Spain, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Andorra.

PN934 * MOZAMBIQUELeslie V. Rowe, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mozambique.

PN1004 * SERBIAMary Burce Warlick, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Serbia.

PN1052 * BULGARIAJames B. Warlick, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Bulgaria.

PN1065 * URUGUAYDavid Daniel Nelson, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

PN1074 * HUNGARYEleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Hungary.

PN1092 * COSTA RICAAnne Slaughter Andrew, of Indiana, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Costa Rica.

PN1158 * USAIDRajiv J. Shah, of Washington, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

UN Undiplomatic Mess Refuses to Go Away

Image via Wikipedia

Where the saga of former Ambassador Peter Galbraith, Kai Eide, and the United Nations continue ...

December 10 | According to Peter Galbraith, he initiated a wrongful dismissal action against the United Nations.

December 11 | The Guardian reported that Kai Eide, the top United Nations official in Afghanistan who was criticised for his handling of allegations of fraud in the country's presidential election, will not be renewing his contract.

December 11 | Inner City Press had this piece: Galbraith Claims Disclosed Oil Interest to UN, Eide Leaked Before Leaving? | “Inner City Press has asked the UN if Galbraith disclosed the oil interest. UN Ethics Officer Robert Benson responded that Galbraith filed a form, but that its contents will not be disclosed, even to the UN's executive 38th floor, apparently. The financial disclosure forms are filed with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. It is unclear who in the UN system vets them for conflicts of interest. […]Still, UN officials have bad mouthed Galbraith both on and off the record. At a press conference at UN headquarters, the number two official of UN Peacekeeping Edmond Mulet said that Galbraith had an ulterior motive which would later be revealed. And a senior UN official from the 38th floor called UN correspondents to make them aware of the Norwegian stories.”

December 14 | Josh Rogin of The Cable interviewed Galbraith | Galbraith: Eide was fired | “Kai Eide, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan, was forcibly removed and did not resign voluntarily as he claims, according to his former deputy and "frenemy," Peter Galbraith. "This was involuntary and inevitable, ever since the end of September," said Galbraith in an interview with The Cable. Relaying information from his discussions with U.N. staff on the ground in Kabul, Galbraith said that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has made it clear that he wants to announce Eide's successor during January's London conference on Afghanistan.”

December 16 | NYT | U.N. Officials Say American Offered Plan to Replace Karzai | “As widespread fraud in the Afghanistan presidential election was becoming clear three months ago, the No. 2 United Nations official in the country, the American Peter W. Galbraith, proposed enlisting the White House in a plan to replace the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, according to two senior United Nations officials.”

The two senior UN officials were Kai Eide, Norwegian diplomat and the topdog at UNAMA in Kabul who is feuding with Galbraith and Vijay Nambiar, chief of staff to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon. According to the report, Nambiar was aware of Mr. Galbraith’s proposal to go to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and later learned of Mr. Karzai’s anger over the episode. Mr. Nambiar said it played a role in Mr. Galbraith’s firing.

December 17 | NYT | Diplomat to Challenge Dismissal by U.N. After Afghan Vote | “Peter W. Galbraith, the American diplomat who was dismissed by the United Nations after exposing voter fraud this fall after the Afghan presidential election, has decided to challenge his dismissal.”

December 18 | From the UN Spokesperson | Spokesperson: “This was circulated quite widely, I believe. The reason Peter Galbraith’s appointment as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was terminated was because the Secretary-General determined that such action would be in the interests of the Organization. And then we added, further elaboration would not be appropriate at this time since Mr. Galbraith has chosen to challenge the termination of his appointment. That’s what we said.”December 19: Inner City Press: As UN Dodges Questions on Galbraith, Stonewalling or Whistleblowing? | "I'm sick of Peter Galbraith," a senior UN official told Inner City Press on December 18. "It's over. I don't think we should be commenting on it anymore." Compared to the bloodshed in Afghanistan, the firing of one UN official does seem small. But at times it appears that the "it" being avoided is the indisputably fraudulent election of Hamid Karzai, and the UN's role in it.”

December 21 | Peter Galbraith | Special to Sphere: 'I Never Proposed to Oust Karzai’ | Readers deserve context in order to understand a complex story. In this case, the Times deliberately excluded information that would have presented the accusations in a much different light. The truth is that I never proposed to oust Karzai, but instead tried to resolve a looming constitutional crisis caused by Karzai's maneuvering to stay in office a year beyond the end of his legal term -- without submitting himself to the inconvenience of an election.[…]It strains credulity to believe that I proposed a plot to oust Karzai to a lesser embassy official (as the Times reports) and he never informed his ambassador or Holbrooke. To be clear, I never proposed to oust Karzai to anyone in the U.S. government, and any discussion would have been about the constitutional issues involved in holding a runoff in May 2010. (Note: NYT reported that Galbraith discussed his plan with Frank Ricciardone, the deputy American ambassador in Kabul).[…]Mr. Eide is quoted in the Times as saying President Karzai was "deeply upset" about my supposed plan but fails to disclose how Mr. Karzai would have learned of this very private conversation between Mr. Eide and myself.

December 21: Gerard Russell Former British and United Nations Diplomat | Afghanistan's Elections: How Dr. House Can help: “UN internal division between Kai Eide and Peter Galbraith being still in the news, though, it's impossible for me to forget it. (I am also reminded of it every time I look at my bank balance, since my unhappiness with that process and its aftermath led me to resign from the UN before I started to receive a stipend from Harvard. And as the poet Juvenal said, integrity is all very well, but it doesn't pay your bills.) I am happy to pass over the Eide-Galbraith story, which was an unpleasant enough experience at the time without my re-living it here. But the fact that Galbraith has been the only person to have lost his job as a result of the fraud in those elections -- this is not about past history. It's about over $200 million in donor funds that were, in part, misused. This was an Afghan election, an exercise which was rightly led by Afghans (even if the Electoral Commission's head was appointed by one of the candidates, which was always an obvious flaw in the process). But it was also a donor-funded project, and donors have the right -- even the duty -- to verify that taxpayers' money was well spent." (Um, ‘xcuse me, side quiz -- where was SIGAR on this?).

Mr. Galbraith reportedly said that he has begun UN legal proceedings not to get his job back - but to get justice.

Well, this is bound to be a painful experience for the United Nations going into the new year. Who's running this show from the 38th floor, anyways? They may not realize this yet, but every time their officials disses Peter Galbraith, readers and viewers are also reminded of that inglorious Afghanistan election conducted under UNAMA’s watch.I wonder if there's anyone out there who'll get out of this meze fight with a clean shirt?

US Consulate Herat Moves Forward

5 Star Hotel of HeratPhoto from Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan

Ambassador Karl Eikenberry was in a lease-signing ceremony last Wednesday for the US Consulate in Herat, in western Afghanistan. The event was attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta . According to Wikipedia, Herat is the third largest city of Afghanistan, and the gateway to Iran, collecting the highest amount of customs revenue for Afghanistan. The country shares a 936 km border with Iran.

Excerpted from Ambassador’s Eikenberry remarks during the ceremony:

There are few occasions more important and symbolic in the friendship of nations than for a U.S. Ambassador to be able to stand before you and announce with great pride, as I do today, that the U.S. Government is establishing a Consulate in "Shahr-e Bostan Herat" – this ancient, wonderful city of Herat.

When the U.S. Government first considered its options for opening Consulates, there was never any doubt that the ancient crossroad of Herat would be one of the cities selected for extending U.S. representation within Afghanistan.[…]Since last spring, when we first identified properties that might serve as a future U.S. Consulate, the 5-Star Hotel property literally stood out as the most logical and usable space to lease until we could buy land and build a more permanent Consulate compound.

Signing this lease today brings us one big step closer to opening the Consulate in Herat.

Let everyone understand: Our aim in Afghanistan and in establishing U.S. Consulate Heart is to promote peace and security, prosperity and stability.[…]Our history and experience of diplomatic relations with many countries shows that our diplomatic presence brings economic opportunity for many as it promotes stronger governance and rule of law to all. We are a country founded on such principles and values. Opening Consulate Herat is a tangible reflection of our commitment to such common interests.

This ceremony, following as it does upon the signing ceremony several weeks ago for the lease of land permitting the opening of another U.S. consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif next year, affirms America’s enduring friendship with Afghanistan and its people.

Read the full remarks here.

It looks like no western media covered this event. China’s Xinhua and People's Daily Online did have brief reports on this on Wednesday including the foreign minister’s remarks: “Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta noted that the opening of the U.S. consulate will not affect the relations between Kabul and Tehran.”

From best I could tell, there is only one 5-Star Hotel in Herat, which is the 5-Star Hotel of Heart. Here is a photo of the hotel from Flickr, with the user’s comments: “I think the 5-Star part is more self-proclamation and naming than the official prestige category bestowed on hotels. Still this is probably one of the best hotels in Afghanistan, and doubtlessly the best outside Kabul.”

From Wikitravel’s entry: “Five Star Hotel, (North east of downtown - every taxi driver knows where it is). A favorite with NGO workers and expats the Five Star hotel is a comfortable western style place. A good option if you have your own transport, otherwise you are at the mercy of overcharging taxi drivers. $50 per night.”

Other photos around Herat here, here and here.

Officially In: Donald E. Booth to Addis Ababa

Image via Wikipedia

On December 9, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Donald E. Booth to be Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The WH released the following brief bio below:

Donald E. Booth is currently the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia. Prior to that, Ambassador Booth served three years as Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia. Ambassador Booth previously served as Director of the Office of Technical and Specialized Agencies at the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Prior to this position, he served as Director of the Office of West African Affairs. He has also served in other positions at the State Department including Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs, the Economic Counselor in Athens, and the Division Chief for Bilateral Trade Affairs; desk officer in the Office of Egyptian Affairs and the Office of East African Affairs; and various roles while stationed at embassies in Bucharest, Brussels and Libreville.

Ambassador Booth earned a B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.A. from Boston University and an M.A. in National Security Studies from the National War College.

* * *

His US Embassy Zambia bio indicates that Ambassador Booth is married to Anita Booth and they have three children.

If confirmed, Ambassador Booth would succeed career diplomat, Donald Y. Yamamoto who was appointed to the US Embassy in Addis Ababa on Oct 4, 2006.

Related Item:President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/9/09

Quickie: Tent Problems with Team USA in Kabul?

Cover via Amazon

Mark Perry, a military and foreign policy analyst whose most recent book is Partners in Command, George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace has an interesting article in the December 10 issue of Asia Times (The day the general made a misstep).

Some quite meaty blind quotes if you ask me, not just from the State Department but also from the Pentagon, er make that from the 3Ds. But if there’s smoke, there’s fire. So the fact that these relationship and personality problems are leaking out means that whatever other larger problems we have in Afghanistan, our first problem appears to be with the Team USA tent we have pitched in Kabul.

Quote 1: A US Development officer says:

“They absolutely flooded the zone.” […]"There must have been hundreds of them. They were in every province, every village, talking to everyone. There were 10 of them for every one of us."

Quote 2: A senior State Department official says with a tinge of bitterness:

"What a shock. If you deploy a gang squad, they're going to find a gang." […] "They were looking for an insurgency and they found one."

Quote 3: From an Eikenberry colleague:

"McChrystal came in and he just thought he was some kind of Roman proconsul, a [Douglas] MacArthur." […] "He was going to run the whole thing. He didn't need to consult with the State Department or civilians, let alone the ambassador. This was not only the military's show, it was his show."

Quote 4: A senior Pentagon official:

The PACC is "a stovepipe operation" [….]. "It's beautiful. It's headed up by McChrystal acolytes, former special operations officers who view him [McChrystal] as their patron. So they follow his lead. And there is no requirement for them to share any of the information they get from Kabul with the State Department or anyone else - let alone with Eikenberry. This is McChrystal's game. The PACC people in Washington pass information to McChrystal without going through any channels and they take the best information from Kabul and they brief [JCS chairman Admiral Mike] Mullen - and he briefs the president. So during the run-up to the Afghanistan decision, the military always looked current. They had the best information. Everyone else looked like a bunch of amateurs. Eikenberry was out of the loop. He had no chop [influence] on any of it. They just ran circles around him."

Quote 5: A senior State Department official in Washington:

"We kept saying 'we need to open up to the other side, like we did in Iraq with the Anbar insurgency,' and the military kept saying, 'well this isn't Iraq.' And so we'd answer: 'fine, so if Afghanistan isn't Iraq, then why do you keep talking about a surge?' And we never got an answer."

Quote 6: One State Department employee says:

"You can only be treated like a bunch of idiots for so long before you get fed up," […]. "It was PowerPoint after PowerPoint, all filled with this lingo and it all sounded pretty scientific. But it all amounted to the same thing - who do we kill. Well, it won't work."

There are at least three individuals in the article who are not wearing paper bags over their heads: James Clad, a former Pentagon deputy assistant secretary of defense for South Asia; Graham Fuller, a former Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Kabul and Andrew Bacevich, the dean of America's military thinkers.

More in the article. Read the whole thing here.

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SFRC Clears USAID and State Dept Nominees

Shah, Warlick, M., Warlick, J., Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, Rowe, Fernandez, Wills, Andrew, Nelson, King, Kennedy, Donahoe, Zeitlin

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee cleared the following nominations yesterday (reported on December 8, 2009 by Mr. Kerry without printed report). These nominations now go to the Senate for a full vote.

Rajiv J. Shah, of Washington, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Henrietta Holsman Fore, resigned.

Mary Burce Warlick, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Serbia.

James B. Warlick, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Hungary.

Leslie V. Rowe, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mozambique.

Alberto M. Fernandez, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

Mary Jo Wills, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mauritius, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Seychelles.

Anne Slaughter Andrew, of Indiana, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Costa Rica.

David Daniel Nelson, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

Betty E. King, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador.

Laura E. Kennedy, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament.

Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, of California, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as the United States Representative to the UN Human Rights Council.

Jide J. Zeitlin, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador.

Jide J. Zeitlin, of New York, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform.

Amb. Crocker Named Dean of TAMU’s Bush School of Govt

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Former US Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker who retired from the Foreign Service earlier this year was recently named Dean of Texas A&M University’s George H. Bush School of Government and Public Service.

The Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Ambassador Crocker effective January 25, 2010. The school’s announcement said that Ambassador Crocker was selected for the post following an extensive national search. Interim Provost Karan L. Watson cited Crocker’s executive experience and almost four decades of service to the nation as key reasons for his selection. “Ambassador Crocker’s distinguished career as a Foreign Service officer and his strong managerial and communication skills will serve him well as he leads the Bush School in its next stage of development,” said Watson.

In his new role, Ambassador will build on the Bush School’s strong programs in public service and international affairs that developed under the leadership of Richard A. Chilcoat, who served as the Bush School’s first permanent dean from July 2001 through December 2008.

Crocker received a B.A. in English and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Whitman College (Washington). He also pursued graduate studies in public policy as a Mid-Career Fellow at Princeton University.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service, and the Presidential Meritorious Service Award. He also holds the State Department Distinguished Honor Award, Award for Valor, three Superior Honor Awards, the American Foreign Service Association Rivkin Award, and the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for “exceptional courage and leadership” in Afghanistan. In 2004, President George W. Bush conferred on him the personal rank of Career Ambassador, the highest in the Foreign Service.

In January 2009, Crocker received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award. In May 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the establishment of the Ryan C. Crocker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Expeditionary Diplomacy.”

Related Item:See TAMU’s News: Ambassador Crocker Named Dean of TAMU’s Bush School

Officially In: Rosemary DiCarlo as Deputy Rep to the UN

On December 2, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Rosemary DiCarlo to be the United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:

Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo has served as U.S. Alternate Representative to the United Nations since August 2008. Previously, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2005-2008. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, she served as Director for United Nations Affairs at the National Security Council and as the Washington Deputy to the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ms. DiCarlo also held the position of U.S. Coordinator for Stability Pact Implementation (Southeast Europe) at the Department of State. In addition to two assignments at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Ms. DiCarlo worked as Director for Democratic Initiatives in the Office of U.S. Assistance to the New Independent States at the Department of State.

Earlier in her career she served as Coordinator for Russian/Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Information Agency and at the U.S. Embassy in Norway. Ms. DiCarlo holds State Department Superior Honor Awards for her work in the New Independent States and Southeast Europe. She speaks fluent Russian and French. Before joining the Foreign Service, Ms. DiCarlo was a member of the Secretariat of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

She holds a B.A., an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Brown University. A former associate at the Russian Research Center, Harvard University, Ms. DiCarlo was also an International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) scholar at Moscow State University.

Related Item:President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/02/09

Insider Quote: I don’t do politics in this job

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Question: Mr. Huntsman, you are a rising star in the GOP. And many people believe that you will run for President in the 2012 campaign. Who is going to take the credit for your job in China? You or the man who appointed you, President Obama?

Ambassador Huntsman: Thank you for that treacherous last question. [Laughter]. Which I’m not even going to touch because I don’t do politics in this job. I serve my country first and foremost.

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.US Ambassador to ChinaNCC Groundbreaking in GuangzhouPress Conference | October 26, 2009

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Thanksgiving Around the Foreign Service

I wanted to do this last week but did not get around to it (turkey’s fault). Here is a quick round-up of FS folks who marked Thanksgiving last week in their own special way:

US Ambassador to Moscow, John Beyrle posted a brief note on Thanksgiving last week. Check this out if you read Russian.

US Embassy Tokyo DCM, James Zumwalt of the “Z Notes” blog, also wrote about Thanksgiving here.

US Ambssador to Canada, David Jacobson blogged about family and Thanksgiving traditions and had the Marines over for fried turkeys with lots of Cajun spices.

Anne Frej of the Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy Kabul blogged in DipNote about celebrating both Thanksgiving and Eid e Qurban, the Muslim days of sacrifice in Kabul.

Josh Glazeroff, the visa chief at U.S. Embassy New Delhi wrote in in the official blog about Thanksgiving in India as also a day of remembrance and how 26/11 will always be remembered as an infamous day in the country for the Mumbai attacks last year.

In Germany, Ambassador Philip Murphy carved the turkey after he gave a speech during the Annual Fulbright Thanksgiving Dinner.

US Embassy Berlin Photo

On Thanksgiving Thursday, a small group of embassy volunteers led by Ambassador Ertharin Cousin (UNFAO) visited an orphanage and served and shared a Thanksgiving meal, complete with the uniquely American cheesecake donated by Eli’s in Chicago, to immigrant families from all over the world. Read more here.

Photo from DipNote Blog

Over at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and wife, Ching, visited U.S. service members and civilians and thank them for their service on Thanksgiving Day.

Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Michael Greenberger

In the Southern Philippines, Ambassador extraordinaire to the Philippines, Kristie Kenney served food to our troops in Mindanao and wrote about her family’s Thanksgiving tradition in her blog:

Photo from Amb Kenney's Blog

“This year, I traveled from Manila to celebrate Thanksgiving lunch in Zamboanga with temporarily deployed U.S. troops. The makeshift dining hall was festooned with streamers and turkey cut-outs. In accordance with tradition, I served the food to our troops, joined by the most senior U.S. military officer present and visiting U.S. Congressman Bob Filner.” Read her whole post here.

We also have post-Thanksgiving “thank yous” for the following generous souls:To the ambassadors and deputy ambassadors who we heard had invited single folks and newcomers to their Thanksgiving events this year, thank you. It makes a difference when you did not have to go and “catch-your-own” turkey at a farm or “cook-your-own” turkey in borrowed kitchenware when you just arrived in town.To the Foreign Service families who opened their homes to Peace Corp volunteers, some of whom have been on forced diet of rice and beans or fried fish for many months, we thank you for your generosity.To the Consular Section chiefs who made every effort to invite the local staff to their thanksgiving gigs, we appreciate your gestures. Some of these local national employees have worked for the USG for 5-10 years and have never ever been to a thanksgiving dinner. Thank you.