2010 MLK Day Technology Challenge

Reprinted in part from Serve.gov | We are calling on educators and web professionals to join our new effort – the 2010 MLK Day Technology Challenge. The purpose is simple: to connect schools and non-profits that have technology needs, including skills training and mentorship, with web professionals, developers, graphic designers and new media professionals who are willing to volunteer their skills for the common good.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” We ask that you answer his call in 2010 by participating in the MLK Technology Challenge.

Typical projects include:

• Refurbish computers for schools


• Teach students how to use popular software or online services


• Build a database for a nonprofit


• Help out in your school’s computer lab


• Become an online mentor for students across the country

Read more at Serve.gov, an online resource not only for finding volunteer opportunities in the community, but also creating your own.

Quickie: Obama, Diplomat-in-Chief

Kenneth Weisbrode, author of the The Atlantic Century: Four Generations of Extraordinary Diplomats who Forged America's Vital Alliance with Europe (Da Capo, Nov. 2009) has a new piece in the History News Network (Obama, Diplomat-in-Chief | 1-11-10). Excerpt below: 

[…] The consensus seems to be that Barack Obama and his team have achieved something important, namely a “reset” of America’s international image, but have done less than what they promised. However premature it may be to reach such a verdict, Obama’s actions strike some as overly tentative, even ambivalent—the implication being that he is still learning on the job.



He probably is, as should even the most experienced chief executive. Issuing annual report cards on his handling of foreign policy, issue by issue, may overlook this point, as well as three others: American presidents are rarely able to get all they want; Obama hardly assumed office with a clean slate; and America’s relationship with the rest of the world amounts to much more than the decisions and actions of a single American president, especially after one year.

Moreover, both Obama and his Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, have spoken often of the long term and, to repeat a Washington cliché, of keeping their focus on the important as well as the urgent. But just what is the “long term”? And how does a president focus upon it while also dealing with the massive daily workload, not to mention a 24-hour news cycle?

[…]

The global America that Obama personifies is very much a work in progress. Its relations with the world need as much order as its relations in the world need broadmindedness. Obama has done much so far to change the tone of the latter. One can only hope that he will succeed with respect to the former as he pursues what looks to be a rather pragmatic foreign policy of continuous adjustment. But 2010 is likely to force his and America’s hand; and the thoughtful, deliberate executive may come to find greater use for the inspirational mover of the masses who so dominated the headlines little more than a year ago.

It is an interesting read.  See the whole thing here.

President Signs H.R. 3326 Defense Appropriations Act of 2010

Image via Wikipedia

On December 19, 2009, the President signed into law: H.R. 3326, the “Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010,” which provides FY 2010 appropriations for Department of Defense (DOD) military programs including funding for Overseas Contingency Operations, and extends various expiring authorities and other non-defense FY 2010 appropriations.

Bill Total for Defense

FY2009 Enacted: $625.3 billionPresident’s Request: $640.1 billionHouse Passed: $636.3 billionSenate Passed: $636.3 billion2010 Total Bill: $636.3 billion

Some highlights:

• Military Pay: The bill provides a 3.4% military pay increase, 0.5% above the request.

• Supporting Military Families: $472.4 million for Family Advocacy programs and full funding for Family Support and Yellow Ribbon to provide support to military families, including quality child care, job training for spouses, and expanded counseling and outreach to families experiencing the separation and stress of war.

• Readiness and Training: $154 billion, $1.3 billion above 2009, for the Defense Operation and Maintenance Account to increase readiness and training of our troops. The bill rebalances funding from preparing for Cold War-era type conflicts to the highest priority readiness requirements for the hybrid operations that our military will be facing for the foreseeable future.

• Reining in Outsourcing: $5 billion, greater than the previous year, to allow defense personnel, not contractors, to perform critical department functions. The Department estimates that every position that is converted from contract to federal civilian saves on average $44,000 per year. Additionally, the bill reduces contracted advisory and assistance services by $51 million, and includes general provisions to stop further conversions by the Department of Defense from government functions to contractors.

• The bill also directs DoD to in-source the task of vetting and issuing Common Access Cards and report on planned improvements of access control because the Committee found that about 212,000 contractors had been mistakenly been given Common Access Cards, causing a potential security risk.

• Inspector General Oversight: $288 million, $16 million above the request, for the Inspector General to hire additional investigators to ensure proper oversight of DoD acquisition and contracting.

• No Permanent Bases: Continues a general provision prohibiting the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan.

• Torture: Continues a general provision prohibiting the torture of detainees held in US custody.

• CERP: Provides $1.2 billion, a reduction of $300 million from the request, for the Commanders Emergency Response Program (CERP), and withholds $500 million in funding until the department develops and submits a comprehensive spending plan.

• Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility: Provides no funds for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Naval base.

Related Items:

• Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3326
• Summary: FY2010 Defense Appropriations
• Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)[H.R.3326.ENR]

Quickie: A surge at $57,077.60 a minute

Image by Jayel Aheram via Flickr

Jo Comerford writing for Tomdispatch calculates the cost of the 30,000-troop surge to Afghanistan ($57,077.60 Surging by the Minute):

“Women and men from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will be among the first to head out. It takes an estimated $1 million to send each of them surging into Afghanistan for one year. So a 30,000-person surge will be at least $30 billion, which brings us to that $57,077.60. That’s how much it will cost you, the taxpayer, for one minute of that surge. […]

For purposes of comparison, $30 billion -- remember, just the Pentagon-estimated cost of a 30,000-person troop surge -- is equal to 80% of the total U.S. 2010 budget for international affairs, which includes monies for development and humanitarian assistance.”

Read the whole thing here.

President Signs Omnibus Spending Bill

H.R. 3288, which provides FY 2010 appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, the Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and other agencies, was signed by President Obama on December 16.

Related Item:Bills Signed by the President today, 12/16/09

Related Post: Omnibus Bill FY2010: State Gets 745 new positions, USAID 300

President Obama Just Can’t Catch a Break

President Obama just can’t catch a break. On one side, some Obama donors are feeling left out, lamenting the lack of access to the president and other traditional perks (see Some Obama donors are feeling left out | WaPo | December 4, 2009), and at the other side, some are complaining that he’s appointing too many bundlers to positions of influence. The latest salvo came from AFSA President Susan Johnson who, according to the Guardian, accused the president of “renting out ambassador roles” (see Barack Obama accused of 'renting out' ambassador roles | Guardian | 29 November 2009).

The article in the Guardian says that the President has made almost 80 ambassadorial nominations, of which 56% went to political appointees. I don’t know where they got that number. Below is the breakdown of the official Chief of Mission List dated November 9, 2009 from the State Department:

BREAKDOWN OF CHIEFS OF MISSION LIST: 172 Total

• 102 (59%) Current career Ambassadors (includes Chief of Mission to USNATO)

• 33 (19%) Current non-career Ambassadors (includes Chiefs of Mission to USUN, UNVIE)

• 37 (22%) Vacant

Updated: 12/5There is something wrong with this Chiefs of Mission List put together by the State Department's HR office. The USNATO is actually a non-career appointee (Ambassador Daalder). Other noncareer appointees were also appointed/confirmed to USUN, OECD, OAS, AU, and USEU as of November 2009. The UNVIE appointee on the other hand is a career diplomat (Ambassador Davies), not a noncareer appointee as indicated above. This list also put down Ambassador Carlos Pascual (Mexico) as a career appointee. He was no longer in the active FS when he was appointed to the position in Mexico, so he should have been included in the non-career appointees for purposes of this breakdown. From best I could tell, there were 42 political appointees out of 172 as of end of November. Which put the percentage of political appointees currently at 24%. Let's see how much higher this would go by the President's first year in office.

AFSA's Ambassadors List is here. They have a total of 185 positions in the list and had political appointees posted at 54 or 29.2%

Obama’s UN-Mgt Reform Nominee's Troubles

President Obama nominated Jide Zeitlin to be Representative of the United States to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform on September 14. Mr. Zeitlin had his confirmation hearing at the SFRC last November 4. Over the weekend, Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui of The Times of India reported on more trouble for Mr. Zeitlin in India (Obama envoy wanted by Lucknow police | TNN 8 November 2009) :

"The criminal case has been lodged under Section 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by a group of 16 telecom sector contractors based in Lucknow accusing IMI of not clearing their outstanding dues worth an estimated Rs 4.5 crore (Almost a million US dollars). Apart from IMI chairman Jide Zeitlin, the FIR also names Nakul Wafna of Mumbai, Rishad Currimjee and Amitabh Srivastava as having represented IMI in different capacities."[…]"Allegations are that even after 10 months of their contract job being executed in full, the IMI was yet to clear outstanding dues that should have been paid within 30 days of the work order being executed. The FIR, lodged by Bhupak Singh, a partner in Satakshi Contractors (Allahabad) on behalf of the 16 contractors, states that all out efforts to trace and contact the authorities of IMI named above have proved futile. The outstanding dues on IMI were causing heavy financial losses as it has blocked liquid capital of the contract companies which were issued the work orders."

The case was reportedly filed in Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Read the whole thing here.

Mr. Zeitlin had been officially nominated but has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. Click here for the official statement from the WH on this nomination and here for Forbes.com’s profile of Mr. Zeitlin. The testimony of this nominee has not been posted in the SFRC website but you can watch the video of the confirmation hearing here. Click on the word “NOMINATIONS” to view the video (Zeitlin’s official statement starts at 26:00, but Q&A follows after all the nominees have read their prepared statements).

Related Item:U.N. point-man nominee seeks to assure lawmakers (TWP)

Related Posts:

• Officially In: Jide Zeitlin to UN Mgt and Reform
• SFRC Hearings: Zeitlin, Arvanat, Barton, Yohannes, Lomellin

Update: @9:15 pm I have received several emails and comments in this blog about Mr. Zeitlin's business troubles. I will not be posting them here. If you have something to say about his nomination, I suggest that you contact the following office which is tasked with considering this nomination:

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign RelationsDirksen Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510-6225Majority Phone: (202) 224-4651Minority Phone: (202) 224-6797

US Embassy Kabul: Honoring DEA Agents Lost

Photo from US Embassy Kabul via Flickr

At dawn on October 29, at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the bodies of the three DEA special agents and 15 U.S. troops who died recently in Afghanistan were received by President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Michele Leonhart, the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration.That same day, the US Embassy Kabul held a ceremony to honor the three DEA agents who lost their lives in the line of duty on October 26. The three special agents - Michael Weston, Chad Michael and Forrest Leamon -- members of the Kabul Country Office, died when the U.S. military helicopter they were on crashed while returning from a joint counter narcotics mission in Western Afghanistan. DOD has now identified the seven soldiers who also died that day. The helicopter was an MH-47 helicopter and the crash occurred in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. The soldiers names are here.

Our thoughts and prayers to the loved ones they left behind. More photos here of the US Embassy Kabul ceremony.

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• Obama to meet plane carrying soldiers killed in Afghanistan (cnn.com)
• Obama Honors Fallen U.S. Soldiers at Solemn Service (abcnews.go.com)

Barack Hussein Obama: Nobel Peace Prize 2009

President Barack Obama visits Sunset Lakein Yellowstone National Park on Aug. 15, 2009(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Oslo, October 9, 2009 –

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

* * *

President Obama is the third sitting American President to be awarded the Nobel Peace prize, following Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was awarded the prize in 2002.

See the list of Nobel Peace Prize laureates from 1901-2009 here. The video of the announcement is here.

And here is what President Obama says on winning the Nobel Prize:

Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning. After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!" And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up." So it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective.

I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

Read the full statement here.

US Embassy Jakarta's FotObama Contest Winners

US Embassy Jakarta via Facebook

US Embassy Jakarta has picked the photo above as winner of its recent FotObama Competition. This was one of my top four picks because I like the Indonesian landmark and hat tweaked into 44's photo with the Capitol Building in the background.Contestant - Dewa Made Cakrabuana AristokraSee all the winners here.I understand that the winner and the runner-ups will get the following prizes: iPod Shuffle, vouchers from Blitz Megaplex and Starbucks, Coca-Cola merchandise, and exclusive U.S. Embassy & Obama gear and memorabilia.The US Embassy Jakarta's Facebook page will also use the best fan picture as its Facebook profile picture. Congratulations all!

From Jakarta: Happy 48th Birthday Barry!

Entries to the US Embassy Jakarta’s FotObama Contest on Facebook are now online here. I don't know how many more entries have yet to be posted but there are 8 photos right now. My top four favorites are below:

July 28, 2009 - Citra ChergiaSee the profile picture:http://www.facebook.com/people/Citra-Chergia/695063440Larger photo hereI like the sepia tone, the gorgeous smiles and the fact that he is simply "Barry" here.

August 4, 2009 - Dewa Made Cakrabuana AristokraSee the profile picture:http://www.facebook.com/aristokra?__a=1Larger photo hereI like the Indonesian landmark and hat tweaked into 44's photo with the Capitol Building.

August 4, 2009 - Triyuliandi MuhammadSee the profile picture:http://www.facebook.com/muhammad.triyuliandiLarger photo hereThat's one rough head shot work but it works just right in the scrapbook-like theme here!

August 4, 2009 - Debo Michiko SianturiSee the profile picture:http://www.facebook.com/debonlyLarger photo here'Cuz this one is just so cute.

Updated @ 1:53 pm; one photo and brief comments added.

US Embassy Jakarta Runs FotObama Competition

Source: US Embassy Jakarta Facebook Page

You remember that US Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron Hume dived into a shark tank to celebrate Earth Day a few months back? The Embassy has also sponsored the “Ocean in Focus” competition. To celebrate our country’s 233rd birthday, it offered a special quiz about America, exclusively for its Facebook fans. It has also partnered with Smart FM producing “Smart Up Your Life,” a one-hour English language learning program aimed at young professionals who want to improve their English skills. The show featured music, a sharing session with local public figures (managers, employees, lecturers and others) as well as an interactive (call-in) session with listeners.

Now in time for President Obama’s 48^th birthday, the embassy is running a competition for its Facebook fans creatively greeting the President on his birthday. Below is a quick rundown of the competition.

1. Snap ItSnap a photo showing you creatively wishing President Obama a "happy birthday" in time for his 48th birthday on August 4^th.2. Post ItUpdate your profile picture to that photo and add a caption. Then, link it by commenting on the U.S. Embassy’s Facebook Fan Page note about the "FotObama" Competition.3. Win ItWin great prizes, like an iPod Shuffle, vouchers from Blitz Megaplex and Starbucks, Coca-Cola merchandise, and exclusive U.S. Embassy & Obama gear and memorabilia. We will also choose the best fan pictures as our Facebook profile picture.

This competition is presented by U.S. Embassy Jakarta, supported by Blitz Megaplex, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola.

Rules and Criteria:

• This competition is exclusively for U.S. Embassy Jakarta Facebook Fans.
• Employees if the U.S. Government and their families are not eligible for this competition.
• Each participant may submit no more than 3 photos with the following specifications:

1. Photo should be posted to your Facebook account and set it as your profile picture.

2. Add a caption to the photo.

3. Photo should be the participant’s own work and free of any copyright other that his/her own personal copyright.

4. Photo must show you and your “happy birthday” wish to President Barack Obama in a creative way.

• All decisions of the U.S. Embassy Facebook Team are final.
• Prizes will be sent to the winners.
• Limited to residents in Indonesia.

Deadline:

Submission will be closed on midnight WIB August 4, 2009.

Prizes:

§ iPod Shuffle

§ Blitz Megaplex voucher

§ Starbucks voucher

§ Coca-Cola merchandise

§ U.S. Embassy Jakarta pins & books

§ President Obama memorabilia

The US Embassy Jakarta Facebook page is one of the most active US Embassy Facebook pages around. It probably is not surprising that it also has an active community of 2,983 fans.

In a related note --

A new survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, conducted May 18 to June 16, finds signs of improvement in views of America in some predominantly Muslim countries that held overwhelmingly negative views of the United States in the Bush years. The most notable increase occurred in Indonesia, where people are well aware of Obama's family ties to the country and where favorable ratings of the U.S. nearly doubled this year from 37% in 2008 to 63% in 2009. Read the full report including interactive graphics at pewglobal.org.

HRC: Up and about with an elbow cast ...

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leave the Oval Office after a meeting on June 22, 2009. Secretary Clinton broke her elbow last week and had surgery on Friday. Some of her 18 million supporters and proud Hillary villagers have posted their well wishes in DipNote.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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• Secretary of State Clinton fractures elbow (cnn.com)
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H.R. 2410: Obama Administration Supports Bill But …

Thanks to DJ for alerting us on this June 10, 2009 statement released by OMB on the Obama Administration’s policy on H.R.2410. Reprinted in full below.

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY
H.R. 2410 — Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011
(Rep. Berman, D-California)

The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 2410, as reported. However, the Administration would like to work with the Congress to address provisions that restrict the President's flexibility to conduct foreign affairs or that raise managerial, budgetary, constitutional, or other concerns so that the legislation is aligned with the Administration's foreign policy and management priorities. This Statement of Administration Policy does not address H.R. 1886, although the Administration understands that the Rule proposes to incorporate this bill into H.R. 2410.

The Administration strongly supports the bill's inclusion of authorizations of appropriations at levels that will strengthen U.S. diplomatic capacity and will allow the United States to meet its financial obligations to the United Nations and other international organizations and to begin synchronizing payments to international organizations where the United States has been chronically late in paying its assessments.

The Administration also welcomes the inclusion of a number of authorities in the bill that support diplomatic operations. In particular, the Administration supports the inclusion of authorities that eliminate the cut in basic pay faced by entry- and mid-level Foreign Service officers who serve overseas, facilitate the reemployment of retirees to support certain critical mission needs, and provide additional flexibility to manage State Department and Broadcasting Board of Governors personnel. The Administration also welcomes the increased flexibility for the State Department to use registration fees collected under the Arms Export Control Act.

These many areas of agreement notwithstanding, the Administration has concerns about provisions in the bill that could constrain the ability of the President and the Secretary of State to conduct foreign affairs and manage the Department with the necessary degree of flexibility. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to address these concerns.

* * *

See the original statement here. I remain curious on what this bill would look like after the Senate gets its hands on this, and after the conference committee gets a stab at it, and after compromises are hashed in/out ... and what final bill version would be sent, if any to the WH.

Related Posts:

• H.R. 2410: A New Multilateral Diplomacy Cone?
• H.R. 2410: Lessons Learned Center, Coming Soon?
• H.R. 2410: Public Diplomacy Takes Center Stage
• H.R. 2410: Little Devils in the Details
• H.R. 2410 Foreign Relations Authorization Act Passes House
• H.R. 2410 Clears HFAC, Sec. 333 Stricken from Bill
• H.R. 2410: Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011

Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone Chats Online After Cairo Speech

Photo from US Embassy Kabul

Shortly after the President concluded his speech in Cairo last Thursday, the US Embassy in Kabul had its own webchat about the speech (3:30 pm, Kabul time).

Deputy Ambassador Frank Ricciardone and a couple of other officials plus a moderator were on hand to answer questions from webchat participants. Highlights of the webchat have now been posted online in its Facebook page. Selected excerpts below:

U.S. Embassy Kabul: (15:44) as -salaam wa aleikum! welcome to everyone to the \american \embassy in Kabul. Ambassador Eikenberry is in Kandahar today. | am Deputy Ambassador, Francis Ricciardone. All my Afghan and American colleagues here at the Embassy were together with you just now in listening to President Obama's speech. We are keen to hear your responses to it. What do you think?

LC Herat 5: (16:00) what is obama's decision about iran nucler program?

U.S. Embassy Kabul: (16:00) Dear Herati citizen (I love Herat -- thanks for your hospitality when my wife and I visited your beautiful city two weeks ago!) -- Thank you for paying close attention to President Obama's words on Iran and nuclear power: he was clear in supporting Iran's right to nuclear power for peaceful purposes, under the NonProliferation Treaty. But he was also clear that Iran, like all countries who are parties to the Treaty, must uphold their obligations under the Treaty in order to prevent a horrible race to acquire nuclear weapons. and he was very clear that America seeks a world in which NO countries hold nuclear weapons -- and he called on all countries in the region to share this goal. he said very respectful words about Iran --- I hope the Iranians were paying close attention.

reza: (16:05) If we open our eyes and look at this trip exactly, dose this trip has a sign to support the old government of Husni Mubarak?

U.S. Embassy Kabul: (16:05) Dear Reza, until last year I was the US Ambassador to Egypt. It is a lovely country with wonderful people. Egypt and her government and people strongly support peace and tolerance, which were key words in President Obama's speech. I'm sure he chose Egypt as the place for his speech out of appreciation for Egypt's role as a center of Muslim history and learning, and to show his appreciation for Egypt's role in promoting peace and tolerance. We certainly respect President Mubarak as the President of Egypt, but that does not mean we are signaling support for every policy of the Government of Egypt or President Mubarak.

S.Behbood: (16:19) what well the Mr.obama a bout the Taliban in Afghanistan?

U.S. Embassy Kabul: (16:19) Behbood, part of the problem is: who exactly ARE the Taliban, anyway? Some people who call themselves Taliban, or whom others call Taliban, no doubt are murderous criminals who cloak themselves in the guise of religion. They only wish to impose their will on others, and are ready to kill and injure others. These are not people who believe in the Golden Rule that Obama cited: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. they not only kill, they throw acid in girls' faces. they are cowards. such are the violent extremist followers of Bin Laden, and they are not followers of The Prophet (PBUH) or any prophet. So we will help Afghans protect themselves against such people, whatever they call themselves. But perhaps there are other ''Taliban'' who are willing to live in peace with their brothers and sisters of Afghanistan, and to respect the Constitution and the State. If your State decides to accept such people back to live as fellow citizens in peace, then America has no problem with such people, whatever they call themselves.

There! That's as rapid response as it gets! I'm not aware of any other top embassy official doing webchats on the President's speech (apparently there were four others, but posts were not identified).

Of the three US ambassadors I know who have their own official blogs, only US Ambassador to Tunisia, Robert Godec blogged about the Cairo speech in his Tumbler blog here, here and here.

Update: According to the White House summary of reactions to the Cairo speech:

*A post-speech webchat with Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone, Assistant Ambassador Mussomeli, and Political Chief Alan Yu answered over 40 questions from over 100 participants including those linked electronically at Lincoln Centers.

*5 Ambassadors chatted online with groups watching the event

*Over 100 viewing parties, discussions, or other events were held by embassies and consulates from Bolivia to Uzbekistan.

*In Sierra Leone, the Embassy funded viewing events through 11 cinema centers so that 1,000 people would be able to watch the event who would not have otherwise been able to.

*30+ posts used Facebook to enhance outreach either ahead of the event, to chat during and after the event, or to follow wall posts and status updates.

More reactions here.

President Obama in Cairo: Video and Transcript

CSPAN still wins this race hands down. It's been slightly over an hour since the Cairo speech ended, slightly after 8 am EDT and no video or transcript have been posted in the official websites yet. But cspan has both! See the transcript here of President Obama's Cairo speech (pdf). Or you can read the speech online here.

President Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University and spoke about U.S. relations with, and outreach to, the Muslim world. He spoke about finding “common ground” and “a new beginning” with the Muslim world. He also characterized the military occupation of Iraq a "war of choice," called on Muslim nations to confront "violent extremists," encouraged Iran to negotiate with the West on the future of its nuclear program, and said the U.S. was committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At the CO.NX webcast, 600 participants from 30 countries came together in a State Department sponsored "room" to discuss the speech prior to and after the President's delivery. There would have been space for 400 more. After the speech, an online poll indicates the following: 97%: speech met their expectations; 3%: speech did not meet their expectations. One participant says: "it represented what we have always thought the American people were, but the last 10 years were too much for all of us." The discussion started about two hours before the speech and continued for well over an hour after the speech concluded. The State Department CO.NX moderators were excellent, and only kicked out one disruptive participant from the online event.

President Obama Live on CO.NX: Shall I link to this?

Missing links fm websites of US Missions in top Muslim countries

The darndest thing really – you’d expect that links to President Obama’s live speech on Co.NX would be carried by all US missions in countries with substantial Muslim population. Below is a quick rundown of the US Embassies and what resources they have posted online for this major speech in Cairo. Coverage seems to range as follows:

CO.NX – LIVE webcast link

SMS text – link to speech highlight updates from America.gov

Press coverage – links to America.gov news

None - no coverage, zero links to this event (see US Embassy Baghdad)

Top 12 Countries with largest Muslim populations
List of countries followed by population count
(see full list)

1. Indonesia: 207,000,105
- US Embassy Jakarta has links to SMS text, WH and America.gov but no direct CO.NX link; Surabaya has no coverage

2. Pakistan: 167,430,801
- CO.NX links in Islamabad and Karachi; Peshawar and Lahore have no coverage

3. India: 156,254,615
- CO.NX and SMS links in New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad websites; SMS link in Chennai, none in Kolkata

4. Bangladesh: 132,446,365
- CO.NX link in US Embassy Dhaka website; no coverage in Bangladesh VPPs

5. Turkey: 70,800,000
-CO.NX link in Istanbul, press coverage in Ankara, no coverage in Adana

6. Egypt: 70,530,237
- US Embassy Cairo website has press coverage only

7. Nigeria: 64,385,994
- US Embassy Abuja website has links to America.gov and SMS

8. Iran: 64,089,571
- (no US Embassy website)

9. Algeria: 32,999,883
- US Embassy Algiers website has link to SMS text

10. Morocco: 32,300,410
- US Embassy Rabat has link to SMS text; no coverage in Casablanca

11. Afghanistan: 31,571,023
- US Embassy Kabul website has no coverage but its Facebook page has the CO.NX link

12. Saudi Arabia: 26,417,599
- US Mission Saudi Arabia websites has America.gov press coverage of trip and speech but no CO.NX links

This is not the first time the President will give a speech overseas; and this is not the first time that CO.NX has been made available to the online community. So I'm amazed that the embassies online display for this event is not more "put together." In some websites the letters are so tiny, you need a magnifying glass to find these links. Some provide links to CO.NX with no accompanying explanation. So if you want to watch the speech online but don't know what to look for, well, tough luck. Still others post links to CO.NX in their website or Facebook page but not in other associated pages like virtual presence and IRC pages.


This almost reminds me of Echo in the TV series, Dollhouse. After every imprint the dialog is always the same: Echo: "Shall I go now?" Topher Brink, scientist: "If you like."


Shall I link to this? If you like...

In fairness, it must be said that at posts overseas, embassy websites are run by the information management office (IM), or the public affairs crew. The IM folks, of course, are dual or triple hatted to do more than website updates.

We need a herder over at "R" telling the flock "I need these links up yesterday." In a way this is an octopus like operation with hundreds of arms, learning to dance together gracefully. Maybe Ms. McHale and Mr. Crowley can do something about getting them to learn appropriate new dance steps?

Watch or join the online discussion @
https://townhall.connectsolutions.com/conx_obama

Related Post:
President Obama in Egypt – LIVE on CO.NX

President Obama in Egypt - LIVE on CO.NX

Land of Peace (and online world) Awaits

CO.NX will broadcast President Barack Obama's speech live from Cairo on Thursday, June 4 (@ 13:10 Egypt time; 6:10am EDT (1010GMT)). The site is using the Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Meeting platform and a thousand discussants can be accommodated on its page. Online participants may join the web simulcast and online discussion on a first-come, first-serve basis on June 4.

https://townhall.connectsolutions.com/conx_obama

The CO.NX virtual guestbook opened on June 1^st. The page is already populated with greetings (mostly favorable comments) and hopeful wishes from a host of countries: Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Dubai, Indonesia, Gaza City, Afghanistan, Argentina, India, South Africa, Japan, Ghana, Tunisia, Brasilia, and Panama.

I have been to a similar CO.NX event before where the moderator kept interrupting the commenters which can get pretty irritating quickly. I have to say that the staff here is different (I’ll have to check it again when the speech unfolds). But when they get something close to a rant, they remain courteous, and the Q&A seems to be seamless:

BROADCAST PAKISTAN: (02:49) How Long , OBAMA TEAM will continue to let world be a War Zone amidst economic stress and world peace deficite?

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): (02:49) Thanks for your comment. We believe the Administration is working to end conflicts around the world, this trip is part of an effort to build bridges to Muslims everywhere.

The staff also patiently explains the process to its users:

Karim: (02:50) how does this go i dont understand

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): (02:50) Hi Karim, welcome. Here is what will happen in this chat. On June 4 you will see the President broacast in the Pod in the upper left. We will also be taking your comments and thoughts as the speech goes on and then after the speech. President Obama and his team want to know what you and others around the world have to say about issues that affect us all.

An online poll in the same page asks the question: Will President Obama's speech help relations between the U.S. and the Middle East? Of those who voted, 93% said “yes.”

CO.NX is a project of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP). I'd be interested to see how many people actually comes back to watch and/or join the discussion during his speech tomorrow.

Watch or join the online discussion @
https://townhall.connectsolutions.com/conx_obama

Related Post:
President Obama Live on CO.NX: Shall I link to this?

Richard Holbrooke with POTUS

What did you say?

Source: White House/Flickr

Above is an official White House photo taken by Pete Souza. It shows President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, right, and Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, in the Oval Office during a briefing prior to meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on May 6, 2009.


Update (revised post): A blog friend cautions against reading too much into this picture. Without knowing what happened there, we can assume too much and read more tea leaves into this scene than necessary, including Hillary's absence. It is also true that this is only one instant, a moment in time when the three were caught together in Pete Souza's viewfinder. I did look back at the SoS appointment that day. That morning, she had bilateral meetings with Hamid Karzai then Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari. Afterwards she led the US-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Consultations II, in the Benjamin Franklin Room.


The larger photo is better, see it here.

Tricky Job of Protocol Chief Gets Trickier?

Will the White House gets its own Protocol Chief in 63 years?

One office in the State Department is responsible for the planning, hosting, and officiating of ceremonial events for visiting chiefs of state and heads of government, as well as coordinating logistics for the visits; managing Blair House, the President's guesthouse; and overseeing all protocol matters for Presidential or Vice Presidential travel abroad, working alongside the White House. That's the Protocol Office.

The State Department first appointed a full-time protocol officer in 1916 and established the Office of the Chief of Protocol on February 4, 1928. In 1946, the President commissioned the State Department's Chief of Protocol to also carry the title "Chief of Protocol of the White House." Since 1961, the Chief of Protocol has been commissioned an Ambassador, requiring the President's nominee to be confirmed by the Senate.

Yesterday, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Capricia Penavic Marshall as Chief of Protocol (S/CPR), with the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service at the State Department.

Al Kamen with some additional tidbit on this new announcement: “We're hearing the White House may create a new position for someone who will direct all protocol matters for President Obama and will travel with him as well. The thinking apparently is that Obama would want someone he knows and who he is comfortable with to be with him on these trips.”

Well, now -- if the White House gets its own Protocol Chief, it would not be unprecedented, but it would be a first in 63 years. Holy mooo! That’s more years than I’ve been on this planet!

In any case, since its creation, we have had exactly six career diplomats appointed as Chief of Protocol (the last one in the, oh, 1950’s). But from 1957 onward, that office has been the domain of non-career political appointees. So one might say that our dog on this fight has gone to sleep a long time ago.


It does not make a whole lot of sense to have two protocol chiefs – really, those two probably got into a tea-cup fight in the last century that’s why the jobs were merged into one Chief of Protocol in 1946. But who cares what I think -- this is a biggy! In short order, this would allow a Clinton appointee to have a job at the State Department, and an Obama appointee to have a job at the White House. Keep everyone happy, the taxpayer foots the bill, helps the economy. Amen.

But do you know what this also means for Ms. Marshall? If confirmed, I bet she need not have to plan and execute detailed programs for Chiefs of State and Heads of Government meeting with the President and Vice President -- only for the Secretary of State. She may not have to oversee Blair House even, guest place for foreign visitors and all that. She did not have to accompany the President on official visits abroad or even plan and execute Presidential Delegations abroad. Although she probably gets to rack up her miles with Hillary.

Most of all, she did not have to propose or purchase gifts to give to foreign leaders nor receive reciprocal gifts on behalf of the President, First Lady, Vice President, and the VP's spouse. And if newly-elected South African prez , Jacob Zuma drops by for a state visit with his three wives, Ms. Marshall would not have the headache on what to do with the first lady, second lady or third lady of the visiting party, where to sit one or the other, who has precedence, what gifts to give them, who gets to pose with whom, etc. etc.

I hope whoever gets selected as WH Protocol Chief can do a better job than tacky DVDs next time; and has that creative imagination on what official titles to give to, say -- multiple wives and 19 children.

Related Post:

Officially In: Capricia Marshall to Protocol (S/CPR)