FAO Quotables

"But being right, even morally right, isn't everything. It is also important to be competent, to be consistent, and to be knowledgeable. It's important for your soldiers and diplomats to speak the language of the people you want to influence. It's important to understand the ethnic and tribal divisions of the place you hope to assist."
-Anne Applebaum

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

TZB Chronicles continue- Learning about Somali Civil War

Key passage from today's notes on the US involvement in Somalia's civil war:
Instead of detaining or killing the warlords the US invited them to peace conferences etc…”encouraging the militias to form a government was like appointing the Mafia to run Manhattan.”  John Fox commented: “At least I get to do what they taught me in the foreign service and have drinks with a room full of mass murderers.” 

p. 235 The divide between farmers and nomad is illustrated.  Somali nomadic clans kept camels and the famers raised sorghum and cattle.
p. 237  Regarding the famine and the challenge of overcoming US and European “donor fatigue” , the media sought out kids who were ‘thin enough’  (1992)
p. 238 1992 Famine named “Time of Swollen Feet” because peasants had to trek so far to reach feeding centers.
p. 238  DBT- Dead by Tomorrow, phrase coined by nurses working the feeding centers
p. 239  Vitamin A deficiency in the children caused night blindness initially …forming ulcers bursting with pus.  If they survived, ‘their sight was scarred for life with blemishes like opals or moonstones on the pupils.’
p. 239  kwashiorkor- swollen belly effect produced by protein deficiency
p. 240 Heart-breaking details of children dying in the camps: the healthy children would run after you…”Among them were other children, who did not follow you except silently.  Some stayed behind sitting and took no notice at all.  It was to these last children that the cameramen were drawn.”
p. 241 “The only way to successfully convey the tragedy of famine was to depict the death of an individual.” 
p. 242 the people of Baidoa treated every famine victim who died as an individual
p. 244  Western intervention and aid comes too late to the region.  “Whoever was going to die is already gone.”  300, 000 peasants, mostly small children died. 
p. 245 UN Envoy Sahnoun : “If only we had intervened before November 1991, because of that delay we now pay the price.”  He was sacked from his post after this. 
p. 247  “The Somalis have more camels than any other nation on earth”  They, along with war and love are the three subjects of poetry there. 
p.  247 A Somali joke:  What is the part of a camel that looks like a man?  Answer: the part that pisses backwards. 
p. 247 Nomads lived by age-old rules of hospitality to strangers
p. 248 General Imtiaz Shaheen appears on the scene in July 1992 to monitor cease-fire in Mogadishu…the opposite of what Aydiid and his Habre Gedir clansmen wanted.
p. 250  Then US arrives with UN Task Force OPERATION RESTORE HOPE.  UN SECGEN’s “Battalions for peace.”   Most people at the time in Somalia thought this was the beginning of seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
p. 252 Marines coin a term for the warlords usurping of all aid they delivered A-W-A: Africa Wins Again.  As soon as they give peasants aid and leave, the militias come and steal it. 
p. 253 Instead of detaining or killing the warlords the US invited them to peace conferences etc…”encouraging the militias to form a government was like appointing the Mafia to run Manhattan.”  John Fox commented: “At least I get to do what they taught me in the foreign service and have drinks with a room full of mass murderers.” 
p. 254  Dan sells T-shirts to the marines that say: I restored hope in Somalia…his side business expands rapidly. 
p. 255 Hartley’s departure is hastened after a death threat from Somali warlord Omar Jess. 
p.  256 Outside of the Marine controlled area around Mogadishu airfield was another world, the marines called “Skinnyland”
p. 257 Early 1993, marines used to swim on the beach but this stopped after a Russian pilot was killed by a shark. 
p. 257  May 1993 UNOSOM takes command from the Marine Corps.  Security Council Resolution 814 PKO troops must use Chapter 7 ROE.    While General Cevik Bir was in charge he was only a figurehead.  ADM Howe (retired, as a special envoy) and MAJGEN Montgomery.   Montgomery was tactical commander of 1000 strong quick reaction force of 10th mountain division.  He reported directly to GEN Hoar at US CENCOM in Tampa.  He described Mogadishu as “Temple of Doom”
Check out the following link for a decade later discussion of the Somali civil war by these key players:

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Counter Piracy Contact Group Minutes

If you click the title of this blog post, you can go to see the full article.  Here are some 'highlights' from the report.

"It is critical that ship owners and operators implement Best Management Practices to discourage attacks and prevent boardings. It is an appropriate step for participating states to consider taking action on the issue of seafarers in captivity."

Counter Piracy Contact Group Confronts Maritime Crime in the Horn of Africa
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 25, 2011
_______________________________
The United States joined more than 60 nations and international organizations at the United Nations in New York on March 21, 2011, for a meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

In a communiqué following the meeting, the Contact Group called for a renewed international commitment to combating piracy, both at sea and on land in Somalia, through robust and integrated military, law enforcement, and development activities. Among their recommendations, the Contact Group called for:

*     Reinforcing international naval patrols in response to more aggressive and widespread pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean and providing sufficient military capability to sustain counter piracy operations.
*     Expanding the capacity of the international community to prosecute suspected pirates captured at sea, as well as their leaders and financiers, through national prosecutions and innovative additional mechanisms, including the development and sharing of information to counter enabling networks providing arms, equipment, and funding to pirate gangs.
*     Intensifying implementation of a full range of industry-developed self-protection measures by ship owners and operators to prevent pirate attacks and safeguard merchant mariners.
*     Strengthening the capacity of Somalia and other countries in the region to combat piracy on their own, in particular through contributions to the UN Trust Fund Supporting Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
"On behalf of the United Nations, the Department of Political Affairs addressed the CGPCS plenary and emphasized the importance of fighting piracy simultaneously on three fronts: deterrence; security and the rule of law; and development."

"The CGPCS noted that the lack of sufficient facilities for incarceration of convicted pirates was one of the most acute issues to be addressed in order to ensure an increased number of prosecutions, including in the region."

"Moving forward, an intersessional working group will address further implementation of BMPs by nations with the potential use of the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code, the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, or other mechanisms. In recognition of further use of armed and unarmed security teams as part vessel defense, a second intersessional group of interested states and NGOs will address the consequences of the use of those teams with a view to examining the feasibility of elaborating guidelines. Conceptual papers will be developed to form the basis of discussion by each of the intersessional groups."

Corporate Council on Africa Daily News Clips!

The Corporate Council on Africa is another stellar organization that puts out daily news clips for which you can sign up.  A little diffrent direction that ACSS which is good because between the two you get a well-rounded look at the daily news.

CCA Daily News Clips
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

China Will Increase Investment in Africa: Standard Bank
Finance Asia
According to South Africa-based Standard Bank, mainland China maintained its position as Africa’s largest trading partner in 2010. Standard Bank, in which Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has a 20% stake, estimates the value of mainland investment into Africa will increase to $50 billion by 2015. Read more>> <http://www.financeasia.com/News/252619,china-will-increase-investment-in-africa-says-standard-bank.aspx>

South African Airways Contracts Quovadis to Help Reduce Fuel Burn
Defence Web
Airbus subsidiary Quovadis has been contracted by South African Airways to design required navigation performance procedures for Cape Town International Airport in an effort to reduce fuel burn and Carbon Dioxide emissions. Read more>> <http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14455:south-african-airways-contracts-quovadis-to-help-reduce-fuel-burn&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107>

INFRASTRUCTURE
Microsoft Unveils South African Empowerment Deal
Reuters Africa
Microsoft South Africa, a unit of the world's largest software firm, will invest 475 million rand in four black-owned software firms to meet black economic empowerment rules. Read more>> <http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE72S02A20110329>

TransCentury Set to Invest $300 Million in Kenya Rail System
Business Daily Africa
The cost of transporting goods across Kenya into Uganda could reduce significantly in the next five years following investment firm TransCentury’s plans to inject $300 million into Rift Valley Railways. Read more>> <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/TransCentury+set+to+invest+Sh24+billion+in+rail+system/-/539550/1134784/-/14ogjpq/-/index.html>

World Bank Injects $100 Million Into Kenya Slum Upgrading Plan
Africa Review
The World Bank has advanced Kenya $100 million to upgrade infrastructure in the country’s slums and improve their security of tenure. Read more>> <http://www.africareview.com/Business+++Finance/World+Banks+plan+for+Kenyan+slums/-/979184/1135028/-/7foi0jz/-/>

Dealer Deepens Presence in Heavy Equipment Sector
Business Daily Africa
Heavy equipment supplier Mantrac has expanded its operations in Kenya to tap into a construction boom triggered by the ongoing infrastructure and housing projects across the country. Read more>> <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Dealer+deepens+presence+in+heavy+equipment+sector/-/539550/1134804/-/d8yttvz/-/index.html>  

South Africa to Meet 2013 Renewable Energy Target : Official
Reuters Africa
South Africa will accelerate its renewable energy program to meet a target of producing 10,000 gigawatt hours by 2013, an energy official said on Tuesday.

Senegal to Build ‘Seven Wonders’ Complex in Capital: Le Soleil
Bloomberg
Senegal plans to build “The Seven Wonders of Dakar,” a 27 acre zone that will include a national theater, a national library, an architectural school, a museum of African history, an art museum, an art school and a concert hall, Le Soleil reported. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/senegal-to-build-seven-wonders-complex-in-capital-soleil-says.html>

Nigeria, Korean Firm in Talks Over Sale of Egbin Plant
The Nation
The Federal Government is discussing with a South Korean firm, Korean Electric Power Corporation, to sell Egbin power plant. Read more>> <http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/business/32012.html>

Angola to Build 2 Million Ton a Year Cement Plant: Angola Press
Bloomberg
Nova Cimangola, Angola’s biggest cement maker, plans to build a factory to produce as much as 2 million metric tons of the building material a year, Agencia Angola Press reported. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/angola-to-build-2-million-ton-a-year-cement-plant-angop-says.html>

EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES
Sidi Kerir, Egypt Government to Form $1.18 Billion Ethylene Production Company
Bloomberg
Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Co. and two Egyptian government companies are investing $1.18 billion in an ethylene venture. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/sidi-kerir-government-to-form-ethylene-production-company-1-.html>

Zambia to Decide this Year on Refinery's Future
Reuters Africa
Zambia will decide by the end of this year on the future of its sole refinery which may include upgrades to its units or the country opting to import products instead, an official said late on Monday. Read more>> <http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE72S03T20110329>  

Angola’s Sonangol to Build 200 Gas Filling Stations, Export Liquefied Natural Gas in 2012
Bloomberg
Sonangol SA, Angola’s state oil company, will build another 200 gasoline filling stations by 2015, adding to the 439 it already operates. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/angola-s-sonangol-to-build-200-gas-filling-stations-export-lng-in-2012.html>

Dominion Faces Tullow in Search for Oil in Kenya
Business Daily Africa
The scramble for oil exploration blocks in Kenya has heightened as companies make last-ditch efforts to resolve the puzzle of why the country, despite sitting on a rich vein that has yielded oil elsewhere, is yet to strike wells with tangible quantities for exploration. Read more>> <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Dominion+faces+Tullow+in+search+for+oil+in+Kenya/-/539550/1134214/-/aeep81z/-/index.html>

Afren, Focused on Africa, Has ‘Rich Acquisition Pipeline’ After Bond Sale
Bloomberg
Afren Plc, a U.K. oil and gas explorer focused on Africa, has a “very rich acquisition pipeline” after exceeding a target for bond sales, Chief Executive Officer Osman Shahenshah said. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/afren-focused-on-africa-has-rich-acquisition-pipeline-after-bond-sale.html>

Kenol Kobil Moves Into Non-Oil Products to Grow its Earnings
Business Daily Africa
Kenol Kobil is deepening its reach into the non-oil products market to grow revenues and reduce over-reliance on fuel revenues. Read more>> <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Kenol+Kobil+moves+into+non+oil+products+to+grow+its+earnings/-/539550/1134816/-/7cshde/-/index.html>

BANKING & FINANCE
Tanzania Issues Tender for Consultants on Stock Exchange Demutualization
Bloomberg
The Bank of Tanzania said it’s seeking consultants to provide advice on the planned demutualization of the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/tanzania-s-central-bank-tenders-for-consultants-on-bourse-demutualization.html>

France's BNP Paribas to Increase African Presence
Reuters Africa
French bank BNP Paribas will soon open an office in Nigeria and boost its South African investment banking presence, an official said on Tuesday. Read more>> <http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE72S09L20110329>

Kenya Islamic Banking Deepens Financial Services Uptake
Business Daily Africa
Islamic banks now control 0.9 per cent of total accounts, indicating increased penetration of financial services to a segment of the population that was hitherto excluded from the system due to its religious beliefs. Read more>> <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Islamic+banking+deepens+financial+services+uptake/-/539552/1134698/-/au3o7n/-/index.html>  

RETAIL
Pick n Pay to Expand in Zambia
Business Day
The battle for a slice of the untapped African retail market continues to intensify as South Africa’s second largest supermarket announced the opening of a second store in Zambia yesterday. Read more>> <http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=138494>

Kraft Foods 'Double in Five' Plan Looks to Africa
Business Day
Kraft Foods SA on Monday said it had invested 160 million rand in a pilot skills program in its sub-Saharan African operations as it positioned itself to double its revenue in five years in an increasingly competitive fast moving consumer goods market. Kraft Foods SA is part of US-listed Kraft Foods. Read more>> <http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=138445>

AGRICULTURE
Tanzania Investment Bank to Lend $13.3 Million: The Guardian
Bloomberg
Tanzania Investment Bank Limited plans to lend $13.3 million to agricultural businesses, The Guardian reported, citing Eric Hamisi, a zone manager at the fund.  Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/tanzania-investment-bank-to-lend-13-3-million-guardian-says.html>

Rwanda Plans Weather Early Warning System to Boost Farm Revenue
Bloomberg
Rwanda plans to establish an early- warning system for extreme weather to help boost revenue from farming, said John Ntaganda Semafara, director of meteorology at the Infrastructure Ministry. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/rwanda-plans-weather-early-warning-system-to-boost-farm-revenue.html>  

BEVERAGE
Heineken Submits Highest Bids for Ethiopian State-Owned Brewing Companies
Bloomberg
Heineken NV, the world’s third- largest brewer, submitted the highest offer for an Ethiopian brewery being sold by the government and is the only bidder for a second one, the country’s privatization agency said. Read more>> <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-29/heineken-submits-highest-bids-for-ethiopian-state-owned-brewing-companies.html>

MEDIA
Kenya Media Sector New Frontier for Global Firms
Business Daily Africa
Kenya’s media sector is set to become a new frontier for investment as global giants move to cash in on increased demand for specialized services. Read more>> <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Media+new+frontier+for+global+firms/-/539550/1134830/-/iu4as8z/-/index.html>


EBCAM
Click here <http://www.africacncl.org/ps4d/EBCAM-MEMORANDUM_N%C2%BA_53-2011.pdf>  for English and French news articles on the continuing conflict in Libya, and more.






Monday, March 28, 2011

Pentagon Protester of the WEAK

NOTE:  For those who don't know,  every Monday morning the Pentagon allows only the biggest idiots best and brightest dissenters to post up on the grassy area by the Metro entrance escalators and display their signs. 



I began this job at the PGON excited at the prospect of highlighting a new protester/sign each Monday (for new readers: Monday is Protester day at the PGON and these buffoons ladies and gentlemen are allowed to line up near the entrance and hold their signs).  Unfortunately, I slowly began to realize that they weren't bringing anything new to the table.   Every week, the same tired signs.  One would think that in light of all the revolutions and upheavals occurring throughout the Middle East and North Africa
 these protesters would be re-energized...'tis not the case.  This morning there were only 3 tired dudes, holding three weathered, beat-up old signs.  A sad showing. 
So I offer you FUUO's POTW greatest hits:

Africa Center for Strategic Studies Media Review

I've said it before but I will say it again; the ACSS daily media review is where it's at!  Click on this blog's title to go to their website and subscribe!  As you can see below, their article list is pretty exhaustive and comprehensive. 



Africa Center for Strategic Studies  
Media Review for March 28, 2011
     
Obama To Define Libya Mission In Monday's Speech
President Obama addresses the nation on U.S. military operations in Libya Monday night. The operation started nine days ago. Since then, Obama has faced criticism from Republicans - and some Democrats - for not having stated firm goals, and for not getting congressional approval first. NPR

One by one, the milestones on the road to Tripoli are falling  
The last time the rebels made it as far west as Bin Jawad, it ended in disaster: their fighters ran into a murderous ambush, lost 70 men, and were forced into a terrifying retreat that nearly ended their campaign. But yesterday, after a stunning sweep across the territory for which they have fought so hard and for so long, they were back. The Independant

Libyan rebels are claiming to have captured the town of Sirte, the home of embattled Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Shamsi Abdul Molah, a spokesman for the opposition's National Council, told Al Jazeera that opposition forces had moved into the city at approximately 1.30am last night (local time). "[They say that] they found it an unarmed city. They had no problem getting in there, they did not encounter any resistance," reported Sue Turton, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Benghazi. Celebratory gunfire was head in Benghazi, the opposition's stronghold in the east of the country, as news filtered in of the taking of Gaddafi's hometown. Aljazeera


Libya air raids target Gadhafi hometown of Sirte http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/national_world&id=8037661
Libyan state television reports that international airstrikes are targeting Moammar Gadhafi's hometown and stronghold of Sirte for the first time. Foreign journalists in the city reported loud explosions and warplanes flying overheard. ABC News

US still main force in anti-Libya strikes: Pentagon http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110327/pl_afp/libyaconflictusnato
The United States has undertaken the lion's share of coalition military sorties against Libya late Saturday and Sunday, despite NATO formally taking command of operations, Pentagon figures showed. AFP

AFRICOM's General Ham on Fox, NBC, CNN, BBC, AP
General Carter F. Ham, commander, U.S. Africa Command, was interviewed by Fox, NBC, CNN and BBC via the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System and by AP via telephone March 25, 2011. The interviews focused on the future role of U.S. AFRICOM as NATO takes command of operations in Libya. "What makes me most proud is how quickly this coalition came together to operate very, very quickly," said Ham. "We'll now make sure this transition to NATO occurs very quickly and very precisely. It's a complex matter to do this transition while maintaining the momentum of the operation, but I'm convinced that this team that's been assembled can do just that." Africom

NATO took full command of military operations in Libya from a US-led coalition, empowering alliance forces to stage ground strikes to protect civilians threatened by Moamer Kadhafi's army. AFP

The Mediterranean Sea is the main battle front in the world currently, superseding the Afghanistan-Pakistan war theater, and the empire of the new third millennium - that of the U.S., the world's sole military superpower in the words of President Barack Obama in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, and its NATO partners - is completing the transformation of the Mediterranean into its mare nostrum. Scoop.co.nz

Libya Action Creates Risks for Obama
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, has raised the possibility of impeaching President Barack Obama for ordering aggressive airstrikes against Libya, while Mitt Romney, a potential Republican presidential candidate, has said the policy shows the commander in chief to be "tentative, indecisive, timid and nuanced." The New York Times

The French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and Bernard Kouchner, founder of Doctors Without Borders and until last year President Sarkozy's foreign minister, have long been champions of "the right to protect" - that is, the right of the international community to intervene if a sovereign is committing crimes against his own people. The Huffington Post

In a sign of U.S. confidence that the weeklong assault on Libya has tamed Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses, the Pentagon has reduced the amount of naval firepower arrayed against him, officials said Sunday. AP

Gates: Libya not 'a vital interest' for US, but part of region that's of vital US interest <link>  
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he doesn't think Libya is "a vital interest" for the United States, but he does say the North African nation is part of a region that's of vital American interest. Gates tells NBC's "Meet the Press" that "we clearly have interests" in Libya, though he doesn't believe it's a vital American interest. The Washington Post

How Qaddafi bought friends and influence on the African continent <link>
Qaddafi certainly is an African problem. During the four decades that he has governed Libya, Qaddafi has entrenched himself as a dominant political force across the continent. Many an aspiring politician has sought his support; many a rebel movement has turned to him for weapons and training. African heads of state have gone to great pains to maintain good relations with the colonel knowing that to do otherwise might mean Qaddafi's next protégé rebel movement could crop up in their country. Which is why, even as the rest of the world has written off Qaddafi as a maniacal loon, the Libyan leader still has friends in Africa. Foreign Policy



How AU dropped the ball in North Africa <link>
When the US and its allies started aerial attacks to enforce the UN's "no-fly zone" over Libya on March 19, among the first injuries were to the ego of some of Africa's most powerful men. The AU High-Level Ad-hoc Committee that was supposed to arrive in Libya the next day to push the pan-African body's search for an end to the crisis, ended up with egg on their faces, when the UN's enforcers refused to allow them to land. The mission flopped. That must have been tough, because the ad-hoc team comprises proud men who are used to having their way: AU Commission chief Jean Ping, Presidents Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, Dennis Sassou Nguesso (Republic of Congo), Mali's Amadou Toumani Toure, South Africa's Jacob Zuma, and Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. East African



Turkey offers to broker Libya ceasefire as rebels advance on Sirte <link>
The Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signalled that Turkey is ready to act as a mediator to broker an early ceasefire in Libya, as he warned that a drawn-out conflict risked turning the country into a "second Iraq" or "another Afghanistan" with devastating repercussions both for Libya and the Nato states leading the intervention. The Guardian



Bruised and bloodied, Libyan woman bursts in on journalists to tell of her ordeal <link>
A woman eludes security to reach a roomful of journalists at a hotel to tell of her abduction and rape at the hands of Moammar Kadafi's forces. The reporters take notes and document her injuries before she is taken away. LA Times

Libya may be placing corpses at bombed sites <link>
US intelligence reports suggest that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces have placed the bodies of people they have killed at the sites of coalition air strikes so they can blame the West for the deaths, US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said in a television interview on Saturday. Mail and Guardian

Migrants From Libya Reach Italy <link>
A boat carrying nearly 300 African migrants fleeing the fighting in Libya has arrived in Italy. Those on board were mostly Eritreans and Ethiopians. It is believed to be the first boat to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy since the Libyan rebels launched their campaign to oust Moammar Gadhafi, Libya's leader, last month. At least two more boats are reported on their way. VOA

Obama urges Ivory Coast president to cede power <link>
While keeping up with developments in Libya, Syria and other parts of the Middle East, President Obama also found time this weekend to urge the defeated president of Ivory Coast to cede power and avoid a civil war. "Last year's election was free and fair, and President Alassane Ouattara is the democratically elected leader of the nation," Obama said in a video message. USA Today

Ouattara Rejects New Ivory Coast Mediator <link>
Efforts to resolve the political crisis in Ivory Coast suffered a new setback Sunday when one of the two rival presidents rejected a proposed mediator. Alassane Ouattara, who most countries recognize as president of Ivory Coast, said in a statement he was not consulted before the African Union put forward the name of Jose Brito, Cape Verde's former foreign minister. VOA

The Case for Intervention in the Ivory Coast <link>
New bodies turn up on the streets and in the morgues nearly every day with bullet wounds, slashed throats, and charred skin from being burned alive. As in Libya, a desperate regime clings to power and makes murderous threats against its own people. And, in both cases, peaceful protesters are being mowed down by machine guns. Foreign Policy

Egypt Will Recognize Independent Southern Sudan, Minister Says <link>
Egypt will recognize Southern Sudan as a separate country when it is declared independent in July, Foreign Minister Nabil El-Arabi said today in Sudan. "Egypt intends to be the second to recognize the south" after the Sudanese government, El-Arabi told reporters in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. He was in Sudan with an Egyptian delegation that included Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who was sworn in March 7. They will travel to Southern Sudan tomorrow. Bloomberg

Violence: Jonathan Considers Massive Security Operations <link>
The escalating pre-election violence in the country may be met with a stiff crackdown as the Federal Government prepares to deploy massive security measures ahead of the polls. THISDAY learnt Sunday that President Goodluck Jonathan may seek the nod of the Council of State to roll out tough security measures to tackle the violence which is spreading to more states of the federation. This Day

Somalia: Uganda to Send 2,000 More Troops <link>
Uganda and Burundi will each add 2,000 peacekeepers in Somalia by mid this year to raise the number from 8,000 to 12,000, an increment approved by the UN Security Council in December last year. The offer to increase troops in the volatile Somali capital, Mogadishu, was announced last week in Mogadishu by Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, and his Burundian counterpart, Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare in a joint statement to all field commanders of AU forces in Somalia. allAfrica

Ghana Border Town Braced for Influx of Ivorian Refugees <link>
As many as a million people have fled Côte d'Ivoire's commercial capital, Abidjan, due to intensified fighting. Many people are fleeing to areas in the north, centre and east of the country as thousands of youth answered a call to join forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo; others are trying to leave the country. IPS

Africa fears loss of Libyan investment <link>
As part of his pan-African vision, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has invested heavily in businesses and projects across the continent. But as upheaval rages in the country, the future of those investments is uncertain. Deutsche Welle

Norfolk-based Navy ships send pirates scampering <link>
The first call for help went out Thursday morning. From a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea, a voice came over the radio: Pirates are about to hijack us. Less than a hundred miles away, sailors aboard two Norfolk-based ships were listening. The aircraft carrier Enterprise and the cruiser Leyte Gulf were off the coast of Pakistan to launch fighter jets over Afghanistan. Now they had another mission, too. Stars and Stripes

Ethiopia: The great land-grab debate <link>
Ethiopia has little time for critics of its large-scale land-leasing policy, insisting the millions of dollars of foreign investment will create jobs, improve domestic agricultural expertise and reduce both poverty and the country's chronic food insecurity. IRIN

Kinetic military action' or 'war'? <link>
Police action, conflict, hostilities and now "kinetic military action." They're all euphemisms for that word that this White House and many before it have been so careful not to say: War. Administration officials told congressional aides in a closed briefing earlier this week that the United States is not at war with Libya, and Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes danced around the question in a Wednesday exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One. Politico



Friday, March 25, 2011

If you have an NKO (Navy Knowledge Online) account you have free language training

There's no need to waste your money on Rosetta Stone, when you can use a far superior product for free: CL-150. 

NOTE:  However, you can get online access to a version of Rosetta Stone via your base or Pentagon library.  Just pop by there and they will fill you in. 


If you have a NKO (Navy Knowledge Online) account you have free language training (If you have FAOWeb access you can also access CL-150 for free).  You just need to log in to your account and go to the learning tab and follow the instructions.  The best part is that because it's sanctioned by the Navy, you are able to download and install this program on your NMCI computer.  That means while some other program is frozen on your computer, you can plug through flashcards on CL-150.  Evidently you can also download it to your Iphone once you register online.  One of the things I look forward to most about this software is that they have DLPT-style tests that you can take to prepare.  I am updating my DLPT for French at the end of April so I will post an update with my opinions on well the prep software measures up. 

After taking the French test I am going to work my way through the Portuguese software for 5 months and see how I do.  I don't know any Portuguese so this will be a good test.  I will be sure to share my observations. 

How to Protect Your Security Online- Save this report for your records and share!

Fellow Navy FAO GP passed this on to me and its a great document!  Click on the title of this blog post to read the document in full.  You should be able to save/view it to your google docs so you can refer to it indefinitely, or just download a pdf version.  I've included some highlights below.  For those of us here in the United States much of it may not be necessary but for FAOs/Servicemembers abroad there is a lot of ESSENTIAL information here. 

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY AND SECURITY ONLINE
AND WHEN USING MOBILE PHONES FOR CITIZENS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA AND BEYOND


Gmail now has HTTPS as its default setting, but you need to turn it on for Hotmail if you haven’t already been prompted to turn it on (go to Account > Other Options > Connect Using HTTPS > Use HTTPS Automatically).


  • Some accounts are compromised via lost password recovery systems. Be sure your security questions and answers for your accounts are not simple and easy to guess.




  • Instant Messaging:
    Skype and Google Chat inside HTTPS-secured Gmail are good options if you believe that your accounts will not be targeted by hackers. A much more secure option is using Pidgin to access a number of chat clients (Google Talk, etc.) with the Off The Record (OTR) plug-in -- this ensures that even with your encryption keys, any previously logged data will be worthless.

    Secure your online presence in other ways:
    We recommend you turn GPS tracking off for programs such as Twitter and Bambuser unless it’s temporary and critical to an activist project you’re working on. Even if the GPS is not displayed, it is critical to disable the collection of this information in your web browser or other client.

    HTTPS:
    An excellent and easy-to-use add-on you should use is HTTPS Everywhere. This is a Firefox add-on that “forces” a site to use HTTPS if available. Downloading this should be one of the first things you start to use in order to have end-to-end encryption for sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Search, and more. It will also reduce your vulnerability to having your passwords captured when sharing open or unsecured wifi networks.

    • If you haven’t already, download the most recent version of Firefox. Then download HTTPS Everywhere and/or Force TLS, restart Firefox, and set preferences. Note: HTTPS Everywhere has a number of default sites that that can be customized. Force TLS involves more customization, requiring the user to create a list of sites to force HTTPS.
    • If you use Google Chrome, download KB SSL Enforcer Extension. (Note: This is not as effective as the add-ons for Firefox mentioned above. There are still some bugs with SSL Enforcer, and links are known to break.)
    Doing this as soon as I get home!

    Facebook: Although the Firefox add-ons described above force HTTPS for a number of sites, if you use Facebook often, it’s also a good idea to ensure that Facebook is set to HTTPS as a default, especially if you access it on multiple computers.

    • In order to enable HTTPS for Facebook, go to Account in the top right corner > account settings > on settings tabs, select account security “change” > check box next to “secure browsing (HTTPS)”
    • The use of some games or other facebook add-ons will disable the use of HTTPS.
    Whoops, I wasn't doing this either!

    • In order to enable HTTPS for Twitter, click on your Twitter handle in the top right corner > settings > scroll to the bottom of the page and check the box next to “Always use HTTPS”.
    • Note: Changing your Twitter account’s setting to “always use HTTPS” does not currently force HTTPS on mobile devices as well. Until this is fixed, always go to https://mobile.twitter.com.
    Wasn't doing this either.

    When your phone is on, it is constantly communicating the following information with towers nearby:

    • The IMEI number – a number that uniquely identifies your phone’s hardware.
    • The IMSI number – a number that uniquely identifies the SIM card - this is what your phone number is tied to.
    • The TMSI number, a temporary number that is re-assigned regularly according to location or coverage changes but can be tracked by commercially available eavesdropping systems.
    • The network cell in which the phone is currently located. Cells can cover any area from a few meters to several kilometers, with much smaller cells in urban areas and even small cells in buildings that use a repeater aerial to improve signal indoors.
    • The location of the subscriber within that cell, determined by triangulating the signal from nearby masts. Again, location accuracy depends on the size of the cell -- the more masts in the area, the more accurate the positioning.
    It is important to note that if you think you are being tracked, it is not always enough to switch SIM cards, as you can be tracked by the ID (IMEI) of your mobile device/handset alone.

    Thursday, March 24, 2011

    Moroccan Foreign Minister Meets with US Secretary of State

    Please click on blog title to see full remarks.  I've included key comments from both indviduals below.

    Secretary Clinton spoke first:
    “I thanked the foreign minister for Morocco’s leadership at the summit in Paris last week and for Morocco’s important role in the Arab League’s decision to call for the protection of Libyan civilians. We also discussed the international community’s ongoing efforts to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 in Libya.”
    “Morocco is well-positioned to lead in this area because it is on the road to achieving democratic change. His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s government has consistently allowed its citizens to express themselves openly and peacefully, and it has been frank and forthcoming about the challenges ahead.”
    “The King has long demonstrated his commitment to reform. And earlier this month, in an important address that captured widespread attention, he promised comprehensive reforms that would guarantee free parliamentary elections, including the election of a prime minister, create an independent judiciary, and assure human rights for all of Morocco’s stakeholders, including the Amazigh community.”
    “Let me close with an issue that I know is of great importance to Morocco and its neighbors, the Western Sahara. U.S. policy toward the Western Sahara has remained constant from administration to administration. We want to see a peaceful resolution. Starting with the Clinton Administration and continuing through the Bush Administration and up to the present in the Obama Administration, we have stated our belief that Morocco’s autonomy plan is serious, realistic, and credible – a potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people in the Western Sahara to run their own affairs in peace and dignity. The United States strongly supports the role of Ambassador Christopher Ross and the United Nations in resolving this issue.”
    Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri then spoke:
    “There is no Arab exception for the universal principle of dignity and freedom.”
    “We talk about the Maghreb and it’s important also to resolve the dispute about Sahara. And let me just remind you that Morocco put an initiative on the table, and thanks to this initiative a new cycle of negotiation start in 2007 and now we are – we progress and we hope that we can resolve this issue, because the Maghreb is a necessity for the five people of the region, but it’s also a necessity for the security in a specific region where al-Qaida work. Al-Qaida is here and try to create problem for – not only for the Maghrebs country but for many, many citizens and countries.”