General FAO Reading List

I have a much broader FAO reading list broken down by location/themes here.

GENERAL

A Force More Powerful by Peter Ackerman and Jack Duvall.

A Prince of Our Disorder: The Life of T. E. Lawrence by John E. Mack

Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy (Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books) by Charles W. Freeman

Exporting security: International Engagement, Security Cooperation and the Changing Face of the U.S. Military by Derek S. Reveron

Force and Statecraft by Gordon A. Craig and Alexander L. George

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher

Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability and Relief Operations edited by Robert M. Perito

Guns, Germs and Steel by Diamond.  Posits the strong influence of geography on development.

How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle by Gideon Rose

Making War and Building Peace: U.N. Peace Operations by Doyle and Sambanis, 2006.   Statistical analysis of trends leading to success and failure in Peace operations.

*Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes.  My review on Amazon is available here and my full FUUO review is available here.  My two sentence summary:  We spend a disproportionate amount of time studying the facts, tactics, techniques and history of wars. I add this novel to my "must read for FAOs" list because it adds something missing: CONTEXT and TEXTURE.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T. E. Lawrence

Stillwell and the American Experience in China by Barbara Tuchman.  Recommended by Hoyawolf:

Perhaps the consummate soldier/diplomat who went from Attaché to Theater Commander in WWII.

Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto by Adam Werbach

The Admiral: The Memoirs of Albert Gleaves, Admiral by Albert Gleaves

*The Diplomat’s Dictionary by Chas W. Freeman, Jr.

The Future of Power by Joseph Nye, 2011.  

The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen R. Covey

*The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell

The Ugly American by William J. Lederer

*The Ultimate Weapon is No Weapon: Human Security and the New Rules of War and Peace by Shannon D. Beebe and Mark Kaldor

United States Protocol: The Guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette by Mary French

Thoughts on a US Response to an Alien Signal

BONUS LINK:  My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here. 

You Are on the NSS and You Receive an Alien Signal from Planet Gliese

(Full article is below) 
 
            While the considerations are extensive, the paramount question is a simple one:
to answer the door or not. That this knock took twenty years to reach the United States
from the previously unknown Planet Gliese-581-g (referred to as Gliese hereafter), with
any response carrying the same delay, hearkens back to an age-old era of diplomacy
that existed before World War I and the advent of the telegram and other technological
advances.  Therefore, it is crucial that the President take time in responding, fully
evaluating all possible courses of action, outcomes, and their effects on international
relationships.  Callières warned against neophytes that sought to play the role of
diplomat when they did not know the “interests, the laws, the customs, the language…the
geographical situation” of the countries with which they interacted. In this case, the
U.S. government knows very little about Gliese outside of its ostensible technological
capacity. If the Washington decides to respond, they must send an immediate message
stating that the U.S. is working towards a solution, and also request complete background
data (population and natural resources), and information (history, system of government)
for the Planet Gliese to assist in helping them. After all, if Gliese does not have uranium
or a similar element, telling them how to develop nuclear energy likely will be a fruitless
exercise.

Conclusion:

 If the U.S. decides to respond, though, then the benefit of a multilateral response
depends on if Gliese was truthful and if nuclear energy does indeed save their planet. If
both of these are true, then only the U.S responding would provide the maximum benefit
of the prestige of saving a civilization and the gaining of a strong (at least
technologically) ally. If the response backfires in anyway though, then the U.S. would
benefit from a multilateral response. There is precedent over the last century to hedge
the U.S. response in this manner, as this is the manner in which the United States, and its
partners, have conducted humanitarian intervention over the last 50 years.

How to become a diplomat 101

For my Intro to International Relations Class, we are reading Force and Statecraft by Lauren, Craig and George.  The following is my paraphrase of their paraphrase from Callieres's 1716 On the Manner of Negotiating with Princes regarding diplomacy:
 Diplomats should be carefully educated in the lessons of history and trained in diplomatic skills and techniques, and should know exactly the state of the military forces both on land and sea.


This itself is a good argument for why one can't directly access into the FAO community.  The fleet experienced gained can prove critical when posted overseas in situations where that knowledge will be needed..

FUUO defines: Chatham House Rules

Not be confused with "Cider House Rules". 

I go to plethora of meetings in my current job and most of them state somewhere on the email or handout:

"Chatham House Rule apply"

or

"Please honor Chatham House Rule"

or

"Chatham House Rules are Wassup"

They usually kick off the meeting stating that all discussion and comments are 'not for attribution' which pretty much covers the definition.  BUT, in case your intellectual curiousity goes behind the 'pretty much', read on:



The Chatham House Rule reads as follows:

"When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/about/chathamhouserule/

et en francais:
Quand une réunion, ou l'une de ses parties, se déroule sous la règle de Chatham House, les participants sont libres d'utiliser les informations collectées à cette occasion, mais ils ne doivent révéler ni l'identité, ni l'affiliation des personnes à l'origine de ces informations, de même qu'ils ne doivent pas révéler l'identité des autres participants.

Please check out their website, it has a fairly entertaining FAQ section where they answer the age-old question:

"To Tweet or Not to Tweet"

Guess who's turning 50? Nigerian Independence Anniversary

Adapted from a winning entry in 1959 by then student Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi

       So my lovely wife and I are headed to the Nigerian Embassy this Friday afternoon for their 50th Independence Anniversary celebration.  In honor of that I have included their national anthem as well as their national pledge.  Supposedly it's recited immediately after the anthem.  Hopefully we will find out if this is true or not. 

        You will notice that the newer anthem changes from serving the fatherland, whereas before it sang of service to the motherland.  1978 was when the control of the Nigerian government shifted from one of military rule to that of a democracy (albeit a markedly corrupt one through 1984).   So I would guess there is something in the diction change surrounding a shift from 'motherland' colonial-esque military rule to that of ancestral communal 'fatherland' rule.  But then again, supposedly the lyrics of their anthem were formed by taking the best of 5 entries from a national contest so I wouldn't read to much into it. 

Here's a link to a youtube video if you want to listen to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kkD81X57Ug&feature=player_embedded

"Arise, O Compatriots" (1978-present)

Arise, O compatriots,
Nigeria's call obey
To serve our Fatherland
With love and strength and faith.
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain,
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.
O God of creation,
Direct our noble cause;
Guide our Leaders right:
Help our Youth the truth to know,
In love and honesty to grow,
And living just and true,
Great lofty heights attain,
To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.

Nigeria We Hail Thee" (1960-1978)

Nigeria we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tribes and tongues may differ,
In brotherhood we stand,
Nigerians all are proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.
Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour'd,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.
O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.

Nigeria's National Pledge

(The National Pledge of Nigeria is recited immediately after the Anthem)

I pledge to Nigeria my country,
To be faithful, loyal and honest,
To serve Nigeria with all my strength,
To defend her unity,
And uphold her honor and glory,

So help me God.

FUUO's Book Wishlist: Ambassador French's United States Protocol: The Guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette

Yes please.  There's not a better reference out there.  Review forthcoming this fall.  This one got a good plug in the POLITICO recently as well.  See my earlier post for more in depth comments. 

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/09/good-article-on-politico-how-to-act.html

Good article on the Politico: How to Act Like a Diplomat

Below is a good article passed on to FUUO by the always apt  http://greatmarinereadingmaterial.blogspot.com/ 

(a great blog to pump into your RSS feeds...you have those set up...right?!)  Look for a book review on French's book in the near future by FUUO.  As always, my comments are in italics in the article below.

Here's a link to buy it on Amazon...not the cheapest but a good one for your bookshelf.
http://www.amazon.com/United-States-Protocol-Diplomatic-Etiquette/dp/1442203196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285165228&sr=8-1


HOW TO ACT LIKE A DIPLOMAT


http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1009/how_to_act_like_a_diplomat.html


By KARIN TANABE | 9/21/10 6:19 AM EDT

It's been more than 30 years since a book on U.S. diplomatic protocol was published, a fact we'll use as an excuse for any breaches of etiquette over the past few decades. But with the arrival of Mary Mel French's "United States Protocol: The Guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette," it's time to refrain from drinking from the finger bowl and usher in an era of international courtesy and respect.

French served as chief of protocol during the Clinton administration and made sure every "i" was dotted and every "t" crossed. The attention to detail was a necessity. As former President Bill Clinton puts it in the book's foreword, "When we omit courtesies and context from our messages, we compromise the clarity of our objectives, leaving them vulnerable to misinterpretation." Or as French tells POLITICO, "Protocol is the same all over the world - it comes down to good manners."

"A lot of people coming into government don't know basic rules that help you maneuver diplomatic protocol," French says. Her advice is simple and is applicable to new ambassadors and regular folks alike: "If you have the opportunity to visit the White House, dress traditionally. Be thoughtful about your appearance. Don't chew gum. And introduce yourself if you need to - say your name." It's certainly not rocket science.

Since we happen to have a president who gets around town in search of local eats, what should we do if the Secret Service allows us a word with POTUS in a casual setting? "You should introduce yourself and wish them well. This is the president. They don't need to hear your complaints if you have any," advised French.

With her eagle-eyed attention to detail, did French have any cringe-worthy moments during her tenure? Of course.

"In the beginning of President Clinton's administration, I made introductions to the president for leaders from South America. We were all in the East Room with the leaders and the five or six ministers who accompanied them. All of a sudden, President Clinton turns to me and says, 'I want to talk to President Menem from Argentina.' Well, I had no idea in that room of people who President Menem was. Fortunately, I found someone from the NSC who knew him and took me to him," she said. "I was able to bring him back to the president and no one gave me away. Lesson learned."

"Years later it was funny," she said. Weird sense of humor...if that passes for funny, I can't imagine what else the book contains.  Funny would be if she brought back Al Gore or somebody.

French also has some advice for those in the public eye-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, when she stumbled through her opening statement in a televised debate-who commit a public faux pas. "I think you re-explain what your meaning was," French told POLITICO. "It's very difficult to get everything right. In this age, I think we have to be a little more tolerant because communication is instant."

Indeed, to err is to be human. But a simple breach of etiquette can be avoided with a little education. French's book gives manners a modern twist and covers everything from how to address the president to writing a letter (people still write letters?  Wow.) to your sheriff and who outranks whom in government. (Surprise, the director of the Peace Corps outranks the deputy director of the CIA).  Try telling that to the deputy director of the CIA ...maybe Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams and Deputy Director Michael J. Morell will have to arm-wrestle...although if you have ever seen the two gents- my money is Mr. Williams.  Quick aside, to be 'legit' in DC do I need to have a middle initial?)

At the diplomatic level, it's always an era of formalities. But for us average Joes, French advises that we "remember how to be nice to people."

"We need to rethink how we help our country with everyday exchanges," she said. "American citizens make a big impression."  Big is the key word.  How do you say supersize in Japanese?

Thank you,
POLITICO
Politico.com

Pentagon Protester of the Week: FYI: Drones are always tools of terrorism

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.  


Skeleton crew out in the protest zone this morning.  Only three out there today. Two older white-haired men (one with a backwards purple hat-perhaps channeling his inner 1980's MTV self) and a tiny ancient woman that appeared to be shrinking and disappearing under her large and colorful scarf/bandanna.


The protest of the week today: 

FYI: Drones are always tools of terrorism

Initial Observations:
-I am glad he included the FYI.  It immediately let me know that he had something of value to share with me.  Thanks shipmate. 
-For some reason, I didn't picture unmanned aerial vehicles when I saw his sign.  Instead I thought of Star Wars. 

Analysis:
-Nothing is ever ALWAYS. 
-I doubt he was referring to the Star Wars drones.  But who knows, some of these guys appear to be real wackjobs.
-In which case, I would be hard-pressed to find a way in which unarmed observation 'drones' are tools of terrorism.  


Conclusion/Remarks:
-Again we loop back to differing definitions of 'terrorism.' 
-Without getting too serious here though, a valid discussion could be centered around the relative value that the United States places on the life of one of its own citizens and that of someone from say, Afghanistan for instance.   This is a discussion (for a different blog post altogether) that is addressed early on in Shannon Beebe's excellent The Ultimate Weapon is No Weapon. 


THERE ARE MORE PROTESTERS OF THE WEEK HERE:
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2011/11/fuuos-pentagon-protesters-of-week.html

Africa book recommendation:The Zanzibar Chest

 I went to a POLAD (Political Advisor) reception last night at the State Department.  What a great event!
RADM Lemmons spoke to the POLADs just prior to the reception and then brought them over so that we could connect and speak to them. 
  I spoke with one gentlemen guy (can someone in their late 20's/early 30's be called a gentlemen without it sounding ostentatious or great gatsbyish?) who'd just come from a posting in Africa and he recommended The Zanzibar Chest by Aidan Hartley.  He said it was one of the best books he'd read on Africa.  And by 'on Africa' he didn't mean a book that systematically detailed or categorized the continent, but instead one that speaks to heart of Africans and their struggles, triumphs and dreams. 


I just ordered the book on Amazon and have provided a brief synopsis of the book below:

From Publishers Weekly
Toward the end of this mesmerizing chronicle, Hartley writes simply of Rwanda, "Like everything in Africa, the truth [is] somewhere in between." Hartley appreciates this complexity, mining the accounts that constitute his book not for the palliative but for the redemptive. Born in 1965 in Kenya into a long lineage of African colonialists, Hartley feels, like his father whose story he also traces, a magnetic, almost inexplicable pull to remain in Africa. Hartley's father imports modernity to the continent (promoting irrigation systems and sophisticated husbandry); later, Hartley himself "exports" Africa as a foreign correspondent for Reuters. Both men struggle to find moral imperatives as "foreigners" native to a continent still emerging from colonialism. Hartley's father concludes, "We should never have come here," and Hartley himself appears understandably beleaguered by the horrors he witnesses (and which he describes impressively) covering Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda. Emotionally shattered by the genocide in the latter ("Rwanda sits like a tumour leaking poison into the back of my head"), the journalist returns to his family home in Kenya, where he happens upon the diary of Peter Davey, his father's best friend, in the chest of the book's title. Hartley travels to the Arabian Peninsula to trace Davey's mysterious death in 1947, a story he weaves into the rest of his narrative. The account of Davey, while the least engaging portion of the book, provides Hartley with a perspective for grappling with the legacy that haunts him. This book is a sweeping, poetic homage to Africa, a continent made vivid by Hartley's capable, stunning prose.

NOTE:  Another book he recommended as a reference is Africa: A Biography of the Continent by John Reader.  He said he regularly would refer to this tome before traveling within the continent.

Article of the Week- Straight from local Nigerian Paper!

Anytime you can get an article from a newspaper in country is a good day!  This probably isn't as big a deal as it seems.  Per their constitution the President has the right to appoint his own security chiefs.  He just did it very suddenly before upcoming elections.

Poet of the Week from Somalia: K'naan

So most of you know K'naan from the ubiquitous World Cup anthem 'Wavin' Flag' which is a great song on a phenomenal album (see video below).

K'naan was raised in Mogadishu, Somalia. He's the nephew of the well-known Somali singer Magool, the "Mother of Artistry."

FUUO is featuring the lyrics from his song entitled 'Somalia' as its Poem of the Week.  While much of the lyrics are chocked full of profanity K'naan deftly captures what it was to live in Somalia in the chorus:

"So what you know bout the pirates terrorize the ocean.
To never know a simple day without a big commotion.
It can’t be healthy just to live with a such steep emotion.
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closin’. "

"To never know a simple day without a big commotion" is a powerful sentiment when the 'big commotions' are civil war and often indiscriminate killing and you're an 11 year old kid. 

 Somalia

Uh,
Yeah,
Somalia

Yeah,
I spit it for my block,
It’s an ode, I admit it.
Here the city code is lock and load
Any minute is rock and roll
And you rock and roll,
And feel your soul leavin’.
It’s just the wrong dance
That'll leave you not breathin’.
I’m not particularly proud
Of this predicament but,
I’m born and bred
In this tenement, I'm sentimental, What?!
Plus it’s only right to represent my hood
And what not.
So I’m about to do it in the music; in the movies.
Cut to the chase pan across to the face
I'm right there.
Freeze frame on the street name
Oops wait a minute,
This is where the streets have no name
And the drain of sewage.
You can see it in this boy how the hate is brewin’
Cause when his tummy tucks in
Fuck the pain is fluid.
So what difference does it make,
Entertaining threw it.
Some get high mixing coke and gun powder, sniffin’.
She got a gun but could have been a model or physician.

So what you know bout the pirates terrorize the ocean.
To never know a simple day without a big commotion.
It can’t be healthy just to live with a such steep emotion.
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closin’. (Repeat)

Yeah,
Yeah,
We used to take barb wire
Mold them around discarded bike tires.
Roll em down the hill in foot blazin’.
Now that was our version of mountain bike racing
Daammn!
Do you see why it’s amazing,
When someone comes out of such a dire situation
And learns the English language,
Just to share his observation!
Probably get a Grammy without a grammar education.
So fuck you school and fuck you immigration!
And all of you who thought I wouldn’t amount to constipation.
And now I’m here without the slightest fear and preservation,
They love me in the slums and in the native reservations.
The world is a ghetto with ministerin’ deprivation.
My mommy didn’t raise no fool did she hooyo?
I promise I would get it and remain strictly loyal.
Cause when they get it then they let it all switch and spoil.
But I just illuminated it like kitchen foil.
A lot of main stream niggas is yappin’ about yappin’
A lot of underground niggas is rappin’ about rappin’.
I just wanna tell you what’s really crackalackan
Before the tears came down this is what happened.

So what you know bout the pirates terrorize the ocean.
To never know a simple day without a big commotion.
It can’t be healthy just to live with a such steep emotion.
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closin’.

http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/music/rapping-with-knaan/
Some of my favorite poetry books:

PGONism of the Week- BLUF

People love to BLUF in the Pentagon!  I can honestly say I never encountered this term until coming to work here in the PGON.  There is not a day (or two) that goes by that I don't see this term in a powerpoint brief or email...peoples be loving to get their BLUF on   let me reemphasize: people in the PGON love to use this term.

PGONism of the Week- BLUF

Of course this term means: Bottom Line Up Front.  It's most often used at the start of 124 slide powerpoints or circuitous homeresque emails.   And in this aspect, it is hugely valuable!  It allows the reader to assess the nature of the email or brief and then completely zone out of the brief or place the email in the appropriate .pst folder  frame their attention appropriately.


I only wish the users of the ubiquitous BLUF could be just a succinct in the rest of their writing.


The English major in me would like to add though that the general public knows "BLUF" by another name: The topic sentence.  A good topic sentence needs no acronym loudly belching its presence.


PGONism corollary:  When I first saw the term BLUF I immediately went to google to figure out what it meant and this website was the #1 result:


NSFW: http://www.bluf.com


No kidding, this is a website dedicated to Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub...yup, that kind of website.  So next time you use or see the word BLUF in a brief I want you to think about the "fraternal homosexual leather organization" and the smart-aleck LT that most likely (earned a fitrep bullet) coined the term BLUF.
FUUO's Pentagonisms:

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/11/pgon-ism-of-week-circle-wagons.html

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/12/pentagon-ism-of-week-bandwidth.html

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/10/pgon-ism-of-week-missionary-work.html

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/09/pgonism-of-week-bluf.html

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/08/pgon-ism-of-week-across-river.html

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/pentagon-ism-of-week-reaching-out.html

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/pentagon-ism-of-week.html

http://famousdc.com/2010/09/03/for-unofficial-use-only/

My comments on one aspect of Abu Muqawama's Cricket Post

http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama/2010/08/cricket-and-corruption.html


Does Mom and Pop America hold back on their charitable giving to Pakistan because of allegations of terrorism and corruption? To answer this question I would first ask: Can Mom and Pop America find Pakistan on map? I would proffer that the answer is NO. The details surrounding Pakistan governance (and the global effects of an unstable government) sadly aren't even on the radar screen of the majority of Americans.
I would further question how much the P-stan government cares (by care I mean- makes it a priority) about the amount of relief rolling in, beyond rhetoric. The press highlights the disparity between United States giving to P-stan vice Haiti, but let's be honest, corrupt and inept or not, the U.S. is still selling P-stan TONS of military equipment and it's going to continue to do so, whether they cheat at cricket, or swindle away the millions in relief which they receive. An even cursory examination of our aid to Africa since the 60's reveals that the United States' aid (and the world's for that matter) is NOT tied to any corruption stop-gaps but rather to short-sighted (and/or self-serving)diplomatic goals (our aid to despots Idi Amin, Mobutu Sese Seko, Mengistu, and Samuel Doe stand as a few glaring examples).
What I want everyone to tuck away in their GI JOE lunch boxes today is that there is a chasmic disconnect within our foreign policy, specifically with regard to how we leverage and assess our military sales, official foreign aid, and private enterprise aid/assistance in the light of long-term diplomatic goals and endemic, rampant corruption with almost every one of those countries. And while I may mock Mom and Pop America's chasmic lack of global situational awareness, the Holy Trinity continues to leap and skip just as cluelessly along the precipice of this bottomless chasm.

FUUO Defines: The 'Holy' Trinity

The Holy Trinity:  Department of Defense (DOD), State Department (State), and USAID (AID).  Also referred to the 'Holy Triumvirate' or Holy Troika etc...

Pentagon Protester of the Week- Disarm Now!

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. 

Pentagon Protester of the Week- Disarm Now!

The U.S. is the #1 terrorist in the world, DISARM NOW!

This happy statement greeted me this morning.  These birkenstocks-with-white-socks-wearing-hippie scum protesters went all out this morning, eschewing their normal cardboard and painting out their mantras on white bedroom sheets.  It immediately took me back to my plebe year, making the sheet posters before the Navy football games. 

So let's look first at the defintion of 'terrorism' as we address the protesters stationed in grass area atop the metro entrance this morning. 
World English Dictionary
1.  systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal
Legal dictionary
1.  the unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion

According to these definitions, I wouldn't say the United States necessarily falls into these categories.  However, even if we were the #1 Terrorists in the world, I am not sure that 'DISARMing' the United States is the next logical step.  I would say the protesters need to further refine and define what it is that they exactly want to accomplish. 

And as I have said before I would like to know if they are also protesting at the White House and Capitol Hill since there is no one here at the Pentagon that is going to make the decision to DISARM the United States. 

However, I continue to salute their once-a-week dedication to the downfall of United States National Security freedom of the United States.

The protesters in their younger years.

Daily Quotable- Conrad

A quote from my days as an English major:
"I tried to break the spell--the heavy, mute spell of the wilderness--that
seemed to draw him to its pitiless breast by the awakening of forgotten and
brutal instincts, by the memory of gratified and monstrous passions. This
alone, I was convinced, had driven him out to the edge of the forest, to the
bush, towards the gleam of fires, the throb of drums, the drone of weird
incantations; this alone had beguiled his unlawful soul beyond the bounds of
permitted aspirations."
- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Secretary Clinton "Speaks out" on Mass Rapes in the DRC...

One thing that struck me today was how long it took to get the word out to the public and for the mainstream media to pick up this story.  The horrific rapes occurred between 30 July and 3 August. 


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/25/congo.rapes.un/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Let's examine the timeline:

-IMC (International Medical Corps) stated they reported rapes to UN's Office of Humanitarian Affairs on 6 August (3 days after). 
-MONUSCO (UN forces there) state they found 12 August (9 day after).
-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks Tuesday saying he was "outraged." (22 days after)
-I found out and commented 20 days after.  State commented 22 days later. 
-Investigations are 'ongoing.'

       One item that has been continuously harped in various news articles is the fact that these atrocities occurred less than 20 miles from a UN outpost/headquarters (supposedly in Kibua, which is along the 529R Road from Walikale and Goma in the east).  I haven't been able to confirm this though (the main UN headquarters are clear across the country in Kinshasa and it's unclear where these 'headquarters within 20 miles' is physically located).

However, reviewing the attached maps boost one's situational awareness considerably.  20 miles in the Sud-Kivu (South Kivu) province may as well be 1000 miles in this densely forested area. 

The orange tack represents the town of Walikale (a mining town).  The 529R Road runs east from there to Goma.  The rapes have been reported to occur along this road. 

Here's a satellite shot of that road.  Looks like it would be pretty easy to hide away in...

 Some sources in the MONUSCO have stated that they came into the villages but that the rebels fled back into the woods (LFDR and Mai Mai.  However, the UN's official position now states they didn't know they were occurring till 12 August. 

   Also telling is the confusion in the basics of geography and succint language.  Among the incongruities:
-Some reports describe the atrocities as occuring in the eastern congo (vice Eastern DRC, which is the correct location).
-Others describe them as occurring in the town of Luvungi (google map this 'town', you won't find anything in the DRC despite one article describing as a small town with a population on 2,200, although I believe it is there, just not in the online databases I have searched).  
-Some call the province in which the rapes occurred as the North Kivu, others as the South Kivu.

 On the map to the left it clearly shows Goma in the Nord-Kivu (North Kivu) and the rapes happened due West (and a little North) from there, thus they DEFINTELY did not occur in Sud-Kivu.













-Some don't mention Luvungi at all and say the rapes occurred throughout 13 villages along a 20 km stretch in North Kivu (Banamukira territory).  FUUO's position is that this all occurred in North Kivu for the record and most likely within 10 miles of the village of Walikale (the orange tack a few maps above). 

STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE (my comments in italics)

Allegation of Mass Rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Washington, DC

August 25, 2010

________________________________


The United States is deeply concerned by reports of the mass rape of women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – an armed, illegal rebel group that has terrorized eastern Congo for over a decade – and elements of the Mai Mai, community-based militia groups in eastern Congo.
Both groups deny the attacks but little is also known about these groups intel-wise...other than that they are bad news...I know of only one interview ever done with FDLR's leader. I was mistakenly referring to Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, who is also Bad news with a capital 'B'.
This horrific attack is yet another example of how sexual violence undermines efforts to achieve and maintain stability in areas torn by conflict but striving for peace.


The United States has repeatedly condemned the epidemic of sexual violence in conflict zones around the world, and we will continue to speak out on this issue for those who cannot speak for themselves. Less than a year ago, I presided over the UN Security Council session where Resolution 1888 (2009) was unanimously adopted, underscoring the importance of preventing and responding to sexual violence as a tactic of war against civilians. Now  the international community must build on this action with specific steps to protect local populations against sexual and gender-based violence and bring to justice those who commit such atrocities.


Sexual violence harms more than its immediate victims. It denies and destroys our common dignity, it shreds the fabric that weaves us together as humans, it endangers families and communities, it erodes social and political stability, and it undermines economic progress. These travesties, committed with impunity against innocent civilians who play no role in armed conflict, hold us all back.


When I visited the DRC last year, I learned an old proverb -- “No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come.” In the depths of this dark night of suffering and pain, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The United States will do everything we can to work with the UN and the DRC government to hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable, and to create a safe environment for women, girls, and all civilians living in the eastern Congo. 

There is no doubt that Secretary Clinton's statement is heartfelt and while a large portion of it strikes FUUO as rhetoric, that is only because she (State) are keenly aware of the monumental undertaking that must be done and achieved to create this 'safe environment
It is FUUO's belief that creating this safe environment means infrastructure.  And the ability to maintain that infrastructure.  We are talking about roads, mass transportation, effective and reliable communication, to name only a small portion of requirements)  This is not something that the United States is currently structured or positioned to do (or the UN for that matter...but I won't get started on that rant). 


But there is a way...but this will require a 'radical' departure in how the "Trinity" (DOD, State, AID) do business...

Article of the Week: Single Region Currency?

        A thoughtful editorial that addresses the dangers of adopting a single currency (and especially outsourcing consulting to the European Central Bank) before a political union (or federation) is achieved. 

       Of course if Gadaffi has his way a United States of Africa would be forming in the near future (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Africa) but let's not hold our breath.
       Ideally, the AU needs to better harness the potential power of the RECs (the 8 regional economic communities) and improve their effectiveness FIRST.  Their disparate levels of power and effectiveness handcuff Africa on an international/global level. 





Kampala — On July 1, 127 million people of East Africa (EA), a block of five nation states with combined purchasing power of $150b became a single market.

In principle a trained chef in Kampala can get a job in a restaurant in Bujumbura, Quality supermarket can start a branch in Arusha or JESA dairy farm can sell its yoghurt in Uchumi in Nairobi.

There will be no border taxes on goods and services or restrictions on movements of labour, capital within the member countries. It is sunrise for the EA consumers, entrepreneurs and service providers. Deepening further the process of integration, plans are in high gear for EA to have a common currency by 2012.

The key question is; can a single currency succeed before a political union in EA? In this piece I explore some of the potential challenges of sovereign states under a common currency.

First, there has not been a smooth implementation of a currency union without a successful political union in human history. The challenge of having fives states with one central bank, single monetary policy without a common treasury can be daunting.

The modern model of a common currency, the Euro-zone is now in disarray because of this structural flaw in design i.e, a common central bank, the common currency (the Euro) but each of the 16 Euro-zone member countries has its own treasury and the Euro-zone is under threat of disintegration.

The European Union countries had similar ambitions like the EAC, but the political union agenda has dragged on and it increasingly gets unlikely that there will ever be a united states of Europe. Will the EAC follow suit if it adopts similar flawed structural design of the integration process? Ironically, the EAC's monetary affairs committee has out sourced the services of the European Central Bank to guide the process of attaining a single currency.

Normally, a government of a sovereign state has two policy instruments for steering its economy to create jobs for its citizens. They keep prices of goods and services stable (control inflation), keep its exports competitive, sustain long run individual and national income growth (GDP) per capita growth and GDP) and maintain macroeconomic stability.

Typically, a central bank manages monetary policy via controlling quantity of money in the economy, interest rates, maintaining prices of goods, services and exchange rate stable. Thus, monetary policy decisions are largely technical and not political, and central banks are supposed to be independent.

When nations join in a monetary union before a political union, it means that a typical member state will have no decision power over the key elements of monetary policy alone. A nation would not be able to control money supply and interest rates to stabilise prices of goods and services and control exchange rate for export competitiveness.

Usually, political and development needs will determine the national budget revenue sources and expenditure priorities.

This is where the problem begins. The European experience reveals that when countries manage their national budgets with different politically guided fiscal policy priorities under a single regional monetary policy, there is bound to be a mismatch. So a common treasury is an essential component for successful integration.

Second, with labour productivity differing significantly in the EAC region with Kenya at the top, more unemployed people, language barriers, movement of workers in the region will be less than perfect.

This, with standardised fiscal and monetary policy discipline, will hurt the weaker members of EAC. For instance, focusing on fiscal policy through budget targets could curtail individual government development projects, stifle employment creation, and reduce tax receipts and exports competitiveness.

This could lead to overall downward spiral in demand of goods and services. Therefore, a single market and currency union are only small steps that can lead forward or stall the integration process. The EAC needs to move a political federation rapidly.

Past Articles of the Week:

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/08/article-of-week-barrons-africa-final.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/article-of-week-politically-incorrect.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/cno-dishes-on-fishor-fish-is-new.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/vp-bidens-africa-trip.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/china-in-africa.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/04/ethiopia-chinese-fund-to-embark-on.html