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Rik in Alabama writes:

Regarding the political environment in Abidjan you're right by saying that the election is taking a very long detour however some "leaders" are very determinant for their own political ambitious. We want to move up but we have to be careful. Some of them are corrupts and they will do everything to take power. Can u assist the current government to build a strong transparency election and let the people of Cote d'Ivoire to decide for their future,thanks

Posted on Sun Mar 14, 2010

Patrick in Maryland writes:

Hi, Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson...:).

I think your doing an Awesome Job supporting our country and working to ensure a productive a peaceful Africa.

I hope your encouraging words and support of the hard working people of Africa. Will help bring more jobs to their communitys and eventually make their lives, feel more productive and meaningful.

I liked the networking in your video conference. Good Questions and Answers.

Thanks for Blogging this video,Information
Officer Russell Brooks...:)

See-Ya ..:):)

Posted on Wed Mar 03, 2010

Eric in New Mexico writes:

Russell,

Would it be possible to officially invite Mr. Bowden to a public debate on Dipnote? I think he could stand to be nuked by logic. (chuckle).

"But Mark Bowden, the United Nations official in charge of humanitarian operations in Somalia, said the accusations of aid diversions to the Shabab were “ungrounded.”

“What we are seeing is a politicization of humanitarian issues,” he said, adding that when he recently went to Washington to discuss the matter with American aid officials, “the comment we met was, ‘This is beyond our pay grade.’ ”"


-By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: February 17, 2010
New York Times
---
"UN agencies, however, have not seen any evidence from the U.S. government that the aid is being diverted to the group, which is fighting the UN-backed Somali government, said Mark Bowden, the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia.

"The problem seems to be that it has escalated to a higher political level," Bowden said. "And our concern is that … what we're seeing is a politicization of humanitarian issues.""

CBC News
---
It's not really the reporter's fault that his editors make assumptions based on quotes that the UN actually is neutral about all of this.

If I were to speculate on "pay grade", my guess is a smart desk officer decided that it was a question best answered by senior officials.

But gosh! It just makes this citizen just want to wade into this fray with vebal guns blazing, and nuke smallmindedness at the UN level back to the stone age!

I don't want that UN man's head on a platter.

I want his job, because I can do better than make poor excuse any day of the week.

I hope folks will take this under consideration.

Thanks,
EJ

Posted on Mon Mar 01, 2010

Eric in New Mexico writes:

Hi Russell,

In regards to this;

"Published reports that the U.S. was "politicizing” the distribution of humanitarian food aid in Somalia were raised by one reporter."

If the archived comments were actually readable, you might get an interesting perspective from the conversation some of us were having last week.

blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/q_winter_olympics#Comments

Instead, one has to left-click, hold and drag a box to highlight those comments in order to know there's some public debate on the matter.

You are an information officer so perhaps you can recomend Dipnote use a lighter background in the archives to make the text actually visable to the naked eye?

Then send the link to that unnamed reporter with my best regards if you would please (chuckle), 'cause I'd like to offer him/her "continuing education" beyond the one Mr. Carson offered.

What about trying to save lives do people not understand, eh?

Best,
EJ

Posted on Mon Mar 01, 2010

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