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Posted on Sat, May 17, 2008 - 12:37:13

Luke in New England writes:

I think you should do what you can to make sure the aid reaches the people who need it, but other than that, it should be />
Offering food…

From the entry 'To What Extent Should U.S. Foreign Assistance Be Conditioned on the Behavior of the Recipient?'.

Posted on Fri, May 16, 2008 - 6:39:06

DipNote Blogger Luke Forgerson writes:

@ Ronald in New York -- Thanks for your welcome! It's an interesting idea that you propose. Let us know a bit more about…

From the entry 'Introducing... DipNote's New Managing Editor'.

Posted on Fri, May 16, 2008 - 5:35:23

DipNote Blogger Luke Forgerson writes:

@ John in Greece and Joe in Tennessee -- Thanks so much for your warm wishes and feedback! I encourage you to continue reading…

From the entry 'Introducing... DipNote's New Managing Editor'.

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Bangladesh Cyclone Relief: The Job Changes Daily
Posted by Carter Wilbur on Nov 30, 2007 - 01:54 PM

Bangladeshi citizens receive aid provided by boat in Bangladesh Nov. 24, 2007. [AP]

Carter Wilbur serves as the Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Even though I'm a member of the Foreign Service, the ‘diplomatic corps', I recently found myself surrounded by members of the United States Marine Corps in a helicopter which bore a striking resemblance to the ones you see in Vietnam-era war movies. Instead of weapons, we carried notebooks and cameras, since these Marines are the Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team from the United States Marine Corps' III Marine Expeditionary Force. Accompanied by Bangladeshi military officers we were on a flight to survey the damage from Cyclone Sidr in the southern portion of Bangladesh, and plan for the delivery of U.S. government humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

As we flew south out of Dhaka, we all were watching…

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Groundhog Day
Posted by John Matel on Nov 29, 2007 - 11:25 AM

John Matel poses with his bicycle in Al Anbar Province, Iraq March 11, 2007. [AP]

John Matel serves as Team Leader of the Al Asad Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq.

Not long after I arrived in Iraq, I wrote a post on my personal blog called, "Get a Life." I was trying to find something to do that was not work related. Nobody can work flat out forever. But there was just no place to go or anything else to do but work. We live in small trailers w/o bathrooms. The office is nicer than home, so most of us just stay at work. Beyond that, the Marines have a ferocious work ethic and an unrelenting positive attitude. The Colonel is working when I get here in the morning at around 8 and even if I leave the office at 11:45 (2345 to them) many Marines are still here. Of course, they take…

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Question of the Week: What Effect Will Hamas Have on Negotiations Over the Future of Israel and Palestine?
Posted by Frederick Jones on Nov 28, 2007 - 04:49 PM

Hamas Supporters in Gaza City November 27, 2007. [AP]

At the recently concluded Annapolis Conference, representatives from 40 countries heard Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas pledge to begin negotiations next month in an effort to reach a peace agreement. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, was not invited to the Conference.

What effect will Hamas have on negotiations over the future of Israel and Palestine?

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Behind the Scenes: The Day After the Annapolis Conference
Posted by Nancy Brinker on Nov 28, 2007 - 04:45 PM

Nancy Brinker with Ehud Olmert (left) Mahmoud Abbas (right) in Wash., DC Nov. 28, 2007. [State Dept]

This blog entry is written by Nancy Brinker, Chief of Protocol at the U.S. Department of State. Ambassador Brinker provides a behind the scenes look into meetings that took place at the White House the day after the Annapolis Conference.

Today is the first day after the Annapolis Conference. We are all so hopeful that the good will established by yesterday’s meeting will translate into tangible results. President Abbas arrived with his delegation, including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian National Authority. They were upbeat and appeared…

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My Reasons for Volunteering in Iraq
Posted by Philip Kosnett on Nov 28, 2007 - 03:50 PM

POLAD Phil Kosnett (left) with Ambassador Crocker (center) and U.S. troops in Iraq 2007. [AP]

Ask three people serving with the Foreign Service in Iraq why they're here, and you'll get three different answers. I've volunteered for three tours in Iraq, and I'll give you three different answers, too -- one for each tour. I first came to Iraq in January 2004, seconded from State Department to the Coalition Provisional Authority as the deputy CPA chief for the province of Najaf. By the time I arrived it was clear that the road to a free and peaceful Iraq would be long and hard, and I don't think I harbored any illusions that we were going to find any quick fixes or that the work was going to be glamorous. My reasons for volunteering were not at all ideological, and nobody asked me what I thought about the decision to go to war. With twenty years experience in the Foreign Service, I saw myself as a professional troubleshooter specializing…

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