99 Brasilia 04301: Monthly Pol/Econ Strategy Session

99 Brasilia 04300: Transfer of US Army Medical Research Unit-Brazil (USAMRU-B) Equipment

A Journal Interlude from November 12, 1999

Back in Brasilia [after leave at home]. Had quite a homecoming. Got back to not only an overflowing desk but also a slightly fraying, yet still impending cabinet visit. Arrived Wednesday in time for a somewhat frantic tussle with State Department lawyers over the wording of an agreement for signature during Secretary Cohen’s visit. Lost the tussle but learned an important lesson and some useful info for the future. (We will eventually do the agreement anyway.) On Thursday, I used the holiday to catch up on work and -- after watching two episodes of the final five of my favorite Brazilian telenovela taped for me while I was gone -- went off to meet the Secretary at 12 midnight.

On Friday, still not caught up on my trip induced sleep shortage, went into the office early to do some work and then to the hotel for a 9:45 briefing. Spent the rest of the day with the Secretary: meetings with the Senate President, the President, the new Defense Minister, lunch with the Defense Minister and the senior military commanders, a photo event at the Embassy, a press conference and a late afternoon meeting with the Foreign Minister. In between, rode with the Secretary. Had a chance to chat with him (and in between events, with his attractive wife). A decent man and a Republican. We talked about business but also ourselves. I told him about A... attending St. Albans. He told me he is leaving politics after the Administration leaves office. He later told the Embassy staff that he appreciated the sacrifices we folks abroad make in the public service, like the Charge living without his family.


This weekend is another three-day one thanks to another Brazilian holiday. (I like getting two sets of holidays.) I will be guest of honor at the Marine Ball tomorrow and have my rented tux hanging in the closet. I also hope to sleep.

99 Brasilia 03956: Russian ABM Resolution Demarche

99 Brasilia 03491: Section 505 Agreement with Brazil: Now is the Time

99 Brasilia 03376: SouthCom CINC Meets with Minister of Defense, Military Commanders

99 Brasilia 03353: Southcom CINC Meeting with MFA U/S Cannabrava

99 Brasilia 03012: Human Rights Limitation on Assistance to Security Forces: Implementation Guidelines

99 Brasilia 02982: A/S Newsom Meets U/S Canabrava During Pol/Mil Consultations to Discuss Improving Dialogue and Colombia

99 Brasilia 02777: Update on Brazilian Fighter Requirements

04 Khartoum 0550: GOS Announces Suspension of Permits for Darfur & Other Meansures

Per the previous entry (also see note below):

Note:  Behind this cable and the Embassy effort to bring the Sudanese government into a peace process on Darfur was also my effort to convince Washington to agree to providing support from the US military (in the form of logistics) for the African Union (AU) monitoring effort to be put together.  The US regional command in Djibouti (the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, CJTF-HOA) was eager.  But in Washington, the Departments of State and Defense plus the NSC were opposed.  They didn't want to see any US boots on the ground in Sudan.  I argued that the investment could be modest but the impact great.  The Sudanese government would take the AU effort much more seriously if the US were supporting it and the AU certainly needed logistic support to be at all effective.  The difference of opinion over Darfur (plus the enmity of USAID political appointees who saw Darfur as a side issue or one to use against the government) played a large part in Washington's decision not to allow me to extend for a second year.

04 Khartoum 0342: Visit of Romanian Special Envoy

04 Khartoum 0147: AF Acting A/AS Snyder and USAID A/A Winter Press Darfur and Abyei with Sudanese Foreign Minister

Also see journal entries below.

 

Journal entry for February 12:  It's been an intense 48 hours. Some of the most intensive bureaucratics I've ever seen and with the good guys -- Charlie -- on the ropes and the bad guys -- USAID -- running the ship toward an iceberg. Not sure where things stand or will stand when the dust settles.

I'm tired but have to await two visitors return. Charlie leaves at 2am but I have said my good-byes. This has been too intense for me, not the diplomacy or policy stuff but the shear degree of human stupidity, smallness and meanness involved while real people struggle with life and death matters.

See also:  Journal Entries for February 13 & 14 and note for 04 Khartoum 0252