Brazil Cables Begin: 99 Brasilia 02431

I worked at the NSC 1998-99 and covered, among others, Brazil.  The President's nominee for Ambassador to Brazil -- Brian Atwood -- picked me to be his deputy (DCM).  In the event, Mr. Atwood was prevented from serving because of opposition from Senator Jesse Helms.  When I arrived at post in July 1999, and until leaving in January 2000, I served as chargé d'affaires.  Over the next several months, I will be posting cables from Embassy Brasilia during that period as released through a FOIA request.  I begin with the earliest.

A Belizean Interlude: Perhaps How Not to Say Goodbye

Served as DCM in Belize City 1994-96.  The Ambassador was a political appointee from New Hampshire.  The US had various international crime issues with the Belizean government and as my tour was drawing to a close, we thought I might be used to deliver a tough message through an interview with a local newspaper (the Reporter).  The government was not pleased and suggested it would have PNG'd me but I was already leaving.  (Clever American diplomacy in action.)  The pro-government People's Pulse then responded.  On the day I left, while at the airport with my son waiting for the plane, Belizean police approached me and suggested that they could, if they wished, plant drugs on me and use that to arrest me.  What fun.  Here follows the relevant press pieces. 

Sudan: Final Words

The break-up of Sudan, aided and abetted by the United States, can be seen as another example of ill-conceived outside interference in an internal conflict in the name of democracy and human rights. The record for holding together the multi-ethnic states left behind by Western colonialism and former empires, without autocratic and often brutal centralized rule, is slim. This is a hard truth. And once such states are broken, they do not heal themselves. 

The full piece on my final thoughts on the string of Sudan entries may be found on TransConflict: http://www.transconflict.com/2016/05/what-lesson-from-sudan-035/

Final Journal Entries in Khartoum. August 2004

Aug 7:  Now that Sudan is a hot issue, all sorts of actors are in the policy-making mix.  And they know nothing so drift quickly into group think.  The group think -- even within US government -- is informed very much by the media and the perceived need to respond to it.  Washington does not do policy anymore.  It reacts to the day's press.  Very dysfunctional.

In the case of Sudan, policy was already in the hands of a small group of pols in USAID that saw the regime here in the same way that their counterparts in DOD saw Saddam.  ([They] have a long history of support for the "Christians" in the south.)  The regime is bad but we cannot simply push it over....  [N]ow that a USAID person has become AF Assistant Secretary, their capture is complete except....  (USAID already runs its own policy with the Darfur rebels.)  Add the USAID angle to the group think and we are heading for a policy calling for things the GOS cannot do -- like disarm the jinjaweed -- that will lead to a confrontation that may turn Sudan into another Somalia. (The EU and Egyptians are quite serious about Darfur and are already afraid we will blow it.)  Sent a cable on this yesterday but doubt anyone is listening.  (Powell gets it but relies far too much on his "battalion commanders" like the new A/S.) 

August 19: Just back from a three-hour GOS/UN meeting that started at 7:30pm. The goverment started its behavior in Darfur to try to ensure it did not become "internationalized." So they end up talking about how they will investigate rape cases to a room full of foreigners.

August 26:  Yesterday I sent in a cable that suggests a course of action for the next step that puts off sanctions. I have found out that my efforts led the Secretary to beat back the recent USAID effort to piss on the UN efforts here to find a peaceful way forward. One week to go.

August 27: Well, my tour is complete. Went and briefed Rev. Jackson this afternoon. Looked a little older than I last saw him but still sharp. Pointed him in a few directions. Meanwhile, a hijacked Libyan plane sits on the local runway.

August 30: Spent part of the day with Senator Corzine and Dick Holbrooke. Worked well. Corzine is a regular guy, as perhaps only a self-made millionaire elected senator can be. ...

Holbrooke has a big ego but seemed also to be able to figure out quickly if someone knows his shit. I was frank in explaining why I am leaving this week, in the middle of things.

Spoke to Treasury Secretary Snow this evening too. Corzine's banker friend Collins (whose private plane he came in on) called Snow about the Sudan embassy's banking problem and then handed the phone to me. I briefed him on the Sudanese Embassy's banking problem.

Note:  I departed Khartoum for home  on September 2.  Coming soon, Brasila cables.

Whatever you do, save the silverware!

Note:  CNN reported on April 30, 1996 that "U.S. Marines at an American Embassy compound in Liberia killed at least two Liberian factional fighters and wounded another in a series of gunfire exchanges Tuesday, the Defense Department said."

More Journal Entries for July: The Secretary Calls and Darfur Events

July 18: Had a busy day with a cable to write and some meetings.  Was driving ... when I got a call from State Ops.  The Secretary wanted to speak with me.  That was a first.  He was going to make some calls and wanted to check in with me.  Said he was reading my cables closely.  Talked maybe 4-5 minutes.  Sudan is hot.
Tonight off to the British Ambassador's for dinner.  I'm not complaining.

July 20: I had some 25 Darfurians over tonight for a reception/meeting.  I wanted to give them a space to start the reconciliation process free of government interference.  We were also "consulting" them about a further US role.  Went well.  Had Arabs and Africans, nomads and farmers and some jinjaweed.  Told them we may be able to help but they must solve their own problems.  Felt strange to be hosting such a group all in their turbans on my front lawn in Khartoum, me a [guy] from Jersey.  What a long strange trip its been. 

Darfur leaders with Charge & poloff

July 26: Last nite I went to meet a group of Arabs from Darfur who wanted their side of the story heard.  Reality is always more complicated up close.  There are no good guys involved in the Darfur story and everyone is at least partially right.  They were concerned that the outside world sees all Arabs as "jinjaweed."  This is a danger.  But at the end of the discussion, one little guy accused the U.S. of being anti- Arab everywhere, Iraq etc..  I had had enough by then of self-serving bullshit -- including one guy asking how we knew the women really had been raped -- so I asked if they knew how many atom bombs we had left and that if we were anti-Arab, there would be no more of them left. They sobered up quickly and I bet they gave the little guy a tough time after I left.  Which I did not do right away since at 10pm, I was informed we were going to eat dinner.  Got home at 11 and of course this morning I got up tired.

 
 

Journal Entries for July 11-15, 2004: The Life of a Diplomat

July 11: Just back from UK poolside party.  Took NYRB and New Yorker writer Samantha Power there.  Spend a few hours chatting with her during the day.  Hopefully won't actually see my name in print. Spent two hours also with Mubarak [Al Mahdi] and [Foreign Minister] Mustapha.

July 12: Went on Hash today.  It was a very pleasant walk through rural Khartoum to the Blue Nile.  I promised the UK ambassador's two sons that I'd do it.  Two bright lads, 13 and almost 17.  Was otherwise busy with meeting another tribal chief, etc.  Spoke to the Minister this evening about freeing political detainees.

July 15: Just attended the first “JIM” (Joint Information Meeting). Four hours (8pm-midnight) that was mostly surreal. The only new GOS information was unbelievable -- about 100,000 voluntary refugee returnees and another 158,000 IDP returnees. Otherwise, challenges to us to present specific info on what we said about continued insecurity, continued jinjaweed activity and government attacks. As far as GOS sees it, they are taking actions -- more police, arrests -- and Darfur is getting more secure. Says can't disarm all jinjaweed right away while rebels are still attacking.

Journal Entry for July 9, 2004: Some Personal Reflections on Doing US Diplomacy

Saw a sight today that hit me in my stomach.  On the side of a road, a women -- she would have been tall if the could stand upright -- walking on her feet and hands.  I see such people every few days, walking through the city on their hands and knees or feet.  It was as if she was a four-legged animal loping along.  She appeared young and two small children were following her.  Her children?  My god, what a story she lives everyday, a story so different from ours, a story of love no doubt, a human story, but one full of things I can only imagine, so many common indignities. 

Last night at bowling, the guy who works there, who's job it is to smile and hover over the patrons, especially the foreigners, approached me.  The sort of person you learn to accept, expect in the Third World.  He had asked me before if he could give me his papers.  Last night he had them, he'd been holding them for me.  I accepted.  Turns out this smiling, inconsequential person was a rebel in Ethiopia for years.  His side won but the faction he was in lost favor.  He was arrested and imprisoned various times and finally had to flee to Sudan.  Lt. Solomon, formerly a major in the new Ethiopian army, demoted before his last arrest.  He has applied for asylum in Sudan and exists with a series of three month passes from the UN while it considers his case.  Been living that way for the last few years.  Now he wants my help.

We are trying to help these people help themselves.  Yet we are dancing with real devils, smiling, courteous killers.  I have gone out on various limbs, am standing on some thin ice.  Sometimes I feel that I've lost my way.

I feel so far from home.  And I worry sometimes that I'll never find it again.  Where can you ever be at home when you see what we have done to ourselves?  But when I do get there, I think I'll stay.  I have asked to stay here, will feel dissed if they don't want me.  But I think I need to get out of here.  If they don't want me, I'll serve it out and leave without regrets. 

 

Journal Entries for June 28 & 31: Codels and the Secretay

My son visited me for a few weeks in June, including spending time with the CPMT in southern Sudan. 

 That's him in the south.

Then came visits by a congressional delegations (a "codel") and Secretary Powell to visit Darfur.

 

June 28: Well, I am living proof of the literal veracity of the old saying that it is an ill wind that blows no one any good. Right now I should have been in the middle of staying up till 1:30am with my visiting Senator while he was awaiting his plane out of here at the ungodly hour of 2:45. However, a haboob -- a big wind for sure -- kept his plane from leaving Geneina. He'll come though now at a more reasonable hour tomorrow with the Congressman. And I'll be with the Secretary so will delegate out their departure. Now I can go to sleep in my own bed at a reasonable time. He gets to sleep in the desert. No ill wind as far as I am concerned.

Got over a 100 people from outside working on the visit. My part really starts tomorrow when I need to be able to respond to whatever the Secretary asks and seem to know what I am doing. In this sort of visit, protocol is him and COM, all others follow. Show time.

June 31: Back from the airport and "wheels-up." The trip went very well. The Embassy -- strengthened by some 100 additional people from all over -- did an excellent job and everything went smoothly. We eventually even got some potential progress from the government. Things went quickly from the time I met the Secretary at the airport.
 

Meeting with the Foreign Minister and then the President. At midnight, we were in the Secretary's suite in the Hilton "brainstorming." During the rides, I was in the limo with him and briefed him and answered questions. This morning, he met the Embassy staff and had another meeting before going on the plane at noon to go to Darfur. On the plane, we brainstormed some more. Met the African Union ceasefire monitors in El Fasher and then NGO workers. Quickly toured a camp for the displaced and then back to Khartoum. Total trip took less than five hours in the big 757. At the airport, we met with the UN Secretary General and then the Sudanese Vice President. After a press conference, he said goodbye and left.

Powell is smart, considerate and patient. Spent a fair amount of time with him and it was a pleasure. Got on pretty good terms. He took on board my ideas, asked my questions and drifted toward my perspectives. I took the opportunity to ask if might put in a word in support of my staying. He said he hadn't yet spoken to new A/S since she was sworn in. He didn't say he would or would not. But he didn't seem bothered that I asked. All in all, a few intense days (with a US Senator and Congressman also visiting) and I feel up. 

 

Journal Entry for June 11, 2004: Government Reneging on Darfur

From a cable I sent: “For past month [see: 04Khartoum 0550], the Embassy has been talking with GOS about the gains to be had for all from it adopting a cooperative approach to working with the international community. We have also stressed that time is running out to save lives. Despite some early positive steps -- on visas and travel regulations -- it is clear that the GOS has not, repeat not, adopted a facilitative approach to helping save lives in Darfur. Needed vehicles, equipment and food are blocked and aid workers are harassed on the ground. Government behavior has resulted in too few aid workers, with too little equipment and food, forced to waste too much time to do too little. The government is failing to meet minimal expectations and the time may be coming for the international community to consider measures. Time is running out.”


Note:  The cables returned from my FOIA request for Khartoum cables for the period I served as Charge ended with 04Khartoum 0550.  I have received cables from Brasilia during my time there but before I get to those, I will draw on my journal to end the period of my Sudan tour.