Category Archives: Diplomacy

November 14, 2012 · 1:59 pm

Quickie: Can American Diplomacy Ever Come Out of Its Bunker?

Via the NYT:

The barriers are there for a reason: Stevens’s death attests to that, as do those of Americans in Beirut, Baghdad and other violent places. But the reaction to the attack in Benghazi crystallized a sense among many diplomats that risks are less acceptable in Washington than they once were, that the mantra of “security” will only grow louder. As a result, some of the country’s most distinguished former ambassadors are now asking anew what diplomacy can achieve at such a remove.

“No one has sat back to say, ‘What are our objectives?’ ” said Prudence Bushnell, who was ambassador to Kenya when the Qaeda bombing took place there in 1998, killing more than 200 people and injuring 4,000. “The model has become, we will go to dangerous places and transform them, and we will do it from secure fortresses. And it doesn’t work.”

Read in full here.

-DS

 

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July 25, 2012 · 12:03 am

Photo of the Day: Mobile diplomacy wears combat boots also…

Via dvidshub.net:

Mobile diplomacy comes to Mizan: Afghan national police officers pose for a photo while cooking lunch for the more than 100 Afghans attending a mobile diplomacy shura in the district of Mizan, Zabul province, Afghanistan, Jan. 4. Provincial leaders were on hand at the shura to talk with locals about security and education, and to officially open the road from Qalat, the provincial capital, to the district. Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson; Date Taken:01.04.2011; Location:MIZAN, AF)

 

 

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June 28, 2012 · 3:44 pm

US Embassaurus Baghdad About to Get Even Bigger? Like Super Big? Like LA’s Super Rock?

Mother god of thunder, what wonderful news you bring us!

The US Embassaurus in Baghdad will not just be the biggest and most expensive in the world, it is on its way to becoming super big; like that very big rock in Los Angeles now fondly called, “Levitated Mass, by the artful.

Despite official claims to the contrary of “rightsizing” the mission, this will help ensure that US Embassaurus Baghdad will continue to hold the world’s record as the biggest with the mostest.  Yes, yes, by all means — go bid there during the AIP cycle (is that about now?) while it is still the record holder.  Just so you know that US Embassy London, US Embassy Kabul and US Embassy Islamabad are all vying for that same dubious honor.  Of course, given all accommodation shown by our friends allies frienemies in Pakistan in the construction of the new diplomatic digs there, and given the potential that they would want to shave off the floors above four-five storeys, there is a fighting chance that US Embassy Pakistan will grab the record before all this is over.

Via WaPo’s Walter Pincus:

The State Department is planning to spend up to $115 million to upgrade the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, already its biggest and most expensive in the world, according to pre-solicitation notices published this month.

Remember, it has been 3 1 / 2 years since American diplomats moved into the 104-acre, $700 million facility and only four months after State officials in February talked about trying to cut back the U.S. presence there.

State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) put out a statement Wednesday saying new planning began after it was determined there needed to be “a larger population on the Baghdad Embassy compound, due to the consolidation of satellite diplomatic facilities and property around Baghdad.”
The statement added, “The consolidation takes the overall diplomatic property in Baghdad down by one-third, but increases the personnel working and living on the Embassy compound.”

Here is a quick rundown:

SAQMMA-12-R0271-:  Baghdad, Iraq, New Power Plant, Life Safety and Utility Infrastructure Upgrade Project

Estimated Price Tag: $60 – 80 million

Estimated performance period:  24 months

The project will consist of the following:

  • A central utility power plant consisting of equally sized generators capable of parallel operation
  • Adequate 21-day underground fuel storage
  • A new utility building for the generators and switchgear
  • Compound-wide electrical distribution system
  • Compound-wide site electrical infrastructure
  • Waste heat utilization program
  • Compound-wide fire main replacement and fire water distribution upgrade
  • Compound-wide domestic water system upgrade
  • Compound-wide sanitary sewer system upgrade
  • Compound-wide storm water system upgrade
  • Compound-wide telecommunications system upgrade (telephone, data, CATV)
  • New communication central office building
  • Interface with communication tower (installed by others)

The Embassy compound is approximately 104 acres, located in the International Zone of Baghdad, Iraq.  The entire compound will be affected by this project.

SAQMMA-12-R0288:  Baghdad, Iraq, Major Rehabilitation Project

Estimated Price Tag: $20 – 35 million. 

Estimated performance period:  11 months

The Major Rehab project will consist of the renovation of an existing annex building and installation of independent support systems.  The Major Rehab will include interior partitions, electrical/telecommunication systems upgrades, extensive mechanical and plumbing systems, fire/life safety installations, commissioning and certification.

The Embassy compound is located in the International Zone of Baghdad, Iraq. The annex building is a three story structure with a fourth level penthouse.  The area to be renovated includes approximately 334 net square meters and has been laid out to accommodate a Data Hall and Office Area on a 450mm high raised access flooring system

Of course, we just dedicated that US Embassy in Baghdad, remember? So three years after it was officially launched and marked its claim to fame, we already need a rehab and an upgrade?  In a place where we’re supposed to be “rightsizing” our footprint? Is there no end to this?  Yes, yes, it is still much cheaper than when troops were in that country. But that’s like splurging just because there is a fire sale!

This is, of course, the same embassy with so little influence within the Iraqi Government.  Just recently, it took a two-week bureaucratic debate before the GoI released the body of Michael David Copeland because the Iraqis insist on performing an autopsy on his remains. Man, if we can’t even get the Iraqis to compromise on the release of our dead, how can we get them to compromise on something for the living?

The AP reported that Copeland, of Colbert, Okla., moved to Iraq within the last month to take a job on an aviation project with DynCorp International under a State Department contract. His body was found in his bed on June 9, family members said. No foul play was suspected.  Copeland, a former Marine showed no obvious signs of trauma or illness but under Iraqi laws, as in other countries, local authorities must issue a death certificate before releasing a body to survivors outside the country, according to the AP.

It turns out that our largest and most expensive embassy in the world does not have a medical examiner on staff to do autopsies.

That said, must also point out that the US Embassy Barbados does not have a medical examiner on staff either but was able to convinced the host country to released the body of George Gaines shortly after his demise for an autopsy back in the United States.

Imagine if the US Embassy in Baghdad is a “normal” embassy, it would have taken months to get the body of Mr. Copeland released!  Thankfully, we have a large, effective mission at the forefront of our people to people diplomacy in the Middle East, it only took two weeks to secure a dead body.

Domani Spero

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November 21, 2011 · 5:37 am

US Mission Pakistan: Hip-Hop Diplomacy Almost Hit the Wrong Note

Image via WikipediaVia the Express Tribune:

Pakistani military officials on Wednesday briefly detained a visiting US hip-hop troupe, accusing a performer of taking sensitive photographs in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the embassy said. The nine American nationals were detained by the Islamabad police for allegedly taking photographs and making video footage of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

The six members of FEW Collective, a US officer, Pakistani staff from the embassy and Pakistani musicians were detained for around an hour on a military base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.


US Embassy Islamabad released the following statement:

“A performing arts group sponsored by the U.S. Embassy was briefly detained and later released by military authorities today in Rawalpindi. One of the performers was accused of taking photographs of sensitive installations. While one of the performers may have taken a photograph while travelling in an Embassy vehicle on a public road, no sensitive installations were visible from the vehicle. The performer was not aware of restrictions placed on photography in or near the cantonment, and had no intention of taking photographs of sensitive Pakistani government or military installations.”

Now, it is quite easy to get mad at this incident. However, I suspect that Pakistan has the equivalent of our “If You See Something, Say Something™“ campaign.  Remember that one launched in conjunction with the rollout of the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI) (PDF, 2 pages – 545 KB)?  The Pakistanis are just late in coming up with a sassy name for their program.

Read this one and tell me which government put this out:

Every day, law enforcement officers at all levels of
government—state, local, tribal, and federal—observe
suspicious behaviors or receive such reports from
concerned civilians, private security, and other government
agencies. What might not seem significant (for instance,
taking a picture of a ferry during loading), when combined
with other actions and activity, may become a composite
indicating the possibility of criminal—even terrorist—
activity.

Yep.

On a related note, Hishaam Aidi, editor, with Manning Marable, of Black Routes to Islam (Palgrave Macmillan 2009), and a fellow at the Open Society Foundation in New York recently had a lot to say about hip-hop diplomacy in Al Jazeera. Excerpts below:

Warning that Osama bin Laden’s associate Abu Yahya al-Libi has made al-Qaeda look “cool”, one terrorism expert recommends that the US respond “with one of America’s coolest exports: hip hop”, specifically with a “subgroup” thereof.
[...]
But it’s unclear how “Muslim hip hop” will exert a moderating or democratising influence: Will a performance by an African-American Muslim group trigger a particular calming “effect”, pushing young Muslim men away from extremist ideas? Nor is it clear what constitutes “Muslim hip hop”: Does the fact that Busta Rhymes is a Sunni Muslim make his music “Islamic”?  
[..]
For State Department officials, the hip hop initiatives in Muslim-majority states showcase the diversity and integration of post-civil rights America. The multi-hued hip hop acts sent overseas represent a post-racial or post-racist American dream, and exhibit the achievements of the civil rights movement, a uniquely American moment that others can learn from.
But it’s unclear how persuasive this racialised imagery is. Muslims do not resent the US for its lack of diversity. Where perceptions are poor, it is because of foreign policy, as well as, increasingly, domestic policies that target Muslims.

He may have hit the right note to ask here. Sometimes it takes someone from outside to bring up the right questions. 

Continue reading, Leveraging hip hop in US foreign policy.

 

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June 1, 2011 · 10:54 am

Cowboys from Montana, Arizona and Wyoming Visit Afghanistan

“Cowboys from Montana, Arizona and Wyoming representing the NGO Vista 360 visited Afghanistan to connect with rural people, primarily women. Along the way, they were invited to Victory Day events, including buzkashi and a martial arts demonstration.”

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
Photos from US Embassy Kabul/Flickr

The visit was from April 23-May 2, 2011.

The visiting cowboys were there “to connect with rural people, primarily women.” Hookay, if you say so …. I have no idea what’s with all that but they all look cute.  Frankly, I’m still trying to digest a rumor of a hip hop dance troop in Herat as part of our cultural outreach.

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May 31, 2011 · 12:13 pm

FCO to reposition diplomats, EU diplos under fire, India, India, India and more….

Serious concerns are being voiced that the newly-created European External Action Service (EEAS) – known as “Europe’s State Department” – and the EU Commission are going beyond their remit to speak for the EU – {The Telegraph}

FCO is increasing its presence in India and China, the world’s two emerging superpowers; 50 diplomats to be deployed to China and 30 to India.  {VOA News.com}

India has long shown mouselike diplomatic clout but that’s changing as it starts to make waves in Africa {The Economist}.

State Department’s “Experience America” to Bring Ambassadors to Alaska {Alaska Journal}

U.S. authorities are investigating whether an Indian software giant Infosys Technologies Ltd.  repeatedly violated American visa laws in order to place its own foreign employees in temporary jobs at some big corporate clients in the U.S. {Wall Street Journal}

Diplomatic Immunity Interpretation: US  vs. India {Hindustantimes}

Tom Shah and Molly Huckaby Hardy were among the 44 U.S. Embassy employees killed when a truck bomb exploded outside the embassy compound in Kenya in 1998. Though it has never been publicly acknowledged, the two were working undercover for the CIA. In al-Qaida’s war on the United States, they are believed to be the first CIA casualties.
{Yahoo/AP}

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May 9, 2011 · 11:11 am

The "Invisible Woman" in "Europe’s State Department" Wants a Bigger Purse

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton...Image via WikipediaVia The Telegraph’s Nick Meo in Brussels | 07 May 2011:

She took up her highly-paid post promising to be a powerful new voice in foreign affairs, part of a bold strategy to make Europe a global player on the world stage. But to the private delight of her opponents, and the dismay of the federalist supporters who created her job, the lacklustre performance of Baroness Ashton of Upholland after more than a year in office has earned her the nickname “the invisible woman”.
[...]
The Sunday Telegraph has learned that Baroness Ashton, who was pushed into the plum position during Gordon Brown’s last few months in office, is formally requesting a 5.8 per cent budget increase next year – an extra €27 million – to pay the spiralling wage bill of the new European External Affairs Service, around 100 of whose diplomats earn more than the British foreign secretary.
[...]
Baroness Ashton’s supporters argue that to run a truly effective foreign service – “Europe’s State Department”, as they like to call it – she needs a bigger budget; her detractors accuse her of committing too much money in an effort to woo high calibre staff with lavish perks and salaries.
[...]
Staff costs have proved to be highly controversial for the new service, which pays top ambassadors €188,000 (£165,000). Around 100 officials earn more than the £134,565 salary paid to William Hague, the Foreign Secretary.

Read in full here.

Related posts:
Deadly crackdown of protesters in #Libya … paging EU’s Catherine Ashton, where are you? |Saturday, February 19, 2011 

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April 12, 2011 · 12:01 am

Ecuador: The Tit for Tat Explusion Not Over Yet — What’s Next? Ay! Mucho Bananas….

'Cavendish' bananas are the main commercial cu...Image via WikipediaA new wrinkle in the US-Ecuador worsening relations after the diplomatic expulsions of the US  ambassador in Quito and the Ecuadorian ambassador in Washington, D.C. last week. On April 8, Reuters reported that “Ecuador’s leftist President Rafael Correa on Friday accused the U.S. embassy of spying on the country’s police and military, adding the espionage was a factor in his expulsion this week of the U.S. ambassador.”

“The serious thing is that WikiLeaks said they (the U.S. embassy) have informants in the police and armed forces … This is espionage,” Correa said in a radio interview, adding the embassy had a duty to inform his government if it had evidence of a crime, but had not done so.
[...]
Correa acknowledged there is corruption in the police force and said his government is striving to stamp it out.

“The serious issue is that if they have information from inside the police, instead of letting the government know … they say nothing, and they try to involve the country’s President,” he said in the radio interview.

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Wednesday the decision to expel Hodges was made to defend Correa’s honor, even though trade ties with the United States might suffer.

Ecuador’s former foreign minister José Ayala Lasso  understood the duties of foreign representatives better and told IPS that he would have done things differently:

[T]wo specific factors: that ambassadors have an obligation to inform their government of everything they see in the country to which they have been posted, which they must do in an objective, in-depth manner.

“That is an obligation recognised by international law, and their reports are written for private use by their governments, not for international publication,” he said.

The other factor is that the leaked cable “refers to an issue that is very serious in Ecuador: police corruption.”

Also last week, China’s Xinhua reported that President Correa had downplayed the economic impact of the non-renewal of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act  (ATPDEA).

Correa reportedly said if the United States canceled the ATPDEA due to the current diplomatic impasse, the impact on Ecuador’s economy would only be less than 23 million U.S. dollars for the taxes, which is something the nation “can perfectly afford.”

The report noted that ATPDEA benefits Ecuador with the duty free entrance of 750 products to the United States. The agreement expired on Feb. 12 and is currently under review in the Congress.

President Correa was also quoted as saying, “The country’s dignity” is before the Atpdea, in response to concerns of the nation’s business circles that Quito’s expel of the U.S. ambassador could bring negative effects on the country’s commerce.

Note that the renewal of Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act  (ATPDEA) has so far made no ripple in the news this side of the world.  As of this weekend, there were exactly 11 news items related to  ATPDEA and most of them concerns Colombia.

The Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) was enacted in December 1991, to help four Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) in their fight against drug production and trafficking by expanding their economic alternatives.

The Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), enacted on August 6, 2002, renewed and amended the ATPA to provide duty-free treatment for certain products previously excluded under the ATPA.  

According to the USTR, Ecuador is currently our 42nd largest goods trading partner with $9.2 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2009. Goods exports totaled $3.9 billion; Goods imports totaled $5.3 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Ecuador was $1.3 billion in 2009.

Besides the US ambassador’s expulsion, an act that Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino called defending the presidential honor, President Correa himself, cited the importance of “the country’s dignity” before the ATPDEA.

Okay, but what else is going on over there besides the tit for tat headlines, and allegations of espionage?  In a few weeks, a referendum on a proposed set of constitutional changes which critics argued were really aimed at tightening Correa’s grip on the country’s institutions is also on. Read here and here.

The bad yanquis — always a reliable punching bag, rain or shine, but more so during referendums and elections.

Anyway, since ATPDEA seems to be in the news over there, perhaps we should look at our trade stuff with Ecuador (data from USTR):

Exports

  • Ecuador was the United States’ 41st largest goods export market in 2009.
  • U.S. goods exports to Ecuador in 2009 were $3.9 billion, up 13.8% ($477 million) from 2008, and up 229% from 1994 (the year prior to Uruguay Round).
  • The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2009 were: Mineral Fuel (oil) ($1.0 billion), Machinery ($962 million), Electrical Machinery ($288 million), Plastic ($227 million), and Vehicles ($216 million).
  • U.S. exports of agricultural products to Ecuador totaled $223 million in 2009. Leading categories include: coarse grains ($59 million), soybean meal ($30 million), and wheat ($28 million).

Imports

  • Ecuador was the United States’ 41st largest supplier of goods imports in 2009.
  • U.S. goods imports from Ecuador totaled $5.3 billion in 2009, a 41.7% decrease ($3.8 billion) from 2008, but up 205% over the last 15 years.
  • The five largest import categories in 2009 were: Mineral Fuel (crude) ($3.5 billion) Edible Fruit and Nuts (bananas, plantains) ($485 million), Fish and Seafood (shrimp and prawns) ($483 million), Cocoa ($184 million), and Live Trees and Plants (cut flowers-roses) ($119 million).
  • U.S. imports of agricultural products from Ecuador totaled $927 million in 2009. Leading categories include: bananas and plantains ($437 million), cocoa beans ($172 million), and nursery products and cut flowers ($119 million).


If this diplomatic tit for tat gets worse, the export/import sector may become collateral damage. 

 
Related items:

Fifth Report to the Congress on the Operation of the Andean Trade Preference Act as Amended

CRS: ATPA Renewal: Background and Issues | January 21, 2011

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March 9, 2011 · 5:03 pm

AAD Report: Under-investment in diplomacy has left Foreign Service overstretched, under prepared

The American Academy of Diplomacy has released a new report on the U.S. Foreign Service that points to the “urgent need to prepare and sustain a corps of American diplomatic professionals that is intellectually and operationally ready to lead in the new environment.”  The report also says that “there is little question that under-investment in diplomacy over the last decade or so has left our Foreign Service overstretched and under prepared.”

Among its recommendations are 1) fully funding of the staffing initiative under Diplomacy 3.0, 2) creation of a 15% training float, 3) long-term commitment to investing in the professional education and training needed “to build a 21st-century diplomatic service of the United States able to meet the complex challenges and competition we face in the coming decades”; 4) strengthening and expansion of the Department of State’s professional development process ; 5) establishment of a temporary corps of roving counselors to address mentoring problems caused by the mid-level gap; 6) a study that will examine best practices in the field to determine how on-the-job training can be most effectively conducted for FSOs; 7) completion of a year of advanced study related to FSO’s career track as a requirement for promotion to the Senior Foreign Service; and 8) appropriately targeted consultations before a new Chief of Mission (COM) even begins pre-assignment consultations.
 
You can read the whole thing below. Or you can download the abridged and full version of the report here. Do not skip the appendices.  The US Foreign Service Primer in Appendix A includes the most current employment numbers as well as a quick look on promotion and the ‘up or out’ system. Appendix D includes an interesting item on the professional development in other diplomatic services. You probably already know that Chinese officers must take a leadership and management training course, along with courses on international relations, economics and finance, international history, Chinese history, protocol, and consular affairs for promotion to 2nd Secretary. But do you know that these courses apparently are taken in officers’ spare time, in addition to their normal duties? Do you know which diplomatic service requires its officers to sit for exams following a one-month course that focuses on economics, law, civil society, and politics before promotion to 1st Secretary?  Or which one requires a PhD-level dissertation for promotion to Counselor?  Read more below.

Forging a 21st Century Diplomatic Service for the United States through Professional Education and Training http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=50321106&access_key=key-1fdjsa2cc63b38eyb56v&page=1&viewMode=list

Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Diplomacy, the Henry L. Stimson Center and the American Foreign Service Association // Republished with permission from AAD.


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March 4, 2011 · 5:27 pm

Artful Diplomacy: 80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken for F-16s?

Ben Berkowitz wrote a special report on weapons and the art of diplomacy here.  I’m sure this would make for some uncomfortable reading out there. And for diplomats who had to rope in sponsors contributors for the official USG 4th of July receptions, this is the answer begging for questions.

But the thing about F-16s and 80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken sure gets your attention.

I must say that had this deal went through, some lucky guy would have been put in for the Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development which recognizes outstanding contributions toward innovative and successful trade development and export promotion for the United States, including “energy and imagination in assisting U.S. manufacturers, retailers and distributors, banks investment firms, venture capital organizations, travel agents, airlines, and other exporters of U.S. goods and services.”  The award includes a certificate signed by the Secretary and $5,000.

Or the Herbert Salzman Award for Excellence in International Economic Performance for outstanding contributions in advancing U.S. international relations and objectives in the economic field. This award includes a certificate signed by the Secretary and $5,000.

Or who knows? Perhaps even the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award. This one is presented at the discretion of the Secretary in recognition of exceptionally outstanding leadership, professional competence, and significant accomplishment over a sustained period of time in the field of foreign affairs. Such achievements must be of notable national or international significance and have made an important contribution to the advancement of U. S. national interests.

Probably needed to calculate how many F-16 American jobs =80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken. Did not work out. Now, we’ll never know.  Excerpts from Weapons and the art of diplomacy:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – When Lockheed Martin wanted to sell C-130 military transport planes to the government of Chad in early 2007, the U.S. embassy in N’Djamena was ready to lend a hand.
[...]
The embassy in Chad is hardly an outlier. A review of thousands of pages of diplomatic cables from the last decade, obtained by WikiLeaks and provided to Reuters by a third party, paints a picture of foreign service officers and political appointees willing to go to great lengths to sell American products and services, and to prevent similar sales by other countries.

To be sure, that has been a big part of their job since the end of the Cold War. Nor do the cables point to any wrongdoing. But in some cases, the efforts were so strenuous they raise the question of where if anywhere the line is being drawn between diplomacy and salesmanship.

“The U.S. Government has broad, though not unlimited, discretion to promote and assist U.S. commercial interests abroad. We, of course, cannot do so in contravention of local laws,” a State Department spokesman said in response to queries on a series of cables.
[..]
Seasoned diplomats point to a shift in the early 1990s, after the introduction of what was sometimes referred to as a “Bill of Rights for U.S. Business” by former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. A career foreign service officer, Eagleburger wanted corporate America to have a say in matters of interest internationally — a big change from how things had been done.

“Until (then), U.S. diplomats were not particularly encouraged to help U.S. business. They were busy fighting the Cold War,” said one former U.S. diplomat in Asia. “All of a sudden, we were given new direction: if a single U.S. company is looking for business, we should advocate for them by name; if more than one U.S. company was in the mix, stress buying the American product.”
[...]
Marcelle Wahba, the career diplomat who was ambassador to the United Arab Emirates at the time, said such interactions were what was expected of American diplomats by the turn of the 21st Century.

“For the ambassador, I can’t think of a time when a month went by when a commercial issue wasn’t on my plate,” she said in an interview with Reuters. “Some administrations put more of an emphasis on it than others, but now I think, regardless of who’s in power you really find it’s become an integral part of the State Department mandate.”

One cable that underlines the persistence of U.S. diplomats trying to close a deal involves weapons and lots and lots of frozen chickens.

In 2005, the Thai government started shopping for new military fighter jets among Lockheed Martin, Russia’s Sukhoi and Sweden’s Saab.[...] For the embassy in Bangkok, winning achieved two goals: helping Lockheed and keeping the Russians from selling planes. There was, however, a small complication with the terms — the Thai government didn’t want to pay cash. Instead, it proposed trading 80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken.
[...]
“By the time I was retired from the Foreign Service, which was 1998, things had changed fundamentally and being an active participant in the commercial program and promoting trade using the prestige of the ambassador and receptions held at the embassy or at the ambassador’s residence was an important part of what I did,” said Tom Niles, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, the European Union and Greece.
[...]
“We might have been a little bit late to the game. The Europeans understood the crucial role of foreign trade in the growth and development of their economies before we did,” Niles said.

Wahba, the former UAE ambassador, concurred.

“Oftentimes European ambassadors, that’s all they’re there for,” she said, adding it would be hard to see the reason otherwise for some countries to have embassies in the first place.

Read this pretty interesting report in full here. Sorry, I still can’t get my head around the 80,000 tons of frozen chicken, can you? I mean — would we have known if that chicken in the local grocery store was swapped for F-16s? Most probably not. It’s not like that’s the best c’mon to pitch stockpiled frozen chickens. 

In How to Run the World Parag Khanna writes, “It’s only a matter of time before an uber-corporation issues its own passport with pre-negotiatied visa-free access to countries large and small.” You think? Note the “new diplomacy” and the corporate logos here?

 

 

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