In the midst of the Egypt crisis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with almost every
U.S. ambassador Wednesday at the State Department and told them their jobs will
be getting more difficult as the events in the Arab world unfold.
"It goes without saying -- but I will say it anyway -- that
this is a critical time for America's global leadership," Clinton told the
ambassadors. "From the theft of confidential cables to 21st-century protest
movements to development breakthroughs that have the potential to change
millions of lives, we are all in uncharted territory, and that requires us to
be more nimble, more innovative, and more accountable than ever before."
Over 200 ambassadors are in Washington this week for the
first-ever global chiefs of mission conference, which was scheduled long before
the recent string of revolts in the Arab world.
"We figured early February would be quiet, not much going
on. What better time to pull you from your posts and responsibilities?" Clinton
joked.
She spoke about the difficult budget environment for
diplomacy and development this year, the role of civilian personnel in the
ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the State Department's Quadrennial
Diplomacy and Development Review.
But the political crisis in the Arab world, which has
consequences for America's relationships with so many countries, was a repeated
focus of Clinton's remarks.
"And as we see with what's going on today, recent events in
Egypt and certainly in that broader region remind us all how crucial it is to
have top-notch leadership on the ground and how quickly that ground can shift
under our feet," Clinton said, noting that U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey could not attend.
State Department Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills also addressed the ambassadors, who were scheduled on
Wednesday to also hear from Joints Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer, and Special
Representative for Global Partnerships Kris
Balderston. Special Advisor Alec
Ross and Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Judith McHale will meet with the group later this week.
Clinton said the State Department will release a fiscal 2012
budget request next month that represents "a lean budget for lean times." State
doesn't even know yet what its fiscal 2011 funding will be and the House is
looking to cut diplomacy and development funding just as the civilian missions
in Afghanistan and Iraq are expanding, she said.
Clinton asked all the ambassadors to find ways to save
money and to use their meetings with lawmakers to advocate for robust funding
for diplomacy and development next year.
"We know that there are those in the Congress who have even
advocated eliminating all foreign aid, eliminating AID, and it's going to take
some outreach and education to discuss with them and lead them through our
rationale," Clinton told the ambassadors. "But I and we need to be in a
position where we can say, 'Look, we hear you.'"
Received yesterday from Dr. Iman Bibars, ASHOKA Middle East North Africa on the ground in Cairo
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Boone
Sent: Wed, Feb 2, 2011 11:06 am
Subject: WORD FROM INSIDE EGYPT : Please share
Dear Friends and colleagues
This is a letter to all of my friends and colleagues who sent warm and kind words of encouragement to me , my family and all of the Egyptians at these very tough times.
What has happened in Egypt the last week or more is unprecedented and is a wonderful and revitalizing experience for all Egyptians who love this country. This is our first real people revolution and it is fueled by wonderful and great young men and women from all walks of Egypt. The liberation square has become a symbol for all our sufferings and also our victories. I cannot claim that I have suffered as many Egyptians did and many of the young revolutionaries asked me why am I supporting them although I have been benefiting (their words) or have not been harmed by the old regime. My only answer was that I loved Egypt and that to be loyal and patriotic to this country means that you want the best for her and you want her to be free and her people to be liberated and treated as humans. For me Egypt is a she, a her and the mother of all Egyptians and the matriarch that has kept us all in her bosom and nurtured us whether we were grateful or not. And what the regime of husni Mubarak and the security apparatus headed by the war criminal habib al adly have done to us and to the people of Egypt for 30 years is unparalleled in any other country. The humiliation and destruction of the Egyptian character and the spirit of the people in a calculated and organized way took place for 30 years in a relentless and very evil way. Egyptians stopped laughing or smiling from their hearts, you could see and touch helplessness and hopelessness among the old and the young. Phenomena such as sexual harassment, looting and predominance of thugs spread because they were encouraged by the security that wanted to break the pride and self respect of all Egyptians. The murdering and killing was not only of peoples bodies and lives but of their souls and spirits. Corruption and lack of ethical fiber and self respect became the norm, became the traits most respected.
I am as you all know quite mature (i.e. old) and have been here since the 60s and I have worked with the people and in the streets and was naïve enough to try to enter politics believing that this country needed those who loved her and who would give more then they would take. I was burnt and burnt hard and not only from the government but from the pretenders or those who played the roles of defenders of human rights or of the people but who in many cases found it lucrative to play that role. My mistake was that I always followed my conscience and what I thought was right and was neither extreme left nor extreme right. What happened in Egypt during the last 5 years at least what I found out broke my heart and I started thinking and acting seriously to leave the country to go and live somewhere else. I did not feel there was any hope left.
But then on the 25th and when I was home and discovering the internet world , face book and you tube for the first time in my life, I also rediscovered Egypt, the Egypt I have read about and dreamed about. The brave and noble youth of Egypt have resurrected our pride and soul. They have revived the real spirit and soul of Egypt. They have taken away our shame of being so spineless and useless for decades. They have and for the first time in our history carried a real people's revolution at least during my life time.
They managed to reveal the true face of our security and police forces, those traitors who abandoned their posts and allowed our children and families to die, be attacked and vandalized. Many of the looters and thugs were reported were associated one way or the other with the police. They did not mind that mothers, elders and children be terrorized in a an effort to abort the revolution and scare all of the liberation square heroes away from their main battle. They did not care and frankly this is what the last regime had shown over and over again, that they do not care for us, for the Egyptians or for Egypt. That is why they should not stay, they should go , they should not be allowed to rule or govern as they are in reality traitors who hate us. No one who loves his country and its people would have allowed the scandal and shameful behavior of the security forces not only in murdering and torturing the protesters but more so in terrorizing the kind people of Egypt by opening the prisons, and sending their own thugs to steal, loot and vandalize shops, homes and the nice and simple Egyptian families.
Now at this moment and after the maneuvers of the state , a peaceful transition of power is becoming less of a reality and clashes between the youth of Egypt, the real revolutionaries and those pushed and prompted by the state and the NDP is going on now. I just learned that the liberation square is completely blocked and the army tanks are around it and also blocking any means to go in or out.
The state TV is sending wrong images and stories and lying to the people of Egypt, the regime and its NDP are sending thugs and some paid youth to start fights with the heroes of the liberation square and our youth are in deep danger. They are being under siege now and are being attacked by disguised thugs and security forces, the army has blocked all inroads to the liberation square and the mercenaries of the regime are beating and attacking women, girls and young men whose only demand was freedom and liberty.
If we can reach all Egyptians everywhere and tell them that the revolution is not and will not be over, I met several young people and they said that they are willing to die for Egypt in the liberation square but we do not want to sacrifice those clean souls. Please lets all see a way to save them and tell all of Egypt that the mercenaries of the regime are the ones taking to the street now and that no one should give up the demands for a better and more liberated and free Egypt. Please do not believe the state TV for there are no outside forces or traitors among the revolutionaries who wanted our pride and self worth and respect to return to us.
Iman Bibars, PhD
Leadership Team Member
Vice President, Ashoka
Regional Director, Ashoka Arab World
ibibars@ashoka.org
93 Abdel Aziz Al Saud St., 7th floor, Apt 1
Manial, Cairo, Egypt.
Tel: (+202) 25328586 - 23655336 - 25314775 - 25314779
Fax: (+202) 32654404
http://www.ashoka-arab.org
http://ashokaarabworld.wordpress.com
Nominate a Fellow!
http://ashokaarabworld.wordpress.com/nominate-a-fellow/
Josh Rogin reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.
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