According to official statistics, there are countries that are ranked very high for being ethnically and racially diverse, while others are considered homogeneous, not so diverse. I have never been keen on statistics, they can be adjusted or skewed to suit the needs. That is true of just about any statistics.
When it comes to countries around the world and their make up, sometimes statistics can be very misleading. For example, according to the "official" statistics, the most ethnically diverse countries in the world are located in Africa, but leading theme all is Papua New Guinea located in South Pacific! Now that was quite surprising to me. African countries and Papua New Guinea are diverse in a sense because they are made up of numerous tribes. These tribes may be warring with each other and considered different, but in reality they are ethnically and most certainly racially, the same! So, in my view, that is not a very accurate take on the make up of diverse population! The same holds true of the opposite, the homogeneous countries.
The United States and Canada fall roughly in the middle of the chart for countries that are diverse/homogeneous. Yet, Russia is considered homogeneous! Now that one is hard to swallow when you consider the make up of Russian population. Of course, most see Russians as blonde blue-eyed Slavic types, but there is a very large population of "Russians" that are ethnically Asiatic, Turkic, and in between! China too is considered homogeneous. In case of China, an argument can be made that China is homogeneous in that about 90% of the population is made up of Han Chinese. But there are some 56 different ethnic/racial groups also residing in China speaking 292 different dialects or languages!
Because Han Chinese are the majority and the so-called ruling element, when census takers ask which group you belong to, you can bet that anyone who can lay claim to being Han Chinese will say so, even if they are only part Han! In other cases, someone who is not even of Han Chinese background but has taken a Chinese name and sort of "naturalized" themselves would be considered Han Chinese. Short of a DNA test, it would be hard to tell someone like that apart from a "real" Han Chinese. If a DNA test was made of the Chinese population, I think this whole business of statistics proving Han Chinese majority is going to crumble!
In the same token, Japan and Korea are considered homogeneous. In case of Korea, the North Korea is closer to being homogeneous since it has been closed off to the outside world for 70 years! But South Korea has seen a steady presence of foreigners for the same length of time. Americans are the largest number both in civilian population and the military. Then there are Japanese, Chinese, as well as Russian and European businessmen and scholars who come to Korea. There is bound to be some infusion of new blood! This is especially true today where travel is so easy and quick compared to the past. Homogeneous societies developed largely because of difficulty of reaching that particular country for geographic or political reasons. That is no longer the case in most instances.
South Korea has a national DNA bank that was established to help reunite families that were split up during Korean War. Many South Koreans contribute their DNA samples to the bank to try to reunite with long lost family members. It has been discovered that many of the younger South Koreans today have none Korean DNA in their blood! It is mostly the result of mixing of Koreans with American soldiers who have been present in that country for over 70 years!
On the other side of the world, Greece has always been considered a homogeneous country. To a great extent it is homogeneous. Religion has much to do with this, and Greece is predominantly of Orthodox faith, some 90% of the population. But, who is to say that you can't convert to Greek Orthodox faith and, therefore, shed your previous identity of another culture? When I was in Greece in the early 1980s, I was rather surprised to find people who were of varied ethnic/racial background who became Greek by choice, by conversion to Greek Orthodox faith and accepting Greek nationality. Some retained their old faith, be it Christian (Catholic or Protestant) or Muslim. But they were all Greek nationals and considered Greek.
One example of this ethnic/racial diversity in Greece was demonstrated to me by a small group of hunters that I met while on a hunting trip in central Greece. The group of eight Greek hunters that I hunted with, were made up of basically five different ethnic groups! There were two brothers who were of Italian descent, both born in Italy and came to Greece as small children. One Spaniard who was a baritone in Greek National Opera and became a Greek national. Two (unrelated) men of Turkish descent who originally came from along the border with Turkey. One Albanian who became a Greek national fairly recently, and one man of Yugoslav descent who's family moved to Greece shortly after World War Two. There was only one guy in that bunch who could lay claim to being Greek for several generations!
All of them got along just fine and all considered themselves Greeks. In fact, the Italian brothers, the Rossi brothers, were constantly cracking jokes about Italians, something that Greeks appeared to enjoy doing! The opera singer, who was not a very good shot, would shoot at flushing partridge and miss cleanly. He would salute the departing unscathed bird in Spanish, "Adios, Chiquita!" he would say each time, and everyone would laugh. No one thought of him as being Spanish, he was Greek to everyone like themselves!
So, it is obvious to me that all this talk about homogeneous societies or ethnically diverse societies, doesn't really mean much. I suppose short of conducting extensive DNA tests, it would be really hard to prove which country or society is really diverse or homogeneous.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
The New Axis
About ten days ago I did a blog titled "The Rise of the New Axis." In it, I talked of how Russia has re-allied itself with its "old" communist bloc ally, the People's Republic of China and how North Korea has found new life as the surrogate/proxy force for Russia and China in northeast Asia. It is a mutually beneficial alliance in which all three benefit from this partnership. It is especially gratifying for North Korea to finally be accepted back into the "circle" as it were, and not to be cast adrift on its own as it has been for the past couple of decades.
If you think that Obama's visit to Vietnam was motivated strictly by commercial interests, you would be mistaken. Although his visit was ostensibly for the purpose of strengthening commercial ties (selling more American planes, etc.), it definitely had an ulterior motive of keeping Vietnam out of that "circle," that axis alliance! I don't believe Vietnam is/was interested in joining that alliance. It is enjoying new found wealth and development far too much to risk losing it all by antagonizing the U.S. who is their biggest market!
Although during the Vietnam War North Vietnam received arms and aid from the Soviet Union as well as PRC, they were never truly a part of that "circle." We may have mistakenly identified them as part of the Soviet Bloc, but they always marched to their own tune. Remember? Only a short time after the end of the Vietnam War, the new Vietnamese army clashed with PRC and gave them a bloody nose! There is no love lost between China and Vietnam, and this feeling is not only mutual, but goes back many centuries! So, the new axis is, at this time, mainly Russia, China, and North Korea.
China's recent announcement that they will dispatch their nuclear submarines to patrol waters along their coast is indeed a disturbing development. We have been the masters of the Pacific, mainly because of our superior nuclear submarine force. Our subs have been patrolling the Pacific, essentially unmolested since the 1960s! We have had run-ins with Soviet submarines through the ages. There have been countless incidences of "cat and mouse" games played by U.S. and Soviet subs in the Pacific. But generally speaking, we have had no competition. We have the world's largest submarine fleet, which currently is all nuclear powered. The old Soviet Union was second to us in nuclear subs, and the rest of the world really didn't count. Things have changed dramatically since those days of "cat and mouse" games with Soviet subs.
Today, U.S. still has the world's largest submarine fleet with 75 boats, all nuclear. But what is surprising and unknown to most Americans is that North Korea has 70 submarines in its fleet. Granted, only a some are nuclear powered, and their technology is not up to our standards. But nevertheless, that's an awful lot of subs for such a small country! China is next with 68 combined submarines, nuclear and diesel, and Russia has 60 submarines, just about all of them nuclear. So now, with the new axis in place, our 75 submarines are faced with 198 opposing submarines, of which over 100 are nuclear! You can say all you want about the superior technology of our boats, which is true. But the sheer numbers of the "inferior" subs that we are facing is making me nervous. This number is increasing almost weekly as China has gone into high gear to produce more nuclear subs.
We are now in danger of losing our supremacy in the Pacific. China would have never boldly announced as they have, that they will be patrolling their waters with nuclear subs, if they didn't feel that they were gaining advantage. Unfortunately, Chinese leaders are much better poker players than our leadership in Washington! In the past, the only waters in the Pacific that were contested and in which we had to tip-toe somewhat were the northern Pacific waters where Soviet submarines used to roam. Anything below the coast of Japan and Korea was our territory, unchallenged. That has changed and is changing rapidly. China will now contest (and has already started!) the waters around its coast. North Korea was always a thorn on the side. Now, with nuclear capabilities, it is even a bigger thorn! Incidentally, just as Russian submarines, both the Chinese and North Korean subs had been spotted as far away as our Pacific coast for many years. So, despite our superiority, they have been roaming the Pacific as well.
Just as the old Soviet Union avoided actual hostilities, stopped just short of firing missiles or torpedoes during those submarine "cat and mouse" games, so will the Chinese. But I am not too sure about the North Koreans, they are unpredictable, a true wild card. In fact, as I said in the earlier blog, if there are any actual armed hostilities in northeast Asia, it will be North Korea, acting as a proxy for China or Russia! Putin is well on his way of reestablishing a "new" Soviet Union.
I don't believe that China will actually risk going to war over some artificial island far from its shores, or over some supposed incursion into its territory. Neither will Russia, despite their tough talk and sometimes belligerent behavior. They will continue to buzz our ships, even more aggressively, but they are not interested in an armed confrontation.
Yes, China is interested in world domination. But they know they can accomplish it without firing a shot. The Chinese are very practical people, so why go to war when inevitable will happen. China will dominate the world economically within this century, perhaps sooner than later. The danger comes not from China but from North Korea that might misinterpret the situation or intent of the other party and start shooting!
I am not trying to be a doomsday-sayer, but I believe our government should pay much more attention to what is going on with the development of the new axis. There are plenty of indications that it is taking place and developing much faster than most might think.
If you think that Obama's visit to Vietnam was motivated strictly by commercial interests, you would be mistaken. Although his visit was ostensibly for the purpose of strengthening commercial ties (selling more American planes, etc.), it definitely had an ulterior motive of keeping Vietnam out of that "circle," that axis alliance! I don't believe Vietnam is/was interested in joining that alliance. It is enjoying new found wealth and development far too much to risk losing it all by antagonizing the U.S. who is their biggest market!
Although during the Vietnam War North Vietnam received arms and aid from the Soviet Union as well as PRC, they were never truly a part of that "circle." We may have mistakenly identified them as part of the Soviet Bloc, but they always marched to their own tune. Remember? Only a short time after the end of the Vietnam War, the new Vietnamese army clashed with PRC and gave them a bloody nose! There is no love lost between China and Vietnam, and this feeling is not only mutual, but goes back many centuries! So, the new axis is, at this time, mainly Russia, China, and North Korea.
China's recent announcement that they will dispatch their nuclear submarines to patrol waters along their coast is indeed a disturbing development. We have been the masters of the Pacific, mainly because of our superior nuclear submarine force. Our subs have been patrolling the Pacific, essentially unmolested since the 1960s! We have had run-ins with Soviet submarines through the ages. There have been countless incidences of "cat and mouse" games played by U.S. and Soviet subs in the Pacific. But generally speaking, we have had no competition. We have the world's largest submarine fleet, which currently is all nuclear powered. The old Soviet Union was second to us in nuclear subs, and the rest of the world really didn't count. Things have changed dramatically since those days of "cat and mouse" games with Soviet subs.
Today, U.S. still has the world's largest submarine fleet with 75 boats, all nuclear. But what is surprising and unknown to most Americans is that North Korea has 70 submarines in its fleet. Granted, only a some are nuclear powered, and their technology is not up to our standards. But nevertheless, that's an awful lot of subs for such a small country! China is next with 68 combined submarines, nuclear and diesel, and Russia has 60 submarines, just about all of them nuclear. So now, with the new axis in place, our 75 submarines are faced with 198 opposing submarines, of which over 100 are nuclear! You can say all you want about the superior technology of our boats, which is true. But the sheer numbers of the "inferior" subs that we are facing is making me nervous. This number is increasing almost weekly as China has gone into high gear to produce more nuclear subs.
We are now in danger of losing our supremacy in the Pacific. China would have never boldly announced as they have, that they will be patrolling their waters with nuclear subs, if they didn't feel that they were gaining advantage. Unfortunately, Chinese leaders are much better poker players than our leadership in Washington! In the past, the only waters in the Pacific that were contested and in which we had to tip-toe somewhat were the northern Pacific waters where Soviet submarines used to roam. Anything below the coast of Japan and Korea was our territory, unchallenged. That has changed and is changing rapidly. China will now contest (and has already started!) the waters around its coast. North Korea was always a thorn on the side. Now, with nuclear capabilities, it is even a bigger thorn! Incidentally, just as Russian submarines, both the Chinese and North Korean subs had been spotted as far away as our Pacific coast for many years. So, despite our superiority, they have been roaming the Pacific as well.
Just as the old Soviet Union avoided actual hostilities, stopped just short of firing missiles or torpedoes during those submarine "cat and mouse" games, so will the Chinese. But I am not too sure about the North Koreans, they are unpredictable, a true wild card. In fact, as I said in the earlier blog, if there are any actual armed hostilities in northeast Asia, it will be North Korea, acting as a proxy for China or Russia! Putin is well on his way of reestablishing a "new" Soviet Union.
I don't believe that China will actually risk going to war over some artificial island far from its shores, or over some supposed incursion into its territory. Neither will Russia, despite their tough talk and sometimes belligerent behavior. They will continue to buzz our ships, even more aggressively, but they are not interested in an armed confrontation.
Yes, China is interested in world domination. But they know they can accomplish it without firing a shot. The Chinese are very practical people, so why go to war when inevitable will happen. China will dominate the world economically within this century, perhaps sooner than later. The danger comes not from China but from North Korea that might misinterpret the situation or intent of the other party and start shooting!
I am not trying to be a doomsday-sayer, but I believe our government should pay much more attention to what is going on with the development of the new axis. There are plenty of indications that it is taking place and developing much faster than most might think.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
"Kuro Fune" (Black Ships)
I think most Americans are familiar with the term "black ships" when referring to our history with Japan, or at least I think so. For those who need to have a refresher, the "black ships" was the name given to American warships that came to Japan in the mid 19th Century, the so-called opening of Japan by American gun boats! However, many of the stories surrounding the historical event are vastly exaggerated, mostly by newspaper reporters at first and later by Hollywood! Yes, the American gun boats did sail into Japanese harbors and they may have indeed looked menacing from a distance. But there was no naval bombardment as depicted in some Hollywood movies or described in some novels. Commodore Perry did fire the canons on board his ships as a greeting, a 21 gun salute to the Japanese on shore. The canon fire was not directed at the land or people, rather out to sea! The Japanese nick-named these ships kuro fune not because they were menacing, threatening vessels, but because they did appear black from a distance and they emitted black smoke from their stacks. These were some of the earliest steam ships! So I hope that part of the story involving Commodore Perry and the "black ships" has been clarified, somewhat.
In July of 1980, the US Embassy in Tokyo received a request from the city of Yokohama to provide a representative to attend a ceremony to commemorate the arrival of kuro fune (black ships) in Tokyo Bay. I won't go into details on how or why, but I ended up being the US Embassy representative for that event. As it turned out, Jo's parents were in Japan, visiting us, a sort of a trip down memory lane for them, since both of them were very fond of Japan and had been in Tokyo on and off since the late 1940s. So, off we went to Yokohama, Jo, our kids Tony and Natalie, and Jo's parents. Naturally we received VIP treatment, since I was to represent the United States for that event. Jo, the kids, and her parents got nice VIP seating, but I ended up high up in the area where the Mayor of Yokohama along with the Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture were sitting. But that wasn't all! I was presented with a very fancy and colorful traditional silk vest, such as those worn by Daimyo and other big shots in feudal Japan! Along with the vest I was presented with a turtle shell helmet! I did not have to wear the helmet, but I did have to wear the ceremonial vest and say some words. At any rate, it was a very enjoyable event for everyone, a bit uncomfortable for me up there in the stands, but still enjoyable.
At this time, the TV mini-series Shogun was being shot nearby in Shizuoka. So, there was a lot of talk about the TV series as well as the actual historical event. There was a lot of criticism about how some scenes were staged and how "un-Japanese and un-realistic" the scenes were. I realize that movie and TV directors do change things to better suit their needs, or their idea. But the complaints from Japanese were mostly that the Japanese actors were forced to act and say lines that were totally un-Japanese! Needless to say, when Shogun did show in Japan, it was not a hit with the Japanese people.
The story in Shogun is actually based on fact, sort of. The main character John Blackthorn, played by Richard Chamberlain, was based on a real life person, William Adams. Adams, who was shipwrecked on Japanese shores in 1598 did become a first Westerner who was awarded two swords by the Shogun and given the title of a samurai. Adams was a ship's navigator and he was called Miura Anjin (the pilot) by the Japanese. That became his official Japanese name. He won the favor of Shogun and was given his own fife, a huge tract of land that included the present day city of Yokosuka. Today's Nihon-bashi district in Tokyo used to be called Anjin-cho, named after him! To this day, the Anjizuka train station in Yokosuka is named after William Adams as well.
Adams is a much celebrated individual in Japan, not as a samurai, but rather as a shipbuilder and navigator. He took up shipbuilding for the Shogun and took exploratory trips to expand Japan's trade in Asia. He had a family in England, but he also had a family in Japan. When he died, his samurai title was granted to his oldest son in England and he was presented with his father's swords. All of his estate and property were evenly divided among his English and Japanese family members. He was so wealthy that all of them ended up rich!
That was not quite the story that was presented by Hollywood in Shogun. Too bad, because I think his true story was even more amazing than the Hollywood version! Granted, he didn't have sword fights as depicted in the TV series, nor did he get involved in so many "action" events. But he accomplished far more than the TV series gave him credit. As for my brief role as the US representative on that day in Yokohama, I guess I will always remember it fondly. I don't know what happened to the vest and helmet, they were lost somewhere along the line during our many moves and travels. I recently found similar items selling on Ebay for a small fortune!
In July of 1980, the US Embassy in Tokyo received a request from the city of Yokohama to provide a representative to attend a ceremony to commemorate the arrival of kuro fune (black ships) in Tokyo Bay. I won't go into details on how or why, but I ended up being the US Embassy representative for that event. As it turned out, Jo's parents were in Japan, visiting us, a sort of a trip down memory lane for them, since both of them were very fond of Japan and had been in Tokyo on and off since the late 1940s. So, off we went to Yokohama, Jo, our kids Tony and Natalie, and Jo's parents. Naturally we received VIP treatment, since I was to represent the United States for that event. Jo, the kids, and her parents got nice VIP seating, but I ended up high up in the area where the Mayor of Yokohama along with the Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture were sitting. But that wasn't all! I was presented with a very fancy and colorful traditional silk vest, such as those worn by Daimyo and other big shots in feudal Japan! Along with the vest I was presented with a turtle shell helmet! I did not have to wear the helmet, but I did have to wear the ceremonial vest and say some words. At any rate, it was a very enjoyable event for everyone, a bit uncomfortable for me up there in the stands, but still enjoyable.
At this time, the TV mini-series Shogun was being shot nearby in Shizuoka. So, there was a lot of talk about the TV series as well as the actual historical event. There was a lot of criticism about how some scenes were staged and how "un-Japanese and un-realistic" the scenes were. I realize that movie and TV directors do change things to better suit their needs, or their idea. But the complaints from Japanese were mostly that the Japanese actors were forced to act and say lines that were totally un-Japanese! Needless to say, when Shogun did show in Japan, it was not a hit with the Japanese people.
The story in Shogun is actually based on fact, sort of. The main character John Blackthorn, played by Richard Chamberlain, was based on a real life person, William Adams. Adams, who was shipwrecked on Japanese shores in 1598 did become a first Westerner who was awarded two swords by the Shogun and given the title of a samurai. Adams was a ship's navigator and he was called Miura Anjin (the pilot) by the Japanese. That became his official Japanese name. He won the favor of Shogun and was given his own fife, a huge tract of land that included the present day city of Yokosuka. Today's Nihon-bashi district in Tokyo used to be called Anjin-cho, named after him! To this day, the Anjizuka train station in Yokosuka is named after William Adams as well.
Adams is a much celebrated individual in Japan, not as a samurai, but rather as a shipbuilder and navigator. He took up shipbuilding for the Shogun and took exploratory trips to expand Japan's trade in Asia. He had a family in England, but he also had a family in Japan. When he died, his samurai title was granted to his oldest son in England and he was presented with his father's swords. All of his estate and property were evenly divided among his English and Japanese family members. He was so wealthy that all of them ended up rich!
That was not quite the story that was presented by Hollywood in Shogun. Too bad, because I think his true story was even more amazing than the Hollywood version! Granted, he didn't have sword fights as depicted in the TV series, nor did he get involved in so many "action" events. But he accomplished far more than the TV series gave him credit. As for my brief role as the US representative on that day in Yokohama, I guess I will always remember it fondly. I don't know what happened to the vest and helmet, they were lost somewhere along the line during our many moves and travels. I recently found similar items selling on Ebay for a small fortune!
Monday, May 23, 2016
The Dove Factory
The abuse of power and authority within the military is not uncommon. Actually, you find the same things taking place within various large corporations as well. However, when it takes place within the military, it usually makes for good press coverage, or at least that is what the news media thinks. Stories about generals using soldiers to serve drinks at their cocktail parties or mowing their lawns, etc., make good new. The public reaction is usually very unfavorable. How dare that general or whatever, use soldiers as his servants!
There is definitely abuse of power and authority within our military. However, it is not widespread, and it is most certainly not institutionalized. But in some countries, particularly in developing countries, the abuse of power and authority by high ranking officers in the military is quite common, and in some cases, has been institutionalized! Such was the case in many of the developing countries where I had been assigned. Senior officers routinely used common soldiers as their personal servants, and no one seemed to pay any attention, most certainly not the local media!
During my time in Ecuador, my good friend Lorenzo and I spent a lot of time afield, shooting. We also spent considerable amount of time scouting for new places to shoot. After all, you can't just go to the same place over and over. The game will soon change their location if there is shooting pressure.
One day in 1990 we were scouting for new shooting grounds when we spotted large flights of Santa Cruz pigeons heading in one direction. We got under the flight path and followed the birds as best as we could and ended up at a place where they all seemed to be landing. This was by a small river on the outskirts of the town of Naranjal. The place was called Rio Bonito (pretty river). There was only one problem. The place where all the Santa Cruz were congregating was closed off to the public. There was a barbed-wire fence and a gate guarded by an Ecuadorian Army soldier armed with an assault rifle. There were also large signs posted, "Zona Prohibida" (forbidden area) and "Zona Militar" (military area) on the gate.
Normally, when confronted with such situation, we would avoid the area all together. In countries such as Ecuador, one does not question or face soldiers or police intentionally! The amount of authority exercised by the military in developing countries is not at all like it is here in America. Here, the military essentially have no authority over civilians outside of military bases. But in developing countries, the military has always possessed much more power and authority!
Most of the time, when we came across armed soldiers, we simply headed the other way. However, this time it was different. The number of Santa Cruz that kept flying into the area was staggering, and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity. So, Lorenzo approached the armed soldier and asked if it was possible to enter the area that he was guarding. The soldier waved his assault rifle menacingly at us and told us that we were in a zona prohibida, and that we should get the hell out of there. But, as I said, the place looked just too good to pass up, so Lorenzo pressed on, and asked the soldier to speak to his superior. To our surprise, the soldier agreed and marched off to look for his boss. More than likely he was bored standing guard and this gave him some relief!
Shortly the soldier reappeared accompanied by his "sargento" (sergeant) who seemed a bit puzzled by our presence. Lorenzo repeated his request to the "sargento," asking him for permission to enter the area to shoot Santa Cruz. Lorenzo explained that we were just interested in shooting the birds and that we would give them birds to eat if they wanted. He also added that we would gladly pay a "fee" to enter the compound. The sergeant seemed to be surprised by the request but responded favorably, saying that this was "his colonel's" banana farm and that we were welcome to shoot. He added that they would appreciate it if we gave them the birds that we shot. He said that the steady diet of arroz (rice), verde (plantains) and choclo (corn) was kind of boring and that the birds would make for a welcome change. He ordered the guard to open the gate, and as we pulled through, he asked if we needed any soldiers to help retrieve the birds!
Lorenzo and I shot that afternoon and had soldiers retrieve birds for us. We paid the soldiers about $10 each for their help. That was equivalent to half a month's pay for the Ecuadorian private soldier at that time! After a great shoot, we paid the soldiers who helped us, gave most of the birds to them, then stopped by and thanked the sargento at their barracks/headquarters shack. We gave the good sergeant some money as well. He told us that "his colonel" owned this bananera (banana farm) and that he and a squad of soldiers worked the farm! The colonel did not pay them anything extra, they just collected their usual army pay. Their diet was poor because the money that they received for their food was not enough to buy meat! In Ecuadorian Army, like most other developing country armies (Afghanistan and Iraq a good example!), the unit commander receives money for his troops food. Naturally, the commander pockets most of the money and gives barely enough to his troops to eat!
We returned to Rio Bonito two weeks later with our friend Bill Fitzgerald who promptly christened the place as the "Dove Factory" because there were so many Santa Cruz pigeons at that place. We shot there a couple of more times, each time giving the place about a two weeks rest. But the final time when we went there, the area where the Santa Cruz used to congregate was all cut down. According to our friend the sargento, the colonel wanted to expand his banana planting and ordered that all the trees and brush be cut down. It was too bad for the Santa Cruz, they had to look for another place. Despite our shooting, we hardly put a dent in the population, there were so many Santa Cruz at the "Dove Factory" before it was cut down! It was also too bad for the sargento and his soldiers. They lost the chance to earn some money and also improve their diet!
There is definitely abuse of power and authority within our military. However, it is not widespread, and it is most certainly not institutionalized. But in some countries, particularly in developing countries, the abuse of power and authority by high ranking officers in the military is quite common, and in some cases, has been institutionalized! Such was the case in many of the developing countries where I had been assigned. Senior officers routinely used common soldiers as their personal servants, and no one seemed to pay any attention, most certainly not the local media!
During my time in Ecuador, my good friend Lorenzo and I spent a lot of time afield, shooting. We also spent considerable amount of time scouting for new places to shoot. After all, you can't just go to the same place over and over. The game will soon change their location if there is shooting pressure.
One day in 1990 we were scouting for new shooting grounds when we spotted large flights of Santa Cruz pigeons heading in one direction. We got under the flight path and followed the birds as best as we could and ended up at a place where they all seemed to be landing. This was by a small river on the outskirts of the town of Naranjal. The place was called Rio Bonito (pretty river). There was only one problem. The place where all the Santa Cruz were congregating was closed off to the public. There was a barbed-wire fence and a gate guarded by an Ecuadorian Army soldier armed with an assault rifle. There were also large signs posted, "Zona Prohibida" (forbidden area) and "Zona Militar" (military area) on the gate.
Normally, when confronted with such situation, we would avoid the area all together. In countries such as Ecuador, one does not question or face soldiers or police intentionally! The amount of authority exercised by the military in developing countries is not at all like it is here in America. Here, the military essentially have no authority over civilians outside of military bases. But in developing countries, the military has always possessed much more power and authority!
Most of the time, when we came across armed soldiers, we simply headed the other way. However, this time it was different. The number of Santa Cruz that kept flying into the area was staggering, and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity. So, Lorenzo approached the armed soldier and asked if it was possible to enter the area that he was guarding. The soldier waved his assault rifle menacingly at us and told us that we were in a zona prohibida, and that we should get the hell out of there. But, as I said, the place looked just too good to pass up, so Lorenzo pressed on, and asked the soldier to speak to his superior. To our surprise, the soldier agreed and marched off to look for his boss. More than likely he was bored standing guard and this gave him some relief!
Shortly the soldier reappeared accompanied by his "sargento" (sergeant) who seemed a bit puzzled by our presence. Lorenzo repeated his request to the "sargento," asking him for permission to enter the area to shoot Santa Cruz. Lorenzo explained that we were just interested in shooting the birds and that we would give them birds to eat if they wanted. He also added that we would gladly pay a "fee" to enter the compound. The sergeant seemed to be surprised by the request but responded favorably, saying that this was "his colonel's" banana farm and that we were welcome to shoot. He added that they would appreciate it if we gave them the birds that we shot. He said that the steady diet of arroz (rice), verde (plantains) and choclo (corn) was kind of boring and that the birds would make for a welcome change. He ordered the guard to open the gate, and as we pulled through, he asked if we needed any soldiers to help retrieve the birds!
Lorenzo and I shot that afternoon and had soldiers retrieve birds for us. We paid the soldiers about $10 each for their help. That was equivalent to half a month's pay for the Ecuadorian private soldier at that time! After a great shoot, we paid the soldiers who helped us, gave most of the birds to them, then stopped by and thanked the sargento at their barracks/headquarters shack. We gave the good sergeant some money as well. He told us that "his colonel" owned this bananera (banana farm) and that he and a squad of soldiers worked the farm! The colonel did not pay them anything extra, they just collected their usual army pay. Their diet was poor because the money that they received for their food was not enough to buy meat! In Ecuadorian Army, like most other developing country armies (Afghanistan and Iraq a good example!), the unit commander receives money for his troops food. Naturally, the commander pockets most of the money and gives barely enough to his troops to eat!
We returned to Rio Bonito two weeks later with our friend Bill Fitzgerald who promptly christened the place as the "Dove Factory" because there were so many Santa Cruz pigeons at that place. We shot there a couple of more times, each time giving the place about a two weeks rest. But the final time when we went there, the area where the Santa Cruz used to congregate was all cut down. According to our friend the sargento, the colonel wanted to expand his banana planting and ordered that all the trees and brush be cut down. It was too bad for the Santa Cruz, they had to look for another place. Despite our shooting, we hardly put a dent in the population, there were so many Santa Cruz at the "Dove Factory" before it was cut down! It was also too bad for the sargento and his soldiers. They lost the chance to earn some money and also improve their diet!
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
The Rise of the New Axis
The American public has been so preoccupied lately with the circus act put on by our so-called presidential candidates, that we hardly pay any attention to what is going on in the rest of the world. Of course, we are dependent on what we are told by the news media, and the news media appears to choose to ignore what is going on elsewhere. We do get little bits and pieces now and then, after all, you can't ignore the almost daily suicide bombings by ISIS/ISIL, nor the American deaths that are beginning to rise again in our war against terror. Then there is that annoying Kim Jong Un of North Korea who periodically does something that our media feels obligated to mention, like launching missiles or testing nuclear devices. But, it seems that neither the media nor our government is really taking North Korea and its wacky leader seriously. News coverage on North Korea appears now and then almost as a change of pace kind of reporting, just to keep the public's interest! Russia seems to have almost completely disappeared from our news coverage, mainly because Putin hasn't invaded any of the former Soviet Republics or has not made any statement that interests the media. But I think the media, and the public in general, has been lulled to sleep when it comes to Russia!
Yes, there is no more Soviet Union and that "Evil Empire!" Yes, there is no more of that "us" and "them," the "commies" and the "good guys." Oh, there are still "commies," let's not forget North Korea, Cuba,Vietnam, and China (PRC). Despite our seemingly friendly relations with PRC and our heavy dependence on their manufactured goods, it is still a communist country. China's form of communism may be different, but it isn't called the People's Republic of China for nothing! So, there are still "commies" out there! They may not be like the old Soviet communists, but they are still out there.
Interestingly, the threat to us that existed in the form of the "Evil Empire" (the Soviet Union), still exists. Only it has changed its name and appearance somewhat, and it is no longer that huge part of the world that we used to refer to as the Soviet Bloc or Eastern Bloc, plus Communist China! What we have now, in a sense, is much more dangerous and insidious. There is Russia, that on the surface is no longer the evil communist country that is out to get us! Russia has indeed changed, but unfortunately, its leaders have not! Vladimir Putin is a product of the old Soviet Union, the worst part of it, the KGB! Putin has openly admitted to missing the old "empire" and wanting to establish the role of Russia as the supreme power. He has quietly and not so quietly, allied himself with China. In other words, he brought China back into the fold that it belonged to before it broke away after that famous Kissinger visit in the 1970s. He has also, quietly, allied with North Korea. Yes, the same North Korea that his predecessors had dumped, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union. How do we know this? Well, most recently he announced that the U.S. must essentially stop its military cooperation/alliance with South Korea if it wants Russia to help curb North Korea's nuclear program. In other words, he isn't going to help us to deal with North Korea unless we stop our military alliance with South Korea!
But, whereas Russia, as the Soviet Union had more allies in eastern Europe, it had very few in the Middle East. At one time there was Egypt and Syria, but they lost Egypt to us after the Yom Kippur War. There have been some lesser countries like Yemen that at one time were allied with Soviet Union, but essentially Syria has been the only Russian ally since the old Soviet Union days. But now, Iran, possibly the most militarily powerful country in the Middle East other than Israel, is staunchly in Russia's corner. We, very stupidly, helped Russia even more in that respect by negotiating that Nuclear Deal with Iran. We also allowed Iran to enter Iraq in hopes that they would rid the country of ISIL and as one of the payments for agreeing to the Nuclear Deal. What that accomplished was to let Iran gain foothold in Iraq. No, the much ballyhooed Iranian Quds Force, their Special Operations, gained some success at first and earned points with the Arab world, but failed to defeat ISIL.
Ultimately we are forced to send more of our own Special Operations troops to fight! But Iran got what it wanted. Now, together with Russia and Iraq, the three have set up shop in the "Green Zone" establishing a headquarters for fighting ISIL. To add insult to injury, we, of course, are not invited to participate! Iran has also dispatched its Quds Force to Syria, along with Hezbollah of Lebanon, which is supported by Iran. So, Russia and Iran are solidly partnered in the Middle East. We gave a bunch of money to Iran for the Nuclear Deal and Iran immediately turned around and gave money to Russia for military hardware. We should have just given the money directly to Putin!
So now, there is a new Axis on the rise. In some ways it is more sinister than the old Soviet Union. China is extremely influential in the world today. It is no longer the third world power (it used to be a power mainly because of its large population) that went around waving the little red book and armed with outdated weaponry. It is one of the most powerful economic entities in the world, backed up by an increasingly more modern military, that is also the largest in the world. It holds I.O.U.s of most major countries in the world. China is our biggest debt holder, and it recently agreed to build a nuclear power plant in UK! It is a given that in another quarter of a century China will be the world's leading economic power, and Putin, very wisely, agreed to build a pipeline and supply China with its much needed oil! So Russia, unlike most Western countries including us, has China in a position that it needs Russia!
In the new world order, we are the only military super power. We are still the leading economic power, but we will lose that position to China if things keep trending the way they have been for the past quarter of a century. Russia does not have the military power that we do, no one does. But although they are a distant second to us, they are nevertheless a military power. With China's rise in economic power, with new technology growing daily, Russia could become a very serious threat in a short time if it remains allied with China. At the same time, its alliance with Iran, much more so than Syria, makes Russia a major player in the Middle East. North Korea is a nice wild card for Russia and China to have. You can bet that any hostilities that develop in Northeast Asia will more than likely involve North Korea, and it will be essentially a surrogate for Russia/China alliance!
May be there is a lot of concern in Washington over the recent turn of events involving Russia and its "allies." I sure hope so. But at the same time, I doubt very much if anyone is really paying that much attention. To be sure there are intelligence analysts who are keeping tabs and other career employees of the government that are concerned. But sadly, their thoughts and ideas are rarely if ever taken seriously by the decision makers who change every few years. Each new administration, each new appointee, have their own agenda, and it is almost never what it was of the predecessors'. Our government operates reactively with apparently no institutional or historical memory. Why else would we continually make the same mistakes, repeat the same gaffs that we made a decade or even less years ago?!?
Yes, there is no more Soviet Union and that "Evil Empire!" Yes, there is no more of that "us" and "them," the "commies" and the "good guys." Oh, there are still "commies," let's not forget North Korea, Cuba,Vietnam, and China (PRC). Despite our seemingly friendly relations with PRC and our heavy dependence on their manufactured goods, it is still a communist country. China's form of communism may be different, but it isn't called the People's Republic of China for nothing! So, there are still "commies" out there! They may not be like the old Soviet communists, but they are still out there.
Interestingly, the threat to us that existed in the form of the "Evil Empire" (the Soviet Union), still exists. Only it has changed its name and appearance somewhat, and it is no longer that huge part of the world that we used to refer to as the Soviet Bloc or Eastern Bloc, plus Communist China! What we have now, in a sense, is much more dangerous and insidious. There is Russia, that on the surface is no longer the evil communist country that is out to get us! Russia has indeed changed, but unfortunately, its leaders have not! Vladimir Putin is a product of the old Soviet Union, the worst part of it, the KGB! Putin has openly admitted to missing the old "empire" and wanting to establish the role of Russia as the supreme power. He has quietly and not so quietly, allied himself with China. In other words, he brought China back into the fold that it belonged to before it broke away after that famous Kissinger visit in the 1970s. He has also, quietly, allied with North Korea. Yes, the same North Korea that his predecessors had dumped, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union. How do we know this? Well, most recently he announced that the U.S. must essentially stop its military cooperation/alliance with South Korea if it wants Russia to help curb North Korea's nuclear program. In other words, he isn't going to help us to deal with North Korea unless we stop our military alliance with South Korea!
But, whereas Russia, as the Soviet Union had more allies in eastern Europe, it had very few in the Middle East. At one time there was Egypt and Syria, but they lost Egypt to us after the Yom Kippur War. There have been some lesser countries like Yemen that at one time were allied with Soviet Union, but essentially Syria has been the only Russian ally since the old Soviet Union days. But now, Iran, possibly the most militarily powerful country in the Middle East other than Israel, is staunchly in Russia's corner. We, very stupidly, helped Russia even more in that respect by negotiating that Nuclear Deal with Iran. We also allowed Iran to enter Iraq in hopes that they would rid the country of ISIL and as one of the payments for agreeing to the Nuclear Deal. What that accomplished was to let Iran gain foothold in Iraq. No, the much ballyhooed Iranian Quds Force, their Special Operations, gained some success at first and earned points with the Arab world, but failed to defeat ISIL.
Ultimately we are forced to send more of our own Special Operations troops to fight! But Iran got what it wanted. Now, together with Russia and Iraq, the three have set up shop in the "Green Zone" establishing a headquarters for fighting ISIL. To add insult to injury, we, of course, are not invited to participate! Iran has also dispatched its Quds Force to Syria, along with Hezbollah of Lebanon, which is supported by Iran. So, Russia and Iran are solidly partnered in the Middle East. We gave a bunch of money to Iran for the Nuclear Deal and Iran immediately turned around and gave money to Russia for military hardware. We should have just given the money directly to Putin!
So now, there is a new Axis on the rise. In some ways it is more sinister than the old Soviet Union. China is extremely influential in the world today. It is no longer the third world power (it used to be a power mainly because of its large population) that went around waving the little red book and armed with outdated weaponry. It is one of the most powerful economic entities in the world, backed up by an increasingly more modern military, that is also the largest in the world. It holds I.O.U.s of most major countries in the world. China is our biggest debt holder, and it recently agreed to build a nuclear power plant in UK! It is a given that in another quarter of a century China will be the world's leading economic power, and Putin, very wisely, agreed to build a pipeline and supply China with its much needed oil! So Russia, unlike most Western countries including us, has China in a position that it needs Russia!
In the new world order, we are the only military super power. We are still the leading economic power, but we will lose that position to China if things keep trending the way they have been for the past quarter of a century. Russia does not have the military power that we do, no one does. But although they are a distant second to us, they are nevertheless a military power. With China's rise in economic power, with new technology growing daily, Russia could become a very serious threat in a short time if it remains allied with China. At the same time, its alliance with Iran, much more so than Syria, makes Russia a major player in the Middle East. North Korea is a nice wild card for Russia and China to have. You can bet that any hostilities that develop in Northeast Asia will more than likely involve North Korea, and it will be essentially a surrogate for Russia/China alliance!
May be there is a lot of concern in Washington over the recent turn of events involving Russia and its "allies." I sure hope so. But at the same time, I doubt very much if anyone is really paying that much attention. To be sure there are intelligence analysts who are keeping tabs and other career employees of the government that are concerned. But sadly, their thoughts and ideas are rarely if ever taken seriously by the decision makers who change every few years. Each new administration, each new appointee, have their own agenda, and it is almost never what it was of the predecessors'. Our government operates reactively with apparently no institutional or historical memory. Why else would we continually make the same mistakes, repeat the same gaffs that we made a decade or even less years ago?!?
Monday, May 16, 2016
The Orchid Hunter - Revisited
Several days ago I got a note from my good friend Lorenzo in Ecuador that he had met with one of our old hunting companions, Klever Cordova. Klever or Kleber (it is pronounced with a "b" sound so it can be spelled either way) was someone with whom Lorenzo and I used to go hunting frequently back in the mid 1980s to early 1990s. Klever had remarkable knowledge of the area and the game around Naranjal where he grew up, and Lorenzo had been hunting with him since he was a kid.
About a decade or so ago I published a story about Klever that was called "The Orchid Hunter." I had written a series of three stories about interesting characters that I had met while in Ecuador. The series were entitled "Mis Amigos de Ecuador" ("My Friends from Ecuador") and it included the story about Reinaldo Diaz called "Tom Mix of Ecuador" (about which I had blogged earlier), "My Friend Lorenzo - muy amigo," and the third and final piece, "The Orchid Hunter." The stories were to appear concurrently with the overall title of "Mis Amigos de Ecuador" in a book of anthology. Unfortunately, as those who have published know, editors do take liberties in rearranging things. In this case, each story was separated by many pages rather than being together, and somehow the story "My friend Lorenzo - muy amigo" became "Mis Amigos de Ecuador" by itself! Well, these things happen. Although I wasn't pleased, there was nothing I could do about it, at least they were published intact!
In the "Orchid Hunter" I described how Klever had grown up in the area around Naranjal, a town located south of Guayaquil. Klever was not much for studying in school and preferred to spend time in the outdoors hunting, at first with a sling shot, then later with a muzzle loading shotgun called chimeneya (smoke stack or chimney) locally. These are cheap shotguns that are cobbled by village "gunsmiths/blacksmiths" and are about as dangerous to the shooter as they are to the target! At any rate, in the process, he became incredibly knowledgeable about local game and the terrain. Lorenzo had known Klever since both were kids.
Lorenzo being from a well to do family, used to go hunting with his grandfather and father since he was little. As is common practice in much of Latin America and other developing countries, sportsmen hire local kids as "bird boys," to do retrieving work. Also, some of the kids are knowledgeable about the area and are used as guides. Klever, even as a kid, had developed a reputation for being not only an expert on the area but local game birds as well. So Lorenzo's father always looked for Klever when they came hunting in Naranjal area.
I met Klever in 1984 for the first time through Lorenzo. We had gone duck hunting on the outskirts of Naranjal and Lorenzo told me that Klever was the best "guide" in the area. Klever did not disappoint, he impressed me right off the start as being very knowledgeable about the game and the area. From 1984 until 1992, except for a two year break for my tour in Paraguay from 1986 to 1988, I had hunted with Klever whenever we went to Naranjal area.
When I first met Klever in 1984, he was working as a orchid hunter/finder for a Guayaquil orchid dealer. Because of Klever's expert knowledge of the area around Naranjal, he knew where to find some very rare and unusual orchids. He would collect orchids in the wild and bring them to Guayaquil where his employer paid him a pittance compared to what the orchids brought on the market. However, Klever didn't mind, since this work gave him a lot of freedom, no clock to punch, no bosses to mind! Whenever he needed money, he went out and gathered some orchids and took them to Guayaquil and made a few bucks. So Klever, besides having expert knowledge of local bird and animal life, also was an expert on plants!
Around 1991 Klever decided to do something different and took a job with a Japanese expat who was doing some specialized farming in an area outside the town of Santo Domingo de los Colorados.
By this time Klever had a common-law wife and a baby, so I guess he decided that he needed more steady work than just being an orchid finder for a dealer in Guayaquil. Everything was going well for Klever and Lorenzo and I even made a memorable trip to Klever's new stomping grounds to do some shooting. Klever's Japanese employer was very good to him and trusted him completely. But, things sort of went sideways for Klever a few year later and for whatever reason and he got into trouble with his boss. He was fired from his job and ended up living in El Guasmo, a slum area in Guayaquil. He had broken up with his common-law wife and took to the bottle and sort of dropped out of sight.
When I wrote the story the "Orchid Hunter," Lorenzo had told me that Klever was still in a kind of a funk, so the story had somewhat of a negative ending. I said something to the effect at the end that I hoped things would straighten out for Klever. Then a few years later Lorenzo told me that he had seen Klever and that he had gotten his act together. He was sober and united with his common-law wife and kid and seemed to be doing well. It was, therefore, very good to hear from Lorenzo a few days ago when he told me that he was planning to get together with Klever and do some hunting and fishing.
I will always remember Klever Cordova with fondness. I had never encountered anyone in Ecuador who was as knowledgeable about the game and the terrain in his area. Despite lack of education, I believe he had about a 6th grade level education, he was as smart and sharp as anyone I met in Ecuador. In a country that basically has only the rich and the poor with a negligible middle class, Klever will never be able to enjoy some of the luxuries that the rich in Ecuador and the majority in America take for granted. But, in his own way, he probably doesn't miss it and has a quality of life that most here as well as in Ecuador will envy!
About a decade or so ago I published a story about Klever that was called "The Orchid Hunter." I had written a series of three stories about interesting characters that I had met while in Ecuador. The series were entitled "Mis Amigos de Ecuador" ("My Friends from Ecuador") and it included the story about Reinaldo Diaz called "Tom Mix of Ecuador" (about which I had blogged earlier), "My Friend Lorenzo - muy amigo," and the third and final piece, "The Orchid Hunter." The stories were to appear concurrently with the overall title of "Mis Amigos de Ecuador" in a book of anthology. Unfortunately, as those who have published know, editors do take liberties in rearranging things. In this case, each story was separated by many pages rather than being together, and somehow the story "My friend Lorenzo - muy amigo" became "Mis Amigos de Ecuador" by itself! Well, these things happen. Although I wasn't pleased, there was nothing I could do about it, at least they were published intact!
In the "Orchid Hunter" I described how Klever had grown up in the area around Naranjal, a town located south of Guayaquil. Klever was not much for studying in school and preferred to spend time in the outdoors hunting, at first with a sling shot, then later with a muzzle loading shotgun called chimeneya (smoke stack or chimney) locally. These are cheap shotguns that are cobbled by village "gunsmiths/blacksmiths" and are about as dangerous to the shooter as they are to the target! At any rate, in the process, he became incredibly knowledgeable about local game and the terrain. Lorenzo had known Klever since both were kids.
Lorenzo being from a well to do family, used to go hunting with his grandfather and father since he was little. As is common practice in much of Latin America and other developing countries, sportsmen hire local kids as "bird boys," to do retrieving work. Also, some of the kids are knowledgeable about the area and are used as guides. Klever, even as a kid, had developed a reputation for being not only an expert on the area but local game birds as well. So Lorenzo's father always looked for Klever when they came hunting in Naranjal area.
I met Klever in 1984 for the first time through Lorenzo. We had gone duck hunting on the outskirts of Naranjal and Lorenzo told me that Klever was the best "guide" in the area. Klever did not disappoint, he impressed me right off the start as being very knowledgeable about the game and the area. From 1984 until 1992, except for a two year break for my tour in Paraguay from 1986 to 1988, I had hunted with Klever whenever we went to Naranjal area.
When I first met Klever in 1984, he was working as a orchid hunter/finder for a Guayaquil orchid dealer. Because of Klever's expert knowledge of the area around Naranjal, he knew where to find some very rare and unusual orchids. He would collect orchids in the wild and bring them to Guayaquil where his employer paid him a pittance compared to what the orchids brought on the market. However, Klever didn't mind, since this work gave him a lot of freedom, no clock to punch, no bosses to mind! Whenever he needed money, he went out and gathered some orchids and took them to Guayaquil and made a few bucks. So Klever, besides having expert knowledge of local bird and animal life, also was an expert on plants!
Around 1991 Klever decided to do something different and took a job with a Japanese expat who was doing some specialized farming in an area outside the town of Santo Domingo de los Colorados.
By this time Klever had a common-law wife and a baby, so I guess he decided that he needed more steady work than just being an orchid finder for a dealer in Guayaquil. Everything was going well for Klever and Lorenzo and I even made a memorable trip to Klever's new stomping grounds to do some shooting. Klever's Japanese employer was very good to him and trusted him completely. But, things sort of went sideways for Klever a few year later and for whatever reason and he got into trouble with his boss. He was fired from his job and ended up living in El Guasmo, a slum area in Guayaquil. He had broken up with his common-law wife and took to the bottle and sort of dropped out of sight.
When I wrote the story the "Orchid Hunter," Lorenzo had told me that Klever was still in a kind of a funk, so the story had somewhat of a negative ending. I said something to the effect at the end that I hoped things would straighten out for Klever. Then a few years later Lorenzo told me that he had seen Klever and that he had gotten his act together. He was sober and united with his common-law wife and kid and seemed to be doing well. It was, therefore, very good to hear from Lorenzo a few days ago when he told me that he was planning to get together with Klever and do some hunting and fishing.
I will always remember Klever Cordova with fondness. I had never encountered anyone in Ecuador who was as knowledgeable about the game and the terrain in his area. Despite lack of education, I believe he had about a 6th grade level education, he was as smart and sharp as anyone I met in Ecuador. In a country that basically has only the rich and the poor with a negligible middle class, Klever will never be able to enjoy some of the luxuries that the rich in Ecuador and the majority in America take for granted. But, in his own way, he probably doesn't miss it and has a quality of life that most here as well as in Ecuador will envy!
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Zaki and Shahir -the Odd Couple of Egypt
Generally speaking, one does not find close friends in Egypt who are Christian and Muslim. In other words, those of opposite religion like Christians and Muslims rarely make close friends in Egypt, although you do find them once in a while. First of all, the Coptic Christians in Egypt are even a smaller minority than Muslims are in the United States. Secondly, despite animosity directed at Muslim by some in our society, overall, Muslims are not persecuted in this country as Christians are in Egypt. The Christians in Egypt are definitely at a disadvantage and are treated as second class citizens. Therefore, as I said, it is an exception to find close friends in Egypt who are Muslim and Christian.
My friends Zaki and Shahir are that rare exception. They are the closest of friends, although they seem to have very little in common except that both attended the American University in Cairo, and both are avid hunting enthusiasts. I met Zaki and Shahir during my first year in Cairo through my friend John Brey, who knew them from his prior stay in Egypt. John and I hit it off immediately upon meeting, since we were like-minded avid hunting enthusiasts and John introduced me to Zaki and Shahir.
Zaki is a Muslim and at least ten years older than Shahir. At the time I met them, in mid 1990s, Zaki was in his early fifties while Shahir was in his late thirties. Zaki was married and had a teenaged son, while Shahir was a bachelor and was living with his girl friend. Zaki's wife, although a Muslim, was raised in England and was not a practicing Muslim. In fact, no one in Zaki's family appeared to be a devout Muslim. Shahir, a Coptic Christian, lived with a Muslim Palestinian girl who also appeared to be not very devout. All of them consumed alcoholic beverages in liberal amounts! Shahir was the only one of the bunch who was not forbidden to partake in alcoholic drinks by his religion. Although Shahir was living with his Palestinian girl friend, he had no plans to marry her because his widowed mother opposed his marriage to a Muslim! It seemed to me to be somewhat of an awkward situation all around, not just Shahir's romantic arrangement but his friendship with Zaki as well. But as I have mentioned elsewhere, in another blog, Egypt is truly a land of mystery and seems to possess a split personality in many areas!
Zaki was/is the owner of perhaps the best known jewelry store in Khan Il Khalili, the huge souk (Arabic market) in Cairo. His store was well known and was extremely popular with foreigners in particular. Inside his store, one wall was plastered with photographs and business cards of his clients that ranged from General Norman Schwartzkopf of Gulf War fame and Tipper Gore (ex-wife of Vice President Gore at the time) to lesser known personalities. Tipper, as the Vice President's wife, used to come to Cairo at least once a year during his tenure. Apparently Egypt was her favorite vacation spot so she used to come out frequently, giving US Embassy staff fits each time she came! Zaki was especially proud of the photo with "Stormin' Norman." So, Zaki was a very well known and successful businessman in Cairo.
Shahir came from a very well to do Coptic Christian family. His father apparently was a very successful entrepreneur and owned buildings in Cairo as well in Alexandria up north. His family, it seems, lived off the investments that his father made. However, Shahir did dabble in business on his own. When we were in Cairo, he got into the business of importing "antiques" from India and Pakistan. Essentially he imported some old stuff and resold it in Cairo to foreigners for a profit. We bought some Indian metal ware that we still have. Nothing expensive or unusual, just some metal statuary of birds that we have in our yard.
Zaki and Shahir are the closest of friends who seem to have little in common other than their mutual interest in hunting and drinking! Their social interaction consisted of going hunting together or getting together to drink! Their families were not close or friendly with each other, so their friendship revolved around those two activities and only the two of them plus Zaki's wife and Shahir's girl friend, like double dating! But, their friendship seems to persevere despite their differences in religion, age, and indeed, even life style. One is a married man with a son, the other a bachelor with a girl friend! When not hunting or drinking together, Zaki socialized with other married couples and their families while Shahir led the life of a swinging bachelor, with a girl friend, of course.
Zaki and Shahir are indeed the so-called "odd couple of Egypt." I wrote a short piece about them in Snap Shots, couldn't resist mentioning their unusual friendship. If only the rest of Egypt and its people got along as Zaki and Shahir, there would be a lot less problems in that country. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Muslim Egyptians do not like and do not associate with Coptic Christians. It was especially bad during the short reign of Muslim Brotherhood when Coptic Christians were actively persecuted! But, Zaki's and Shahir's friendship persevered through it all. They still hunt and drink together, although not as frequently as in the past. I guess time catches up with everyone!
My friends Zaki and Shahir are that rare exception. They are the closest of friends, although they seem to have very little in common except that both attended the American University in Cairo, and both are avid hunting enthusiasts. I met Zaki and Shahir during my first year in Cairo through my friend John Brey, who knew them from his prior stay in Egypt. John and I hit it off immediately upon meeting, since we were like-minded avid hunting enthusiasts and John introduced me to Zaki and Shahir.
Zaki is a Muslim and at least ten years older than Shahir. At the time I met them, in mid 1990s, Zaki was in his early fifties while Shahir was in his late thirties. Zaki was married and had a teenaged son, while Shahir was a bachelor and was living with his girl friend. Zaki's wife, although a Muslim, was raised in England and was not a practicing Muslim. In fact, no one in Zaki's family appeared to be a devout Muslim. Shahir, a Coptic Christian, lived with a Muslim Palestinian girl who also appeared to be not very devout. All of them consumed alcoholic beverages in liberal amounts! Shahir was the only one of the bunch who was not forbidden to partake in alcoholic drinks by his religion. Although Shahir was living with his Palestinian girl friend, he had no plans to marry her because his widowed mother opposed his marriage to a Muslim! It seemed to me to be somewhat of an awkward situation all around, not just Shahir's romantic arrangement but his friendship with Zaki as well. But as I have mentioned elsewhere, in another blog, Egypt is truly a land of mystery and seems to possess a split personality in many areas!
Zaki was/is the owner of perhaps the best known jewelry store in Khan Il Khalili, the huge souk (Arabic market) in Cairo. His store was well known and was extremely popular with foreigners in particular. Inside his store, one wall was plastered with photographs and business cards of his clients that ranged from General Norman Schwartzkopf of Gulf War fame and Tipper Gore (ex-wife of Vice President Gore at the time) to lesser known personalities. Tipper, as the Vice President's wife, used to come to Cairo at least once a year during his tenure. Apparently Egypt was her favorite vacation spot so she used to come out frequently, giving US Embassy staff fits each time she came! Zaki was especially proud of the photo with "Stormin' Norman." So, Zaki was a very well known and successful businessman in Cairo.
Shahir came from a very well to do Coptic Christian family. His father apparently was a very successful entrepreneur and owned buildings in Cairo as well in Alexandria up north. His family, it seems, lived off the investments that his father made. However, Shahir did dabble in business on his own. When we were in Cairo, he got into the business of importing "antiques" from India and Pakistan. Essentially he imported some old stuff and resold it in Cairo to foreigners for a profit. We bought some Indian metal ware that we still have. Nothing expensive or unusual, just some metal statuary of birds that we have in our yard.
Zaki and Shahir are the closest of friends who seem to have little in common other than their mutual interest in hunting and drinking! Their social interaction consisted of going hunting together or getting together to drink! Their families were not close or friendly with each other, so their friendship revolved around those two activities and only the two of them plus Zaki's wife and Shahir's girl friend, like double dating! But, their friendship seems to persevere despite their differences in religion, age, and indeed, even life style. One is a married man with a son, the other a bachelor with a girl friend! When not hunting or drinking together, Zaki socialized with other married couples and their families while Shahir led the life of a swinging bachelor, with a girl friend, of course.
Zaki and Shahir are indeed the so-called "odd couple of Egypt." I wrote a short piece about them in Snap Shots, couldn't resist mentioning their unusual friendship. If only the rest of Egypt and its people got along as Zaki and Shahir, there would be a lot less problems in that country. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Muslim Egyptians do not like and do not associate with Coptic Christians. It was especially bad during the short reign of Muslim Brotherhood when Coptic Christians were actively persecuted! But, Zaki's and Shahir's friendship persevered through it all. They still hunt and drink together, although not as frequently as in the past. I guess time catches up with everyone!
Sunday, May 8, 2016
The Egyptian Version of KGB, the SSIS
Back in November of 2014 I posted a couple of blogs on Egypt, starting with "Egypt-the Land of Antiquity," followed by "The Land of Antiquity and Terrorism." In those two blogs I talked of a different mind set, mentality, that exists in that part of the world, and how it clashes with our perspective and way of thinking. I recounted numerous terrorist activities that took place in Egypt during my tour of duty and I also attempted to explain or illustrate the difference in mentality and perspective of the Egyptians. All in all, I wanted to point out that it was a very different world, despite their long association with the West and superficial similarities with our society!
I recall numerous conversations that I had with members from the Russian Embassy as well as other former Soviet Union Republics such as Ukraine, and Islamic countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc., and how they all expressed their difficulty in dealing with and understanding Egyptian mentality. They all felt that the Egyptian officials that they had to deal with were very mistrustful of foreigners, even if they were Muslims like themselves, and very secretive. This I heard not only from Russians but Kazakhs and Uzbeks, who are Muslim! They all joked about the fact that the Egyptian State Security Investigation Service (SSIS) with whom all foreign embassies had to interact, was more "KGB" than the real KGB itself! Of course by that time (1990s) KGB, like the old Soviet Union, was no more. Instead it was now called the Federal Security Service and it no longer had the sweeping, unchecked powers that it used to enjoy before the fall of the Soviet Union! At any rate, the Egyptian SSIS, which received intensive training from the KGB back in the 1950s when Egypt allied itself with the Soviet Union, became even more notorious than its teacher! Like the Cubans and East Germans, the Egyptians not only eagerly took on all that they were taught, but added a few twists of their own!
It was a common practice of the SSIS to plant agents in foreign embassies. Most of the time they did this by simply recruiting already working embassy staff members through blackmail and threats of arrest. Although we were Egypt's biggest economic and military supporter, our embassy was heavily infiltrated with SSIS agents. Another method employed by SSIS was to recruit household servants to report to them. It was not uncommon to have a maid in a household who was an SSIS informer. We had a maid for a while who was on SSIS payroll. Fifi, our maid, no doubt was recruited early on, for she had worked for another U.S. Embassy household before she came to work for us. Our house in Mohandassin district of Cairo was guarded 24/7 by several Egyptian policemen. Two or three (depending on the day) uniformed policemen armed with AK-47s and one "detective," their supervisor, who was in "civies," galabeya, the Egyptian traditional robe. The "detective" openly wrote down in a notebook each time we came or left the house or if anyone came to our house! There was not even a pretense, it was obvious that they were there to watch us, not protect us!
At work, periodically I had to deal with the Interior Ministry and the head of the SSIS unit that was responsible for interacting with foreign embassies. Mohammed Youseff was a Colonel in the SSIS which was patterned after the Soviet KGB with its members given military ranks. He headed the unit that interacted with foreign missions in Egypt. He was openly anti American, very proud of the fact that he spent time in Moscow receiving specialized training from KGB. It obviously almost pained him to deal with Americans, you could see it by his facial expression, and he did everything possible to make things difficult for us, without making it seem obvious! In contrast, when dealing with Egypt's Foreign Ministry, I had to interact with their Minister for North America who was very much pro American, having spent over 10 years in the U.S. and received a Ph.D. from a prestigious American college. So, the Egyptian government itself, at least back in the 1990s, had somewhat of a split personality. There were as many pro Western, pro American officials as there were anti Western, anti American, like Mohammed Youseff of SSIS! Fortunately, the SSIS with its infamous and dark past was dismantled after the Arab Spring Revolution in 2011.
As I stated in the earlier blogs, Egypt is a fascinating land of antiquity. The Egyptians, those who were not affiliated with Islamic extremists or other anti Western or anti American factions are for the most part friendly and warm people. Hospitality is something in which Egyptian people, be they rich or poor, take tremendous pride. "Akhlan-wa-sakhlan" ("welcome") is the most common expression that one hears in that land of antiquity!
I recall numerous conversations that I had with members from the Russian Embassy as well as other former Soviet Union Republics such as Ukraine, and Islamic countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc., and how they all expressed their difficulty in dealing with and understanding Egyptian mentality. They all felt that the Egyptian officials that they had to deal with were very mistrustful of foreigners, even if they were Muslims like themselves, and very secretive. This I heard not only from Russians but Kazakhs and Uzbeks, who are Muslim! They all joked about the fact that the Egyptian State Security Investigation Service (SSIS) with whom all foreign embassies had to interact, was more "KGB" than the real KGB itself! Of course by that time (1990s) KGB, like the old Soviet Union, was no more. Instead it was now called the Federal Security Service and it no longer had the sweeping, unchecked powers that it used to enjoy before the fall of the Soviet Union! At any rate, the Egyptian SSIS, which received intensive training from the KGB back in the 1950s when Egypt allied itself with the Soviet Union, became even more notorious than its teacher! Like the Cubans and East Germans, the Egyptians not only eagerly took on all that they were taught, but added a few twists of their own!
It was a common practice of the SSIS to plant agents in foreign embassies. Most of the time they did this by simply recruiting already working embassy staff members through blackmail and threats of arrest. Although we were Egypt's biggest economic and military supporter, our embassy was heavily infiltrated with SSIS agents. Another method employed by SSIS was to recruit household servants to report to them. It was not uncommon to have a maid in a household who was an SSIS informer. We had a maid for a while who was on SSIS payroll. Fifi, our maid, no doubt was recruited early on, for she had worked for another U.S. Embassy household before she came to work for us. Our house in Mohandassin district of Cairo was guarded 24/7 by several Egyptian policemen. Two or three (depending on the day) uniformed policemen armed with AK-47s and one "detective," their supervisor, who was in "civies," galabeya, the Egyptian traditional robe. The "detective" openly wrote down in a notebook each time we came or left the house or if anyone came to our house! There was not even a pretense, it was obvious that they were there to watch us, not protect us!
At work, periodically I had to deal with the Interior Ministry and the head of the SSIS unit that was responsible for interacting with foreign embassies. Mohammed Youseff was a Colonel in the SSIS which was patterned after the Soviet KGB with its members given military ranks. He headed the unit that interacted with foreign missions in Egypt. He was openly anti American, very proud of the fact that he spent time in Moscow receiving specialized training from KGB. It obviously almost pained him to deal with Americans, you could see it by his facial expression, and he did everything possible to make things difficult for us, without making it seem obvious! In contrast, when dealing with Egypt's Foreign Ministry, I had to interact with their Minister for North America who was very much pro American, having spent over 10 years in the U.S. and received a Ph.D. from a prestigious American college. So, the Egyptian government itself, at least back in the 1990s, had somewhat of a split personality. There were as many pro Western, pro American officials as there were anti Western, anti American, like Mohammed Youseff of SSIS! Fortunately, the SSIS with its infamous and dark past was dismantled after the Arab Spring Revolution in 2011.
As I stated in the earlier blogs, Egypt is a fascinating land of antiquity. The Egyptians, those who were not affiliated with Islamic extremists or other anti Western or anti American factions are for the most part friendly and warm people. Hospitality is something in which Egyptian people, be they rich or poor, take tremendous pride. "Akhlan-wa-sakhlan" ("welcome") is the most common expression that one hears in that land of antiquity!
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The Southern Border - One of Our Major Problems!
I believe that our southern border with Mexico and the lack of control by our government, is one of the major problems that we have faced in the past and are continuing to face today. It is both puzzling and annoying to me that none of the presidential candidates today have actually addressed this issue seriously. There have been some controversial statements made by some of the candidates, like promising to build a fence, etc. These were nothing but sound bites to get the voters' attention. But in fact, none of the candidates have actually made any serious proposals and have put forth any solutions concerning the border problem. It is as if the border issue is not all that important! Considering that all of the candidates claim to be getting away from the "establishment's" approach to our problems, they are actually doing exactly what the establishment is doing, which is nothing!
My familiarity with our problem on the southern border goes back many years. Even before I went to work for the State Department, I was exposed to the fact that our border was porous, almost non-existent. I lived in Central California, Sacramento Valley to be more precise, and even back then in the 1970s, it was common place to find Mexicans who had crossed the border illegally. I knew several such persons who freely admitted that they came across illegally and fairly easily! I did not work in agriculture nor did I purposely seek out illegal entrants, yet, I ran across them without effort. It was amazing to me even then how easily these people were able to cross the border into the U.S.
Later, in the 1980s, when I was already working for the State Department, I made a visit to California's southern border on consultation with the Immigration Service and Border Patrol before being assigned to a South American post. I did a blog on that experience earlier, about how it was like a scene out of Vietnam during a battle, as I watched illegals scrambling across the border at night! It was an experience that I will never forget. I was astounded on seeing the number of people involved and how they simply scrambled across into the U.S.! Later, serving in countries such as Ecuador and Paraguay, I learned that crossing the border into the U.S. illegally was both common and very popular way of getting into the U.S. Everyone seemed to be aware of the fact that it was fairly "easy" to cross into the U.S. from Mexico. So, although most preferred to get a visa and enter legally, if they were denied a visa and they were intent on coming to the U.S., they simply crossed overland illegally!
This method of entry into the U.S. was practiced not only by Mexicans, Central and South Americans, but by all nationalities. Countries such as Paraguay were a favorite "jumping off" point. In fact, Paraguay was known as the "trampoline" to the U.S.! People from all over the world, including Middle East and Eastern Europe, not to mention Asia, used Paraguay as a staging area before entering the U.S. illegally. Those who had money actually simply went to Mexico and then entered U.S. illegally. This was/is particularly true of Eastern Europeans and Middle Easterners who were unable to secure U.S. visas in their homeland. They would travel to Mexico, which is much more liberal about entry into their country, pay off the right individuals, and cross into the U.S. illegally.
Before I left for my assignment to Tijuana, Mexico, I spent a considerable amount of time being briefed by various agencies about the situation on the southern border. I was repeatedly reminded that my most important job would be to try to find a solution for illegal border crossers. Upon arrival at my new post, I discovered that I had to participate in at least a half a dozen different working groups, committees, and task forces, all aimed at stopping the flow of illegal border crossers. Some of these committees and working groups involved our Mexican counterparts, others were made up of strictly U.S. agencies, like Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Customs, U.S. Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, San Diego Country Sheriff, San Diego Police, California Highway Patrol, and even some of the smaller police departments thrown in! In other working groups that involved Mexican officials it would include the Mexican Consul General from San Diego, the Baja California Governor's Office, Segunda Zona Militar (2nd Military Zone, Mexican Army), Mexican Federal Police, and their Special Anti Drug Unit. Unfortunately, those meetings were never fruitful.
It was obvious that many of the Mexican counterparts were not interested in stopping the illegal border crossers and only provided lip service. Additionally, there was a lot mistrust and the U.S. side did not want to divulge any sensitive information to the Mexican side. The fears were well founded, since the Mexican side had been heavily infiltrated by drug cartels as it was proven time and time again! Still, we had to go through the motions of having meetings and discussions which Washington insisted upon. We would submit the results of these meetings to Washington, although they accomplished nothing, and Washington didn't seem to be bothered by the lack of results! I guess it was more important to show that there was binational cooperation, although there were no results! Some, like the Mexican Consul General in San Diego at that time, Luis Herrera, genuinely wanted to try to do something about the problem. However, he was stonewalled by his own people, the military and the Federal Police, most of the time. Those two, the military and the Federal Police were the two most corrupt and heavily infiltrated by drug cartels!
During my three years in Tijuana, I had to attend at least two meetings each week that involved border issues. Once a month we hosted a binational meeting at our Consulate General and the Mexican Consulate General in San Diego hosted a meeting once a month as well. These binational meeting were time consuming and rarely if ever produced any results. About the only thing we were able to accomplish was to resolve some of the minor issues now and then, never the major issues concerning illegal border crossers. Also, once a month we had meetings of all U.S. agencies, usually at the border crossing in San Isidro. Then there were smaller meetings with law enforcement only at various locations including at places like Calexico, El Centro, and other "well known" locales!
All in all, it seemed like there were constant meetings trying to resolve some of the issues with our border problem. Every few months there were much larger meetings involving all of the border governors, governors of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, along with heads of Border Patrol, Customs, and INS, as well as DEA and FBI. U.S. Consuls and Consul Generals of all the border posts, Tijuana, Hermosillo, Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey, etc. These meetings were usually fruitful in that it made everyone aware of the problems that each state and area had! But everyone always complained about Washington's lack of interest and support! Apparently nothing has changed in the past 20 or 30 years. Everything is the same. Mexico is still rife with corruption and our side is constantly scrambling, trying to come up with solutions while Washington seems to just sit back and watch!
The problem on our southern border is immense! It isn't just the flow of illegal aliens of all nationalities that use this route, but the astronomical amount of drugs that are being brought in! Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, crossing illegally from Mexico was the favorite method for Russian Mafia members who could not obtain U.S visas! It is not inconceivable that terrorists have used this route to enter our country, they just haven't been caught, so far! Yet, our government in Washington seems to just ignore it. Instead, the former U.S. Attorney General Holder played silly games with illegal weapons sales and got caught in the process, but got away without even getting his wrists slapped! The State of Arizona is still paying for it. The Justice Department apparently has a long memory and bears a grudge.
Since that incident, the Justice Department has been trying to punish Arizona one way or another, usually through charges against local law enforcement for allegedly breaking Federal laws! To this day, some of those weapons from Holder's little escapade are turning up in the hands of criminals in Arizona, in the cities as well as along the border! A few days ago the Federal Courts ruled that it was indeed against the law for illegal aliens to use stolen identity to secure employment. The courts had to rule on that? Give me a break, is it not against the law to use stolen identity regardless of your status? Why did they have to wait several years to finally rule against the illegal aliens? One of the main charges that the Justice Department filed against Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona was that Arpaio's people were arresting illegal aliens for using stolen identity for securing employment. The Justice Department claimed that it was unconstitutional and discriminatory for the Sheriff's office to arrest illegal aliens for using stolen identity. That was very puzzling and I am glad they were able to sort it out after all this time.....give me a break!
All of the government agencies represented along the border, both Federal and State, as well as our Foreign Service posts, are constantly asking Washington for help, for some solid guidance and support. Except for some "keep up the good work," and a pat on the back once in a while, support as such is minimal. It almost seems as if Washington does not want to stop the flow of illegals across our southern border. I know that is not the case, but their inaction sure makes it seem so!
My familiarity with our problem on the southern border goes back many years. Even before I went to work for the State Department, I was exposed to the fact that our border was porous, almost non-existent. I lived in Central California, Sacramento Valley to be more precise, and even back then in the 1970s, it was common place to find Mexicans who had crossed the border illegally. I knew several such persons who freely admitted that they came across illegally and fairly easily! I did not work in agriculture nor did I purposely seek out illegal entrants, yet, I ran across them without effort. It was amazing to me even then how easily these people were able to cross the border into the U.S.
Later, in the 1980s, when I was already working for the State Department, I made a visit to California's southern border on consultation with the Immigration Service and Border Patrol before being assigned to a South American post. I did a blog on that experience earlier, about how it was like a scene out of Vietnam during a battle, as I watched illegals scrambling across the border at night! It was an experience that I will never forget. I was astounded on seeing the number of people involved and how they simply scrambled across into the U.S.! Later, serving in countries such as Ecuador and Paraguay, I learned that crossing the border into the U.S. illegally was both common and very popular way of getting into the U.S. Everyone seemed to be aware of the fact that it was fairly "easy" to cross into the U.S. from Mexico. So, although most preferred to get a visa and enter legally, if they were denied a visa and they were intent on coming to the U.S., they simply crossed overland illegally!
This method of entry into the U.S. was practiced not only by Mexicans, Central and South Americans, but by all nationalities. Countries such as Paraguay were a favorite "jumping off" point. In fact, Paraguay was known as the "trampoline" to the U.S.! People from all over the world, including Middle East and Eastern Europe, not to mention Asia, used Paraguay as a staging area before entering the U.S. illegally. Those who had money actually simply went to Mexico and then entered U.S. illegally. This was/is particularly true of Eastern Europeans and Middle Easterners who were unable to secure U.S. visas in their homeland. They would travel to Mexico, which is much more liberal about entry into their country, pay off the right individuals, and cross into the U.S. illegally.
Before I left for my assignment to Tijuana, Mexico, I spent a considerable amount of time being briefed by various agencies about the situation on the southern border. I was repeatedly reminded that my most important job would be to try to find a solution for illegal border crossers. Upon arrival at my new post, I discovered that I had to participate in at least a half a dozen different working groups, committees, and task forces, all aimed at stopping the flow of illegal border crossers. Some of these committees and working groups involved our Mexican counterparts, others were made up of strictly U.S. agencies, like Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Customs, U.S. Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, San Diego Country Sheriff, San Diego Police, California Highway Patrol, and even some of the smaller police departments thrown in! In other working groups that involved Mexican officials it would include the Mexican Consul General from San Diego, the Baja California Governor's Office, Segunda Zona Militar (2nd Military Zone, Mexican Army), Mexican Federal Police, and their Special Anti Drug Unit. Unfortunately, those meetings were never fruitful.
It was obvious that many of the Mexican counterparts were not interested in stopping the illegal border crossers and only provided lip service. Additionally, there was a lot mistrust and the U.S. side did not want to divulge any sensitive information to the Mexican side. The fears were well founded, since the Mexican side had been heavily infiltrated by drug cartels as it was proven time and time again! Still, we had to go through the motions of having meetings and discussions which Washington insisted upon. We would submit the results of these meetings to Washington, although they accomplished nothing, and Washington didn't seem to be bothered by the lack of results! I guess it was more important to show that there was binational cooperation, although there were no results! Some, like the Mexican Consul General in San Diego at that time, Luis Herrera, genuinely wanted to try to do something about the problem. However, he was stonewalled by his own people, the military and the Federal Police, most of the time. Those two, the military and the Federal Police were the two most corrupt and heavily infiltrated by drug cartels!
During my three years in Tijuana, I had to attend at least two meetings each week that involved border issues. Once a month we hosted a binational meeting at our Consulate General and the Mexican Consulate General in San Diego hosted a meeting once a month as well. These binational meeting were time consuming and rarely if ever produced any results. About the only thing we were able to accomplish was to resolve some of the minor issues now and then, never the major issues concerning illegal border crossers. Also, once a month we had meetings of all U.S. agencies, usually at the border crossing in San Isidro. Then there were smaller meetings with law enforcement only at various locations including at places like Calexico, El Centro, and other "well known" locales!
All in all, it seemed like there were constant meetings trying to resolve some of the issues with our border problem. Every few months there were much larger meetings involving all of the border governors, governors of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, along with heads of Border Patrol, Customs, and INS, as well as DEA and FBI. U.S. Consuls and Consul Generals of all the border posts, Tijuana, Hermosillo, Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey, etc. These meetings were usually fruitful in that it made everyone aware of the problems that each state and area had! But everyone always complained about Washington's lack of interest and support! Apparently nothing has changed in the past 20 or 30 years. Everything is the same. Mexico is still rife with corruption and our side is constantly scrambling, trying to come up with solutions while Washington seems to just sit back and watch!
The problem on our southern border is immense! It isn't just the flow of illegal aliens of all nationalities that use this route, but the astronomical amount of drugs that are being brought in! Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, crossing illegally from Mexico was the favorite method for Russian Mafia members who could not obtain U.S visas! It is not inconceivable that terrorists have used this route to enter our country, they just haven't been caught, so far! Yet, our government in Washington seems to just ignore it. Instead, the former U.S. Attorney General Holder played silly games with illegal weapons sales and got caught in the process, but got away without even getting his wrists slapped! The State of Arizona is still paying for it. The Justice Department apparently has a long memory and bears a grudge.
Since that incident, the Justice Department has been trying to punish Arizona one way or another, usually through charges against local law enforcement for allegedly breaking Federal laws! To this day, some of those weapons from Holder's little escapade are turning up in the hands of criminals in Arizona, in the cities as well as along the border! A few days ago the Federal Courts ruled that it was indeed against the law for illegal aliens to use stolen identity to secure employment. The courts had to rule on that? Give me a break, is it not against the law to use stolen identity regardless of your status? Why did they have to wait several years to finally rule against the illegal aliens? One of the main charges that the Justice Department filed against Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona was that Arpaio's people were arresting illegal aliens for using stolen identity for securing employment. The Justice Department claimed that it was unconstitutional and discriminatory for the Sheriff's office to arrest illegal aliens for using stolen identity. That was very puzzling and I am glad they were able to sort it out after all this time.....give me a break!
All of the government agencies represented along the border, both Federal and State, as well as our Foreign Service posts, are constantly asking Washington for help, for some solid guidance and support. Except for some "keep up the good work," and a pat on the back once in a while, support as such is minimal. It almost seems as if Washington does not want to stop the flow of illegals across our southern border. I know that is not the case, but their inaction sure makes it seem so!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Arab Terrorists in Paraguay
Back in 2014 I wrote a series of blogs on Paraguay which described just about everything from Nazi fugitives, Chinese Triads, narcotics traffickers, and alleged Arab terrorists. Last month I did a blog on an unusual incident involving the purchase of a blue plastic dish and a man named Carlos Wildeburger. In the previous blogs (2014) I mentioned my reporting on alleged Arab terrorists who appeared at the embassy in Asuncion and tried to secure visas for the U.S. However, my exposure to information about alleged Arab terrorists was much more extensive than just that contact with visa applicants.
As I have previously blogged, during my tour of duty in Paraguay from 1986 to 1988, I was mostly involved with reporting on Chinese Triads and drug traffickers. The reason the triad members and drug traffickers were such a concern to the embassy was because they were the primary illegal entrants into the U.S., either with a U.S. visa falsely obtained, or crossing the U.S. border illegally overland through Mexico. Paraguay in the 1980s was known as the "trampoline" for illegal entry into the U.S.! In short, despite its long distance from the U.S. border, it was a perfect staging area for those planning to enter the U.S. illegally. The government of Paraguay had traditionally, since the days of Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, allowed just about anyone to enter its borders as long as they were willing to pay! Additionally, those without documentation could easily purchase Paraguayan (legal) passports because you could purchase Paraguayan citizenship!
The infamous Josef Mengele purchased Paraguayan citizenship, as had many other Nazis and other fugitives. In other words, these passports were not illegal, since they were legally obtained. This was a big headache for the embassy's visa unit because there was a constant flow of Chinese, Koreans, Arabs, and Eastern Europeans who showed up with Paraguayan passports to apply for visas! With the Chinese the big concern was the Chinese criminal gangs, the triads, while the Koreans were a problem because of North Korean agents. The Arabs and Eastern Europeans were also suspect of various illegal activities, mostly terrorism. So, in digging into the background of these various groups in Paraguay, I came across some very interesting information.
I had already blogged on the Chinese triads, but I really did not cover the Arab terrorists all that much before. There were primarily two groups of Arab "terrorists" in Paraguay in the 1980s. There were Libyans, those sent there by Khaddafi to set up a "training" camp. Then there was a large camp that was set up by Lebanese Arabs, also a terrorist sponsored operation. The Lebanese have had a long history in Paraguay and other South American countries. There had been a heavy influx of Lebanese Muslim immigrants to South America before and post World War Two. Paraguay received a large number in 1947-48. Now these were peaceful Arabs who only wanted a better life and became a solid, influential part of the South American society. So, when terror groups decided to set up facilities abroad, they chose Paraguay for a good reason. First, there was already a "pipeline" of sorts to that country from Lebanon. Second, the government was willing to accept anyone without question as long as "fees" were paid. Third, there was plenty of inexpensive real estate, large chunks of land where these "training" centers could be set up.
So, Paraguay had (and still has) all the necessary ingredients for various groups to set up facilities in hinterlands where they would not be bothered. Thus the place became very popular for drug traffickers going back to the 1970s. Remember the infamous "French Connection?" Paraguay was the staging area for drug shipments! In 1987 I knew of two Arab facilities or settlements that were very secretive and located away from population centers. One was supposedly set up by Libyans and it was located southeast of Asuncion. Another, a larger "settlement" or facility was located near the town of Ciudad del Este in the tri-country region (Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay). This Arab settlement even had a large mosque visible from a distance. Most of the settlement was open to public so to speak, but there was a portion further away from the population center that was fenced and heavily guarded. That was a terrorist training camp! That whole area was Lebanese Shia Muslim. The Hezbollah of Lebanon was founded in 1985 and was still relatively unknown at the time. They believed even then that it was important to set up locations, training camps, where their followers could move to, away from prying eyes and persecution from their enemies.
Back then I had even obtained photographic proof of armed activity in those camps. There was no doubt whatsoever as to what they were up to. Only the most naïve person would think that perhaps they were just running a facility for paint ball games! All of this was duly reported to Washington and whatever evidence or proof was submitted as well. Therefore, it was not surprising to me to hear in the news back in 2008-9 about concerns raised in Washington over the growing activities of these terror camps, especially the one in Ciudad del Este. I thought, it was about time that more attention was paid to what was going on in Paraguay. Many who raised their concerns were especially worried about our border with Mexico, where illegals cross daily! However, everything seemed to die down, especially after an article appeared in Al Jazeera by Belen Fernandez, ridiculing the whole idea of terror camps in Paraguay. For those who are unfamiliar, Belen Fernandez, although an excellent reporter and writer, nevertheless has her agenda, which is very much pro Arab! She had built her reputation on tearing down some of the pro - Israeli reporting, especially concerning the settlers. She also stated in one of her articles that Hezbollah - "never started raining (firing missiles) anything on Israel without provocation."
According to Fernandez's article which appeared in May of 2013, she made a trip to Paraguay and toured the alleged terror camp and interviewed Paraguayan authorities as well as the Imam of the mosque in Ciudad del Este. The Paraguayan authorities claimed that under pressure from U.S. government, they had conducted a special "raid" with their special operations unit and found nothing incriminating. I found that explanation laughable. I doubt very seriously if any such "raid" was conducted. As for the credibility and ability of the Paraguayan Special Operations unit....well, that's another story. I have seen them up close and personal and I would, at best, rate them as a mediocre military unit and truly question their ability!
Fernandez also interviewed the Imam at great length who went on to tell her that he was "insulted" that the U.S. government accused his settlement and his people of being involved in terror activity. Fernandez pointed out that the Imam was a holy person and surely would not lie and be involved in terror activity. By the way, the Supreme leader of Iran is an Imam, so was Ayatollah Khomeini! I guess she forgot about that. Fernandez concluded her article by pointing out that Paraguay was far away from the Mexican border. She argued that it was impractical for terror groups such as Hezbollah set up so far away if they wanted to use the porous border to cross, as some in U.S. feared. Although she has a reputation for being a good journalist, she apparently did not do her homework and learn about the history of Paraguay and how it had been and has been used by various groups for illegal entry into the U.S.
I am puzzled and disappointed by what appears to be a total lack of interest in what is going on in Paraguay. This administration has a deserved reputation for inaction and "dropping the ball" on several occasions. I hope this doesn't become one of those "dropped balls." The reports that surfaced in 2008-2009 not only mentioned Hezbollah, but Al Qaida as well! But then, that makes sense, since there are more terror groups today than there were back in the 1980s.
As I have previously blogged, during my tour of duty in Paraguay from 1986 to 1988, I was mostly involved with reporting on Chinese Triads and drug traffickers. The reason the triad members and drug traffickers were such a concern to the embassy was because they were the primary illegal entrants into the U.S., either with a U.S. visa falsely obtained, or crossing the U.S. border illegally overland through Mexico. Paraguay in the 1980s was known as the "trampoline" for illegal entry into the U.S.! In short, despite its long distance from the U.S. border, it was a perfect staging area for those planning to enter the U.S. illegally. The government of Paraguay had traditionally, since the days of Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, allowed just about anyone to enter its borders as long as they were willing to pay! Additionally, those without documentation could easily purchase Paraguayan (legal) passports because you could purchase Paraguayan citizenship!
The infamous Josef Mengele purchased Paraguayan citizenship, as had many other Nazis and other fugitives. In other words, these passports were not illegal, since they were legally obtained. This was a big headache for the embassy's visa unit because there was a constant flow of Chinese, Koreans, Arabs, and Eastern Europeans who showed up with Paraguayan passports to apply for visas! With the Chinese the big concern was the Chinese criminal gangs, the triads, while the Koreans were a problem because of North Korean agents. The Arabs and Eastern Europeans were also suspect of various illegal activities, mostly terrorism. So, in digging into the background of these various groups in Paraguay, I came across some very interesting information.
I had already blogged on the Chinese triads, but I really did not cover the Arab terrorists all that much before. There were primarily two groups of Arab "terrorists" in Paraguay in the 1980s. There were Libyans, those sent there by Khaddafi to set up a "training" camp. Then there was a large camp that was set up by Lebanese Arabs, also a terrorist sponsored operation. The Lebanese have had a long history in Paraguay and other South American countries. There had been a heavy influx of Lebanese Muslim immigrants to South America before and post World War Two. Paraguay received a large number in 1947-48. Now these were peaceful Arabs who only wanted a better life and became a solid, influential part of the South American society. So, when terror groups decided to set up facilities abroad, they chose Paraguay for a good reason. First, there was already a "pipeline" of sorts to that country from Lebanon. Second, the government was willing to accept anyone without question as long as "fees" were paid. Third, there was plenty of inexpensive real estate, large chunks of land where these "training" centers could be set up.
So, Paraguay had (and still has) all the necessary ingredients for various groups to set up facilities in hinterlands where they would not be bothered. Thus the place became very popular for drug traffickers going back to the 1970s. Remember the infamous "French Connection?" Paraguay was the staging area for drug shipments! In 1987 I knew of two Arab facilities or settlements that were very secretive and located away from population centers. One was supposedly set up by Libyans and it was located southeast of Asuncion. Another, a larger "settlement" or facility was located near the town of Ciudad del Este in the tri-country region (Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay). This Arab settlement even had a large mosque visible from a distance. Most of the settlement was open to public so to speak, but there was a portion further away from the population center that was fenced and heavily guarded. That was a terrorist training camp! That whole area was Lebanese Shia Muslim. The Hezbollah of Lebanon was founded in 1985 and was still relatively unknown at the time. They believed even then that it was important to set up locations, training camps, where their followers could move to, away from prying eyes and persecution from their enemies.
Back then I had even obtained photographic proof of armed activity in those camps. There was no doubt whatsoever as to what they were up to. Only the most naïve person would think that perhaps they were just running a facility for paint ball games! All of this was duly reported to Washington and whatever evidence or proof was submitted as well. Therefore, it was not surprising to me to hear in the news back in 2008-9 about concerns raised in Washington over the growing activities of these terror camps, especially the one in Ciudad del Este. I thought, it was about time that more attention was paid to what was going on in Paraguay. Many who raised their concerns were especially worried about our border with Mexico, where illegals cross daily! However, everything seemed to die down, especially after an article appeared in Al Jazeera by Belen Fernandez, ridiculing the whole idea of terror camps in Paraguay. For those who are unfamiliar, Belen Fernandez, although an excellent reporter and writer, nevertheless has her agenda, which is very much pro Arab! She had built her reputation on tearing down some of the pro - Israeli reporting, especially concerning the settlers. She also stated in one of her articles that Hezbollah - "never started raining (firing missiles) anything on Israel without provocation."
According to Fernandez's article which appeared in May of 2013, she made a trip to Paraguay and toured the alleged terror camp and interviewed Paraguayan authorities as well as the Imam of the mosque in Ciudad del Este. The Paraguayan authorities claimed that under pressure from U.S. government, they had conducted a special "raid" with their special operations unit and found nothing incriminating. I found that explanation laughable. I doubt very seriously if any such "raid" was conducted. As for the credibility and ability of the Paraguayan Special Operations unit....well, that's another story. I have seen them up close and personal and I would, at best, rate them as a mediocre military unit and truly question their ability!
Fernandez also interviewed the Imam at great length who went on to tell her that he was "insulted" that the U.S. government accused his settlement and his people of being involved in terror activity. Fernandez pointed out that the Imam was a holy person and surely would not lie and be involved in terror activity. By the way, the Supreme leader of Iran is an Imam, so was Ayatollah Khomeini! I guess she forgot about that. Fernandez concluded her article by pointing out that Paraguay was far away from the Mexican border. She argued that it was impractical for terror groups such as Hezbollah set up so far away if they wanted to use the porous border to cross, as some in U.S. feared. Although she has a reputation for being a good journalist, she apparently did not do her homework and learn about the history of Paraguay and how it had been and has been used by various groups for illegal entry into the U.S.
I am puzzled and disappointed by what appears to be a total lack of interest in what is going on in Paraguay. This administration has a deserved reputation for inaction and "dropping the ball" on several occasions. I hope this doesn't become one of those "dropped balls." The reports that surfaced in 2008-2009 not only mentioned Hezbollah, but Al Qaida as well! But then, that makes sense, since there are more terror groups today than there were back in the 1980s.
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