FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting With Georgia's Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
"Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania met today at the Pentagon.
"Secretary Hagel acknowledged Georgia's continuing contribution to International Security Assistance Force, and thanked Minister Alasania for the sacrifices Georgia's soldiers and their families are making.
"Secretary Hagel praised Georgia's efforts to enhance civilian oversight of the armed forces, as these actions are a strong example of democratic progress through defense reform.
"Secretary Hagel expressed United States support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, and highlighted its holding fair elections and continuing to consolidate democratic gains as effective measures to advance those efforts.
"The two leaders agreed to continue to broaden United States-Georgian defense cooperation."
Thursday, August 22, 2013
TEENS AND SMOKELESS TOBACCO
FROM: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
It’s bad for a teen to smoke, but smokeless is no good, either. Smokeless tobacco – things like dip, snuff and dissolvable – are also cancer-causers. And a study indicates about 1 in 20 middle school or high school students use smokeless. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health saw that in national survey data.
The scientists also saw the power of peer pressure. Researcher Constantine Vardavas:
“Adolescents who had a friend that used smokeless tobacco were 10 times more likely to use smokeless tobacco themselves.”
For comparison, teens with a family member who used smokeless were only 3 times more likely to use it.
Nearly all of the smokeless users reported it’s easy to get the stuff.
The study in the journal Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more at healthfinder.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.
Last revised: August 19, 2013
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
It’s bad for a teen to smoke, but smokeless is no good, either. Smokeless tobacco – things like dip, snuff and dissolvable – are also cancer-causers. And a study indicates about 1 in 20 middle school or high school students use smokeless. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health saw that in national survey data.
The scientists also saw the power of peer pressure. Researcher Constantine Vardavas:
“Adolescents who had a friend that used smokeless tobacco were 10 times more likely to use smokeless tobacco themselves.”
For comparison, teens with a family member who used smokeless were only 3 times more likely to use it.
Nearly all of the smokeless users reported it’s easy to get the stuff.
The study in the journal Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more at healthfinder.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.
Last revised: August 19, 2013
THE GREEN ICE SHEET MELT AND THE RAMIFICATIONS
FROM: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORIES
Meltwater from Greenland’s ice sheet less severe for sea level rise than earlier feared, scientists say
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., August 19, 2013—The effects of increased melting on the future motion of and sea-level contribution from Greenland’s massive ice sheet are not quite as dire as previously thought, according to a new study from an international team of researchers.
In a paper published this month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team found that accelerating ice sheet movement from increasing meltwater lubrication is likely to have only a minor role in future sea-level rise, when compared with other factors like increased iceberg production and surface melting. Greenland’s ice sheet is the world’s second largest body of ice. A melt event impacting 97 percent of this ice sheet surface was detected in 2012.
“Scientists have been looking into this mechanism for about a decade now, as a means by which the Greenland ice sheet might decay faster than expected, therefore contributing more to future sea-level rise than when considering the increases in melting alone,” said co-author Stephen Price of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Climate Ocean and Sea Ice Modeling Project team.
The study used new models to test the hypothesis that, as the climate warms and melting of Greenland’s surface increases, so will the availability of meltwater, which lubricates the base of the ice sheet and causes glaciers to slide faster towards the sea.
“This study walks us back from those fears a bit, and argues that we have a better handle—relative to 5-10 years ago—on how much sea-level rise we can expect from Greenland during the next few centuries,” said Price.
While this study marks progress in understanding, it does not suggest that future sea-level impact from Greenland is of no concern; this and other recent studies estimate ~6 cm of sea-level rise from melting and an additional ~4-9 cm from potential interactions with warming oceans, for a total of ~10-15 cm of sea-level rise from Greenland by 2100.
In the current study, observations from fieldwork in Greenland were used to derive empirical models for the relationship between increased melting and increased ice speed. These were then incorporated into computer models of ice sheet flow, which revealed that by the year 2200 meltwater lubrication could add a maximum of 8 mm to sea-level rise—less than 5 percent of the projected total contribution from increased melting alone.
“The outstanding capabilities of Los Alamos and our partner national laboratories are critical to this new level of understanding,” said Alan Bishop, Principal Associate Director for Science, Technology and Engineering at Los Alamos.
Lead author Sarah Shannon, from the University of Bristol, said: “This is an important step forward in our understanding of the factors that control sea-level rise from the Greenland ice sheet. Our results show that meltwater-enhanced lubrication will have a minor contribution to future sea-level rise. Future mass loss will be governed by changes in surface meltwater runoff or iceberg calving.”
The U.S. computer modeling teams from Los Alamos, Sandia and Oak Ridge national laboratories conducted the experiments using DOE-developed ice sheet models on high-performance computers at Lawrence Berkeley and Oak Ridge national laboratories. Output from large-scale climate models was first used to predict future changes in surface melting as a result of climate warming. The ice sheet model experiments then quantified the importance of meltwater lubrication on mass loss from the ice sheet to the oceans, relative to the case of increased melting alone.
In fact, in some of the team’s simulations, meltwater’s lubricating effect had a negative impact on sea-level rise—in other words it could, in some cases, lead to a lowering of the sea-level rise that would come from increased melting alone. Previous studies on the effects of meltwater on ice speed generally assumed that increased meltwater always acts as a lubricant, speeding up ice flow. In this study the team allowed for the fact that, in some cases, increased meltwater can slow down the flow, in agreement with recent observations.
Regardless of whether more meltwater increased or decreased the speed of ice flow, the overall effect on sea level is small. While this study confirms that increased flow due to increased lubrication does move more ice from the interior of the ice sheet to the margins, it also confirms that some other process, such as increased iceberg calving or increased melting, is then required to move that build-up of ice from the margins to the ocean. In general, processes that might do this are slow.
The findings are part of research undertaken through the European-funded ice2sea program. This work was funded in part by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Earlier research from the program has indicated that changes in surface melting of the ice sheet will be a major factor in sea-level rise contributions from Greenland. In 2007, the fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlighted ice-sheets as the most significant remaining uncertainty in projections of sea-level rise.
Meltwater from Greenland’s ice sheet less severe for sea level rise than earlier feared, scientists say
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., August 19, 2013—The effects of increased melting on the future motion of and sea-level contribution from Greenland’s massive ice sheet are not quite as dire as previously thought, according to a new study from an international team of researchers.
In a paper published this month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team found that accelerating ice sheet movement from increasing meltwater lubrication is likely to have only a minor role in future sea-level rise, when compared with other factors like increased iceberg production and surface melting. Greenland’s ice sheet is the world’s second largest body of ice. A melt event impacting 97 percent of this ice sheet surface was detected in 2012.
“Scientists have been looking into this mechanism for about a decade now, as a means by which the Greenland ice sheet might decay faster than expected, therefore contributing more to future sea-level rise than when considering the increases in melting alone,” said co-author Stephen Price of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Climate Ocean and Sea Ice Modeling Project team.
The study used new models to test the hypothesis that, as the climate warms and melting of Greenland’s surface increases, so will the availability of meltwater, which lubricates the base of the ice sheet and causes glaciers to slide faster towards the sea.
“This study walks us back from those fears a bit, and argues that we have a better handle—relative to 5-10 years ago—on how much sea-level rise we can expect from Greenland during the next few centuries,” said Price.
While this study marks progress in understanding, it does not suggest that future sea-level impact from Greenland is of no concern; this and other recent studies estimate ~6 cm of sea-level rise from melting and an additional ~4-9 cm from potential interactions with warming oceans, for a total of ~10-15 cm of sea-level rise from Greenland by 2100.
In the current study, observations from fieldwork in Greenland were used to derive empirical models for the relationship between increased melting and increased ice speed. These were then incorporated into computer models of ice sheet flow, which revealed that by the year 2200 meltwater lubrication could add a maximum of 8 mm to sea-level rise—less than 5 percent of the projected total contribution from increased melting alone.
“The outstanding capabilities of Los Alamos and our partner national laboratories are critical to this new level of understanding,” said Alan Bishop, Principal Associate Director for Science, Technology and Engineering at Los Alamos.
Lead author Sarah Shannon, from the University of Bristol, said: “This is an important step forward in our understanding of the factors that control sea-level rise from the Greenland ice sheet. Our results show that meltwater-enhanced lubrication will have a minor contribution to future sea-level rise. Future mass loss will be governed by changes in surface meltwater runoff or iceberg calving.”
The U.S. computer modeling teams from Los Alamos, Sandia and Oak Ridge national laboratories conducted the experiments using DOE-developed ice sheet models on high-performance computers at Lawrence Berkeley and Oak Ridge national laboratories. Output from large-scale climate models was first used to predict future changes in surface melting as a result of climate warming. The ice sheet model experiments then quantified the importance of meltwater lubrication on mass loss from the ice sheet to the oceans, relative to the case of increased melting alone.
In fact, in some of the team’s simulations, meltwater’s lubricating effect had a negative impact on sea-level rise—in other words it could, in some cases, lead to a lowering of the sea-level rise that would come from increased melting alone. Previous studies on the effects of meltwater on ice speed generally assumed that increased meltwater always acts as a lubricant, speeding up ice flow. In this study the team allowed for the fact that, in some cases, increased meltwater can slow down the flow, in agreement with recent observations.
Regardless of whether more meltwater increased or decreased the speed of ice flow, the overall effect on sea level is small. While this study confirms that increased flow due to increased lubrication does move more ice from the interior of the ice sheet to the margins, it also confirms that some other process, such as increased iceberg calving or increased melting, is then required to move that build-up of ice from the margins to the ocean. In general, processes that might do this are slow.
The findings are part of research undertaken through the European-funded ice2sea program. This work was funded in part by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Earlier research from the program has indicated that changes in surface melting of the ice sheet will be a major factor in sea-level rise contributions from Greenland. In 2007, the fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlighted ice-sheets as the most significant remaining uncertainty in projections of sea-level rise.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY CONGRATULATES MALI PRESIDENT KEITA ON HIS ELECTION
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Mali Presidential Elections
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 20, 2013
I join President Obama and all Americans in congratulating Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on his election as President of the Republic of Mali.
We also commend the interim government for securing a peaceful, inclusive, and orderly election, and applaud its efforts to improve the process and alleviate challenges throughout.
We urge Mali’s new government to build on these efforts in preparing for upcoming legislative elections – the next important milestone as Mali restores its democratic institutions.
The transparent and credible manner in which the election was conducted honors Mali’s democratic tradition, and reflects the progress that Mali has made over the past 18 months.
To ensure the best possibility of consolidating this progress, Mali’s new government must address the country’s most pressing challenges, including national reconciliation and security sector reform, which is why we particularly emphasize the importance of Malian civilian control and oversight of the military.
Mali Presidential Elections
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 20, 2013
I join President Obama and all Americans in congratulating Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on his election as President of the Republic of Mali.
We also commend the interim government for securing a peaceful, inclusive, and orderly election, and applaud its efforts to improve the process and alleviate challenges throughout.
We urge Mali’s new government to build on these efforts in preparing for upcoming legislative elections – the next important milestone as Mali restores its democratic institutions.
The transparent and credible manner in which the election was conducted honors Mali’s democratic tradition, and reflects the progress that Mali has made over the past 18 months.
To ensure the best possibility of consolidating this progress, Mali’s new government must address the country’s most pressing challenges, including national reconciliation and security sector reform, which is why we particularly emphasize the importance of Malian civilian control and oversight of the military.
READOUT OF SECRETARY HAGEL'S CALL TO ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER YA'ALON
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ISRAELI DEFENSE
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
This morning Secretary Hagel spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon to discuss a number of regional security issues. The call touched upon the ongoing violence in Syria -- including the recent claims of use of chemical weapons -- the situation in Egypt, and Iran. Secretary Hagel and Minister Ya'alon agreed to continue to maintain intensive dialogue on the multitude of challenges facing the United States and Israel.
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
This morning Secretary Hagel spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon to discuss a number of regional security issues. The call touched upon the ongoing violence in Syria -- including the recent claims of use of chemical weapons -- the situation in Egypt, and Iran. Secretary Hagel and Minister Ya'alon agreed to continue to maintain intensive dialogue on the multitude of challenges facing the United States and Israel.
TREASURY DESIGNATES VIOLENT DRUG TRAFFICKER PURSUANT TO KINGPIN ACT
FROM: U.S. TREASURY
Treasury Designates Guatemalan Trafficker Allied with Los Zetas
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Jairo Estuardo Orellana Morales, a violent Guatemalan narcotics trafficker, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (SDNT) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Orellana Morales traffics cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas and has been implicated in several executions in Guatemala in support of his drug trafficking activities.
Orellana Morales is linked to Marta Julia Lorenzana Cordon, a member of the Lorenzana crime family, who was designated by Treasury pursuant to the Kingpin Act in November 2012. Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of efforts by the Treasury Department to thwart transnational drug cartels, such as Los Zetas, which are responsible for distributing significant amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine in the United States. President Obama identified Los Zetas as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act in April 2009 and in July 2011, he named Los Zetas as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization in the Annex to Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations).
“Jairo Orellana Morales employs extreme violence in his efforts to traffic cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “OFAC will continue to deny Los Zetas and their Central American operatives access to the U.S. financial system.”
Today’s action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with Jairo Orellana Morales, and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals linked to 103 drug kingpins since June 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.
Treasury Designates Guatemalan Trafficker Allied with Los Zetas
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Jairo Estuardo Orellana Morales, a violent Guatemalan narcotics trafficker, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (SDNT) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Orellana Morales traffics cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas and has been implicated in several executions in Guatemala in support of his drug trafficking activities.
Orellana Morales is linked to Marta Julia Lorenzana Cordon, a member of the Lorenzana crime family, who was designated by Treasury pursuant to the Kingpin Act in November 2012. Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of efforts by the Treasury Department to thwart transnational drug cartels, such as Los Zetas, which are responsible for distributing significant amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine in the United States. President Obama identified Los Zetas as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act in April 2009 and in July 2011, he named Los Zetas as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization in the Annex to Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations).
“Jairo Orellana Morales employs extreme violence in his efforts to traffic cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “OFAC will continue to deny Los Zetas and their Central American operatives access to the U.S. financial system.”
Today’s action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with Jairo Orellana Morales, and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals linked to 103 drug kingpins since June 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.
SUMMER WILDFIRE BATTLES RAGE ON THE HOMEFRONT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
California National Guard Battles Several Wildfires
California National Guard
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 - Nearly a dozen aircraft and crews from the California Air and Army National Guard are battling wildfires across Northern California.
Currently, nine California Army National Guard helicopters and two California Air National Guard air tankers are working in coordination with CAL FIRE and U.S. Forest Service firefighting crews to battle the American, Swedes and Rim fires.
The aircraft have dropped more than 250,000 gallons of water or fire retardant since the first crews were activated Aug. 13.
National Guard units also are involved in fighting fires in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.
"We train for this fight every year," said Army Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, the adjutant general of the California National Guard. "Our ongoing coordination with CAL FIRE and CAL OES ensures that the right people, with the right training, are in the right place when the lives and property of our fellow Californians are on the line."
Three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are battling the American Fire, two Black Hawks are assigned to fight the Rim Fire, and three helicopters -- two Black Hawks and one CH-47 Chinook – are engaged in battling the Swedes Fire. Meanwhile, one Black Hawk helicopter is staged in Redding, Calif., on call for medevac support.
Each Black Hawk is equipped with a 660-gallon water bucket, while the Chinook's bucket has a 2,000-gallon capacity. The medevac helicopter is equipped with a specialized crew and a hoist for extracting injured personnel from rugged terrain.
The helicopters have completed more than 229 drops, releasing about 111,500 gallons of water since their Aug. 17 activation.
The two C-130J air tankers are fighting the Rim fire. Both aircraft are equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems II (MAFFS) and are capable of discharging 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant along the leading edge of a fire in less than five seconds, saturating an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide.
Since their activation Aug. 13, the air tankers have completed more than 53 drops, releasing about 142,000 gallons of retardant.
STATE DEPARTMENT UPDATE ON JOSEPH KONY AND THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Update from the Field: Counter-LRA
Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
August 20, 2013
Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have terrorized communities across four African nations for 25 years, killing 100,000, according to a UN report, and maiming thousands more. Along the way, the LRA has filled its ranks by abducting tens of thousands of children and forcing them to become soldiers and sex slaves.
In 2010, President Obama directed the Department of State, Department of Defense, and USAID to develop a strategy to help governments and communities end the LRA’s reign of terror. To advance that strategy, U.S. Special Forces were sent to advise and assist the regional militaries pursuing the LRA. At the same time, the State Department deployed experts from the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), created by Secretary Clinton in November 2011 to prevent and respond to conflicts in key countries and regions.
Jon Gandomi is one of those diplomats. Gandomi, who has served as the Department’s field representative for LRA issues since June 2012, and his CSO colleagues helped build a network that includes local communities, U.S. Special Forces soldiers, Ugandan troops, UN officials, and NGOs working to end the LRA. Gandomi’s CSO predecessors were Jason Lewis-Berry, Scott Duncan, and Charlene Brown.
“An important part of the U.S. strategy is to encourage Kony’s soldiers, most of whom were kidnapped as children, to leave the LRA peacefully,” Gandomi says. “This approach has built unique partnerships among civil society leaders, communities, NGOs, and UN missions. All of us understand that most LRA members did not choose to be in the LRA and remain with them only because they fear retribution by Kony. If we can make it easier to defect, then we increase the chances of getting them home safely and weakening the LRA.”
The number of defections has increased noticeably over the past year, indicating that this unconventional approach is producing results. Since May 2012, scores of LRA members have defected or were released. NGOs believe that 15 percent of the LRA’s Ugandan male fighting force has defected in the last 18 months. The number of people killed by the LRA decreased by 66 percent from 2011 to 2012, and the Ugandan military has removed two of the LRA’s most senior and notorious commanders since 2012.
“We know from recent defectors that the LRA is at its weakest point in years and morale is at an all-time low,” Gandomi says. “The LRA is fighting for survival.” Gandomi has worked with U.S. Special Forces and local NGO partners to set up locations where it is safe for LRA members to defect. They advertise these locations through radio broadcasts, leaflet drops, and messages played on helicopter-mounted loudspeakers.
Gandomi says it’s hard for most Americans to appreciate how much the U.S. role in the counter-LRA mission means to people in central Africa. “All three of the countries where the LRA operates are among the world’s ten least-developed countries,” he notes. “The region is incredibly remote and has almost no infrastructure, security, or governance. The people who have lived the nightmare of the LRA are extremely grateful for the U.S. presence. They see it as a sign that their years of suffering and trauma at the hands of the LRA have finally been recognized by the international community.”
In addition to travelling with U.S. Special Forces within the region on a weekly basis, Gandomi also engages with local leaders, civil society, NGOs, and UN missions to deepen the coalition of partners working across borders to share information, lessons, and experiences. “The best ideas and innovations in the counter-LRA effort come from communities on the ground,” Gandomi says. “Oftentimes our job is simply to provide a larger platform and support the role they want to play.”
Supporting locally driven efforts is an approach CSO uses in other engagements around the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. “The most unpredictable part of the job is trying to plan around the weather,” Gandomi explains. “In the rainy season you could suddenly discover you’ll be spending the night at a remote field location because travel becomes impossible. You just have to settle in and enjoy being isolated from the rest of the world. During those times I really feel that it’s a privilege to be involved in this work,” Gandomi says. “The region’s challenges won’t suddenly vanish when Kony is captured, but we have a real chance at ending one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, and the benefits would be significant.”
Update from the Field: Counter-LRA
Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
August 20, 2013
Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have terrorized communities across four African nations for 25 years, killing 100,000, according to a UN report, and maiming thousands more. Along the way, the LRA has filled its ranks by abducting tens of thousands of children and forcing them to become soldiers and sex slaves.
In 2010, President Obama directed the Department of State, Department of Defense, and USAID to develop a strategy to help governments and communities end the LRA’s reign of terror. To advance that strategy, U.S. Special Forces were sent to advise and assist the regional militaries pursuing the LRA. At the same time, the State Department deployed experts from the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), created by Secretary Clinton in November 2011 to prevent and respond to conflicts in key countries and regions.
Jon Gandomi is one of those diplomats. Gandomi, who has served as the Department’s field representative for LRA issues since June 2012, and his CSO colleagues helped build a network that includes local communities, U.S. Special Forces soldiers, Ugandan troops, UN officials, and NGOs working to end the LRA. Gandomi’s CSO predecessors were Jason Lewis-Berry, Scott Duncan, and Charlene Brown.
“An important part of the U.S. strategy is to encourage Kony’s soldiers, most of whom were kidnapped as children, to leave the LRA peacefully,” Gandomi says. “This approach has built unique partnerships among civil society leaders, communities, NGOs, and UN missions. All of us understand that most LRA members did not choose to be in the LRA and remain with them only because they fear retribution by Kony. If we can make it easier to defect, then we increase the chances of getting them home safely and weakening the LRA.”
The number of defections has increased noticeably over the past year, indicating that this unconventional approach is producing results. Since May 2012, scores of LRA members have defected or were released. NGOs believe that 15 percent of the LRA’s Ugandan male fighting force has defected in the last 18 months. The number of people killed by the LRA decreased by 66 percent from 2011 to 2012, and the Ugandan military has removed two of the LRA’s most senior and notorious commanders since 2012.
“We know from recent defectors that the LRA is at its weakest point in years and morale is at an all-time low,” Gandomi says. “The LRA is fighting for survival.” Gandomi has worked with U.S. Special Forces and local NGO partners to set up locations where it is safe for LRA members to defect. They advertise these locations through radio broadcasts, leaflet drops, and messages played on helicopter-mounted loudspeakers.
Gandomi says it’s hard for most Americans to appreciate how much the U.S. role in the counter-LRA mission means to people in central Africa. “All three of the countries where the LRA operates are among the world’s ten least-developed countries,” he notes. “The region is incredibly remote and has almost no infrastructure, security, or governance. The people who have lived the nightmare of the LRA are extremely grateful for the U.S. presence. They see it as a sign that their years of suffering and trauma at the hands of the LRA have finally been recognized by the international community.”
In addition to travelling with U.S. Special Forces within the region on a weekly basis, Gandomi also engages with local leaders, civil society, NGOs, and UN missions to deepen the coalition of partners working across borders to share information, lessons, and experiences. “The best ideas and innovations in the counter-LRA effort come from communities on the ground,” Gandomi says. “Oftentimes our job is simply to provide a larger platform and support the role they want to play.”
Supporting locally driven efforts is an approach CSO uses in other engagements around the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. “The most unpredictable part of the job is trying to plan around the weather,” Gandomi explains. “In the rainy season you could suddenly discover you’ll be spending the night at a remote field location because travel becomes impossible. You just have to settle in and enjoy being isolated from the rest of the world. During those times I really feel that it’s a privilege to be involved in this work,” Gandomi says. “The region’s challenges won’t suddenly vanish when Kony is captured, but we have a real chance at ending one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, and the benefits would be significant.”
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