(Dan Balilty/Associated Press) - Israelis relax on the beach Wednesday at the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The U.S. Embassy, oft-beleaguered by congressional trips, won’t need to coordinate logistics. The foundation does that. Still, a former diplomat noted, “The embassy will extend whatever assistance is needed” by the lawmakers — such as security for the trip to Ramallah. “We know who pays for our budget.”
All-clear (out)
Got this e-mail the other day.
From: US Capitol Police
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 4:59 PM
To: All House Staff
Subject: ALERTUS System Malfunction
Despite the activation of the ALERTUS system, the U.S. Capitol Police are not evacuating any buildings at this time. The system is experiencing a malfunction that is being addressed at this time.
Glad everything’s working smoothly. Hey! Notice what time of day the evacuation alert went off?
From Dawn to Twilight Zone
Sometimes it’s not easy for people to understand just what, after more than eight years, the United States is doing in Iraq as it winds down from 46,000 to maybe no troops by the end of the year.
At a news conference last week in Baghdad by Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a media packet included a glossy brochure explaining, in just a little more than 100 words, precisely what Operation New Dawn — the year-old exit strategy — is all about.
The brochure, forwarded from Baghdad by our colleague Ed O’Keefe, sums up the current strategy, which last year replaced the original Operation Iraqi Freedom, in four words: “Build, Partner, Strengthen, Pressure.”
The idea is to “build Iraq’s civil capacity by providing a secure environment” and for the military to “Partner with the embassy” to hand things over to the Iraqis “using a whole-of-government approach” (not to be confused with a part-of-government approach). Then we “strengthen the Iraqi security forces” and keep the heat on “extremist networks” through joint counterterrorism operations.
Simple as that. But after more than a year, seems “dawn” has got to be getting closer to high noon or even sunset, so maybe it’s time for a new slogan, such as Operation Outta There.
Besides, last we checked, there were maybe 90 public affairs folks in Iraq — a larger contingent by a factor of maybe 10 than the total number of Western reporters. So putting out new brochures will help keep the PAOs — or some consultants — busy.
Moving on
Jake Siewert, the affable former Clinton press secretary who wound up serving as a confidant to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and as his unofficial consigliere on dealing with the media, is heading back to New York this week.
Unlike his boss, the highly regarded Siewert, a former top executive with Alcoa who returned to Washington in June 2009, seemed to have a natural affinity for the back-and-forth with reporters. As with any flack, he would push the good news and spin the bad news, but he was always transparent about what he was selling — and ultimately effective.
Follow In the Loop on Twitter: @AlKamenWP.
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