KT, Don't take offense at Tamsir's apparent attempts to distance himself from your opinions of him, however commendable they may have been. Indeed, I read your article, and agreed with your characterization of Tamsir as a sincere and honorable Gambian. He meant well and always means well for Gambia. There is more to this than meets the eye. So, I invite you to read a personal message I am sending you regarding this matter-at least from my perspective-before you post another article regarding the matter. There is no reason you should feel rebuffed or perplexed by Tamsir's reaction. I will try to explain it to you with a caveat:Privileged communication elicits implied confidentiality. >From: [log in to unmask] >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: The Jasseh Complaint >Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 18:41:05 EST > >Apparently Tamsir Jasseh took exception to my observations of the Police >Force in general and his role in particular. The accounts as related by the >Observer Newspaper potrayed a livid Mr Jasseh . Here are some of his >complaints: >1-My contention that the Department was led by an incompetent I.G.who >lacked >the foresight to lead a professional outfit was not true. >2-That the department was undermined purposely to serve the nefarious >political interests of Yahya and his cronies was also untrue. >3-Attributing reform efforts primarily to him (Jasseh) was inaccurate >because >he alone is incapable of the kind of institutional change needed at the >Department. >4-Reforms have been underway pursuant to a commissioned study conducted in >1997. >5-That I was being unfair to the Police and the government in my overall >characterization. > I first wrote about the Police on 8-23-2000 following a news conference >in >which the department publicly acknowledged their perilous state especially >the all important faith that ordinary citizens need to have in the Police. >They themselves went into why the people no longer trust in the police to >enforce the law. The police in the eyes of the public have ominously >settled >into selective law enforcement by going after opponents of the government >on >trumped up charges while ignoring or in some cases actively countenancing >illegal behavior by gov't sanctioned vigilante groups. If the Police that >is >paid for by the people undermines the basic expectation of equal protection >under the law, they have deservedly lost the people's faith. >The reason I singled out Mr Jasseh is because he is the only one I have >heard >publicly acknowledge these egregious problems associated with the >department. >Any credit I give him is solely based on his public pronouncements which >tended to sound sincere. I said he was a good man trying to do the right >thing. I still think so. However I have always qualified my optimism with a >strong believe that his efforts would not bear fruit because the President >and his cronies are unmitigated criminals to whom a professional Police >force >is anathema. I specifically said he would either be transferred or fired >for >his efforts to bring reform. His professed faith in I. G. Badgie and all >the >other professionals bent on making the force the best is his entitlement. >I >don't share that view at all. Yahya Jammeh has purged that department and >brought in cronies of which Mr Badgie is premiere. They have made an >institutional morass out of the Police department. They have neither the >ability nor the inclination to fix it. >As for his notion of me being unfair to the government is a gross >understatement. I view this government as illegitimate and my duty as a >Gambian is to expose, fight and ultimately defeat this criminal albatross >hanging on the neck of my nation. I neither want nor expect even an >otherwise > good man like Mr Jasseh to agree with me. >Karamba > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >You may also send subscription requests to >[log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your >full name and e-mail address. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------