In a message dated 7/24/03 8:17:31 PM Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > All I have to say is let's bring these two folks who are diplomats based in > DC to tasking if they think this is the right thing to do to their fellow > country men and women.Let's put our thoughts together and meet with these > people I don't know who they are but I have no problem of meeting them in person > one by one. Sariang, This is a noble suggestion, but I am afraid trying to meet with these people at the embassy is a futile effort simply because the wheels of a dictatorship grind from one source at the top, and all of the people below have to obey orders or else! It is the same reason that all of the suggestions for holding talks with the APRC that were made in the past by well meaning and capable people had to be abandoned. Negotiations or discussions can only be held with well meaning people who operate within the same parameters as the people they are negotiating with, and I think time has proven that the APRC regime makes decisions based largely on how to maintain their longevity and anything or anyone that stands in the way of that is history. The people who work for them know that very well, so i bet you could not get them to make any decisions that are counter to what the orders may be, and infact, talking to any Gambians about this may even send them packing. It is not an atmosphere where one is encouraged to use your expertise or freely exercise what one thinks is the right thing to do. This is sad but true unfortunately. If what is alleged is true, then here you have diplomats doing the opposite of what they ought to be doing for their people, and these are supposedly intelligent people. Jabou Joh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~