Hi Dr. Saine: I find your historical narrative on Gambia's foreign policy since the coup quite interesting. But: You reveal substantial loans that The Gambia has received from donor countries. I wonder if your research could have pointed out if these loans had been effeciently allocated to generate the revenue necessary to cushion the deteriorating living standards of the people, and refund the lenders. Your explanation in regards to the loans and grants The Gambia received is as simplistic as it is devoid of sound economic analysis. I am inclined to argue thus because over the years we have witnessed the burgeoning of vainglorious projects in The Gambia, financed by the myriad of foreign loans you've mentioned. These loans have not been utilised for their intended purposes. Alas, they leave us heavily indebted. Gambia's basket-size economy today is teetering on the brink of collapse. Of course to ask you to go into the mechanics of loan allocation or misallocation is to ask too much from you: your topic concerns the growth of Gambian foreign relations from July 22, 1994 to current day. However, part and parcel of the role of Gambian foreign policy since the coup is to look for crumbs from foreign donors and then misuse them at the expense of the majority. Unfortunately, your research didn't see that. Gambian foreign policy is on the cheap. In my humble opinion. On the whole, your research is scholarly. Keep it up. Cherno Baba Jallow Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------