How Convenient
Posted on 08/03/2009 6:11:32 AM PDT by Califreak
U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to leave Washington Monday on a seven-nation Africa visit. The five day trip will take her to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia, and Cape Verde.
Clinton is expected to spotlight President Barack Obama's commitment to making Africa a priority in U.S. foreign policy.
Her visit is the earliest in any U.S. administration that both the President and the Secretary of State have visited Africa.
Professor Okey Onyejekwe, director of governance at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa told VOA that Clinton's Africa visit will help concretize the core principles President Obama recently unveiled in Accra, Ghana.
"I imagine that this is really a followup to President Obama's visit to Accra in which he basically sketched out the general thrust of America's policy towards Africa. And I think that it will be worthwhile if now she can operationalize and concretize some of the raw principles which was contained in Obama's speech in Accra," Onyejekwe said.
He said Clinton's stance would replicate President Obama's message.
"Whatever position she takes should reflect the broad principles which were contained in Obama's speech. And here again I think that it's a question of carrot and stick," he said.
Onyejekwe said the visit should shed light on a different America policy from previous administration.
"We are also expecting on the continent in my judgment some consistency and flexibility in terms of U.S policy. And here again I think where the difference can be made from past administrations that had brought principles, but were very selective in terms of the operationalization of those principles," Onyejekwe said.
"I imagine that this is really a followup to President Obama's visit to Accra in which he basically sketched out the general thrust of America's policy towards Africa. And I think that it will be worthwhile if now she can operationalize and concretize some of the raw principles which was contained in Obama's speech in Accra," Onyejekwe said.
He said Clinton's stance would replicate President Obama's message.
"Whatever position she takes should reflect the broad principles which were contained in Obama's speech. And here again I think that it's a question of carrot and stick," he said.
Onyejekwe said the visit should shed light on a different America policy from previous administration.
"We are also expecting on the continent in my judgment some consistency and flexibility in terms of U.S policy. And here again I think where the difference can be made from past administrations that had brought principles, but were very selective in terms of the operationalization of those principles," Onyejekwe said.
Hillary Clinton is also scheduled to meet Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.
The meeting comes at a critical moment for Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991 after long-time President Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown.
Somalia today is home to a growing number of hard-line Islamic insurgent groups including al-Shabab.
Onyejekwe said that there is need for the international community as well as the Africa Union to help stabilize the crisis in Somalia.
"It's important for the global community and African states in particular to stabilize and normalize the situation in Somalia for obvious reasons. One of which is that the threat to peace and security in the sub-region is enormous and with external actors also actively engaged," Onyejekwe said.
He said mistakes made during the previous U. S administration should be avoided in attempting to resolvo the crisis in Somalia.
"They must also take into consideration the realities on the ground and the various actors so that they do not make the same mistakes that were made during the Bush administration," he said.
Onyejekwe said there should be a strong partnership of equals between the United States and Africa.
Hilary, find the birth certificate!
Intriguing.
That’s what I thought when I heard it on-I think it was FNC.
In search of the Holy Grail.
The timing is suspicious. ;)
Hmmmmmmmmm___________________________!
Maybe it’s just a coincidence./
“The five day trip will take her to Kenya”.......
Heh! While you’re there look up the birth records. Can someone give her the page number?
I’m not sure what she’d have to gain by finding Obonehead’s BC. The election results from November would have to be scratched and a new election would have to be held. The Dems would have to nominate someone else. Not sure if the GOP would have to or not - my guess is that they would demand it, although they may be stuck with McCain.... could explain Sarah’s resignation... could explain a lot... but then... Nah... too many coinkydinks.
LOL! I would bet Hillary’s African retinue would make the Queen of Sheba look like a piker.
Going to Kenya. Eh maybe she’ll lay a wreath at the birthplace of the the first Kenyan POTUS.
How Convenient
Yes, is Hilary going to Kenya to get Obama’s birth certificate before The One has it destroyed ?
Wouldn’t it be too much to find out that Sandy Burglar is part of her retinue?
Going to visit zero's hometown while she's there??
You can take this with as many grains of salt as you please . . . . Orly Taitz has a copy of what appears to be zero's vault copy BC showing that he was born in Mombasa. WND has a copy of it on their website.
Yep. One wishes it were as simple as her walking into a Kenyan government office and asking for the documentation of The One. But- the world doesn’t work that way.
Wow, she gets all the plum assignments - or isn’t there a “Czar” appointed yet to deal with it ?
How long will she stand for being marginalized ?
Maybe Hillary will next be sent on a fact-finding mission to either the North Pole or South Pole when she gets back from Africa! And maybe little Katie Couric could go along and they could wear cute matching synthetic fur parkas. You know, I can just imagine a Saturday Night skit to that effect, with Obama breaking the news to Hillary, and then a cut to little Katie attempting an on-camera interview during a howling blizzard as they trudge along. Totally Hillarious.
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