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The Weekly GAB Friday, February 22, 2019
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | www.usglc.org
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USGLC in the News

DEFENSE NEWS
US Military Officers Prep the Battlefield for White House Budget |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=VJk8Bw68Y9yYjKQsk3Sx7w

Joe Gould

Ahead of the White House's fiscal 2020 budget submission,
expected next month, there's been a solid push for diplomacy and
development spending, and it's coming from, well, the Defense
Department. The top uniformed officers who head U.S. Central Command,
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Africa
Command have offered over the last few weeks fodder to lawmakers who
argue U.S. foreign policy cannot thrive on military might alone, and
that a full State Department budget is vital to national security...
Excerpts were compiled by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, which
advocates to protect the international affairs budget to enhance
national security. Ahead of the administration's budget release,
expected March 12, USGLC shared its excerpts, as it's previously
done.

Who's in the News

THE FINANCIAL TIMES
What I Would Do as the Next President of the World Bank
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Z1JXsumG_irSqn6AJNkI-w

David Malpass, Under Secretary of the Treasury for International
Affairs

The World Bank has the opportunity to play a key role in fostering
broadly shared economic growth and meeting the challenges presented by
the 21st-century economy. It can help to alleviate extreme poverty,
lift up the standard of living for people in developing countries, and
empower women to participate fully in their countries'
economies. To do so, it must focus on its core mission of aiding
developing nations and institute measurable accountability standards.
Being nominated to be the president of the World Bank is a challenge I
fully embrace... If it is to realise its full potential, the bank
should pursue measurable success - breakthroughs that materially
raise median incomes.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
A Battle Plan for the World Bank

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=SqidfcC7jfLGSN_1ehHOzA

David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee

The abrupt resignation of Jim Yong Kim as president of the World Bank
on February 1-more than three years before the scheduled end of
his term-sent ripples of concern through the global development
community. With the multilateral system under sustained attack, the
last thing it needs is instability at the top... The new president
will face a big task. The institution's core mission is to end
extreme poverty and promote sustainable development. But the geography
of poverty is changing, shifting more and more toward
conflict-affected sites. Kim understood that fulfilling the
bank's mission meant tackling the consequences of war and forced
displacement. It is essential that his successor continue on this
path... Kim's reforms have made a crucial difference at a time
when refugee populations are rising and even wealthy nations are
turning their backs. Whoever succeeds Kim at the World Bank must keep
the momentum going.

CNN
Trump's Call to End HIV Is a Worthy Mission Both at Home and Abroad

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=TZqczWgruMXq08S9R9gSLw

Dr. Bill Frist, former Senate Majority Leader

In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump brought
attention to a disease that has almost disappeared from the headlines:
HIV/AIDS. He pledged to end the epidemic in the United States by 2030,
setting commendable, ambitious goals for domestic prevention and
treatment efforts. I support President Trump's pledged investment in
domestic public health but believe we must also continue to build on
our nation's 15 years of global leadership in combating HIV/AIDS...
Quite simply, if the United States stays committed, other donor
governments will step up, too. And if the United States backs away? US
complacency could easily be used as an excuse to reduce investment.

Development & Diplomacy

AP NEWS
Aid Wars: US-Russia Vie to Ease Venezuelan Crisis |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=uvM2u5FHJmPdqai4zm_Low

Joshua Goodman and Vladimir Isachenkov

Call it the aid wars. The Trump administration is accusing President
Nicolas Maduro of starving Venezuelans by blocking tons of
American-supplied humanitarian aid stored next door in Colombia. In
Russia, the Kremlin sees the opposition's plan to ram the aid
across the border as a reckless pretext for ordering a U.S. military
intervention. As tensions in Venezuela mount ahead of a Saturday
showdown over humanitarian aid, both sides are digging in,
highlighting how the South American nation's crisis has become
the latest fault line in a battle for global influence by the former
Cold War adversaries... Russian state news agencies said Wednesday
that a Russian shipment of medicine and medical equipment had arrived
in Venezuela. The reports did not give the size of the shipment or say
what it contained, though they cited a diplomatic source as saying the
delivery was made under the aegis of the World Health Organization.

THE ATLANTIC
When Humanitarian Aid Is Used as a Weapon to Bring Down Regimes |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ETyL4nP1NB1a0LMa_2ySTA

Dylan Baddour

Here at the Venezuelan border, American officials have addressed the
press several times in recent days, touting a project meant to
challenge the rule of Venezuela's leadership. But it is one that
has aid workers and international organizations worried... Ostensibly
aimed at alleviating Venezuela's spiraling crises of hunger,
health, and security, the humanitarian aid put forward by the United
States also serves another purpose. Venezuelan opposition leaders here
and the U.S. officials offering up much-needed aid posit that the
mission could induce military officers to turn away from their
government. Aid groups on the ground worry, however, that a political
operation thinly padded with humanitarian objectives could send a
precarious situation down an even worse path-disastrous American
efforts to intervene in Latin America from decades past serve as a
reminder of how badly things can go.

THE WASHINGTON POST
New Ebola Treatments Are Being Tested in Congo Outbreak Area |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ZcdePOHHgyFJL6gJlVRmFg

Aimee Cunningham

Amid the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever, the hunt for a lifesaving
treatment is on. A clinical trial of patients taking place in Congo is
gathering evidence on experimental therapies, to provide a proven
option when the deadly virus inevitably emerges again. The first
multidrug clinical trial of Ebola therapies, which began enrolling
patients in November, will compare the effectiveness of three antibody
treatments and one antiviral drug. One therapy tested briefly during
the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, the largest ever, has already
shown promise.

NPR

Scientists Release Controversial Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in
High-Security Lab |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=3Be5YaYwu4sBEKQfWL5nKw

Rob Stein

Scientists have launched a major new phase in the testing of a
controversial genetically modified organism: a mosquito designed to
quickly spread a genetic mutation lethal to its own species, NPR has
learned. For the first time, researchers have begun large-scale
releases of the engineered insects, into a high-security laboratory in
Terni, Italy... The lab was specially built to evaluate the modified
insects in as close to a natural environment as possible without the
risk of releasing them into the wild, about which there are deep
concerns regarding unforeseen effects on the environment... The idea
is that if these modified mosquitoes are eventually shown to be safe
and effective, they might someday be released in African villages
plagued by malaria.

DEVEX
USAID Mulls Proposal to Train Aid Workers as Special Forces |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=8lcI6JUbzz3ct5c_R7eUNA

Michael Igoe

For years USAID has struggled with a conundrum: to contribute to U.S.
national security objectives the agency needs to be able to operate in
places that present national security risks; but a culture of risk
aversion - which has intensified since the 2012 attacks on a
U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya - often restricts
U.S. civilian officials to capital cities where their security can be
better guaranteed. That tendency to confine U.S. civilians to secure
areas - sometimes referred to as "fortressification"
- creates distance between USAID personnel and the communities
they strive to serve... [Rapid expeditionary development] Team
officers, [a Global Development Lab] report explains, would carry out
development activities, but they would also have training and
expertise that are not typically included in USAID job requirements...
The report suggested that enabling elite-trained development
professionals to engage directly in projects might offer an
alternative to USAID's current system of managing "field
representatives" from a distance.

THE HILL
Millennium Challenge Corporation Needs Leaders Confirmed

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=mDVRzMXLlgAgFlGrJ3JV5Q

Alex Vogel, former Chief Counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist

As we watch and listen to policymakers discuss immigration policy,
much of that debate refers to conditions in the migrants' home
countries and the need to address and improve conditions there in
order to help slow and manage the flow of people trying to enter our
country illegally. However, most have not discussed that one of the
institutions designed to help underdeveloped and struggling nations
succeed, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), is effectively
leaderless thanks to political stalemate and an unjustified refusal to
confirm competent and qualified leadership... MCC cannot function
appropriately with temporary or vacant leadership. Like all
institutions, MCC needs permanent, complete leadership and oversight
in order to be able effectively to fulfill its critical mission.

USGLC GLOBAL IMPACT BLOG

Combatant Commanders to Congress: Development, Diplomacy Are Critical
to National Security |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=At78KZUrWFxQHk9mpxrrTg

Sean Sorbie

In recent weeks, our nation's top national security experts the
military leaders of America's combatant commands briefed
Congress on the national security threats facing the United States.
While the challenges of great power competition from China and Russia
were central to their testimonies, they also highlighted threats that
require investing in development and diplomacy to keep America safe by
addressing the drivers of extremism and instability, building allies
and partner capacity, and promoting American values and diplomatic
solutions to conflict.

Politics & Foreign Policy

BLOOMBERG
Heather Nauert Withdraws as Trump's Nominee for UN Ambassador |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=FACtpE0ID1sN_JNnGoivaQ

Jennifer Jacobs, Nick Wadhams, and Margaret Talev

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert is withdrawing from
consideration as President Donald Trump's nominee to be
ambassador to the United Nations, according to a statement.
Nauert's nomination began to falter after the White House was
alerted to a problem in her background: She had in the past employed
an immigrant nanny who was in the U.S. legally but wasn't
authorized to work, according to two people familiar with the
matter... Nauert was expected to face a thorny confirmation hearing
given her lack of diplomatic or government experience and the
likelihood that the former Fox News anchor would be asked to answer
for the Trump administration's scorn for international bodies,
including the UN. Trump began discussing potential new candidates for
the UN post Saturday evening with his advisers, according to one
person familiar with the matter. Other potential nominees had earlier
included former White House aide Dina Powell, Ambassador to Canada
Kelly Craft, former U.S. Senate candidate John James of Michigan and
Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell.

CNN
Candidates Vie to Be Trump's Next UN Ambassador |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ucU8lwKVMYme9IBIb7T_qQ

Kylie Atwood

A leading contender for the vacant United Nations Ambassador role made
a not so subtle pitch for the job in a Fox News interview on
Wednesday. John James, a former Michigan Republican Senate candidate,
said "of course" he wants to be the next US ambassador to the UN,
during the interview. The Iraq War veteran emphasized his military
experience and business background and called it an "honor" to be
considered for the position. But he's not the only figure in the
running as President Donald Trump considers candidates to replace
Nikki Haley after his initial pick, State Department spokeswoman
Heather Nauert, withdrew her candidacy on Saturday.

BLOOMBERG

Get Trump Alone: Kim Jong Un's Game Plan Ahead of the Vietnam
Summit |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=QEGKljaBOG1zjK7q5t3B_w

Nick Wadhams

Ever since he met Kim Jong Un in Singapore last year, President Donald
Trump has shown a tendency the North Korean leader is sure to try and
exploit: making unexpected concessions in one-on-one meetings...
Heading into next week's summit with Kim in Hanoi, the
president's top advisers will seek to ensure no last-minute
giveaways happen this time around. But for North Korea, the
president's habit of making concessions on the fly presents an
opportunity that's likely to lead negotiators from Pyongyang to
disregard the president's staff to focus on what he might offer.

REUTERS
U.S., China Sketch Outlines of Deal to End Trade War - Sources |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=FsI9Lsrnzz6z_d-Av9wwJQ

Jeff Mason

The United States and China have started to outline commitments in
principle on the stickiest issues in their trade dispute, marking the
most significant progress yet toward ending a seven-month trade war,
according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The world's
two largest economies have slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of
billions of dollars of goods, slowing global economic growth, skewing
supply chains and disrupting manufacturing... Negotiators are drawing
up six memorandums of understanding on structural issues: forced
technology transfer and cyber theft, intellectual property rights,
services, currency, agriculture and non-tariff barriers to trade,
according to two sources familiar with the progress of the talks.

POLITICO
Pence Takes Trumpism Abroad |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=GLgAfGOoc0_RBqoadbd_iA

Gabby Orr

Vice President Mike Pence has slowly become of the president's
most visible overseas surrogates - sent to deliver Trump's
"America First" demands. On Monday, Pence will make his
third speech on foreign soil in the last two weeks when he travels to
Bogota, Colombia, to call on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to step
aside, a high-profile address that will come as the world watches to
see whether Maduro relents on a blockade that has kept humanitarian
aid packages from Venezuelans facing food and medicine shortages... On
the foreign stage, White House officials say Pence has sometimes
settled into a role as the administration's bad cop, while
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the diplomat who sticks around to
hash out particulars and the president is the showman who swoops in
from time to time. And it's a role Pence will likely continue to
play in the next few months, as Trump's schedule becomes
increasingly campaign-focused.

THE WASHINGTON POST

Trump Foreign Policy Under Attack from All Sides at European Security
Conference |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=xfbiGzeJMCqlgMOYhBoA5A

Griff Witte and Michael Birnbaum

An annual security conference where Western allies have long forged
united fronts erupted Saturday into a full-scale assault on the Trump
administration's foreign policy. European leaders, would-be
Democratic challengers and even the president's Republican
backers took the floor to rebuke the president's go-it-alone
approach. German Chancellor Angela Merkel - habitually cautious
about provoking Trump - led the charge, unleashing a stinging,
point-by-point takedown of the administration's tendency to
treat its allies as adversaries... The speech, and the response,
underscored just how far apart the United States has drifted from its
traditional allies during Trump's term - and how little
Europeans care about concealing their contempt.

THE WASHINGTON POST

Inside Patrick Shanahan's Clash with Congress in Munich Over
Syria |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=GbBXQTBpDa3sp3WdTaoozg

Josh Rogin

In a private meeting in Munich with more than a dozen lawmakers,
acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan got an earful about
President Trump's plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria by
the end of April. Shanahan's response left lawmakers in both
parties even more worried about the United States' Syria policy
and lacking confidence in the team leading it... Inside the meeting,
after Graham confronted Shanahan, several other lawmakers from both
parties chimed in, warning Shanahan of what they believed were the
risks of Trump's Syria withdrawal plan. They implored Shanahan
to persuade the president to change course... [Sources] said he failed
to articulate a substantive response - other than to reiterate
these were Trump's instructions.

AXIOS
U.S. Ambassadors Have Become Less Qualified Under Trump |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=bPSU3NeajSaxSooBV-q7BQ

Harry Stevens

The U.S. ambassadors appointed by President Trump have given more
financial support to his election than any cohort of ambassadors in
recent history, even as they demonstrated fewer qualifications for the
job, according to a new study of ambassadorial appointments over the
last three decades. The data undercuts Trump's campaign claim that his
personal fortune places him above the influence of donor cash -
and shows how campaign contributions can help secure jobs for people
with relatively weak diplomatic backgrounds. On average,
Trump-appointed ambassadors contributed $96,927.98 to his campaign and
supporting entities, such as independent expenditure committees,
according to the forthcoming paper by Marquette University Law
School's Ryan M. Scoville.


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