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The Weekly GAB Friday, October 12, 2018
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | www.usglc.org
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=cDpiVs54JGNIZl4Acp0OHg

USGLC in the News

THE DAILY CALLER
Why Melania's Africa Trip Matters Here at Home
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Nre_EcYpo-LIwkqUvl2mow

Rob Palmer, U.S. Air Force Reservist and Fmr. Deputy Director of
Legislative Affairs, U.S. Northern Command

First lady Melania Trump returned from Africa this week. And I, for
one, was encouraged to see her first solo international mission went
to four countries partnering with the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) - Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt... I trust
her visit to Africa will only solidify her view on the importance of
our nation's civilian international affairs programs. American
values are unique. We must continue to export them alongside our
products and services. Investing in the International Affairs Budget
is the most effective way to accomplish this, and for just pennies on
the dollar.

Who's in the News

TIME

The Trump Administration Has Escalated Its Conflict with China Even
Further. Here's What Needs to Happen to Stay Out of War
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=WiC3HM4YpmMtHuOjCttKsA

Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.), Fmr. Supreme Allied Commander at NATO

In a little-noticed pivot, the Administration set up China as the
major geopolitical opponent of the United States in no uncertain
terms, led by a speech from Vice President Mike Pence. This change in
position - not to be confused with the far more benign
"Pacific Pivot" of the Obama Administration - has
set off alarm bells ringing from Tokyo to Melbourne... If we are going
to deal with an emerging Chinese macro-competition in this century
- something the Trump Administration is correctly signaling we
will face - now is the time to lay out a true 21st-century
strategy for China... Let's set an overarching goal of a
peaceful, if occasionally contentious, co-existence.

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Nikki Haley to Resign as Trump's Ambassador to the U.N. |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=O1-KlL7ZWlJx6Q8jxNkRWQ

Maggie Haberman

President Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R.
Haley, said on Tuesday she would resign at the end of the year,
marking a high-profile departure of one of the few women in the
president's cabinet... Mr. Trump said Ms. Haley had informed him
roughly six months ago that she wanted to take a break after finishing
two years with the administration. He said he hoped Ms. Haley would
return in a different role, and would name her successor within the
next two or three weeks.

Development & Diplomacy

FOREIGN POLICY
Trump Reaches for Checkbook Diplomacy to Counter China |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=elnYE3Td6kw3G1GAYlM0uw

Keith Johnson

In a stark reversal, the "America First" administration of
U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up Washington's ability
to compete with China in financing development around the world,
pushing back against what administration officials have called
Beijing's "debt trap diplomacy." Trump over the
weekend signed legislation that will modernize and expand U.S.
development finance, essentially doubling its financial firepower and
creating a new agency with a host of authorities. The new entity,
which will merge the existing Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC) and the Development Credit Authority, will make it easier for
the U.S. government to encourage private sector investment in
countries where Chinese largesse has for years been used to win
influence.

THE HILL
U.S. Foreign Aid Empowers Women and Girls Worldwide

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=HUA2dQN4CxJQuvfa0x4ytw

Rep. Ami Bera, Vice Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee

This summer, I traveled to Sierra Leone with CARE, an organization
focused on fighting global poverty by empowering women and girls, to
see firsthand U.S. investments supporting global health and gender
equality. We met with survivors of FGM and other young women in their
village communities... These women deserve lives where they can get an
education and live free from violence and forced marriage. The United
States helps thousands of communities do just that and we need to
understand the impact we have. So, on this International Day of the
Girl, we should recognize just how important these programs are. We
should celebrate today by continuing to fund U.S. foreign assistance.

REUTERS

Ebola Response Tightens in Eastern Congo as Seven New Cases Confirmed:
Health Ministry |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=dDYKr9ckOyuJ08f72iyIug

Giulia Paravicini

Congolese authorities announced a ban on Wednesday on harboring
suspected Ebola patients and promised police protection for health
workers at burials, in a bid to fight back against local resistance to
efforts to combat the disease. Residents of eastern Congo have
attacked health workers and refused to cooperate with government
efforts to combat Ebola there, the country's second major
outbreak of the disease this year, which is believed to have killed
118 people since July... Local mistrust and attacks by rebel groups
have disrupted treatment and vaccination programs. Beni's mayor
Jean Edmond Nyonyi Bwanakawa told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday
the decree banning the harboring of patients would be signed into law
later in the day.

THE STAR TRIBUNE
Private Sector Can Play Critical Role in Easing World Hunger

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=O5eIeTCNOcHs8q2kEe6yJA

Mark Kennedy, Chairman of the Economic Club of Minnesota and President
of the University of North Dakota; and Richard Leach, President and
CEO of the World Food Program USA

Today, we have more people displaced by violence, conflict and
persecution than ever before. And, while war and conflict remain
significant drivers of hunger and poverty, food insecurity can also be
a driver of instability... Minnesota-based companies are already
playing a lead role in addressing food insecurity around the world.
Companies such as Cargill, General Mills and Land O'Lakes are
investing their dollars and, importantly, their expertise in this
fight, because they know their efforts are a benefit to society;
feeding a hungry world and promoting proper nutrition also yields
dividends in terms of a new generation of future consumers beyond our
borders and more stable local communities.

DEVEX

Is the International Aid Community Failing Its Frontline Partners? |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=8VJn3PQrmoEqNwQ0v6-Xfg

Sam Mednick

At least 107 aid workers, all of them local, have been killed in South
Sudan since the country erupted in fighting five years ago, making it
the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarians to operate for
three years in a row, according to research by Humanitarian Outcomes.
Some local organizations, such as Hope Restoration, say they
don't feel they're well-equipped with security training or
adequately funded to purchase the resources that would make their
operations safer - yet they commonly find themselves on the
frontlines of the conflict.

YAHOO NEWS
Aid Groups Frustrated as Foreign Staff Told to Leave Palu |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=2UjyM-RVHfM7tg7Gv0fadA

Maryke Vermaak

Indonesia on Tuesday told foreign aid workers their help was not
needed in disaster-ravaged Palu and they should go home, frustrating
relief efforts after a quake-tsunami killed more than 2,000 people.
Foreign teams on the ground were told new rules barred them from
searching for the dead in hard-hit parts of Palu, where thousands are
missing since the September 28 twin disaster... Indonesia's disaster
agency issued a set of rules over the weekend instructing
international staff to leave Palu, and requiring foreign donations be
channelled through local partners.

THE FINANCIAL TIMES
Ghana's Grand Vision of a Life Beyond Foreign Aid |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=m7ian55DTwFsRXmgBqEOWg

David Pilling

The idea of a Ghana that aspires to life "beyond aid"
began to resonate internationally last December, when Nana Akufo-Addo,
the country's grandiloquent president, stole the limelight at a
joint press conference with the visiting French president, Emmanuel
Macron... A nation, he said, should chart its own development path and
not allow priorities to be set by donors. Although Ghana receives less
aid than many poorer countries, it is still supported by bilateral
donations from the likes of the EU, France and Denmark. Other
organisations are also involved, like the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, the US aid agency, which is pumping $498m into
Ghana's electricity sector. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
supports agriculture and health programmes.

USGLC GLOBAL IMPACT BLOG
The Best Biodefense is a Good Offense |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=CWv3zLS7XGxrONQ_5avtiA

Zach Cohen

In August, a major outbreak of Ebola was reported in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. In response to the outbreak, National Security
Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex
Azar announced a new National Biodefense Strategy, directing the
Administration's focus towards prevention. Bolton noted that the
strategy is not a "counter-response" to epidemics, but
rather "what we would do here in the United States with our
friends and allies" to proactively address the root causes of
biological threats.

Politics & Foreign Policy

CBS NEWS
Who Might Replace Nikki Haley as U.N. Ambassador? |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=h8NCcMW0wIhlHRFb-beMaw

Grace Segers

In losing Haley, Mr. Trump is losing one of his best advocates for an
"America First" foreign policy. Her replacement will have to be
confirmed by the Senate, meaning that Mr. Trump may have to turn to a
crowd-pleasing candidate instead of a controversial conservative
firebrand -- or family member. Here are the people who could
potentially replace Haley: Dina Powell... Ivanka Trump... [and] Joe
Lieberman. The former Democratic and independent senator from
Connecticut and Al Gore's 2000 running mate may not seem like a
typical choice for the Trump administration, but CBS News' Major
Garrett reports that Lieberman is being considered because he would
support Mr. Trump's pro-Israel approach to issues related to
settlements and security, lending bipartisan credibility to the
president's hardline stance.

THE ATLANTIC
Two Alternatives to Trump's Global Vision

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=u6RCYZvq_6masUjj_1Ur3A

Daniel Fried, Atlantic Council

Happily, the past century of American foreign policy provides two
tested alternatives to Trumpist unilateralism: realist
internationalism rooted in alliances, and commitment to a rules-based
international order that favors democracy. The former can provide a
tactical framework for a steady foreign policy, but if pushed too far
tends to falter in practice. The strategic ambition of the latter can
be misapplied, but has supported some of the best American world
leadership over the past 100 years.

ABC NEWS

Melania Trump Wraps Her 1st Major, Solo Overseas Trip to Africa with
Message, 'We Care' |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=utA7pdcL2QLdZ_slqhMDKw

Jordyn Phelps

Melania Trump concluded her first major, solo international trip as
first lady by saying her four-country tour of Africa was meant to send
a message that "we care." ... "We care, and we want to show the
world that we care, and I've partnered and am working with
USAID. And that's what I want to share, that we care,"
Trump told reporters at her final stop in Egypt... The trip was
largely focused on children in keeping with Melania Trump's "Be
Best" initiative, and it sought to highlight the positive impact
of U.S. aid on the continent, another point of contrast to the
president, who has proposed cutting U.S. aid by more than 30 percent.
Congress has rejected that proposal. The first lady offered praise for
what she described as "successful" programs by USAID, the
U.S. Agency for International Development, that she observed during
her trip. But she demurred when asked if she would push the president
to increase funding to the foreign aid agency.

TOWN HALL
A New Era for the China-Russia-US Triangle |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=DXWgXGingbq4H5s_nzqvTQ

Victor Davis Hanson

Nearly a half-century ago, President Richard Nixon's secretary of
state, Henry Kissinger, established a successful U.S. strategy for
dealing with America's two most dangerous rivals. He sought closer
ties to both the Soviet Union, with its more than 7,000 nuclear
weapons, and Communist China, with the world's largest population...
We forgot Kissinger's wisdom during the Obama administration's
coddling of China and the schizophrenic Russian "reset." ... Our
allies noticed. From Scandinavia to the Middle East to Asia, they
assumed that America either could not or would not regain its global
prestige. The Trump administration has sought to reverse that descent.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

U.S. Lawmakers Challenge Trump's Support for Saudi War in Yemen
|

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=uNXA92S0c0fHokuHeNThgg

Dion Nissenbaum

U.S. lawmakers from both parties are challenging the Trump
administration's support for Gulf allies battling Iran-aligned
fighters in Yemen, putting new pressure on the U.S. president to scale
back ties with Saudi Arabia during an especially sensitive time. A
bipartisan group of senators plan to demand answers on Wednesday from
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after he backed Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates over the objections of most of his Yemen experts.
In a letter expected to be delivered to Mr. Pompeo on Wednesday, the
lawmakers, including Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine), Chris Murphy
(D., Conn.), and Todd Young (R., Ind.), write that they have
"significant concerns" with his support for the Gulf
allies.

BLOOMBERG

Pompeo's Attempt to Tackle Asia Hurdles Didn't Exactly Go
to Plan |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=1nzMryAwC6m9f6J4Q2pquA

Bill Faries

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo flew to Asia to shore up a weakening
sanctions regime on North Korea, nail down a date for a future summit
between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un and assuage Chinese officials
days after Vice President Mike Pence lambasted their country. Things
didn't go as planned... Pompeo's hurdles were highest in
Pyongyang. While the two sides had kind words for each other -- Kim
was reported to find the visit "wonderful" -- Pompeo came
away without a date for another Trump-Kim meeting or any news on when
key milestones in denuclearization might take place... In an unusually
public rebuke, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the U.S. of
undermining mutual trust between the countries as Pompeo sat across
from him.

THE WASHINGTON POST

Allies Work Around the White House to Reach Americans in Uncertain
Times |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=c1fzldRGPL0J8_JpZk9DzA

Carol Morello

Long-standing allies whose leaders have sometimes had testy relations
with Trump are increasingly keeping ties with the United States alive
in ways that bypass the White House. Faced with Trump's
volatility, a foreign policy that is constantly changing, and many
vacancies in the State Department and other traditional venues for
communication, some governments are employing what diplomats call the
"doughnut strategy." ... The efforts to contact local and
state governments, business leaders, and civil society reflect the
conviction that the United States is still an influential player in
the world. So even countries that hoped to lie low until a new
administration is in place have concluded that they can't afford
to do that.


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