[Vision2020] message from Tom Trail

[Donovan Arnold]

So Pat, why don't you follow your own advice and go read three or more 
books?

Donovan J Arnold


>From: "Pat Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
>To: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] message from Tom Trail
>Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 14:44:05 -0700
>
>Just reading these two books will certainly not give you a broad 
>understanding of all that is happining. We live in a complicated world and 
>it would only take two books to get a 'better understaning'??
>Oh, Please!
>Pat
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>   From: bill london
>   To: Vision2020 ; Tom Trail
>   Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 12:23 PM
>   Subject: [Vision2020] message from Tom Trail
>
>
>   Tom Trail asked that this message from his friend John Barbee be 
>forwarded to V2020:
>   BL
>
>   ---
>
>   OPINION & COMMENTARY
>
>
>
>   Dear Peace Corps colleagues and friends:
>
>
>
>   Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and especially now, in the run-up to 
>the November Presidential election, it is increasingly difficult for US 
>citizens to judge what is fact and what is fiction (or political hyperbole) 
>in regard to US security, the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism.  
>Everyone seems to be confused and unable to interpret what they have heard 
>or seen on TV about the situation we are in, how we got there and what to 
>do about it.
>
>
>
>   Despite my experience working in civil society development in 
>Afghanistan,  Iraq and other countries impacted by conflict, I also have 
>been confused and highly concerned by what I have seen on the ground, the 
>reported actions taken and contentions made by our nation's elected and 
>appointed leaders in the Bush Administration and Congress. Until recently I 
>was very frustrated also with my unsuccessful efforts to find out what 
>principles, logic and processes have been driving our foreign and domestic 
>anti-terrorism policies and dominating their very questionable 
>implementation.
>
>
>
>   But in the last three months, I finally came across some excellent 
>detailed Information resources that have helped me to understand and 
>appreciate what has been going on at the highest levels in our government, 
>both since the first Gulf War and especially in the last three years.  I 
>think these resource books will be very useful and informative for readers 
>who, as in my case, want to become better informed on these very serious 
>and critically important issues for our country.  The resources I am 
>recommending are non-partisan and seek to inform and point out both the 
>errors of our recent past and present, and some specific constructive 
>courses of action that we should implement to deal with these important and 
>complex problems.
>
>
>
>   The two books I recommend are:
>
>
>
>   "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terrorism," by Richard 
>Clarke, a Senior Executive Service civil servant for nearly thirty years, 
>who worked for the current and last three presidents and who was the 
>National Security Council's Counter-terrorism Coordinator in the White 
>House during the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
>
>
>
>                "Plan of Attack,"  by Bob Woodward, reporter and editor at 
>the Washington Post for 33 years, and a nationally and internationally 
>respected writer.  Along with Carl Bernstein, he did the investigation and 
>reportage that brought the facts of the Watergate affair to public 
>attention and action.
>
>
>
>   Both Clarke and Woodward are highly respected and well known in their 
>fields for their honesty and forthrightness in their work and their 
>dealings.  Neither of them is seeking public office nor is involved 
>directly in political campaigns.  Clearly, their books were written and 
>published for the primary purpose of helping to enlighten Americans and to 
>help us as citizens to better understand the issues and to make better 
>choices in exercising our privileges and carrying out our responsibilities 
>as citizens in the most advanced democracy in the world.   They can be 
>found in libraries, bookstores and also on the web in both text and audio 
>format.  If your local library does not have copies, or if they are 
>over-demanded and unavailable, I am sure that libraries would gladly 
>receive additional copies after you have bought and read them.
>
>
>
>   After you have read the books, a really good and useful follow-up might 
>be to convene special issue-related discussion groups that lead to 
>development of strategies and action, e.g.  the war in Iraq, democracy and 
>peacebuilding in Iraq, How to best help Afghanistan, what is needed for 
>more appropriate foreign policies and practices, etc.   This is critically 
>important to security in the US and abroad and the overall interests in 
>democracy and civil society worldwide.
>
>
>
>   Most sincerely,
>
>   John W. Barbee
>
>
>
>   [John Barbee has been a lifelong resident of the mountain west and has 
>served in humanitarian assistance and the development of civil society in 
>Central Asia, Afghanistan Africa and, most recently, Iraq. He is also a 
>former Volunteer and staff officer with Peace Corps in Afghanistan and 
>Africa.]
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
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>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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