An Open Letter
to US Secretary of State
By Aman K. Mandozai
Long Beach, CA
Congratulations on a ‘successful’
tour of Europe, Middle East and Asia. I have followed
your US Senate confirmation hearings and all three
‘foreign’ trips as US Secretary of
State. President Bush said,” She will do
great!” You have already done better than
most!
On your Asian trip you did great with the media,
particularly in India and Pakistan. You were defending
President Musharraf on the question of democratic
reforms/uniform like a mother would defend his
teenaged son for ‘bad behavior’.
The approval for the sale of F-16’s to Pakistan
was necessary and long overdue. The ‘security
deterrent’ which still requires Congressional
approval will discourage war and not promote it,
as some peace activist had suggested. I have several
practical ideas on how President Musharraf can
‘hed’his military uniform, how Pakistan
and the US/ USAID could do more on educational
reforms and other efforts at the ‘end user’
level that are ‘meaningful’ and ‘effective’
without requiring to spend more.
Who am I? One of your greatest fans who wants
you to succeed, a moderate ‘sunni’
Muslim, long time Californian, an expatriate from
Pakistan with a Master’s in International
Relations/Int’l Law from the University
of Karachi, a close observer of US foreign policy
and US public opinion, and a liberal conservative
on various issues in the United States.
I have prepared an eighteen-page concise and relevant
analysis and recommendations to both United States
and Pakistan, which is coming to Your Excellency
through State Department sources. The topics include:
Global war on Terror, Why the US is losing against
‘militant’ Islamist propaganda and
how to effectively manage this PR battle, British
India, Kashmir and Pakistan, Government-condoned
political corruption with a capital ‘C’,
meaningful educational reforms, transparency and
measurable success in US-assisted economic and
social programs, more USIS centers/libraries and
expanding USAID programs of food, literacy, adult
education and basic mobile health care in rural
and poor urban areas of Pakistan. Finally PAK/US
friendship projects, USAID or other Congressional
funding for NGOs managed by willing expatriates,
providing training, job skills and small business
loans to both young men and women, in ‘problem’
areas of Pakistan.
I have ‘out of the box’ ideas to resolve
or deal with the difficult Kashmir issue.
I am recommending a ‘quiet’ reading
of my submission for Your Excellency and Ms. Karen
Hughes, nominated Under Secretary of State for
Public Diplomacy and Public Affair and a ‘vacation’
reading for President Bush!
Keep up the good work as the most powerful woman
on Earth!
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