http://allafrica.com/stories/201602160158.html



Zimbabwe: U.S. Senators in Zimbabwe On a Fact-Finding Mission On Wildlife Conservation and Security Issues

By UK Bureau


A DELEGATION of US elected representatives led by Senator Jeff Flake from Arizona is on a three day fact-finding mission to better understand wildlife conservation and regional security issues, the US Embassy in Harare has announced.

The visit is part of a four nation mission covering Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

A statement from the embassy said the delegation will meet Embassy staff and has also requested meetings with government officials, private sector executives and civil society organizations.

The mission is aimed at enabling the visitors to "learn about issues of importance in the US-Zimbabwe bilateral relationship, including the protection and conservation of wildlife".

Making the delegation are Senator Jeff Flake, Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Christopher Coons, Senator Ben Cardin, and Representative Adam Schiff.

Senator Jeff Flake (Arizona) sits on the Judiciary Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the Foreign Relations Committee where he serves as chairman of Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Jeff served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001-2013 representing the East Valley region of Arizona.

The visit comes seven months after a US dentist, Walter Palmer, provoked global outrage by killing a famous lion named Cecil in Hwange. The lion had a GPS collar fitted for research project by Oxford University.

Many Western conservationists have interests in Africa including in Zimbabwe.

Republican controlled House and Senate, and we send 2 republicans and 3 democrats. And 2 of them are over 70!

What am I missing here? Are any of them members of the sportsmans caucus?

Just checked. Not a single one is a member of the sportsmans caucus.

Am I missing something, or do the words "3-day" and "fact-finding" used together in one sentence constitute an oxymoron? There are diplomats in-country who have been here for 3+ years who don't have their heads around everything that's going on, and not only would their interpretations probably be more informative, but also a damned sight cheaper.

It's called a junket.

quote:

It's called a junket.

Junket is another word for vacation. A vacation paid for by taxpayers.

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:

quote:

It's called a junket.

Junket is another word for vacation. A vacation paid for by taxpayers.

Exactly!

They can come back to the states & claim "I have been there & seen with my own eyes".
Total bullshit in my book.

I'm from the government and I'm here to help....

quote:

Originally posted by Barry Groulx:
Am I missing something, or do the words "3-day" and "fact-finding" used together in one sentence constitute an oxymoron? There are diplomats in-country who have been here for 3+ years who don't have their heads around everything that's going on, and not only would their interpretations probably be more informative, but also a damned sight cheaper.

Exactly! If they were going to learn anything...a couple of weeks minimal would be necessary.

I would not even make that flight for 3 days...even if it was for vacation.

Because they are elected officals and have now visited the country in question, they now are able to dictate policy on the subject.

Credentials and qualifications are un-necessary.

They will decide what is "Best" baised upon what will generate the most political capital for themselves.

Plus this "Issue" provides a great distraction for the public from the significant issues in the house and senate presently.

Yikes Senator Cardin is the last person we would want in Zimbabwe.

"In response to Cecil’s death, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., is co-sponsoring the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act, which would amend the Endangered Species Act by banning all imports into the United States of trophies and animal parts from African lions and other at-risk species. While the Senate considers the legislation, the USFWS should finalize its proposed rule listing the African lion as threatened under the Endangered Species Act."

quote:

"In response to Cecil’s death, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., is co-sponsoring the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act, which would amend the Endangered Species Act by banning all imports into the United States of trophies and animal parts from African lions and other at-risk species. While the Senate considers the legislation, the USFWS should finalize its proposed rule listing the African lion as threatened under the Endangered Species Act."

Are they all as anti-hunting as Cardin?

the word "pogrom" comes to mind ..

They take their " Secretaries" along ?

Grizz

Are they certain they can identify an actual fact when and if one is spotted in the wild? Facts are quite elusive beasts, and it takes some degree of skill to identify one in its natural state.

As professional politicians, it is probably safe to assume the gentlemen in question are quite unaccustomed to spotting and identifying facts without the assistance of their staff. Anything is possible, however.

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:
They take their " Secretaries" along ?

Grizz

Only interns.

Even a couple of weeks, or a couple of months wouldn't make that much difference. Ted Kennedy flew to South Africa in, I think, 1980, on a "two-week fact-finding mission" on apartheid. The only thing he learned was that hotel rooms in South Africa look the same as hotel rooms everywhere else. Not only do delegations like this have an agenda, but they will be meeting with and shown around by those who are sympathetic to the agenda. If they hook up with, say, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Farce, God knows what they will "learn".

Some excerpts from a local news report today:

“President Mugabe yesterday met a delegation of United States Congressmen and categorically stated to them that Zimbabwe upholds the rule of law, contrary to propaganda peddled by Western media and anti-Government organisations. He also took the Congressmen to task on the US’ reasons for maintaining unjustified sanctions on Zimbabwe. The delegation of four senators and one member of the House of Representative was led by Mr Jeffrey Flake.
A source that attended the meeting said the Congressmen had tried to raise issues that were “always raised by the opposition political parties and non-governmental organisations”. “They raised issues to do with democracy, human rights—raising the Itai Dzamara issue, police clearance of political parties (to hold rallies) and how they can assist on drought and wildlife matters,” said the source.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Flake said they were in Zimbabwe only for issues to do with wildlife preservation. “The focus mostly is on wildlife preservation and to combat trafficking and poaching,” he said.”

Predictably, these guys have given Mugabe an admirable chance for another anti-West, anti-US rant; presumably they weren't too naieve to have seen that coming.