Is anyone watching USAID?
Posted on February 28th, 2010
Ajit Randeniya
While the Sri Lankan government leaders, politicians and the general population are looking away, busily engaged in implementing the democratic right of our people to vote, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) operatives and programs appear to be busily at work, at grass roots levels, in the northern and eastern regions of the country.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The never-ending stream of news items on Ms Rachel Coh(e)n suggests she is so busy that she manages to drop the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”eƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in her surname! In fact, USAID in Sri Lanka has included, amongst President Obama’s budget request for foreign operations next year, 19 new positions to expand presence of Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. We might be blessed with more!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ms Cohen (we shall correct the obvious spelling mistake in the name) appears to be on a rigorous work schedule on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”community projectsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ranging from opening up of new libraries to papaya cultivations, exclusively in the north and east, raising the question as to whether the US has already eliminated poverty and related issues in all other regions of Sri Lanka!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What is also noteworthy is that the USAID ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”projectsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, mostly involves trifling amounts of US dollars that almost pales into insignificant when compared with the 525,000 spent on the Fonseka project. They also appear to, almost always, bypass the Colombo government and are done through deals at ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”mayorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ level.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The latest news is that USAID is taking 13 government officials from central and provincial ministries on a seven day study tour to Timor-Leste (East Timor) to learn ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”how land ownership issues are being resolvedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in that US and Australian colony.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To understand the purpose of these subtle conspiracies, one needs to gain familiarity with all the affairs that are going on in the universe, and may be even outside the orbit of our Sun. But this writer humbly accepts the challenge!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ East Timor is a desolate strip of land (of 15,410 kmƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚²) with a deplorable colonial past, located about 640 km (400 mi) northwest of Darwin, Australia. East Timor was colonised by Portugal in the 16th century, until the revolution in 1975 in that country led to TimorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s decolonisation. In late 1975, when Paul Wolfowitz was US ambassador to Indonesia, late President Suharto, reasserted IndonesiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s traditional ownership of the region and declared Timor Indonesia’s 27th province.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For 25 years, the West, more appropriately its neocon hijacker gang led by Henry Kissinger, lulled Suharto to complacency in the belief that they are fully behind the Indonesian sovereignty over Timor: then they staged the so-called 1996 Asian Economic Crisis that brought the Suharto regime undone, and the interim appointment of Hassan Habibi as President between 1998 and 1999.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Habibi who had spent some time in Germany had been sufficiently ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”enlightenedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by the western mind control system to declare a referendum on Timorese independence. The unbelievable ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”generosityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the move took even seasoned conspirators like the former Australian Prime Minister John Howard by surprise!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then the UN cover was used effectively by the vested interests to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”sponsorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the act of self-determination, appointing the former Head of Amnesty International, Ian Martin, a known intelligence agent, giving him immense powers to prepare the electoral role and to conduct the election. The rest is modern history of East Timor!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Following the successful deception of the predominantly illiterate Timorese public, the West committed several further acts that symbolised the restoration of imperialistic control: they appointed Sergio Viera de Mello, the Portuguese Brazilian UN functionary who shares the Jewish name that is synonymous with Portuguese colonialism; and they made Portuguese the official language of Timor. (Sergio deMello was later killed in the Canal Hotel Bombing in Iraq in 2003).
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UN faced criticism from the Timorese pro-independence movement of failing to include them in the new administration, describing their exclusion as a new form of colonialism. But in this era of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unipolar power illusionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, the neocons had no regard for claims of national sovereignty and Sergio de Mello who was a particular favourite of the Bush regime and of Kofi Annan was the ideal front man for new ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ethical imperialism.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He had previously proved his loyalty credentials to the Zionist cause and atrocities when he was assigned in 1981-83 to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978 to supervise the withdrawal of the Israeli troops that had invaded southern Lebanon. When the Israeli army reinvaded Beirut and unleashed a brutal massacre of 2,000 Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla in 1982, he functioned as the intermediary between the Israeli army, its fascistic militia allies and a hostile population.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He also used UN cover to force the rival Cambodian factions into agreeing to hand power to a UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) to supervise a power-sharing arrangement and future elections. In 1993, he was sent to Bosnia Herzegovina as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the former Yugoslavia to provide the overarching framework for the intervention of NATO (US and European) troops to complete the breakup of Yugoslavia by recognising Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia Herzegovina, exploiting the ethnic violence the neocons had helped to instigate.
In 2000 the Timorese National Cabinet, a body established to advise UN Transitional Administrator not to proceed with plans to establish a land claims commission due to the absence of a democratic mandate from the East Timorese people.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on May 20, 2002. Sergio de Mello had served the desires of his masters in leaving behind a tiny state completely dependent politically, economically and militarily on the major powers. The Australian-dominated military force still remains in Dili, the capital, and Australia has managed to bludgeon the Timorese government into ceding control over the lionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s share of the Timor Gap gas reserves to Australia.
East Timor currently has an unrepresentative regime installed by the major powers with scant regard for the democratic rights of the East Timorese people who are largely unemployed with limited access to social services that were available under Indonesian rule.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What USAID is doing here is implementing the agenda outlined in their 2002 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”National Security StrategyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ,announced by George Bush following September 11, 2001, while Ground Zero was still smouldering. The so-called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-third pillarƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of US foreign policy that USAID represents was painted in that document against a bleak global outlook of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”fragileƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ statesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (of governments collapsing, criminal and terrorist networks, humanitarian crises, and grinding poverty), and a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”strategyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to more effectively respond to such states.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The USAID strategies mentioned are based primarily on plans for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”regime changeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in developing countries, based on the recommendations of some USAID contracted ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”research expertsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ including Jack Goldstone of the George Mason University and Robert Bates of Harvard who had suggested that the instability associated with fragile states is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the product of ineffective and illegitimate governanceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Based on this premise, USAID declared its intention to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”engage strategicallyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in countries important to U.S. foreign policy to address ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”effectiveness deficitsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. According to the policy, once USAID is engaged in a fragile state, assistance must be strategic in terms of sequencing and program mix. The primary strategy was strong donor coordination (read ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ganging upƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of western agents). The strategy also has a focus on underlying sources of fragility, the governing arrangements that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”lack effectiveness and legitimacyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and issues such as ethnic and religious tensions.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This policy was preceded by several initiatives at the international level to prepare ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Template strategiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢: one of the key inputs to this process was the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Report of the Panel on UN Peace OperationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, widely referred to as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Brahimi ReportƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, commissioned to consider UN peacekeeping and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”related field operationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. The Brahimi Report called for development of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-peace-building strategiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to assist future UN peacekeeping missions. Included among such peace-building strategies was a policy for land policy in post-conflict circumstances.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) headed by Scott Leckie, a well known international human rights activist was created in 2003 to ensure that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the housing, land, or property spoils of war so commonly accepted in the past are no longer bargaining chips around a negotiating table, but rather rights that should not and cannot be sacrificed for a larger peaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The important question is as to what USAID thinks has Sri Lanka got to learn from East Timor?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The USAID press release said that: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-During the tour the Sri Lankan officials will meet with Timorese government authorities, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”development workersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and community leaders, and will participate in site visits to local areas to gain many perspectives on the issue.)
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Land disputes in Timor have its origins in the traditional practice of establishing rights to untitled land at both individual and lineage levels by agricultural use such as planting tree crops or bamboo and constructing bunds for irrigated rice fields, or setting stone markers.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The dispute resolution mechanisms in East Timor are also different to Sri Lanka due to the lack of an established legal system in that country: disputes are dealt with primarily by traditional leaders and village-level government and central government authorities only come in to the picture when these mechanisms fail.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In other words, East Timor is a totally ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”different kettle of fishƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to Sri Lanka in that it is a country with land ownership issues involving underlying custom with no titles, current occupation, and titles issued in both the Portuguese and Indonesian eras.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Cynics can see straight away that what USAID is trying to achieve here is to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”teachƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the local administrators in the east and the north to develop mechanisms of settling land disputes based on local agreements, bypassing the certainty of titles issued by the Sri Lankan government.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A system such as East TimorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s will create chaos in Sri Lanka where both the fiat of an established title system as well as well established legal mechanisms to resolve any disputes exist. A system based on anything less than the Colombo issued land titles is likely to allowing USAID to realize its sinister strategy of creating chaos by, for example, raising questions about the resettlements of southern farmers and estate Tamils.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In addition, USAID and the INGOs will benefit by way of freeer access to land in these regions, free from any say by Colombo authorities. This has been a particular motivation for INGOs who prefer to deal with their paid cronies.
It has come to a point now the government may have to consider establishing an authority dedicated to assess, approve and monitor the so-called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”aid projects so that any ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”aidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is channeled through appropriate channels to regions in most-need and projects that are the priority of the people concerned.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Allowing USAID to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”run riotƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in this fashion will have long term security implications. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
February 28th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Ajit ! Is there any way you can enlighten me on the following please.
1) In the rapid development process, is Papaya growing a priority in Sri Lanka ? Suggest Maradol and Solo Hawaii.
2) Is this a result of negligence of the Minister of Agriculture, and his Department, that USAID had to rush Rachael Cohen to plant Papaya, only in the North and East ? Dont we have enough Papaya Growers in the North and East ?
3) Do we have a serious land ownership issue in Sri Lanka, ? I doubt it. Is GTF manupilating USAID, to get back what the SUN GOD was holding, including Nandikadal Lagoon ? I smell a rat. I see it floating in the air.
4) Of the 13 (unlucky number) Officers, how many are Sinhalese, how many are Muslims, and how many Tamils, are getting this refresher course, out of all places, in Timor. ? Is Timor bigger than China ? My geography Oh !
5) Is USAID a contractor for Circus Personnel ? Iam inclined to think so. They truly seem to be running riot.
SUSANTHA
February 28th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
You have highlighted a [b]very important[/b] issue and hope the Govt. of Sri Lanka takes note of this and act accordingly. I too was wondering why USAID was so kind to take our people on a fact finding trip to East Timor, of all the places in this world – thanks for shedding light on possible sinister motives of the US. The Govt. should take note of these possibilities and act firmly and fast.
In fact, I feel that the Govt. should set up a formal organisation to deal with all INGOs/NGOs including USAID. The function of this organisation should be to check credentials of the NGOs and its staff before they set foot in Sri Lanka and to undertake six monthly reviews of their projects. An INGO or its staff not complying with the Govt. requirements should be asked to leave. Currently, I do not think there are any background checks of INGO staff operating in Sri Lanka let alone conducting regular audits, financial and administrative, of their operations – I am happy to be corrected on this.
Given the wealth of information the Govt. would have gathered during the war about the covert operations of most of the INGOs and NGOs, Sri Lanka should be in a strong position to avoid the repeat of past activities of these “do-gooders”.
March 1st, 2010 at 3:50 am
The lotus eating politicians will accept anything from foreign countries. America and the west has proven to be the hidden hand behind the LTTE. It is time SL tells these foregn governments to stop interfering in our internal affairs.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:02 am
Here are some details re East Timor. Is it really about Land distribution matters that Lanka’s MPs are going to E.Timor ?
Very odd … needs looking into.
—————
POPULATION
The present population level is about 800,000, of whom at least 150,000 are Indonesian immigrants.
ECONOMY
East Timor is a resource-rich country, despite claims that it would not be viable if it became independent.
Coffee is produced by large plantations as well as smallholders. Since the invasion companies run by the Indonesian army have taken over the trade, forced down prices and frequently confiscated coffee in transit.
Marble quarrying, like coffee and sandalwood, is now controlled by army-backed monopolies.
Oil and gas are the largest natural resources with large reserves in the Timor Sea between East Timor and Australia. In 1989 Australia and Indonesia concluded the Timor Gap Treaty for joint exploitation of these reserves in violation of international law. Twelve multinational companies in Australia, Japan, the US and UK won contracts. The Treaty has been challenged in the Australian courts by the East Timorese resistance movement and in the World Court by the Portuguese Government.
Unemployment is widespread among East Timorese. Most jobs go to Indonesians.
LANGUAGE
There is great ethno-linguistic diversity in East Timor.
At least 14 distinct languages are spoken by ethnic groups ranging in size from over 100,000 to just a few thousand people.
Tetum is the most widely-spoken language and is the first language in western and southern regions, the second language in many other regions.
Portuguese was the official language until 1975. It is widely spoken by people who were educated during the colonial era. It is still used in many homes alongside Tetum.
Bahasa Indonesia is the sole medium of instruction and communication under the Indonesian regime.
Tetum and Portuguese have been banned throughout the education system since 1975.
MILITARY
The Bali-based army commander claims that combat troops are being reduced now that armed resistance has ‘ceased to be a threat’. The head of the Catholic Church in East Timor says this is untrue.
There are an estimated 14 battalions (roughly 650 men in each) in East Timor.
At least one of these is there to fight the armed resistance. It is replaced every few months with fresh troops from various parts of Indonesia.
Territorial battalions ‘dedicated to road and village construction’ spy on the population, ambush villagers and, when necessary, engage in combat.
Indonesian police are on duty throughout the country.
Regular troops of Kodim, the East Timor military command, are located in villages for intelligence gathering and control.
East Timorese foot soldiers are recruited into the Indonesian army – they also fight the armed resistance.
Red-beret special troops – the most feared of all – spy on, arrest and torture East Timorese.
Paramilitary forces known as hansip and ratih consist of East Timorese civilians trained as militia.
A new force of 3,844 East Timorese has been formed and is now being trained.
HEALTH
The standard of health of the East Timorese is very low. Nothing has been done by the Indonesians to break the cycle of poverty, malnutrition and disease.
Infant mortality: 160 deaths per 1,000 births. East Timor and Mali (in West Africa) have the highest infant mortality rates in the world. An Indonesian health official admitted in November 1993 that at least 70 per cent of children under five are malnourished.
Disease: the most prevalent are tuberculosis, endemic malaria, pneumonia, parasitic infestations, skin infections and severe anaemia, especially in women after childbirth and children.
Sanitation: most of those resettled since 1977 live in huts standing on bare soil, crawling with insects, and with animals running in and out – formerly their houses were on stilts, giving protection against vermin and keeping animals below. There are no toilets, hardly any running water. Parasites spread through human and animal faeces.
Hygiene: is abysmal at the hospital in Baucau, one of the few built by the Indonesians. There is a lack of basic equipment, patients with tuberculosis are separated from surgical cases by nothing more than a curtain.
Health centres: built by the Indonesians in the towns are poorly equipped and have few medicines. East Timorese are suspicious of Indonesian medical personnel, none of whom speak Tetum, and prefer to visit the small number of clinics run by dedicated Catholic nuns.
RELIGION
Up to 1975 most East Timorese were animists. Since the invasion they have flocked to join the Catholic Church.
Roman Catholicism was introduced by the Portuguese and was the religion of about 30 per cent of the population. Catholics now account for over 80 per cent of the population. The Church is the only East Timorese institution able to function officially, where people can gather in large numbers, obtain solace and sometimes seek sanctuary.
Muslims formed a minute community, mostly Arab families who settled in the country as traders. The overwhelming majority of Indonesian troops and immigrants are Muslims. Many mosques have been built. Islam is seen as the religion of the occupiers and a challenge to the supremacy of Catholicism.
ENVIRONMENT
East Timor has suffered extensive deforestation.
The region from Venilale to Los Palos in the east is now known as ‘dead earth’, a deserted, uncultivated plain where former inhabitants are dead and gone and all human activity has ceased.
Much vegetation has been damaged by the use of defoliants – possibly Agent Orange – during the intense military operations in the late 1970s.
Army-backed companies plunder resources without regard for environmental protection legislation.
Forest fires occur annually in the dry season. Farmers who used to get rid of dried undergrowth by controlled burning have been forced down to the coastal plains. Much of the burning is now done by troops to prevent guerrillas from using foliage as cover. Without the careful management of former days the torched areas are quickly covered by the noxious, tough and impenetrable high grass Imperata cylindrica.
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:02 am
The conduct of some US officials and their attitude towards Sri Lanka in recent times have been disappointing. This includes the conduct of the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka during the last days of the war against the Tigers and the careless statements made by the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. I believe, however, that we should guard against becoming ‘paranoid’ about the US and look with suspicion on everything that comes from the US. I am personally aware of at least one charitable undertaking in Colombo which US Aid has helped substantially and over many years. And all this aid has come with absolutely no strings attached.
We do not have to be naive but we also need to be free of unfounded suspicion , to be open minded and be able to accept graciously the assistance given. It is useful to realise that the virtues which we like to think we have are not our monopoly. If we can be charitable and give without hidden agendas or ulterior motives, so can others
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:44 am
Dearest Cassandra
Your choice of cyber name is particularly appropriate for the discussion on the topic of ‘conspiracies’. (I presume you are aware of Cassandra’s powers to know about the future etc). But it is as transparent as the sarong you wearing, you are a ‘man’, but let’s ignore that fact.
You see Cas, (if I may call you that) conspirators always brand those who can see through their plots ‘paranoid’, but have you ever heard any of them talking about the possible mental state of people like Dick Chaney, Douglas Rumsfeld, George W Bush or Bill Clinton? These are the really sick people!
So cas, I need to go to bed now and let’s take up this conversation at some other time,
Your place or mine?.
Kisses
Ajit
March 5th, 2010 at 12:00 am
I don’t see that my gender and whether I wear a sarong have anything to do with this discussion. Your recourse to irrelevancies is plainly disappointing as is the feeble attempt at frivolity reflected in your concluding remarks.