"Intelligence and Power: You presidents keep demanding of intelligence agencies what they can seldom produce—the innermost thoughts of foreign leaders and the status of concealed weapons programs. You rarely ask the spies for what they do best and what you need most—an understanding of foreign societies and their politics."Economic Power: American leaders often mistakenly try to treat economic power as if it were military power—as just another instrument of pressure. This demonstrates that the United States—unlike China and many other states—still lacks a good handle on economic power…China’s leaders employ their economic power unthreatening and carefully…Beijing’s diplomats seldom demand explicit foreign policy quids in return for quos like aid, investment, and trade; they just try to drive a good economic bargain—economic value for economic value. " (Leslie H. Gelb 2009)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2009
________________________________________________________________
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, State Department
Ambassador Johnnie Carson is currently the National Intelligence Officer for Africa on the National Intelligence Council. He joined the NIC in September 2006 after a 37-year career in the Foreign Service. Prior to this appointment, Carson served as the Senior Vice President of the National Defense University in Washington D.C. (2003-2006). Carson's Foreign Service career includes ambassadorships to Kenya (1999-2003), Zimbabwe (1995-1997), and Uganda (1991-1994); and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs (1997-1999).
Earlier in his career he had assignments in Portugal, Botswana, Mozambique, and Nigeria. He has also served as desk officer in the Africa section at State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research; Staff Officer for the Secretary of State (1978-1979), and Staff Director for the Africa Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives (1979-1982). Before joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Carson was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Drake University and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the School of Oriental and Africa Studies at the University of London.
Ambassador Carson is the recipient of several Superior Honor Awards from the Department of State and a Meritorious Service Award from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The Centers for Disease Control presented Ambassador Carson its highest award, "Champion of Prevention Award," for his leadership in directing the US Government's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Kenya.
(End of Press Release)
February 16, 1995 a United States Information Agency press release reported the following on Ambassador Johnnie Carson; a hopeful sign for Africa?
TITLE: U.S. DIPLOMAT LAUDS ZIMBABWE'S CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE AS PEACEMAKER (02/16/95)
U.S. Diplomat Lauds Zimbabwe's Constructive Role as Peacemaker
(FR) (Johnnie Carson senate nomination hearing) (580)
WASHINGTON -- Zimbabwe is one "of the success stories" of southern Africa, and it has played "a constructive role in trying to peacefully resolve some of Africa's most contentious political crises," says Ambassador-designate Johnnie Carson.
In remarks prepared for delivery at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on Africa on February 16, Carson added that Zimbabwe has actively supported U.N. peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, Angola, and Rwanda, "and has agreed to contribute a battalion of troops to a new U.N. force in Angola."
But equally important, the career U.S. diplomat told lawmakers, Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe "has played a direct, thoughtful, and constructive role in mediating the recent political crisis in Lesotho and in helping to resolve political differences between the leaders of Renamo and Frelimo in Mozambique." Mugabe's talks with Mozambique's leaders, he pointed out, "helped to ensure the timely and successful completion of the national elections that took place in that country in late 1994."
Carson, who completed a three-year tour as ambassador to Uganda last September, noted that Zimbabwe "had a positive influence on recent developments" in neighboring South Africa, and that its "strong and effective roles" in regional affairs "have contributed to the excellent bilateral relations that exist between the United States and Zimbabwe."
In support of its own and Zimbabwe's economic development goals, he said the United States has established an active bilateral assistance program, a "small, but dynamic" Peace Corps presence, and a Fulbright educational exchange program in Zimbabwe "that is the largest in sub-Saharan Africa."
"We also are working closely with Zimbabwe in regional and international fora to consolidate the political, economic, and democratic gains that have been achieved throughout southern Africa," he said.
Carson said that he is "genuinely optimistic about the prospects" of strengthening ties between the United States and Zimbabwe.
During a 26-year diplomatic career and as a Peace Corps volunteer, Carson said, he has lived and worked "in half a dozen countries in east, west, and southern Africa."
Before becoming U.S. ambassador to Uganda in 1991, Carson served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana (1986-90), and as deputy political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal (1982-86).
He was staff director of the Subcommittee on Africa in the House of Representatives (1979-82), a member of the secretariat staff in the Office of the Secretary of State (1978-79), and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique (1975-78).
From 1974 to 1975, Carson studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies and at the London School of Economics. His earlier assignments included serving as a political officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (1973), as a political analyst in the bureau of intelligence and 1esearch at the State Department (1971-74), and as a consular and political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria (1969-71). Before entering the Foreign Service, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania from 1965 to 1968.
Carson received his bachelor's degree from Duke University (1965), and his master's degree from the University of London (1975). Born in Chicago in 1943, Carson is married to the former Anne Diemer of Northbrook, Illinois. They are the parents of three children.
If nominated Ambassadors Carson’s experience as an intelligence procurer will serve the Obama Administration and the African Union well if his intelligence data has been processed into business intelligence information beneficial for African agriculture, technology, education, industrial and venture capital improvement.
