State Department ‘must protect’ diplomats — and didn’t By John Price and The Washington Times, Monday, May 13, 2013 ANALYSIS/OPINION: Always unarmed, ambassadors often are protected only by the goodwill of the countries in which they serve. But when hostilities arise, when governments fall, when their very lives are threatened, ambassadors and their staffs can rely only […]
Read MoreBlog
Embassy Row: Former ambassador says Benghazi debacle will hurt ability to recruit diplomats
The Washington Times By James Morrison, Thursday, May 9, 2013 A former U.S. ambassador with extensive knowledge of terrorist operations in North Africa warned Thursday that the Benghazi debacle will hurt the State Department’s ability to recruit diplomats for dangerous duty if they fear Washington will ignore their concerns about security. “It is dereliction, incompetence, […]
Read MoreAncient art in Somaliland in diplomatic limbo
Country’s unique status prohibits U.N. heritage protection for its caves The Washington Times ANALYSIS/OPINION By John Price, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 HARGEISA, Somaliland — The world’s most famous prehistoric art is in caverns in Europe, but the most recently discovered ancient cave paintings are in a country no other nation recognizes in a region of […]
Read MoreU.S. terrorist threat growing with new breed of jihadists
The Washington Times ANALYSIS/OPINION By John Price, Tuesday April 23, 2013 The influence of radical Islam is on the rise around the world — and in the United States. Mosques and Islamic schools called madrassas increasingly are teaching extreme, fundamentalist interpretations of the religion that presumably inspired the Chechen-born suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings. […]
Read MoreMali elections may be in trouble, if French troops leave
The Washington Times Mali elections may be in trouble, if French troops leave By John Price, Sunday April 21, 2013 Analysis/Opinion: In January, French President Francois Hollande responded to interim Malian President Dioncounda Traore’s urgent request for military help to keep Islamists from advancing to the capital, Bamako. Since then, the coalition of French and […]
Read MoreEducation in Somalia essential to promoting peace
The Washington Times Education in Somalia essential to promoting peace By John Price, Tuesday, April 16, 2013 ANALYSIS/OPINION: Nearly taken for granted by the West, education is a noble struggle in Somalia, requiring generous contributions from citizens and foreign donors to help ensure a future of stability and prosperity for Somali children. Devastated by drought, […]
Read MoreSanctions on Somalia will stifle growth, affect stability
By John Price – SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES The Washington Times Wednesday, April 10, 2013 ANALYSIS/OPINION President Obama’s plan to renew sanctions against Somalia to weaken Islamist militants would wrack the war-torn country’s economy just as an elected government is restoring stability for the first time in 22 years and as thousands of refugees […]
Read MoreSomalia: The Price Family Foundation Sponsors Education
Somali And American Fund For Education Somali And American Fund For Education’s Director Hodan Guled and Former U.S. Ambassador John Price visited the town of Faraweyne, Somalia on March 27, 2013. A total of 340 families live in this town, and until last year, the children in this community only had access to one primary school with two […]
Read MoreMali’s elections are paramount for peace and stability
By John Price – Special to The Washington Times April 5, 2013 ANALYSIS/OPINION: Mali’s upcoming July elections will be a defining moment — to unify the country, re-establish democratic institutions and restore the West African country’s territorial integrity. On Saturday, President Dioncounda Traore took the first step in the election process by announcing the formation […]
Read MoreTimbuktu attacked again this weekend by Islamists
ANALYSIS: Timbuktu has come under attack by Islamic militants again. Last month, I met with then-French Ambassador to Mali Christian Rouyer, who told me that “French troops will stay [in Mali] until the job is finished.” But French President Francois Hollande stated Thursday that French troops in Mali would be reduced from 4,000 to 2,000 […]
Read MoreTerror in Timbuktu: A trip through the heart of Mali
Terror in Timbuktu: A trip through the heart of Mali By John Price – Special to The Washington Times Tuesday, March 26, 2013 I have been writing about Mali since before the military coup last March. My friend Yeah Samake, the mayor of Ouelessebougou, was running for president until the coup destabilized the country and the […]
Read MoreU.S. assistance can head off extremists in Mali
The Washington Times U.S. assistance can head off extremists in Mali ANALYSIS/OPINION By John Price, Thursday, February 21, 2013 SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES A U.S. congressional delegation on Monday made a one-day visit to the Malian capital of Bamako. Headed by Sen. Christopher A. Coons, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, […]
Read More