csmonitor--2020-04-06--In the United Kingdom, a monarch's message of hope

Britain needed a message of hope Sunday .
The queen delivered it .
Queen Elizabeth II offered support to a country locked down in the coronavirus pandemic , promising the nation that it would rise to the challenge and overcome the outbreak .
In a rare address to the nation , the 93-year-old monarch acknowledged the suffering that many families have experienced because of the COVID-19 crisis , which has infected more than 47,806 people in the United Kingdom , and killed at least 4,934 of them .
She drew upon wisdom from her decades as Britain ’ s head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of crisis .
`` While we have faced challenges before , this one is different , '' she said .
`` This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor , using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal .
“ We will succeed – and that success will belong to every one of us.
” Her remarks were broadcast only moments before Prime Minister Boris Johnson 's Downing Street office announced he had been admitted to the hospital for `` precautionary tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unease in Britain , which has been in lockdown for nearly two weeks .
The queen gives yearly Christmas messages but has given an address like this on only three previous occasions .
She delivered speeches after the Queen Mother ’ s death in 2002 , before the funeral of Diana , Princess of Wales in 1997 , and at the time of the first Gulf War in 1991 .
But times are unprecedented .
She lauded Britain ’ s beloved National Health Service in a broadcast that featured pictures of medical teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She praised other essential services , as images of soldiers loading medical equipment on trucks rolled on the screen .
She also praised everyday citizens who are adhering to the terms of the lockdown and staying at home and helping to prevent the spread of the virus .
`` I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times , '' the queen said .
`` I also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are staying at home , thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones .
`` Together we are tackling this disease , and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute , then we will overcome it . ''
The leader who spends much of her time cutting ribbons and visiting charitable organizations , also made the point of mentioning the general public , such as the 750,000 people who volunteered to help the vulnerable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge , '' she said .
`` Those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any .
`` That the attributes of self-discipline , of quiet , good-humored resolve , and of fellow feeling still characterize this country . ''
The crisis has hit close to home for the queen .
Her son and the heir to the throne , Prince Charles , had a mild case of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epicenter of Britain ’ s outbreak , and took up residence at her home in Windsor with her husband , the Duke of Edinburgh .
Both the monarch and her husband are among those over 70 whom the British government have advised to stay home for 12 weeks .
Many in the U.K. have compared the pandemic to World War II , suggesting the effort needed to overcome COVID-19 would be similar .
The queen herself suggested a parallel , and reminded the nation that other crises have served to strain family ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very first broadcast I made , in 1940 , helped by my sister .
We , as children , spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety , '' she said .
`` Today , once again , many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones .
But now , as then , we know , deep down , that it is the right thing to do . ''
The address was recorded in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location was chosen specifically because it allowed enough space between the monarch and the camera person , who wore personal protective equipment .
Leadership expert James O ’ Rourke from the University of Notre Dame said that the monarch ’ s remarks couldn ’ t have come a moment too soon .
With Mr. Johnson ill with the virus himself , the queen offers a message of continuity to a country in lockdown .
`` Britons have not faced such grim circumstances since the darkest days of World War II , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1940 , '' he said .
`` Now , more than ever , the people of the U.K. must have someone to rely upon , someone whose word they can trust . ''
The queen invoked the words of a World War II-era song `` We 'll Meet Again '' by Vera Lynn that offered hope to many a soldier sent to fight , promising that loved ones would be reunited in the end .
The parallel was unmistakable : It ca n't last forever .
`` We should take comfort that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endure , better days will return , '' she said .
`` We will be with our friends again ; we will be with our families again ; we will meet again . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Britain needed a message of hope Sunday. The queen delivered it.
Queen Elizabeth II offered support to a country locked down in the coronavirus pandemic, promising the nation that it would rise to the challenge and overcome the outbreak.
In a rare address to the nation, the 93-year-old monarch acknowledged the suffering that many families have experienced because of the COVID-19 crisis, which has infected more than 47,806 people in the United Kingdom, and killed at least 4,934 of them. She drew upon wisdom from her decades as Britain’s head of state to urge resolve in a time of crisis.
"While we have faced challenges before, this one is different," she said. "This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal.
“We will succeed – and that success will belong to every one of us.”
Her remarks were broadcast only moments before Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Downing Street office announced he had been admitted to the hospital for "precautionary tests.'' The news will add to unease in Britain, which has been in lockdown for nearly two weeks.
The queen gives yearly Christmas messages but has given an address like this on only three previous occasions. She delivered speeches after the Queen Mother’s death in 2002, before the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, and at the time of the first Gulf War in 1991.
But times are unprecedented. She lauded Britain’s beloved National Health Service in a broadcast that featured pictures of medical teams suiting up to go battle the virus. She praised other essential services, as images of soldiers loading medical equipment on trucks rolled on the screen. She also praised everyday citizens who are adhering to the terms of the lockdown and staying at home and helping to prevent the spread of the virus.
"I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times," the queen said. "I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones.
"Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it."
The leader who spends much of her time cutting ribbons and visiting charitable organizations, also made the point of mentioning the general public, such as the 750,000 people who volunteered to help the vulnerable.
"I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge," she said. "Those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.
"That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet, good-humored resolve, and of fellow feeling still characterize this country."
The crisis has hit close to home for the queen. Her son and the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, had a mild case of the disease. She herself left London, the epicenter of Britain’s outbreak, and took up residence at her home in Windsor with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Both the monarch and her husband are among those over 70 whom the British government have advised to stay home for 12 weeks.
Many in the U.K. have compared the pandemic to World War II, suggesting the effort needed to overcome COVID-19 would be similar. The queen herself suggested a parallel, and reminded the nation that other crises have served to strain family ties.
"It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety," she said. "Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones. But now, as then, we know, deep down, that it is the right thing to do."
The address was recorded in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. The location was chosen specifically because it allowed enough space between the monarch and the camera person, who wore personal protective equipment.
Leadership expert James O’Rourke from the University of Notre Dame said that the monarch’s remarks couldn’t have come a moment too soon. With Mr. Johnson ill with the virus himself, the queen offers a message of continuity to a country in lockdown.
"Britons have not faced such grim circumstances since the darkest days of World War II, with the Blitz and the mass evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940," he said. "Now, more than ever, the people of the U.K. must have someone to rely upon, someone whose word they can trust."
The queen invoked the words of a World War II-era song "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn that offered hope to many a soldier sent to fight, promising that loved ones would be reunited in the end. The parallel was unmistakable: It can't last forever.
"We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return," she said. "We will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again."
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-04-13--Apollo 13 turns 50: The space mission that gripped the world

Apollo 13 's astronauts never gave a thought to their mission number as they blasted off for the moon 50 years ago .
Even when their oxygen tank ruptured two days later – on April 13 .
Jim Lovell and Fred Haise insist they 're not superstitious .
They even use 13 in their email addresses .
As mission commander Mr. Lovell sees it , he 's incredibly lucky .
Not only did he survive NASA 's most harrowing moonshot , he 's around to mark its golden anniversary .
`` I 'm still alive .
As long as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Mr. Lovell , 92 , said in an interview with The Associated Press from his Lake Forest , Illinois , home .
A half-century later , Apollo 13 is still considered Mission Control 's finest hour .
Mr. Haise , like so many others , regards it as NASA 's most successful failure .
`` It was a great mission , '' Mr. Haise , 86 , said .
It showed `` what can be done if people use their minds and a little ingenuity . ''
As the lunar module @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sixth man to walk on the moon , following Mr. Lovell onto the dusty gray surface .
The oxygen tank explosion robbed them of the moon landing , which would have been NASA 's third , nine months after Apollo 11 's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took humanity 's first footsteps on the moon .
Now the coronavirus pandemic has robbed them of their anniversary celebrations .
Festivities are on hold , including at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida , where the mission began on April 11 , 1970 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That wo n't stop Mr. Haise , who still lives in Houston , from marking what he calls `` boom day '' next Monday , as he does every April 13 .
Mr. Lovell , Mr. Haise , and Jack Swigert , a last-minute fill-in who died in 1982 , were almost to the moon when they heard a bang and felt a shudder .
One of two oxygen tanks had burst in the spacecraft 's service module .
The tense words that followed are the stuff of space – and movie – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've had a problem here , '' radioed Mr. Swigert , the command module pilot .
`` This is Houston .
Say again , please . ''
Mr. Lovell reported a sudden voltage drop in one of the two main electrical circuits .
Within seconds , Houston 's Mission Control saw pressure readings for the damaged oxygen tank plunge to zero .
The blast also knocked out two electrical power-generating fuel cells and damaged the third .
As Mr. Lovell peered out the window and saw oxygen escaping into the black void @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also slipping away .
He shoved all emotions aside .
`` Not landing on the moon or dying in space are two different things , '' Mr. Lovell explained , `` and so we forgot about landing on the moon .
This was one of survival .
How do we get home ? ''
The astronauts were 200,000 miles from Earth .
Getting back alive would require calm , skill , and , yes , luck .
`` The explosion could not have happened at a better time , '' Mr. Lovell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the astronauts would n't have had enough electrical power to make it around the moon and slingshot back to Earth for a splashdown .
A blast in lunar orbit or , worse still , while Mr. Lovell and Mr. Haise were on the surface , `` that would be the end of it . ''
`` I think we had some divine help in this flight , '' Mr. Lovell said .
The aborted mission went from being so humdrum that none of the major TV networks broadcast the astronauts ' show-and-tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life-and-death drama gripping the entire world .
As flight director Gene Kranz and his team in Houston raced to come up with a rescue plan , the astronauts kept their cool .
It was Mr. Lovell 's fourth spaceflight – his second to the moon – and the first and only one for Mr. Haise and Mr. Swigert .
Dark thoughts `` always raced through our minds , but silently .
We did n't talk about that , '' Mr. Lovell said .
Added Mr. Haise : `` We never hit the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , no , we never got to a point where we said , 'Well , we 're going to die . '
'' The White House , less confident , demanded odds .
Mr. Kranz refused , leaving it to others to put the crew 's chances at 50-50 .
In his mind , there was no doubt , no room for failure – only success .
`` Basically that was the name of the game : I 'm going to get them home .
My team 's going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , '' Mr. Kranz recalled .
For the record , Mr. Kranz never uttered `` failure is not an option . ''
The line is pure Hollywood , created for the 1995 movie `` Apollo 13 '' starring Ed Harris as Mr. Kranz and Tom Hanks as Mr. Lovell .
The flight controllers went into crisis mode .
They immediately ordered the command module Odyssey shut down to conserve what little power remained , and the astronauts to move into the lunar module Aquarius , now a lifeboat .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was realizing they 'd be cramped together in the lander .
`` It was designed for two people for two days .
We were three people for four days . ''
The carbon dioxide overload , from breathing , threatened to kill them .
Engineers scrambled to figure out how to convert the square air-purifying canisters in the dead capsule into round ones that would fit in their temporary home .
Their outside-the-box , seat-of-the-pants solution , using spacecraft scraps , worked .
But it was so damp and cold that the astronauts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walls and windows , and the temperature was close to freezing .
Dehydrated and feverish , Mr. Haise had the roughest time during the six-day ordeal .
Despite the sky-high stress , Mr. Haise recalls no cross words among the three test pilots .
Even Mr. Swigert fit in , despite joining the crew a scant three days before liftoff .
He replaced command module pilot Ken Mattingly , who with his crewmates had been exposed to German measles , but unlike them did n't have immunity .
Rumors swirled that the astronauts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a hopeless situation .
Mr. Lovell dispelled that notion on page one of his 1994 autobiography , `` Lost Moon , '' the basis for the `` Apollo 13 '' film .
The astronauts managed to power up their command module , avoiding short circuits but creating a rainfall inside as the spacecraft decelerated in the atmosphere .
The communication blackout lasted 1 1/2 minutes longer than normal .
Controllers grew alarmed .
Finally , three billowing parachutes appeared above the Pacific .
It was only then , Mr. Lovell said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it . ''
The astronauts had no idea how much their cosmic cliffhanger impacted the world until they reached Honolulu .
President Richard Nixon was there to greet them .
`` We never dreamed a billion people were following us on television and radio , and reading about us in banner headlines of every newspaper published , '' Mr. Lovell noted in a NASA history .
The tank explosion later was linked to damage caused by electrical overheating in ground tests .
Apollo 13 `` showed teamwork , camaraderie , and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Columbia University 's Mike Massimino , a former shuttle astronaut .
In the decades since , Mr. Lovell and his wife , Marilyn , of nearly 68 years have discussed the what-ifs and might-have-beens .
`` The outcome of everything is , naturally , that he 's alive , '' she said , `` and that we 've had all these years . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Apollo 13's astronauts never gave a thought to their mission number as they blasted off for the moon 50 years ago. Even when their oxygen tank ruptured two days later – on April 13.
Jim Lovell and Fred Haise insist they're not superstitious. They even use 13 in their email addresses.
As mission commander Mr. Lovell sees it, he's incredibly lucky. Not only did he survive NASA's most harrowing moonshot, he's around to mark its golden anniversary.
"I'm still alive. As long as I can keep breathing, I'm good," Mr. Lovell, 92, said in an interview with The Associated Press from his Lake Forest, Illinois, home.
A half-century later, Apollo 13 is still considered Mission Control's finest hour.
Mr. Lovell calls it "a miraculous recovery."
Mr. Haise, like so many others, regards it as NASA's most successful failure.
"It was a great mission," Mr. Haise, 86, said. It showed "what can be done if people use their minds and a little ingenuity."
As the lunar module pilot, Mr. Haise would have become the sixth man to walk on the moon, following Mr. Lovell onto the dusty gray surface. The oxygen tank explosion robbed them of the moon landing, which would have been NASA's third, nine months after Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took humanity's first footsteps on the moon.
Now the coronavirus pandemic has robbed them of their anniversary celebrations. Festivities are on hold, including at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the mission began on April 11, 1970, a Saturday just like this year.
That won't stop Mr. Haise, who still lives in Houston, from marking what he calls "boom day" next Monday, as he does every April 13.
Mr. Lovell, Mr. Haise, and Jack Swigert, a last-minute fill-in who died in 1982, were almost to the moon when they heard a bang and felt a shudder. One of two oxygen tanks had burst in the spacecraft's service module.
The tense words that followed are the stuff of space – and movie – fame.
"OK, Houston, we've had a problem here," radioed Mr. Swigert, the command module pilot.
"This is Houston. Say again, please."
"Houston, we've had a problem," Mr. Lovell cut in.
Mr. Lovell reported a sudden voltage drop in one of the two main electrical circuits. Within seconds, Houston's Mission Control saw pressure readings for the damaged oxygen tank plunge to zero. The blast also knocked out two electrical power-generating fuel cells and damaged the third.
As Mr. Lovell peered out the window and saw oxygen escaping into the black void, he knew his moon landing was also slipping away. He shoved all emotions aside.
"Not landing on the moon or dying in space are two different things," Mr. Lovell explained, "and so we forgot about landing on the moon. This was one of survival. How do we get home?"
The astronauts were 200,000 miles from Earth. Getting back alive would require calm, skill, and, yes, luck.
"The explosion could not have happened at a better time," Mr. Lovell said.
Much earlier, he said, and the astronauts wouldn't have had enough electrical power to make it around the moon and slingshot back to Earth for a splashdown. A blast in lunar orbit or, worse still, while Mr. Lovell and Mr. Haise were on the surface, "that would be the end of it."
"I think we had some divine help in this flight," Mr. Lovell said.
The aborted mission went from being so humdrum that none of the major TV networks broadcast the astronauts' show-and-tell minutes before the explosion, to a life-and-death drama gripping the entire world.
As flight director Gene Kranz and his team in Houston raced to come up with a rescue plan, the astronauts kept their cool. It was Mr. Lovell's fourth spaceflight – his second to the moon – and the first and only one for Mr. Haise and Mr. Swigert.
Dark thoughts "always raced through our minds, but silently. We didn't talk about that," Mr. Lovell said.
Added Mr. Haise: "We never hit the point where there was nothing left to do. So, no, we never got to a point where we said, 'Well, we're going to die.'"
The White House, less confident, demanded odds. Mr. Kranz refused, leaving it to others to put the crew's chances at 50-50. In his mind, there was no doubt, no room for failure – only success.
"Basically that was the name of the game: I'm going to get them home. My team's going to get them home. We will get them home," Mr. Kranz recalled.
For the record, Mr. Kranz never uttered "failure is not an option." The line is pure Hollywood, created for the 1995 movie "Apollo 13" starring Ed Harris as Mr. Kranz and Tom Hanks as Mr. Lovell.
The flight controllers went into crisis mode. They immediately ordered the command module Odyssey shut down to conserve what little power remained, and the astronauts to move into the lunar module Aquarius, now a lifeboat.
One of the low points, Mr. Lovell said, was realizing they'd be cramped together in the lander.
"It was designed for two people for two days. We were three people for four days."
The carbon dioxide overload, from breathing, threatened to kill them.
Engineers scrambled to figure out how to convert the square air-purifying canisters in the dead capsule into round ones that would fit in their temporary home.
Their outside-the-box, seat-of-the-pants solution, using spacecraft scraps, worked. But it was so damp and cold that the astronauts couldn't sleep. Condensation covered the walls and windows, and the temperature was close to freezing.
Dehydrated and feverish, Mr. Haise had the roughest time during the six-day ordeal. Despite the sky-high stress, Mr. Haise recalls no cross words among the three test pilots. Even Mr. Swigert fit in, despite joining the crew a scant three days before liftoff. He replaced command module pilot Ken Mattingly, who with his crewmates had been exposed to German measles, but unlike them didn't have immunity.
Rumors swirled that the astronauts had poison pills tucked away in case of a hopeless situation. Mr. Lovell dispelled that notion on page one of his 1994 autobiography, "Lost Moon," the basis for the "Apollo 13" film.
Splashdown day finally arrived April 17, 1970 – with no guarantees.
The astronauts managed to power up their command module, avoiding short circuits but creating a rainfall inside as the spacecraft decelerated in the atmosphere.
The communication blackout lasted 1 1/2 minutes longer than normal. Controllers grew alarmed. Finally, three billowing parachutes appeared above the Pacific. It was only then, Mr. Lovell said, that "we knew that we had made it."
The astronauts had no idea how much their cosmic cliffhanger impacted the world until they reached Honolulu. President Richard Nixon was there to greet them.
"We never dreamed a billion people were following us on television and radio, and reading about us in banner headlines of every newspaper published," Mr. Lovell noted in a NASA history.
The tank explosion later was linked to damage caused by electrical overheating in ground tests.
Apollo 13 "showed teamwork, camaraderie, and what NASA was really made of," said Columbia University's Mike Massimino, a former shuttle astronaut.
In the decades since, Mr. Lovell and his wife, Marilyn, of nearly 68 years have discussed the what-ifs and might-have-beens.
"The outcome of everything is, naturally, that he's alive," she said, "and that we've had all these years."
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-04-06--Their past was a nightmare. For many refugees, the Dream Center offers hope.

The goal , says Ms. Jallow , is that one day , their clients stop needing them .
“ I want to see them move forward.
” Maybe someone needs a ride to the hospital , they can ’ t pay their electric bill , or their child is being bullied at school .
The Dream Center ’ s approach mixes compassion with pragmatism : They ’ ll give them a ride , provide some cash , set up a meeting with the guidance counselor .
Three years after his arrival , Mr. Bah ’ s wife , Teddi Jallow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couple understand how long it takes to rebuild a life from scratch .
That ’ s why , in 2015 , they founded the Refugee Dream Center .
The U.S. offers refugees 90 days of government assistance after arrival .
Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow aim to fill the gaps .
As a political journalist , Omar Bah was often at odds with Gambia ’ s authoritarian regime .
He says he was nearly beaten to death by security forces on a reporting trip .
After it discovered he was publishing stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a warrant for his arrest .
Mr. Bah barely escaped Gambia in 2007 , eventually landing in Providence , Rhode Island .
He struggled initially , but his loneliness began to subside as he met refugees from other countries .
Teddi Jallow ’ s clients often call her “ mama , ” or “ Mama Dream.
” Or sometimes just “ sister.
” In many ways , she and her husband , Omar Bah , are like family to the 300 refugees they serve at the Refugee Dream Center in Providence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the center provides case management services to people who have fled violence or persecution , and runs programs that focus on health , youth mentoring , and adult education .
But the couple also want to make sure Rhode Island refugees have a place to turn when they run into trouble .
Maybe they need a ride to the hospital , they can ’ t pay their electric bill , or their child is being bullied at school .
The Dream Center ’ s approach mixes compassion with pragmatism : It will give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , set up a meeting with the guidance counselor .
“ We try to fix the problem , ” says Ms. Jallow .
“ We always talk about problems , but how do we fix it ?
” Mr. Bah escaped Gambia in 2007 , and Ms. Jallow joined him in Providence three years later .
As refugees themselves , Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow understand how long it takes to rebuild a life from scratch .
In the United States , the government promises 90 days of assistance after arrival .
Refugees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that varies depending on the person ’ s location and individual circumstances .
The process is geared toward rapid self-sufficiency .
Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow aim to fill the gaps , offering not only immediate problem-solving but also long-term support so refugees can thrive in the U.S. , even as fewer and fewer are being accepted .
It ’ s like having an aunt or uncle in your new neighborhood – an anchor .
“ The government gets refugees set up , the refugee resettlement agency is responsible for helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then refugees are enrolled in some sort of public benefits system , but that ’ s all time sensitive , ” says Danielle Grigsby , interim director of Refugee Council USA , a national coalition of refugee advocates .
“ And while that ticks boxes – like rent , housing , job , school – we all know that life is so much more than that.
” What it means to be a refugee In Gambia , Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow only had two months together as newlyweds before Mr. Bah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political journalist , he was often at odds with the country ’ s authoritarian regime .
He says he was nearly beaten to death by security forces on a reporting trip and lost his popular newspaper column during an editor turnover .
When the government discovered he ’ d continued publishing stories online under a pseudonym , it issued a warrant for his arrest .
“ I had a dictator who had a price over my head , literally announced my name and picture over the TV , ” he says .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After a year in limbo , he was placed in Providence .
Mr. Bah was the only refugee from Gambia in the city when he arrived , and he was afraid to interact with Gambian Americans due to his wanted status .
But his loneliness began to subside as he met refugees from other countries .
His English and computer skills meant he could help file paperwork and advocate for better housing .
“ That ’ s how I built my community , ” says Mr. Bah .
“ That became my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 2,000 refugees have been placed in Rhode Island , including Ms. Jallow , who arrived in 2010 .
Mr. Bah noticed that even one or two years after their arrival , refugees were failing to integrate – they were still struggling with English , overwhelmed by bills , feeling isolated .
That ’ s why the couple founded the Dream Center , a nonprofit that could serve the needs of Rhode Island ’ s refugees after the government aid period ended .
Mr. Bah deals with most of the outward-facing business , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and educating the public about refugees .
Ms. Jallow focuses on the clients .
She works closely with Isabel Kayembe , the center ’ s case manager and a refugee from Angola , to make sure clients get the assistance they need .
Together , they speak nine languages .
Even amid the current health crisis , the Dream Center has continued looking out for its clients , with staff members making daily rounds to deliver food and household supplies and provide translation services .
Although temporarily closed to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is typically packed .
Staff and visitors step around boxes of donated coats , while volunteers conduct English as a second language classes in an adjacent room .
As Mr. Bah returns from a meeting , Ms. Jallow and Ms. Kayembe are piling into a minivan , off to pick up Astou Lo , who came to the U.S. 10 years ago after fleeing ethnic violence in Mauritania .
Recently , Ms .
Lo noticed her daughter ’ s grades were slipping , and she relied on the Dream Center to obtain an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter to a better school .
During a meeting to finalize the switch , Ms. Jallow came prepared with questions and translated while Ms. Kayembe took notes .
Ms .
Lo left the building with the counselor ’ s contact information , a Monday morning game plan , and a sense of relief .
She ’ s known Ms. Jallow and Mr. Bah since she arrived in the U.S. , but she was especially happy to have them in her corner that day .
“ I ’ m so grateful I have someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the help of a Dream Center interpreter .
“ I could not do this alone.
” Laurent Tumba has been coming to the Dream Center for more than two years after escaping conflict in Congo .
He ’ s worked with several resettlement agencies , but nothing beats Ms. Jallow and Mr. Bah for immediate assistance .
“ [ Other groups ] help , but they help on their own time , ” he says through an interpreter .
“ It ’ s not like here.
” But even the Dream Center has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Tumba , are waiting for relatives to join them in the U.S .
But since the Trump administration halved refugee admissions in 2019 , reunification has slowed to a crawl .
“ They are not coming .
There ’ s nothing we can tell them , ” says Ms. Jallow .
Combined with travel bans targeting African countries that clients may pass through on their way to the U.S. , Ms. Jallow says the government has effectively stopped the flow of refugees into the U.S .
In the meantime , the Dream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its clients .
Ms. Jallow hopes that one day , they stop needing the center .
“ I want to see them move forward , ” she says , “ get jobs , know English , be able to do things for themselves .
”

The goal, says Ms. Jallow, is that one day, their clients stop needing them. “I want to see them move forward.”
Maybe someone needs a ride to the hospital, they can’t pay their electric bill, or their child is being bullied at school. The Dream Center’s approach mixes compassion with pragmatism: They’ll give them a ride, provide some cash, set up a meeting with the guidance counselor.
After the standard 90 days of federal assistance ends, many refugees in the U.S. are still finding their footing. Founded by refugees, the Dream Center offers support and compassion – and for many, a sense of family.
Three years after his arrival, Mr. Bah’s wife, Teddi Jallow joined him. As refugees themselves, the couple understand how long it takes to rebuild a life from scratch. That’s why, in 2015, they founded the Refugee Dream Center. The U.S. offers refugees 90 days of government assistance after arrival. Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow aim to fill the gaps.
As a political journalist, Omar Bah was often at odds with Gambia’s authoritarian regime. He says he was nearly beaten to death by security forces on a reporting trip. After it discovered he was publishing stories online under a pseudonym, the government issued a warrant for his arrest. Mr. Bah barely escaped Gambia in 2007, eventually landing in Providence, Rhode Island. He struggled initially, but his loneliness began to subside as he met refugees from other countries.
Teddi Jallow’s clients often call her “mama,” or “Mama Dream.” Or sometimes just “sister.”
In many ways, she and her husband, Omar Bah, are like family to the 300 refugees they serve at the Refugee Dream Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Founded in 2015, the center provides case management services to people who have fled violence or persecution, and runs programs that focus on health, youth mentoring, and adult education. But the couple also want to make sure Rhode Island refugees have a place to turn when they run into trouble.
Why We Wrote This After the standard 90 days of federal assistance ends, many refugees in the U.S. are still finding their footing. Founded by refugees, the Dream Center offers support and compassion – and for many, a sense of family.
Maybe they need a ride to the hospital, they can’t pay their electric bill, or their child is being bullied at school. The Dream Center’s approach mixes compassion with pragmatism: It will give them a ride, provide some cash, set up a meeting with the guidance counselor.
“We try to fix the problem,” says Ms. Jallow. “We always talk about problems, but how do we fix it?”
Mr. Bah escaped Gambia in 2007, and Ms. Jallow joined him in Providence three years later. As refugees themselves, Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow understand how long it takes to rebuild a life from scratch.
In the United States, the government promises 90 days of assistance after arrival. Refugees can seek further aid from state programs, but that varies depending on the person’s location and individual circumstances. The process is geared toward rapid self-sufficiency.
Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow aim to fill the gaps, offering not only immediate problem-solving but also long-term support so refugees can thrive in the U.S., even as fewer and fewer are being accepted. It’s like having an aunt or uncle in your new neighborhood – an anchor.
“The government gets refugees set up, the refugee resettlement agency is responsible for helping them navigate all of these transitions, and then refugees are enrolled in some sort of public benefits system, but that’s all time sensitive,” says Danielle Grigsby, interim director of Refugee Council USA, a national coalition of refugee advocates. “And while that ticks boxes – like rent, housing, job, school – we all know that life is so much more than that.”
What it means to be a refugee
In Gambia, Mr. Bah and Ms. Jallow only had two months together as newlyweds before Mr. Bah went on the run. As a political journalist, he was often at odds with the country’s authoritarian regime. He says he was nearly beaten to death by security forces on a reporting trip and lost his popular newspaper column during an editor turnover. When the government discovered he’d continued publishing stories online under a pseudonym, it issued a warrant for his arrest.
“I had a dictator who had a price over my head, literally announced my name and picture over the TV,” he says. Mr. Bah barely made it to Ghana alive.
After a year in limbo, he was placed in Providence. Mr. Bah was the only refugee from Gambia in the city when he arrived, and he was afraid to interact with Gambian Americans due to his wanted status.
Lindsey McGinnis/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Isabel Kayembe (from left), Teddi Jallow, and Astou Lo meet with staff at Nathan Bishop Middle School on February 21, 2020, in Providence, Rhode Island. With the help of the Refugee Dream Center, Ms. Lo's daughter is able to transfer schools.
But his loneliness began to subside as he met refugees from other countries. His English and computer skills meant he could help file paperwork and advocate for better housing.
“That’s how I built my community,” says Mr. Bah. “That became my life.”
Since he arrived, more than 2,000 refugees have been placed in Rhode Island, including Ms. Jallow, who arrived in 2010. Mr. Bah noticed that even one or two years after their arrival, refugees were failing to integrate – they were still struggling with English, overwhelmed by bills, feeling isolated.
That’s why the couple founded the Dream Center, a nonprofit that could serve the needs of Rhode Island’s refugees after the government aid period ended. Mr. Bah deals with most of the outward-facing business, including fundraising, meeting with officials, and educating the public about refugees. Ms. Jallow focuses on the clients.
She works closely with Isabel Kayembe, the center’s case manager and a refugee from Angola, to make sure clients get the assistance they need. Together, they speak nine languages. Even amid the current health crisis, the Dream Center has continued looking out for its clients, with staff members making daily rounds to deliver food and household supplies and provide translation services.
Although temporarily closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, their shared office space is typically packed. Staff and visitors step around boxes of donated coats, while volunteers conduct English as a second language classes in an adjacent room. As Mr. Bah returns from a meeting, Ms. Jallow and Ms. Kayembe are piling into a minivan, off to pick up Astou Lo, who came to the U.S. 10 years ago after fleeing ethnic violence in Mauritania.
Recently, Ms. Lo noticed her daughter’s grades were slipping, and she relied on the Dream Center to obtain an individualized education program and eventually transfer her daughter to a better school. During a meeting to finalize the switch, Ms. Jallow came prepared with questions and translated while Ms. Kayembe took notes. Ms. Lo left the building with the counselor’s contact information, a Monday morning game plan, and a sense of relief. She’s known Ms. Jallow and Mr. Bah since she arrived in the U.S., but she was especially happy to have them in her corner that day.
“I’m so grateful I have someone I trust,” she says with the help of a Dream Center interpreter. “I could not do this alone.”
Family reunions on hold
Laurent Tumba has been coming to the Dream Center for more than two years after escaping conflict in Congo. He’s worked with several resettlement agencies, but nothing beats Ms. Jallow and Mr. Bah for immediate assistance. “[Other groups] help, but they help on their own time,” he says through an interpreter. “It’s not like here.”
But even the Dream Center has its limits.
Many refugees, including Mr. Tumba, are waiting for relatives to join them in the U.S. But since the Trump administration halved refugee admissions in 2019, reunification has slowed to a crawl.
“They are not coming. There’s nothing we can tell them,” says Ms. Jallow.
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Combined with travel bans targeting African countries that clients may pass through on their way to the U.S., Ms. Jallow says the government has effectively stopped the flow of refugees into the U.S. In the meantime, the Dream Center focuses on improving the lives of its clients. Ms. Jallow hopes that one day, they stop needing the center.
“I want to see them move forward,” she says, “get jobs, know English, be able to do things for themselves.”


csmonitor--2020-04-07--Why is this night different? Finding Passover comfort under curfew.

I find comfort in that sentiment now , that we will be free again .
This shall pass , and we will emerge – hopefully changed for the better , wiser , more compassionate for the suffering of others , and aware in ways that only hardship can remind us of how connected and dependent on one another we truly are .
The ceremonial meal marking the beginning of the holiday is a festive song- and food-filled night .
During the meal we are commanded to retell the story of leaving Egypt , so that the next generation should know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from , and that in every generation there is a Promised Land that awaits .
Here in Israel a three-day curfew has just begun .
And at its height – Wednesday night until Thursday morning – people won ’ t be able to roam more than 100 meters from home .
Passover is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the children of Israel ’ s exodus from slavery in Egypt .
It is called the Festival of Freedom , one that this year is being held while most of the planet is under de-facto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have marked the 51st Kraft Family and Friends Seder .
It ’ s still happening – not in person , but over four time zones via Zoom .
If the world had not been upended by the plague of the coronavirus , right about now I ’ d be unfurling embroidered white tablecloths as I set the Passover Seder table at my parents ’ home in Maryland .
I ’ d be enjoying the view of azaleas and daffodils and the sound of my mother giving pointers to my kids rolling matzo balls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two continents , and 6,000 miles away in Tel Aviv , where I live with my husband and two children .
We are preparing for what seems like the unfathomable task of hosting a Seder meal for the first time – and just for the four of us .
Usually we are back in Maryland with extended family and friends .
There are upwards of 40 of us some years , three generations crammed together in joyous mayhem , families who have been celebrating Passover together in the same spot for 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
This year was to have marked the 51st Kraft Family and Friends Seder .
It ’ s still happening in abbreviated form – not in person , but over four time zones via the technology of Zoom .
Passover is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the children of Israel ’ s exodus from slavery in Egypt to new lives as free people .
It is called the Festival of Freedom , one that this year is being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de-facto house arrest .
Here in Israel a three-day curfew has just begun , Tuesday night , that will lift only Friday morning .
There is no public transportation and no travel by car between neighborhoods or towns .
And at its height – Wednesday night until Thursday morning – people won ’ t be able to roam more than 100 meters from home “ for any reason at all.
” The goal is to ensure that people don ’ t break the rules of sheltering at home to join each other for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This year bursting intergenerational tables of family and loved ones could spell a health disaster just as Israel is beginning to – as we can all recite together almost as if in prayer – “ flatten the curve.
” The ceremonial meal marking the beginning of the seven-day holiday is a festive song- and food-filled night .
During the meal we are commanded to retell the story of leaving Egypt , as if we ourselves had made the journey out , so that the next generation should know who they are , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every generation there is a Promised Land that awaits .
I find comfort in that sentiment now , that we will be free again .
This shall pass , and we will emerge – hopefully changed for the better , wiser , more compassionate for the suffering of others , and aware in ways that only hardship can remind us of how connected and dependent on one another we truly are .
Seder in Hebrew means “ order , ” and there is a prescribed order to the ceremony – just after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wine comes the ritual hand-washing , certainly even more meaningful today .
For thousands of years , that act of purification , we are told , has helped keep illness and disease , even plagues at bay .
And I find comfort in this too – in the ordered ceremony and in the wisdom of our ancestors – of some things fixed constant and true when everything else feels so out of order .
Even though our Zoom Seder will stretch from San Francisco Bay to the edge of the Mediterranean , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know so well and give us a sense of continuity and calm .
We will sing the same familiar songs , some whose words will no doubt feel extra poignant : “ Let My People Go , ” and , in the youngest child ’ s singing of “ The Four Questions , ” the hallmark line of : “ What makes this night different from all other nights ?
” And this year , as every year , the outside world will intrude to make us ask ourselves the hard questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also extra meaningful .
So often at large Seders we let others do the leading , the thinking for us .
But having these meals at individual families ’ homes makes each of us more responsible for the meaning we bring to them .
And I hope it prepares us all to bring extra meaning and thought to our lives once we can emerge from our homes and into the wider world again .
Seders are for asking questions , and this seems like one of the most important we should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyday life , how will we go back into the world the better for our time out of it ?
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

I find comfort in that sentiment now, that we will be free again. This shall pass, and we will emerge – hopefully changed for the better, wiser, more compassionate for the suffering of others, and aware in ways that only hardship can remind us of how connected and dependent on one another we truly are.
The ceremonial meal marking the beginning of the holiday is a festive song- and food-filled night. During the meal we are commanded to retell the story of leaving Egypt, so that the next generation should know who they are, where they came from, and that in every generation there is a Promised Land that awaits.
Here in Israel a three-day curfew has just begun. And at its height – Wednesday night until Thursday morning – people won’t be able to roam more than 100 meters from home.
Rituals give comfort. So, often, does order. This year, the Passover Seder may be a smaller affair, but it offers our writer comfort, and a chance to reflect on the world we hope to reenter.
Passover is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the children of Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt. It is called the Festival of Freedom, one that this year is being held while most of the planet is under de-facto house arrest.
This year was to have marked the 51st Kraft Family and Friends Seder. It’s still happening – not in person, but over four time zones via Zoom.
If the world had not been upended by the plague of the coronavirus, right about now I’d be unfurling embroidered white tablecloths as I set the Passover Seder table at my parents’ home in Maryland.
I’d be enjoying the view of azaleas and daffodils and the sound of my mother giving pointers to my kids rolling matzo balls.
Instead I’m an ocean, two continents, and 6,000 miles away in Tel Aviv, where I live with my husband and two children. We are preparing for what seems like the unfathomable task of hosting a Seder meal for the first time – and just for the four of us.
Why We Wrote This Rituals give comfort. So, often, does order. This year, the Passover Seder may be a smaller affair, but it offers our writer comfort, and a chance to reflect on the world we hope to reenter.
Usually we are back in Maryland with extended family and friends. There are upwards of 40 of us some years, three generations crammed together in joyous mayhem, families who have been celebrating Passover together in the same spot for 50 years.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
This year was to have marked the 51st Kraft Family and Friends Seder. It’s still happening in abbreviated form – not in person, but over four time zones via the technology of Zoom.
Passover is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the children of Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt to new lives as free people. It is called the Festival of Freedom, one that this year is being held while most of the planet is under de-facto house arrest.
Here in Israel a three-day curfew has just begun, Tuesday night, that will lift only Friday morning. There is no public transportation and no travel by car between neighborhoods or towns. And at its height – Wednesday night until Thursday morning – people won’t be able to roam more than 100 meters from home “for any reason at all.”
The goal is to ensure that people don’t break the rules of sheltering at home to join each other for the Seder as they traditionally do. This year bursting intergenerational tables of family and loved ones could spell a health disaster just as Israel is beginning to – as we can all recite together almost as if in prayer – “flatten the curve.”
Dan Williams/Reuters View caption Hide caption Three siblings in Mevasseret Zion, near Jerusalem, wave to their their grandmother in Haifa as she joins their Passover Seder via Zoom as Israel takes stringent steps to contain the coronavirus, April 8, 2020
The ceremonial meal marking the beginning of the seven-day holiday is a festive song- and food-filled night. During the meal we are commanded to retell the story of leaving Egypt, as if we ourselves had made the journey out, so that the next generation should know who they are, where they came from, and that in every generation there is a Promised Land that awaits.
I find comfort in that sentiment now, that we will be free again. This shall pass, and we will emerge – hopefully changed for the better, wiser, more compassionate for the suffering of others, and aware in ways that only hardship can remind us of how connected and dependent on one another we truly are.
Seder in Hebrew means “order,” and there is a prescribed order to the ceremony – just after the ceremonial pouring of the first ritual glass of wine comes the ritual hand-washing, certainly even more meaningful today. For thousands of years, that act of purification, we are told, has helped keep illness and disease, even plagues at bay.
And I find comfort in this too – in the ordered ceremony and in the wisdom of our ancestors – of some things fixed constant and true when everything else feels so out of order.
Even though our Zoom Seder will stretch from San Francisco Bay to the edge of the Mediterranean, we will together embark on the rituals we know so well and give us a sense of continuity and calm. We will sing the same familiar songs, some whose words will no doubt feel extra poignant: “Let My People Go,” and, in the youngest child’s singing of “The Four Questions,” the hallmark line of: “What makes this night different from all other nights?”
And this year, as every year, the outside world will intrude to make us ask ourselves the hard questions, this year made extra hard, but also extra meaningful.
So often at large Seders we let others do the leading, the thinking for us. But having these meals at individual families’ homes makes each of us more responsible for the meaning we bring to them. And I hope it prepares us all to bring extra meaning and thought to our lives once we can emerge from our homes and into the wider world again.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Seders are for asking questions, and this seems like one of the most important we should be asking: After our own exodus from everyday life, how will we go back into the world the better for our time out of it?
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-14--Joe Biden's unmasking of Michael Flynn. What is 'unmasking'?

In 2016 , Obama administration officials received intelligence reports that were concerning , but incomplete .
Surveillance of Russia ’ s ambassador to the U.S. revealed he had interacted with an unnamed American who may have been undercutting efforts to pressure Vladimir Putin ’ s government .
Using a common process known as “ unmasking , ” they asked intelligence agencies to reveal the American ’ s name .
It was Michael Flynn , an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump .
The unmasking of Flynn has become Exhibit A in Trump ’ s unsubstantiated claim that he and his aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration “ witch hunt.
” The top intelligence official , Richard Grenell , now has stepped into the unmasking issue , declassifying the names of the Obama administration officials who may have requested the unmasking .
Those names , disclosed Wednesday by two Republican senators , included Trump ’ s Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden .
There is nothing illegal about unmasking and the declassified document states that proper procedures were followed .
While Trump casts unmasking as sinister , his administration has used the process more frequently than Obama ’ s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans ’ names in intelligence briefs : During routine , legal surveillance of foreign targets , names of Americans occasionally come up in conversations .
Foreigners could be talking about a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident by name , or a foreigner could be speaking directly to an American .
When an American 's name is swept up in surveillance of foreigners , it is called “ incidental collection.
” In these cases , the name of the American is masked before the intelligence is distributed to administration officials to avoid invading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a clear intelligence value to knowing the American ’ s name , it is not revealed in the reports .
The intelligence report would refer to the person only as “ U.S .
Person 1 ” or U.S .
Person 2 . ''
If U.S. officials with proper clearance to review the report want to know the identity , they can ask the agency that collected the information – perhaps the FBI , CIA or National Security Agency – to “ unmask ” the name .
Unmasking requests are common , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director and host of “ Intelligence Matters ” podcast .
“ Literally hundreds of times a year across multiple administrations .
In general , senior officials make the requests when necessary to understand the underlying intelligence .
I myself did it several times a month and NSA adjudicates the request .
You can ’ t do your job without it , '' he said .
Mr. Morell emphasized that unmasking is not the same as declassification .
“ When a name is unmasked , the underlying intelligence to include the name remains classified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When would an intelligence agency unmask a name ?
The request is not automatically granted .
The person asking has to have a good reason .
Typically , the reason is that not knowing the name makes it impossible to fully understand the intelligence provided .
The name is released only if the official requesting it has a need to know and the “ identity is necessary to understand foreign intelligence information or assess its importance , ” according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 's latest report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additional approval by a designated NSA official is also required.
” Former NSA Director Mike Rogers has said that only 20 of his employees could approve an unmasking .
The names are shared only with the specific official who asked .
They are not released publicly .
Leaking a name , or any classified information , is illegal .
How often are names unmasked ?
The number of unmasking requests began being released to the public in response to recommendations in 2014 from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between September 2015 and August 2016 , the first period in which numbers are publicly available .
The period was during the latter years of the Obama administration .
The number rose during the Trump administration .
The 9,529 requests in 2017 grew to 16,721 in 2018 and 10,012 last year .
Why would Obama officials be looking at the ambassador 's conversations ?
It ’ s not unusual for the U.S. government to use intelligence collected from foreigners to get a sense of how other countries view the administration .
Also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the FBI and the NSA were looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election .
One aim of the probe was to find out whether any Trump associates had colluded with Russia to help Trump get elected .
Because of that review , intelligence agencies were generating more reports that were shared with senior Obama officials .
Why is this issue being discussed in the news now ?
Mr. Trump and his supporters have made the unmasking of Mr. Flynn one of their major talking points and discussions of it have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They claim it proves that Obama administration unfairly – and maybe illegally – targeted Flynn and other Trump associates .
But there ’ s no evidence the unmasking of Mr. Flynn was illegal .
The memo released by the Republican senators notes that it was approved through the NSA ’ s “ standard process.
” Democrats see the unmasking issue as aimed at energizing Mr. Trump ’ s base at a time when the president ’ s response to COVID-19 has been called into question and he faces the prospect of running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Depression .
The role of Mr. Grenell , the acting director of national intelligence and a Trump loyalist , in declassifying the names of Obama officials who had unmasked Mr. Flynn , will likely add to criticism that Mr. Trump has bent nonpartisan national security agencies to serve him politically .
The decision follows the Justice Department ’ s move to drop charges against Flynn , who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with the Russian ambassador .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

In 2016, Obama administration officials received intelligence reports that were concerning, but incomplete.
Surveillance of Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. revealed he had interacted with an unnamed American who may have been undercutting efforts to pressure Vladimir Putin’s government.
Using a common process known as “unmasking,” they asked intelligence agencies to reveal the American’s name. It was Michael Flynn, an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump.
The unmasking of Flynn has become Exhibit A in Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that he and his aides were the targets of a scandalous Obama administration “witch hunt.”
The top intelligence official, Richard Grenell, now has stepped into the unmasking issue, declassifying the names of the Obama administration officials who may have requested the unmasking. Those names, disclosed Wednesday by two Republican senators, included Trump’s Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden.
There is nothing illegal about unmasking and the declassified document states that proper procedures were followed. While Trump casts unmasking as sinister, his administration has used the process more frequently than Obama’s.
Questions and answers about “unmasking” Americans’ names in intelligence briefs:
What is unmasking?
During routine, legal surveillance of foreign targets, names of Americans occasionally come up in conversations. Foreigners could be talking about a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident by name, or a foreigner could be speaking directly to an American. When an American's name is swept up in surveillance of foreigners, it is called “incidental collection.” In these cases, the name of the American is masked before the intelligence is distributed to administration officials to avoid invading that person's privacy.
Unless there is a clear intelligence value to knowing the American’s name, it is not revealed in the reports. The intelligence report would refer to the person only as “U.S. Person 1” or U.S. Person 2." If U.S. officials with proper clearance to review the report want to know the identity, they can ask the agency that collected the information – perhaps the FBI, CIA or National Security Agency – to “unmask” the name.
Unmasking requests are common, according to Michael Morell, former CIA deputy director and host of “Intelligence Matters” podcast.
“Literally hundreds of times a year across multiple administrations. In general, senior officials make the requests when necessary to understand the underlying intelligence. I myself did it several times a month and NSA adjudicates the request. You can’t do your job without it," he said.
Mr. Morell emphasized that unmasking is not the same as declassification. “When a name is unmasked, the underlying intelligence to include the name remains classified so leaking it would be a crime.”
When would an intelligence agency unmask a name?
The request is not automatically granted. The person asking has to have a good reason. Typically, the reason is that not knowing the name makes it impossible to fully understand the intelligence provided.
The name is released only if the official requesting it has a need to know and the “identity is necessary to understand foreign intelligence information or assess its importance,” according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's latest report, which includes statistics on unmasking. “Additional approval by a designated NSA official is also required.”
Former NSA Director Mike Rogers has said that only 20 of his employees could approve an unmasking. The names are shared only with the specific official who asked. They are not released publicly. Leaking a name, or any classified information, is illegal.
How often are names unmasked?
The number of unmasking requests began being released to the public in response to recommendations in 2014 from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
There were 9,217 unmasking requests in the 12-month period between September 2015 and August 2016, the first period in which numbers are publicly available. The period was during the latter years of the Obama administration.
The number rose during the Trump administration. The 9,529 requests in 2017 grew to 16,721 in 2018 and 10,012 last year.
Why would Obama officials be looking at the ambassador's conversations?
It’s not unusual for the U.S. government to use intelligence collected from foreigners to get a sense of how other countries view the administration.
Also, at the end of the Obama administration, the FBI and the NSA were looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. One aim of the probe was to find out whether any Trump associates had colluded with Russia to help Trump get elected.
Because of that review, intelligence agencies were generating more reports that were shared with senior Obama officials.
Why is this issue being discussed in the news now?
Mr. Trump and his supporters have made the unmasking of Mr. Flynn one of their major talking points and discussions of it have become a fixture on conservative media. They claim it proves that Obama administration unfairly – and maybe illegally – targeted Flynn and other Trump associates.
But there’s no evidence the unmasking of Mr. Flynn was illegal. The memo released by the Republican senators notes that it was approved through the NSA’s “standard process.”
Democrats see the unmasking issue as aimed at energizing Mr. Trump’s base at a time when the president’s response to COVID-19 has been called into question and he faces the prospect of running for reelection with the worst economy since the Great Depression.
The role of Mr. Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence and a Trump loyalist, in declassifying the names of Obama officials who had unmasked Mr. Flynn, will likely add to criticism that Mr. Trump has bent nonpartisan national security agencies to serve him politically. The decision follows the Justice Department’s move to drop charges against Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with the Russian ambassador.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-04-23--Nuclear proliferation: How coronavirus crisis is opportunity

“ I continue to believe that the coronavirus pandemic is providing an opportunity for leaders to come together around international institutions and agreements and to restate commitments to international cooperation , ” says Rose Gottemoeller , a former undersecretary of state for arms control and international security .
“ The NPT regime is no different , ” she adds , “ so I believe we ’ ll see [ treaty signatories ] … coming together around the position that ‘ this is a good treaty , let ’ s recommit to it and strengthen it going forward.
’ ” Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s nuclear weapons states , including the United States , Russia , and China , were in for a drubbing from nonnuclear states for undoing disarmament accords and modernizing and expanding nuclear arsenals , experts said .
Enter the coronavirus pandemic , forcing U.N. officials to delay the gathering of hundreds of diplomats and officials until 2021 .
The postponement is increasingly being viewed as an opportunity .
Every five years , member states gather to review the half-century-old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons , or NPT .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the United Nations in New York for a month beginning next week , and predictions of a rancorous and divisive review were flying high .
With the world caught in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic , the global threat that much of the international community once worried about most – the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the risk of a cataclysmic nuclear winter – has largely vanished from public thought .
The issue has quite literally retreated from the international stage – the pandemic having forced the postponement of the every-five-years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons , or NPT .
The gathering of hundreds of diplomats and nuclear-issues officials from the NPT ’ s 191 member states was to have been held at the United Nations in New York for a month beginning next week .
U.N. officials have delayed the conference until 2021 .
Yet while predictions of a rancorous and divisive NPT review conference were flying high earlier this year , the postponement is increasingly being viewed as an opportunity .
Among other reasons for the dour predictions : The world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , Russia , and China , were in for a drubbing from non-nuclear states for undoing disarmament accords and modernizing and expanding nuclear arsenals , experts said .
For some experts in nuclear issues , the year ahead now opens the door to serious discussion of ways of fortifying the NPT , particularly by hardening the consequences of member states withdrawing from the treaty , as North Korea did in 2003 .
With the leaders of Iran , Turkey , Saudi Arabia , and other countries musing at times about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving the NPT , some say it ’ s time to focus on barring the door to a future wave of nuclear-arms proliferation .
“ If you have an extra year , it should be used to consider other ideas and priorities than what typically consumes the conversation , and new ways of interpreting the treaty to preserve its integrity , ” says Henry Sokolski , executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center in Washington .
It would be smart to focus a bit more on nonproliferation , and maybe a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consume everyone but doesn ’ t get the traction people are looking for , ” he says .
Some see a “ silver lining ” in the postponement , in that it offers an opportunity for global leadership .
“ The pandemic has thrown everything up in the air [ but ] leaders will be looking for ways to show their leadership and put it in a good light , ” says Rose Gottemoeller , a former undersecretary of state for arms control and international security , and until recently a deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she says President Donald Trump is likely to want a big foreign policy win to tout in his reelection campaign , and that could prompt the U.S. to take some disarmament action – such as extending the New START arms reduction treaty with Russia – before the November election .
More broadly , Ms. Gottemoeller says the context of a global pandemic can actually be a boon to the search for more cooperation on other issues .
“ I continue to believe that the coronavirus pandemic is providing an opportunity for leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreements and to restate commitments to international cooperation , ” says Ms. Gottemoeller , now a distinguished lecturer at Stanford University ’ s Center for International Security and Cooperation in Palo Alto , California .
“ The NPT regime is no different , ” she adds , “ so I believe we ’ ll see [ treaty signatories ] … coming together around the position that ‘ this is a good treaty , let ’ s recommit to it and strengthen it going forward.
’ ” Yet despite his hopes for new thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr. Sokolski says he worries that a remarkably successful 50-year-old treaty might not last another decade .
The NPT took effect in 1970 based on the basic bargain that the five nuclear-armed states of the U.N. Security Council ( the U.S. , Russia , China , France , and the United Kingdom ) would move toward the elimination of all nuclear weapons , while the non-nuclear states committed to not seeking or developing such weapons but would have access to peaceful nuclear energy uses .
The NPT took effect in a world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but today only India , Pakistan , Israel , and North Korea stand outside the treaty .
Over the last half-century , the two largest nuclear-weapons powers , the U.S. and Russia , have indeed sharply reduced their stockpiles .
But more recently those two powers have shifted to modernizing their arsenals , as China has moved to expand its arsenal .
Moreover the U.S. and Russia have moved away from disarmament treaties , with the last major treaty between them , New START , set to expire in February 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as failing to hold up their end of the NPT bargain , a sentiment that has prompted some NPT members to pursue new initiatives without the major powers .
In 2017 , 81 countries signed on to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , a document rejected by the nuclear weapons states .
Given the percolating ire of the non-nuclear states , some experts say they are not certain that the postponement of the NPT review conference will lead to greater global unity on disarmament and nonproliferation down the road .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for next week “ was a train wreck waiting to happen , but nothing guarantees that we ’ ll find ourselves in nine months or a year in a better position , ” says Waheguru Pal Sidhu , an expert on multilateral and U.N. issues at New York University ’ s Center for Global Affairs .
“ The opportunity is there , but there ’ s also a risk of even more disunity.
” Much will depend on how countries , and especially the major powers , choose to address the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a spirit of “ we ’ re one world in this together ” could in turn foster a greater sense of cooperation on other issues , including nuclear weapons and proliferation .
But a “ you ’ re on your own ” approach could sour the atmosphere of a major international effort like the NPT review .
“ People are talking about international solidarity for addressing COVID-19 , but on the other hand we have the proliferation really of these nation-first approaches – America first , Brazil first , India first – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage greater cooperation , ” he says .
Some experts worry that what Ms. Gottemoeller calls the “ mischief-makers ” in the nuclear arena – foremost among them North Korea and Iran – could use the months before the NPT conference to advance their nuclear programs and further weaken the global nuclear nonproliferation regime .
But even there , Ms. Gottemoeller says the pandemic has changed her thinking on how some states are likely to proceed on nuclear issues over the coming months .
“ My view has shifted on this , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and less incentive to make mischief , because they need the help of the international community , ” she says .
She cites the example of Saudi Arabia , which has alarmed the nonproliferation community with talk of purchasing nuclear facilities that could leave it in possession of the fuel and other building blocks for an eventual nuclear weapons program .
But other challenges are likely to put provocative moves like a nuclear program on the back burner , Ms. Gottemoeller says .
“ I don ’ t think they ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear reactors .
”

“I continue to believe that the coronavirus pandemic is providing an opportunity for leaders to come together around international institutions and agreements and to restate commitments to international cooperation,” says Rose Gottemoeller, a former undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. “The NPT regime is no different,” she adds, “so I believe we’ll see [treaty signatories] … coming together around the position that ‘this is a good treaty, let’s recommit to it and strengthen it going forward.’”
Among the reasons for the dour predictions: the world’s nuclear weapons states, including the United States, Russia, and China, were in for a drubbing from nonnuclear states for undoing disarmament accords and modernizing and expanding nuclear arsenals, experts said.
Nuclear proliferation is a global issue that’s been decidedly overshadowed. Our writer breaks down what might have happened at a now-delayed U.N. conference, and how the delay may have bought much-needed time.
Enter the coronavirus pandemic, forcing U.N. officials to delay the gathering of hundreds of diplomats and officials until 2021. The postponement is increasingly being viewed as an opportunity.
Every five years, member states gather to review the half-century-old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT. The conference was to have been held at the United Nations in New York for a month beginning next week, and predictions of a rancorous and divisive review were flying high.
With the world caught in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, the global threat that much of the international community once worried about most – the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the risk of a cataclysmic nuclear winter – has largely vanished from public thought.
The issue has quite literally retreated from the international stage – the pandemic having forced the postponement of the every-five-years review conference of the half-century-old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT.
The gathering of hundreds of diplomats and nuclear-issues officials from the NPT’s 191 member states was to have been held at the United Nations in New York for a month beginning next week. U.N. officials have delayed the conference until 2021.
Why We Wrote This Nuclear proliferation is a global issue that’s been decidedly overshadowed. Our writer breaks down what might have happened at a now-delayed U.N. conference, and how the delay may have bought much-needed time.
Yet while predictions of a rancorous and divisive NPT review conference were flying high earlier this year, the postponement is increasingly being viewed as an opportunity.
Among other reasons for the dour predictions: The world’s nuclear weapons states, including the United States, Russia, and China, were in for a drubbing from non-nuclear states for undoing disarmament accords and modernizing and expanding nuclear arsenals, experts said.
For some experts in nuclear issues, the year ahead now opens the door to serious discussion of ways of fortifying the NPT, particularly by hardening the consequences of member states withdrawing from the treaty, as North Korea did in 2003.
With the leaders of Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other countries musing at times about the treaty’s unacceptable limits or even leaving the NPT, some say it’s time to focus on barring the door to a future wave of nuclear-arms proliferation.
Opportunity for leadership
“If you have an extra year, it should be used to consider other ideas and priorities than what typically consumes the conversation, and new ways of interpreting the treaty to preserve its integrity,” says Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center in Washington.
It would be smart to focus a bit more on nonproliferation, and maybe a bit less on disarmament, “which tends to consume everyone but doesn’t get the traction people are looking for,” he says.
Some see a “silver lining” in the postponement, in that it offers an opportunity for global leadership.
“The pandemic has thrown everything up in the air [but] leaders will be looking for ways to show their leadership and put it in a good light,” says Rose Gottemoeller, a former undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and until recently a deputy secretary general at NATO.
For example, she says President Donald Trump is likely to want a big foreign policy win to tout in his reelection campaign, and that could prompt the U.S. to take some disarmament action – such as extending the New START arms reduction treaty with Russia – before the November election.
More broadly, Ms. Gottemoeller says the context of a global pandemic can actually be a boon to the search for more cooperation on other issues.
“I continue to believe that the coronavirus pandemic is providing an opportunity for leaders to come together around international institutions and agreements and to restate commitments to international cooperation,” says Ms. Gottemoeller, now a distinguished lecturer at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation in Palo Alto, California.
“The NPT regime is no different,” she adds, “so I believe we’ll see [treaty signatories] … coming together around the position that ‘this is a good treaty, let’s recommit to it and strengthen it going forward.’”
A pessimistic view
Yet despite his hopes for new thinking on nuclear issues in the months ahead, Mr. Sokolski says he worries that a remarkably successful 50-year-old treaty might not last another decade.
The NPT took effect in 1970 based on the basic bargain that the five nuclear-armed states of the U.N. Security Council (the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom) would move toward the elimination of all nuclear weapons, while the non-nuclear states committed to not seeking or developing such weapons but would have access to peaceful nuclear energy uses. The NPT took effect in a world where many countries had nuclear weapons programs, but today only India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea stand outside the treaty.
Over the last half-century, the two largest nuclear-weapons powers, the U.S. and Russia, have indeed sharply reduced their stockpiles. But more recently those two powers have shifted to modernizing their arsenals, as China has moved to expand its arsenal. Moreover the U.S. and Russia have moved away from disarmament treaties, with the last major treaty between them, New START, set to expire in February 2021.
Increasingly non-weapons states see the nuclear powers as failing to hold up their end of the NPT bargain, a sentiment that has prompted some NPT members to pursue new initiatives without the major powers. In 2017, 81 countries signed on to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a document rejected by the nuclear weapons states.
Given the percolating ire of the non-nuclear states, some experts say they are not certain that the postponement of the NPT review conference will lead to greater global unity on disarmament and nonproliferation down the road.
“For sure the review conference” set for next week “was a train wreck waiting to happen, but nothing guarantees that we’ll find ourselves in nine months or a year in a better position,” says Waheguru Pal Sidhu, an expert on multilateral and U.N. issues at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. “The opportunity is there, but there’s also a risk of even more disunity.”
Much will depend on how countries, and especially the major powers, choose to address the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Sidhu says. Proceeding with a spirit of “we’re one world in this together” could in turn foster a greater sense of cooperation on other issues, including nuclear weapons and proliferation. But a “you’re on your own” approach could sour the atmosphere of a major international effort like the NPT review.
“People are talking about international solidarity for addressing COVID-19, but on the other hand we have the proliferation really of these nation-first approaches – America first, Brazil first, India first – that set a tone that does not encourage greater cooperation,” he says.
Less time for mischief?
Some experts worry that what Ms. Gottemoeller calls the “mischief-makers” in the nuclear arena – foremost among them North Korea and Iran – could use the months before the NPT conference to advance their nuclear programs and further weaken the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.
But even there, Ms. Gottemoeller says the pandemic has changed her thinking on how some states are likely to proceed on nuclear issues over the coming months.
“My view has shifted on this, I think the pandemic means they have less time and less incentive to make mischief, because they need the help of the international community,” she says.
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She cites the example of Saudi Arabia, which has alarmed the nonproliferation community with talk of purchasing nuclear facilities that could leave it in possession of the fuel and other building blocks for an eventual nuclear weapons program.
But other challenges are likely to put provocative moves like a nuclear program on the back burner, Ms. Gottemoeller says. “I don’t think they’ll be focused at this moment on buying nuclear reactors.”