When Amb. Gration was purged in mid-2012, the Secretary of State had been using her private email system for 3 1/2 years

This was my point from the last post.  I was prompted by the latest news stories in the international press about Secretary Clinton’s emails containing top secret material not being released.

Obviously, in releasing a report from the Acting Inspector General focused on criticizing Ambassador Gration’s email security and public records compliance in mid-2012 coinciding with the Ambassador’s resignation, the State Department was surely “blowing smoke”.  Plenty of people involved in this, aside from the Secretary of State and the President, must have known that the Secretary herself was using an insecure, “off the public record” system for her own official emails.

Did the Acting Inspector General know? If not, shouldn’t someone have told him?

I don’t know Ambassador Gration and was not in Kenya during his tenure and have no opinions or personal knowledge about the backstory (but will note that someone at the State Department bothered to mention a day ahead of time that the OIG’s report was coming out and the Ambassador was leaving).  Likewise, I am uncommitted and unaffiliated regarding the U.S. presidential race.  My interest here is that this is a foreign policy and public records issue regarding Kenya.

See: Hillary Clinton, Scott Gration and “public-private” email at the State Department

Remember what the State Department’s Acting Inspector General said about Ambassador Gration’s email in 2012

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State Department OIG on Amb. Gration Email

Mazrui and Barkan: a tribute – Journal of Contemporary African Studies – from Makau Mutua

Regular readers will remember my fondness for the late Joel Barkan with whom I shared some history with the 2007 Kenyan election tragedy, and to whom, along with Peter Oriare, I have dedicated my “War for History” series here.  Professor Makua Mutua has written an astute and moving tribute to Joel and to Ali Mazrui as African Studies leaders who passed away in 2014 to leave a hugely consequential legacy. Without further ado, please read:

Mazrui and Barkan–A Tribute

 Here is my Joel Barkan Tribute from 2014.

Top new posts of 2015

USAID Inspector General should take a hard look at Kenya’s election procurements supported by U.S. taxpayers

Washington sees that Uhuru’s security approach is counterproductive; Kenya’s democrats must still counter Uhuru’s DC lobbyists to hope for better U.S. policy by 2017

“The War for History” part ten: What was going on in the State Department on Kenya’s failed election, recognizing change at IRI–and how the 2007 exit poll controversy turned into a boon for IRI in Kenya