Walk quietly, carry a big stick, and watch your wallet

We had the official U.S. Embassy Security Briefing today. This “lecture” (for it was hardly “brief”) made me think about why Americans are such a big target on foreign soil? In this case, why is there a higher incidence of carjackings, muggings, petty theft, and residential break-ins targeting Americans and not other nationalities? There is an equal amount of British, Canadians, Chinese, Germans, Swedish, and South African citizens here and there aren’t as many security reports on them. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it.

Let me cite the most recent security facts on Lusaka where the Department of State classifies its crime threat as “critical”. Keep in mind as you review this, Zambia is a country of 10 million people, and the crime targets expatriates (where we stick out). This turns out to be a low rate when compared to our vulnerability to crime in Chicago (where we blend in, so in theory should be less likely to be a target –but yet crime is higher). Therefore, in Chicago, you’re more likely to be a victim of your “bling bling” than Zambia. Read on…

Carjackings: Four reported in the last 8 months. Two involved men with AK47s (illegal and cost $100) pulling up and at gunpoint asking the lady driver for all their cash. One car was a single lady driver. In another, the mother had her two young children watching and the Zambians were kind enough to leave her with the car when she asked (so she could get home with the kids). In both these instances, the cars were followed after the Zambians saw them change a lot of US dollars at a foreign exchange bureau. No one was injured. The other carjacking victim was not so lucky. The husband and wife were shot (and died) in a 4x4 on safari (this is considered rare). Finally, the fourth carjacking was textbook, several Zambians feigned vehicle trouble on the side of the road. A group of Americans stopped to help. In the process of getting carjacked, another American stopped thinking some white people had car trouble. The Zambians got a bargain: two cars for the effort of carjacking one, and the Americans had a long walk home.

Muggings/petty theft: Several have been reported in the last three months. No one was injured. Just a calculated pick of the pocket, a purse snatching and the occasional emptying of a car: i.e. after a shopping excursion, Zambians will follow you to the car and wait for you to load it, get in, then before you lock it, open all the doors, and as a team, empty your recent bargains –leaving you and your car empty (but safe). The most impressive happened in broad daylight in the city, with police around, and crowded streets. Four foreigners got into their flashy SUV (a prime target vehicle here); the window was cracked a bit. Before they drove off, a Zambian sneaked their hand in, unlocked the driver side pulled the driver out with a gun, his team got the others out and emptied all their wallets and left in a matter of 32 seconds. A model of efficiency –reminded me of a NASCAR pit stop. Again, every victim was still safe.

After the crime-related warnings, the Regional Security Officer (RSO) briefed on things Americans should NOT do:

• Don’t go to downtown Lusaka (as the recent carjackings and muggings attest).
• Don’t ride bikes on roads (or around the city) due to dangerous drivers.
• Don’t use the mini-buses or public transportation (taxis are O.K.).
• Don’t go to the local markets for fresh produce (it is not safe).

Finally, they warned is that while Zambia is a friend of the U.S. (in fact it is, they do have very good relations), there are small Muslim extremist groups here that support terrorist networks like al Qaeda. The Embassy freaked when they found out and spent a lot of time trying to determine if he was planning an attack on them during his stint here. Fortunately, the answer was negative. He was simply looking for a place to lay low from the heat he was getting from America and U.K

Here is my response to the briefing:

To all the muggings, carjackings, theft etc: Granted, the Zambians are on the lookout for foreign prey. But crime here is different. It is used as a means to an end, not merely for violence. It is different from Angola of South Africa where the criminals have been trained to use a gun from a young age, and actually kill (due to civil strife or prolonged armed conflict). Zambia on the other hand had a rather peaceful transition to independence. There has never been war in this country. Nor do they practice pre-emptive foreign policy. Here, crime is simply used as a way to increase their prosperity. Albeit, an illegal method, but they generally do not intend to hurt their unlucky prey. My theory is that the security here is realistically not equipped to protect all Americans. So they conduct the briefing so THEY feel SECURE.

To the warnings of “do nots”: Unfortunately, we had already done everything they had warned us about in the first six days in Lusaka. Whoops. But come on. They don’t expect us to be teleported from our home to the Embassy? We’re on a Fulbright budget here, not a Dept of State budget, or better still, a corporate budget. We need to use public transportation because it’s cheap, and in some cases efficient to get around. In other cases, the bike is the best way, dangerous, yes –but so is flying on an airplane, or selecting the truest 2x4 off the highest self in Home Depot on tiptoe. I just went around my first major round-about (they have these here instead of traffic lights) yesterday on bike, and it was the most thrilling and nerve-racking experience yet. It’s like seeing your life flash before you four times (yes, at each exit). The main fear of the “do nots” is simply the golden hour rule. Meaning, if you get seriously hurt, you have an hour window to save your life. The RSO said that in Zambia, that care does not exist. You are usually medivac’d to Jo’burg in South Africa for care that is considered “western” standards. My biggest problem with the “do nots” is the fact that Americans in the foreign service, and all Americans visiting for that matter should not isolate themselves from the “locals”. They are ambassadors of the country, and the “do nots” prohibit cultural exchange (which is the mandate of a Fulbright – and hopefully an objective of foreign service).

Finally, the terrorist threat: Yes, we cannot ignore the fact that there is a Muslim extremist group here supporting terrorist activity. For some perspective, do not forget there are more groups in the U.K. and U.S. It was not the threat that worried me, but how it was uncovered. The Embassy found out about the al Qaeda operative through an article in the New York Times AFTER the terrorist was caught by Zambian police at a Zambian/Angola border crossing. It puts a dent in confidence regarding security intelligence when you stumble on this fact. In addition, the RSO didn’t even know where our neighborhood was (home to upper-class Zambians) near the University of Zambia (a major landmark). He claimed that since we did not live in one of the two major expatriate compounds, we were not in a safe neighborhood. As RSO, it seems he should know a lot about the city as it relates to safety and security. What happened to the competent people in the greatest bureaucracy on earth? Did they all become Canadian nationals? (In good humor, the RSO admitted to claiming he is Canadian when traveling outside the Embassy).

To conclude, and answer the question introducing this journal entry: “why is there a higher incidence of carjackings, muggings, petty theft, and residential break-ins targeting Americans and not other nationalities?” Number one reason is Bush’s stellar foreign policy, second the misperception that all white people, especially Americans are affluent, and finally, Americans are told not to “mix” with the locals. The first point, the Embassy can’t do anything about. The second point, the Embassy Public Affairs Service tackles. The third point, the security briefing can resolve.

The result of the third point is that the average Zambian (meaning the middle and lower class, the filthy rich don’t matter) isn’t able to see the true American. The America I know and respect: generous, compassionate, fair, and free. It’s one thing to open your pocket books (that really helps here too) but if one has the opportunity, nothing can take the place of genuine face-to-face communication. America is not a place of “do not”, but a land of can “do”. Why doesn’t the Embassy reach out? Seems like the only Americans that do are the Peace Corp volunteers and the academics (I applaud my wife here). The rest seem to stay in the city and isolate themselves within the expatriate community. They get real good at rugby and keep the local sunscreen market shining.

But what do I know? I’m just a Singaporean paying U.S. taxes and benefiting from the security of the current greatest nation on earth.