U.S. Agency for International Development

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is "headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has field offices in many of the countries."

"USAID is headed by an Administrator and Deputy Administrator, both appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The agency's Administrator is Andrew S. Natsios; the Deputy Administrator is Frederick Schieck; and the agency's counselor is Willard J. Pearson, Jr."[1]

Overview

"USAID's history goes back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction of Europe after World War Two and the Truman Administration's Point Four Program. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law and created by executive order USAID.

"Since that time, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.

"USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. [Its] Work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting:

• economic growth, agriculture and trade;
• global health; and
• democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance.

The USAID provides "assistance in four regions of the world:

• Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Asia and the Near East;
• Latin America and the Caribbean, and;
• Europe and Eurasia.

Selling Aid

"The U.S., which saw positive PR results from the millions donated to Indonesia after the tsunami devastation in May, wants a PR firm to spread awareness that Uncle Sam has given over $1 billion to the archipelago over the last 50 years." The U.S. Agency for International Development requested proposals for a $350,000 to $370,000 campaign promoting American efforts "in partnership with Indonesians to generate prosperity and a better quality of life." The contract includes research, polling, public service announcements and "other aspects of a social marketing campaign." APCO, Ogilvy and Weber Shandwick already work in Indonesia, a majority Muslim country and key U.S. ally in the "war on terror." [2]

Contact

U.S. Agency for International Development Information Center
Ronald Reagan Building
Washington, D.C. 20523-1000
Telephone: 202-712-4810
FAX: 202-216-3524
Web:http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/

Other Related SourceWatch Resources

• Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
• Horn of Africa
• Vision for Post-Conflict Iraq

External Links

• Peter J. Stavrakis, "Bull in a China Shop: USAID's Post-Soviet Mission", American Foreign Policy Journal, 1997.
• "USAID and World Bank Unite Church and State: Government Money Silences the Church While Turning it Into a Partner in Crime", November 30, 1998.
• Marc Leepson, "Heart and Minds of USAID's Vietnam Mission", American Foreign Service Association, April 2000.
• Jim Lobe, "USAID chief blasts hypocrisy of "globalisers", Inter Press Service, June 29, 2000.
• Timothy Bancroft-Hinchley, "USAID sends unfit food aid to Latin America", Pravda, June 18, 2002.
• "Rebuilding Iraq -- The Contractors", OpenSecrets, April 28, 2003.
• Neil Elliott, "USAID, the CIA, and the Coup in Haiti", Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 28th, 2004.
• "U.S. Eyes Indonesian PR Effort", O'Dwyer's PR Daily, September 13, 2005. (Sub req'd).
• Sasha Kramer, "The Friendly Face of US Imperialism: USAID and Haiti," CounterPunch, October 14, 2005.