Greetings Friends! Currently the primary objective of the Czech-American Community is securing the Waiver of Visas for citizens of the Czech Republic wishing to travel to the U.S Just google the name AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC for the official word on the subject. When we were working on expanding NATO we had to go explain the situtation to the US Congress and senate. Strobe Talbot at the US State Department was afraid of offending the Russian establishment. Now we face once again the bureaucrats of the State Department. They are in the risk avoidence mode now. Also they appear not to want to lose any staffing slots of personnel who are engaged in dispensing red tape to Czech citizens who want to go to Disneyland. I don't believe that this is a Democrat VS Republican political issue. The US State Department has raised so-called security concerns that I estimate are non-existant. The Czech Republic has a "Kolache" opposed to a "Klashnikov" culture. The American Friends of the Czech Republic was able to secure support from around 23 members of the US Congress who sent a letter to US Secretary of State Dr Rice. Now we have been issued a "road map" to achieve the objective that seems to reflect more foot dragging than anything else. We have to continue with this process. I have been attempting to register the level of resentment , discontent and frustration felt to the US State Department. On the other hand we have been approaching members of Congress to advise them of this utterly unfair situtation. The Czech Republic is a member of NATO. The Country has also been working on a wide range of issues in the realm of counter-terrorism and the supression of the drug trade and organized crime. US business, still reeling from the housing slump would obtain a hefty injection of cash flow were the Czech Visa Waiver to be resolved sooner, rather than later. The level of Czech tourists would go from a trickle to a torrent, once we get the show on the road. I sent the US Consulate in Prague an e-mail indicating my opinion that they were bogus bureaucrats. I've tried to conjure up the image that that they are apes beating their chests on the security issue. If anyone is good at drawing & could come up with a political cartoon or two encapsulating the issue, this would go a long way in getting the point across. Images tend to spread like wildfire across the internet. Thank you for giving this important issue your careful consideration! Best Regards, Bob
