Historical Look: J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI

Although Clint Eastwood's film, J. Edgar, was a major disappointment, it succeeded in presenting an in-depth profile of this historical figure. As founder and director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for over 50 years, John Edgar Hoover can rightfully be considered one of the most powerful and interesting leaders in American history. He oversaw a wide range of social and political issues, ranging from a war against Communism, a war against Gangsters, and a war against Civil Rights, all in the name of national security. He answered only to the attorney general and the president, yet would eventually precede them through his intelligence. His career was clouded with numerous victories, as well as numerous controversies. This entry is a timeline of J. Edgar's career and his major role in American History.

The Red Scare (1919-1920)

After WWI, J. Edgar Hoover finished his master of law degree from George Washington University and began his career with the Justice Department under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. At this time, a widespread fear of communism and anarchism known as the Red Scare, had overtaken the United States government, in reaction to Russia's Bolshevik Revolution.  This movement became quite prevalent withing the states, from 1919-1920, and was led by labor-organizations demanding equal rights. The movement grew more radical when anarchists began a bombing campaign against many political and business leaders. In the 1919 Anarchist Bombings, Attorney General Mitchell Palmer, and businessman John D. Rockefeller were a few of the key targets. These attacks, initiated a strong response from the government, and became the seed to J. Edgar Hoover's long career.

In response to bombings, Mitchell Palmer, quickly promoted J. Edgar to become head of a new intelligence division. He thus began his career hunting anarchists and communists, in what became known as the Palmer Raids. By 1920, Hoover had amassed a list of over 60,000 political radicals, arrested over 10,00, and deported nearly 600. Key Anarchist leaders such as Luigi Galleani, who organized the bombings, and the well-known political philosopher Emma Goldman were tried and deported from the United States. In 1924, after his successful campaign against political opponents, J. Edgar Hoover became director of the Bureau of Investigation.

Prohibition and The Mafia (1920-1930)

In 1920, Christian Fundamentalists pushed the US Government to pass the 18th Amendment of Prohibition, which made alcohol illegal in the states. This led to the rise of Organized Crime, and underground business. Italian Mafias and notorious gangsters such as Al Capone, Frank Costello, and Lucky Luciano came to prominence during these years, making a fortune off of illegal business. They conducted numerous underground operations such as speak-easys, bookkeeping, exploitation, and gambling to name a few. These underground businesses often led to terrible violence and even gang-wars. J. Edgar's response to this illegal crime was suspiciously ignorant, and thus one of his first major controversies. These mafia organizations prospered for over 30 years, even after the repeal of prohibition, and into the 1950s. There is an obvious speculation that J. Edgar Hoover was perhaps bribed or informed by underground leaders, such as Frank Costello, to not interfere in their business. This can be seen as one of the first of many discrepancies, in J. Edgar's controversial career.



The Lindbergh Case (1932-1934)

In 1932, the baby of world famous aviator, Charles Lindberg, was kidnapped in what became considered "the Crime of the Century". This led to a 2-year investigation headed up by J. Edgar Hoover and his Bureau of Investigation. The dead body of the infant was eventually found near the house, with a fractured skull. Hoover's team arrested and charged a German convict, named Bruno Hauptmann. Bruno however denied these charges, and it is believed that Hoover had some doubts on the investigation. Following this public crime, Hoover was able to push forth the Lindbergh Law, which made kidnappings a federal crime.



 Public Enemies (1930-1935)

During the Great Depression, J. Edgar began a fierce campaign against bank robbers, in what became known as the Public Enemy Era. Many criminals such as Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Mia Parker, Alvin Karpis, Machine Gun Kelly, and the infamous John Dillinger had risen to infamy throughout the MidWest, thanks to powerful automatic weapons and faster cars. For a while these criminals were romanticized by the press and the general public and continued to insult the law. This of course infuriated J. Edgar Hoover who became all the more intent to capture them. Federal agents, such as Melvin Purvis, became instant celebrities when they captured or killed criminals such as John Dillinger. By 1935 J. Edgar Hoover was able to broaden his power, with new fingerprinting identifications, a new laboratory, and the establishment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


WW2 Subversion and Espionage (1936-1952)
 
With the rise of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, J. Edgar grew very concerned with foreign subversion. He thus began a new campaign of counter-espionage, against potential German spies. He made numerous arrests throughout WWII, keeping the country free of sabotage. During the Venona Project, the US and UK formed a joint partnership of cryptanalysis, on Soviet spies. The FBI took a significant role in leading this new tactic of eavesdropping and code-breaking. After WWII, and the beginning of the Cold War, many of these espionage and intelligence responsibilities were handed over to the newly organized Central Intelligence Agency. J. Edgar was of course impartial to the organization, and kept many of his files secret.

COINTELPRO (1956-1971)

During the Cold War, a Second Red Scare, gripped the United States, in response to the Berlin Blockade, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War. This scare was led by a senator named Joseph McCarthy who shared similar anti-communist views as director J. Edgar Hoover, and together they began the movement of McCarthyism. In 1956, J. Edgar organized a top-secret Counter Intelligence Program, known as COINTELPRO, that conducted covert surveillance, infiltration, and disruption of political organizations.

COINTELPRO began to sabotage many growing movements such as the Civil Rights Movement, American-Indian Movements, and Anti-War Movements, which they all considered a threat to national security. They infiltrated numerous organizations such as the NAACP, the Black Panthers, Students for a Democratic Society, and the Weathermen using tactics that were illegal and often resulted in violence. This top-secret purge lasted from 1956-1971 and is without question J. Edgar's most controversial direction, and was a total abuse of power.

Civil Rights (1955-1968)

J. Edgar Hoover despised the Civil Rights Movement, and its key leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.. He claimed that the movement was driven by communist-affiliation, yet it's more likely that his intentions were personal and purely racist. Hoover continuously tried to black-male and sabotage the movement, by undermining Martin Luther King. The FBI kept a close monitor on MLK, and tried numerous times to exploit his sexual endeavors. They sunk even further, when they sent MLK death threats and an infamous letter urging him to kill himself. When MLK was assassinated in 1968, they celebrated his death. This is no doubt another poor reflection on J. Edgar's overall character.

The Kennedys (1960-1963)

By the time John F. Kennedy was president, Hoover had developed a notorious ego, and was constantly in conflict with Attorney General Robert Kennedy. It is believed that President Kennedy was intent on replacing J. Edgar Hoover. This notion may support numerous conspiracies suggesting that the FBI oversaw the president's assassination in 1963. It was also argued that the FBI did little to investigate possible conspiracies.  Hoover did however lead the FBI investigation of the JFK assassination, and testified during the Warren Commission. Following the Warren Commission, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided it would be politically costly to dismiss J. Edgar Hoover, and allowed him to remain director for life.

Historical Legacy

By the end of his career J. Edgar Hoover had obtained mountains of top-secret files, and had developed a notorious ego and reputation. He specialized in "dirty tricks" by collecting surveillance and wire-taps on many prominent social and political leaders, even the president. By the end of his career, he was arguably, one of the most powerful men in the United States. His personal life was  clouded with abnormalities, such as living with his mother until he was 38, never getting married, cross-dressing, and a homosexual relation with his deputy Clyde Tolson.

Although J. Edgar lived a strange lifestyle, a career full of controversy, and had many character flaws, he brought forth an undeniable passion for his country. He practically created and directed the FBI from his own patriotic vision, and turned it into the highly respected organization that it is today. For over 50 years, he interceded in America's history ranging from the Red Scare, the Great Depression, WWII, the Cold War, and to the Civil Rights Movement. He was behind it all, fighting in the name of national security. There are still many questions yet to be answered, about his life, his career, and his motives, which I suppose makes him all the more mysterious and interesting.

Current Film Review: J. Edgar

I've always been a huge fan of dramatic biopics, that illustrate a historical setting of a cultural legacy. Films such as Aviator, Amadeus, and Ray to name a few of my favorites. It's even better when these biopics include a well-respected director and lead actor. For the film, J. Edgar, the focus was on the life of the obsessive FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover. As the founder of the FBI, he was one of the most powerful men in the country, with a career ranging over 50 years. With Clint Eastwood directing and Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role I thought this film would be a sure success. I just saw it this past Friday in Wisconsin and must sadly give this film some mixed reviews.

The subject matter is classic Hollywood material, a behind-the-scenes look at a mysterious and powerful American icon. In this regard, the film succeeds in opening up some unusual character flaws of Mr. J. Edgar Hoover. Such as living with his mother, his political rivals, and a homosexual attraction to his assistant deputy Cylde Tolson, played quite well by Armie Hammer (The Social Network). The screenplay was written by Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for his writing, in Milk. I must say however, that his success didn't quite carry over to this film, and the storyline was without question the greatest flaw in this film.

As for the lead role however, Leonardo DiCaprio, nailed it once again, successfully playing both a young and an old J. Edgar Hoover. DiCaprio brought forth some of his usual character traits of determination, obsession, and inner-struggle. He also added an excellent New Jersey accent, with an unrecognizable embodiment of an older man. He somewhat carried this movie, and should no doubt be considered for Academy contention. Props should also go out to the make-up department in this film.

Yet as for directing, Clint Eastwood finally brought an end to his winning streak of powerful dramas, and delivered quite a dud with this film. The movie started off very interesting, depicting J. Edgar's passion for the job, his battle against Communism, and his rise to the top. Yet once Hoover reached the top, the story suddenly turned to personal drama. It put far too much emphasis on the Lindbergh case and his love with Clyde Tolson, that ultimately made the story very boring towards the end. If you like History as much as I do, you might enjoy this movie for it's information, yet don't expect much in the way of a storyline.

Random Autumn Notes

It's been a busy fall season, working at RCL during the weeks and with Sportvision during the weekends. Thus far I have worked football games at Michigan, Michigan St, Ohio St, Illinois, and soon to be Wisconsin over Thanksgiving. I must admit that work has definitely drained me out, yet I am very grateful to be busy and making money. Trying to pay off my credit debt and student loans with this extra money. Seems never ending though!

In family news, Jackie has recently married Pedro, a division II baseball player, who could be going professional for the San Diego Padres. We had a very nice wedding at our house at Keikionga Shores on October 15th. And Gily recently gave birth to baby Natalia, with her boyfriend Stiven. I was made Natalia's Godfather, and we had the baptism ceremony on October 23rd.

On a technology note, I am still quite obsessed with Streaming Netflix. Movies have always been a part of my life, and a I try to watch one almost every night. Thanks to the many movies, documentaries, and TV series on Netflix, I no longer have to make trips back and forth to the library. My Android smartphone, has also changed my mobile life, bringing the world at my fingertips at every moment. It has saved me numerous times on the road. To have the internet with me at all times, makes me feel quite in-sync and informed, especially with the handy newsfeed program, Twitter.

Over the past few months, I have become quite the political and diplomatic news junkie, perhaps because it's been such an interesting year. On foreign issues, the year began with the Arab Spring, successful revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and a civil war in Libya that brought the end to Gaddafi's 41-year dictatorship. The civil unrest continues in places such as Syria, where President Assad, refuses to relinquish his power and is openly killing civilian protestors. Another major foreign news event was the death of Bin Laden in May, which has made President Obama quite successful on foreign issues. However the European Economic Crisis has now taken center stage.

On domestic-economic issues, President Obama has been struggling to get anything done thanks to a "do-nothing" congress. The congress has put forth heavy opposition to practically every proposal from the president with simple intentions to sabotage his re-election campaign. At the moment the Congress has an approval rating of 9%, the lowest in history. A super-committee was established in the late summer, after the debt ceiling negotiation, to add 1.2 trillion in revenue. The deadline however comes in a few days, Nov. 23rd, and it seems both sides are still gridlocked between cutting government spending or raising taxes on the wealthy. This is a continuous theme in American politics, and perhaps the main reason for the recent insurgency of protests such as Occupy Wall Street.


On a musical note, I have been quite into Bob Dylan, listening to his music on my long drives. I have always enjoyed his musical style, yet have recently tried to follow and understand his metaphoric lyrics. His music ranges from protest music, folk stories, and love songs that capture the essence of the American counter-culture. Although his highlight period was from 1961-1966 one cannot deny that he was one of the greatest poets and folk singers of all time.

I've been working on a memoir, a biography of the 1st quarter of my life. It's been an extremely nostalgic experience reflecting on the various phases of my life. I think everyone should do it! Coming soon, an update of my top 50 favorite movies and top 50 favorite musical artists.

Movie Masterpiece: Biutiful

This movie has been on my watch-list for over a year now, bringing together some of the biggest names is Latin/Spanish Films. It is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, (21 Grams and Babel) and produced by his two pals Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron. It stars Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Christina Barcelona) as the driving force behind the story, and is backed with an incredible score from the guitarist, Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Motorcycle Diaries, Babel). With big names like this it should come as no surprise that this movie went above and beyond. It is a powerful film, that I recommend watching more than once to truly appreciate.

Biutiful is an emotional, character-driven story set in Barcelona. It revolves around the extremely complex character of Uxibal, played by Javier Bardem. Uxibal is the father of two children, has a bipolar ex-wife, works as an underground middleman, communicates with dead spirits, and to add to all this he is dying of cancer. His face is pale, with a lifeless expression, and he grows weaker throughout the film. Yet throughout his pain, he is constantly thinking of others, setting his affairs straight before he crosses over to the other side. Bardem gives an Oscar-worthy performance, portraying this complex, dying character. 

The filming style is quite similar to Babel; with an intricate storyline, cross-cultural settings and characters, poetic lines, and massive mood swings. In the midst of this depressing story, Inarritu often delivers sudden spikes of happiness, such as a birthday celebration or an abstract nightclub party; quite similar to the flashy one in Babel. These mood swings are enhanced all the further by Santaolalla’s musical style of sentimental minimalism. 

Yet the finest sequence came at the end of the movie, where we witness Uxibal’s slow transition from life to death. This same sequence was played at the beginning of the film, yet has a far greater emotional power at the end. Bardem lies on a bed next to his daughter, speaking of past memories, while he slowly fades away. Inarritu does a masterful job in demonstrating the journey from life into death. This transition takes place through Uxibal's eyes as well as a sharp contrast in the color of his face. The viewer is slowly transported from Uxibal's bedroom to a winter forest, representing heaven. In the forest, Uxibal stands with his father, laughing and telling jokes. It is an extremely artistic sequence, a masterful ending that is quite deserving of its title, “Biutiful”. 

Historical Look: The Arab-Israeli Conflict

The Arab-Israeli Conflict has been a major story of political tension for the past century now, intensifying after the statehood of Israel. I have always been very interested in trying to understand this diplomatic situation, and must stress how extremely complicated the whole thing is. In this post I want to give a very basic outline of the past 50 years of the conflict. I am in no means trying to favor one side over the other. I'm just trying to understand the roots of the problem, and its long history of tension.

Liberation from the Ottoman Empire

It all began in the early 1900s, with the Jewish movement of Zionism, a cultural belief that the Jews should return to their homeland of Israel. Before the outbreak of WWI, many Jews had already begun purchasing land in the Arabian territory of Palestine, that would later become Israel. At the time however, this land was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, and was populated by many Arabs and Palestinians. During WWI, the British supported an Arab Revolution against the Ottoman Empire led by TE Lawrence. Lawrence was successful in defeating the Ottomans, and achieving Arabian liberation from the Ottoman Empire. Although the Arabs were now free, their territory was under the control and influence of Britain.

After WWI and the liberation of Arabia, many Jews began migrating to the land of Palestine. By 1931, nearly 17% of the population in Palestine was inhabited by Jews. After the rise of Adolf Hitler, and his anti-Semitic views, this migration to Palestine nearly doubled in size. Of course quite naturally Palestinians grew very annoyed with this sudden influx of Jewish people taking over their land, business, and identity. Demonstrations and Protests began to fill the streets of Palestine, against the Jewish take-over. From 1936-1939 there was an Arab revolt in Palestine, that was eventually surpressed by the British Army.


Nation of Israel (1948) 

By the start of WWII, Nazi Germany had begun an intense campaign to persecute the Jews. This terrible atrocity known as the Holocaust, was the final straw for Jews to flee from Europe, and partake in the Zionist Movement. Jewish refugees began swarming into the Middle East,and settling in Palestine, which of course angered the Palestinians all the more. The British Mandate tried to regulate and restrict the immigrations, yet were unable to come up with a resolution, and eventually turned to the newly established United Nations.

In 1947 the United Nations presented a "two-state solution" for both Jews and Palestinians. The Jews agreed to this, while the Arab League strongly opposed it. Britain supported the UN's legitimacy, by terminating it's mandate from the Palestinian territory, thus leaving the problem in their hands. This of course led to the first major war in the region between Arabs and Israelis known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel was attacked simultaneously by Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq from multiple fronts, and yet somehow managed to repel each attack and win the war. Israel was thus able to expand it's land, leaving the Palestinians the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In May 14th of 1948 Israel declared it's independence as a sovereign nation. Over 700,000 Palestinians became refugees and were forced to leave the new state of Israel. The head of the Zionist Movement, Ben-Gurion, became Israel's first Prime Minister.  



Suez Crisis of 1956


In 1956 Egypt's newly elected president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalized the Suez Canal in order to block Israeli trading in the Straits of Tiran. This was seen as an act-of-war, and Israel responded by attacking the Sinai Peninsula, with support from Britain and France. However both the United States and the Soviet Union intervened in the conflict and called for a ceasefire. (Both Super-powers at that time, had their diplomatic motives) The Israel army occupied the Sinai Peninsula until March of 1957, and the Straits of Tiran were once again re-opened. The United Nations Emergency Force was created to stabilize the border tension between Egypt and Israel.


Six Day War 1967

In 1964 the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was established to defeat the Israeli Zionist Movement. A few years later, President Nasser, expelled all UNEF officers from Egypt, once again closed the Straits of Tiran, and sent over 100,000 soldiers to defend the Sinai Peninsula. In what became known as the Six-Day War, Israel responded with a swift and successful air assault over Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. Israel was once again able to expand their territory into the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, eastern Jerusalem, Shebaa Farms, and the Golan Heights.  

This swift victory for Israel, infuriated the Arab Leaders all the more, who called for a new campaign against Israel. Their resolution became known as the "Three No's". No Recognition, No Peace, and No Surrender. This led to a War of Attrition, against Israel that lasted from 1967-1970. The war came to an abrupt end following the death of Egyptian President Nasser.



Yom Kippur War 1973

On October 6th of 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during their holy day of Yom Kippur. Both Egypt and Syria, were supplied by the Soviet Union, and pushed hard to regain the territories of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Israel was unprepared and suffered heavy blows in the early days of the war, yet were eventually able to launch a counter-strike with American aid. The United States and the Soviet Union nearly entered the war against one another, until they were finnally able to agree on a ceasefire.

In 1978 President Sadat of Egypt and President Begin of Israel were invited by US President Jimmy Carter, to an enclosed negotiation at Camp David. The two spent nearly two weeks working out an agreement. Finally they agreed on The Camp David Accords, which essentially gave the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt, and the Gaza Strip to Israel. This was a significant treaty between Egypt and Israel, however still would not quell the many surrounding Palestinians and Arabians.  

Black September

In 1970 a period known as Black September, King Hussein of Jordan began expelling Palestinians from his country. This lead to a civil war in Jordan, which resulted in thousands of dead Palestinians. The PLO was driven out of Jordan, and took refuge in Lebanon. In Lebanon the PLO began new raids and attacks on Israeli borders, which eventually ignited the 1982 First Lebanon War. The fighting lasted nearly a year, in which Israeli forces managed to occupy southern Lebanon. This eventually led to the expulsion of Palestinians from Lebanon, and the establishment of Hezbollah. The PLO relocated to Tunisia, and eventually dispersed throughout the Middle East.

Palestinian Terrorism

Unable to match Israel's firepower, the Palestinians eventually turned to terrorist and guerrilla tactics. In the early 1970s terrorist organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Palestine People (PFLP), Black September, and the Red Army Faction began new operations to get world attention. The first major terrorist attack was the Lod Airport Massacre that killed 26 people in Tel Aviv, Israel. Then came the infamous Munich Massacre, carried out by Black September that killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Israel responded with a top-secret underground operation to eliminate many of these terrorists. One of the most notorious of these terrorists was a Venezuelan man named Carlos the Jackal, who joined the PFLP and led various diplomatic assaults such as the OPEC headquarters.  



The Oslo Accords

In 1987, during the First Intifada, Palestinians began an uprising on Israeli-occupied territory throughout the Gaza, West Bank, and East Jerusalem. This was a series of demonstrations, protests, civil disobedience, general strikes, and boycotts against Israeli products. Although the Palestinians did not achieve independence through their massive revolution, they were invited once again to the United States to work out a negotiation with Israel. In 1993 President Bill Clinton welcomed the leader of Palestine Authority, Yasser Arafat and Israeli President Yitzhak Rabin to sign the Oslo Accords. This agreement recognized the Palestinian Authority and called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and West Bank. 

Second Intifada

Most Palestinians were still unsatisfied with the Oslo Accords, and by the early 1990s, a political-military organization known as Hamas, grew popular amongst Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories. Hamas began new campaigns of terrorist attacks against Israelis. By early 2000, Palestinian tension once again spilled out into the streets with the start of another uprising known as the Second Intifada. This uprising was much more violent than the first. Israeli managed to quell the tension along the West Bank, however things got extremely heated over the Gaza Strip. By 2005, Hamas had taken over the Gaza Strip and Israel was forced to withdraw. The Israeli forces, however, returned in 2008, to reclaim this territory by launching an air assault during the Gaza War.

Meanwhile, in 2006 the Lebanese organization of Hezbollah, began a new campaign of raids on northern Israel, that sparked the 2006 Second Lebanon War. This conflict lasted for 34 days, and resulted in a UN resolution that called for the disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli forces withdrew from South Lebanon.


Recent Diplomacy

The Israeli-Palestinian tension continues to this day, with ongoing border disputes. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have tried to push for new settlements and diplomacy between the two. President Obama has made great efforts to reach out to the Arabs, by calling for a consideration of the 1967 borders. This was however, unacceptable to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The Palestine Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, has thus began a new diplomatic campaign to call for Palestinian Statehood. This recent development has caused some major division amongst the United Nations, of whether to consider their request or to encourage bilateral negotiations.

This is an extremely difficult situation for President Obama, who wants to work with the Palestinians, yet must ultimately side with Israel and encourage bilateral negotiations. However it appears, in my opinion, that Netanyahu has no desire whatsoever to recognize Palestine as a state. Meanwhile the United Nations has already begun to move forward, in approving various aspects of Palestine Statehood. Once again this puts the United States in a very awkward position, who have always sided with Israel and just recently were forced to pull their funding from UNESCO. At this point my hope is that America will not pull it's funding from the United Nations, in order to support Israeli stubbornness.

Final Opinion


The Palestinians have a right to be angry with the Israelites, who practically took away their land. It's a situation very similar to our Native Americans, who were slowly relocated and removed due to a belief known as the Manifest Destiny. However to be fair, the Zionist Movement is a little different because at least the Israelis had ancient roots in the land and therefore should not be considered conquerors. To add to the complexities, was the atrocities of WWII, the Holocaust, and a growing fervor of antisemitism. The nation of Israel finally gave Jews a place to establish their identity. Of course it was at the expense of the Palestinian people.

Throughout the past 50 years of armed struggle, Israel has managed to keep quite an impressive hold on this promise land, surrounded by Arabian opposition, much thanks to financial and military support from the United States and Britain. I feel however that both sides (the Palestinians and the Israelis) have a fair argument in this conflict, and should be handled with a balanced diplomatic approach.