Marco Vicenzino represents a new generation of independent foreign policy thinkers that combines successful international private sector experience with profound insight into contemporary geo-politics to produce an informed global strategic perspective on issues, events and developments that drive world affairs in the 21st century. As a graduate of Oxford University and Georgetown University Law Center, Vicenzino has constantly distinguished himself through his ability to master and inter-connect a wide range of international topics and speak authoritatively on diverse media outlets around the world.
Vicenzino has provided commentary on CNN, BBC, NBC Nightly News, Fox, Al Jazeera, National Public Radio and many others. His writings and views have appeared in leading publications/websites including the New York Time- International Herald Tribune, Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report, Le Figaro, El Pais, Daily Star, Al Hayat, South China Morning Post and many others.
Vicenzino is a regular guest speaker, panelist, panel moderator and participant at international conferences, forums and institutes around the world. His public-speaking engagements on topics of global concern have included appearances in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. He also regularly hosts public and private high-level gatherings and roundtables.
As part of the State Department’s Strategic Speakers Initiative, Vicenzino is regularly called upon by the State Department to speak on world affairs in different countries around the world. One State Department official recently referred to a series of speeches given by Vicenzino in Europe about U.S. foreign policy and Afghanistan as “a complete success”. Vicenzino is also a guest speaker for the
Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), an international organization of company presidents from around the world. Vicenzino’s appearances in the US include the Department of Defense, US Naval Academy at Annapolis, World Bank, Council on Foreign Relations, Columbia University, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Northwestern’s Graduate School of Journalism and other venues. He has also been called upon to testify before the Permanent Council of Organization of American States.
Vicenzino is director of the
Global Strategy Project and senior advisor to PFC Energy and Quantum Financial Advisors. He is also a fellow of the
Foreign Policy Association and strategic advisor to the
Afghanistan World Foundation. Vicenzino served as strategic communications consultant to the World Bank and Deputy Executive Director for the Washington, DC office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS-US).
As an attorney admitted to the New York Bar, Mr. Vicenzino focused on international business transactions and government relations and taught International Law at the School of International Studies at American University in Washington, DC. As a business entrepreneur, Mr. Vicenzino served as founding member, general counsel and head of business development of the MapNetwork, an international technology enterprise, which is today owned by Nokia. As a social entrepreneur, Mr. Vicenzino has dedicated extensive time and efforts as an advocate and activist for humanitarian causes, particularly for the plight of Afghanistan. He continues to serve as an advisor to corporations and non-profits seeking expansion and opportunities in the U.S and overseas.
Vicenzino’s professional associations have included Term Membership of the Council on Foreign Relations, National Press Club, French-American Foundation, Atlantik Brucke, US-Spain Council, BMW Foundation, German Marshall Fund, Aspen Institute's Socrates Society, Aspen Berlin, Aspen Italia and the German Council on Foreign Relations. His languages include Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and he provides regular commentary in these respective languages.
As Americans troops continue to engage in their most important campaign since the Taliban fall in 2001, media attention has recently focused on another front: the war of words between the Obama administration and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Karzai blamed outsiders for last year’s election fiasco. He even rhetorically threatened to join the Taliban at least twice. In response, the Obama administration threatened to withdraw its invitation to the Afghan president for a scheduled May 12 meeting at the White House. This begs the simple question: How did we reach this point?
The frank series of exchanges between the Obama administration and Karzai is actually nothing new. They are a continuation of similar spats that ensued from late 2008 to early 2009. A cease-fire was reached but ill feelings persisted. The resumption of rhetorical hostilities has now intensified.
During the Bush years, there was generally a muted public response to corruption in Afghanistan. Whether this resulted from neglect, indifference or simply being overwhelmed by events in Iraq is subject to debate. The bottom line is that unsavory practices and activities flourished unabated for too long.
In his campaign eagerness to assume ownership of the Afghan war, Obama would inevitably inherit and confront this legacy. From the very beginning, President-elect Obama and his foreign policy team decided to do so head-on. Richard Holbrooke’s initial visit to Afghanistan, before his actual appointment as special envoy, went badly. He immediately clashed heads with Karzai, sowing the seeds for his own demise as an effective special envoy. Further rhetoric during the presidential transition period added more fuel to the fire.
Rumors began circulating that Obama was looking for alternatives to Karzai for Afghanistan’s presidential election. Karzai expeditiously and skillfully began maneuvering behind the scenes to firm up support among the various power factions. Alliances with dubious characters were forged. He even welcomed back to Afghanistan a suspected war criminal, General Rashid Dostum, to secure the minority Uzbek vote.
The Obama administration’s concerns and criticisms of Karzai have been legitimate. They have correctly pointing out the obvious. However, publicly antagonizing Karzai continuously has proven counter-productive and is unlikely to generate the desired results. Where Bush was tone-deaf, Obama needs to tone down. Administration officials need to bang the drum more in private and less in public.
Afghanistan is clearly not the Balkans where megaphone diplomacy and strong-arm tactics yielded dividends. In culturally sensitive societies like Afghanistan, saving-face means everything. How things are done diplomatically often counts more than what is actually achieved substantively.
A dramatic increase in U.S. troops scheduled in the coming months, including a planned offensive in Kandahar, further underscores the need for greater public unity and less discord. Differences and grievances must be handled more assiduously behind the scenes.
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