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SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 7:45AM

Jon Krakauer's Diabolical Lie: the assassins gloves come off

You've been bamzoobled, humbugged, thrown a red herring, and yet you want more? Far be it for me to disappoint the American need to build up our heros to pull them apart like the jackals we are, with blood dripping from our mouths--hero's steak tartar. Some writer's have developed a taste for this game, a new literary sport: Electronic AKC character assassination, take no prisoners, tell only half-truths if truth be needed at all. The Global Village now has assassins. The best defense against an assassin is to expose him. Let the fair fight begin - ding! On his attorney's advice Mortenson will not make public comments until the litigation in Montana has been completed. His attornies have requested the class action suit be dismissed without merit, the case goes to court this month. Some things are worth fighting for. The right to read is high on my list. The right to maintain your good name, also high on my list. The right to defame, lie and manipulate the media to steer traffic to you, Jon Krakauer, is also high on my list, and I'm happy to debunk you on the eve of your legal reckoning. Diabolical Lie #1: The Myth of Empty Schools (The best current estimate is there are 170 schools working with the CAI in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. However, since 1996, CAI has assisted more than 250 schools.) Let's start with the front page cover photo of Three Cups of Deceipt

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_15 One of Greg Mortenson's "empty" schools made the cover of the Random House paperback edition. Touble is, it's NOT CLOSED, NOT EMPTY:

Bozoi Gumbad School http://www.ikat.org/cai-communique/communique-comments/#CAI School on Roof of the World As of August 1, this primary school called CAIs Bozoi Gumbad School has three dozen children and three teachers had been holding classes for at least one month. The threeclassroom building with CAIs signature white sitara, or star, painted on the side is set on a grassy plain at about 12,800 feet altitude. It serves the nomadic Kyrgyz people, who move their yurts with the seasons to make the most of pastureland. The school convenes only during the summer and fall months. Why did Krakauer claim the school were empty? He did not bother to find nor initiate an accurate count. According to www.ikat.com: At least once a year, a U.S.-based CAI staff or Board member travels to the region to collect documentation, dedicate new schools and check on CAI projects. However, routine checks of the schools are, like the long-term relationships necessary to sustain this type of work, the responsibility of individual in-country project managers in conjunction with local education committees. That includes insuring that education is indeed taking place in these schools. How does IKAT know how many schools they have? They count, every year. Basic School Support - Stationary, school supplies, textbooks, furniture, playground equipment and monitoring by CAI contractors.

Basic-Plus School Support - Partial teachers' salaries/bonuses, stationary, school supplies, textbooks, furniture, playground equipment and monitoring by CAI contractors. Full School Support Teachers' salaries/bonuses, stationary, school supplies, textbooks, furniture, playground equipment and monitoring by CAI contractors. Government School Support: for more detailed information about their out reach work: http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/masterprojectlist.pdf Who and what ages are they teaching? Grade Levels Below is a list of grade levels that CAI supports. In some communities, schools are all inclusive. For example, a high school could include nursery through grade ten. Primary Nursery through class five Middle Class six through eight High Class nine and ten Higher Secondary Class eleven and twelve (equivalent high school diploma in USA) Student Enrollment Student enrollment figures on the CAI Master Project List are indicated as approximate and represent anticipated student capacity of the school and expected attendance. Actual number of students may vary or fluctuate throughout the year. Notes on Special Types of Schools & Situations SAP Schools - The World Bank, through its Social Action Program (SAP), built numerous schools in Northern Pakistan. The intent of the program was to split ongoing costs of operation 50/50 with the government of Pakistan. The World Bank honored its intention. The government of Pakistan was unable to fulfill its obligation. After 10 years, the World Bank concluded its investment in these schools. Community leaders in many villages that have SAP schools have requested CAI's assistance over the years. Government Schools in Afghanistan - Upon completion of school building, ownership is turned over to the Afghan government. CAI still provides support in many cases. Government Schools in Azad Kashmir - Upon completion of school building, ownership is turned over to the AK government. CAI still provides support in

many cases. Restricted Areas Foreigners are not allowed to travel to restricted areas without notifying the government in advance. The government grants permission by providing a No Objection Certificate (NOC). NOCs are often difficult to obtain for the following areas in which CAI provides support: Chapursan Valley, Northern Pakistan Azad Kashmir, Pakistan (earthquake-damaged area of 2005) Leepa Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan (war zone) Upper Kharmang Valley, Baltistan, Northern Pakistan (war zone) Geographical Name Spellings The names of CAI projects and their locations are, as much as possible, linked to the most common spellings available. However, because many of CAI's projects are located in conflict zones and/or areas where the regional