ALSO URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL ,
 Steve, Diomedes is going to jump all over me for even sending the ESA memo to 
Metts.  I told him that this message affects more than us and he thinks he 
has free reign within his region.  I am vacillating about whether to include 
the paragraph I put in  bold, but I do want everyone to know just how 
different this is from the sale of one asset.  The implications are much 
broader and we don't want to come off looking dishonest to our own people.  
And believe me, the rumors are out there.  I just don't want to make it worse 
instead of better and that is my principle concern.  In terms of the market 
finding out, we always say that our assets are always for sale so I don't 
think we are giving away anything new.

I have a draft of the proposed Office of the Chairman letter, (a DC version 
and a DH version) but need the Skilling input on what our international 
strategy  is.  I am caught here between a rock (DC) and a hard place (DH) and 
I really feel like we need the direction.  Both of them have been calling 
Skilling and we need to take his temperature.  If the message it the one 
Diomedes thinks it is, we definitely will not want to issue an all employee 
memo.  We would be telling about half the international people that there is 
no future for them.

Whew!  That's it for now.  My mission tomorrow is getting every possible 
question written for Jim for e-speak so he doesn't say something he should 
not.
Steven J Kean@EES