BAYTO MESKEREM-I

kab lieba teqebal lieba!

Hager — Thur, 05 Nov 2009 01:49:42 GMT

Hade Hasawi Sere-Eritrea zKone jihadawi ba'ta znezHo were " selfi demokrasi " teqebila ktbazHo mftana azyu zeHzn 'yu :: 'ti merzam jihadawi zmehazo were 'ntay ybl " Eritrea nHusiyin / deqi yemen / ab mdra tElmom ala " ::

Forum: Bayto Meskerem

RE: MUST WATCH: America's "SAWA" program, in the 1930s

Halaka — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:47:54 GMT

Although it makes me feel uncomfortable to bring this clip from Ethiopianreview.com, which seem to support the regime in Eritrea. But there is a huge difference between the American SAWA, and the Eritrean Sawa, for the American SAWA was short and the kids were well-fed, an average weight gained in the American SAWA was almost 12 pounds, while the average Eritrean Sawa kid loses double the amount the average American SAWA kids gained. Reason: the senior PFDJ officials take the rations to their homes and relatives as well as distribute it to distant relatives at the expense of Sawa kids slaving for Eritrea.

Quote:

After watching this program, I realized what the Eritreans are doing with Sawa. Here you will see an identical program. The only difference is the period in which the measure of introducing the program.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/ccc/

I do not understand why Weyane operators here tell their bosses to tackle hunger through Civilian Conservation Corps (SAWA).

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Modern-day Archie Bunker Jr. is still ranting at the President, this time he surpasses all expectations

Halaka — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:52:16 GMT

This idiot is truly nuts, Rush Limbaugh (aka Modern-day Archie Bunker Jr.), he is more nuts than I gave him credits for. He is still ranting against the most liked and beloved President of the United States of America. On Sunday morning Bunker Jr. had an interview with the fox news, Wallace. The interview was about 30 minutes (online), and in this interview Archie Bunker Jr. talks about his anger (self doubt) and his resentment over the current administration, once again trumpeting his empty bravado leveling baseless accusations. This guy is a failure in life, like his old pal (GWB) education is his pet-peeve, only high-school under his belt, yet he calls the most sedulous president as attention seeking star. President Obama is recognized by the world as peace loving man, and methodically persevering President when making decisions. Bunker Jr. also accuses the President of not having the qualifications, we all know the qualifications Bunker Jr. has, high school! This low-life degenerate who was busted ingesting poorman's (cheap) drug, oxycotin. In the past I tried to gentle over his weakness to drugs as being vulnerability to "painkiller," but after listening to his Sunday rant, I have to be honest to the reader. The fact is, oxycotin is a a stimulant, which Bunker Jr. was using to help him get to a fantasy land, just like them young boys conscripted to carryout suicide bombing mission, which they are told they will live in a fantasy land with 70 virgins. Bunker Jr. is lucky to be white, if he was an African America, he would not be hired back with a decent income as Bunker Jr after having been busted ingesting illegal drug.

This guy has very little to no achievement in his life, except a few radio jockey positions, which for a high school graduate it cannot get any better than that. The only requirement to be a radio jockey like this thickheaded beast is to have thick voice, almost every crackhead I see in the street has thick voice. Bunker Jr. also calls Mr. Biden as self aggrandizing pompous, this guy is breaking all the norms set by society, for instance a nurse aide cannot rub elbows with a doc, and a laborer cannot rub elbows with a CEO, and Bunker Jr. cannot trade criticisms with the most trusted and respected minds in Washington! Am I the only one that see this guy is trying to circumvent all the layered achievement boundaries to chat with the President??? Just because he was friends with one anti-reading and anti-education president (G.W.B) does not automatically mean he has the right to exchange criticism with another President. For this one is pro-reading and pro-education, plus he is properly elected President, don't you ever forget that Bunker Jr. Even for me with a college degree, you are far beneath my level to exchange, so you should be ecstatic that I am taking my precious few minutes (worth more than yours) to write this response to your rant. The only way one can describe this guy is like a small and angry salmon competing against th flow with a wiser and bigger fish. Know your level Bunker Jr. He also said, he loves this country, which is untrue. Just six months ago he said on public he wants America to fail.

So much so, he calls the President "imature" and "man-child" to belittle him. Bunker Jr. get it through your thick scull, unlike you Mr. Obama worked hard to get through degree after degree, I should know how hard an African American need to work in order to get through people who similar ideology as you. The president works hard to earn the respect of his peers, unlike the previous one Bunker Jr. had access to. I wish it was illegal and punishable by law for one to speak over his head, Bunker Jr. would go broke. You Bunker Jr. are the imature man-child who is stuck in a sixteen year old mental capacity, still savoring on a high-school football team, which you barely made a cut. You are right, people consider you as the angry white guy, because you are an angry whiteman who wants everything to be given to you without working hard for it. When you see others (especially blacks) work hard and achieve, you turn against them, because they are able to do it and you are npot able to withstand the pressure to do just like them.

People like modernday Archie Bunker you never admit their weakness, instead they keep on pointing on others for they do not have the mental capacity and intellectual quotient to understand what they are lacking, again, because you are a 58 year old guy trapped in a sixteen year old mental capacity boy. That's why you are an imature manchild, do you understand that Bunker Jr. (or man trapped in a boy's mind)??? Many of your past derogatory comments revolve around African Americans depicting them in a negative way, even when they are high achievers. Bunker Jr., you are truly the character people describe in books and films as the chaperone of a grand-wizard covered with white sheet.

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Meb Keflezighi has done it in the US, as Tadese did it in Europe two weeks ago, is it a double celebration for Eritrea?

Halaka — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:14:14 GMT

This is a great November day for Meb Keflezighi. I have a feeling, he is going to be making a lot more commercial now. The contribution of the Eritrean-American community is coming in style, some with head others with muscle, I think the US should take those contributions into account when crafting a policy in the Horn region. Meb Keflezighi should also consider politics, may be he is good at it just like running. A few more of Eritreans with balanced heads may give the region a leg up to march toward sustainable growth while improving living standard.

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Al-Shabab says they will attack Eritrea!

Oromay — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:21:48 GMT

Somali News

Somalia: Al-Shabab says they will attack Asmara

Mogadishu Saturday 31 October 2009 SMC

Al-Shabab an Islamist faction in Somalia which America say is Al-Qaida proxy in Somalia has disclosed that they will sooner or later attack Asmara the capital of Eritrea.

They said Eritrea is a country which is against the interest of the Muslim people, and has included it the list of the countries which they have sent their threat massages.

In their statement they also said that Eritrea is not a friend and has no relationship with the Muslim countries in the world wide and in this case they will attack her.

Somalia consists of 18 provinces and 10 out of the 18 are in our hands and soon we shall bring the others into our hands, these regions we are talking about include the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and the breakaway state of Somaliland said Sheikh Suldan Mohammed Aalla Mohammed addressing a huge crowd in the town Marka in the lower shabelle region in southern Somalia.

Apart from Eritrea the other countries they said that they will attack include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Ghana and Israel.

Al-Shabab has earlier threatened to attack the capital cities of Uganda and Burundi, and after their declaration of the attacks on these two cities the government of Uganda has putted extra oppressions on the Somalis in Kampala the capital of Uganda.

Mohammed Omar Hussein+2521-5519235 shiinetown@hotmail.com

source:

OUCH !

***** A "wanna get away?" moment ******

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Who do you think should be the first president of the EU?

Gezae — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:12:48 GMT

Gordon Brown has said Tony Blair is an excellent candidate to be the first president of the European Council if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified. Do you agree?

The British PM told a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels they should grasp a unique opportunity to get a strong progressive politician as president. He added that Mr Blair had not declared himself as a candidate, and until the Lisbon Treaty has been ratified the post itself will not exist.

While some countries have expressed support for Mr Blair's candidacy, others are cooler on the idea. Germany, the most powerful nation in the EU, has yet to declare its position, and the prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, has already emerged as a serious rival.

Who would you like to see as president of the European Council? What type of role should the president have? Would you back Tony Blair as EU president?

Other names in the frame

Read the full story

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"Angola-gate" actors get justice, what about "Somali-Contra" actors

Halaka — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:46:35 GMT

Well, now that we have "Angola-gate" weapon trafficking ring is clipped for defying UN arms embargo against Angola, by selling most damaging explosives that are now killing hundreds of civilians long after the war is over. The question is will the Somali-Contra actors be treated the same way, will they receive justice? We will drum up this violation to the highest level there is and make sure Madam Susan Rice and Madam Hillary Clinton receive a just trial. We are currebtly documenting the number of Somalis dying because of the weapons sent to Somalia even after the UN embargoed arms transfer against any party within Somalia. We will present our case before the international body to see if Americans can receive the same justice as Russian-Israeli and French-Canadian citizens.

Quote:

Jail terms for 'Angola-gate' guilty

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Arkadi Gaydamak, a Russian-born Israeli businessman and Pierre Falcone, his French associate, have been sentenced to six-year jail terms for organising the illegal trafficking of weapons to Angola.

Arkadi Gaydamak

Gaydamak, who fled France before the trial, and Falcone were among 42 politicians, businessmen and members of the Paris elite accused of defying a UN embargo to arm the Angolan government during a civil war in the 1990s.

Charles Pasqua, France's former interior minister, was handed a one-year jail term on Tuesday for his involvement in the case dubbed "Angola-gate."

Jean Christophe Mitterand, left, was given a suspended sentence and a $550,000 fine

Jean-Christophe Mitterrand, the son of France's late president, was handed a two-year suspended sentence and fined $550,000 for receiving commissions linked to the illegal arms deals.

Al Jazeera's David Chater, reporting from the court in Paris, said many people do not believe that justice has been carried out.

"Many people that I've spoken to here ... say that really they've only half-lifted the veil - that many people have escaped justice and they've escaped the spotlight," he said.

But he added that Gaydamak, who is now believed to be in Russia, "has escaped the long arm of French justice", and that Pasqua, who is now in his eighties, will find it hard to cope with his jail sentence.

Gaydamak had initially fled to Israel from France, even standing for mayor of Jerusalem during attempts to extradite him.

Falcone, who holds French, Canadian and Angolan citizenship, and was Angola's ambassador to the UN cultural body Unesco, had claimed diplomatic immunity in the case, but this was overturned by the judge.

Weapons arsenal

The alleged weapons arsenal, which included 420 tanks, 150,000 shells, 170,000 anti-personnel mines, 12 helicopters, and six warships, is said to have propped up the government of Eduardo Dos Santos, the then-president, during its war against the US-backed Unita rebels.

Angola is littered with mines, a legacy of the civil war that killed thousands of people

The arms sales began in 1993, when Francois Mitterrand was president, and continued into 1998, three years into the presidency of his successor, Jacques Chirac.

Prosecutors argued that the shipment was in itself illegal, although the main defendants disputed this, and claim that millions of dollars were skimmed off the contract to pay bribes to senior French and Angolan figures.

Although no Angolan officials have been indicted, court papers allege that Dos Santos and his inner circle received millions of dollars in kickbacks.

Several defendants have also said the trade was carried out in full view of the French authorities, but that the government kept quiet to protect an important source of oil.

Angola pushed to have the trial abandoned as relations soured between the countries.

In 2008, Nicolas Sarkozy, the president, visited Angola in an effort to mend ties strained by the case.

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Kubur President Issias' Son Joined Sawa !!

Oromay — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:06:52 GMT

I know it's not a big deal but Kubur President did send his son to Sawa.
We've heard so much childish accusations coming from the off-position, and with this news may their lying lips be silenced, and their tongues cleave to their palate.

Eritreas Political Process Will Not Be Derailed At All from Its Independent Political Path: President Isaias

Asmara, 27 October 2009 In an interview he conducted with the US media outlet grouping 30 newspapers with a circulation of over 2 million, President Isaias Afwerki underscored that Eritreas political process will not be derailed at all from its independent political path under any external pressure.

Replying to a question as to when the Eritrean Constitution would become functional, the President pointed out that the nation is engaged in laying the groundwork for a political order that ensures equitable opportunities and human dignity. In this respect, he stressed that Eritrea says No! to those quarters that try to compel us accept their ill-conceived prescriptions in the name of 'constitution' and 'democracy' through abandoning our journey towards instituting social harmony.

President Isaias further underlined that the nation would certainly build a political order aimed at ensuring social harmony and stability on the basis of our independent choice that would enable every citizen to obtain due reward for his/her toil.

In a reply he gave to a question by the reporter from the McClatchy Groups regarding mining and other resources, the President explained that our focus is on an enduring economic strategy, which would guarantee sustainable development and not on exploiting resources for temporary benefits. In this connection, he stated that the countrys development strategy aims at putting in place the requisite material infrastructure and superstructure, achieve food security, as well as expansion of education and heath services.   Moreover, President Isaias emphasized the need to effectively harness mineral resources in a manner that benefits future generations.

In an extensive reply he gave regarding the current economic situation in Eritrea, the President noted that a solid foundation has been laid over the past years for ensuring economic emancipation and national development. The pillar of Eritreas national development strategy is that of ensuring food security, he added. Indicating that various programs are under implementation, he stated that conducive atmosphere has already been created for achieving food security in the not distant future.

On allegations that Eritrea does not respect religious freedom, President Isaias underscored that in the first place one should understand that there exists clear distinction between religion and religion-based politics. Religion implies belief, whereas religion-based politics is a political agenda pursued in the name of religion. In Eritrea religion was introduced not through compulsion but rather free will, he elucidated.

The President further pointed out that ever since the introduction of Christianity in Eritrea in the 4th century and Islam in the 7th century, the Eritrean people have been and continue to co-exist in peace, stability and harmony. In this regard, he dismissed as nonsensical the attempts being made to deploy new groups with a political mission under the guise of religions through applying open and discreet pressure as well as incentive to people, which in turn clearly constitutes a violation of fundamental religious rights.

President Isaias went on to say that in view of the fact that such notorious action embodies political and security agenda that goes beyond religion and belief, the people and Government of Eritrea would not give any room to this type of futile ploy.

Expressing surprise with the coincidence of the question asked by the reporters from McClatchy Groups and Reuters News Agency on separate but recent occasions regarding the so-called free press, the contents of which are similar both in spirit and letter, the President pointed out that Eritrea is not prepared to endorse the notion of free press that in actuality seeks to inculcate loyalty to a few special interest groups and safeguard their narrow interests.

Asked if Eritrea is worried about the non-existence of any change in the region, especially Eritrea, vis--vis President Obamas visit to the Middle East and the promise he made, President Isaias indicated that the people and Government of Eritrea are not like those parties keen to fall in line with the changing moods in Washington. In this respect, he shed light on the fact that relations between states does not flourish and wilt overnight, and the impediments created by previous US Administrations could not be redressed in one go.

Noting that the prevailing famine and its distressing aftermath in East Africa, especially in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya is but an outcome of their policy of aid dependency, the President highlighted that on the contrary, the implementation of development programs are in full swing in Eritrea thanks to the formulation of realistic policies and the proper deployment of human and material resources.

He also pointed out that Eritrea is not unduly concerned with the distorted statistical data disseminated by the United Nations and its agencies claiming as if there exists shortage of harvest in the country.

As regards the youth who completed and are still fulfilling their national obligation in Sawa, President Isaias explained that the program is in essence a national service, and not military conscription. All the ongoing development programs across the nation are being implemented through the participants of the program, he added.

On the issue of Eritrean nationals migrating abroad, the President pointed out that the incidence of migration is a global phenomenon, and as such it is not Eritrean's alone. He further asserted that any Eritrean citizen who illegally migrated abroad is free to return home and make due contribution to the nation.

Replying to a question on the logic behind sending his son to Sawa Military Training Center and his free movement in all corners of the country, including the streets of Asmara City without military entourage, President Isaias said that the Eritrean people struggled in unison for tens of years to achieve independence, and that as part and parcel of such a struggle, it is natural to lead this type of normal life. There exists no discriminatory policy in Eritrea, he asserted.

On allegations on the part of some quarters claiming that Eritrea is an isolated country, the President underscored that as far as the Eritrean people and their leadership are concerned, the nation comes first before and above anything else. Stating that the parties that are really isolated are the ones who are neglected from their own people and nation, he affirmed that on the contrary, the Eritrean government lives for the sake of the people, among the people and with the people, and this conviction constitutes a decisive factor. And as safeguarding the nations sovereignty and independent choice still remains before and above anything else, the Eritrean government would never compromise such a lofty objective under any circumstance, President Isaias underscored.

Pointing out that Eritreas foreign policy being an extension of domestic policy is anchored on mutual respect, he emphasized that Eritrea is not keen to be a party to the establishment of alliances that compromises its sovereignty and dignity; neither does it aspire towards that.

The President further stated that it is not surprising at all to witness the existence of certain quarters with narrow interest and their accomplices that seek to portray Eritrea as if it were isolated from the international community, besides praying for the materialization of their wicked daydreams. In actual fact, however, they are the very ones that are despised by their own people and the world public at large, he underlined.

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Glory, Glory,God Is Great. Eritrea Did It Again !

Ambulance — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:57:22 GMT

The London Half Marathon has just concluded. And the winner is..... hurray, hurray!... our Zeresenai Tadesse. Another proud moment for the Beloved Eritrea. Congratulations. I don't know about you folks-- Myself,I am going out and getting stoned.

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International Menetary Fund (IMF) busted in a money-laundry ring

Halaka — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:49:42 GMT

Just like World Bank (WB) in 2007, International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been busted red-handed! It seems corruption is okay as long as they are doing it, and when some of as at the bottom are charged with petty theft we are left with crippling record, essentially preventing us from ever having to hold a job, but when they do it it's understandable mistake and can be corrected by paying back the loot. In particular, these two "international" financial institutions are just as corrupted as the dictatorial regimes they fund, IMF and WB.

A few days ago, WB accused the Meles regime having to favor party owned conglomerate over individually owned smaller businesses, yet they still approved over $350 million grant, while they add $130 million in the form of soft loan that can be paid back in a long term arrangement. The question here is they knew the regime is corrupted and favoring its own conglomerate over other smaller businesses, yet they still went ahead with the grant and "loan." This is why the African dictators refuse to step aside, because every time they please their financiers they kinda get a tip, the tip can be in the form of investement in their family member's name somewhere in the off-shore account.

Quote:

IMF corruption exposed

October 27th, 2009

Senegal admits IMF 'money gift'

(BBC) Senegal has confirmed it gave money to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official earlier this month, after previously denying the allegations.

Alex Segura was given almost $200,000 (122,000) at the end of his three-year posting money which the IMF says was paid back as quickly as it could be.

Prime Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye said it was a goodbye present part of an African tradition.

But opposition activists have condemned what they regard as a corrupt payment.

The fund said in a statement Mr Segura was given the present after a dinner with President Abdoulaye Wade, but did not realize the gift was money until he was about to leave the country for Barcelona.

"With Mr Segura worried about missing his flight, and concerned that there was no place to leave the money safely in Senegal, he decided to take the money aboard the plane," Reuters quoted the IMF as saying.

The cash was handed over to Senegal's ambassador in Spain.

Government 'exposed'

The BBC's Hamadou Tidiane Sy, in Dakar, says the affair has sparked anger and outrage in Senegal.

He says Senegalese want to know why an IMF official was allowed to leave the country with so much money, and they also want to see whether anyone will be punished.

Anti-corruption campaigner Mamadou Mbodj said the case should be referred to the country's High Court of Justice.

"It is unacceptable in a poor country like ours to use the taxpayers' money to reward international civil servants who are already highly paid for their jobs", he told the BBC.

Aissata Tall Sall, spokeswoman for the Socialist Party, said the government had "exposed its true nature to the rest of the world".

She called for international sanctions and said it was unacceptable for the IMF and government to consider the issue closed.

The president has not commented on the affair, but Mr Ndiaye admitted the gift was given, while denying corruption.

"We in Africa have a tradition when someone visits you, you give him a gift at departure," he told local media.

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Crooked Billionaires who have defrauded the unsuspecting consumers are taking easy way out

Halaka — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:15:00 GMT

Nowadays, things are coming back to normalcy in their own way. Billionaires who have been defrauding the unsuspecting consumers are taking easy way out as they learn the noose is getting closer. Picard was sued by people who lost their life savings in the Madoff black-hole. Just like Ken Lay of Enron, Mr. Picard too is finalizing his greed driven ride with "vacation" exit strategy. Up until recently he was dismissing the charges of having to withdraw much more than he put into the Madoff black-hole, but as lawyers scrutinized the case he realized that he could not hide anymore, hence comes exist strategy. What better way to finish life than doing it in the vacation homes? After all these dollar blinded hogs have had plenty of vacations at the expense of unsuspecting consumer, well nature has its own way of dealing with fraudsters, just like the Romans would, when one is stuck between the rock and a hard place always prefer to exit in less dramatic way than their loot can afford'em. Their exit strategy seems suggested rather than accepted way of exit, most do it because they prefer to exit rather than having to return the loot.

Quote:
Madoff friend Jeffry Picower found dead in pool

Mon Oct 26, 9:18 AM

By Pascal Fletcher

MIAMI (Reuters) - Palm Beach billionaire and philanthropist Jeffry Picower, described as the biggest beneficiary of Bernard Madoff's fraud, died on Sunday after he was found lying at the bottom of the pool at his home, police said.

Police were investigating the death of the 67-year-old investor as a drowning, local media reported.

Picower was pulled unconscious from the pool of his multimillion-dollar oceanside home, called Casa del Sud, by his wife and a housekeeper. He was later pronounced dead, the Palm Beach Post reported quoting police and Fire Rescue officials.

Picower and his wife, Barbara, were friends of Wall Street financier Madoff, who is serving a 150-year sentence after pleading guilty to running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme.

The trustee handling the Madoff fraud case, Irving Picard, said in court documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York late last month that Picower, newly listed as one of the 400 wealthiest Americans by Forbes magazine, was complicit in the fraud.

Part of Picard's filing said: "Based upon the trustee's investigation to date, Picower was the biggest beneficiary of Madoff's scheme, having withdrawn either directly or through the entities he controlled more than $7.2 billion of other investors' money."

Picower was being sued for the $7.2 billion, $2 billion more than the trustee in the case demanded in May.

The Palm Beach Post reported he was not breathing when he was pulled from the pool and paramedics worked unsuccessfully for 20 minutes at the scene to try to revive him.

Local WPTV quoted the Palm Beach fire chief as saying he was told by Picower's wife and housekeeper that the elderly investor had gone swimming in the pool of his house and that 15 minutes later they found him lying at the bottom.

Marcia Horowitz, a spokeswoman for the Picowers' attorney William Zabel, said the family was devastated by the loss.

"Mr Picower did have health issues. He suffered from Parkinsons disease and did have heart-related medical issues," she said.

MADOFF FRAUD DEVASTATED WEALTHY COMMUNITY

Madoff found many investors for his multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme in the wealthy Palm Beach community where he also had a home, since seized along with other assets.

The collapse of the scheme last December devastated families and charitable foundations in the sunny beachside playground, one of America's richest towns.

The scandal led to a number of suicides among participating investors. In December, Frenchman Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, co-founder of money manager Access International, was found dead with his wrists slashed, reportedly distraught over losing up to $1.4 billion in client money to Madoff's fraud.

In February, a former British soldier, William Foxton, 65, killed himself after losing his life savings in the scheme.

Picower was listed 371st and worth $1 billion on the latest published Forbes list.

He started out as an accountant and lawyer and then made money investing in the medical sector.

He and his wife headed a philanthropy, the Picower Foundation. The foundation closed when the Madoff fraud unraveled last December.

A spokeswoman for Zabel, the Picowers' attorney, has rejected Picard's accusations against Picower as "false and outrageous claims ... based on a misreading of the purported 'facts'."

She said the Picowers initiated discussions to reach a settlement with the trustee, who is winding down Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.

Picard, who is leading a global search under the Securities Investor Protection Act to recover money for thousands of defrauded investors, has collected about $1.5 billion, but has sued for some $15 billion.

The case is Irving H. Picard, trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC v. Jeffry M. Picower 09-01197 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

(Reporting by Pascal Fletcher and Grant McCool, editing by Chris Wilson)

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New Interview Video - President Issias Afewerki

Oromay — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:50:43 GMT

REUTERS:
New Interview Video of President Issias Afewerki
(courtesy of EastAfro.com)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

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Kenya's dictatorial criminal making trouble for living

Halaka — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:31:31 GMT

Kenya's dictatorial criminal is still embroiled in fueling war in Somalia against all commonsense even as the ICC is looking him in the eye, as some from State Department who was dancing on the podium during her last visit to Nairobi, a form of endorsemnet of what he is doing, backsliding on Democracy. Such tolerance is encouraging Kibabki to continue on making trouble for living, just like the dictator from Addis. Kibaki knows well his ways are about to be halted and what he is doing is not going to get him anywhere, but expedite the down spiral to the deepest sewage filth with Zenawi where they belong.

Kenya and Ethiopia are amongst the harshest hit countries as far as starvation and man-made (failed policy) hunger is concerned. But they are focussed on making more trouble to please the master with total disregard to their immediate responsibility, the well-being of their people.

Quote:

Rights group urges Kenya to stop military recruitment of refugees By Moni Basu, CNN
October 25, 2009 -- Updated 1438 GMT (2238 HKT)

(CNN) -- A global human rights group is urging Kenya to stop Somali military recruiters from enlisting displaced men and boys in Kenya's sprawling Dadaab refugee camps to fight in their war against Islamic militants.

"Recruitment of fighters in refugee camps undermines their very purpose, which is to be a place of refuge from conflict," said Letta Tayler, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, who spent a week interviewing refugees for the group's Thursday report about the practice. "The boys and men who are in these camps risked their lives to flee. Now they're being asked to return to that."

She said allowing recruiters to enlist young refugees in a new force intended to fight on behalf of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government is a violation of U.N. regulations that govern refugee camps.

The Kenyan government, however, rejects charges that it is aiding in Somali military recruitment.

"The government will not allow any recruitment of anyone in Kenya for any activity touching on foreign nations. Neither will recruitment of Kenyans for work in Somalia be allowed," said a statement from government spokesman Alfred Mutua, issued earlier this month."

The Dadaab camps, built to house 90,000 people about 15 years ago, now serve as home to more than 280,000 refugees, mostly from Somalia, forming the largest concentration of refugees in the world, according to Human Rights Watch.

More than 50,000 people have arrived in the camps since January 2009. Many of the newcomers are fleeing a brutal war between Somalia's shaky transitional government and armed opposition groups, including the militant Al Shabaab.

Somali and Kenyan officials who support the transitional government, fear the reach of Al Shabaab could easily spread. The group, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization, controls large parts of southern Somalia and the capital, Mogadishu. In the past, sources have told CNN that Al Shabaab also recruits fighters in Kenyan refugee camps.

Tayler said the recruits are transported in Kenyan military and government trucks to a state facility near the coastal city of Mombasa for military training.

Initially, Tayler traveled to the Dadaab camps to research the situation within Somalia, since it is nearly impossible to operate in that country these days. But when she arrived, she began hearing persistent reports of military recruitment. She began interviewing people and learned that recruitment was occurring openly at tea stalls and market places.

She said recruiters began circulating in the camps in early October and since then, hundreds of people had been lured with promises of money and claims that the United Nations was backing the new army.

"It's recruitment under false pretenses," Tayler said. "Recruiters play fast and loose with the facts and it's very easy for vulnerable people to want to believe this.

"I was very surprised by the extent of the recruitment," she said.

One 15-year-old boy gave this account to Tayler and her colleagues:

"I had never seen those men around before. They told me they would employ me and give me $600 to be a military man. They told me I would be taken for training inside of Kenya and then taken to Somalia. They said I will be fighting Al Shabaab, who are slaughtering people. I said, 'No, I do not want to do that, I am a student.' I told them if I get an education I can help myself and my family instead of being sent to war and dying. But now I am regretting it -- my father cannot afford the uniform for school and the teacher always chases me from class."

An elderly man told Human Rights Watch that his educated son believed he was joining a U.N. army.

"So I gave him my blessing and he has my total support," the man said.

Tayler said Human Rights Watch wants the Kenyan government and the United Nations to shut down the recruitment efforts.

"We're not saying the Kenyan government should not fear the seepage ," she said. "But what we're saying is: play by the rules."

Human Rights Watch has documented war crimes and human rights abuses by all sides in the Somali conflict, which has caused thousands of civilian deaths and massive displacement.

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DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT - A GOOD READ!

Oromay — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:51:30 GMT

I found the following article very thought provoking piece, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who desires a good intellectual read !
Happy Reading.

Democracy and Development

The American essayist Agnes Repplier once wrote, "Democracy forever teases us with the contrast between its ideals and its realities, between its heroic possibilities and its sorry achievements." That pretty well sums up the conundrum often faced by the development community as it works with governments to help bring prosperity to a developing country -- at what point should the balance tip towards democracy rather development? Everyone would like to see people enjoy political freedom and live in a country that respects human rights. Those ideals are found among other liberal values encompassed by the term "democracy." But democracy encompasses a lot of other traits that often make development difficult -- especially representational democracy. I have noted before that single-party states generally have an easier time developing because single-party governments are better able to make difficult decisions about investing in critical infrastructure (or granting monopolies to people who will build it) when they are surrounded by wants and needs on every side. Infrastructure is critical to attracting foreign direct investment and FDI is critical for creating jobs, supporting a sustainable middle class, and launching a country on the road to prosperity. As a result of investing in infrastructure, governments are in much better position to address other needs.

For those reasons, you will more often find people in the development community talking more about human rights than democracy. The American pacifist Abraham Johannes (A.J.) Muste (1885-1967) remarked, "The survival of democracy depends on the renunciation of violence and the development of nonviolent means to combat evil and advance the good." The history of democracy in developing countries, however, is filled with violence and evil .

"In the poor world, elections often seem to be accompanied by violence, civil war or worse. Over the past two years, in Africa alone, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Kenya have all experienced widespread unrest during and immediately after general elections. These ballots not only precipitated killing and maiming; the violence also seemed to discredit democracy itself. It allowed critics, such as China, to lecture the West on the inherent divisiveness of democracy; best not to bother, is the verdict from the East. And if your family has been incinerated in a church in Kenya in a bout of ethnic cleansing triggered by an election, who is to say that the Chinese are so wrong? That is an uncomfortable question for Americans and Europeans."

The article is actually a review of Paul Collier's book entitled Wars, Guns, and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places." The article continues:

"The author challenges a lot of lazy Western thinking about the trajectory that poor countries should take to improve their lot. Mr Collier is an academic economist, and applies quantitative research to democracy and government in the countries he looks at. His teams of researchers use data from household surveys, election results and the like to give statistical substance to some broad assertions. The results sometimes restate the obvious, but just as often they are new and provocative. Most important, he shows unambiguously what observers of elections in poor countries have long suspected: that on their own, unless they are held in the context of a functioning democracy, elections can retard rather than advance a countrys progress. 'If democracy means little more than elections, it is damaging to the reform process,' he writes. ... Mr Collier observes that elections begin to pay dividends to society only when they occur in a system of checks and balances, with a functioning rule of law: 'As with elections and reform, democracy is a force for good as long as it is more than a faade.' That thought alone should make all Western donors and United Nations officials pause long and hard before doling out more millions of dollars to support so-called democratic elections in Congo, Nigeria or, maybe this year, Sudan."

Collier isn't arguing against the international community pressing authoritarian governments to protect human rights or provide citizens basic freedoms. He's arguing that elections can be divisive. Based on the current state of U.S. politics, you would think that lesson would be well understood in America. Development simply can't get a toehold in a divided country. In the book, Collier also points to ethnic identity as a challenge to development when elections are involved. Another challenge is "the presence of a large pool of underemployed, testosterone-charged youths." The review continues:

"Economic development is 'a key remedy to violence', he argues; you may not be able to take the testosterone out of young thugs, but creating jobs gives them something to do other than take up machetes. Rapid development, his research shows, is probably the most important determinant for maintaining peace. Aid alone does not achieve this; encouraging a flourishing private sector does. Likewise, creating a national identity helps to trump the politics of ethnic divisiveness by persuading people not to vote blindly for the party of their ethnic group, as happened in Kenya at the end of 2007. Mr Collier dwells on the example of Tanzania, where Julius Nyerere, the countrys first president, succeeded in building a strong sense of nationhood. The result is a relatively long-standing peace, despite the historic differences that still prevail between the mainland and Zanzibar."

I wholeheartedly agree with Collier's conclusions about the importance of rapid development in helping reduce violence and securing a better future for the world's bottom billion. However, The Economist doesn't agree with all of the solutions offered by Collier in his book; but nevertheless concludes:

"Mr Collier is thinking about these urgent and very difficult issues, something not many people are willing to tackle head-on. He has kicked off a debate that should be raging inside the development agencies and chancelleries of every Western capital, and in Africa and Asia too. The effort is surely worth it. This book was written before the recent knife-edge election in Ghana, a successful exercise in democracy, conducted in the most strained of circumstances. The rule of law prevailed. That will reassure outside investors and create a sound environment for the private sector. This is the sort of public good that elections and democracy should deliver, but so often dont. When it works, a good election can be a turning-point."

Dealing with ethnic challenges is not a simple matter. Anna Garlin Spencer, an American educator, feminist, and Unitarian minister (1851-1931), wrote: "The essence of democracy is its assurance that every human being should so respect himself and should be so respected in his own personality that he should have opportunity equal to that of every other human being to show what he was meant to become." That democratic ideal often butts against the cruel reality that historically minorities are not treated well by majorities. Rights are abused and indignities suffered. In the worst circumstances, ethnic cleansing is pursued as state policy. Under such conditions, trying to forge a national identity is often impossible. The result is the creation of autonomous areas, such as in Iraq, or the formation of new states, such as took place in the former Yugoslavia.

The dream of most ethnic groups is to have their own country -- and that can be a problem when it comes to development. I recall reading somewhere that there are approximately 5000 recognized ethnic groups in the world. If each of those ethnic groups decided they wanted their own country, it's obvious that few of them would be economically viable. That means that countries with more than one ethnic group within their borders must find a way to help those ethnic groups protect their culture but also identify with the larger national identity. That's not an easy task. Helping them develop a viable economy is also not easy. Take the case of the people living on the Tiwi Islands of Australia . Klinkenborg, a non-fiction writer and member of the New York Times editorial board, writes about a trip to the Tiwi Islands:

"Melville Island lies half an hour by small plane north of Darwin, Australia, at the very tip of the Northern Territory. ... Melville and Bathurst Island ( collectively known as the Tiwi Islands). ... The irregular broken cover of eucalyptuses native to the Tiwi Islands gives way to what look like geometrically planted orchards 75,000 acres of them. The trees in those long, straight rows are not fruit trees. Theyre fast-growing acacias, native to eastern, not northern Australia. What theyre good for is wood chips, the raw material of the paper industry. Great Southern Plantations the Perth-based company that ran the plantation collapsed in May, and a banking consortium that was helping support the wood-chip project is scheduled to pull out at the end of September. Great Southerns real business was not managing agricultural properties. It was selling managed investment schemes investments in its properties. But this is not just another forestry project gone awry 75,000 acres of bankrupt monoculture where there used to be native tropical woodland. The Tiwi Islands are aboriginal reserves. In other words, the islands are owned by 'traditional owners' the Australian phrase for its indigenous population living on traditional lands. The partnership with Great Southern Plantations was supposed to create as many as 300 jobs on Melville Island jobs that would go to Tiwi Islanders and leave behind, once its 60-year lease had expired, the infrastructure for a thriving forestry business. Whats left behind is a sense of desolation and distrust."

The problem that Klinkenborg is pointing out is one that affects a lot of ethnic minorities who find themselves living on land with few natural resources -- how can a sustainable economic base be created that takes advantage of local circumstances? Putting one's chips on a single bet (in this case wood chips!) is never a good idea. Tiwi Islanders were hoping to find a path that would lead to self-determination. Klinkenborg continues:

"The question ... just the economic loss involved the loss of jobs and royalties and individual investments. It the meaning of this failure, its demoralizing effect on a people who have been striving to find a way toward economic self-determination. Like traditional owners on the mainland, the Tiwi have had to struggle with the cruel vicissitudes of Australian policy toward its aboriginal population everything from the brutality of official racism to the confused tolerance that has come in more recent times with cultural and political empowerment. ... The more I listened, the more it seemed there was a forceful analogy between the plight of the Tiwis and the plight of all of us. How do we balance the need to find the economic wherewithal to educate children, to bolster self-confidence and a sense of self-determination, with the need to preserve our cultural integrity and our homelands? On Melville Island, the problem appears in its starkest form. The Tiwi tried to strike that balance with the best of corporate and governmental intent in hopes of a sound, self-determined future far brighter than their present. The good news in this failure is that it happened before Great Southern could expand its plantation as planned to 247,000 acres. And now, for the Tiwi, the question of the immediate economic future and their ultimate integrity as a people has to be reopened."

The experience on the Tiwi Islands underscores the difficulties that countries face when trying to protect minorities and, at the same time, try to secure a better future for everyone. There are no easy answers. Certainly the answers can't be found in any one form of government or even one form of democracy. The development community will continue to press governments to respect human rights, but it will also encourage them to develop strategies that lay the foundation for a brighter future. The late Dorothy Thompson, a conservative American journalist (1894-1961), once wrote: "Of all forms of government and society, those of free men and women are in many respects the most brittle. They give the fullest freedom for activities of private persons and groups who often identify their own interests, essentially selfish, with the general welfare." Only when self-interests are truly replaced with the common good is progress achieved.

Source:

Forum: Bayto Meskerem

Has the death and destruction'worth for Ethiopia in its past and present effort to control Eritrea?

gaba — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:28:05 GMT

Has the death and destruction'worth for Ethiopia in its past and present effort to control Eritrea? Answer that. Otherwise Eritrean independence whether the sacrifice is worth it or not is an Eritrean matter and is closed for good. I do not deny that there are a lot of problems currently .But eventually Eritrea is always better off without Ethiopia and no question about it.

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BAYTO MESKEREM-I

kab lieba teqebal lieba!

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DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT - A GOOD READ!

Democracy and Development

Has the death and destruction'worth for Ethiopia in its past and present effort to control Eritrea?

Quote:
Madoff friend Jeffry Picower found dead in pool