At the dawn of African Millennium, it is becoming clear that population explosion, global economic and ecological crisis is converting our youth into highly vulnerable targets for Global Terror Network like the recent developments of Guinbot 7 and other AlQaeda, Alshabab, Shabia, ONLF, OLF and the terrorist enablers such as Economic Genocide Watch, Ecological Human Rights Watch and Terrorist Amnesty International etc.
It is critical that we need to address challenges in terms of time within the frameworks of Immediate, Intermediate, Short and Long Term strategies. It is likely that what ever the current series of agenda such as Developmental State, Democratic Elections and Good Governance, etc so long as we carry a huge burden of youth who make up more than 50% percent of our population, the negative forces are likely to recruit them into their evil activities.
As such we need to look at issues from comprehensive, cross cultural and multi sectoral research perspective. The following study is one interesting perspective and we need to complement it with a more diverse but rich research that looks at our existing and potential future challenges and opportunities.
I challenge all intelligent institutions that have a stake in the Horn and the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean to read this research carefully and compliment it with additional outcome based research, policy options and recommendations.
As the globe is currently reeling with Economic Challenges, the experience of the Horn during and after colonialism, cold war and current global ecologic and economic crisis is worth sharing with the rest of the world.
I hereby share my own perspective that is to pre-empt and prevent all potential scenarios and not wait for events to unfold against our interests.
with regards
Dr B
Terrorist Threats in the Horn of Africa ByAEI OUTLOOK SERIES Oriana Scherr, Christopher Griffin | AEI Online
(July 2007)
A net assessment can help us to clearly understand the threats from Salafist jihadists in the Horn of Africa.
Click here to view this Outlook as an Adobe Acrobat PDF.
July/August 2007
The struggle against Islamist extremism has been dubbed the "Long War" by America's military leadership, but there is no agreed-upon model to forecast the development of this conflict.[1] The challenge of assessing the Long War is exacerbated by the differences between the adversaries: the United States and its allies form the core of the international system, while the Salafist jihadists at the extreme of radical Islam comprise an irregular transnational movement that has adaptively spread throughout the world from its Middle East base. Comparing the structure, goals, strategy, and tactics of these fundamentally asymmetric forces is a chore to which our analytic tools developed during the Cold War do not lend themselves. This National Security Outlook examines whether the "net assessment" concept might serve as an appropriate framework for understanding the Long War and predicting its likely development.
As the Long War against the global jihad movement continues, there is a debate over the nature of the conflict: is it principally an ideological struggle, pitting jihadist dogma against Western liberalism; an organizational fight against the al Qaeda terrorism network; a regional struggle centered on the Middle East (or the Islamic world broadly); or a war with a limited number of charismatic personalities like Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, and Fazul Abdullah Mohammed?[2] It is all four, to some extent, but it is difficult to evaluate their comparative strengths and weaknesses against the capabilities of the United States and its security partners. This analytic muddle, which conflates counterinsurgency, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, and the risk of failing states, stands to benefit from an important tool known as net assessment.
The Net Assessment Concept
Net assessment has been defined as the "craft and discipline of analyzing military balances," but it goes beyond a conventional order of battle-style comparison.[3] Developed during the Cold War as a means of calculating the effects of the political, economic, and other intangible qualities of extended competitions, a net assessment lays out the terms of a prolonged conflict for additional levels of analysis, such as intelligence assessments for particular campaigns or policy planning for military structure. A net assessment does not provide clear-cut solutions; rather, it is a process through which important questions are raised, if not necessarily answered. For the Long War, a net assessment will be of particular value in addressing extended, multiple-theater unconventional warfare.
First, net assessments take a long-term view, looking at the evolution of a protracted competition. The capabilities required to fight an adversary today will not necessarily be relevant tomorrow, and may indeed eventually prove counterproductive. Moreover, future requirements for the competition may not be obvious and are often obscured by immediate priorities. The multidisciplinary, long-term nature of net assessment responds to this dilemma by differentiating important areas of competition from urgent ones and highlighting the issues most likely to be overlooked in the whirlwind of day-to-day policymaking.[4] In this way, net assessment allows national security planners to anticipate and prepare for the challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead. This long-term outlook is particularly valuable in the context of the Long War, given the jihadist movement's ability to adjust its strategies, operations, and tactics in response to U.S. and allied efforts.
A net assessment does not just attempt to calculate each side's strengths and weaknesses against its adversary, but rather elaborates on each side's perceived capabilities relative to the other.
Geography is the second vital parameter in projecting the likely development of a protracted competition.[5] Although the Middle East is the decisive front today, the contours of the battlefield extend throughout Europe and into Asia, Africa, and the continental United States. While the global scope of the Long War has contributed to the analytic confusion regarding its nature, net assessment provides a model for thinking about specific thea-ters and how each side of the conflict may tailor its efforts in them.[6] This is a fundamental question, as the United States and its allies must remain flexible to fight terrorist networks wherever they emerge, without engendering local resentment against American policy. Geography may not be destiny, but it dictates how forces should be designed to fight and what instruments of national power will be most effective.
The final key parameter in framing a net assessment lies in delineating the adversaries, generally designated as "Blue" and "Red" for purposes of consistency and simplicity. A net assessment does not just attempt to calculate each side's strengths and weaknesses against its adversary, but rather--and more importantly--elaborates on each side's perceived capabilities relative to the other. Not only does a net assessment explore Blue's perception of itself and its enemy, it also includes Red's perspective on its own and Blue's capabilities. By exploring these four viewpoints--Blue on Blue, Blue on Red, Red on Red, and Red on Blue[7]--a net assessment provides a uniquely robust picture of the unfolding conflict. In an asymmetrical, transnational conflict such as the Long War, it is vital that the vast conventional power of the United States not mask perceptions by our enemies about their own strengths and strategies.
Net Assessment in Context: The Long War in the Horn of Africa
The global jihad movement is largely decentralized yet unified by common capabilities: infiltrating existing insurgencies throughout the Islamic world, hijacking parochial goals, and radicalizing local populations. For example, the Chechen insurgency that began in the mid-1990s against Russian forces did not assume a transnational jihadist character until 1999, when Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar invited Chechen fighters to train in Afghanistan as part of a broader jihad against their Rus-sian enemy. Upon engaging the Chechens, the jihadists provided critical ideological and material support to what was then a struggling local movement.[8] The Chechen case demonstrates the threat of globalizing jihadists seeking opportunities to infiltrate and shape existing conflicts.
The pressure exerted by U.S.-led campaigns in the Middle East and central Asia has pushed jihadist fighters to seek alternative safe havens in territories with weak governments and significant Sunni populations.9 The Horn of Africa meets these criteria, and the potential for the further development of ties between international jihadists and local actors has recently been indicated by Ayman al Zawahiri's appeal to Muslims across the globe to defend their Somali brethren from the Ethiopian "crusaders" that attacked the Salafist Islamic Courts Union in Somalia in December 2006.[10] Any collaboration between terrorist organizations in the Horn of Africa and inter-national jihadist organizations, particularly al Qaeda, would have a dangerous "force multiplier" effect, enhancing the lethality of dissident groups seeking greater influence and power.[11]
Statistical analysis of terrorist groups reveals that most movements last for thirteen to fourteen years, indicating that al Qaeda should have faded into history or dramatically changed its objectives around 2003.[12] Perhaps the current Salafist insurgency in Iraq marks a new phase: al Qaeda is now franchising its ideology and materiel to local terrorist organizations in order to secure territory for its own operations and ultimately set up a modern day caliphate. Increasingly focused on "enabling" other jihadists, al Qaeda will further inflame local conflicts and draw the allegiance of local populations away from their respective governments. This new model will allow al Qaeda to tap into a broad range of potential allies.[13]
As al Qaeda is shifting its efforts toward the Horn of Africa, so, too, is the United States. Washington has recently enhanced its efforts in the region with the creation of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), and it is now looking to establish a combatant command for the region. An enhanced U.S. presence in the region creates opportunities to build partner-country capacity and combat jihadist penetration, but it also raises the profile of potential targets for terrorist attacks in the Horn, such as foreign military bases, nongovernmental organizations, and tourism centers. The rapid evolution of both al Qaeda and U.S. efforts in the region will require both sides to determine which governments and local insurgent movements will prove to be allies and enemies in the long run. For this reason, a net assessment of the jihad movement in the Horn would be timely and predictive.[14]
Ordering the Assessment
AFRICOM planners have emphasized a command focus on "soft power" efforts to bolster stability and capacity among African security partners, with a particular emphasis on training, material support, and civil/humanitarian activities to promote U.S. goals on the continent.
In this exercise, we will let "Blue" represent the United States and its security partners in the Horn of Africa, an arrangement that will naturally draw out the many conflicting objectives between Washington and its nominal allies. The "Red" team combines the global jihad movement and violent regional Islamist groups.[15] These competing teams will be defined as much by their internal rifts as by their capabilities.
Using the matrix of contrasting Blue's and Red's relative assessments of one another's capabilities described above, the unconventional nature of the jihadist threat in the Horn of Africa becomes ever clearer. Against a backdrop of state governments that, for the most part, cooperate with U.S. initiatives to combat the threat of jihadist terrorism, Red's growing involvement in the region highlights the failure of America's current capacity-building strategy to deter terrorist activities in the region.
Blue on Blue. The bureaucratic, hierarchical structure of the U.S. government and military present both opportunities for and restrictions on U.S. capabilities in the Horn of Africa. Understanding these elements will be critical for a net assessment of the region.
American efforts in the Horn of Africa during the Long War will likely be divided among three entities. Africa Command (AFRICOM) is the nascent combatant command that will oversee all military activities on the continent starting in October 2008. AFRICOM planners have emphasized a command focus on "soft power" efforts to bolster stability and capacity among African security partners, with a particular emphasis on training, material support, and civil/humanitarian activities to promote U.S. goals on the continent.[16]
One example of the form these soft-power efforts will take, and how they will be combined with direct action against jihadist operators, is CJTF-HOA. Established in 2002 with the mission of "detecting, disrupting, and ultimately defeating transnational terrorist groups operating in the region," CJTF-HOA divides its energies between building partnership capacity and conducting counterterrorism operations.[17] The country teams in the region provide a third institutional model for organizing American efforts to defeat Salafist expansionism in the Horn of Africa. With their long-standing presence throughout the region, country teams provide a civilian-led model for organizing a government response to security challenges in Africa.
Identifying these organizations' varying strengths will be an undertaking in a Blue-on-Blue assessment. One growing concern, for example, is that the "bleeding" of traditional civilian roles such as development toward the military is undermining the leadership of country teams and creating the impression that all U.S. engagement is overshadowed by counterterrorism goals.[18]
A second major Blue organizational question is the role of regional security partners. American support of Ethiopia's campaign against the Somali Islamic Courts Union raises questions about the consequences of allying with a regime characterized by a brutal human rights record.[19] Local populations may conclude that the United States is siding with authoritarian regimes and become more vulnerable to jihadist penetration as a result.[20] At least as problematic is accounting for the role of countries like Eritrea and Sudan, which barely qualify as Blue given their history of support for radical terrorist movements. Making sense of these divergent relationships will be a crucial part of Blue's self-assessment, indicating that Washington's view of Blue actors may need to extend beyond traditional state partners to nonstate, civil society actors.
Blue on Red. The United States has two broad sets of tools with which to target the jihadist threat in the Horn of Africa. Since September 11, 2001, the military has conducted direct action against al Qaeda and its allies. At the same time, the Department of Defense states that the Long War will be "characterized by irregular warfare" and will require vigilance to prevent security vacuums and tribal, ethnic, and religious conflicts from emerging in weak states.[21] Although these two missions have a common goal of defeating radical terrorism, they require distinct operations in response to Red's capabilities: the former targeting the terrorists who threaten U.S. interests, the latter designed to influence populations vulnerable to terrorist penetration.
Al Qaeda's principal lesson from this experience was the vital role of local support, which protects foreign jihadists from capture or ransom and also improves prospects for recruitment, training, and future campaigns.
Facing open insurgent efforts (as is the case of the al Qaeda operatives who fought with the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia) and more discreet terror cells (such as those that have penetrated Kenya and Yemen), the United States must identify the jihadist actors who maneuver within existing conflicts and ungoverned spaces and either engage them directly or support co-operative governments that engage them.
The use of AC-130H Spectre gunships to attack jihadists pinned down by Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia in January 2007 was a notable success in this mission, as is the ongoing manhunt for the embassy bombing mastermind Fazul Abdullah Mohammed.[22]
The United States also seeks to deny jihadists an environment in which to operate, largely through capacity building among security partners. These efforts can eliminate Red's access to mobilization and staging grounds by strengthening local security and civil society institutions. Identifying the degree of Red penetration of local populations is crucial in this effort: the Horn is rife with local insurgencies, many of which involve Sunni actors, but not all of which have ties to al Qaeda. Washington must be careful not to be drawn into or accidentally exacerbate regional conflicts. A clear distinction among Red, Red-leaning, and Red-penetrated actors in the region is a crucial goal of a net assessment.
The Blue response to the emergence of the Long War in the Horn of Africa will require a clear appreciation of violent Islamist movements, the capabilities that known enemies such as al Qaeda can deliver, and the role of local actors.
Red on Red. Al Qaeda is the unifying force of the jihad movement in the Horn and thus the central Red actor for net assessment purposes. The jihadist organization views Blue challenges as exploitable opportunities. It also appears that al Qaeda believes its first priority is developing relationships and bases with local dissident groups in the region rather than organizing the discrete terror attacks.
Al Qaeda's first experiences in Africa were frustrating, as captured surveillance reports from the early 1990s indicate that the group was able to develop neither sufficient materiel nor popular support on the continent.[23]
Its Arab operatives were largely spurned as interlopers in longstanding tribal and regional conflicts, and they met only modest success in setting up terror cells. After a decade of frustrated efforts, al Qaeda learned that soft-selling its resources--rather than imposing overt foreign authority in local conflicts--was a successful model for organizational expansion, allowing the movement to expand beyond its original foothold in Somalia.[24] The principal lesson of this experience was the vital role of local support, which protects foreign jihadists from capture or ransom and also improves prospects for recruitment, training, and future campaigns.
As part of its effort to foster local support, al Qaeda has invested heavily in what it views as the crucial battleground of information warfare. The organization has an administrative branch dedicated to information campaigns, allowing it to wage a battle of ideas in the countries where it seeks to expand.
Al Qaeda's use of photography, translation, phonetics, and even microfiche influences the "hearts and minds" of target audiences, appealing to Islamic affiliations and tribal traditions when necessary.[25] Jihadists have other resources for gaining support from and control over local populations. Radical madrassas, mosques, and social service outlets disseminating propaganda allow jihadists to increase their hold on local populations, incubating new generations of radical fighters. Public relations efforts such as food distribution centers and schools cost as little as $5-20 per head each month, providing al Qaeda a relatively inexpensive means to secure local support.[26]
When al Qaeda chooses to engage in direct action, the relatively low cost of doing so allows the organization significant flexibility. The average estimated cost of a terrorist training camp in the Horn of Africa is $200,000,[27] while such attacks as those on the USS Cole (2000) and Madrid trains (2004) cost as little as $10,000. Free-riding within the existing commercial and financial networks between East African and Middle Eastern open economies, jihadists are able to maintain funding channels to support a variety of operations that foster long-term radicalization and terrorist entrenchment within local populations.
But while al Qaeda may be able to secure footholds in the Horn of Africa, the construction of a Red-on-Red assessment requires consideration of the long-term prospects for relationships between international Salafist activists and local groups. To what degree can transnational jihadists use their ties with organizations like the Islamic Courts Union or the Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement to support their larger global agenda? Answering these questions will be crucial to understanding Red's self-assessment.
Red on Blue. Although they aspire to establish a caliphate, jihadists are fundamentally nonstate actors. Understanding that their enemies are restricted to state-led action, the jihadists' appeal to local popula-tions can undermine the capabilities of the United States and its allies. Particularly in light of the Horn of Africa's history of official corruption and misrule, the localized jihadist message of self-empowerment against oppression and exploitation is highly appealing, especially to marginalized Sunni populations. In this region, Red benefits from failed Blue aid efforts, as U.S. resources regularly fail to reach Muslim communities living at the social margins of countries like Kenya and Ethiopia. Additionally, attacking African states' tourism industries has proven to be effective in further weakening governmental engagement of marginalized communities. Red's ability to manipulate these alien-ated communities grows stronger in the face of Blue's restrictive reliance on weak and ineffective government-centric responses.
Jihadist activity in Europe, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia belies the myth that terrorism thrives in failed states. Operations in failed states are often complicated by inadequate transportation and communications networks, social chaos that makes foreign fighters susceptible to identification and capture, and scarcity of high-value targets whose destruction can provoke the "far enemy." Terrorists are free riders, benefiting from the opportunities for movement, expression, and organization that a functioning society allows. The most promising audiences for Islamist terrorism are in weak states, where they can enjoy the technological benefits of the developed world without its capable police presence.
Given the asymmetry of Blue and Red's actual and perceived competitions, net assessment is a particularly useful tool for understanding the development of these competitions.
The weak Horn states are particularly attractive to jihadists: their open economies provide cover for foreign personnel and movement of assets, state resources are not evenly distributed across communities, and nonstate organizations commonly target specific populations to distribute services and education. Current U.S. efforts to build partnership capacity in the Horn, beset by policy and budgetary constraints, are often enough to wean tribal networks away from exploitation by jihadists but insufficient to buy their permanent loyalty. In addition to the jihadists' ability to exploit Blue's challenges for their own gain, U.S. security partners are often reluctant to admit how vulnerable their own Muslim populations are to jihadist infiltration. Even after the 1998 and 2002 bombings, Kenya has hesitated to confront the extent to which local jihadists are active there.[28] Similarly, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea avoid transparent assessments of internal jihadist activity.
What is particularly remarkable, though, for the purpose of this net assessment, is not how the jihadist groups persist, but how local governments fail to combat them. Whether from reluctance to stoke sectarian flames, fear of acknowledging the threat from these militant organizations, or political malaise that allows opposition movements to evolve into armed insurgencies, these governments have given the jihadists a readily exploitable opportunity. Until Blue can credibly control what counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen calls the "conflict ecosystem," Red will continue to exploit its own variety of networks and inconsistent practices that amplify its appeal among local populations.[29]
Contrasting the Balance
In his January 2007 message calling for jihad in Somalia, al Zawahiri predicted that the infidel invaders--comprising not only Ethiopia, but also the United States and United Nations--would suffer the same frustrations as in Afghanistan and Iraq.[30] What is clear from this message is that both Blue and Red understand their successes in very different terms. This is not a zero-sum conflict in which one participant's gains or losses are exactly balanced by the losses or gains of the opponent. Each side relies on a complex network of political, economic, industrial, and human resources to support its campaign. Given the asymmetry of Blue's and Red's actual and perceived competitions, net assessment is a particularly useful tool for understanding the development of these competitions, allowing policymakers to diagnose the conflict before prescribing strategies.
A cursory review of a regional jihadist net assessment reveals an irregular conflict rooted in unstable civilian populations. The United States, however, continues to struggle in reaching these communities when partner governments have different local priorities and practices: Kenya remains subject to Islamist pressures, Ethiopia's activities in Somalia increasingly attract protest from regional Muslim communities, Eritrea may be content with supporting a proxy war in Somalia against Ethiopian forces, Somalia remains a collapsed state under competing warlords, and Sudan continues to export radical Islamist messages throughout the region. For more than five years, the United States has declared a commitment to building weak African states' capacity to confront Islamist extremism, but its current record inspires little faith in the region's ability to withstand expanding jihadist activities as fighters relocate from the Iraqi and Afghan battlefields.
No country should cool its heels with respect to the jihadist threat. As the United States wages a campaign against extremist ideology, its enemies continue to shift the center of gravity in their favor by attracting supporters to their cause. But what may appear to be a new war of ideas is merely a reiteration of classical counterinsurgency doctrine. The conflict is focused on a competition to gain the support of local populations--an asymmetrical struggle by those without means against those with seemingly absolute advantages. Only by deconstructing the fundamental support structures and strategies of the jihadist campaign can the United States build on its strengths. By comprehensively assessing the jihadists' resources and strategies, the United States will be better positioned to confront the elements that fuel militancy in Muslim communities, anticipate the potential outcomes of U.S. organizational efforts in the region, and prevent unwelcome consequences from misguided policies.
Oriana Scherr (scherr@jhu.edu) is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Christopher Griffin (cgriffin@aei.org) is a research fellow at AEI. Editorial assistant Evan Sparks worked with Ms. Scherr and Mr. Griffin to edit and produce this National Security Outlook.
Click here to view this Outlook as an Adobe Acrobat PDF.
Notes
1. The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review describes the Long War as a fight against "global terrorist networks that exploit Islam to advance radical political aims" and use "terror, propaganda and indiscriminate violence in an attempt to subjugate the Muslim world under a radical theocratic tyranny while seeking to perpetuate conflict with the United States and its allies and partners." U.S. Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense Review Report, February 6, 2006, available at http://www.defenselink.mil/qdr/report/Report20060203.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007). See also Thomas Donnelly and Colin Monaghan, "Legacy Agenda, Part II: The Bush Doctrine and the Long War," National Security Outlook (March 2007), available at www.aei.org/publication25720/.
2.# Examples of these contending points of view are available in Bruce Hoffman, "Al Qaeda, Trends in Terrorism, and Future Potentialities: An Assessment," Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 26, no. 6 (November-December 2003): 549-60; David Kilcullen, "Counterinsurgency Redux," Survival 48, no. 4 (December 2006): 111-30; Barry Posen, "The Struggle Against Terrorism: Grand Strategy, Strategy, and Tactics," International Security 26, no. 3 (Winter 2001-02): 39-55; and Harmony Project, Al-Qaida's (Mis)adventures in the Horn of Africa (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2006), available at www.ctc.usma.edu/aqII.asp (accessed July 26, 2007).
3. Eliot A. Cohen, Net Assessment: An American Approach (Tel Aviv: Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, April 1990), 1-3.
4. Ibid., 2.
5. The early Cold War experience provides a painful lesson in the danger of falling prey to a "canonical scenario" of conflict in which potential arenas are discounted as unlikely venues for competition. While the United States focused its energies on preparing to fight the Soviet Union on the plains of Europe during 1948-50, an unanticipated hot war erupted on the Korean Peninsula. In the following decades of direct American participation in Asian conflicts, the United States never effectively came to terms with either the evolving roles of key players like China and Russia or the impact of revolutionary nationalism and guerilla warfare in the region. America's inability to anticipate or effectively respond to Cold War-era developments in Asia was central to the eventual stalemate and defeat in Korea and Vietnam, respectively.
6. Aaron L. Friedberg, "The Assessment of Military Power," International Security 12, no. 3 (Winter 1987-88).
7. The Blue/Red formulation of net assessment is derived from Robert Killebrew, "Missile Defense Net Assessment: Total Defender Approach," slide presentation to U.S. Strategic Command.
8. See Matthew Levitt, "Untangling the Terror Web: Identifying and Counteracting the Phenomenon of Crossover between Terrorist Groups," SAIS Review 24, no. 1 (Winter-
Spring 2004): 33-48; and Angel Rabasa et al., Beyond al-Qaeda, Part 1: The Global Jihadist Movement (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2006), available at www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG430/ (accessed July 26, 2007).
9. Al Qaeda strategist Mustafa bin Abd al-Qadir Sitmaryam Nasar recommends that jihadists exploit "chaotic regions" and establish camps to launch a new "open front" in the Horn of Africa. See Mustafa bin Abd al-Qadir Sitmaryam Nasar, The Call for Global Islamic Resistance (2004), 1361.
10. Ayman al Zawahiri, Rise Up and Support Your Brothers in Somalia, audio message, January 2007 (al Sahab Media Productions).
11. This effect has already been demonstrated by the Sunni insurgents in Iraq, Pashtun Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, and Chechens fighting against Russia.
12. Rohan Gunaratna, Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000), 17. Following Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam's death in 1989, Osama bin Laden assumed control of Azzam's militant group. At this time, bin Laden changed his "far enemy" target from the Soviet Union to the United States. Retaining organizations established in Pakistan and Afghanistan, his al Qaeda continues to adapt to recast its campaigns against "near" and "far" apostate enemies.
13. Reuven Paz, "Arab Volunteers Killed in Iraq: An Analysis," PRISM Occasional Papers 3, no. 1 (March 2005), available at www.e-prism.org/images/PRISM_no_1_vol_3_-_Arabs_
killed_in_Iraq.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007).
14. The Ogaden File: Operation Holding (al-Msk), AFGP-2002-600104 (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2006), 1, available at www.ctc.usma.edu/aq/AFGP-2002-600104-Trans-Meta.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007).
15. Although jihadist operatives do not represent a united force, their common objective of establishing a unitary caliph who will rule over Salafist-controlled lands serves as a foundation for transnational cooperation.
16. Lauren Ploch, Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, May 16, 2007), 5-6.
17. Ibid., 16.
18. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Embassies as Command Posts in the Anti-Terror Campaign, 109th Cong., 2d sess., 2006, Committee Print 52, 2. One example of the difference that bureaucratic organizations can make in the Long War is demonstrated in the response of various country teams to CJTF-HOA civil-military efforts in the Horn of Africa. In those instances in which U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officials provided oversight and coordination, resources were distributed more effectively than those without USAID officials present. See ibid., 9.
19. Jeffrey Gettleman and Will Connors, "In Ethiopian Desert, Fear and Cries of Army Brutality," New York Times, June 18, 2007; Michael Gordon, Mark Mazzetti, and Jeffrey Gettleman, "U.S. Used Base in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda in Africa," New York Times, February 23, 2007; and Mark Mazzetti, "Pentagon Sees Covert Move in Somalia as Blueprint," New York Times, January 13, 2007.
20. Craig Whitlock, "North Africa Reluctant to Host U.S. Command: Algeria and Libya Reject Pentagon's AFRICOM Proposal; Morocco Signals Its Lack of Enthusiasm," Washington Post, June 24, 2007.
21. U.S. Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense Review Report, 11-12.
22. Thomas P. M. Barnett, "The Americans Have Landed," Esquire, June 27, 2007.
23. For a series of captured documents by al Qaeda repre-sentatives assessing the Horn of Africa for future operations, see The Five Letters to the African Corps, AFGP-2002-600053 (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2006), available at www.ctc.usma.edu/aq/AFGP-2002-600053-Trans-Meta.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007); Letters on al-Qa'ida's Operations in Africa, AFGP-2002-800621 (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2007), available at www.ctc.usma.edu/aq/AFGP-2002-800621-Trans-Meta.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007); and various letters from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti in the Combating Terrorism Center's Harmony Database, available at www.ctc.usma.edu/harmony_docs.asp.
24. In his "Requirements of the Management of Savagery in its Ideal Form," Abu Bakr Naji recommends that security, food, and medical guarantees are equally valuable in the "vexation and exhaustion" campaign against local enemy regimes. Abu Bakr Naji, The Management of Savagery, trans. William McCants (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2006), 41-43.
25. Al-Qa'ida Goals and Structure, AFGP-2002-00078 (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2006), available at www.ctc.usma.edu/aq/AFGP-2002-000078-Trans.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007).
26. This shift toward resource distribution reflects lessons learned from watching the relative success of Hezbollah and Hamas, which have used social activities to foster popular support. See Harmony Project, Al-Qaida's (Mis)adventures in the Horn of Africa, 63. See also Abu Bakr Naji, The Management of Savagery, on the importance of cultivating organizational legitimacy through soft-power measures such as social service support and propaganda campaigns.
27. Report on the Needs of the Mujahidin in Somalia, AFGP-2002-800600 (West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center, 2007), www.ctc.usma.edu/aq/AFGP-2002-800600-Trans-Meta.pdf (accessed July 26, 2007).
28. Malkhadir M. Muhammad, “Kenya Warns of Terror Threat,” Associated Press, March 6, 2007.
29. David Kilcullen, “Counterinsurgency Redux.”
30. Ayman al Zawahiri, Rise Up and Support Your Brothers in Somalia.
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From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EthioForum@Ethiolist.com; nwMariam@yahoo.com; ben@ethiopiafirst.com; admin@aigaforum.com; ethiopian@tecolahagos.com; editor@ethiomedia.com
Cc: EPRDF-Supporters-Forum@yahoogroups.com; Samuel.Assefa@gmail.com; Getwondimu@yaoo.com; helenmullie@yahoo.com; nega@horinfer.com; editor@washingtonpost.com; editor@Washingtontimes.com; editor@hagerfikerradio.com; editor@ethiomedia.com; Editor@Afro.com; editorr@ethiopianreporter.com; editor@ethiopianreview.com
Sent: Friday, May 1, 2009 11:15:16 AM
Subject: Re: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Dear Patriotic Global Citizens and Friends of Ethiopia:
Ethiopia has been at the fore front of Counter-terrorism efforts for millennia, be it in the Red Sea region, Gulf of Aden or Indian Ocean as well as the Miditerranean Seas.
The recent develpments in the Horn both on land and see are being reviewed by the international community with vigilance, especially after the successful operation to release Captian Philips Richards by the Special Navy Seal Commandoes.
Another Urban terrorists have been in operation from Pennsylvania, Berkenel University and London England and we have a very serious challenge in the Horn.
We were exploring for some time, how the US can deport some of the hard core criminals who have misrepresented themselves and got US Refuggee status and even citizenship and continue to master mind a serious Terrorist Sleeper Cells which grave consecquences.
Can the US be challenged to respect its own laws about terrorists? Here is the law and if the Justice Department cannot implement it, then citizens have to encourage it to do its job, that is implement the US legal system.
As we are reviewing the Torture Memos of the last administration, perhaps we should also review past administration policies of giving refugee and citizenship to known criminals and terrorists through out history and especially the recent case of a part time visiting professor of Economics at Berkenel University n Pennsylvania.
Here is what the law say and let us see how the US Jistice Department will react to it.
Dr B
Immigration and Nationality Act Section212
Fact Sheet
Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Washington, DC
April 8, 2008
Return to Foreign Terrorist Organization factsheet.
Section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) defines "terrorist activity" to mean: any activity which is unlawful under the laws of the place where it is committed (or which, if committed in the United States, would be unlawful under the laws of the United States or any State) and which involves any of the following:
(I) The highjacking or sabotage of any conveyance (including an aircraft, vessel, or vehicle).
(II) The seizing or detaining, and threatening to kill, injure, or continue to detain, another individual in order to compel a third person (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the individual seized or detained.
(III) A violent attack upon an internationally protected person (as defined in section 1116(b)(4) of title 18, United States Code) or upon the liberty of such a person.
(IV) An assassination.
(V) The use of any--
(a) biological agent, chemical agent, or nuclear weapon or device, or
(b) explosive, firearm, or other weapon or dangerous device (other than for mere personal monetary gain), with intent to endanger, directly or indirectly, the safety of one or more individuals or to cause substantial damage to property.
(VI) A threat, attempt, or conspiracy to do any of the foregoing.
Other pertinent portions of section 212(a)(3)(B) are set forth below:
(iv) Engage in Terrorist Activity Defined
As used in this chapter [chapter 8 of the INA], the term '"ngage in terrorist activity" means in an individual capacity or as a member of an organization–
to commit or to incite to commit, under circumstances indicating an intention to cause death or serious bodily injury, a terrorist activity;
to prepare or plan a terrorist activity;
to gather information on potential targets for terrorist activity;
to solicit funds or other things of value for–
(aa) a terrorist activity;
(bb) a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(I) or (vi)(II); or
(cc) a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(III), unless the solicitor can demonstrate that he did not know, and should not reasonably have known, that the solicitation would further the organization’s terrorist activity;
I. to solicit any individual–
(aa) to engage in conduce otherwise described in this clause;
(bb) for membership in terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(I) or (vi)(II); or
(cc) for membership in a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(III), unless the solicitor can demonstrate that he did not know, and should not reasonably have known, that the solicitation would further the organization’s terrorist activity; or
II. to commit an act that the actor knows, or reasonably should know, affords material support, including a safe house, transportation, communications, funds, transfer of funds or other material financial benefit, false documentation or identification, weapons (including chemical, biological, or radiological weapons), explosives, or training–
(aa) for the commission of a terrorist activity;
(bb) to any individual who the actor knows, or reasonably should know, has committed or plans to commit a terrorist activity;
(cc) to a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(I) or (vi)(II); or
(dd) to a terrorist organization described in clause (vi)(III), unless the actor can demonstrate that he did not know, and should not reasonably have known, that the act would further the organization’s terrorist activity.
This clause shall not apply to any material support the alien afforded to an organization or individual that has committed terrorist activity, if the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Attorney General, or the Attorney General, after consultation with the Secretary of State, concludes in his sole unreviewable discretion, that that this clause should not apply.
(v) Representative Defined
As used in this paragraph, the term "representative" includes an officer, official, or spokesman of an organization, and any person who directs, counsels, commands, or induces an organization or its members to engage in terrorist activity.
i. Terrorist Organization Defined
As used in clause (i)(VI) and clause (iv), the term "terrorist organization" means an organization--
I. designated under section 219 [8 U.S.C. § 1189];
II. otherwise designated, upon publication in the Federal Register, by the Secretary of State in consultation with or upon the request of the Attorney General, as a terrorist organization, after finding that the organization engages in the activities described in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (iv), or that the organization provides material support to further terrorist activity; or
III. that is a group of two or more individuals, whether organized or not, which engages in the activities described in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (iv).
For more information, see Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
Return to Foreign Terrorist Organization factsheet.
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
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From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EthioForum@Ethiolist.com; nwMariam@yahoo.com; Ben EthiopiaFirst
Cc: EPRDF-Supporters-Forum@yahoogroups.com; Samuel.Assefa@gmail.com; Wondimu Asamenew
Sent: Friday, May 1, 2009 10:21:50 AM
Subject: Re: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Dear Patriotic Global Citizens and Friends of Ethiopia:
As you were being humoured by the Europeans on how to make Euro-English the language of the future, here is the story of the Assassinations attempt from a group that educateds Burnknel students on how best to be Economic Terrorists.
Unfortunately Betnachew does not have that opportunity as the BBC would perhaps milk the last drop of grey cells of terror left in him. All the same we need to protect the Burknell students from these criminals.
This is the latest story on the neuvo urban terrorists by remote control!
Dr B
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090501/wl_africa_afp/ethiopiaoppositionmilitarycrime
AFP/Yahoo
May 1, 2009
Senior Ethiopia officers "plotted assassinations"
Then opposition leader Berhanu Nega pictured in Addis Ababa in 2005. Senior military officers in Ethiopia, …
ADDIS ABABA – Senior military officers in Ethiopia, including a general, had plotted to assassinate top government officials, Communications Minister Bereket Simon said Friday, adding that 40 people were under arrest.
"While six of the suspects were army officers on active duty, including one general, 34 of the suspects were ex-army men expelled from the army on grounds of misconduct," he told a press conference.
Bereket said the plotters belonged to the Ginbot 7 (May 15) opposition group, saying it was linked to the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) headed by Berhanu Nega, currently living in the United States.
He said the government believed that the "desperado" group was not planning to stage a coup, but intended "assassinating individuals, high ranking government officials and destroying some public facilities and utilities ... like telecom services and electricity utilities.
"The police have also found evidence implicating some ex-CUD members released on pardon. With the exception of some three or four of the desperado group who are still at large, the police have arrested almost all members of the conspiracy.
"
Berekt told AFP the government knew about the plot from its inception, adding, "If there had been laxity from the government, there would have been problems."
The mass arrests were reported on Sunday by state media, which said the National Security Taskforce had also found weapons including bombs, computers and communications equipment, military uniforms and documents.
The CUD won an unprecedented number of seats in the May 15, 2005 elections, which the European Union and other observers said fell short of international standards.
Around 200 people died in violence that erupted after the CUD accused the party of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of rigging the ballot.
Berhanu, 51, currently a university professor in the United States, was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in the polls. He was subsequently jailed for two years along with other leaders of the CUD, and left the country after his release.
Ethiopia's next general election is scheduled to be held in June 2010.
In a statement on its website following the initial reports of arrests Ginbot 7 said it "has no desire to engage in a tit-for-tat with the dictators in Addis Ababa, nor the time to waste replying to baseless accusations by a regime that rules Ethiopia by the barrel of the gun."
"Ginbot 7 remains committed to work for the establishment of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Ethiopia. No amount of scurrilous accusations, threats or blackmail by the regime will deter us from pursuing the cause of democracy and freedom," it added.
Oh! Assasinations and terror are the building blocks of democracy, these Zombies need help! I believe Bonger should follow Aweys and go back to Kaliti and meet his constituents!
Read below the example from Somalia, his terror mate
___________________________________________________________________
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSLU142426._CH_.2400
Reuters
May 1, 2009
INTERVIEW-Somali govt sees peace role for opposition ' s Aweys Abdiaziz Hassan
NAIROBI, May 1 (Reuters) - Somalia ' s hardline opposition leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has an important role to play in restoring security to the country after 18 years of ruinous civil war, a government minister said.
Aweys, who is on the U.S. terrorism list for alleged links to al Qaeda, returned to the Horn of Africa nation last week in his first known trip home in more than two years.
He is an influential figure for many of the Islamist rebels fighting the new government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed -- who was Aweys ' former partner in the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) that ruled the capital and much of the south in 2 006.
Despite Aweys ' calls for African Union (AU) forces to leave, some analysts say exile may have mellowed him, and that he could still prove to be an important mediator with insurgents.
Aweys moved to Eritrea after Ethiopian forces chased his sharia courts group out of Mogadishu at the start of 2 007. In a Reuters interview late on Thursday, Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar said a lot had changed since then.
"He has been away some time and major developments have taken place in the country. He left because of an issue that has been resolved. Ethiopian troops have withdrawn," Omaar said.
"Aweys is an elder and a historical figure in Somalia . I believe he has a responsibility for the wellbeing and progress of the Somali people, especially the women and children who are most affected by the war."
After leading the ICU until Addis Ababa ' s offensive, Aweys and Ahmed later split, with Aweys taking over the Asmara-based Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia from Ahmed, who was elected president early this year at U.N.-led talks in Djibouti .
Last week, donors agreed to give at least $ 2 13 million to help Somalia strengthen its security forces and also fund the small AU mission AMISOM over the next year. [ID:nLN86947]
Omaar said the amount pledged was a clear sign of broad global support, and that all of it would be spent transparently. Ahmed ' s administration is the 15th attempt since 1991 to set up a functioning central government for Somalia
"This time, the international community sees that we ' re serious and reliable ... I believe we have crossed that bridge," the foreign minister said during a visit to neighbouring Kenya .
"We will establish joint committees of donors and the government to deliver, supervise and manage the money. Systems that satisfy everybody will be established." (Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Jack Kimball)
____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iSgUj_A-akAcFMRboCJf3Fg5d0TA
AFP
April 30, 2009
Canadian detained in Ethiopia to defend terror charges
ADDIS ABABA — A Canadian man facing terrorism-related charges in Ethiopia and in detention since 2006 will take the defence stand next month, a judge said on Thursday.
Bashir Makhtal, an Ethiopian-born Canadian citizen, is accused of inciting rebellion by aiding and abetting armed opposition groups in Ethiopia and being a senior member of a rebel group.
"The accused should now prepare his defence for next hearing on May 26," said Adam Ibrahim. Bonger can do the same at Kaliti where his real constituents are, Brecknel University students are just a distraction!
The 40-year-old, who has denied the charges, is also accused of supporting Somalia's Islamist movement ousted by Ethiopian forces in early 2007 when they intervened in the neighbouring country to prop up its embattled government.
Mukhtal was among some 150 people detained by Kenyan forces in 2006 on the border with Somalia as they fled the Ethiopian onslaught on the Islamists.
The trial has been postponed several times this year due to prosecutors' failure to provide witnesses.
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EthioForum@Ethiolist.com; nwMariam@yahoo.com; Ben EthiopiaFirst
Cc: EPRDF-Supporters-Forum@yahoogroups.com; Samuel.Assefa@gmail.com; Wondimu Asamenew
Sent: Friday, May 1, 2009 10:04:42 AM
Subject: Re: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Dear Patriotic Global Citizens and Friends of Ethiopia:
Re: Managing Conflicts of Interests the European way and lessons for Horn Terrorists and Revolutinaries.
On the lighter side, I thought as this space is going to be busy in the coming few weeks as the 35 Potential Terrorists are broght to court and we here their wonderful and productive association with Betnachew and Bonger, I felt it will be helpful how to manage our frstration by having some interesting story from the Europeans.
Please take it, but take it easy as life is rather tough. We will update you the latest developments on the Neuvo-terrorists as information becomes available. In the mean time, here is some fun and great lesson in negotiations.
Dr B
Read slowly And carefully... .
he European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English. "
In the first year, "S" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.
The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "O" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer , ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Sultan R
To: EthioForum Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 8:57:37 PM
Subject: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Why is this fool tolerated on this forum?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:14:50 -0700
From: globalbelai@yahoo.com
Subject: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
To: EthioForum@Ethiolist.com
Dear Patriotic Global Citizens and Friends of Ethiopia:
The Ethiopians and Russians are getting smarter catching the terrorists before they can act. I hope the US will do the same in Taliban land in Afghan and Pakistan Border!
As we watched President Barack Obama Report on his first 100 days, I could not help but be impressed by the intelligence, wit and deliberative and thinking president the US is blessed with.
I was forced to scan the universe and could not help but focus on the Horn, where people with the same genetic pool as the US President (Kenya and Ethiopia Borders) could not manage their affairs as he does in such clear and intelligent way.
He was so clear as he addressed the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic as well as the global climate change, the Economic Crisis, the Republican Crisis and welcoming the independent Senator Arlene Specter, and the future green economy, etc. and the Taliban and Betnachew type of Global Terror!
It is so amazing how people can be so intelligent but humble, so wise but simle, so great but respectful of their audience and the general public.
I then managed to review the Betnachew web site at www.Guinbot7.org and remembered the weekened interview by Apiring Terrorist Bonger, and felt, is this the same planet?
Such humility and intelligence wrapped around one man! He is from the Horn as are the Betnachews and Bongers are but he spent his early youth time in schools and colleges and not in the Mountains of Dedebit or the streets of Merkato terrorizing his own people.
That is the greatest difference, between three sets of people who hail from the Great Genetic Pool of the Horn people but whose outlook and foturnes are so different.
Can the Horn and Ethiopia create another HIM and Barack. I could not help but be amazed when I saw Barack quote straight from the Sermon on the Mount the same verses HIM quoted at the introduction of His book, My life and Ethiopia's progress.
Yet the same Bonger was heared just few years ago before he left for Ethiopia at the East West Highway Library in Silver Spring Maryland, the main cause of Ethiopia's problem is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Gospel of Christ. I walked out of the meeting by declaring you are a fool, Ethiopia will always respect its faith and you will be part of the dust bin of communist history. Now after almost 5 years, this fool converted into a potential terrorist and joined the camps of failed communists in the West.
What a shame!
Let us say, the majority children in the Horn by the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden did not see any thing but the tail of Camels all their lives and therefore we cannot expect any thing better than piracy and urban terror as Betnachew and Bonger have declared at www.guinbot.org. But, what do you say about Betnachew and Bonger who had all the opportunity to be educated and contributing members of humanity like Barack but decided to follow the tails of terror like their cousins in Somalia, Yemen, Egypt, Eritrea (Osaman, Ayman and Aweye and Afeworki) are engaged in.
Why did Bonger and Betnachew choose the terrorist route? This is a PhD student for future children of the Horn, especially the Merkato and Dedebit Neighborhood where these delinquents spent most of their creaative youth
I could not help but compare the compassion and intelligence when he was asked what surpirsed, humbled and endeared him and what would he cherish in the first 100 days, and then I listen to the Foolish Bonger and Betnachew regurgitating hate filled out of date and rather criminal language.
There you have it is not the Genuius Genes of the Horn that you see on Barack that matter but who your friends are and how you spend your time.
Imaine Bonger listening to Barack and saying, Please Bararck starve my people, and then Betnachew saying please Gordon, do not send help to my people, I would like to see them starve now so that I can then come back to you and feed them at their death bed.
This is such a great tragedy of the 21st Century, where the country of HIM, Menelik and Yohannes is now being cajoled to disaster by the Betnachews and Bongers of this world.
Please read on
Dr B
Could we generate more Baracks in the Horn and put all the Bongers and Betnachews in the dust hip of history!
That is my wish and I trust the wishes of all people of the Horn!
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/04/28/4152319.htm
Sudan Tribune/McClatchey Information Services, France/US
April 28, 2009
BRIEF: Ethiopia's 35 accused appear in court
ADDIS ABABA, Apr 28, 2009 (Sudan Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Some 35 Ethiopian, suspected of plotting to commit subversive activities against the government, were brought before the court on Monday.
Ethiopian security services said the terrorist group, which is led by Dr. Berhanu Nega, has declared an armed struggle to dismantle the national constitutional system through force.
The authorities, who detained them on Friday April 24, say they found in their houses weapons, explosives, communications tools and army uniforms.
The security service today requested the judge to allow them more time to finalize their investigations. A period of 14 days has been granted by the judges.
The police said they had been closely monitoring the activities of the members of the "terror network" which encompasses soldiers and civilians working in government ministries.
____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.telegraph..co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/ethiopia/5243280/Ethiopia-PM-warns-anti-hunger-effort-at-risk.html
Telegraph, UK
April 29, 2009
Ethiopia PM warns anti-hunger effort at risk
Ethiopia's prime minister has warned that a British-backed effort to stave off starvation in the country is in danger of collapse without a dramatic increase in international aid.
Damien McElroy
Meles Zenawi, the strongman who has ruled the African republic for 18 years, represented Africa at the G20 summit in London last month. He led calls from African countries on international officials that met in Washington last weekend to quickly hand out the $500 billion (£342 billion) pledged in London for developing countries.
"The economic downturn means there is no cash to give more support to the vulnerable," he told The Daily Telegraph at his offices in Addis Ababa.
"We need the global economy to pick up and the resources promised at the G20 from the IMF to be made be available immediately to help with the balance of payment problems many African countries like ours are facing."
Mr Meles has played a key role for Western governments, most notably as a member alongside the singer and campaigner Bob Geldof, of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa.
The G20 has further entrenched his role as Africa's spokesman. Mr Meles has said that some African countries "could go under" as a result of the global downturn. He pointed to a foreign exchange crunch in Ethiopia and the troubles caused by a halving of economic growth as Africa suffers from the global recession.
Asked about the parlous state of Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme - which receives £25 million a year from Whitehall - Mr Meles said that "it is in a more serious situation".
The half-cash, half-food scheme supports 7.2 million Ethiopians on the brink of starvation. But after five years the programme has fallen short of its original aim of helping millions escape from dependency on hand-outs.
A spokesman for the Department of International Development (DFID) in London said that it had demanded a "rapid payout" for Ethiopia and other distressed economies at the summit.
Officials believe the Ethiopian programme needs a drastic overhaul even if it survives the crisis. Just three per cent of recipients have been weaned off assistance, far short of the 50 percent hoped for when the scheme was launched in 2003.
"The government has been too optimistic," said Melakamnesh Alemu, a DFID adviser on the scheme. "We need to design the system to respond to a major shock."
Andrew Mitchell, the Conservatives' international aid spokesman, said that Ethiopia must be pressed to reform its economy as well.
"We in the West will not allow Ethiopians to face mass starvation again but at the same time Ethiopia is not doing enough free up its internal market to create jobs and livelihoods that would provide long-term security and prosperity," he said.
Ethiopia is the third largest recipient of British overseas aid. Relations with Addis Ababa were damaged by a violent response to pro-democracy demonstrators in 2005 and obstruction to international famine relief efforts last year.
The enhanced global role undertaken by Mr Meles has emboldened the 54-year old ex-guerrilla to grab more control of the Ethiopian economy. In recent weeks the government has seized the country's "Black Gold" - the coffee crop - from private merchants. Coffee traders have been threatened with prosecution for hoarding by holding back stock sales in the hope that the price would rise.
A foreign aid worker in Addis Ababa said: "Meles was a star at G20. He is still put as an example of success in Africa. He's pretty confident of what he can get away with as a result."
The long-serving leader has hinted he will hand over to a successor after a general election next year. Mr Meles rejected a suggestion that he had failed to entrench democracy while conditions were stable and the economy was logging robust growth.
"I disagree with the premise. I have done a lot for democracy and the elections will be free, fair and transparent," he said.
"When I withdraw, the system and the constitution will continue - it is a given."
_________________________________________________________________________
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8023951.stm
BBC
April 28, 2009
Russia captures Somalia pirates
International navies have been moving to arrest suspected pirates
A Russian warship has seized a pirate vessel with 29 people on board off the Somali coast, Russian news reports say.
Guns and navigation equipment were found during a search of the pirate boat, officials were quoted as saying.
They said the suspected pirates were thought to have launched two unsuccessful attacks against a tanker with a Russian crew. Russia is one of the countries that has deployed naval ships against pirates operating in the area. Navies from Nato, the EU, Japan, China, India, Yemen, US Malaysia and Singapore have also been patrolling the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
However, the number of attacks has continued to rise.
Somali pirates have hijacked 25 vessels since the beginning of this year and are holding more than 260 crew around the stronghold of Eyl in northern Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
Naval patrols have captured pirates on a number of occasions.. Some have been put on trial in Kenya, while France has charged three suspected pirates and a Somali teenager is facing trial in the US.
Earlier on Tuesday, regional leaders in Somalia's northern Puntland region told the BBC they have put together a militia of fishermen to catch pirates.
Twelve armed pirates in two boats have been captured by the vigilante groups, they said
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EPRDF-Supporters-Forum@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Dawit Yohannis
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 4:06:39 PM
Subject: Fw: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Dear Patriotic Global Citizens and Friends of Ethiopia
Re: Ethiopia should initiate its own Internatinal Court of Justice
Let B Bonger be the first candidate to be prosecuted with all the loony terrorists in Ogaden and Alshabab, Shabia and OLF.
We have enough cases to keep the Addis International court of Justice busy as we can add the Terrorist Watch Group too who are busy fanning the potential terrorist activities.
Thee is a popular request from Patriotic Global Citizens for Ethiopia to house such International Court of Justice Against Global Terrorists!
A Popular request to get all cracked up terrrorist addicts masquerading as University Professors deported too! Guilt by facts as described at www.guinbot.org and etv and waltainformation and as reported by the BBC, VOA and all international media.
We do not need to revert to CIA reditioning, but to protect the sanctity of our people and governance, every thing is possible to get the Bongers to Kaliti International Court of Justice!
Here is an excellent justification why President Barack Obama should send Bonger and Tsigie to Addis as early as possible! Remember President Bush was able to send Kelbesa Negao, the Butcher of Addis and the Potential Butcher of Merkato should see his people in Addis Court!
U.S. Should Deport Dr. Berhanu Nega
Adal Isaw
adalisaw@yahoo.com
April 27, 2009.
Terrorism is “the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.” This definition of terrorism is neither EPRDF’s nor Premier Meles Zenawi’s. It’s the definition of the U.S. State Department of Defense- a part of the executive branch of the American government, which the few and vociferous violent prone Ethiopian Diaspora love to solicit with deceit.
The unfolding of the recent terrorist plot in a civil manner is a testament to arduous and efficient democratic governance in Ethiopia. A government that adheres to the rule of law under the Constitution is truly alive, where similar plot two decades ago would have been dealt with deadly force head on. A country that bore a fascist regime which levied the price of a bullet on a grieving mother is now endowed with a government that justly treats the treasonous elements of its citizens for the sake of exacting the rule of law.
Not by our choosing, our country sits in the Horn of Africa-arguably one of the roughest neighborhoods in the world. Abutted by a rogue one-man state of Eritrea that exacerbates conflicts through out the region and a failed state of Somalia, it is extremely self-defeating for few of our citizens to choose a terrorist route to force a political change of their inkling. As is, we Ethiopians have handful detractors of states and non state actors, such as Egypt, Libya, the one-man state of Eritrea, and others helping Al-quaeda and Al-shebaab to curtail our development as a people; enough is enough.
Our livelihood should not again be jeopardized under the same political ploy of the likes of Ginbot 7. Those nations with interest, especially the U.S. and European Union should take a serious note to amend their diplomatic engagements, to completely and absolutely disassociate themselves from the violent prone Ethiopian Diaspora. U.S. and the European Union should come to terms and realize that the vociferous Ethiopian Diaspora is the basket case of intolerance and backward thinking. In cases of those Diaspora leaders who are openly advocating for violent means, the U.S. and European Union should deport persons of interest as soon as possible. In regards to this matter, the U.S. should take the lead for it has a compelling interest to keep in so doing.
The Ethio-American diplomatic engagement is dictated by U.S.’s counter terrorism plan and it is a must for the authorities in the State Department to look into this matter quickly and forward the name(s) to Department of Homeland Security for deportation. The persons of interest includes Dr. Berhanu Nega and the evidence is everywhere for documentation.
Consider what BBC World News documented on April 25, 2009: “…one of the most charismatic opposition figures at the time of the last elections in Ethiopia in 2005 and if all had gone well he would have become mayor of Addis Ababa. But he was arrested along with other prominent opposition figures and tried for treason, sentenced to life imprisonment, then pardoned and released. Along with several of his colleagues he travelled abroad after his release, but while most of the others have returned to Ethiopia and are now organizing themselves as a legitimate opposition party to fight next year's elections, Dr. Berhanu chose to stay in the US, saying that the situation in Ethiopia was such that the government could not be changed by constitutional means.”
It is thus public knowledge that Dr. Berhanu has convinced himself and his followers to pursue a terrorist plot in lieu of adhering to the democratic processes set forth for political contest under the Constitution of FDRE. It is also very apparent that, Dr. Berhanu’s choice of a violent route by forsaking an established democratic process in and it self fits the State Department’s definition of terrorism. The U.S. State Department of Defense should thus make good on its own definition of terrorism and forward the case of Dr. Berhanu Nega and his cohorts to D.H.S for deportation.
Dr Berhanu Nega is the lead person of interest for the simple fact that the recent terrorist plot in Ethiopia is his brain child, and the evidences can be compiled from several news articles and other ample sources. In fact, his self-incriminating depositions without oath can be found at ease in arrays. This is not at all a trial to draw guilt by association but a trial to find justice for an apparent criminal intent by Dr. Berhanu Nega, to unlawfully coerce and intimidate a government and its people to exact his political and ideological inkling. His deed is criminal and is defined as terrorism by whom else but by the U.S. State Department of Defense, which should make good on its own definition and recommend to D.H.S for the deportation of Dr. Berhanu Nega.
The U.S. should not be an adobe for violence prone individuals of the likes of Dr. Berhanu Nega. After all, under U.S. Code 1227, section (4), subsection (I), in reference to deportable aliens, an alien whose presence or activities in the U.S. the secretary of the State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences is deportable. The State Department should pursue the deportation process for Dr. Berhanu Nega sooner than later if it really wants to keep the Ethio-American counter-terrorism alliance as effective as it has been.
Ethiopia’s endurance will continue!!!
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
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From: "arayaamsalu@aol.com"
To: EthioForum Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 11:57:48 AM
Subject: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Belai,
You are cracking me up! A very good case of many an Ethiopian saying " etc. I can pick anyone of these and make my point about you man.
Whose fault is it that the aging parents are jailed? Berhanu and Andagatchew's or the governments? Let me humour you for a minute and go along, the two sons are criminals (let me agree with EPRDF innocent till proven guilty is overrated), then what has that got to do with the old parents being dragged to jail? Do these people have basic rights as citizens?Have you heard of the basics of rule of law, such as no guilt by association?
BTW I hate comparisons, but a friend pointed to me this is even worse than Dergue. You see even the Dergue did not jail Ato Zenawi Asres even when it knew Meles Zenawi was the leader of TPLF.
Araya
-----Original Message-----
From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EthioForum Mailing List
Sent: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:24 pm
Subject: [EthioForum] - Does Bucknell University Know what we Know?
Does Bucknell University kno w what we know? Does BBC and British Government know what we know?
Imagine a generation that puts its fathers into jail, not once, but twice and three times
What a curse, this is? My sympathy goes out to all those mothers who collected the Placenta instead of the real babies during the horrific days of the Derg that allows this level of evil to be unleashed among our people.
When will this evil stop? Please read below a sad saga of the Coward terrorists hiding in the US and London and allowing their parents untold misery.
My condolances for our elederly being pushed around at such Senior year when they should be enjoying their grandchildren's success!< /SPAN>
Imagine any Government in the Universe that accpets any group that is trying to get rid of it by any thing possible including Violence. This is basic abc of Governance1 Try it here in the White House or British Parliament, Bonger and Tsegie and see what you will get1
Is is so shameful to see such level of stupidity unfolding infront of the world from Ethiopia!
Watch this space, more will come! The tragedy is we need intelligent politicians who can learn from Barack Obama's 4 years campaign and 100 days of Governance.
Imagine the mother of Good Governance having such violent chaotic children wanting chaos for their families by hidign themselves in Pensylvania and London!
Watch this space, more interesting things will unfold
Dr B
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-27-voa53.cfm
VOA
April 27, 2009
Kin of Exiled Ethiopian Opposition Leaders Charged in Coup Plot
Peter Heinlein
=0 D
Ethiopian President Meles Zenawi (File Photo)
Relatives of two prominent exiled Ethiopian politicians are among 35 people jailed in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government. Ethiopians shocked by news of the arrests are scrambling to learn the identities of the accused plotters and details of their alleged crimes.
Ethiopian officials say they had nothing to add to a statement issued Saturday announcing the arrest of 35 alleged members of Ginbot Seven, an opposition group based outside the country.
Ginbot Seven, or May 15th, is the date of Ethiopia's disputed 2005 election. The group's leader, Berhanu Nega, is a charismatic politician who was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in that election. He was arr ested afterward, convicted of treason, and sentenced to life in prison along with more than 100 other opposition leaders. All were later pardoned.
Berhanu now lives in the United States, where he is an economics professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.
Saturday's government statement said security forces had foiled a terror network formed by Berhanu to wage armed struggle against the government. Spokesman Ermias Legesse said a search of suspects' homes had revealed a cache of weapons, military uniforms and a plan of attack.
In a telephone interview Monday, Berhanu confirmed that Ginbot Seven's aim is to overthrow the government by any means possible.
"Our position is very clear from the beginning. This is an illegal government. This government is in power by coup de etat in 2005. This government has usurped power by force and therefore any mechanism to get rid of an illegitimate tyranny is legitimate as far as we are concerned," he said.
Ethiopian media sa id those arrested included an active duty army general, Teferra Mamo, said to be leader of Ginbot Seven's military wing. The only other suspect identified was Melaku Tefera, an organizer for the opposition Unity for Democracy and Justice party.
Melaku was among the opposition leaders convicted of treason and later pardoned following the 2005 election. He now joins UDJ leader Birtukan Mideksa, who was re-arrested earlier this year and ordered to serve out her life sentence.
Berhanu Nega says he had been told the accused included a cousin of his living in Addis Ababa, and the 80-year old father of Tsige Andargachew, an exiled Ginbot Seven official living in Britain.
Berhanu told VOA security forces had surrounded his parents' Addis Ababa home and confiscated their cellphones. "This is a government that accuses your relatives for what you do. Whatever it is that you do. That is why Ato (Mr.) Tsige Andargachew's father is in prison. Maybe my cousin is in prison for the same reason," he said.
Several Ethiopian opposition figures expressed concern over the arrests. Parliament Member Bulcha Demeksa agreed that Ginbot Seven would be considered an illegal organizat ion under Ethiopian law, but he expressed skepticism about the reports of a coup plot.
"I honestly believe this is not true. The government of Ethiopia has used such accusations so many times to make it a reason to arrest people ... The election approaching. Anybody who could be a viable candidate for an opposition party will be caught by this net," he said.
A government spokesman said he was busy in meetings but said told VOA further details of the arrests and the coup plot would be forthcoming in the next few days. He declined to speculate on what charges might be filed against those detained, but said the suspects would soon be brought before a judge to hear the charges read.
_________________________________________________________________
http://cyberethiopia.com/news/?id=139024
Fortune, Ethiopia
April 26, 2009
State Grain Firm Dips into Coffee Export Trade
PAWLOS BELETE
To Sell 12,000Qtls to German Co.
The Ethiopian Grain Trade Enterprise (EGTE) signed its first agreement to sell 12,000Qtls of coffee to a Germany based company more than a week ago, officials of the enterprise disclosed. The agreement, signed on April 14, 2009, makes the German company the first buyer of EGTE's coffee; the latter has finalized preparations for the first shipment of coffee to Germany in May.
The state owned enterprise penetrated the coffee export business for the first time in its half a century history a couple of months ago. It has already bought more than 42,000Qtls of coffee through open auction at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX)..
The idea of becoming involved in the coffee export business was floated during Business Process Reengineering (BPR) of the enterprise, according to its officials. The assessment proved that the enterprise has both the infrastructure and manpower to handle export trade of coffee, in addition to the export of pulses, oil seeds and other agricultural products, which the enterprise has been known for over the past 50 years.
"We have the experience both in the domestic and international markets, with the manpower and the infrastructure to do the business," Beru Lede, deputy General Manager of the enterprise, told Fortune.
Nevertheless, perhaps because it has started at a time when the government has taken stern action=2 0against major coffee exporters and suppliers, accusing them of hoarding export standard coffee, there has been criticism that the enterprise's move is a government ploy to enter the coffee business. But senior government officials argue that this strategy is a result of concern for the void in the coffee export business created due to the action taken against the major actors.
"The enterprise has entered the coffee market for one simple reason; there is concern that the capability to process the coffee exports of the remaining several actors in the market may not be adequate to push the coffee through the system quickly enough," Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said at a press conference more than a week ago.
Though the preference would be to handle the trade through private sector actors, if there are bottlenecks created, the government would try to beef it up through the Grain Trade Enterprise, according to Meles.
"But there is no intention of establishing a public monopoly in any of the agricultural markets because we know that it doesn't work," the Prime Minister emphasized.
The coffee the EGTE bought at the ECX is from the stock the government has taken over from the stores of the six major exporters, knowledgeable sources disclosed. People engaged in the coffee export business, however, see EGTE's coming to the scene as potential competition.
"The move is contrary to the principle of free market; it was a practice apparent in the military regime through the Coffee Market (Buna Gebeya), a coffee exporter who requested not to be named told Fortune. "It complicates the competition field."
The absence of equal power between the state and private enterprises makes it difficult for the latter to compete fairly, the exporter added.
With its head office on Beyene Aba Sebsib Avenue ( Debre-Zeit Road ), the EGTE has 11 branches and 40 trade centres and warehouses throughout the=2 0country, with a combined storage capacity of eight million quintals. The enterprise has a 1,700 strong permanent workforce in all its branches and sales points. The business the enterprise was engaged in before exporting the commodity include transporting the coffee to the processing facilities it runs in different parts of the country for pulping and cleaning the coffee to meet the country's quality and grade requirements, as well as the buyers' needs.
The enterprise is eyeing markets in Europe, America , Middle East and Asia . Its general manager, Brehane Hailu, was recently in Atlanta , US , to participate in a coffee fair held there and to source for potential customers. The enterprise has in stock pulped and fermented coffee - which is washed to remove its sticky mucilage - otherwise known as "washed coffee" from Yirga Chefe and Sidama Areas of the Southern Nation, Nationalities and People Regional State, as well as "Sun Dried" coffee that is dried, hulled, cleaned and stored as red cherry coffee from Jimma and Nekemte of the Oromia Regional State. These are in stock ready to be transported to any interested buyer.
O ver the past 50 years, EGTE has been active in the buying and selling of grains, and for more than a year now, it has become a responsible government arm for the stabilization of the domestic grain market. It is accountable to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) and is run by a board chaired by Ali Suleiman, commissioner of the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
EGTE owns 39 new and additional used heavy trucks to transport commodities to customers' facilities, or to and from the port, in the case of export and import transactions. The enterprise operates with 105 million Br of fully paid up capital injected by the government as seed money; its annual turnover is currently about 500 million Br. The turnover does not include the over 250 million dollars the government spent over the past more than a year to buy close to 800,000tn of wheat from the international market, mainly East Europe, to stabilize the local market through subsidized imports..
Ethiopia earned close to 175 million dollars in the first six months of the 2008/2009 fiscal year from the export of 59,188tn of coffee, which is 61.2pc of the plan (285 million dollars).20Compared to the previous year's performance of the same period, the coffee export this year increased by 14pc in volume and 21pc in earnings, according to data from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
________________________________________________________________
http://af.reuters.com/article/somaliaNews/idAFLR4979620090427?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
Reuters
April 27, 2009
Yemen frees ship, captures pirates - govt official
SANAA - Yemeni special forces on Monday freed a Yemeni oil tanker seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, killing three pirates and capturing at least nine on board, a government official said.
The ship, named Qana, was seized by Somali pirates off Yemen's coast on Sunday but was empty of oil cargo. The deaths on Monday took to five the number of pirates killed as Yemeni forces battled for two days to take back the vessel.
They were escorting the tanker to the Yemeni port of Aden on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
Pirates have made millions of dollars over the past year from seizing ships and taking crews hostage. Pirates have increased raids on ships passing through the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping lane for oil and cargo, since February.
Better weather has allowed them to operate more freely despite foreign navy patrols off the coast of Somalia.
Yemen, across the Gulf of Aden from Somalia, is a small producer of oil and exports 200,000 barrels per day but is one of the world's poorest countries.
The tanker, with a 23-strong crew of which three are Indian and the rest Yemenis, has a capacity of 3,000 tonnes but was not carrying any cargo when it was seized.
The pirates had briefly seized three other vessels earlier before Yemeni forces freed them, a Yemeni official said.
On Sunday pirates freed the Yemeni-owned Sea Princess II tanker that had been held since Jan. 2.
The London-based IMB watchdog said piracy incidents nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2009, almost entirely due to Somalia and there were 18 attacks off its coast in March alone. (Reporting by Mohammed Sudam; Writing by Andrew Hammond; editing by Richard Balmforth)
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
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From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EPRDF-Supporters-Forum@yahoogroups.com; Dawit Yohannis
Cc: Samuel.Assefa@gmail.com; Michael Mered
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:14:23 AM
Subject: Ethiopia tries to regaom its stole n Assets, South Afroca Commends Ethiopia for assisting it stop the looting of its people and Somalia wants to be the new looter
Dear Patriotic Global Citizens and Friends of Ethiopia:
RE: Restoration of looted treasures and current campaigns to destory Ethiopia's image!
Restoration is about returning the honor, dignity and treasures looted illlegally by others without permission.
Ethiopia has stood for Good Governance and Justice among nations for Millennia.
The attached documents clearly show that Ethiopia will not allow any nation or pirates or terrorists to distrub its peace, loot its treasures and spiritual icons and keep quiet.
The attached statement of Russ Fienegold about Somalia is misguided as he continues to believe it is Ethiopia that caused Somalia to go bankrup t. It is Ethiopia who stopped the loony Terrorist Caliphate in its tracks. Somalia can have any form of Government it wants but it needs to deploy it on its territory and for its own people. Ethiopoia will not accept any faith to be imposted by it, be it by the Turkish and Egyptian Pashas of the past, and the Roman Catholics or the loony Somali Pirates!
The Minute Somalia, Sudan, British, Italy and any Senator wants to impose their will on Ethiopians then the game changes. Ethiopians have not gone to Italy, Britain or Turkey or Egypt and invaded these countries. They always come to loot Ethiopia and we say no. May be we need to change our policy and take the battle ground to these countries that continue to want to terrorize us. It worked when we went to Moqadisho and may be we need to do more of this! The traditional Ethiopian notion of Atinqugne, do not touch me or bother me has not worked.
Better still, we need to be proactive and pre-empt challenges by coming forward with creative solutions and not wait for crisis to galvanize us. The recent Tilahun Death is a case in point. If we had just done a little bit to ensure that he got good medical care in the USA and then followed=2 0him to Ethiopia and ensured that all the Ethiopian Ambullance System was effective we would not have lost Empress Medferiash Work, Dejasmatch Zewde Gebre-Selassie and even Fitawrari Amede Lemma, had our Medical System been Available, Accountable and Affordable.
We need to change the paradigm of hopeless ness and create a pardigm of opportunities in all sectors of our lives. Our people are our treasures and we need to protect their dighnity, health and prosperity at all costs!
Ethiopia has stood for Justice and Peace through out history and when the South Africans under Botha and Ian Smith were terrorizing Africans for centuries, there was no Genocide Watch or Apartheid Watch or Human Rights Watch from the USA and in fact Governments led by President Reagan and Co were supporting sanctions against people like Mandela, I understand that sanctioin still holds and Pres Mandela cannot travel to the USA. It was Ethiopia who put all its resources to get Africa Decolonized and United. Africans need to be reminded of the sacrifice Ethiopia made for their independence and dignity and African Union.
Who can tell Finegold first to clean your own house! Imagine, Finegold has been at the center of the Campaign to destabillize Ethiopia in support of ONLF terrorists. Now he wants President Barack Obamba to be involved like he pushed President Bush to be involved in Iraq. Jurst imagine who was part of the Torture Memo series in Congress and Senate. Finegold should be made to apologize for insulting and dishonoring the Ethiopian People. Just imagine what will be the outcome.
All the same, we have to get our stolen assets from the British Museum and not allow new Robbers to steal the imagination of our youth by starting all sorts of Calendar based Terror Groups like Guinbot 7 and May be February Revolution and who knows there are some 365 days and they can replace our Saints with a series of demonic terror leaders, if we keep quiet and allow them to convert Blessed Ethiopia into Chaotic Somalia. Just watch where does all the resources come to enter Somalia and keep the Peace there! Do you remember Black Hauck Down Movie?
When our surroundings are being targets for a battle ground for war, terror, Ethiopia will be the country that will be faced with refugees and terrorist network safe heavens. The re cent tragedy where an attempt to distabilize the country when the people were busy Mourning the deaths of its Patriots like Drs Senedu, Tilahun and Fitawrari Amede Lemma is clear indication that our terrorist networks willnot rest even at the time of our mourning, perhaps they think that is our weakest moment.
Now, let us get all our treasures from Britian and Switzerland before another set of terrorist come and create havoc for another blunder campaign.
Please read the stories of Somalia, South African Independence and Ethiopian attempt to get back the "Maqdela Treasures"
Just imagine who is ready to loot us again when the Guinbot & and ONLF manage to create havoc under false pretexts, some organized ciminal pirates?
Just imagine who is in line to benefit from creating havoc amongst us? and Why do they want to create havoc amongst us? If we put in place legal means of transaction and sharing information like we did with Lucy and other tresasures, The Tourists will flock to Ethiopioa. The lost financial and cultural=2 0opportunity demands that we display our treasures in a legal format for the world to see it instead of few crooks to looot it.
Just imagine! in the end we need to educate our youths about preserving our historical treasures and investment oppotunities and compete in the global market with quality and creativity, not with Guinbot 7 type of terror operatives. We need to proactively clean up terrorist cultures that is being promoted amongst our youth under the pretext of religious and political agenda.
Just imagine, if we have all 80 Million Citizens interacting with the Global Citizens in creative investment ventures than What the foolish Berhanu Bonger and Sheik Awiye, the Shabia and AlShabab terrorists want to do. An educated and interactive citizenship will protect itself and promote its best talents across the world... That is what Tilahun taught us. Even when his music was stolen and sold in the market under a different name, he said, I will go to Addis and investigte before I say any thing in advance. Investigate, Research is his last word in Washigton DC during his last interview.
So, let us reserach, investigate Guinbot 7 and other series of terrorists like ONLF, OLF, Shababa, Shabia and Alqaeda and Donald Paynes and Russ Finegolds. We can turn them around, if we know what they want or better still make them our friends and friends of Ethiopia for ever.
It takes a new set of geniuses to convert our enemies into friends. Ethiopia needs 7 Billion friends. Our task is before us to convert our alleged enemies into our friends, as Obama declares, "Yes We Can indeed!"
Dr B
http://feingold.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=311976
Senator Russ Feingold's office, US Senate
Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold on Somalia Piracy
As Submitted for the Record
Friday, April 24, 2009
Mr. President, I was glad earlier this week to join Senator Leahy in passing a resolution commending Captain Richard Phillips for his brave conduct, and those members of our Armed Services, particularly members of the Navy and Navy SEAL teams, who rescued Captain Phillips.. I also want to commend the leadership of the President and the efforts of many U.S. government departments and agencies in their response to this crisis. These many acts of bravery and leadership are deeply inspiring, and we should recognize them.
However, while the episode involving the Maersk Alabama was resolved, we are likely to see more such episodes if we do not take comprehensive measures to address not only piracy on the waters, but also conditions on land that enable it. We cannot ignore the fact that piracy off the coast of Somalia is an outgrowth of the state collapse, lawlessness and humanitarian crisis that have plagued the country for over a decade. In recent Congressional testimony, both Director of National Intelligence Blair and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Army Lt. General Michael Maples cited l awlessness and economic problems on land as the cause of the rise in piracy at sea. Until we address those conditions, we will be relying on stopgap measures, at best, to deter this piracy problem and we are unlikely to succeed in reversing the growing violent extremism in Somalia.
Mr. President, for years I have been calling for the development of a comprehensive, interagency strategy to help establish stability, the rule of law, and functional, inclusive governance in Somalia. This is the only sure and sustainable solution to address the problem of piracy – and the instability in Somalia – over the long term.. Moreover, I am convinced that we have a unique window of opportunity for progress as a result of the Ethiopian troop withdrawal earlier this year and the establishment of a new unity government relocated back to Mogadishu. This government has the potential to unite Somalia if it demonstrates a genuine commitment to inclusion and begins to make a real difference in people’s lives – in terms of security and basic services, such as protection, trash collection and job creation. Helping the government to find tangible solutions to expand effective and inclusive governance must be a central part of our overall strategy to stabilize Somalia and address the threats of piracy and terrorism.
To that end, I continue to urge th e Obama administration, as it develops its response to piracy, to make it a priority to engage at a high level with the new Somali government. I have written to President Obama, asking him to personally call Somali President Sheik Sharif and indicate a clear commitment to work with his government not just on maritime insecurity, but also on establishing security and governance within the country. We have been engaging with President Sharif at the ambassadorial level for quite some time now, and I met the president in Djibouti in December. In addition, there needs to be a stronger and more sustained diplomatic push to engage with a wide range of actors within Somalia and stakeholders in the wider region – both in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East – if we are going to address the underlying problems that have contributed to piracy and rising extremism.
Mr. President, the events with the Maersk Alabama earlier this month have finally brought increased attention to the problem of piracy in Somalia’s waters. But it will be insufficient if our response only deals with the symptoms and not Somalia’s central problems. I urge my colleagues and the different committees who will examine this issue over the coming weeks and months to take this seriously. For if we do not finally deal with Somalia’s lawlessness and instability, we will continue to see them manifest themselves in activities – be they acts of piracy or terrorism – that threaten U.S. and international security.
I yield the floor.
__________________________________________________________
http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=96872
APA
April 28, 2009
South Africa commends Ethiopia ’s role in its liberation struggle
Addis Ababa ( Ethiopia ) South Africa on Monday commended Ethiopia for its support to South Africa ’s struggle for freedom during the apartheid era.
Speaking in Addis Ababa on Monday during commemoration of South African National Day, the South African ambassador to Ethiopia Major General Chris L. Pepani said relations between Ethiopia and South Africa were in good shape and would be further strengthened.
It is to be recalled that the former South African president Nelson Mandela was among those who received military training in Ethiopia during the liberation struggle against the apartheid regime.
Ambassador Pepani indicated that Ethiopia played an unforgettable role for South Africa ’s struggle for freedom, which has resulted in better bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
“ South Africa continues with its firm commitment on the path towards the achievement of a better continent predicated on the obvious idea of democracy, peace, development and prosperity,” said ambassador Pepani.
______________________________________________ ___________________
http://news.independentminds.livejournal.com/2342224.html
Independent, UK
April 27, 2009
Ethiopia demands stolen crown back
Andrew Johnson
The President has written to the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Library and Cambridge University Library seeking the restitution of more than 400 so-called "treasures of Magdala", which were stolen by British soldiers following a battle in 1868.
In the letter, obtained by The Independent on Sunday, the President wrote: "I must state that Ethiopians have long grieved at the loss of this part of their20national heritage. Ethiopians feel that this act of appropriation had no justification in international law. I feel, therefore, that the time has come for the return of Ethiopia's looted treasures."
Among the items being held in the UK is an 18-carat gold crown and more than 300 priceless manuscripts, including Christian scriptures. Experts say the issue is particularly sensitive for Ethiopians because many of the artefacts hold deep religious significance for them.
These include nine tabots, or sacred wooden altar slabs, which are recognised as so holy that the British Museum has pledged never to display them. When a tabot was returned in 2005 after being discovered in the back of an Edinburgh church, thousands of people turned out to greet its return in Addis Ababa.
The objects were among those seized by British soldiers after the storming of the Fortress of Magdala in 1868, a punitive expedition that followed the kidnap of several Britons. Emperor Tewodros committed suicide after the battle.
According to contemporary accounts, British soldiers slaughtered hundreds of poorly armed Ethiopians after the battle, and then "jostled each other" to grab a piece of the emperor's blood-stained shirt, which they tore from his body.
They also looted the citadel and a nearby church, carrying off treasures that included "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses", as well as "heaps of parchment royally illuminated".
British museums have in the past resisted calls for artefacts from their collections to be returned to their countries of origin, but it is understood that Neil MacGregor of the British Museum and Mark Jones of the V&A have already met the Ethiopian ambassador to discuss the matter.
Museums often argue in restitution cases that the artefacts are better off in Britain because anyone in the world can view them, and the V&A is known to have asked Addis Ababa whether the silver crown of Emperor Tewodros, which it returned to Ethiopia in 1925, is available for public view.
The V&A said yesterday that discussions were still ongoing, even though the President's letter was sent in February this year. The four organisations involved have also held meetings over the way forward.
The Magdala treasure differs to other restitution cases, such as that of the Elgin Marbles, because it is acknowledged that the treasures were simply stolen. "It was straightforward looting," a spokeswoman at the Ethiopian embassy in London said.
A spokeswoman for Afromet, an organisation that has campaigned for the restitutions of the items, said: "These museums hold most of Ethiopia's heritage. It means far more to Ethiopians than it could ever do to anyone else."
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
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No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.238 / Virus Database: 270.12.11/2089 - Release Date: 04/30/09 17:53:00
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