Bravo! Minister Osman – US ban on Eritrea has no teeth
Letters to the Editor
October 07, 2008
When the US economy is blinking under massive financial intubation, the United States government banned arms sales to Eritrea. Does it really bite?
It has been a while since countries around the globe have called for a multipolar world. This is after the US led unipolar world has failed to guarantee financial security, solution for environmental pollution and peaceful coexistence of neighboring countries and even people from the same country.
The Afghan conflict is declared as impossible to win militarily and even Hamid Karzai is forced to look for a peaceful resolution with Taliban under the auspice of Saudi Arabia. In Iraq a brother is armed and trained by the US and allied forces to kill another brother for more blood shed, but still we were told the surge is working. In Somalia, while the Ethiopian army and the so called AMISOM peacekeepers are busy massacring innocent Somalians in broad daylight and the international community is neglecting the situation; the Somali liberation forces are gaining power and consolidating their influences over the whole country. Yet Washington has failed to wake up and admit the counterterrorism, which was launched to defend freedom, is failing or took a wrong turn long time ago.
Eritrea do not wish to ignore the 9/11 incident and the aftermath fight against terrorism, indeed, being the first victim of terrorists, took a very courageous stand to remind the sole super power that its policies are failing and radicalizing people. In his recent speech to the UN general assembly, Mr. Osman Saleh, Eritrea's minster of foreign affairs told the assembly that the misguided and domineering policies of the sole super power are causing and exacerbating crises around the world and called for collective international action to censor the power of Washington.
Indeed, the speech has hit the nail on the head. Not even a week, and the US government has banned arms sale to Eritrea because Eritrea is not cooperating in the fight against terrorism, and supporting Somali liberation forces. It is not the first time that we were told Eritrea is funneling arms to Somalia. Two years ago we were told by Assistant Secretary of State Department for African Affairs, Dr. Jenday Frazer, that her office is busy collecting evidence and putting together a dossier against Eritrea. Even at that stage she threatened to list Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Hence, this is not going to be the first sanction against Eritrea, this country has tolerated far more serious ones for years. The closure of the Oakland consulate, the restriction of the Eritrean Ambassador not to travel outside of Washington, the exclusion of Eritrea from financial aid under the pretext of what the state department lists being among countries of particular concern, human rights violations and freedom of religion, are few.
As for Eritrea, this new ban is symbolic. It has long been since Eritrea stopped business with the US government and its satellites. Therefore such a ban could bark but not bite.
Selam Awet, South Africa
It has been a while since countries around the globe have called for a multipolar world. This is after the US led unipolar world has failed to guarantee financial security, solution for environmental pollution and peaceful coexistence of neighboring countries and even people from the same country.
The Afghan conflict is declared as impossible to win militarily and even Hamid Karzai is forced to look for a peaceful resolution with Taliban under the auspice of Saudi Arabia. In Iraq a brother is armed and trained by the US and allied forces to kill another brother for more blood shed, but still we were told the surge is working. In Somalia, while the Ethiopian army and the so called AMISOM peacekeepers are busy massacring innocent Somalians in broad daylight and the international community is neglecting the situation; the Somali liberation forces are gaining power and consolidating their influences over the whole country. Yet Washington has failed to wake up and admit the counterterrorism, which was launched to defend freedom, is failing or took a wrong turn long time ago.
Eritrea do not wish to ignore the 9/11 incident and the aftermath fight against terrorism, indeed, being the first victim of terrorists, took a very courageous stand to remind the sole super power that its policies are failing and radicalizing people. In his recent speech to the UN general assembly, Mr. Osman Saleh, Eritrea's minster of foreign affairs told the assembly that the misguided and domineering policies of the sole super power are causing and exacerbating crises around the world and called for collective international action to censor the power of Washington.
Indeed, the speech has hit the nail on the head. Not even a week, and the US government has banned arms sale to Eritrea because Eritrea is not cooperating in the fight against terrorism, and supporting Somali liberation forces. It is not the first time that we were told Eritrea is funneling arms to Somalia. Two years ago we were told by Assistant Secretary of State Department for African Affairs, Dr. Jenday Frazer, that her office is busy collecting evidence and putting together a dossier against Eritrea. Even at that stage she threatened to list Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Hence, this is not going to be the first sanction against Eritrea, this country has tolerated far more serious ones for years. The closure of the Oakland consulate, the restriction of the Eritrean Ambassador not to travel outside of Washington, the exclusion of Eritrea from financial aid under the pretext of what the state department lists being among countries of particular concern, human rights violations and freedom of religion, are few.
As for Eritrea, this new ban is symbolic. It has long been since Eritrea stopped business with the US government and its satellites. Therefore such a ban could bark but not bite.
Selam Awet, South Africa