“A bomb attached to a bus exploded in northwestern Ethiopia yesterday, killing eight people, government officials said. Ethiopia said rival Eritrea was responsible”. This report, by the Associated Press, was published today in the NY Sun here.
“A bomb attached to a bus exploded in northwestern Ethiopia yesterday, killing eight people, government officials said. Ethiopia said rival Eritrea was responsible”. This report, by the Associated Press, was published today in the NY Sun here.
excuse me for intervening on the playing field of desolation
& correct my faulty presumption anyone
but isnt the 2000 agreement ban is bopping asmara with here
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article26365
the same 2000 agreement by which turtle bay & 3 other guarantors guaranteed expeditious & binding delimitation & demarcation
& havent all parties actually already met their legal obligations
except for the withdrawal of ethiopia from badme of course
& with the unmee cat now away
http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/north_africa/0,2172,165896,00.html
wont the eritrean mouse be expected to make a play
precisely
for badme
i dont think so
yet this could easily be accomplished nonviolently now
with a follow on local plebiscite
that would surely return badme to ethiopian sovereignty
for that is the supremest irony here
since ethiopia is right but eritrea is right
& how could they both be right
with no loss of face or viability to anyone
but what a perfect laboratory for field testing the first de mistura mattress & new wrinkle in international law to come off the line & out of our barn
a free association of borderline communities
let birds of a feather flock together
& relay the cosmic egg
a coincidental debacle for turtle bay forces in kosovo
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.1973638966
but in this case it is merely an unofficial debacle rather than an official one
another linkage between the kosovo & eritrea arenas
as we have already observed
is the flagrant & broadbased violations of international law they represent
apparently without precedent or parallel anywhere
as most recently recited here
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1394979.php/Serbia_urges_halt_of_recognition_of_Kosovos_independence__Roundup_
i say we better order up another de mistura mattress for north kosovo while we are at it
& relay the cosmic egg there too
ooh what fun
more fresh kosovo goodies
hopefully not too badly misplaced here
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i6S6Ic1xosgXj5A2zoSzGREUbV3w
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_khalid_s_080314_kosovo_independence_.htm
where there is presently a great advert also btw
just to the right
tho at first i thought it was promoting female divinity
rather than none at all
but anyway
it is clear that we have in eritrea & serbia a stark contrast
for as one occupee is driving the occupying turtle back into the sea
the other occupee hugs the turtle to prevent it from making good its escape
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/03/82520253-2b08-4278-b624-b1738ac96b29.html
Two very nice tidbits you found in the opednews piece on Kosovo:
“While Kosovo has declared independence, in her article, ‘Washington gets a new colony in the Balkans’ writer activist Sara Flounders assesses the situation this way:
‘First, Kosovo is not gaining independence or even minimal self-government. It will be run by an appointed High Representative and bodies appointed by the U.S., European Union and NATO. An old-style colonial viceroy and imperialist administrators will have control over foreign and domestic policy. U.S. imperialism has merely consolidated its direct control of a totally dependent colony in the heart of the Balkans’.
In an article ‘The Oil factor in Kosovo independence’ political scientist Abdus Sattar Ghazali describes Kosovo story in his ezine this way:
‘With 4203 square miles area, Kosovo may be a tiny territory but in the great game of oil politics it holds great importance which is in inverse proportion to its size. Kosovo does not have oil but its location is strategic as the trans-Balkan pipeline – known as AMBO pipeline after its builder and operator the US-registered Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation – will pass through it’.
Mr.Ghazali further writes,’The pipeline will pump Caspian oil from the Bulgarian port of Burgas via Macedonia to the Albanian port of Vlora, for transport to European countries and the United States. Specifically, the 1.1 billion dollar AMBO pipeline will permit oil companies operating in the Caspian Sea to ship their European market by eliminating tanker traffic through the ecologically sensitive waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas’.”
And very interesting that the UN is being asked to keep UNMIK in place as a way to stave off what otherwise appears inevitable.
Couldn’t find the advert, however…
oops
silly of me anyway
it was a riveting pic of a skimpily uniformed exceedingly lovely lady cop
in front of a prohibition sign crossbarring a word that couldnt be read
tho it was seemingly either god or qed in full caps
so at first i figured it was a plug for our dear goddess all that is
with this lady fairly demonstrating her personal divinity for us in it
seeing as she was such a knockout
but it turned out to be a plug only for the atheists association
great cosmic joke tho
pursuant to the kosovo end of the stick
as lifted from
http://www.stratfor.com/sitrep/kosovo_serbian_detainees_escape
Kosovo: Serbian Detainees Escape
March 17, 2008 | 0840 GMT
A U.N. convoy transporting Serbian detainees was attacked by Serbians on March 17, and several of the detainees escaped, Reuters reported. The detainees had been taken into custody following a raid by U.N. police on a courthouse held by angry Serbians in northern Kosovo since March 14. A witness told Reuters the detainees escaped when the Serbians forced open one vehicle in the U.N. convoy.
& pursuant to the eritrea end of the stick
as lifted from
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/ethiopi/articles/20080317.aspx
Prelude To War
March 17, 2008: The recent bomb explosion on an Ethiopian bus, travelling near the Eritrean border, has been blamed on Eritrea. The Ethiopians are playing up “Eritrean terrorism” and, in general, trying to get the Ethiopian public in an anti-Eritrean mood. This is not good, as it is often a prelude to war.
March 15, 2008: Though both Ethiopia and Eritrea have several tens of thousands of troops along their border (Ethiopia perhaps 100,000), both nations continue to insist there will not be another war. The US State Department said recently that a new war is “unlikely” but that the UN needs to maintain observers in Ethiopia to watch the border. UNMEE has withdrawn most of its peacekeeping force from Eritrea.
March 13, 2008: Nothing unusual in this. Ethiopia and the ONLF have very different versions of a series of what’s happening in the Ogaden. Ethiopia reported that its troops had fought a series of battle over a 15 day period (end of February) and killed numerous rebels in the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). The ONLF claims that Ethiopian troops suffered a series of defeats and that the ONLF killed over 40 Ethiopian soldiers. Since Ethiopia has barred western journalists from entering the combat area, no reliable outside sources are available.
March 11, 2008: The UN has “temporarily relocated” 702 peacekeepers from Eritrea. This is an interesting phrase; it is supposed to imply that the UNMEE soldiers could return. Meanwhile, 397 Jordanian soldiers and 305 Indian soldiers have been sent home. The pullback began in mid-February after Eritrea cut fuel supplies and began restricting food supplies to peacekeepers in Eritrea.
February 27, 2008: The UN reported that “most” of its peacekeepers in Eritrea had left the border area (Temporary Security Zones, TSZ) and moved to Eritrea’s capital, Asmara. The UN decided to withdraw its peacekeepers after Eritrea stopped supplying fuel Eritrea upped the ante by cutting food supplies as well. Eritrea issued a statement that said the UN had failed to enforce the 2002 ruling of the Ethiopia Eritrea Boundary Commission, that gave the Badme area to Eritrea. Ethiopia continues to occupy Badme.
February 21, 2008: The UN Security Council accused Eritrea of repeated violations of agreements that led to the deployment of UN peacekeepers along the Ethiopia-Eritrea border. The UN condemned Eritrea’s “fuel blockade” of UN peacekeepers and said that the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) was in the process of pulling back peacekeepers from the Eritrean side of the border.
& frankly
tho the eritrea end may look worse until you cross your eyes a little
i think it is already pretty clear
it is the kosovo end that more urgently needs the de mistura mattresses
plural
if not multiple
lucid mouse roars from asmara tonite in
http://www.biddho.com/content/view/969/29/lang,english/
but the text is reproduced here below also
just to spare you from looking at the pix
Deceptive Rhetoric Cannot Justify Failure of US Administration’s Policy
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
On 11 March 2008, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs heard the testimonies of different US government officials under the heading “Evaluating US Policy Objectives and Options on the Horn of Africa”.
As it is well-known, in pursuing a power-based strategy in the wake of the Cold War era, the US is at present facing acute political failures and military defeats in different parts of the world. Consequently, the country’s image as the world’s super power has lost all credibility. Over the past eight years in particular, the American people have not only suffered from instability, security threats and economic crisis but also paid dearly in life and property as a result of Washington’s law of the jungle policy that might is right.
The US Administration’s unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of other nations and peoples in the name of ‘democracy’ and ‘war on terror’ has not only aroused extensive popular opposition but also gave rise to growing awareness that exposed the real expansionist objectives behind the usual pretext concerning respect of human rights.
The extent of economic crisis facing the American public today or the amount of anxiety and frustration on the part of certain US politicians emanating from such policy failures is not to be viewed lightly. Hence, the American people are calling for change in Washington’s adventurous and misguided policies that have tarnished the country’s image and are draining its national resources. The questions put forth by the Senate Subcommittee on March 11 and the tailored testimonies given by the US officials on African Affairs to cover up their failure clearly reflected the existing tension between the new popular awareness and the erroneous policies and strategies of the Administration. These US officials had been the cause for the failure of their country’s policies due to their lack of efficiency and administrative incompetence. Yet, instead of rectifying their shortcomings in a manner that could induce changes for the good of the American people and nation, these particular officials not only opted for the gambler’s way out “the more you lose, the more you gamble” but also presented the US Senate fictitious testimonies. As everyone could witness, the reality on the ground is quite the opposite of what the US officials tried to convince the Subcommittee. Let’s look at the following basic facts;
1. Somalia
In mid 2006, the Somali people took their own initiative towards achieving national unity and reconstitution. However, the US Administration officials not only labeled the positive developments as a ‘terrorist movement’ but also appointed the TPLF regime as their agent, and in a rash measure sought to thwart the progress of the Somali popular movement through military force. Consequently, Somalia was plunged into violent turmoil and the TPLF regime assumed the character of an overindulged child.
At that time, the Government of Eritrea, predicting that external interference could only result in a quagmire of prolonged war, persistently called for creating conducive ground that would enable the Somali people resolve their affairs themselves. The past 15 months have amply proved the validity of the Eritrean government’s predictions. Moreover, the invaders were unable to suppress the just cause of the Somali people. Resort to military force on the part of the US and its agents aimed at silencing the Somali people’s voice has turned the country into the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe, thus exposing the fallacy of the adventurous action. However, the US officials in charge of African affairs still could not muster the courage to accept their failure. On the contrary, they sought to cover up the prevailing acute humanitarian crisis in Somalia and tried to convince the US Senate that the political, security and humanitarian situation in that country is ‘making progress for the better.’ As one US official hypocritically put it, “Somalia is progressing towards a stable new country; along with 149 million dollars in US aid, Somalia within a year or so will develop into a democratic nation.” Obviously, hearing such a claim makes one get really astonished. The statement was perhaps made in a futile attempt to cover up failure and avoid accountability. Still, the reality on the ground cannot be concealed through fictitious utterances.
2. Ethiopia
It is to be recalled that in the May 2005 elections, the TPLF regime not only rigged the vote but also suppressed the Ethiopian people’s choice in a bid to prolong its stay in power. As a result, in the past three years Ethiopia experienced a political turmoil never witnessed before claiming the lives of hundreds of innocent citizens. In the midst of such a political crisis, US officials in charge of African affairs, instead of opposing the regime’s brutal suppression and urging respect for the people’s choice, not only stood on the side of the oppressor but also went to the extent of weakening opposition parties through pressure and divisive schemes. Hence, the US Administration lost all credibility in the eyes of the Ethiopian people. Moreover, Washington’s pretensions and double standard as regards democratic governance was fully unmasked in the process. The US officials opted to foster alliance with a regime unsurpassed in gross violation of human rights and record of war crimes at the expense of the well-being of the Ethiopian people. Still, the same US officials could not save the TPLF authorities from heading to the abyss.
Today, Ethiopia portrays the image of an artificial polity on the verge of collapse; the TPLF regime is also just like a building complex full of termites ‘appealing’ from the outside but actually one that is rotting inside. Ethiopia is now like a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode at any given moment. Facing armed opposition in different parts of the country and the security situation escalating from bad to worse, the minority regime in Addis Ababa is committing crime after crime in desperation. Hence, a fresh set of opinion has begun to emerge from within the US Congress that asserts “it is against our national security to support a regime well-known for its violation of human rights.” Still, as has become their habit, US officials on African Affairs, once again sought to conceal the strong popular opposition in Ethiopia that could escalate in to a dangerous development and made claims about Ethiopians experiencing ‘new and modern political administration’ after two millennia of imperial autocracy. Denying the prevailing humanitarian crisis in the Ogaden region, these particular US officials gave different excuses to conceal the TPLF regime’s genocidal crimes. However, someone should have told them that their attempts were not only as futile as trying to obscure the rays of the sun with one’s hand but also that anyone who tries to do so will end up with a burned hand.
3. Ethiopia’s Occupation of Sovereign Eritrean Territories
All Machiavellians know that the best way to cover up the truth is to distort reality. Hence, in the report they presented regarding the Ethiopian occupation of sovereign Eritrean territories, the US officials in charge of African affairs further revealed their ineptness and misguided policies as a result of which they had plunged their country into an inescapable quandary. As is generally known, Eritrea had from the very beginning opposed the US Administration’s destructive and erroneous policies regarding the problems in Somalia, Ethiopia and other cases. Now, when it is almost too late, opinions have begun to surface which acknowledge that Eritrea’s position was indeed right. Eritrea’s constructive role, contribution and policies in securing regional peace and stability have also been proven in deeds. It is an undeniable fact that contrary to the objective situation in the Horn region, Eritrea is a haven of incomparable peace and stability. Nevertheless, unable to accept reality, these same US officials had sought to undermine Eritrea’s exemplary role in the region in a bid to justify their failures. Their collective slander that Eritrea is ‘devoid of peace and political stability’ is but a hollow deduction at best and a senseless farce at its worst.
Rejecting the final and binding ruling of the Boundary Commission, the TPLF regime, emboldened by US support, has obstructed regional peace and stability through illegally occupying sovereign Eritrean territories. This is an indisputable fact that cannot be erased through seemingly well-meaning and flamboyant speeches. And Eritrea’s position is always vivid, unwavering and legitimate support and respect to international laws and principles. Disregarding Eritrea’s legitimate and correct position and revolving around trivial issues merely constitute an escape goat from reality that could only serve to undermine the credibility of those who put forth unfounded claims.
4. Kenya
Eritrea’s position on regional issues is firm and persistent, i.e. avoiding external interference and making positive and constructive contribution towards assisting people in conflict situations settle their differences themselves. Besides, externally enforced prescriptions can only further complicate matters. The destruction and loss of life following elections in Kenya attests to this fact. The situation in Kenya had escalated and led to unnecessary destruction due to misguided policies and interference of US Administration officials and other external forces. In a statement that could have added fuel to the flame, a certain US official even claimed that the problem in Kenya is ‘an ethnic conflict’, although fortunately the Kenyan people had demonstrated better sense. Even the US Administration later on corrected the statement as being only an ‘individual opinion’. Instead of accepting their failure and employ the experience for better outcome in the future, the US officials presented the Senate Subcommittee with a tailored report claiming that Kenya’s recent political crisis is now under control mainly due to their effort. One of the American officials even said that the crisis in Kenya had stabilized thanks to the ‘strong private messages sent to both parties from the United States’. Claims such as ‘we proved who the boss is’ fully draws attention to the childish mentality of the said official.
5. Sudan
Eritrea’s position regarding the problems in Sudan is no different. Eritrea still maintains that the problems in Sudan should and could only be resolved by the Sudanese themselves. Many have supported Eritrea’s position in this case and even lauded it as an example worth emulating. On the contrary, US officials in charge of African affairs continued to pursue, as regards the Sudanese case, their ‘we know better’ strategy of enforcing prescriptions fashioned overseas. And Eritrea has persistently opposed such a strategy. It is to be recalled that interference on the part of US Administration officials had even for a limited period endangered the implementation of the Naivasha Agreement. Their negative role in exaggerating the problem in Darfur in a bid to escalate conflicts and create confusion is also no secret. However, continuing their cover-ups and misrepresentation of facts, these same officials claimed that their Administration is playing a leading role in promoting peace and stability in the Sudan. This only indicates that they intend to continue their strategy of “conflict instigation and crisis management.” The worst aspect of the testimonies given by these US officials is their conceited statements such as ‘we will continue to promote democratic values even in Muslim countries,’ thus manifesting their disrespect for religion. Such disrespectful reference to Muslim nations is a continuation of the US Administration’s raw approach in this case, resulting in religious tension at global level.
The people and Government of Eritrea are confident of their legitimate position and constructive contribution as well as their practical and realistic views, and as such cannot give credit to the so-called testimonies by the aforementioned American officials. Although the Eritrean people would normally opt to maintain prudent silence in most cases, remaining silent in the face of such venomous statements would be of no avail to historical record. Hence, they have been compelled to air out their stance. After all, one cannot remain silent while witnessing the sponsorship of destructive regional conflicts and acute humanitarian crises, as well as gross disregard for the rights of people everywhere, including that of the Horn region and the United States itself. The said officials portray their destructive assignment as if it were a mission of peace, failure as success and invalid actions as credibility. The failures of US policy in the Horn region being apparent, the main cause for the failures encountered is also not difficult to discern. Since it is inevitable that the strategies of the US Administration and their servant regimes in the Horn of Africa would end up in utter failure thanks to the mounting popular struggle for justice, the US officials should rethink their current mistakes and take remedial measures; as forward escape would only lead to eventual demise.
>> The Abu Ghraib Pictures
>> Abu Ghraib – Standard Operating Procedure. (MOVIE)
6. If only the US could look at its real image!
Advocating for peace and stability, as well as the rights of people worldwide is indeed a noble cause. However, it would be a manifestation of commonsense to first examine one’s own image before embarking on such a lofty goal. But pointing fingers at others before tackling one’s own problems first could only be classified as mere mockery and arrogance. Interfering in other people’s affairs would only draw attention to one’s own shortcomings. Who can forget the record of unparalleled number of crimes or gross violation of human rights in the United States? Even now, the reality in that country has not changed at all. As several sources indicate and even as US officials themselves admit, the existence of 2 million prisoners in the United States places that country in the category of having the highest number of prisoners in the world.
As to the fact that most of these prisoners are African-Americans, US officials have yet to convince the world that it is either a coincidence or ‘black people generally tend to have a criminal temperament.’ Everyone in the world knows that the USA, a self-proclaimed champion of human rights, has yet to end its backward and racial policies that have so far marginalized its black citizens. The fact that the oppression practiced by successive US Administrations goes beyond the country’s borders is a common knowledge. While pointing fingers at other nations for alleged violation of the rights of prisoners, the United States itself keeps under detention hundreds of thousands of people in different parts of the globe. The prison camps in Abu Ghuraib and Guantanamo are but only two examples in which inhumane treatment of detainees are rampant, thus exposing the hypocrisy of Washington officials. Indeed, US Administration officials cannot hope to conceal the fact that they have set up prison camps everywhere in our planet, including Ethiopia where prisoners are detained in harsh conditions without any trial, under the pretext of ‘being terrorists’. The issue of prisoners notwithstanding, if only the US officials could look at their own images in cases like violation of human rights, deception and war crimes, they would realized that they are the leading perpetrators of gross crimes in the world. This would at least help them refrain from pointing fingers at others.
Had our world secured a neutral and independent judge, the US government officials would have been banned from even uttering out the phrase human rights; for they are by all counts not fit to apply such an expression. Washington does not possess the moral status to stand and be in a position to talk about respect of human rights. Devoid of any type of moral integrity, the United States has no legal or moral right to accuse Eritrea of ‘human rights violation.’ Instead of pointing fingers at other people who occupy high moral standing, it would have been more prudent for the US Administration officials to reflect on the mistakes that had led them to this shameful failure. And the only way to avoid failure and repetition of mistakes is to realize the fact that every game has two sides of players, as well as listen to and respect the viewpoint and choice of other parties.
kosovo is looking & feeling a bit steadier today tho
in
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/kosovo_serbias_involvement_mitrovicas_crisis
Kosovo: Serbia’s Involvement in Mitrovica’s Crisis
March 19, 2008 | 1607 GMT
Summary
The United Nations on March 19 accused Serbian forces of being behind some of the recent violence in northern Kosovo. The incidents highlight both the problems the United Nations has in securing Kosovo’s future and the relative dearth of tools that Serbia has to attain its own goals.
Analysis
Larry Rossin, the deputy U.N. administrator in Kosovo, on March 19 accused Serbian forces of actively destabilizing U.N. efforts to transition Kosovo to independent rule. The chain of incidents in question began March 14 when Serbs took over a U.N.-run court in the northern Kosovar — and Serb-majority — city of Mitrovica. On March 16, several hundred peacekeepers raided the court and arrested 53 people occupying the building. On March 17, Serbian irregulars — some using automatic weapons and grenades — attacked a U.N. convoy transporting the detainees, freeing 21 of them. That in turn triggered a riot and standoff that required regular NATO forces to quell and resulted in dozens of injuries and at least one death.
These clashes highlight the problems facing the forces trying to keep Kosovo in one piece — and those seeking to split it.
Rossin disclosed March 19 that the March 14 incident involved several “Serbian Ministry of Interior officers,” implying that the entire cascade of events was triggered — if not masterminded — by Belgrade. For the United Nations, the European Union and NATO — the institutions with the responsibility of managing Kosovo for the foreseeable future — facing paramilitary opposition from the Serbian government greatly complicates efforts to operationalize Kosovar independence.
Serbs make up roughly 5 percent of Kosovo’s population, and roughly half of them live right on the border with Serbia in the Mitrovica region. Combinations of civil disobedience, attacks on U.N. institutions and disruptions of U.N. border controls with Serbia are precisely the mix of actions that could lead to an informal partition of Kosovo.
For now the best that can be done to combat partition is for NATO forces to seal the border with Serbia and do all they can do to link the region’s economic life to the rest of Kosovo rather than to Serbia. Such sealing was implemented immediately after the March 17 convoy attack. However, the Ibar River provides a clear geographic barrier that makes administration of a hostile Mitrovica region difficult. Shy of an extended outright occupation by NATO military forces, there is little that those responsible for Kosovo can do to resist partition while the Serbs of Mitrovica seek it.
However, the United Nations, European Union and NATO can take some small solace from the fact that this is probably as bad as things can possibly get for them in the near term. The Serb military and Interior Ministry are controlled by two different factions in the government. Forces led by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica hold the reins at the Interior Ministry, which claims 35,000 personnel whose jobs encompass everything from traffic control to counternarcotics operations. Their primary job is to maintain internal security as a police force, but they still possess equipment from the days of the Milosevic era when their role was more paramilitary. Considering that the last time they were used in such a capacity was during the 1999 Kosovo crisis, there is certainly more than a handful of personnel in the ministry with the training, first-hand experience and desire to stir up trouble in the Serbian portions of Kosovo — such as Mitrovica.
But forces led by President Boris Tadic, who seeks integration into Western institutions, control the military. While this is the case, outright military action is not a threat, and the bulk of Kosovo’s territory — populated primarily by Albanians — is secure.
The bottom line is that the current situation — crisis in Mitrovica, but relative calm elsewhere — is going to be the status quo for at least several weeks. The United Nations, the European Union and NATO lack the ability to force the Serbs to want to remain in an independent Kosovo. But while the Serbs have sufficient options to complicate what is turning into an occupation of northern Kosovo — and even edge it toward union with Serbia — they lack the political, economic and military ability to impose a reality on the rest of Kosovo.
This balance of forces will hold until at least May 19, when Serbia goes to the polls to elect a new parliament. After that, a new balance will be established in Belgrade.
Riveting pictures are never avoided…