Print Article"Regrettable" was the word quoted by the New York Times (in its August 27, 2008 edition) when the Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, learned that The Russian Federation had decided to formally recognize the two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Germany´s Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that it was "Violation of the principle of territorial integrity". A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said, "We reject this categorically and reaffirm Georgia´s sovereignty and territorial integrity" The shenanigan continue with the French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, saying that France was consulting with its European partners about adopting a declaration condemning Moscow´s action. While the comments of these self serving western powers may differ in their emotional contents, regrettably, they all share some jingoism in which they arrogantly believe that they could get away with trouncing over the rights of people all over the world especially those in the third world if they sensed there is no one who could or would challenge their ugly behavior.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/europe/27russia.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin
The point of this article, however, is not to defend the Russian action for, as far as this writer is concerned, they have been misbehaving themselves for a long time and Russia is neither a world savior nor an angel by a long shot. In fact, had the Russians been acting responsibly, worthy of the greatness of their country, many of the international political crises could have been prevented or, at least, minimized. But, they are what they are and that is - they are the other face of the same coin as their European and American counterparts. But, that is a subject by itself and will have to be sidelined for another day.
Now, many of us were familiar since the time we were in middle school with the statement: "What is good for the goose is good for the gander". This seemingly rudimentary saying has a profound meaning for those governments and institutions, like those in the west, who continue to believe and act in nit picking at whim using their trade mark double standard. They always attempt to look the other way when some injustice is being committed somewhere on this good earth of ours if they perceive it as something that does not serve their narrow and usually shallow perspective. Of course that was the case with Eritrea whose people have suffered some harrowing atrocities under the bondage of successive Ethiopian regimes that were supported primarily by the western powers in one way or the other. The same is true with the Palestinian issue. Add to that the case of Serbia (and the Kosovo´s independence issue); and the unfinished case of Somalia where Ethiopian troops were allowed to invade a defenseless Somali people against all the accepted international norms. Then one sees clearly the wanton destruction and vivid malice carried out by some western powers when they start talking with forked tongues!
So, why on earth was the west´s unilateral support of Kosovo´s independence from Serbia "Just fine" while the Russian support of the two Georgian enclaves was not? Sometimes one is at a loss to see some grown up men and women act and behave like ten-year olds fighting over a lost cause. Where is the advantage of maturity or grace of age - if you will? Isn´t it assumed that one develops some wisdom with age? When are these adults to attain that stage? But, alas, as our Sophie would say, peace of the world could only reign when the rule of law prevails over that of the jungle! It really doesn´t help for one to cry foul when he or she is not governed by the same rules and regulations.
And then there are those spoiled, opportunistic and child-like "leaders" who seem to know to use the "Right" phrase to drag the west and especially the gung ho Bush Administration by stating something that rings music to the State Department´s ears. Take a look, for example, at how the Georgian governments of President Mikheil Saakashvili, and the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, were quick to "Invite" the opportunist UN and the gullible US to come to their rescue time and again. Again quoting the New York Times, "The Georgian government characterized the Kremlin´s action as a direct challenge to the United States and its European allies". "This is not just about Georgia, but about relations between Russia and the West," Georgia´s Reintegration Minister, Temuri Yakobashvili, said. In other words, the Georgian leaders are admitting that they are working primarily to safeguard the interest of the west which may not necessarily coincide with that of Georgia!
Similarly, the Weyane-led Ethiopian regime has been dying for the US to get involved in its unattainable but long held dream of subjugating the Eritrean people by openly inviting the US, the UN and sometimes any world power that would listen to its self imposed agony including the EU. To mention just a couple of the many statements the Weyanes throw around - clearly inviting the UN/US to take some actions against law abiding Eritrea. "The UN should call a spade a spade and effective pressure on Eritrea that has been challenging the good will of the international community," [read the United States] according to Ethiopia´s Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. In a similar ´Help-me-out´ case, the government in Addis Ababa warned the UN against allowing itself to be humiliated by one party [Eritrea] to the agreement.
Once again, in March 17, 2008 of The Sudan Tribune, Seyoum Mesfin was quoted as telling the national [Ethiopian] TV that Asmara "is involved in counterfeit money, money laundering, arms trafficking in the African region", to which the paper added "However Mesfin did not elaborate on his allegations or provide[d] any specifics". Mesfin also said that the Eritrean government "is working hand-and-glove with terrorists, including Al-Qaeda elements". Oops, the magic phrase is uttered again by the hapless Weyanes. Are you listening Dr. Jendayi Frazer? http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article26393
Of course all this prevarication was meant to hoodwink the "International community" into believing that Eritrea was doing something illegal contrary to the accepted norm of behavior that country has been following. Nevertheless, it would sit just fine with the Weyanes if the gullible Americans could be enticed to act irresponsibly against Eritrea as sadly as they have been acting in the international arena. After all wasn´t there this fantastic story on how "2,000 Eritrean troops" were inside Somalia to help the Somali "Islamists" and mysteriously vanished in thin air with no one held accountable for that fake story! Who do you think gave that erroneous report to the so called Somali Monitoring Group? Why, it is the Ethiopian government of course, ironically a government not exactly known for its veracity. There is no one who can beat them when it comes to lying. And who do you think was taken for the ride on that superfluous and bogus story? You guessed it - the infamous Dr. Jendayi Frazer by lowering any integrity that she may have had to that of the Weyanes and thereby getting the unenviable label, by some, as the "Shame of Africa".
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/europe/27russia.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin
The point of this article, however, is not to defend the Russian action for, as far as this writer is concerned, they have been misbehaving themselves for a long time and Russia is neither a world savior nor an angel by a long shot. In fact, had the Russians been acting responsibly, worthy of the greatness of their country, many of the international political crises could have been prevented or, at least, minimized. But, they are what they are and that is - they are the other face of the same coin as their European and American counterparts. But, that is a subject by itself and will have to be sidelined for another day.
Now, many of us were familiar since the time we were in middle school with the statement: "What is good for the goose is good for the gander". This seemingly rudimentary saying has a profound meaning for those governments and institutions, like those in the west, who continue to believe and act in nit picking at whim using their trade mark double standard. They always attempt to look the other way when some injustice is being committed somewhere on this good earth of ours if they perceive it as something that does not serve their narrow and usually shallow perspective. Of course that was the case with Eritrea whose people have suffered some harrowing atrocities under the bondage of successive Ethiopian regimes that were supported primarily by the western powers in one way or the other. The same is true with the Palestinian issue. Add to that the case of Serbia (and the Kosovo´s independence issue); and the unfinished case of Somalia where Ethiopian troops were allowed to invade a defenseless Somali people against all the accepted international norms. Then one sees clearly the wanton destruction and vivid malice carried out by some western powers when they start talking with forked tongues!
So, why on earth was the west´s unilateral support of Kosovo´s independence from Serbia "Just fine" while the Russian support of the two Georgian enclaves was not? Sometimes one is at a loss to see some grown up men and women act and behave like ten-year olds fighting over a lost cause. Where is the advantage of maturity or grace of age - if you will? Isn´t it assumed that one develops some wisdom with age? When are these adults to attain that stage? But, alas, as our Sophie would say, peace of the world could only reign when the rule of law prevails over that of the jungle! It really doesn´t help for one to cry foul when he or she is not governed by the same rules and regulations.
And then there are those spoiled, opportunistic and child-like "leaders" who seem to know to use the "Right" phrase to drag the west and especially the gung ho Bush Administration by stating something that rings music to the State Department´s ears. Take a look, for example, at how the Georgian governments of President Mikheil Saakashvili, and the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, were quick to "Invite" the opportunist UN and the gullible US to come to their rescue time and again. Again quoting the New York Times, "The Georgian government characterized the Kremlin´s action as a direct challenge to the United States and its European allies". "This is not just about Georgia, but about relations between Russia and the West," Georgia´s Reintegration Minister, Temuri Yakobashvili, said. In other words, the Georgian leaders are admitting that they are working primarily to safeguard the interest of the west which may not necessarily coincide with that of Georgia!
Similarly, the Weyane-led Ethiopian regime has been dying for the US to get involved in its unattainable but long held dream of subjugating the Eritrean people by openly inviting the US, the UN and sometimes any world power that would listen to its self imposed agony including the EU. To mention just a couple of the many statements the Weyanes throw around - clearly inviting the UN/US to take some actions against law abiding Eritrea. "The UN should call a spade a spade and effective pressure on Eritrea that has been challenging the good will of the international community," [read the United States] according to Ethiopia´s Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. In a similar ´Help-me-out´ case, the government in Addis Ababa warned the UN against allowing itself to be humiliated by one party [Eritrea] to the agreement.
Once again, in March 17, 2008 of The Sudan Tribune, Seyoum Mesfin was quoted as telling the national [Ethiopian] TV that Asmara "is involved in counterfeit money, money laundering, arms trafficking in the African region", to which the paper added "However Mesfin did not elaborate on his allegations or provide[d] any specifics". Mesfin also said that the Eritrean government "is working hand-and-glove with terrorists, including Al-Qaeda elements". Oops, the magic phrase is uttered again by the hapless Weyanes. Are you listening Dr. Jendayi Frazer? http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article26393
Of course all this prevarication was meant to hoodwink the "International community" into believing that Eritrea was doing something illegal contrary to the accepted norm of behavior that country has been following. Nevertheless, it would sit just fine with the Weyanes if the gullible Americans could be enticed to act irresponsibly against Eritrea as sadly as they have been acting in the international arena. After all wasn´t there this fantastic story on how "2,000 Eritrean troops" were inside Somalia to help the Somali "Islamists" and mysteriously vanished in thin air with no one held accountable for that fake story! Who do you think gave that erroneous report to the so called Somali Monitoring Group? Why, it is the Ethiopian government of course, ironically a government not exactly known for its veracity. There is no one who can beat them when it comes to lying. And who do you think was taken for the ride on that superfluous and bogus story? You guessed it - the infamous Dr. Jendayi Frazer by lowering any integrity that she may have had to that of the Weyanes and thereby getting the unenviable label, by some, as the "Shame of Africa".
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