This calls for informing Congressman Rohrabacher about the more important matter of murdering innocent civilians by the Meles regime.
Tel: (202) 225-2415
Dana@mail.house.gov
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Ethiopia may lose aid if debt is unpaid
Rohrabacher wants U.S. dollars contingent on coverage of family's loss.

By Lisa Friedman

WASHINGTON — U.S. development aid to Ethiopia could dry up unless the country pays a tab that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher believes is owed to the family of one of his surfing buddies.

The Ethiopian Embassy is criticizing the Huntington Beach Republican's quest as deeply destructive to the war-torn nation. Foreign policy experts also questioned the wisdom of withholding an entire nation's funds based on the plight of a single family.

But Rohrabacher, who represents sections of Long Beach in the House, said his measure allowing the U.S. to block economic assistance until Ethiopia returns or compensates an Eritrean-American family in Huntington Beach for an alcohol distillery that was nationalized in the 1970s is a fair one.

"I see no reason why, if you have a corrupt government that refuses to compensate U.S. citizens, why we should be providing aid to them," Rohrabacher said. "If they'll steal from a private citizen, they'll steal from our government programs."

Now the dispute is poised to reach the highest levels of government. Rohrabacher's resolution passed the House last week as part of a larger foreign policy bill and is making its way to the Senate where little opposition is expected.

According to Rohrabacher and Ethiopian officials, the current government has agreed to restore properties illegally appropriated during the Communist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam.

But that's where concurrence about Berhane Gebremedhin's still-operating National Alcohol and Liquor Factory in Addis Ababa ends.

Mesfin Endrias, head of public diplomacy at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C., maintained that Gebremedhin was offered fair compensation for the distillery but rejected it.

"Everything was done for him, but he has a personal, political agenda," Endrias said.

But Rohrabacher said Gebremedhin was offered a "a few hundred thousand dollars, which was more of an insult than an offer' and that Ethiopian officials rejected a counteroffer to either pay Gebremedhin the "honest value' of the land or allow the family to re-purchase the factory for that amount.

"They just walked away from that," Rohrabacher said. "The reason they don't want to give it back is because the senior government officials have probably been pilfering it for years."

Rohrabacher said he learned of the family's plight after meeting Gebremedhin's son, Petros Berhane. The two, he said, developed a friendship based on a mutual affinity for riding the waves.

"Frankly, he became sort of a surfing buddy to me," Rohrabacher said. "He's a good friend."

In addition to withholding U.S. economic aid, which last year amounted to about $100 million, it also would block money through the Export-Import Bank, Foreign Military Financing, the Global AIDS Initiative, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

It does not block emergency food aid.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia David Shinn said he was unfamiliar with the family's situation, but said of Rohrabacher's amendment, "I don't think that this is the best way to go about foreign policy."

Rohrabacher, however, is unbowed. "I will never give up on this," he said. The Ethiopian government, Rohrabacher said, "will put their own people through deprivation and loss if they refuse to deal with this American citizen's just claims."

Please go back and read what I posted yesterday under the title "Forget democrats and lobby republicnas." In the message I told you to tell the Republicans about economic crimes of Meles. Abut tax payers money, etc, etc. If one soul can get a republican in Long Beach, can you imagine what 500 Ethiopian Americans can do as a block in VA and MD?

The most unfortunate thing is that Ethiopian politicians are stuck with old way of fighting. Organize demonstrations. Demonstrations are good, but in and of themselves they are useless.

Mamo Qilo

Lobbying is very important in western democracy. There is no doubt about it. Every decision in a democracy is reached based on a consensus. The US government listens to comments from its own congressmen/women and is more likely to be persuaded to make decisions if the pressure comes from them.
LOBBYING LOBBYING LOBBYING IS IMPORTANT. get in touch with your congressmen and women.

NK,

Thanks, but make sure to approach your senators and congressmen as a group. Let them know they can count to get 1000 votes from your group, then you have a senator by his tail. You can spin him in any direction you wish. Senators are bought and sold by and for block votes every day. We have enough concentration of Ethiopian Americans in Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, California, etc. One thousand Ethio American voters in each state can be organized as a block vote. Can you imagine the number of senators you can spin?

This is a political capital we have failed to capitalize on. It is a shame. We can go the Long Beach with 50 Ethiopian Americans and he can throw the Eritrean for whom he is passing a bill through the window in 10 seconds. I told you senators are bought and sold, if the price is right and the price is measured by howmany vote you can get them. And do not forget to go to Republicans. Democrats are useless.

I told my friends who gave Gore $150,000 to give it to Bush. They gave $150,000 to Gore. For heavens sake, Gore? Can you belive that. For nothing. Do repeat the same mistake.

Mamo Qilo aka
Bula Geberdin

Mamo Quilo:
I usually read your comments. They seem very useful.
why do not you make a call to CUD office in USA and talk to them. please talk to them and convence them.

Abebe,

I am what you would call an armchair analyst. I keep my distance from political parties to maintain my objectivity. I hope CUD members are reading this forum and take what they think useful. You can also help by calling them and letting them know they should spend time to mobilize their ethio-american base.

Mamo Qilo

This is a tip of the iceburg, more suit coming soon from eritreans.
the woyanes have confusicated millions worth of money and our property, our houses, our cars..... and gave it to the poor woyane supporters. and the worst thing we lived in addis for three generation, in the case of my family we dont know any thing more than any body about eritrea. but we were kicked out of addis because our grandfather was eritrian origin. most of us came to the USA a great nation and now we feel secured no one will kick us any more.
But the woyanes need to pay for their crimes against ethiopians of eritrean origin and their recent crimes against the addis residents.
And the aid that will stop is not humanitarian aid it is the money that goes to the meless and co. to buy more weapons to kill civilians in the streets of ethiopians cities.
God bless the ethiopian people and death to the meles(woyanewoch).

Negusie Shut up. Leave CUD and UEDF. Ask the rich and EPDRF.

It is good news. lets fight the woyanes in all fronts till they die and till we see free and democratic ethiopia for all ethiopians.

Martha,

Your brain is playing tricks on you. It is fine to talk to listen to voices in your brain. It is a major problem when you start responding to them. You need an exorcist to get Negussie out of your mind.

Mamo Qilo

My letter to Congressman Rohrabacher,


Dear Congressman Rohrabacher,

As an American of Ethiopian origin, I follow very closely political and economic developments in Ethiopia. Therefore, it was with great interest that I learned of your noble initiative to help one family recover what was illegally expropriated by the military junta of the time and the current dictatorship of Meles Zenawi.

Sir, it is encouraging to see American leaders such as yourself standing up for the little guy in Africa, a continent of great promise frustrated by mismanagement and greedy dictators. Meles Zenawi is a closet communist who holds Albanian style communism as his prototype. Meles Zenawi babbles about free markets only to please the international community and donors. His beliefs have no room for human rights, secure property rights and free markets.

Sir, what would be even more creditworthy in the eyes of God than for you to also advocate on belhalf of the nascent grassroots democratic movement unfolding in Ethiopia right now as we speak. As you are aware, seeking international legitimacy, dictator Meles Zenawi allowed what has been deemed the first free election in Ethiopia. But as the vote counting began to favor the opposition, dictator Meles Zenawi imposed a ban on peaceful protest and went about fixing and cooking the books to steal the election from the opposition. What followed as they say is history. When students peacefully protested the stealing of the election, under the personal orders of Meles Zenawi, security forces shot to death in broad day light over 40 protestors. Opposition leaders have been beaten down and put under house arrest. Over 3,600 peaceful protestors and supporters of the oppositon have been detained in inhumane conditions.

Sir, when you take the Meles regime to task, please remeber the defenceless protestors who were cut down by the direct orders of Meles Zenawi, who justified the killings by saying "there will be no Orage, Rose or any kind of color revolution in Ethiopia if I can help it".

In holding the Meles regime accountable you will be in the company of UK's Secretary for international development, Hilary Benn who recently suspended increases in development aid (worth $56 million) until Meles Zenawi cleans up his act and resolves election disputes peacefully and leagally. In holding Meles Zenawi accountable, you will be championing for the little guy in Ethiopia, a nation of 70 million held under the brutal grip of Mele Zenawi's minority regime.

Sir, Ethiopians need you. Please use all your influence so that the voice and choice of the Ethiopian people are respected by Meles Zenawi and, equally importantly, the international community stands unequivocally by the side of the multitudes of Ethiopia and not the dictator.

Godspeed in your efforts to help Ethiopia.

Email: welllo@hotmail.com

City: nyc

Dear Sultan,

This is an excellent initiative. If I am to make unsolicited comments, first it focused on human rgihts. It should have focused on economic rights. This is what republicans respond to. Second, you wrote: "Sir, what would be even more creditworthy in the eyes of God". Trust me I know of no republican who gives doodly doo about creditworthyness in the eye of God. Their God is the number of vote you are delivering to them.

Mamo Qilo

Ethiopans have lost millions of Dollars when they were kicked out of Eritrea, no one is lobbying to get that money back. Now this republican , dispite the fair offer the government put forward he want to twist Ethiopan goverments hand to get more money for his Eritrean friends. He can keep his dollar but he can not blackmail Ethiopans to pay many more than what it worth. Our stand aganinst the government is because of its undemocratic practises, and killings . for that it needs to be removed and replaced by a democratic government. But we are not going to be an instrument of EPLF because we don't like the Ethiopan governmnet. We have always a problem attacking the right enemy. we pursu a stupied goals which going to come back and hunt us. Why is wisdom in short supply in Ethiopia? a million dollar question.

sultan: great letter!

Sultan,
Thank you for writing this excellent letter. I give it an A+.

So, everybody thinks that it is a good idea for Ethiopia to lose financial support so that politics will have priority over feeding the hungry or taking care of the sick and dying people. All you care about is the overthrowing of Meles regime. Do you really care about the people or the party of your choice? I am very disappointed by the so called educated people in diaspora. Your priorities are all mixed up. You are emotionnally driven and not thinking intelligently.

May God help Ethiopia, because none of us are.

City: atlanta

Genet,

Are you worried when Meles gunns down hundreds of innocent students in a broad day light? Just a question.

Mamo QIlo

Yes, I am concerned. I am also concerned about the thousands of people dying each day because of hunger. I am also concerned about the thousnads of people who are dying of Aids each day. No matter how you look at it, the financial support we receive is helping thousands of people in dire need of food and medicine. I am not in support of Meles or his regime. My main concern is the trade off. Are we exchanging the survival of thousands of people to make a statement. A statement that will lead to the overthrow of the government at any cost.

Don't ask me what the alternatives are. Because I do not have ready answer. But I strongly feel that the consequence of what we are doing should not affect the people. Obviously what everybody is trying to do is to bring peace and good governance to the people of Ethiopia. Is it not???

City: USA

Sulatan i give you an A+ too.
if you need signetures we are with you.
And for those of you woyanes symphetizers who acting as you care for the general public. the people is asking you to help them from a regime who oppenly threaten its citizens " if you revolt, we will kill you". and the prove of that woyane have killed our brothers, mothers, and sisters in the street of addis on June 8.and they are detaining thousands of our people.
And again this bill is to freeze aid that goes to the hands of meles to buy weapons to massacre and torture our people. but not a humanitarian aid like food.(for more info read the whole proposal)
God bless the ethiopian people but death to meles&co.

Gent
Is this naivite or another mission from the now-so-well- known-around-the world Woyanne Front of Pathological lies?
Do you think AID money reaches the poor in Ethiopia.
Even hard core Woyanes concede, in private that they have successfully plundered the country.
Woyanee never cares about the poor and hungry. They care about the enemies of Ethiopia.