From: Berhan Sium (eretrawi@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Jun 01 2009 - 02:35:15 EDT
Selam Dehai,
I am hoping here it's only me who is a bit baffled by this latest statement from the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I just can't make heads or tails out of it. The whole purpose of a press statement, IMHO, is to clarify and shed more light on some issue that otherwise would be confusing or convey a distorted image. What is "the Sakharov fiction", in the first place? How did it exactly implicate Eritrea "as a spice in this concocted story"? What is the conduit ("Satellite channel") that the CIA used to disseminate "the Sakharov fiction"? When (date, time) and where (place) did the CIA disseminate this story?
As to the ending of the press statement:
<<Beyond challenging the lie and make the truth known, Eritrea asserts that it would hold accountable those involved in this act of slander and its disseminators, as well as fully expose the liars and propagators.>>
Is this really necessary? Wouldn't the seriousness of the statement been more enhanced by "speaking softly" (with measured but forceful words) and "carrying the big stick" in the background, rather than waving it all over? Whatever happened to the wisdom of the Eritrean saying, "zgebr nedi'u neynegr"?
Moreover, MoFA has now put itself in a situation where those of us who closely follow Eritrean politics will expect from it a full expose of the liars and propagators of the "Sakharov fiction". I suspect that, in the larger scheme of things, this "Sakharov fiction" is just a minor hiccup that doesn't merit even a brief mention as a news item, or even a Shabait editorial, let alone a serious press statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But I await to be enlightened further with "a full expose of the liars and propagators" as MoFA has now promised us. Who knows, it may be that I am being naive here and this actually may turn out to be a grave threat to the national interests of Eritrea. If that's the case, I would be very happy to be proven wrong.
Berhan Sium
===========================
From: Eri News (er_news@dehai.org)
Date: Sat May 30 2009 - 14:40:20 EDT
Press Release: The "Sakharov" Fiction
By Ministry of Foreign Affairs
May 30, 2009, 14:48
The CIA recently disseminated a story through some "Satellite channel" concerning the Sakharov story and its mafia networks, as well as the manner in which they ultimately put him under arrest in "Malaysia." The story was embellished with concocted so-called narration of CIA experts in a bid to make it appear expert analysis. Why the need for its dissemination? Its validity? The whole thing prompts many questions.
Even more surprising, such a fiction or story presented Eritrea as 'evidence' of accusation. It is indeed astonishing how Eritrea was included as a spice in this concocted story.
It is indisputable that the whole story came into the fore as a pure lie when its authors were challenged to present evidence about the fabricated affair as a desperate attempt to make their accusation appear as something 'real'. The most shameful thing is, however, the fact that the Security Council adopted irresponsible and illegal resolution based on such a cheap lie.
Beyond challenging the lie and make the truth known, Eritrea asserts that it would hold accountable those involved in this act of slander and its disseminators, as well as fully expose the liars and propagators.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
30 May 2009
Asmara