Speaking Truth to President Joe Biden: Undeclare the Diplomatic War Your Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Declared on Ethiopia! (Part I)

Blinken, Sullivan and Rice- “The Fearsome Threesome” Out to Get Ethiopia!

To be sure, I expect absolutely nothing from Trump by way of improvements in the current Africa policy, which is based on aid welfare mentality. That also means there is no chance that I could be disappointed by the Trump Administration’s failure to do the right thing in Africa. I fully expect President Trump, just like President Obama, to watch Africa mired in corruption, human rights violations, bad governance, wars, conflicts and violence with indifference and nonchalance. If I am proven wrong in the slightest, I “shall eat crow”, the ultimate blasphemy a vegan could possibly commit. Alemayehu G. Mariam, December 18, 2016.

Author’s Note: I do not read tea leaves. I do not have a crystal ball to see into the future. I am certainly not a prophet. But all of my predictions on Ethiopia have to come to pass!

On December 18, 2016, I predicted how the Trump Administration was going to handle Africa. I declared “absolutely nothing” can be expected from Trump “to do the right thing in Africa.” In concluding my commentary, I asked, “After all is said and done, is it possible that Trump might simply write-off Africa as a lost cause and decide the continent could benefit from a prolonged period of benign neglect?”

Donald Trump simply wrote off Africa. He never visited Africa because he did not care for “shithole countries”.

Trump treated Ethiopia like some “shithole” neocolonial outpost. He tried to arm twist and sell Ethiopia down the Abay (Nile) River in the so-called Washington Talks over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2020. When Ethiopia pushed back, Trump personally ordered cut off of some $300 million in development and other aid to punish Ethiopia for its refusal to sign the GERD raw deal. To add injury to insult, Trump egged Egypt to “blow up” the GERD.

I believe I correctly predicted Trump’s Africa policy—or lack thereof – in December 2016.

I believe time will prove my predictions about Biden’s policy in Ethiopia to be spot on.

In forthcoming commentaries, I shall share my extremely pessimistic predictions on the Biden Administration’s policy in Ethiopia in the coming four years. Ethiopians should saddle-up, giddy-up, unite-up and head them off at the pass.

I believe there is a cabal in the Biden Administration including the soon-to-be Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, National Security Council Advisor Jake Sullivan and Susan Rice, head of the Domestic Policy Council, whom I have battled for over a decade.

The “Fearsome Gang of Threesome” have pulled out their long knives to get Ethiopia!

The invisible hand that rocks the U.S.  policy cradle in Ethiopia is none other Susan Rice, the longtime TPLF queen.

Blinken will be talking but the words are Susan Rice’s.

Sullivan will be talking but the words are Susan Rice’s.

Fee-fi-fo-fum. I see the voiceprints, fingerprints, footprints and palmprints of Susan Rice all over U.S. policy n Ethiopia!

Susan Rice will bend over backwards or forwards to save her TPLF friends and restore them to power.

The “Fearsome Gang of Threesome” will do everything they can to break Ethiopia’s back and bring Ethiopians to their knees and have them beg, “Ouch! Ouch! Please Uncle, Uncle Sam…”

Let me make a bold prediction.

The fix is in!

Blinken, Sullivan and Susan Rice have set up the preconditions to do a number on Ethiopia.

Their plan is to break Ethiopia’s back and bring her to her knees using the leverage of US aid, multilateral loans from the World Bank, restrictions on U.S. investments, sanctions; and in concert with the European Union work covertly with Ethiopia’s domestic and foreign enemies to destabilize Ethiopia and pave the way for the return of the TPLF.

THEY WILL FAIL!

My predictions on Ethiopian-U.S. relations under the Biden Administration will likely shock many for its brutal and unvarnished honesty.

No doubt, some will criticize me for being extreme, not giving the Administration a chance and needlessly antagonizing them, clouded judgement and for being a prophet of doom and gloom.

Truth be told, the only ones who have the moral right to criticize are those who have walked in my shoes for the last 15 years defending Ethiopia day in and day out, week in and week out and year in and year out!

Nonetheless, I extend my invitation, nay, a challenge, to anyone who is informed enough to debate me on past or present U.S. foreign policy in Ethiopia!

For 7 long years, I kept silent as the Obama Administration propped, strengthened and braced the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front’s ethnic apartheid system in Ethiopia. I convinced myself I should give him the chance to stand on the right side of history.

In 2015, Obama went to Ethiopia and proved he stood on the wrong side of history when declared the TPLF’s 100 percent election victory “is democratic.

His national security advisor Susan Rice, like Nero who played the violin as Rome burned, laughed her behind off declaring that election 100 percent democratic and created the conditions that could have engulfed Ethiopia in the flames of civil war.

Call me the enfant terrible of Ethiopia, the man who speaks embarrassing truths, makes shocking predictions and the flea in the fur of the biggest dogs.

I have one and only one answer – which is a question — to those who may criticize me. How many of my past predictions on Ethiopia have been wrong?

The truth is, the only thing that power fears is the TRUTH.

The one thing power cannot handle is the power of TRUTH.

That is why it is necessary to speak, to teach and preach TRUTH to power!

Soon-to-be Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s declaration of diplomatic war on Ethiopia

During his Senate confirmation hearing, soon-to-be Secretary of State Anthony Blinken responded as follows to Senator Chris Coon’s (D-DE) question:

Sen. Coons: Thanks… And I think the Development Finance Corporation provides a critical new tool as long as it is a Development Finance Corporation. A number of colleagues have referenced Russia and the tragic arrest of Navalny and the importance of advancing human rights and supporting the fight for democracy. Whether it’s in failed authoritarian states like Venezuela or it’s in Putin’s Russia or it’s elsewhere in the world, you know my long concern for Africa – there was just a deeply flawed election in Uganda where Museveni has again held onto power, in no small part by engaging in a blatant disregard for human rights. There are other countries of real concern: in Ethiopia, the violence in the Tigray region; in Sudan, on the other hand, where there’s been an encouraging transition to democracy recently. How do you plan to better support the fragile transition in Sudan while pushing back on those countries that are backsliding on their commitment to democracy like Uganda or, some would argue, Ethiopia?

Blinken: So, I think it starts with our very active engagement, not being AWOL when these problems emerge. Ethiopia – I share your deep concerns. We’ve seen a number of deeply, deeply concerning actions taken, including atrocities directed both at people in Tigray, directed at Eritrean refugees, in Ethiopia. We, I think, need to see much greater access to the region, accountability, an effort to put a dialogue in place so that the issues that cause the conflict can actually be discussed and litigated as opposed to dealing with it through violence. We need to see restoration of communications. We need access for humanitarian assistance in the region. And, I worry as well that what started there has the potential to be destabilizing throughout the Horn of Africa. So, I would like to see American diplomacy fully engaged in trying to contend with this challenge…

There is no way to sugarcoat it.

There is no way to tiptoe around it.

There is no way to whitewash it.

In my view, in his answer to Senator Coon, Blinken delivered a thinly veiled declaration of diplomatic war on Ethiopia.

No, it is not the type of silly Trumpian bluster, “Egypt will blow up the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam”.

Blinken’s declaration is a calculated, pre-programmed and well-coordinated statement intended to intimidate, bully, browbeat and bulldoze Ethiopia into a corner.

To me, Blinken’s answer constitutes fighting words.

To me, Blinken’s words are the shots across the bow for Ethiopia.

To me, Blinken has put a bull’s eye, the crosshairs, on Ethiopia’s back.

To me, Blinken in his response to Sen. Coon’s question has delivered his ultimatum: “Ethiopian leaders, do as we say or we are coming after you!”

Let us examine the evidence on Blinken’s claims in his answer to Sen. Coon:

“I think it starts with our active engagement”

What exactly does Blinken mean by active engagement?

Those who are not students of U.S. foreign policy may take the phrase “active engagement” for granted.

But for those of us who have basic familiarity with the alternative foreign policy approaches the U.S. Government employs, “active engagement” signifies casus belli. It means diplomatic war!

In the lexicon of U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. manages threats in at least one of four ways: 1) appeasement (pacifying a country through negotiation to avoid war or other conflict); 2) isolation (cutting off a country from entering into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements); 3) containment (military strategy to stop enemy expansion as in the days of the Cold War) and 4) active engagement.

“Active engagement” is a foreign policy approach started by the Clinton Administration to reverse George Bush’s approach of “constructive engagement” which sought to use incentives and rewards instead of sanctions and punishments to change the behavior of other nations.

Clinton’s “active engagement” was a diplomatic strategy designed specifically for countries like North Korea Russia, China and Vietnam.

For instance, in its active engagement of North Korea, the Clinton Administration agreed to provide North Korea with oil, light-water nuclear reactors and eventual diplomatic and economic normalization in exchange for a freeze in the North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

I am outraged by Blinken’s classification of Ethiopia with North Korea, Russia, China and Vietnam who presumably pose a clear and present danger to American national security globally and domestic security, including cybersecurity.

Is Ethiopia the fifth global enemy of the United States after North Korea, Russia, China and Vietnam? What the…!

I am also outraged by Blinken’s classification of Ethiopia with Cameroon and Uganda.

Cameroon is a central Africa country that has been under the dictatorial rule of Paul Biya since 1982, that is 39 years, almost four decades!

Uganda is an East African country that has been under the dictatorial rule of Yoweri Museveni since 1986, that is 35 years!

Ethiopia has been under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since April 1, 2018, that is 2 years and ten months!
In his first year in office, PM Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize!

I am outraged by the fact that Blinken should have the audacity to paint Ethiopia as one of the triplet African problem children.

How can Blinken in good conscience and good faith lump PM Abiy Ahmed with Biya and Musseveni? 

Since 2006, Ethiopia has been a staunch strategic partner of the United States in the Global War on Terrorism.

When did Ethiopia become the African problem child warranting special attention by the U.S. for treatment in much the same way as North Korea, Russia, China and Vietnam?

“Not being AWOL when these problems emerge”

Blinken suggests the Trump administration has been AWOL (absent without leave; abandoned its duties) when “these problems emerge”.

What exactly are “these problems” in Ethiopia?

They include “atrocities”, “accountability”, “denial of access for humanitarian assistance” and “destabilization of the region”.

I am in no position to defend the Trump Administration which has been AWOL from the “shithole” countries of Africa.

The Trump administration has been AWOL in the United States when the problems of Covid-19, white supremacy, racism, sexism, rampant unemployment, loss of health insurance coverage, homelessness, poverty, etc. festered like a sore on the American body politic and then ran.

“These problems” Blinken talks about were rampant in Ethiopia during the regime of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) between 1991-2018.

What did the U.S. do about these problems when the TPLF was in power?

Not a doggone thing!

“Accountability”: Did the U.S. demand accountability of the TPLF after it massacred and maimed thousands of innocent Ethiopians after the 2005 election?

Did the U.S. demand accountability of the TPLF after it claimed to have won 99.6 percent of the seats in parliament in 2010?

Did the U.S. demand accountability when the TPLF claimed to have won 100 percent of the seats in the 2015 election?

Did the U.S. demand accountability of the TPLF following decades-long publications of gross human rights abuses in the U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Ethiopia under TPLF rule?

No. No. No. No!

“Atrocities”: Until now, the U.S. has always turned a blind eye, deaf ears and muted lips to atrocities committed by the TPLF in Ethiopia.

The 2006 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Ethiopia documented the following:

Limitation on citizens’ right to change their government during the most recent elections; unlawful killings, and beating, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees and opposition supporters by security forces; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly those suspected of sympathizing with or being members of the opposition; detention of thousands without charge and lengthy pretrial detention; infringement on citizens’ privacy rights and frequent refusal to follow the law regarding search warrants; restrictions on freedom of the press; arrest, detention, and harassment of journalists for publishing articles critical of the government; restrictions on freedom of assembly; limitations on freedom of association; violence and societal discrimination against women and abuse of children; female genital mutilation (FGM); exploitation of children for economic and sexual purposes; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and religious and ethnic minorities; and government interference in union activities.

What did the U.S. do to address these atrocities? NOTHING!

The 2011 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Ethiopia documented the following:

Torture, beating, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees by security forces; harsh and at times life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; detention without charge and lengthy pretrial detention; infringement on citizens’ privacy rights, including illegal searches; allegations of abuses in connection with the continued low-level conflict in parts of the Somali region; restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, and movement; police, administrative, and judicial corruption; violence and societal discrimination against women and abuse of children; female genital mutilation (FGM); exploitation of children for economic and sexual purposes; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities; clashes between ethnic minorities; discrimination against persons based on their sexual orientation and against persons with HIV/AIDS; limits on worker rights; forced labor; and child labor, including forced child labor. Impunity was a problem. The government did not take steps to prosecute or otherwise punish officials who committed abuses other than corruption.

What did the U.S. do to address these atrocities? NOTHING!

The 2016 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Ethiopia documented the following:

The most significant human rights problems were security forces’ use of excessive force and arbitrary arrest in response to the protests, politically motivated prosecutions, and continued restrictions on activities of civil society and NGOs.

Other human rights problems included arbitrary killings; disappearances; torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest, detention without charge, and lengthy pretrial detention; a weak, overburdened judiciary subject to political influence; infringement on citizens’ privacy rights, including illegal searches; a lack of participatory consultations and information during the implementation of the government’s “villagization” program; restrictions on civil liberties including freedom of speech and press, internet freedom, academic freedom and of cultural events, and freedom of assembly, association, and movement; interference in religious affairs; only limited ability of citizens to choose their government; police, administrative, and judicial corruption; restrictions on activities of civil society and NGOs; violence and societal discrimination against women; female genital mutilation/cutting; abuse of children; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities, persons based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, and persons with HIV/AIDS; societal violence including violence based on ethnicity, property destruction, and the killing of security force members; and limits on worker rights, forced labor, and child labor, including forced child labor. Impunity was a problem. The government generally did not take steps to prosecute or otherwise punish officials who committed abuses other than corruption.

What did the U.S. do to address these atrocities? NOTHING!

The 2019 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Ethiopia documented the following:

Under Prime Minister Abiy, there has been an increased focus on the rule of law… A number of positive changes in the human rights climate followed Abiy’s assumption of office. The government decriminalized political movements that past administrations had accused of treason, invited opposition leaders to return to the country and resume political activities, allowed peaceful rallies and demonstrations, enabled the formation and unfettered operation of new political parties and media outlets, continued steps to release thousands of political prisoners, and undertook revisions of repressive laws… The government took steps to prosecute selected members of senior leadership for human rights abuses but decided on a policy of forgiveness for lower-level officials under its broader reconciliation efforts. The government took positive steps toward greater accountability under Abiy to change the relationship between security forces and the population. In August 2018, the federal attorney general filed criminal charges against former Somali regional president Abdi Mohammed Omar and several others relating to criminal conspiracy and armed uprising. The federal attorney general brought charges related to egregious human rights violations and corruption against Getachew Assefa, Assefa Belay, Shishay Leoul, and Atsbaha Gidey, all former officials in the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS). On July 16, the Federal High Court ordered the trial to proceed in the absence of the defendants after police were unable to locate the men in the Tigray Region. (Italics added.)

What did the U.S. do in the face of the Ethiopian Government’s efforts to uphold the rule of law, institutionalize accountability  and bring suspects accused of atrocities to justice?

Classify Ethiopia as the enemy of the United States on the same level as North Korea, Russia, China and Vietnam!

Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of TPLF atrocities in Ethiopia!

When the TPLF massacred hundreds at the Irrecha festival in 2016, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred hundreds of students at Ambo and other universities in 2014, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Oromia region and displaced millions more in 2018-19, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Amhara region for decades, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Somali region, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Sidama region in 2018-19, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Afar region in 2018-20, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Benishangul and Wellega in 2018-20, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in Gambella region in 2004, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people  following 2005 election, the U.S. expressed crocodile concern, avoided the issue and did nothing.

When the TPLF massacred and jailed thousands of people in When the TPLF massacred and Gura Ferda time and again, the U.S. expressed no concern, remained silent and did nothing.

Lo and behold!

When the TPLF declares war on the Ethiopian Federal Government by attacking its Northern Command and massacres hundreds of Ethiopian National Defense Force soldiers and thousands of civilians, Blinken and Susan Rice shout out, “BLOODY MURDER!”

Blinken and Susan Rice plead for “dialogue” with the TPLF.

Blinken and Susan Rice demand “discussions” with the TPLF. 

This is what I have long called “American diplocrisy”, diplomacy by hypocrisy.

“I share your deep concerns about Ethiopia”

What are the “deep concerns” Blinken shares with Sen. Coon?

Let me count the eight “deep concerns”:

1) Resurrecting the dead and buried TPLF and restoring it to power in Ethiopia in a “dialogue” with the Ethiopian Government.

2) How to create and propagate a bogus narrative of “atrocities” committed against Tigreans by Ethiopian National Defense Force and others fighting alongside.

3) How to create and propagate a bogus narrative of “atrocities” committed against Eritrean refugees in Tigray by Ethiopian National Defense Force and and others fighting alongside.

4) “Greater access” to Tigray region.

5) “Restoration of communication” in Tigray.

6) Access to Tigray region to provide humanitarian assistance.

7) “Regional destabilization” because the TPLF is dead and gone.

8) Engaging U.S. diplomacy in the service of the TPLF to accomplish all of the above.

We have a classic situation of the tail wagging the dog.

Blinken talks about “Ethiopia” but his CONCERNS are EXCLUSIVELY for Tigray.

Blinken talks about “Ethiopia” but to him the real Ethiopia is Tigray.

Blinken talks about the Ethiopian Government, but the real government to him is the TPLF.

The problem with Blinken is that he has swallowed hook, line and sinker the crock of propaganda Susan Rice has fed him.

Pray tell!

What concerns did the U.S. express when the TPLF attacked the Northern Command and massacred and maimed thousands of Ethiopian federal troops?

What concerns did the U.S express when the TPLF conducted a regional election in flagrant violation of the Ethiopian Constitution?

What concerns did the U.S. express when the TPLF declared there is no government in Ethiopia after September 3, 2020?

Not a doggone concern!

On U.S. policy in Ethiopia, SUSAN RICE is in the driver seat, not Blinken or Sullivan.

Susan Rice is the puppet mistress who will be running Anthony Blinken and NSC Advisor Jake Sullivan on Ethiopia policy!

“We have seen a number of deeply, deeply concerning actions taken including atrocities directed both at the people of Tigray and directed at Eritrean refugees.”

Blinken talks about “atrocities directed both at the people of Tigray and directed at Eritrean refugees?

Pray tell, who is the perpetrator of these bogus “atrocities”?

The Ethiopian Government, of course.

The fact of the matter is that it is Blinken’s and Susan Rice’s darlings, the TPLF, responsible for committing unspeakable atrocities.

Blinken does not even pretend to be impartial in his blanket accusation and condemnation of the Ethiopian Government.

Blinken totally ignores the massive genocide committed by the TPLF and documented by Amnesty International Report on November 12, 2020:

Amnesty International has spoken to witnesses who said forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) were responsible for the mass killings, apparently after they suffered defeat from the federal EDF forces.

On December 1, 2020, Human Rights Watch reported, “In the town of Mai-Kadra, a number of refugees reported seeing hundreds of dead bodies which had been shot, stabbed, or hacked with knives, machetes, and axes, including those of ethnic Amharas but also of Tigrayans.”

Let me speak an inconvenient truth to Blinken, Rice and Sullivan: ETHIOPIAN LIVES MATTER, NOT JUST TPLF LIVES!

“We, I think, need to see much greater access to the region”

Exactly what does Blinken mean when he said, “We need much greater access to the region”?

The Tigray region was engulfed in violence only and only because of the insurrection committed by the TPLF.

The Ethiopian Government did what the U.S. or any other government would do when its forces and institutions are attacked by an insurrectionary force. Declare a state of emergency and take appropriate action to maintain the constitutional order.

When white supremacists scaled the wall of the Capitol and physically invaded the U.S. Congress, the Federal government, to uphold the constitutional order,  called in 25 thousand national guardsmen and shut down Washington, D.C., which to this moment remains partially closed.

Blinken is disingenuous when he says “greater access”.

If Blinken is interested in what is happening on the ground in Tigray, it has all the access it needs.

The U.S. has dozens of spy satellites with powerful resolutions with state-of-the art electro-optical hardware with infrared sensors capable of spotting and zooming in on objects that are less than 10 centimeters (4 inches), less than half the size of an average cell phone and intercept any cell phone communication anywhere on the planet.

If Blinken is interested in the truth, he can reveal the satellite images of “atrocities” and whatever other alleged crimes that have been committed by the Ethiopian Government in Tigray region.

Of course, if Blinken, Rice and Sullivan had the satellite images of Ethiopian Government atrocities, they would surely leak it.

“First to put a dialogue in place so that the issues that caused the conflict can actually be discussed and litigated as opposed to dealt with through violence”

The mantra among Blinken, Sullivan and Rice has been “dialogue” and “discussion”. Now Blinken has added litigation.

Blinken says “put a dialogue so that the issues that cause the conflict can be discussed”.

Is Blinken serious?

There is one and only one issue that “caused the conflict”: The TPLF attack on the Federal Northern Command base and massacre, torture and abuse of thousands of troops at the base.

What kind of “dialogue” or “discussion” can be held with the TPLF that committed this insurrection?

Did President Abe Lincoln hold a “dialogue” and “discussion” with the treasonous confederate leaders who ordered the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861?

Did the U.S. hold a dialogue and discussion with Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks?

Is the U.S. having dialogues and discussions with the white supremacist terrorists that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021?

What the TPLF did on the Northern Command base is no different than what the Confederates or Al Qaeda did in America.

Let’s be serious.

Did Blinken real mean “dialogue” and  “discussion” or did he misspeak?

 The only conversation one can have with the dead is a séance.

The TPLF is dead!

Perhaps Susan Rice could conduct a séance with the dead TPLF?

But I agree with Blinken’s suggestion of “litigation” and avoidance of violence.

I must confess I love litigation. In a court of law. In the court of world and American public opinion.

Litigation is the battlefield of the lawyer. Armed to the teeth with the rule of law, good meets evil in the battlefield of justice to win the hearts and minds of the people.

Litigation is exactly where the TPLF leaders who surrendered find themselves.

The TPLF leaders face a variety of charges and they can litigate all they want in a court of law and I will stand vigilant to make sure they are accorded the full measure of due process.

“We need to see restoration of communication”

Blinken says “we need to see restoration of communication”.

But he says nothing about those who destroyed the communication infrastructure in Tigray.

The TPLF destroyed bridges, roads and communication lines as it retreated hoping to delay and obstruct the movement of federal troops.

Despite the extraordinary challenges, telephone and internet have been restored in various parts of Tigray.

If Blinken wants accelerated repair of the communication infrastructure in Tigray, he could release the nearly 300 million in aid for Ethiopia Trump has embargoed.

“We need access to humanitarian assistance in the region”

Blinken says, “We need access to humanitarian assistance in the region”.

The humanitarian assistance is to help allegedly starving Ethiopians in Tigray.

Tigray region was placed is under a state of emergency on November 4, 2020, the day after the TPLF attacked the Northern Command.

Blinken should at least pretend to give lip service to Ethiopian sovereignty.

On January 13, 2021, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists. “Humanitarian assistance continues to be constrained by the lack of full, and safe, unhindered access to Tigray, caused by both insecurity and bureaucratic delays.”

On January 21, 2021, the Ethiopian National Disaster Risk Management Commission reported “adequate preparations have been made to assist 2.5 million citizens, including the 700,000 additional needy people affected by the law and enforcement operation in Tigray Region.”

Talking about humanitarian assistance, we need it right here in America.

According to the very latest U.S. Census Bureau report, “About 29 million U.S. adults — nearly 14 percent of the adult population — said last month that their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat in the previous seven days… The shares are even higher among Blacks, Latinos and households with children.” Millions of Americans are unemployed and unable to pay rent.

Before Blinken lectures Ethiopia on humanitarian assistance, he should know that “over the past forty years, America has experienced sharp increases in urban poverty. The number of metropolitan neighborhoods in which 30 percent or more of residents live in poverty doubled between 1980 and 2010. Moreover, almost two-thirds of the high-poverty neighborhoods in 1980 were still very poor almost forty years later.”

Charity begins at home.

Let’s take care of Americans begging for their daily bread at food banks today before we lecture foreign countries on how they should feed their people.

Ethiopia is not some “shithole” colonial outpost of America that Blinken can feel free to hector and badger!  Need I remind Blinken Ethiopia was a civilized nation long before 1776?

“I worry as well what started has the potential to to be destabilizing throughout the Horn of Africa”

Blinken says “what started has the potential to throughout the Horn of Africa’.

“What started” was the handiwork of the TPLF.

The TPLF launched missiles on civilian targets in Eritrea to provoke the Eritrean Government and create a regional crisis.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo understood the criminality of the TPLF when he unequivocally declared, “The United States stands with the people of Ethiopia and will work with all who are committed to peace, prosperity, democracy, and the rule of law.”

The outgoing Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy declared:

The TPLF seeks to internationalize the conflict. The TPLF leadership has admitted responsibility for the November 13 missile launches at airports in Bahir Dar and Gondar, in the Amhara region, and the November 14 attack in Eritrea.

Asst. Sec. Mr. Nagy told it like it is, the unvarnished, unadulterated truth about the TPLF.

Blinken should listen to this:

It is important to remember here there is not equivalency.  There are not two states which have been belligerent with each other. You have a sovereign government on the one hand Ethiopia, and on the other you have a region of Ethiopia the leadership of which which basically started a conflict against the government.  And interestingly enough, the Ethiopia Constitution has provisions for a region to secede from Ethiopia but, you know, the best evidence is that the Tigrean leadership did not want to secede from Ethiopia. They wanted to use the opportunity basically to overthrow the prime minister and return to the type of privilege that they had enjoyed within the Ethiopian state for the last 27 years…

Blinken’s false narrative of regional instability arising from the law enforcement action in Tigray is as phony as a three-dollar bill.

“I would like to see American diplomacy fully engaged trying to contend with this challenge…”

Blinken says he wants “to see American diplomacy fully engaged trying to contend with this challenge…”

The last time American diplomacy was fully engaged in Ethiopia, it proved to be disastrous.

The last active engagement by the Trump administration was the Washington talks over the GERD”.

The active engagement was done not by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo but Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.

Engagement meant snookering Ethiopia to come to Washington under the guise of trilateral talks between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan with the U.S. playing the role of observer. The U.S. and Egypt were active like rabbits in heat as they schemed behind the scenes and wrote up the so-called agreement on the GERD.

Let’s litigate!

Blinken said, the “issues that caused the conflict can actually be discussed and litigated as opposed to dealt with through violence.”

I agree wholeheartedly!

Let’s litigate.

Litigate in a court of law.

Litigate in the court of world public opinion.

Litigate on the radio and television.

Litigate on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Above all, let’s litigate before the American taxpayers who shell out billions every year to support U.S. foreign policy on Africa.

Litigation to continue…