Why do I love Eritrea? I don’t know. But I do. If I didn’t love it I wouldn’t go through this road. I would first worry about Darfur instead. Or Myanmar, or like the regime, about Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia. I worry about my country; it is special to me; and that doesn’t even border on isolation or fascism. My home country is special. If you don’t think Eritrea is special it doesn’t deserve your attention and you don’t deserve it.  Eritrea is special to me

But we have to differentiate between Specialism and exceptionalism. 

Exceptionalism, on the other hand, is a belief that the rules do not apply to whatever it is you hold dear—your country, your organization, your tribe. Because Eritrea is the only country in Africa that has managed to assert itself as a country since forever when all the odds were against this same fact, a sense of exceptionalism crept up among some Eritreans, encouraged by the PFDJ, that all accumulated knowledge of mankind does not apply to us. We can fight any foe and win; we can antagonize everyone and demand that they be our friends; we can chase all businessmen and order the economy to work. Carried to its extreme, exceptionalism becomes indistinguishable from fascism and those who remind us to safeguard against it are good public servants.

But not if they also tell us to take it to the degree of demanding that we give up our view that Eritrea is special to us.

Eritrea is too special to have only two choices: the Errand Kids who sell exceptionalism and the Errant Elements who are quick to find exceptionalism even when it is not there. There is a space, the sensible middle. The sensible middle is  saying, "Don't use B-52s when a sniper will do."  They are saying, "don't use a bomb when a bullet will do."

Tutto Sapente

The PFDJ support-lots think that anything Eritrean is PFDJ. They just don’t make any distinction between the “special country” and the oppressive regime. The singers belong to them. The Army belongs to them. So does the mountains and the deserts. And the sea shores. But my beautiful Eritrea doesn’t deserve the rascals; and it doesn’t deserve some pop-corn opposition elements as well. As well as people who lurk in the dark for a year and come out from the dumb to insult others. And we should not be swayed but stay the course- the PFDJ clique is the enemy. The PFDJ is the focal point. We should keep focused on it even if we go blind. Side shows? I call them distractions- people who shoot at their allies and most of the times shoot their own feet. They are ready. They don’t aim. They fire. That is pop-corn opposition.

I am not fond of people, who truly hate the PFDJ, yet, as they fight the regime, they trash everything Eritrean. As if millions of Eritreans do not count. They are casualties of egos—they can be sacrificed in order to get at the PFDJ. It is what the Arabs would consider, ‘Aljemel bimaHamel’. Lose the camel and its load. And the not so wise scream: “listen to me Bumpkins, I know it all!’. It doesn’t help team building. It doesn’t encourage cooperation. We have seen worthy projects destroyed to satiate egos. Note: this is just a view and not a monopoly of the right view. No one owns the final word. ‘Tutto Sapente’ in Italian, or in any other language, is not a positive remark!

Why use a bomb when a bullet can do? Why carpet-bomb the land with B52s when a sniper can do the job?

Errand Kids, Errant Elements, Sensible Middle

Currently, there is much talk going on regarding the possible designation of Eritrea ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism’ (SSoT). There are three views among Eritreans that have developed in reaction to the incident: 1) The Errand boys and Girls 2) the Errant elements and 3) the middle of the road group.

The Errand Kids: This group is personified by non other than the usual enablers of the regime in the USA known to all Eritreans. It is a group that is masquerading as defenders of Eritreans and lobbying hard to save the dictator and his clique. They believe (or pretend to believe) that everything befalling them is not due to their excesses and corruption but the making of a single State Department official, Dr. Jendaye Frazer, the  “Ferza’E Negro” (as they refer to her in their thuggish circles)!  Their hate for Dr. Frazer has helped them for the umpteenth time to come out naked exposing their sexist, racist street manners (I will propose an honorary Eritrean citizenship for Dr. Frazer once the thugs in Asmara are gone).

The Errand group in the USA is spearheaded by an entity known as the Organization of Eritrean Americans under the leadership of Dr. Asgede Hagos and the membership of known apologists of the regime including Asmara Rose. - American citizens who betrayed the values of the American constitution.

The Errant elements: A few in this group represent the diagnosis of what ails the opposition. A few elements are trying to frame the issue as a dichotomy: you either support the USA inclusion of Eritrea in the list or you don’t; they support the USA decision without reservation regardless of the long-term effect.

Those who are demanding that Eritrea be placed on SSoT list are so captivated by the potential benefits, they are understating the risks. The biggest risk is the damage it will do to Eritrean pride. A nation without pride is not a nation—and of all the crimes the dictator is committing, his assault on the Eritrean sense of pride in themselves and their nation has to rank on the top two. The change agents will no longer be Eritreans, but Americans, Ethiopians with their agendas as well as adversaries of America and Ethiopia with their own agendas.  Each one will, understandbly, work for its interest and interest only.

I am weary of a few elements in this group who are acting as if the designation exercise is their own making and they can push for its adaptation regardless of the American geopolitical interest and policies. I don’t want to be misunderstood here: I have, a number of friends who have an opposing view to mine and I will not dare consider them Errand elements. The classification is general and meant to show the contrast.

The Sensible Middle: This is a group with which I identify myself. This group abhors the Errand Kids (the save Isaias group) and wishes the Errant elements would reconsider their stand.

I would like to clear one thing: there is not an iota of difference that the regime of oppression should be destroyed. Its head should be smashed. Its tentacles cut to pieces. And what is left of it should be shamed for life. Take note of the few enablers of the regime everywhere. Take a good note. They are the shameful and should be exposed.

Incidentally, the ex-Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was supposed to be released last Sunday, September 9, 2007. Do we reserve his cell for someone of his caliber we want there? Who thought the machete wielding angry Noriega will face that fate? And a similar fate is awaiting our version of Noriega. But we don’t want him in Miami; Eritreans would be content with hosting him in a presidential cell. Imagine how humiliating it would be for Eritrea is he is jailed by others!

Isaias and his few lieutenants are Eritrea’s (and the region’s) problem. I would love to say, “take him out, by all means, and we will be very, very, very grateful” but I wouldn’t. This is an Eritrean affair and it should be accomplished by Eritreans not third parties. I don’t believe the Eritrean pride has dropped that low. Asking for food aid is not a proud thing to do, but we beg for food to avoid death. Asking others to do a job on our behalf? To do our dirty work for us? Imagine how shameful that is! The feisty, brave, fiery, fire-eating Eritreans are not a bunch of jellies yet. I still have confidence on my people. Why would I call shame on my country? Why would I want to carry shame on the back of Eritreans forever? How is it possible for a nation to known for its perseverance to give up a fight against one man and a few lieutenants and give up that soon? We can ask for help but we cannot afford to be bystanders to be granted our freedom on a silver plate. And the help we need is not even a new invention that we found on the “new sanctions”. I believe that if we stop shooting before we aim, we can get everything accomplished.

Lethal Meetings

Never mind those who oppose but do not consider themselves opposition. But the political opposition organizations are meeting to decide when and where they will meet next to communicate to us where they will be meeting next when they meet next to meet next. Puzzled? You are not the only one. It is a daunting job you see! Indeed, meeting is a lethal weapon. I foresee the oppressive regime being deposed and the political organizations getting the news while they are in the middle of a meeting on how to depose it.

The problem now is not what the State Department is doing. It has its own reasons and process. The State Department Will Not Do It For You when you act shabbily at best and as bystanders at worst. If the appeal to the State Department is an appeal to punish the PFDJ, that appeal is not novel. It was a work in progress when those who are militantly endorsing the State Department’s consideration (as is) where in their usual sabbatical. Why a B52 when a sniper can do?

Isaias has decided to commit suicide. If you can’t agree on how offer him the “mercy bullet” in unison, keep far and watch quietly- don’t confuse him. Let him tighten the noose around his neck. Just hope he is using the best rope the Chinese factories ever produced. And please avoid emotional outburst without thinking of the repercussions.

The inclusion in the list may happen and may not. If it happens, it may be successful or it may not. It might bear quick results or it might linger. If it lingers, it will have adverse effects on the civilian population (it didn’t work in Libya or Iraq for years; while the people suffered, the regimes stayed safe). If war erupts, Eritrea becomes an open camping site for any invading army, or worse, a training ground for the political lepers of the Middle East and the world beyond. If villages are burned in the way, IDPs, civilians killed; there will not be any morale authority for us to object. If the country disintegrates, we would have brought it on ourselves. Exhibit 1: Iraq. Eritreans are already going through a sanction imposed on them by the Isaias regime, why would we want to impose an additional international sanction on them?

The PFDJ regime is a terrorist state not because it is likely to be included in the list in 2007, but because it has been terrorizing Eritreans (and the region) long before that. I am elated that others, including the American government, have finally understood the nature of the regime and are saying it loudly; civil societies, political groups and individuals have been struggling hard to convince the world about that for too long. Yet, I am not going to pretend as if I just discovered the nature of the regime. And I have my reservation: I would petition the USA to consider the whole package that follows the inclusion in the SSoT list in a different manner. The whole regime is old, ineffective and doesn’t harm the regimes it is intended to harm. It is a lousy regime and needs to be scraped and replaced or at least upgraded to reflect a focused sanction actions and corrections to past failures. In the case of Eritrea, I think the steps as they are, are too risky. Furthermore, the geopolitics of the region worries me a lot. These are my real reservations; and in my view trying to pigeonhole these reservations is not honest.

Eritrean local issues are not central in the whole American exercise. The causes are regional and international, mainly related to Somalia. Therefore, this was not affected by Eritreans nor would it be influenced by Eritreans. We do not have any leverage in what is happening to affect its course. The wheels of the train have started to roll and it is unstoppable. The die is already cast. The plan is already charted and it will be pursued to its natural end whatever that is… and regardless of what we say or do. The only exceptions that can influence the course are able-Eritreans inside Eritrea and mainly the armed forces. Knowing the Eritrean oppressor, he might not do anything to stop the process either. But there is a tiny hope that Eritreans may play a role here: plead to the USA to pursue recommendations that were promoted by Eritreans for a long time: a concise proposal was put forward by the Eritrean Solidarity two years ago. Punish the regime as per the recommendations and prevent collateral suffering of the people. This might be heeded or not, but regardless, it is the right thing to do. The set of recommendations will cripple the regime; and I believe that is what is needed. Why do we want lose the camel and its load.

Isaias and his clique are challenging the whole new paradigm of fighting international terrorism which is being pursued by the West in general and the USA in particular. This paradigm is a result of the USA experience accumulated over the years from Vietnam, to Somalia, 911 to Afghanistan and finally Iraq. Ironically, it was endorsed by Isaias himself who changed course when Ethiopia was considered an anchor state against his hope of being designated the major USA ally in the Horn of Africa -he lost an opportunity of becoming a strong Policeman of the Horn. Black Hawk Down was critical in formulating the Africa policy of the USA. Isaias and his pimp-act ambassador Girma Asmerom tried hard to anchor the USA in Eritrea: “our mountains look like the mountains of Afghanistan”? That was then. But now, Isaias is gambling with the fate of Eritreans just because of his bruised ego; ‘how can they choose Meles over him?’ He seems to be threatening, ‘I will teach them a lesson’.

The Obvious Alternatives

Is there no workable alternative to the State Department naming Eritrea State Sponsor of Terrorism? If this "opportunity" is gone, is all hope lost?  I don't think so.  Yes, it is an opportunity to be heard, but not just to support the measures, but to present alternatives.

The PFDJ regime cannot outlive a direct focused sanction against it. Unlike other punitive measure, once Eritrea is included in the SSoT list, several provisions in the designation kick in automatically; and they are difficult to reverse. The sanctions have a UN cover and the State Department would not need to go to congress for approval of the measures because it is an administrative decision not legislative one. A customs clerk at any port knows automatically what he is supposed to do once he enters the word Eritrea in his terminal in any transaction. Even trivial matters as downloading a java script will be denied to Eritrea! Why would we want that to our people when we can target the regime only?

Seyoum Tesfaye, in one of his underappreciated articles, also made specific calls to the United States to help Eritreans in their struggle against the dictator. Every single point he made, and there were 20 of them, would be helpful to our cause.  Just one from the list, having a Voice of America that does not function like a subsidiary of the Eritrean Ministry of Information would be a start.  Taking an active role in the opposition would be another.

We all wish the demise of the oppressive regime and we can get achieve that in a much easier, cheaper and safer way. When the State Department, for its own reasons, floated the idea, there were already efforts underway to isolate the Eritrean regime. Just to cite one example, in the spring of 2006, the Eritrean Solidarity, a coalition of Eritrean civil society groups, had representatives who met with officials of the State Department.  We more or less recommended and called on the US government to:

• Seize all properties and bank accounts of the regime and its collaborators and stop all financial transactions with it.
• Total travel ban on all the functionaires and enablers of the regime.
• Sue all those who peddle the propaganda of terror and lobby for the unjust regime for aiding and abetting a terrorist regime.
• Total sanctions on arms sales.
• Severe diplomatic relations with the PFDJ regime
• Lift all diplomatic immunity from the regimes officials to enable Eritreans to sue them in pertinent courts.

And now these can be added:

• Help set up a special radio program to beam to Eritrea the model of ‘Radio Free Europe’.
• Help fund the convening of an Eritrean national conference.

Such steps would achieve the needed results without including Eritrea in the SSOT list and not exposing Eritreans to the unintended risks that may follow: why use a bomb when a bullet can do?

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