Were people happy with the peace deal of December 12? Yes, so many people. Some were genuinely happy and relieved that the bloodletting is over. Others were popping Champagne bottles. Were they happy? Not necessarily, they are just changing trade. They are singing �victory� because that is their obsession�never mind the cost of the so-called and claimed victory. The Champagne celebrations are not because the celebrators are really champions of peace and just discovered that aggressive attitude is out of fashion; it is their character and their make-up. They can not help but celebrate even when their Kitchens are occupied and many young lives have been wasted. Now they tell us, �hindsight or no hindsight, the war was unnecessary�. How true -- even when it is the pinnacle of hypocrisy.

If you have a grandfather who is sick and bedridden. He lives on life support system and can not even walk to the bathroom. He is absent and needs care like a six-month baby. He pains and you feel sorry for him. May God have mercy on him, it would be better if he died and is done with the sufferings instead of such a lifeless living. You pray to God to end his life not because you are cruel, but because you are very compassionate and wish to end the sufferings of your grandfather. Finally, he dies. You are thankful that his sufferings ceased. But certainly, you do not pop Champagne bottle to celebrate his parting. The Algiers deal is like the suffering grandfather, not an incident worth celebrating It is a moment of reflection and a reason to be thankful because at least, further sufferings might stop. But do the Choirboys know?

The Good Choir

Hypocrisy is in abundance. Now it is the warmongers of yesterday lecturing us on the virtues of peace. Well done, after all, there is a chance that they will eventually learn that peace pays and war destroys. Mimicking is what they encourage in Kindergarten, the teacher says �A� and the kids repeat �A�, they are told to say �B�, and repeat �B�. Therefore, who is to blame them when they hear �War� and loyally repeat �War�! Then they hear �Peace� and they repeat �Peace�. You see, good students never question the Choir leader.

It is the cunning behavior of those who are out of trade�temporarily out of trade. But not to worry, they are so good at switching stands and trades faster than changing their socks. They have to switch trade because the product they sold since May of 1998 is out of production. They are jobless now. It is time to look for another product. But Felicita, the new product is out of the design board and the jobless will be reassigned sole distributors: they will sell violence in a different packaging. Eradicate any voice different from yours!

Until the bell for the next trip to the unknown cliff to which we might plunge rings, we need to open the books. Now is the time for a serious discourse. What went wrong needs to be explained. Incidentally, a similar remark blew the tops of some people in a casual setting. How dare you, �we can only discuss such issues after we are done with the reconstruction of our country� one said. Really? We need guarantees that what we reconstruct would not be destructed by yet another reckless endeavor. Oh the over abused mention of �our Martyrs, our disabled, the blood that was spilled��lip-service and more lip-service. I do not believe there was a single Martyr who wished a leadership that will create a society and offer fighting as the main national pass-time.

Now we are friends again with the �Weyane� of yesterday. It is time to turn your back to the South and head inward, to eradicate your Brethren. And maybe, if the weather is warm and clear, we can cross to the Sudan�after all, the Sudan is a good neighbor and we are obliged to salvage it. Yes the Sudan trip piloted by Captain John Garang. Then more graves in the Desert

A Grave in the Desert

[December 7, Bure Front. UNMEE and members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean military forces together removed the remains of 20 soldiers lying near or on the road. They were killed in battle some months ago. UNMEE forces commander, Patrick Cammaert commented: "It was important that the remains of these soldiers were treated with respect and accorded the appropriate military honors. I hope this gesture will bring some relief and comfort to those who have suffered loss," he said.]

The Commander�s nice words are appreciated. He certainly comes from a nation that respects human life. Unfortunately, the bodies could be of any father, son or daughter. The bodies do not have names. That is why they were referred to as bodies. Those who suffered the loss will even feel bitterer knowing that the bodies have been strewn on the desert for months. Then, they received full military honors! Mothers rejoice; your loved ones received "full military honors". It is sad. I am afraid no rejoicing here. Only disgust at whomever was the cause.

How many more passed away silently, without full military honors? How many didn�t even get the narrow grave to lie in peace? Now they tell us it was an unnecessary war. Oh, how considerate! How human. How responsible, I am dumbfounded by the dishonesty and disgrace.... of the graceless. But what can one expect from the Wedini, the Skunis and the Vagabonds!

The Skunis & The Vagabonds

I have the feeling that nothing has been learned from this war. Null, Nada, an EGG. The rowdies are still rowdier and the noisy are noisier. Those who were busy stripping citizenship of anyone who disagrees with them are still at it. �You are not Eritrean� is an abuse so many are subjected to everyday. The shallow lot of the stinking political culture, the culture of exclusivity is raising havoc all over the world wherever Eritreans reside. Communities are divided along sickening lines. An imposed political culture is ruling. The vagabond culture of hate and arrogance. So obsessed are the vagabonds that they always have to have an enemy. If they do not find an enemy, they would go to the mirror and fight with the reflection of their image. Eritreans are suffering from the culture of Skunis.

The designers claim that they are fighting regionalism and sectarian tendencies. Look what they achieved. They managed to create different set of divisive grouping on top of what we already had. They have created a new tribe, a tribe of rowdy followers. The political tribe that thinks it owns Eritrea and considers the rest as its subjects. Neo-patriots who are crossing all lines of decency and responsibility. They have to learn and they have to stop. They should know that their irresponsible behaviors and arrogance has bruised the Proud Forces.

The Proud Forces

The other day I learned that the salary scale of the members of the Eritrean Defense Forces is of four levels. It is likely that in the same Trench, you would find four soldiers who receive unequal salaries starting from as low as 200 Naqfas to as high as 1500 Naqfas. Never mind that the highest salary would only get you about seventy U. S. Dollars few months ago and about 100 USD now after the UNMEE started to express themselves with money. Never mind the fact that we do not know if the state coffers could afford more or whether the salaries are already straining the national budget because we do not have the luxury of knowing the national budget. Salary differences are common phenomena everywhere. However, in our case, the unfair scale is evident: for God�s sake, they are all giving their life.

Leadership is important to the morale of any fighting Army. Eritreans have been known for their resilience and dedication. The leadership who took the lives of the soldiers for granted misused that dedication. The magnitude of the situation was great; the army was poorly equipped and ill prepared. The leadership kept underestimating and downplaying the situation. They exposed the pride of the Eritrean fighter to unnecessary humiliation and disgrace. Issues have to come to the open now. Proper accountability is due. Parents need to know the whereabouts of their children and there is no reason to keep them in the dark anymore. The nation needs to know its loss, those killed and those who became invalid. The nation needs to know of its dues for rehabilitating what was wrecked. Importantly, what is the agenda of the GoE as far as national reconciliation is concerned? Is it the language of the gun as usual or they are thinking of awakening their senses? A question that is crying for an answer. Any friend would advice you so�literally any friend.

What Friendship?

Few weeks ago, eight reporters were detained in Asmara. Awate.com, followed by another organization reported the incident. Boom, an interview with six of the reporters denying that they were detained for reasons related to reporting. Someone who claims to represent some sort of American-Eritrean Friendship society went berserk. He campaigned against the agency that reported the news. Coerced, the organization apologized for publishing �unfounded news�. We at awate.com laughed hysterically. No one challenged us. Not even the so-called "Friendship Society" which has proved that it is against freedom of expression and approves of arbitrary detention. American at that!

Some explanation is due. The reporters were hauled from their houses and not AWOL or Dereja as claimed. Once the news about their detention leaked, a quick fix, from the Horse�s mouth. The interview did the rest of the job�or so they thought. Now, no one asked where Milkias Mehretab is. Or Where Yousif Mohammed Ali is. We would like to inform you: they are still in detention without trial.

Bonus: Yousif is an ex-fighter in his mid-fifties. He is not in the age bracket that would put him in AWOL (Absent Without Leave). Milkias is another daring, brave and popular reporter. He is not new to detention and questioning for what he writes. Someone wrote us an anecdote about Milkias. In one of his out-of-this-world episodes, Milkias asked an officer who once jailed him for an interview. The question was straightforward: why did you detain me?