The dictatorship of Eritrea is rarely talked about, but it has formed a partnership with Iran, helping the Islamic Republic to threaten a strategic shipping lane and pressure the pro-American Sunni Arabs into submission. The East African country has also had relations with Somali Islamists, including an Al-Qaeda affiliate that has proven effective at recruiting Americans for jihad.
Somalia expert Dr. Mike Weinstein, Professor of Political Science at Purdue University and analyst for Garoweonline.com, told FrontPage that the Afewerki regime turned to Iran after receiving a “severe slap” from the West when it sided with Ethiopia over a border dispute and that his support of Islamists is an attempt “to stymie Ethiopia at every turn.”
There have been unconfirmed reports that Iranian weapons, soldiers, ballistic missiles, submarines, and naval vessels have been deployed to Assab in Eritrea after Iran agreed to help upgrade a Russian refinery there that could help decrease their reliance upon gasoline imports.
These reports have not been verified but there have been public expressions of friendship between the two governments. After meeting with Afewerki in May 2008, Ahmadinejad said that there was “no limit for expansion of mutual cooperation” and they’d resist the hegemonic powers trying to dominate them. An Iranian opposition group claims that regime documents obtained in January 2009 revealed the same details about a buildup in Assab. Eritrea reacted to the reports by granting Gulf News permission to be the first foreign newspaper to take photos inside military sites. Predictably, the reporters only found an abandoned site with two guards at the refinery Iran was said to be upgrading.
Eritrea has also become part of Iran’s efforts to overpower those who would resist its regional domination. A member of the Eritrean opposition has accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guards of training the radical Shiite Houthi rebels in Eritrea when they were waging war against the Yemeni and Saudi government. It’s also been reported that weapons are delivered to them via the Asab harbor. The Saudis had to launch a naval blockade to stop the weapons from arriving to the rebels via this route. This wasn’t just an attempt to pressure or overthrow the Arab regimes, but an attempt to assert control over the Bab-el-Mandeb strait that is transited by oil tankers and other vessels traveling to and from the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean.
In June 2008, the Eritreans, perhaps at the Iranians’ request, initiated border clashes with Djibouti, a small country that hosts major bases for the French and the U.S. This happened as the Iranian-backed proxy war in Yemen raged on. Last month, the border dispute was settled and Eritrean forces were withdrawn from Djiboutian territory. It is unclear what made Eritrea retreat, but the U.N. sanctions placed on them in December for supporting Somali extremists likely played a role.
Iran is using allies in East Africa to try to dominate the Middle East and sponsor terrorism. The partnership with Eritrea is similar to the one with Sudan. The Israelis bombed an Iranian convoy delivering arms to Hamas via Sudan in early 2009. The Sudanese opposition says that the Revolutionary Guards are also running a factory in Khartoum to support Somali militants, the Houthi rebels, and Hamas. The deputy-editor of the newspaper that broke the story was then arrested.
This partnership may explain why Sudanese President Bashir recently declared that the border town of Khalieb belongs to his country and not Egypt during a major speech. The state media did not report the comment; it was clearly aimed at foreign digestion. This comes after Egypt arrested dozens of Hezbollah operatives that received arms via Sudan and said they were planning on training recruits in Sudan. The fact that Iran’s closest allies in East Africa are picking fights with Iran’s enemies is very significant. While everyone focuses on the competition in the Middle East, Iran is actively maneuvering in East Africa to gain leverage.
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The US is raising the bogey of fighting terror to achieve its agenda in Eritrea
* By Abdul Nabi Shaheen, Staff Writer
* Published: 00:00 February 5, 2010
What is now happening in the case of Eritrea, with international sanctions through UN Security Council Resolution 1907, is nothing other than a new form of confrontation (with the African country). The enemy here has managed to cleverly conceal some treacherous contentment in targeting the victim.
The Western media, especially that of the United States, plays a vital role in realising its devilish goal by publishing a series of news stories and reports that are aimed at tarnishing the image of Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki, as if he is the new Saddam Hussain of Africa.
This sort of confrontation is the by-product of well-orchestrated plans and a hostile approach to destabilise a country that strives to stand on its own feet, show its independent identity and get rid of Western hegemony.
The hostile decision taken against Eritrea by the Security Council at the behest of the Western powers brings a myriad of questions and doubts to the minds of political analysts and impartial observers: What is the evidence collected by the UN Security Council that has prompted it to take such a decision against a country that is on the hitlist of the US?
Is it the first time that the people of Eritrea have become a target of a conspiracy by colonial powers? What is the gravity of such targeting? What are the immediate and future goals that these forces are trying to achieve through such action, which is part of pressure tactics to force the people and the government of Eritrea to follow their dictates?
In an exclusive interview with this correspondent last year, President Isaias Afewerki exposed the entire gamut of the Western conspiracy.
I still believe that President Afewerki was fully aware of such well-orchestrated machinations against his government and people. I feel the president has been preoccupied only with the concerns of his country and people. He is a visionary leader striving to achieve all-round national development and make it an independent and sovereign country.
In the interview with me and in similar interviews and briefings for several other newspapers, Afewerki drew attention to the fact that his country was a target of conspiracies by US intelligence agencies that attempted to undermine the stability of the country and encourage youths to travel abroad to carry out anti-national activities.
The hostility towards this impoverished African country, which is striving to play an influential role in this part of Africa, has resulted in the manoeuvres led by the US in cooperation with some neighbouring African countries.
They resort to various types of punitive measures against Eritrea, similar to the action against Iraq and Afghanistan earlier. They are trying to create a similar scenario with allegations that Eritrea is supporting and sheltering armed Muslim militants of Somalia.
There are also allegations that Eritrea is extending support to Al Qaida and the Al Houthi rebels of Yemen. Interestingly, even Yemen has so far not levelled such a charge against Eritrea with regard to Al Houthi rebels, who have been battling government forces for several months.
While calling for sanctions against Eritrea in the UN Security Council, US envoy Susan E. Rice said her country had recently been asking Eritrea to stop supporting Somali militants but had made little progress. What she said reminds us how former secretary of state Colin Powell similarly misled the international community to justify the unilateral US invasion of Iraq.
…(CONTINUE…..)
He is a devil camps withth terror we know this man we lived under him he used to lick america boots
…….(CONTINUED…)
A calculated move
Recently the Security Council passed Resolution 1907, imposing an arms embargo on Eritrea, travel restrictions and an asset freeze on members of the Eritrean political and military leadership. This resolution was the handiwork of the US and Uganda, in coordination with Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya.
The UN resolution follows a similar action by the African Union, which had criticised Afewerki's government saying: "The acts of Eritrea were instrumental in undermining efforts to establish peace in Somalia. Likewise, Eritrea's dispute with Djibouti poses a threat to peace and security of both countries."
It is noteworthy that President Afewerki has so far not defied the UN decision even though it was the outcome of America's conspiracies — with the support of Ethiopia — to destabilise his government and replace it with one that favours the US.
It is evident that imposing Western hegemony on the rest of the world is not possible as defiance against such a move is gaining ground across the globe.
There is Venezuela, leading some sort of "anti-Western insurgency" in Latin America while Russia leads the voice of dissent in Europe. There are Iran and North Korea in Asia. As for Africa, the baton is with Sudan and Eritrea.
If these countries give in to Western pressures, the confrontation would end in their dismal defeat.
There is no doubt that the US is now concentrating more on Yemen and Eritrea. This was on the pretext of a war on Al Qaida and putting an end to the insurgency by Al Houthi rebels.
The US administration is spreading the message not only in the Arab world and Africa but also in other parts of the world that Yemen is a safe haven for Al Qaida and that Eritrea is providing training to Al Houthis with the support and supervision of Iran at camps in Danqalalu, east of Qanda city in central Eritrea, Tabur on Musawwa Road and two other places in the Shawa region close to Sudan.
The main charge of the US against Afewerki is that he harbours training camps for rebels on Eritrean soil. In addition, there are charges that Eritrea is allowing militants to use its waters.
The US has unleashed an aggressive media campaign based on lies that Eritrea is allowing Iran to use its islands, including Domira located close to Djibouti, for military and intelligence purposes.
Is there any logic in the thinking that Eritrea is allowing the use of most of its territories, whose independence and sovereignty was achieved with the martyrdom of thousands of its countrymen, as a colony of Iran?
It is also ironic that Yemen had accused Asmara of using Israeli naval boats during the Eritrea-Yemen military conflict over the strategic Hanish Islands in the Red Sea in December 1995. Yemen contended that Eritrean forces broke a truce and captured Greater Hanish, the main island in a chain between the two nations that sits astride one of the world's major shipping lanes, near Bab Al Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
As a mediaperson who had covered that war and conducted separate interviews with the presidents of Yemen and Eritrea while the fighting was raging, I remember that the Yemeni media and most of the Arab press had then reported the presence of military bases, missile launching pads and military hardware from Israel in those islands. But now, the allegation is that Eritrea is hosting Iranian military personnel on these islands.
Is it possible for Afewerki to get the magic wand of Mousa and gather its military with the Iranian intelligence and its Israeli counterpart on those islands to turn them into islands of wonders similar to those in the Arabian Nights?
…..(CONTINUE…..)
……(CONTINUED….) FINAL PART
Ulterior motives
The overwhelming presence of naval forces of the US and other Western countries and their intelligence apparatus on the international waters in the Red Sea on the pretext of countering Somali pirates also seems to be detrimental to the interests of Eritrea. They are engaged in monitoring and spying over the Eritrean ports and islands rather than the pirates.
Also, Washington continues to create a media ruckus about the Iranian military presence at the Port of Assab, located in southern Eritrea along the Red Sea, and the types of Iranian weapons amassed there, saying these weapons are much larger than what is actually needed to protect the oil facilities there.
It is noteworthy that Asmara signed an agreement with Tehran in September 2008 to grant exclusive rights to Tehran to supervise the maintenance and development work of the Assab Refinery of the Eritrean Oil Recycling Company at the Assab Port. According to the agreement, Iran is engaged in the reconstruction works of the refinery established earlier by Russia.
Using their media muscle, Washington and London are at the forefront of taking strict punitive measures against Eritrea over alleged support to militants.
The US administration recognises the harsh reality that it is not in a position to enter into a new military conflict aimed at deposing President Afewerki and President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan.
Washington no longer wants to be caught in another quagmire after desperately pursuing an exit from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, there is no doubt that it will, of course, change its tactics and plans to realise its (imperial) goals.
The Americans may resort to tactics similar to those it adopted in Iraq and Afghanistan to bring down governments by using military might.
They would also probably explore other options under the cover of international bodies to get legitimacy for their acts by calling for punitive action against those on their hitlist.
The latest such action was the UN Security Council Resolution 1907 passed against Eritrea recently.
Abdul Nabi Shaheen is the Gulf News correspondent in Saudi Arabia.
source:
http://gulfnews.com/life-style/people/imperial-de…
*** THE END ***
Abdul Nebiy, as a journalist the world expect you to tell the truth if you dont know the truth better to keep silent.. We the people know what the Eritrean governemnet is doing and planning to do. Go to Eritrea and find the truth
I am an eritrean but I am agiant my government but the information u provide is totally wrong.
you gay you don't even know how to write properly.
Now any illiterate story conjurer calls himself an intelligence analyst ?
Why doesn't Ryan Mauro go to Eritrea and check things for himself, rather than embarrass himself embarrassing analysis that are out of this world and clearly refuted before.
Look at this copy-paste, no-substance article.
Fella, don't try to play with people's intelligence for your own sake and reputation. People needs facts not articles that are written else where, then copy and paste it. That is the work of a lazy journalist of the highest degree. I hope you don't want to be considered one of them.
Take the courage and investigate, just do not copy and paste.
Any way the below web links show you a …objective view of Somalia situation starting from 2006 when American dollars first funded a disastrous invasion on the Islamic union which pose not a single ounce of threat to nuclear missile America.
But under the media friendly front of terrorism the George bush administration ousted Somalia first stable inbred political party which was able to wipe out money hungry warlords who rein inhuman havoc in Somalia for the past decades ironically these war lords were also funded by the USA.
Now why did America fund Ethiopia’s destabilizing of Somalia….. The issue had to do with the use of the title ‘the Islamic courts union’ Somalia is 98 % Muslim country.
What is wrong with a political party trying to unite a country with what they have in common which just so happens to be a religion ?.
America's New Frontline in Somalia : A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy – Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfXoEAuMo10&fe…
Arms reach Somali warlords despite UN sanctions on Eritrea http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKN22523388200805…
Doing Less Could Help More in Somalia with Bronwyn Bruton-Rumi Forum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euBxQRQV3zs
http://www.rumiforum.org/lucheons/doing.html
No links between Somali pirates, al Qaeda – U.S. general says <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2 Fwww.alertnet.org%2Fthenews%2Fnewsdesk%2FLP667541.htm&h=22204U4xWJpQX28bLU22qoEDYzA” target=”_blank”>http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2 <a h…” target=”_blank”>Fwww.alertnet.org%2Fthenews%2Fnewsdesk%2FLP667541.htm&h=22204U4xWJpQX28bLU22qoEDYzA
I’m sure you will agree with me once you’re done reading
This is outdated gossip which was proved to be false story. This the same stroy came out into the scene but the Quatari Journalist dissmissed it. Furthermore I am surprised this stroy is hidden from CIA.
Please wake up and try to bring peace and harmony amonge human race than cultivating racism and hatred. Racism: I bet you are a white person who love to see war and anxety in the world
hay Jimi who says white people like war, never attribute everything to CIA speak about yourself, you seem biased and racist . try to bring tangible justification instead of always complaining about white people and CIA there are worst African dictators who are addicted to kill innocent people to remain in power Afewerki is one of them
This article is totally out of wack and BS, there is no dictatorship in Eritrea.
It’s undeniable that natural resources play an important role in the development drive of a nation, but it requires right application and capable technological knowhow in order to be utilized. A society that has not armed with technology and knowledge , even if it is endowed with rich natural resources, it can’t be expected to progress. Eritrea has done that; over 400K professionals. Many nations who lack those resources, but have advanced and some, who got them all, have remained backward and destitute. Eritrea with the leadership of President Isaias Afwerki as always shall be fully economically and politically emancipated for the demise of those who wish otherwise for her.
hay Dave, you dont have any clue about what is going on in the country. Eritrea is facing the worst scenario in history after the current regime came to power. Number of people have been slaughtered, fled the country, forced to serve in the military exposed to sexual harassment (women) and torture , every evil thing you can mention is happening in the country. Please try to contact a single Eritrean refugee he/she will tell you why they left the country .
In Islam, force is the only real morality.
Stamping out the first terrorist attacks will save you from engaging in a prolonged struggle. That means doing it with decisive finality. This is a simple truth that every Middle Eastern country, but Israel understands. And a simple fact that every Muslim country understands, but the United States does not. Throw a dart at any major Muslim nation, and you find repression, mass graves and even genocide. Indonesia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Turkey– it never ends. There's a very simple reason for that. In Islam, force is the only real morality. More at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2010/07/i…
The west should crush terrorism without mercy.
The only way the terrorists can win against superior forces is if those forces have their hands tied behind their backs. Governments that focus on "Hearts and Minds" campaigns, and care about posing and primping against the background of the Moral High Ground are the terrorists' best friends. But what is the real Moral High Ground? It's not mercy toward those who show you none. For governments it is about doing their duty by protecting their citizens. The west should crush terrorism before it is too late. Consult : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2010/07/e…
what is the difference b/n Isayas and Hitlor, the only difference we found is that Isays doesnt have enough power and fame to exercise fully his criminal activities. Furthermore, Isayas criminal activity is aginst his people while Hitlor respects his people and exercise his criminal activities to other
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