As
Ethiopia Jails
Bloggers, US
Talks Free
Press
Elsewhere,
Files Risen
Brief
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 26 --
Ethiopia has
conducted a
sweep and
arrest of
journalists
including
Tesfalem
Woldeyes and six bloggers from the Zone 9
collective.
Next week, US
Secretary of
State John
Kerry will
visit Addis Ababa.
Will he be
raising the
issue? We'll
see.
New US Assistant
Secretary of
State Tom Malinowsi
on April 25 spoke
about the US
defending bloggers;
the examples
he gave were
in Russia and
Vietnam: "Dieu
Cay," Ta Phong
Tan and Phan
Thanh
Hai. How
now about
Ethiopia?
As Press
Freedom
seasons heats
up, some were
surprised not
only by this
brief filed in
the Supreme
Court but
also by this
week's US
announcement
of renewed
military aid
to
Egypt,
including 10
Apache
helicopters. Isn't
Egypt the
country with
journalists
including but
not limited to
those of Al
Jazeera
locked
up?
After
questions, the
State
Department clarified the
specifics of
aid to
Egypt on April
24:
"The
Egypt
bilateral
foreign
assistance
budget for
FY2014 is
approximately
$1.5 billion
and includes
$1.3 billion
in Foreign
Military
Financing
(FMF) – $200
million in
Economic
Support Funds;
and over $7
million
for other
security
assistance
programs,
including
International
Military
Education and
Training,
International
Narcotics
Control and
Law
Enforcement,
and
Nonproliferation,
Antiterrorism,
Demining and
Related
Programs. The
$650 million
from FY2014
FMF will be
the first
of this
funding to
move forward,
pending
Congressional
notification
and approval."
The
next day new
US Assistant
Secretary of
State for
Democracy,
Human
Rights, and
Labor Tom
Malinowski was
asked about
the detained
Al
Jazeera
journalists.
He replied
that
withholding of
one additional
certification
is in part due
to the Al
Jazeera case,
and therefore
the case has
consequences.
But
here is how US
Pentagon Press
Secretary Rear
Adm. John
Kirby
explained the
certification:
Secretary
Hagel
told General
Sobhy that we
are not yet
able to
certify that
Egypt is
taking steps
to support a
democratic
transition,
and he
urged the
Egyptian
government to
demonstrate
progress on a
more
inclusive
transition
that respects
the human
rights and
fundamental
freedoms of
all Egyptians.
Secretary
Hagel
also informed
Minister Sobhy
of President
Obama's
decision to
deliver ten
Apache
helicopters in
support of
Egypt’s
counterterrorism
operations in
the Sinai. The
secretary
noted that we
believe these
new
helicopters
will help the
Egyptian
government
counter
extremists who
threaten U.S.,
Egyptian, and
Israeli
security.
While
some say "safe
and free," the
above shows
the
relationship
between "U.S.,
Egyptian, and
Israeli
security" and
the
freedom of the
press issues
at stake in
Egypt. Watch
this site.
Footnote:
Freedom
of the press issues have
arisen at the
UN with
respect to
Voice of
America,
on whose
Broadcasting
Board of
Governors John
Kerry
serves.
Freedom of
Information
Act requests
have been
filed with the
BBG - and with the State
Department,
including with
regard to South
Sudan and
the US
Atrocities
Prevention
Board. The
issues are
being pursued
by the new Free UN Coalition for Access. Watch
this site.
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