COMMENTARIES:

Should Assab Autonomous Region Be Part of Eritrea?
By Dagmawi; September 15, 2000

RETHINKING THE CONTINUED INSANITY OF ETHIOPIAN AND ETHIO-ERITREAN POLITICS (PART I)
By Dr. Fisseha-Tsion Menghistu & Associates; 12 September, 2000

Some Things May Never Change, But a Little Honesty Doesn’t Hurt
By Mekonnen K. Seyoum; September 8, 2000

CNN/SI has predicted five medals for Ethiopia: Haile in the men's 10K (gold); Derartu, Gete, and Birhane in the women's 10K (gold-silver-bronze), and Ayelech in the women's 5k (silver).

While the predicted 10K women's sweep seems unlikely, Ethiopia has a separate top-5 medal contender in the women's 1,500 (Kutre) and decent chances for medals in both the men and women marathons. However, winning a medal will be difficult in the marathons as there are at least 20 serious contenders in each event. Tegla Loroupe is the prohibitive favorite for the women's marathon but nobody is taking seriously her prediction that she will also win the 10k race the following week.

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Although the 2000 Olympics could have been the first "Internet Olympics" the insatiable commercial focus by the International Olympic Committee and its main TV broadcaster (NBC) has made this impossible. In the US, NBC has bid nearly a billion dollars for the rights to the Sydney games. In exchange it has demanded exclusive rights to Olympic video and has prevailed upon the IOC to prohibit internet websites from broadcasting live Olympic video.

NBC will not show a single event live, and has declared it will orient its coverage toward "personal stories" rather than the competition itself. It is not even clear whether any of the distance events will be televised. In 1996, NBC never broadcast the 10,000 meters race and refused to let any other media outlet use the video.

"I've been watching NBC's coverage of the Olympic triathlon, and it's exactly the nightmare we've been expecting. They're not showing the actual event, they're just doing one long "soft and fuzzy" edited profile piece on it. Cripes, I hope they don't butcher up either of the marathons like this. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for just how atrocious the t&f coverage will be, but I still bet I end up throwing a brick through my television" -- disgruntled American track fan

Invitation: THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST ETHIOPIAN ARTISTS CLUB (1952-1992)

Debre Hayq Gallery is paying tribute to the Artists Founders by opening an online show of leading Ethiopian Artists works. You, your family and friends are cordially invited at the show which will stay open at your Home/Office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (depending on the cyberweather). No dress code requirements. Just point your web browser to: http://www.the3rdman.com/ethiopianart/art2000, http://www.ethiopianart.org or http://www.abyssinianart.org

Your comments, suggestions and participation will be greatly appreciated.

COMMENTARIES:

One of the defining aspects of the EPLF-TPLF alliance has been their joint war against ARDUF, the AFAR front fighting against the EPLF occupation of the Afar Coastline. This action clearly shows that the TPLFs alliance with the EPLF was based on common ethnic nationalism and self-interest. It was not based on the principle of self-determination, not on international law (the TPLF has rejected the legality of the 1952 UN decision to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia), and was most certainly not based on Ethiopia's national interest.

In the following quote, an ARDUF spokesman explains that the 1993 referendum conducted under the EPLF administration is not acceptable to EPLF opponents. The situation would have been different had the UN administered Eritrea and conducted the referendum. The presence of observers in Eritrea at the time is meaningless. Eritrea could have become independent without the bogus referendum because Ethiopia (TPLF-controlled) had already sanctioned its secession and suppressed any opposition to the EPLF.

The premise of this website is therefore no longer valid. The problem is no longer Eritrea. The problem is Meles - Eritrea's once and future loyal servant. Until Meles is held accountable for his actions, Ethiopians can have no confidence that they will be represented at the EPLF-TPLF reconciliation talks.