The estranged Kinijit chairman, Ato Hailu Shawel, has told the Washington Post reporter Nora Boustany that he was in Washington DC on Oct. 2 to and met with Congressman Chris Smith one day before the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2003.
Read the following email exchanges with Ms. Nora Boustany of the Washington Post:
from Nora Boustany [email protected]
to Elias Kifle [email protected]
date Oct 9, 2007 11:01 PM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
Mr. Kifle, we corrected his title, but not the fact that he was up in the gallery watching the vote. Thanks for your interest. Best Regards. Nora
Nora Boustany
Foreign Staff Writer
Human Rights, Development, Trends
Tel: 202 334 7474
Fax: 202 334 5651
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from Elias Kifle [email protected]
to Nora Boustany [email protected]
cc [email protected]
date Oct 9, 2007 11:26 PM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
How could a sick man sitting on a hospital bed in Minneapolis at the same time be in Congress up in the gallery watching the vote? Why don’t you call Mr Shawel himself and hear it from his own mouth? Why are you sticking to a false story?
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from Nora Boustany [email protected]
to Elias Kifle
date Oct 10, 2007 1:05 PM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
Dear Mr. Kifle, if Mr. Shawel was able to meet with Congressman Smith, was he too ill to go to the gallery? Why is this such an issue? What has become very clear now is that there is a big problem between Mr. Mekonnen and a another group of Ethiopian Americans and that you do not work together, for reasons I am sure are very legitimate. It would have been great if all of you had been eager to inform me of your progress as the vote was shaping up, rather than of your differences after the vote. If there will be such a fuss everytime we write about Ethiopia, we can easily focus on other problems in the world. Please move on and let me focus on my work. Thank you for your interest. Nora
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from Elias Kifle [email protected]
to Nora Boustany [email protected]
date Oct 10, 2007 3:53 PM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
I am moving on. Thanks.
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from Nora Boustany [email protected]
to Elias Kifle [email protected]
cc [email protected]
date Oct 10, 2007 11:50 PM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
Mr. Kifle, just to put your mind at rest, I will share the following with you. I called Mr. Hailyu Shawel’s wife in their hotel in Rochester, Minnesota and finally reached them after many attempts since your campaign began last week. She told me they were both in Washington last week for a couple of days and that her husband had made visits to the hill in a wheelchair. Mr. Shawel himself confirmed that he had met with Representative Chris Smith, as did Patrick Creamer on Smith’s staff, early last week. Mr. Shawel said though he wanted to attend the vote, he left a couple of hours before to make a doctor’s appointment that afternoon. Of Mefsin Mekonnen, he said: “He is our man,” confirming that his group was not defunct. Thank you for your interest. best regards.
Nora Boustany
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from Elias Kifle [email protected]
to Nora Boustany [email protected]
date Oct 11, 2007 1:14 AM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
Dear Nora,
Ms. Shawel is lying to you — I am sorry to say — to cover up for Mesfin Mekonnen who is in hot waters now because of this incident and another misinformation he may have provided to The Hill newspaper a few weeks ago. Mr Shawel met with Congressman Smith on Sept. 20 (see this report). The next day (on Friday) he went to Minneapolis for medical treatment. He was scheduled to return to DC on Sept. 29 to attend a public meeting. The doctors would not allow him to do so. The meeting was rescheduled for Oct. 6. Again, the doctors refused to let him travel to DC for the Oct. 6 meeting. The meeting is rescheduled again for Sunday, Oct. 14. Any time Hailu Shawel is in town for personal visit — let alone for an official meeting with a congressman — every body knows about it. Meeting with a congressman would have been a big news, particularly in an occasion like that. So Nora, I am happy that you have tried to get in touch with Hailu Shawel, and at least you got some response from his wife. But I think Mr Shawel and friends — now even family members — are compounding the problem by lying to a major media like the WP to cover up for their friend. As American journalists say, in politics it is not the mistake or the crime itself that get you in trouble, it is the cover up (I am rephrasing it). In this case what angered a lot of people is not that Mr Shawel did not come (because every one knows that he is getting medical treatment), or that Mesfin Mekonnen misinformed you, but what he and his friend did to cover up their mistake — i.e, attacking me and other individuals in the media as liars. More importantly, misinforming the Western media by a member of our community could be too costly to us. We are afraid that we would lose the little media coverage our cause is getting if those who are assigned to speak on our behalf engage in blatant lies. I accept your suggestion and I am moving on. But if you really want to get to the bottom of this matter, there are two ways: 1) insist on speaking with Hailu Shawel himself on the record (ask him if he was in Washington DC on Tuesday, Oct. 3); and/or 2) speak with Congressman Smith’s office on the record (which I did — I asked his staff if Mr Smith met with Mr Shawel any time on Tuesday, Oct. 3. They said NO). I am 100 per cent certain that you will find out the truth.
Regards,
Elias
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from Nora Boustany [email protected]
to Elias Kifle
date Oct 11, 2007 1:50 PM
subject Re: article on HR 2003
Mr. Kifle, I did speak to him in person by telephone after having reached his wife. I talked to them separately. He met with Smith on October 2 and left the next morning, a couple of hours before the vote on October 3. This is exactly what he said. So thank you again for your interest. Nora
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Ato Hailu Shawel, you have disgraced yourself once again, this time by telling an egregious lie to a major U.S. newspaper. Why?
64 thoughts on “Hailu Shawel lies to Washington Post”
I would reserve any comment pending the outcome of the DC meeting on 14 October 2007.
It is a known fact that Ato Hailu is the weakest link among KINIJIt leaders. It was also witnessed during his interview in BBC hardtalk programme.
well done elias.keep up your good job. now everybody knows who is eng hailu? to save his maffia group’s member mesfin mekonnen , eng hailu mist lie and decieve even the popular washington post . let the whole world knows who is eng hailu shawul. he betrayed his innocent ppl who have given their vote to get good service from kinijit, but he has created another fake party in diaspora over an original party [kinijit] at home with out consulting his colleages. what a wise democracy’s activist. really GOd saved our country from his un capable leadership. shame on him.
Elias,
Tell Nora Boustany that if she cannot give what it takes to make a report on our country, its people etc. will we be much happier if she found other areas as she thinks fit her ability and inclinations. She does her job and she must give and take what it requires and please tell her to not do us favours.
Can you imagine how hateful HS is? In his interview with VOA, he referred to the delegation’s visit, which has become the biggest phenomenon in ethopian politics, as ” Zuret”. Well, if he is unfit for “Zuret”, he must resign. Please listen to his VOA interview, the way he answers the questions is very disturbing. I had enough of him after I watched his interview with HARD TALK of BBC. May God bring him to his right mind and lets pray that he gets well soon.
ሃይሉ ጃጀተዋል ተዋቸው
Teddy,
You told Burka to mind his own business. Actually your business is his business too as he is an Ethiopian. So telling him to mind his own business shows how ignorant you are yourself. Elias is giving you good information, I don’t disagree, so do other websites and newspapers. You read and you decide who you want to beleive. Telling another Ethiopian brother to mind his business is not a solution and people such as you are the ones who are dividing the country. Therefore, find something to help the cause or step aside and let us lead our country.
Great job Elias! I appreciate your committment and dedication to uncover the truth…just move on and struggle for the goodness of the Ethiopian people. No matter what time it takes, every one will be well aware about the liers.
My dear Ethiopians let’s fight against our greatest enemy, i.e poverty in the forth coming years.
Come on frieds, ‘CUD’ is dying in the fight against hunger on power.
ትክክል!
I think someone should tell Nora Boustany that she is not doing us a favor by reporting the news and her paternalitic replies are not acceptable. We know the Post does not engage in doing a favor to this or that group by reporting some news. The only measurement I believe is whether something is newsworthy or not. She said: “If there will be such a fuss everytime we write about Ethiopia, we can easily focus on other problems in the world.” I don’t know how many times she wrote before that created similar controversies prompting her to react like this. That is too paternalistic as well as dishonest. Any people deserve the truth, including the large Ethiopian community in Washington DC, and the United States. She should have followed with the journalitic ethic of checking the accuracy of her reports, and in this case it wouldn’t have taken her much to find out. No abridgment of this can be tolerated. She should know that DR at CBS paid a very big price for not following through with the accuracy of his report. Of course, her bosses may not know about this or care the least. But she should learn that habits are hard to shed, and could catch up with her eventually.
People and Elias Move on. All this about who did or did not attend. There are bigger fish to fry. C’mon on guy let it go. Stop all this. This lady Nora is writing based on what is told to her. Leave her alon. She is trying to be as diplomatic as possible. But for goodness sake enough!!!!!
I demand the immediate resignetion of Mr Hailu Sahawel.He is in no condition to lead the party! I am sorry to say but He is very sick and needs to rest for a little while .If he is not willing to resign …well, He should be impeached for creating all this nonsense commotions in our Democratic party!
For Birgader General Shalleka ….Genzebachenn Marekehe Eserebate Mesegebatehe Yetawesal.. Ebakohoten Genezebachen Yalemenem Butena na Mebotebote Endefetulen Enteyekalen ..Amenstey internaional of Yager Legoch!
Ps.Mr Shalleka …U have no right or mandate to call a meetiing …if u do will be there anywere any time to darag ur az from the stage …u can take my word to the bank ..
Yeneneh,
How could a person rest while the truth, the naked truth out there for us to see but other trying to benefit from it by discrediting the one who deserves it?
How on earth you get a good night sleep while the shaleka group taking a credit for the success at the cost of others struggle?
Did you forget that these are the people who took all the money and brain-washed Hailu Sahwel?
Yeneneh, Elias is doing what a good citizen has to do, if not more. There is no way he could stop until someone tell the truth. So Yeneneh, get to used to it :) cheers brother
ELIAS, YOU’RE DOING MORE THAT YOUR SHARE. YOU ARE OUR VOICE. YOU FOUGHT THE FIGHT SINGLE HANDEDLY. KEEP UP THE GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!
Questions for Mr. HS
Time and time again Mr. HS has complained that the delegates are running around her and there.
The day you arrived in the USA you started publicly naming and shaming this delegates and their trip.
Dear Sir, why is that the delegates meeting with the diasporas big deal to you?
Does it occur to you for a minute that we in the diaspora are equally important elements of the democratic movement in our homeland?
Does it occur to you we deserve to be addressed, encouraged and organised to be part of the great movement!
For the health reason you were not able to follow these delegates, this you have been saying time and time again… You wanted the trip transpired or delayed till you recovered. You wanted the trip to be conducted after the New Year celebration in Ethiopia
What I do not understand is that…Is this the first and the last time we will meet delegates from the popular movement?
Have we said we are tired of meeting you? Or contributing for the movement?
The truth is that we are ready to host any member of this movement at any given time!
If you wish you can came and visit us every month, every half year every year!!
WE ARE NOT TIRED OF THE POPULAR MOVEMENT
I do not expect all trips and delegates to include you! With you or with out you we are ready to host and shear our wishes, dreams and ideas with the members of the great movement!!
And every time you or any member of the movement is with us we will provide all the necessary help!!
In my view, with all respect, when the 70 million impoverished Ethiopians eat properly, get medical care and basic education we will celebrate New Year. Till then the struggle should not stop for a minute.
At last, in the future please do not criticize your comrades in public!!
A general will not criticize his commanders in public on such a trivial mater!
A great leader will not spite on the face of those people who fought for his freedom and safety!