What am I reading, Mr. Halake? That, Mr. Jammeh's people just like
Mugabe's 25 years ago should have been there to " beat the hell out of
..." the New York protesters or descend on the DC embassy occupiers?
Which legal system, Mr. Halake? Do you mean the hotel security and New
York City police at the scene could have done better so your "brother"
could have had a comfortable stay?
As for the Washington DC DUGA 3 demonstrators, are you saying that three
Gambian citizens walking into their country's embassy to voice their
grievances was an "invasion" and that they should have been met by what,
an army of Jammeh supporters or armed US security?

Your account of "Gambian Taxi Drivers were being arrested for dropping
their passengers opposite the US Embassy – on the Le Parisian side!!
Then the drivers were taken behind the Embassy to pay a bribe to the
security guards before they could go!!" and "The USA was grateful (read
Wikileaks)" makes one wonder what your point is. Are you suggesting that
the US embassy was behind, the detention and fleecing of Gambian taxi
drivers by Gambian security guards in vicinity of the US Embassy? And
the "scandalous extortion stopped" when you "contacted the US Embassy
and threaten to write an editorial.." Do you mean the embassy did not
listened to you the first time you observed and reported the incidence?
Or you never really gave them a chance. I wonder whats a more scandalous
extortion!

You conclude by saying "If it now turns out that the Gambian Embassy in
DC can be taken-over and US citizens have a constitutional right to do
so, then I can assure you that my ideological “brother”, will take
precisely the same stance vis-à-vis the US Embassy in Fajara. "

Did you say Jammeh is your brother? Really? As Harry Callahan would say
let him "go ahead and make my day!"

Malanding Jaiteh




Courtesy Mafanta.com: http://www.maafanta.com/didahalakenewyorkdemoduga

New York Demo & Duga 3

By Dida Halake

Editor,

When I wrote a piece sometime ago, you endearingly commented that I
“know your brother” – referring to President Jammeh as my “brother”. I
would agree with you, as long as you limit the “brother” tag to the
ideological level with regard to Colonialism, Pan-Africanism and African
Independence. That said, I have lived long enough in the West to
appreciate the value of freedom of expression, although I have to say
that it does not mean much in the West and that is why we are allowed
it! Real Freedom of Expression would overthrow governments and that is
why it is banned – Wikileaks, Snowden, Deyda Hydara, Baba Galleh
Jallow’s Independent, etc, etc.


So I must say firstly that those Washington DC Duga Demonstrators and
the New York ones were heroic and should be given credit for following
their “emotion” (Halifa Sallah). This should really read “passion” –
because that is what all politics is about. My big question both in
Washington (3) and in New York (12) was this: where were President
Jammeh’s supporters? Why were they not guarding the Embassy (only
against 3) and why they not guarding the hotel (only against 12). I
simply want to remind you of the time here in London when Peter Tatchell
and his Gay Gang tried a “citizen’s arrest” on President Mugabe 25 years
ago. Mugabe’s security beat the hell out of them – and Peter Tatchell
still suffers some mild brain damage from that beating. I think
President Jammeh’s people would have been within their legal rights to
ensure that the entrance to President Jammeh’s hotel and his convoy were
safe – and they would have been within their legal rights to deal with
any assailants. Ditto the Embassy. But Jammeh’s people were not there to
defend both the hotel and the Embassy – except the lone Dr. Tangara.

Coming back to the invasion of the Gambian Embassy in DC, and the
freeing of the DUGA 3 by the US court, I have to say that I know what is
going to happen next. President Jammeh is going to direct that the
exceptional protection given to the US Embassy in Fajara should end.
When the world was demonstrating against the US over Iraq and other
matters, President Jammeh ensured that no such demonstrations took place
in The Gambia. The USA was grateful (read Wikileaks). While you and I
were in The Gambia in 2008, Grandma Sirreh, Gambian Taxi Drivers were
being arrested for dropping their passengers opposite the US Embassy –
on the Le Parisian side!! Then the drivers were taken behind the Embassy
to pay a bribe to the security guards before they could go!! Fatou
Camara was then working at the US Embassy and I met her (with Amadou
Samba) during my coffee break at the Le Parisian. I contacted the US
Embassy and threaten to write an editorial – and I was then told the
security would be dealt with and the scandalous extortion stopped.

The point, Editor, is that the US Embassy was well protected – even at
the detriment of the freedoms of Gambians. If it now turns out that the
Gambian Embassy in DC can be taken-over and US citizens have a
constitutional right to do so, then I can assure you that my ideological
“brother”, will take precisely the same stance vis-à-vis the US Embassy
in Fajara. Remember you read it here first!

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