All,
I also just finished talking to Rep. Johnny Ford of Tuskegee, AL. This is
basically what the gentleman told me:

*that unlike most of their trips, they've had no State Dept briefing on
their Gambian trip.
*that they were briefed by Amb. Haley AFTER they had already met Jammeh and
co.
*that they're invited by Mayor Samba Faal of Banjul who is currently the 1st
VP of the WCM. (He said that Tuskegee was twinned with Banjul back in 1977.)
*that contrary to the hoopla being created by the Gambia govt, they're a
non-political group on the world stage, but also that they're far from being
naive. He told me of their experience with Abacha in Nigeria, and how the
late despot tried to use the WCM. They won't let him! Neither will Yaya
Jammeh if the meeting takes place, he assured me.
*that he can't believe "the quiet, peaceful Gambia is being destroyed
*that like the Haleys, he has traced his roots to the Mandinka in Gambia.
That he has a sentimental attachment to the Gambia...

He gave me his email address at my request so I could furnish him material
pertinent to present-day Gambian reality. I've just emailed Dr. Katim
Touray's "Another African Tragedy in the Making?," and a verbatim text of
what Yaya Jammeh told his thugs last August (the notorious 100 ft video.)
The gentleman has promised to read the materials this weekend. I've also
suggested websites like "allafrica.com" and "qanet.gm" where he can get
neutral and corroborating info on the criminal regime in Gambia. I guess
we'll have to see on Monday if he is willing to push his people to cancel
the Banjul meeting.

Saul.




>Hi All,
>
He was
>

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