Bob Geldof defending the looters of food aid

http://www.ecadforum.com/ One rebel leader estimated that $95m (£63m) from Western governments and charities, including Band Aid, was diverted.

The CIA also alleged aid money was being misused.

A 1985 report from the crime agency concluded: Some funds that insurgent organisations are raising for relief operations, as a result of increased world publicity, are almost certainly being diverted for military purposes.

Mr Geldof, who was speaking to the BBC from Nairobi, also said one of the sources quoted in the report was a dissident political exile who was not credible.

The anti-poverty campaigner and the Band Aid Trust are reportedly taking their complaint to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.

They and a number of other agencies, including Oxfam, the Red Cross, Christian Aid and Save The Children, are also writing to chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons.

John Kennedy, a co-founder of the Band Aid Trust, said: The trust is writing to the BBC and Ofcom to complain about the broadcast.

A Christian Aid spokeswoman confirmed it was planning to support the complaint.

Mr Whitehead, the news and current affairs editor at the World Service, said the BBC stands by its report.

Writing in the Editors blog on the BBC website, he stated: It presents evidence, compelling evidence, that some of the famine relief donations were diverted by a powerful rebel group to buy weapons.

http://ecadforum.com/News/2584

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ethiopia
• Bob Geldof
• BBC
• Ethiopian famine
• ecadf
• ecadforum
• ecadftube
• enndelbu

[PringlesJingles]

Andrew Marr really is channeling Bill O'Reilly here isn't he? Bad BBC.

Let's not be stupid. The reason the media establishment is so gleefully willing to run with the "diverted food aid" fable (no evidence is ever shown) is because it encourages cyncism, fear and self-interest. It fosters divisons and undermines the value of charity. And so money that might just go towards some starving kids in Africa will instead be disillusionally spent on the crap big business is flogging. KA-CHING!

[AWATEABRAHA]

For aminute i thought i was watching fox news.not you too bbc .

[kingofadwa]

ሃቂስያ ቲምንምን እንበር ኣይቲ ኣይትቢተኪን ዶ በሉ:: Thanks Bob Geldof you r still my hero!

[mehabe]

Bob Geldoff, please every ethiopians knows that why are you defending TPLE Meles Zenawi?

[NitroEthiopian]

With all due respect Sir Bob Geldoff! The man you call a mal-content dissident is an actual TPLF member who at that was their financier! If anyone should know, it would be him. But of course his testimony doesn't make it a fact or the final word on the matter. However, he is not the sole person to have witnessed the money diversion. It has been confirmed by various political active leaders at the time, as well as by current TPLF members themselves. For us, Ethiopians, this is old news!