Ethiopian-review is caught lying, is Alemayehu G. Mariam an accomplice?

On Nov. 23/2010 Ethiopian review posted a story about Karuturi Global investment in Ethiopia, titled ‘Indian agribusiness devastates western Ethiopia(photo/video)’. Aigaforum traced the origin of the photos and exposed the sham. Apparently, Ethiopian Review changed the photo immediately thereafter. But only to substitute it with another bogus photo. Yet again, Aigaforum traced the true origin of the substituted photo. Both photos were taken half way around the globe in the Americas! [See the evidence below]

Aiga-forum.com exposed the recent fraudulent story posted by Ethiopian-review, a website run by Elias Kifle, who is allegedly on Eritrean president, Isaiyas Afeworki, payroll. On Nov. 23/2010 Ethiopian review posted a story about Karuturi Global investment in Ethiopia, titled ‘Indian agribusiness devastates western Ethiopia(photo/video)’.

As it is supposed to be a photo story, a big picture is posted following a brief slur on the Ethiopian government. The story falsely states ‘the photo below shows how the forest in south western Ethiopia is being destroyed to make space for flower farming for export to Europe.’

Alas, Aigaforum traced the origin of the photo and exposed the sham. Apparently, Ethiopian Review changed the photo immediately thereafter.  But only to substitute it with another bogus photo. Yet again, Aigaforum traced the true origin of the substituted photo.

Both photos were taken half way around the globe in the Americas! [See the evidence below]

I admit ‘Ethiopian-review caught lying’ is a nonstarter topic. Presumably, most readers have personally encountered fraudulent stories on that website more than once. That is why I had simply put my previous observation of a fraudulent story about the Ethiopian Ortodox Church as a passing comment on the previous post.

However, there are reasons to treat the recent phenomenon differently.

Implicating the Associate Editors

First, this fraud cannot be excused as an oversight or by blaming it on non-existent correspondents in Ethiopia, since the photos in the fraudulent story are not taken anywhere near Ethiopia.

Second, the website didn’t remove, let alone apologize for the deceitful story, even 5 days after it has been exposed by Aigaforum. This indicates the complicity of all the editors on the act; that is, Elias Kifle, Alemayehu G. Mariam, Yilma Bekele, Sioum Gebeyehou, Belen Haile and Rahel Assefa.

Yes, it is the same Prof. Alemayehu Gebremariam, who used to write his name as Al G. Mariam, now changed into Alemayehu G. Mariam. He is associate editor of Ethiopian Review and is engaged in a media campaign against the Ethiopian government exploiting his title and questionable media access.
It is the same Alemayehu who has the habit of putting ‘truth’ in the title of his articles(‘speaking the truth on behalf of …’, ‘speaking the truth for..’, ‘speaking truth, talking….’, ‘the truth of…‘, etc).

This professor of a small town university had the audacity to libel Prof. Josef Stiglitz and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, in his last month article, calling them, ‘academic entrepreneurs and unacademic professors [who] ingratiate themselves with influential African leaders regardless of their democratic and human-rights record, to get PR and ‘goodies’ for themselves at African summits, at the UN where these leaders have a vote…’. He even went on saying, ‘What is it that they got that we ain’t got? Aha! A Nobel Prize?’

Perhaps, this time, our dear professor was ‘speaking the truth on behalf of not-noble professors’.

Of late, he had this to say about the Ethiopian journalists in the opposition media, “They[the journalists] are developing a style of journalism based on truth-searching, truth-telling and exposition of lies costumed as truth.”

Now, a media under his associate editorship is caught in the act with an irrefutable evidence. It is time Mr. Professor tells us the truth about the Eritrean connection of the ‘Ethiopian review’ web-site, or else admit he is an associate fraudster and spare us of his talks of ‘truth’.

The same goes to to the other editors – Yilma Bekele, Sioum Gebeyehou, Belen Haile, and Rahel Assefa, to dissociate themselves or admit they are associate fraudsters.

We have given up on Elias Kifle, haven’t we?

Here is the recent Lie at ‘Ethiopian-review’

The first image below is a screen shoot of Ethiopian Review with the first bogus photo. [I found it on Aigaforum.]

The second image is a screen shoot of BBC news webpage that reveals the true origin of the first photo is Brazil Amazon Forest. [taken on Nov. 26/2010]

The third image is a screen shoot of Ethiopian Review with the second bogus photo. [taken on Nov. 26/2010]

The fourth image is a screen shoot of Rush PR News(RPRN) webpage that reveals the true origin of the photo is Canada Boreal Forest.[taken on Nov. 26/2010]

[Though I checked the sites and took the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th screen shots, I credit Aiga forum for detecting the fraud and identifying the true origin of the photos.]

For an enhanced view: right click on the images, then select ‘open in a new tab’ or ‘open in a new window’.

I. First post by Ethiopian Review with the 1st photo (Click Here to see it on Aigaforum)

Ethiopian_Review_Nov_23rd_2010(photo from Aigaforum.com)

II. But the true location of the photo is Brazil Amazon Forest. [You can see it at on BBC news Januar 24/2008.]

Brazil - Amazon Forest from BBC

III. Second photo on Ethiopian Review. It appears only the photo is changed but the same text.

Ethiopian_Review_Nov_23rd_2010(screen_shot_taken_on_Nov_26)

IV. However, the true location of the photo is Canada Boreal Forest.[You can see it at RPRN website]

Canada - Boreal Forest

You may get all the items(screen shots) at Aigaforum.com or on their respective sites, except the first Ethiopian review post which has been removed.

Daniel Berhane

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