President Joseph K. Grieboski of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy (Washington, D.C.) released the following statement on the passage of �H.R.2003, Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007� by the House of Representatives:

"The Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007� is a perfect example of positive Congressional intent that will result in negative consequences. Congressional leaders had hopes that the bill would serve to improve democratic and civil conditions on the ground; instead, it only serves to jeopardize American security relations in Africa, and around the globe.

Ethiopia has made outstanding progress in democratic development, human rights, religious freedom, political and civil rights. Despite this improvement, the House of Representatives wishes to impose its own timeline and its own standards on Ethiopia's advance.

The House of Representatives does nothing to advance human rights and democracy by imposing H.R. 2003's restrictions on aid to Ethiopia. Such limits serve to hinder Ethiopia's ongoing battle with religious extremism in the Horn of Africa and to deter Ethiopia's capacity to continue the ongoing assistance and support it has provided both directly and indirectly in the global fight against terrorism.

It is particularly telling that the House of Representatives went out of its way to endanger military support to Ethiopia � an ally that has demonstrated its commitment to American interests, fighting global extremism, and moving forward on democratic progress � yet has not intervened in an arms sale package expected to total $20 billion over the next decade for Saudi Arabia despite Saudi's refusal to improve religious freedom conditions even after agreeing to do so with the State Department, its ongoing impediment to American plans and interests in Iraq, and its position as the primary exporter of religious extremism and religion-based terrorism around the globe.

H.R.2003 is a threat to American political and security interests in the Horn of Africa and in Africa as a whole and only serves to alienate yet another ally with a sticks-but-no-carrots approach to foreign policy.

It is imperative that the United States Senate reexamines the merits of H.R. 2003 as currently drafted and amend the bill to provide the appropriate democratic tools and capacity-building agenda, before it causes undue harm to American interests."

Joseph K. Grieboski
Founder and President, Institute on Religion and Public Policy (www.religionandpolicy.org) Secretary General, Interparliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom (www.interparliamentary.org); 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee 1620 I Street, NW, Suite LL10, Washington, DC 20006. October 5, 2007.
Phone: 202-835-8760/Fax: 202-835-8764/Cell: 202-251-2762