UNICEF: Belafonte Spoke As Private Citizen

AP Photos on Yahoo ^ | 1/9/06 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. children's agency said singer Harry Belafonte was speaking as a private citizen, not a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, when he called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

The 78-year-old Belafonte, famous for his calypso-inspired music, made headlines during a trip to Venezuela when he spoke out against Bush and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF said in a statement that Belafonte — a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 1987 — made the comments "as a private citizen and was not speaking as a UNICEF ambassador, nor acting in an official capacity on behalf of the organization."

The Fund said it put out the statement in response to calls to its office.

Belafonte led a delegation of Americans including actor Danny Glover that met Chavez for more than six hours late Saturday.

During a television broadcast, Belafonte told Chavez, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution."

[NormsRevenge]

Singer and activist Harry Belafonte listens questions during a news conference after visiting government-run development project Fabrzio Ojeda in Caracas January 6, 2006. Belafonte praised the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for providing cheap home heating oil to poverty-stricken families in the U-S. Venezuela's state-run oil company and its Houston-based affiliate, Citgo, are providing more than 20 million gallons of heating oil with a 40 percent discount to poor families living in Massachusetts and New York, according to Venezuelan authorities. Belafonte is visiting Venezuela with a delegation of civil rights activists. REUTERS/Christian Veron

[NormsRevenge]

American singer and activist Harry Belafonte (R) speaks as Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez looks on during Chavez's weekly broadcast in El Consejo in Venezuela's Aragua state January 8, 2006. ... NO SALES NO ARCHIVES REUTERS/Miraflores Palace/Handout

[NormsRevenge]

Where have we heard that excuse before?

[p23185]

He is still bordering on treason in my book.

[Zarro]

Well, they can say that and it's all well and good. But I donated to them this past year and I can't, in good conscience, do it again while he is their "goodwill ambassador". If that's their choice for a goodwill ambassador, then I have to be very worried about their other choices, such as how to disburse the donations they receive.

[bybybill]

Private citizen, huh? Of which country? Certainly, not ours.

[jra]

I'm sorry. This guy has a total of two accomplishments in his entire life.

One cool song, and one hot daughter.

How did he even get a seat at the table, much less become an advocate for whatever he's an advocate for...LOL

[Theresawithanh]

No more UNICEF for me, either.

Harry Belafonte is a rambling old man who had a hit song or two a loong time ago. People listen to what he has to say because...?????

[SmithL]

Belafonte spoke as a terror supporter.

[fizziwig]

"He is still bordering on treason in my book."

As disgusting as Belafonte is, a true american hero did same prior to ww2....Lindberg met with notable nazi's such as Goering. FDR hated Lindy so much that after Pearl Harbor he made sure that Lindy could not serve in the military though he wanted too, and FDR did his best to keep Lindy from being employed.

Maybe Bush could take a few tips from FDR on this...after all he has already adopted FDR's spending habits...:)

[Oztrich Boy]

American singer and activist Harry Belafonte (R)

Never (R)!

[AZ_Cowboy]

Of course, in a previous era, empty-headed lefty entertainers couldn't get enough of Ortaga, either.

[krb]

I guess only next to Chavez, eh?

[Oztrich Boy]

I think Belafonte is to the left of Chavez

[308MBR]

He's already over the line for being an idiot.

I can't wait until this first generation of entitlement mentality infected pinkos, raised on the propaganda of FDR's New Deal by THEIR parents, dies off. I'm not going to help them to it, but just hope for it.

[Rumple4]

Is he still Mrs. Farley Granger ??

[Mike Darancette]

The jokes on Chavez who thinks Balafonte is a person of any relevancy or intellect.

[citizencon]

>One cool song,...<

Vanilla Ice had a better career...

[Bonaparte]

"How did he even get a seat at the table...?"

Easy. All he had to do was publically cast racial slurs at any prominent black person who disagreed with radical leftism. All he had to do was publically vilify everything about America and publically worship everything about communism.

He is one of the most vile creatures I've ever seen emerge from show business.

[wafflehouse]

i give him two cool songs, but i dont know anything about the daughter