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Kenya PM dropped from Obama luncheon
www.nation.co.ke ^ | 09/19/09 | NATION Team

Posted on 09/19/2009 8:43:01 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3

Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga arrived in the United States of America on Saturday night to news of cancellation of a luncheon with US President Barack Obama which had earlier been scheduled for later this week.

The news followed a round of confusion over whether he would attend the luncheon, hosted by the White House for selected leaders from sub-Saharan Africa on the sidelines of the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

New York-based Kenyan ambassador to the UN Zachary Muburi-Muita told the Nation on Saturday night that the State Department contacted him on Friday to “disinvite” Mr Odinga from the September 22 luncheon with President Obama in New York for African leaders.

The ambassador last Monday confirmed to the Nation that he had received an invitation letter for the PM to attend the luncheon. A dispatch to the Foreign Affairs ministry from Kenya’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr Peter Ogego, seen by the Nation confirmed the cancellation.

On Saturday, the Mr Muburi-Muita said State Department officials told him that the earlier invitation was sent accidentally; that the luncheon is actually only for African heads of State and not heads of government.

But at the White House Press briefing on Friday, US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the following: “The President will also host on the 22nd a lunch for heads of state and government from sub-Saharan Africa.”

Mr Muburi-Muita said the cancellation was disappointing and did not know why the invitation was issued in the first place, only to be rescinded. “This is something we expect from a third world country, not from the United States,” he said. Mr Odinga will participate in the Opening of the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly and General Debate.

The Prime Minister will make his addresses to the General Assembly on the afternoon of Friday as the 12th speaker. While in the US, the PM will address a number of gatherings and bilateral meetings on critical issues in Kenya.

He is also scheduled to hold discussions with various Heads of State and Government. On Saturday, the Nation learnt from other government sources quoting a dispatch from Kenya’s ambassador to the US Peter Ogego, that no arrangements had been made for Mr Odinga and President Obama to meet.

In Nairobi, neither Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula nor his PS Mwangi Thuita returned our calls. President Obama, the son of a Kenyan father, has kept his distance from both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga as a signal of US displeasure with Kenya’s response to official corruption, ethnic violence and police abuses.

The American leader chose Ghana as his first official destination in Africa, and he did not invite Mr Odinga to a White House meeting when the Prime Minister visited the US in June.

Kenya has been left out of the list of 40-plus countries invited to the luncheon, and will be among nations the US is snubbing because of disputes over their governance or an antagonistic relationship with Washington. They include Eritrea, Guinea, Madagascar, Niger, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

“We are looking to have a dialogue with responsible leaders about the future of Africa’s economic and social development,” Susan Rice said on Monday in announcing the luncheon.

It has however been confirmed that Mr Odinga will attend a High-Level Meeting on Climate Change at the UN General Assembly and hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Assembly and another on Level Event on Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.

Hold discussions

He will hold discussions with the Clinton Global Initiative, attend the Africa Investor Index Series Summit and be at the Head of State/Government Roundtable within the General Assembly. The PM will also hold discussions with the International Contact Group on Somalia to discuss the situation in the neighbouring country.

On Thursday, the PM will deliver a lecture at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Public Administration on his Vision on the Challenges of Democratic Transition and Transfer of Power in Africa. Mr Odinga is accompanied by Cabinet ministers John Michuki, Beth Mugo and Wycliffe Oparanya.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 200909; 20090922; bho44; bhoafrica; cgi; climatechange; clintongi; clintonglobalinit; econuts; globalinitiative; globalwarming; kenya; nevermind; obama; obamaodinga; odinga; pm; railaodinga; subsaharanafrica; underthebus
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To: lonestar

Knock the L out of ACORN...I was watching football scores! lol


41 posted on 09/19/2009 9:28:51 PM PDT by lonestar (Obama is turning Bush's "mess" into a catastrophe.)
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To: MrLuigi
"The Prime Minister is going to have lunch with Orly Taitz instead."

"Unless his cousin changes his mind."


42 posted on 09/19/2009 9:29:47 PM PDT by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: TornadoAlley3

obama must be afraid that he would hand him a copy of his birth certificate IN PUBLIC!!!!


43 posted on 09/19/2009 9:30:13 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: TornadoAlley3

Nothing more than a hidden meeting....can’t flaunt a luncheon with him so will have a private dinner in the family quarters or at Camp David. This dis-invite is for public consummation ONLY. [we’ve learned their tactics well.]


44 posted on 09/19/2009 9:31:45 PM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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To: LucyT

Prolly gunna be a “private” meeting...mmmmm...


45 posted on 09/19/2009 9:32:09 PM PDT by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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To: TornadoAlley3

Maybe he was bringing Obozo the missing birth certificate.


46 posted on 09/19/2009 9:34:49 PM PDT by AlexW (Now in the Philippines . Happy not to be back in the USA for now.)
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Comment #47 Removed by Moderator

To: TornadoAlley3
African kin seek Obama's help

KOGELO, Kenya - After Barack Obama was elected to the US Senate in 2004, a delegation from the remote African village where his father was raised journeyed to Washington, seeking financial help. But Obama offered them advice, not money.

Now that Obama has moved to the White House, expectations of financial benefit have grown even greater in this tiny hamlet where water is still delivered to thatched huts on the backs of donkeys.*

*Obama is using the backs of donkeys (democrats) to carry his health care plan (sarcasm)

48 posted on 09/19/2009 9:41:25 PM PDT by MamaDearest
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Comment #49 Removed by Moderator

To: TornadoAlley3; All

The Kenyan government wants some American dollars from the America's Kenyan president. They've made that clear since that Nov 5, 2008 Kenyan Parliament meeting.

Perhaps an ultimatum was going to be made about Odinga revealing certain Kenyan “documentation” to the world, and Obama got the Kenyan flu to avoid it.

That's what makes Obama the classic security threat that would disqual any other civilians from obtaining a TS clearance - lots of opportunities to blackmail him from many different governments with strong intelligence agencies.


50 posted on 09/19/2009 9:50:28 PM PDT by BP2 (I think, therefore I'm a conservative)
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To: MrLuigi
Is that any way to treat your cousin?

This long article didn't mention once that they are cousins.

51 posted on 09/19/2009 9:56:20 PM PDT by montag813 (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. -George Orwell)
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To: Windflier
If Odinga actually has an original Kenyan long form bc on file for Obama, then he's got leverage like nobody's business.

Which begs the question: knowing this to be the case, why would the Obama WH snub Odinga like this?

Could Obama be holding some counter-leverage over Odinga that is so large it would keep Odinga from spilling the beans?

Perhaps they're still haggling over the price of Odinga's continued silence and help in the cover-up.

Just wow. The amount of disbelief that needs to be suspended in order to entertain Birther conspiracies is truly impressive. You people are amazing!

52 posted on 09/19/2009 9:59:20 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: MestaMachine; Cindy; backhoe
The Clinton Global Initiative is a product of the Clinton Foundation. The Clinton Foundation ...

FEBRUARY 4, 2006 : (THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, OPERATION HOPE & ACORN'S "KATRINA BENEFITS ACCESS PROJECT" ) NEW YORK -- Former President Bill Clinton was joined by Operation HOPE Founder and CEO John Bryant, and corporate leaders today to announce the Clinton Foundation's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Initiative, which will work with leading financial services companies to support Operation HOPE's Project Restore HOPE and the ACORN Institute's (ACORN) Katrina Benefits Access Project. "Can you imagine working all week and instead of cashing your paycheck, you rip it up?" President Clinton said at the announcement. "If you earn under $35,000 a year and you're not claiming ... Read all of this article with a FREE trial to HighBeam Research ----- "Operation HOPE Will Work with the Clinton Foundation, ACORN and Leading Financial Services Companies in Effort to Help Hurricane Katrina Survivors Take Advantage of EITC. ," Business Wire | February 4, 2006

53 posted on 09/19/2009 10:05:00 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Drew68
Just wow. The amount of disbelief that needs to be suspended in order to entertain Birther conspiracies is truly impressive. You people are amazing!

No, Drew. It's you who's AMAZING.

I know that you're in the official FR anti-birther top ten, so I won't bother talking myself hoarse trying to bring you into the light.

But, I do want to say that you're responding to nothing more than speculation and hypothesis.

Those questions were rhetorical, genius. You weren't actually supposed to attempt to answer them.

54 posted on 09/19/2009 10:07:23 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier; TornadoAlley3; potlatch; devolve; PhilDragoo
Someone smarter than Obama knows that the right will erupt in a week-long talkathon about his stumping for the murdering thug Odinga when he was a US Senator if he officially, and formally greets him in the White House.

DING DING DING, we have a winner!

55 posted on 09/19/2009 10:28:19 PM PDT by ntnychik
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Ping that!


56 posted on 09/19/2009 10:28:42 PM PDT by steel_resolve (If you won't cry havoc now, what exactly will it take??)
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To: TornadoAlley3

My grandsons’ second grade class is more organized than this,,,,


57 posted on 09/19/2009 10:43:16 PM PDT by babygene
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To: Windflier

Maybe this has something to do with Brietbarts next surprise.


58 posted on 09/19/2009 10:46:51 PM PDT by dandiegirl
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To: ntnychik

Humble thanks, ntnychik.


59 posted on 09/19/2009 10:59:32 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: nuconvert

Good Grief... When are the skeletons in Bambi’s closet going to catch up w/ him??? This is some scary sh** !


60 posted on 09/19/2009 11:01:31 PM PDT by mdunn121
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