Of the sinister agenda behind Zoellner, Himbara attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar

It came as no surprise to see two of Paul Rusesabagina’s known propagandists, Tom Zoellner and David Himbara, vouching for Rwanda’s terror kingpin as well as attack the integrity of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar for refusing to endorse a vote in Congress asking for the release of a terrorist.

In an article titled “The human rights hypocrisy of Rep. Ilhan Omar”, published in the MinnPost on March 9, the duo team up to propagate lies aimed at whitewashing Rusesabagina of his crimes, and to depict the Rwandan government and anyone not supporting Rusesabagina in a very bad light.

The two attacked Rep. Omar for her stance against the February 8 House Foreign Affairs Committee call for the immediate release of Rusesabagina, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for terror-related crimes committed against Rwanda and its people.

Ilhan Omar

Omar earlier pointed out that she was aware that Rusesabagina was accused of serious crimes, and that she wasn’t sure if released he won’t resume funding terrorism activities.

What the two Rusesabagina propagandists want everyone to believe is that “he was lured away from his home in Texas and tricked into boarding a flight to Rwanda’s capital where he was then tortured and put on a show trial for phoney charges of terrorism in which no credible evidence was presented, and coerced witnesses even recanted their accusations.”

It's unbelievable the extent to which the duo will go to fabricate such stories to achieve their objectives.

Facts, however, remain stubborn.

The manner in which the terror kingpin was nabbed and taken to court also is not an issue. Himbara and Zoellner are only raising diversionary arguments to protect a terror convict. Double standards won’t work.

Prof Zoellner’s genocide denial, revisionism pushed to disturbing levels

In October 2013, undercover agents persuaded a Somali pirates’ leader, Mohamed Abdul Hassan, to come to Brussels, where he was expected to feature in a documentary about their piracy exploits. He was arrested upon arrival in Brussels. His arrest, like that of Rusesabagina, followed a sting operation. There was no outcry then. What’s different?

To call Rusesabagina’s trial “a show trial" smacks of deep-rooted racism, which implies that trials carried in countries other than those  in the West cannot be acceptable. It was carried in public and attended by foreign diplomats accredited in Kigali and representatives of foreign NGOs.

Witnesses included renown American professor Dr Michelle Martin who testified about how Rusesabagaina flirted with Hutu extremists’ groups. She revealed that his  Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation (HRRF) had nothing of a humanitarian foundation as he pretended.

But who are Zoellner and Himbara now behind this smear campaign against Rep. Omar? Zoellner belongs to a group of Americans who helped Rusesabagina shoot to fame. He co-authored his biography, An Ordinary man. He has also been active in using different media outlets, mainly The Washington Post, to spread cheap propaganda against the Rwandan government.

Tom Zoellner

As a close confidant of Rusessabagina, Zoellner knows a lot about Rusesabagina’s subversive activities. He should come out and say why he’s supporting this convicted terrorist.

Rusesabagina’s backer wants course of justice derailed

As for Himbara, born Mulunganwa, he is a fraudster who cheated his way up after failing his O Level (high school) exams. He’s a well-known mouthpiece for the terrorist Rwanda National Congress (RNC), part of an armed grouping called P5, that also includes Rusesabagina’s MRCD/FLN which wrecked havoc in southwest Rwanda killing people and destroying property.

David Himbara

Both men have no credibility whatsoever to talk about Rwanda and human rights if they keep ignoring the crimes perpetuated by Rusesabagina. Rep. Omar stood on the side of the truth.