Ever since the 1970s, Issays has repeatedly accused the CIA as a cover-up for his own policy of clearing his personal enemies out. This started from his secret meeting with the CIA in Asmara in 1970. To mention a few of his accusations of the CIA:

•During the Menka movement Issayas and his group spread the rumour that there were up to one hundred and fifty CIA agents within the movement (Megiesteab Kidane 2005:49)

•To mention one example Tewelde Tesfamariam, who joined from Hamburg in 1972, was wrongly killed as a CIA spy

•In 1975 young students and other fighters especially those who joined the Front from the Ethiopia Navy & Air Forces and from Western countries were accused of being CIA agents.

•In 2001, he accused members of the national assembly, who wrote a letter over dissatisfaction with his dictatorial rule, and they were charged as CIA recruits, a cover-up for his humiliating defeat in the 1998-2000 border war.

• In his 13 May 2008 interview with Reuters Issayas again blames a CIA plot for the exodus of Eritrean youth throughout the world.

Facts and Evidences about the story of his secret meeting with the CIA and his accusation of the CIA.

The recent allegation against the CIA made by him is just another diversion of public attention away from his crime against youth and education. The cause of the exodus of thousands of youth over the past 8 years is himself not the CIA. Issayas as a leader has never wished to see a bright future for the younger generation. During the revolution he killed many intelligent youth and he is still doing the same thing against youth after liberation.

One continuous phenomenon that follows after accusing people or the CIA for his own failures have been putting some innocent Eritreans into custody for undefined charges and making them disappear. He has done this since the 70s.