Kenya calls for clear vision on dealing with Somalia

NAIROBI, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government has urged the executive council of the African Union to come up with a clear vision of solving the Somali crisis. Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang'ula has described the situation in Somalia as dire, adding that the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is under extreme pressure from Al-Shabaab and other insurgent groups. A statement from the foreign ministry issued here Tuesday said Wetangula joined other members from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in condemning Eritrea for arming and supporting the insurgents in Somalia against the TFG. He urged the AU Executive Council to solve the problem in Somalia, saying that the problem of piracy is a product of failure of the Somali state. The minister also called on the executive council to activate the standby force and amend the AMISON mandate. Meanwhile, members of the East Africa Community (EAC) have agreed to jointly coordinate the candidature of East Africans to international positions in the African Union and the United Nations. ..more,,http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/30/content_11627812.htm

U.S. Ambassador Ranneberger Visits Injured Somalis

United States Ambassador Michael Ranneberger consoles a victim of the June 18 Beledweyne suicide attack at a Nairobi Hospital.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

On June 26, United States Ambassador Michael Ranneberger visited a Nairobi hospital, where Somali elders and TFG officials who were wounded in the June 18 al-Shabaab suicide attack in Beledweyne, Somalia, are being treated.

The June 18 attack took the life of Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Minister of National Security Omar Hashi and as many as forty others. In remarks to the press after the visit, the Ambassador condemned the attack, and pledged continued U.S. government support for the TFG.

Somalia's neighbours urge AU to double peacekeepers

The African Union needs to double the size of its peacekeeping force in Somalia, where an Islamist insurgency threatens the internationally backed government, an east African bloc said Tuesday.Leaders of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which includes Somalia and five of its neighbours, met on the eve of an African Union summit in the Libyan town of Sirte.In a communique, IGAD again singled out Eritrea for posing "obstacles to peace and stability in Somalia through the provision of assistance to the extremists including foreign forces who continue to cause mayhem in Somalia."IGAD reiterated its call to the United Nations to impose sanctions on Eritrea, a position supported by the African Union, while urging the AU to boost its 4,300-strong force in Somalia, already its largest peacekeeping operation.
The AU has approved a force of 8,000, but has yet to deploy the full contingent. IGAD insisted Somalia needed the full force, for which Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Malawi have promised troops...more..http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=090630205925.n75gkqs0.php

Somali youth harass gay man at Pride

Cultures collided Sunday when a gay man was harassed by more than a dozen Somali youths from the Islamic Daw’ah Institute in St. Paul .
Twin Cities GLBT Minneapolis Pride Festival. Shouting “I hate gay people,” “Fuck gay people,” and “Gay is not the way,” the youths followed the man for several blocks. The entire incident was caught on video.
Gay Pride Festival …
Watch,youtube.com/watch
,

Senator Klobuchar: Somalia Independence Statement

For Immediate Release:Monday, June 30, 2009

Minneapolis, M.N. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following statement to commemorate Somali Independence Day, July 1, 2008. “I am honored to join with Minnesota’s Somali community in celebrating the 49th anniversary of Somalia’s independence from Great Britain and Italy. “Minnesota is proud to be home to the largest Somali population in the United States – and I am honored to represent Minnesota’s Somali residents in the Senate. I have always believed that America’s strength comes from the diversity of our people. Somalis are among those who contribute so much to the cultural and economic vitality of America, especially here in Minnesota.
“It is a happy coincidence that Somalia’s Independence Day is so close to our own July 4th Independence Day in the United States. The victory achieved by the people of Somalia in 1960 was the same victory achieved .by the people of the thirteen American colonies in 1776: The opportunity to renounce our colonial status and to become an independent, self-governing nation. “During the past year, the circumstances in Somalia continued to be unstable and dangerous. We must continue to seek peace and, as a United States Senator, I am committed to working closely with Minnesota’s Somali community to help their country move forward to create a peaceful future. A stable, functioning Somalia is in the interests of both the Somali people and the United States. “On this, Somalia’s Independence Day, let us recall the historic achievement of 1960 while also looking ahead with hope for a peaceful and productive future.’’

Contact: Ross Corson (612) 727-5226

Two killed in a roadside bomb in Mogadishu

At least one civilian has been killed in a roadside bomb and a government soldier has been killed in a hand grenade attack in Mogadishu, witnesses said on Tuesday. Witnesses said the civilian died after a roadside bomb targeted a car of government soldiers in Waberi district in Mogadishu and two other civilians were also wounded in the explosion. It is not k known whether the blast has inflicted any casualties to the government soldiers or not. mosty( habar-gibir) wing hawiye of al-shabaaab has claimed the responsibility of the attack yet. The government soldier was killed when insurgents hurled a hand grenade to a base of government soldiers in Dharkeynley district in Mogadishu.
Another government soldier was also wounded in the bomb attack in the area. The soldiers ordered all business centers in the area to be closed after the incident, but they have now reportedly been reopened.
Suicide Bombings Increase in Somalia
Somali Islamists cut off hands
Al-Shabab Terrorist barbaric court go for arm and leg vedio
UN Envoy Visits Mogadishu, Suicide Bomber Was Al Shabaab,In Somalia, University of Minnesota,Apologist Abdi Samatar.The Terrorists Living Among Us

Protecting the US homeland,Napolitano’s fears over Somali and other terrorists

The US homeland security secretary speaks to Channel 4 News about al-Qaida, closing Guantanamo and her fears of Somali Americans carrying out terrorist attacks inside the US.

Janet Napolitano said that Somalia was an "area of concern" as a certain number of Americans could have travelled to the country to train in jihad. "Right now we are talking about people going to Somalia, but anytime you have individuals who are being trained so if they were to return they would have operational skills necessary to carry out a (terrorist) attack - that is an area that we need to pay attention to," she said. Napolitano said that one of the criticisms after the September 11 attacks in 2001 was that there was a "failure of imagination - the contemplation that something on that scale could actually occur." "It is my job to make sure we do not have such a failure as that again", she said.While refusing to say how many terror attack plots had been foiled in the US in the last six months she added, "I think (the United States) is always at risk, as is the UK."Closing Guantanamo Bay The security secretary said that she thought the controversy surrounding the Guantanamo prison had been used as a recruitment sergeant and "radicalisation tool box" for terrorists. Napolitano said that she felt that the process of closing Guantanamo Bay was well on the way but that there were certainly difficulties ahead. "I prefer not to talk about particular populations except to say that we are operating under the assumption that we are going to be able to meet the president's executive order that would get the prison side of Guantanamo closed by January."I am not underestimating the difficulties…it may be one of the most difficult problems that the president inherited from the prior administration. "The good to be served from Guantanamo, if there ever was, is now outweighed by the bad so it needs to be closed and we are working on that assumption," she said.
Battling al-QaidaIn response to questions regarding the current threat from al-Qaida Napolitano said, "The challenge is to know that the threat is never at zero. "It can change on a moments notice so what you have to have in place is the ability to collect information, to share information, analyse information and to take action accordingly and very, very, quickly. "That is what we have been working to do and will continue to do."But the security secretary acknowledged that threats from a "lone wolf", or individuals planning attacks with individual motives, could pose a greater threat to the US than al-Qaida itself. "It is certainly true that the "lone wolf" - the person who acts independently - is very difficult and indeed we have seen several lone wolf attacks on the past months. "From a law enforcement perspective it is just about the most difficult thing to stop," she said.Jonathan Rugman blogs about his interview with Janet Napolitano here. Article
Napolitano’s fears over Somali and other terrorists
Perhaps the most interesting line in the US homeland security secretary’s interview with me this morning concerns her fears over Somali Americans carrying out terrorist attacks inside the United States.
Background

This of course mirrors concerns in the UK, after Channel 4 News reported in an exclusive investigation back in February that a Somali from Ealing had blown himself up as a suicide bomber in Somalia.

Janet Ann Napolitano is the third United States secretary of homeland security and is the first woman to serve in that office.An American politician from the Democratic Party, Napolitano was serving as governor of the state of Arizona when designated by then President-elect Barack Obama to be his secretary of homeland security. She was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in one day after Obama's inauguration. Prior to the governorship, she served as Arizona attorney-general from 1999 to 2002.

Somali Americans to rally against terrorism/extremism

Thousands of Somali Americans in Twin cities are expected to protest Suicide radical Islam, suicide bombing, terror attacks In Somalia this Friday July 3rd 2009, from 3:00 PM- 6:00 PM. It will be held at Peavey Park (730 22nd street, Minneapolis, MN – Peavey Park is located at the intersection of ( E.Franklin Ave & Chicago Ave).Somali community public relations organizers are requesting that the protesters bring signs. Organizers state: The Somali-American Community in Minnesota is taking a stand and we want the world, the mainstream Community and the Somalis in the Diaspora to know our stand and strong opposition to these terrorists. The Somali-American Community in Minnesota will release a press release and voice the community stand on issues related to suicide bombings and terrorism in the protest. The Somali-American Community in Minnesota is requesting you to attend and cover the protest and to join us in the condemnation of the violent extremists and their suicide bombings.BackgroundSomalia has been in civil war for the past 20 years. However, in the last two years there have been a number of suicide bombings in and acts of terrorism. These acts of terrorism and suicide bombings are done by a very extreme and violent cult named Al-Shabaab. The United States Department of State designated this group as a terrorist organization
Suicide bombings, acts of terrorism and violent militant Islam are new and scary development unheard and unseen in Somalia and it´s an alien to the tolerant and moderate Islam Somalis practiced for centuries. Many believe the Al-Shabaab militants are allied with Al-Qaeda terrorist and trained by them.Somalis all over the world and specially Somali-Americans in Minnesota strongly oppose these suicide bombings and acts of terrorism. A group of concerned Somali-Americans are organizing a protest to show the community's disgust and opposition to such un-Islamic, un-Somali acts of terrorism. Somali Americans strongly condemn the suicide bombings and terrorism of Al-Shabaab and the warmongering of Hizb-Islam, another militant group allied with Al-Shabaab. Somali-Americans in Minnesota believe the only way to solve the Somali crisis is through peace and dialogue.Thank You

Somali jihadist: "it's time we attacked Ethiopia, who are our Christian neighbors ... The people should be ready to take part in jihad."

"Islam's borders are bloody" -- the late Samuel Huntington
Somalia (and vicinity) Jihad Update. "Somali hardline Islamists threaten Ethiopia," by Mohamed Ahmed for Reuters, June 30:
MOGADISHU, June 30 (Reuters) - Somalia's Islamist rebels threatened on Tuesday to attack Ethiopia after repeated witness reports that Ethiopian troops were back in the chaotic Horn of Africa country they withdrew from in January.
Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia in 2006 to oust an Islamist movement from the capital in which new President Sheik Sharif Ahmed played a role. That sparked an Islamist insurgency which is still raging despite their withdrawal.
"I'm telling the people that it's time we attacked Ethiopia, who are our Christian neighbours," Sheikh Abdiqani Mohamed Yusuf said on a radio station controlled by the al Shabaab rebels in the southern port of Kismayu.
"We have to invade their country, like they did to our country. This is our best chance," he said. "The people should be ready to take part in jihad."
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said last week possible suicide attacks in Ethiopia by Somali Islamist rebels were a threat he "didn't expect to go away any time soon"...T/L ..http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026780.php

Somalia's Shebab turn wrath on food traders

MOGADISHU (AFP) — Somalia's hardline Islamist group Shebab on Monday raided Mogadishu's main market to hunt for traders stocking expired food, warning that offenders would face trial for "un-Islamic behaviour".Dozens of fighters from the armed group -- which controls much of the capital as part of a deadly insurgency against the government -- swept Bakara market for food goods past their sell-by date."It is a supreme responsibility for us to fight those people harming our society by selling expired food to the people, it is un-Islamic behaviour," Shebab official Sheikh Ali Mohamed Husein told reporters."Our forces raided the market today and we found around five shops where rotting food was stored. We closed them down and we will continue until we get rid of all of them," he explained."Starting today, traders should clean their stores and discard all expired commodities within five days or face a Sharia court," the cleric added.War-torn Somalia has had no effective central authority for almost two decades and traders have made brisk business importing rejected or expired-date goods from neighbouring countries.The Shebab, a group inspired by Al-Qaeda ideology, has in recent weeks stepped up its enforcement of Sharia, or Islamic law, and on several occasions set up ad-hoc courts to sentence offenders.Last week, four men accused of robbery had their right hand and left foot hacked off in public in Mogadishu while another individual accused of rape and murder was buried up to his neck and stoned to death in the town of Wanlaweyn.

In-depth Look At how did somalia became terrorist haven

Somali Surviver Recounts the Terror of Amputation

Last week in Somalia, Islamic militants linked to the group al-Shabaab, amputated the arms and legs of four young men accused of theft. The punishment is based on a strict interpretation of sharia, Muslim law that guides personal behavior and morals.
The punishments brought back vivid memories for a 31-year-old resident of Mogadishu calling himself Abdi. He preferred not to give his real or complete name out of fear of repercussion. Ten years ago, a local Islamic court found him guilty of theft, and ordered his arm and leg removed as punishment.
Sharia is based on the Islamic Holy Book, the Koran"It's a very bad and a very sad feeling," he said in an exclusive interview with the VOA Somali Service. "If you lose your hand and foot judiciously, it’s understandable. But if you lose them injudiciously...that haunts me [even today]." In a graphic account of his story, Abdi said that a man he worked for as a driver accused him of looting, stealing and injuring another man, an allegation he adamantly denied. A clan court in northern Mogadishu then condemned him to double amputation, “without sufficient evidence, due process, or nothing,” he said. It was a hot September day in 1999, said Abdi, when he was summoned to an open field, chained in the hands and the legs. A few hours into a “hasty hearing,” Abdi said four men held him to the ground while a masked man cut off his right hand and left leg with a machete. Asked if he was anesthetized to relief the pain, Abdi lamented: “No, not at all. They cut my beloved hand and feet forcefully, and in an excruciating pain.” With no medical attention on hand, Abdi said he almost bled to death before being rushed to a nearby hospital. He was discharged after only one day of treatment. The untreated injuries he still pain him, he said..more..http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-06-29-voa26.cfm

Islamic Extremists in Somalia Threaten Violent Response to U.S. Arms

Terrorist Sheik Hassan Yacqub

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A radical Islamic group in Somalia has threatened to seize weapons and ammunition the U.S. has supplied to the nation's embattled government.
But Uganda, a key U.S. ally in the region, praised the arms shipment.
Both were responding to an announcement by U.S. officials last week that the Obama administration had supplied arms and provided military training worth just under $10 million to the east African country's shaky official government.
The Obama's administration's goal is to provide the faltering Somali government with weapons and to help armies in several neighboring African nations train Somali forces. But experts have expressed concern that the arms may end up diverted to insurgent groups.
Sheik Hassan Ya'qub, a spokesman for the militant group al-Shabab in the port town of Kismayo, said late Sunday: "The weapons sent to the so-called government will only escalate violence in Somalia and we, the holy warriors, believe that we will eventually seize them."
Washington considers al-Shabab a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida, which al-Shabab denies. The group, which controls much of southern Somalia, is trying to drive out the government and install a strict form of Islam...more..http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529439,00.html

Kenyan's unusual migration to Somalia

Hundreds of herders in North Eastern province are crossing the Somali border in search of water and pasture for their livestock, even as the security situation in the war-torn country worsens.
The unusual migration to Somalia is coming at a time when escalating violence is forcing hundreds of Somalis to flee their country and seek refuge in Kenya.
And this development could derail this year’s national population census as herders are expected to remain in the insecurity-plagued country for months.
The herders, who have been watching their herd succumb to death as the drought bites, have embarked on the exodus to the unlikely destination: Somalia. And they are unlikely to return to the country before August when the Kenya 2009 Population and Housing Census is to be conducted.
Speaking to Nation, Dadaab district officer Evans Kyule expressed concern that the tide of pastoralist migration in the northern parts of the country is unlikely to end soon as drought persists..more..http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/616728/-/ukdv04/-/

Islamists, TFG war is about the ‘true’ sharia law

As Al-Shabaab intensified its onslaught on Mogadishu all week, it paraded four teenagers in a public square whom it announced will suffer cross amputation — right hand and left foot cut off — in accordance with Islamic sharia law.
The plight of the teenagers, who were accused of stealing a pistol and three cellphones, signalled the continuing struggle between the militant Islamist insurgents and the transitional Somalia government they want to overthrow over the scope and severity of the sharia law the former have vowed to implement.
When in February newly-elected President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed (himself a moderate Islamist) caved in to rebel demands for Islamic law, he desperately needed to blunt the edge off the Islamist insurgents whose campaigns of law and order were striking a popular chord, especially in southern Somalia.
The Islamists other loud objection to Africa Union peacekeepers being deployed from non-Islamic countries — Uganda and Burundi — had also considerably boxed in President Ahmed....more..http://actdcmetro.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/islamists-tfg-war-is-about-the-%E2%80%98true%E2%80%99-sharia-law/

Ugandan president welcomes U. S. support to Somalia, calls for more help

Uganda, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday welcomed the U. S. arms support to Somalia and urged other countries to help stabilize the war-torn country. Museveni told reporters here that he had held talks with some American officials on provision of support to the UN backed Somali transitional government. "Any member of the UN is free to give support and should have done so earlier than now," he said. The United States last week confirmed that it had sent weapons to Somali following an urgent call for military help from the transitional government. Uganda's troops make up the bulk of the African Union (AU) peace keeping force deployed in the Somali capital Mogadishu, where Islamic militants have increased their attacks on the government. ..more..http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/30/content_11623392.htm

Somali militia to target Kenya and Ethiopia

The deputy leader of the Islamist coalition ruling Kismayu, Sheikh Abdulgani Mohamed Yusuf, has declared war on Somalia’s neighbours. He singled out Kenya and Ethiopia as being hostile to his movement and Somalia at large.Sheikh Abdulgani minced no words in proclaiming late on Monday that the Islamists were ready to strike against Ethiopian and Kenyan territories.
He reiterated that they will first strike Ethiopia because of its recent intervention in Somalia.
Had been defeated“Relying on Allah, our Mujahideen (holy warriors) will attack Ethiopia directly,” said Sheikh Abdulgani. “They had been defeated in the past on our soil and will be crashed on their territory,” he added. The sheikh informed his fighters that the plans were in response to threats from Kenya and Ethiopia. “We want to encourage the Muslim Somali people and the fighters to get ready for attacks against Kenya and Ethiopia,” said the clergyman. ..more,,http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/617388/-/139c6v7z/-/index.html

Minnesota Somalis gather, reflect on Independence Day

Starting on June 27 and continuing through the next five days, many Somalis in Minnesota will celebrate the 49th anniversary of their country’s Independence Day. Officially July 1, the date commemorates the founding of the Republic of Somalia, as it gained freedom from colonial British and Italian rule in 1961. There are a number of events planned throughout Minneapolis, including all-day events at various cultural centers, soccer tournaments, fashion shows, and concerts designed to unify Somalis in Minnesota that have been divided and dispersed by civil war. Safari Express, a restaurant at the Midtown Global Market, owned by brothers Sade and Jamal Hashi, will offer a full day of events, including historical presentations, a fashion show, live music, cooking demonstrations by Jamal, and children’s activities. “I want to do an introduction of what Somali culture is, Somali 101,” Sade Hashi told me, in hopes of “giving a good exposure of what Somali culture is like.” ..more.. http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/06/29/minnesota-somalis-gather-reflect-independence-day.html

jubbaland trains Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a fighters

jubbaland officials in Dolow town ended training of 700 fighters from Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a organization, officials said on Tuesday. The fighters from Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a left from Gedo region in south western Somalia which is under al al shabaab, control. A spokesman for fighters from Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a Sheik Ismail Sufi said a second group from their organization will start training. Sheik Ismail Sufi said the trained fighters will take part for what he called defending of the Islamic religion and the sovereignty of the Somali people from “foreign criminals”. Sheik Ismail Sufi and his supporters left Gedo region when they clashed with fighters from al Shabaab Islamists in the region early this year.
Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a adherents took up arms after al Shabaab desecrated graves respected by the Sufis in Somalia. The move comes as there has been tension in south western Somalia after Ethiopian troops entered parts of the region.

jubbaland state of somalia Troops Re-Enter Gedo Region of Jubbaland State of Somalia , Al Shabaab jehadist Retreat

Two thousand of foreigners are fighting against the government, minister

Somalia’s deputy prime minister and finance minister Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden said Tuesday that thousand foreign fighters were fighting against his fragile government in Somalia.
Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden who reached in Addis Ababa early this week said he went there to get military support from IGAD countries and the African Union. The speaker of the Somali parliament Sheik Aden Mohamed Nor demanded from neighboring countries to send their military to Somalia last Saturday. “al Shabaab declared that it was getting support from al Qaeda and al Qaeda has also admitted that it was involved in the fighting in Somalia so the government has a right to seek help from IGAD and the African Union countries,” said Sharif Hassan, the Somali deputy prime minister and finance minister. “The government tried to avoid fighting but al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam groups rejected our offer and started the fighting,” the minister added. Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden said his government would demand from the African leaders meeting in Tripoli, Libya to change the mandate of the African troops in Mogadishu known as AMISOM from peace keepers to peace makers.

Latest breaking News,Five Killed As Mortars Target Presidential Palace

Mogadishu At least five people were killed and 14 others wounded Sunday in the Somali capital Mogadishu after suspected insurgents targeted the presidential compound with mortars and government forces responded with artillery fire, Radio Garowe reports.
Somalia: Five Killed As Mortars Target Presidential Palace
. MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somali radical Islamic insurgent says weapons and ammunition the United States recently supplied to Somalia’s embattled government will only increase violence in the war-wracked country..more
a0515 BC-AF-Somalia 1stLd-Writethru 06-29 0474 (The Hays Daily News)
Mogadishu Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the Somali president, told a Sunday press conference at the Villa Somalia presidential palace that “Eritrean officers” are helping Somali insurgents fighting the government in Mogadishu...,more..Somalia: President Sheikh Sharif Accuses Eritrea of Aiding Insurgents (AllAfrica.com)
Source: Reuters * Growing worries for shipping routes due to Somali piracy * Consumer supplies could be disrupted By Jonathan Saul LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Pirate attacks on vessels sailing off Somalia …more..Shippers, insurers fear Somali piracy may escalate (AlertNet) Source: Reuters
The Obama administration’s recent move to increase aid to Somalia takes aim at Islamic extremists’ safe havens, pouring resources into a government that analysts say may not be worth salvaging.,,more..Analysis: Somalia aid tied to shaky government (AP via Yahoo! News)
Islamist militiamen in Somalia stone to death a man accused of raping and murdering a woman in a town south of Mogadishu...more,,Somali ‘killer’ stoned to death (BBC News) .

(VIDEO) Hearing: Prospects for Lasting Peace and a Unified Response to Extremism and Terrorism

WITNESSES:

Mr. Ted Dagne SpecialistAfrican Affairs Congressional Research Service
***Dr. J. Peter Pham ??. lobbyist for Terrorism in Pseudo-State Somaliland , Associate ProfessorJustice Studies, Political Science and Africana Studies Director Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs James Madison University , ON THE PAYROLL OF : Somaliland BRIEFING:
His Excellency Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole)President Puntland State of Somalia
The Honorable Dr. Crispus KiyongaMinister of DefenseRepublic of UgandaKampala, Uganda
His Excellency Mohamed Omaar Foreign Minister Republic of Somalia
***Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah Special Representative of the Secretary General for SomaliaUnited Nations
*** Mr. Frederic Ngoga Gateretse Senior Advisor Special Representative of the Chairperson Commission for Somalia African Union.

WATCH THE HEARINGS Click Here

US Congressional Hearing Examines Military, Political Situation in Somalia

Somali leader says Islamists use child soldiers

MOGADISHU, June 28, (Reuters) - Somali President Sheik Sharif Ahmed accused hardline Al Shabaab Islamist rebels on Sunday of forcing children to fight in battles to oust his government in the Horn of Africa country.
Al Shabaab is seen as a proxy for al Qaeda in Somalia and includes foreign jihadists. It has carried out executions, floggings and amputations to enforce its authority, mainly in the southern Somali port of Kismayu. The insurgents control most of southern Somalia and parts of the Horn of Africa nation's capital. Western nations fear they could destabilise the region and provide safe havens for hardline Islamists from elsewhere. "The terrorist groups forcibly conscript children for soldiers and al Qaeda is involved in this, even their leaders have admitted that," he told reporters. Violence from the Islamist-led insurgency has worsened this month, with a minister, the Mogadishu police chief, and a legislator killed. On Sunday, ten masked al Shabaab men, who follow a strict version of sharia law, hurled large stones at a young man until he died, in the Middle Shabelle region. "The culprit raped and killed an 18- year old girl... we sentenced him to be stoned to death according to Islamic rule," said Shiekh Abdul Baasid a local judge.
The Islamists cut a hand and a leg each off four teenagers as punishment for robbery on Thursday. The government, which controls but a few parts of the capital, has declared a state of emergency...more...http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LS437199.htm

Watch the Children on this Video -

al-Shabaab go for arm and leg: Amnesty International is calling on the Al-Shabab a.. http://tinyurl.com/lcdbol

Background Briefing on U.S. Assistance to the Somalia Transitional Federal Government

Background Briefing by a Senior 06/26/09 Background Briefing on U.S. Assistance to the Somalia Transitional Federal Government ; Washington, DC-06/26/09 Background Briefing on U.S. Assistance to the Somalia Transitional Federal Government; Background Briefing by a Senior

Somali pirates free Belgian ship

Somali pirates have released a Belgian dredging ship and its crew two months after they were captured, the Belgian prime minister has said.
"We were... informed that the entire crew is in good health," Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy said in a statement. Officials say a ransom was paid for the release of the ship, MV Pompei, and its 10 crew: a Dutch captain, two Belgians, three Filipinos, and four Croats.
It was hijacked on 18 April some 150km (93 miles) north of the Seychelles.
See map of the worldwide effects of piracy
The Pompei was the first Belgian ship to be seized by Somali pirates.
At the time of its capture, it had been on its way to South Africa from Dubai, where it was helping to build artificial islands...more..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8122858.stm

President says Eritrean officers with Al Qaeda is behind the fighting in Mogadishu

Sharif Sheik Ahmed said Sunday Eritrean officers were taking part of the fighting in Mogadishu and accused Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, Al-Qaeda offshoot Al-Shabaab the leader of the rebels that he was getting support from Eritrean officers in fighting against the government.
The president said in press conference he held in the presidential palace that the fighting in Mogadishu is being organized by Eritrean officers and that Sheik Aweys was leading it.
Somali president has so many times accused Eritrea in the fighting against his fragile government but this is the first accusation against Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys that the fighting is organized by Eritrean officers. The reporters asked the president about the shelling by AMISOM and government soldiers to some parts of Hodan district in Mogadishu and he replied that specific bases of “Al Qaeda cells were targeted”. He Repeated that Somalia was invaded by al Qaeda and foreigners were seen fighting along the Islamist rebels in Mogadishu.
He thanked AMISOM troops for their role in protecting the government and said that he hoped the AMISOM would be increased.

America’s Lukewarm Concern for Al-Shebaab

In few months to a year and if it continues as is, the now lukewarm concern of America for the emboldened terrorist endeavor of Al-Shebaab in Somalia will reshape President Obama’s foreign policy of the Horn for the worst. Conversely, if Mr. Obama’s concern becomes passionate with substance, it will ameliorate the dreadful conditions in a region where relative stability is desperately needed.

The Horn of Africa has been the stage of choice for state and non state actors to play a role tailored to their own interest, and no entity knows how important the region is more so than the U.S.─a long time actor. Nevertheless, America’s recent lukewarm concern in the face of considerable deterioration of Somalia, suggests either the existence of an inherently contradictory foreign policy of the U.S. or the dwindling of its resources to fight terror-seeking groups where ever they may be.

The entities that actively seed tension and bloodshed in the entire region are well known to America. The evidence is present as daylight within the dossier of the US State Department either in classified or declassified forms.

Either way, America knows that the one-man state of Eritrea is the uncontested front and center sponsor and destabilizing force within the Horn and beyond. However, what America has done so far in light of this uncontested evidence is a far cry and compels one to ask if America’s lukewarm concern over Al-Shebaab─an affiliate of Al-Quaeda and the one-man state of Eritrea is the expression of an unknown secretive future plan.

The U.S. could have implemented its anti-terror policy in the Horn of Africa with equal intensity as it does in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Then again, politically speaking, this may not be a feasible foreign policy undertaking. After Mr. Obama took office, U.S. is in prioritizing mode giving detailed and overdue attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama’s campaign pledge was to the point and it is Afghanistan and Pakistan where he wants to fight the fight primarily in hope of finding Bin Laden dead or alive. For President Obama, the case of Bin Laden and those who are responsible for 9/11 killing spree takes precedent over Al-Shebaab—an associate of Al-Quaeda, which by virtue of vicinity is an immediate threat to the Horn rather than to America—and for which the Obama administration will suffer few political points if any in a short run. Because, during Obama’s campaign, there were no strongly pointed promises made about ridding the Horn of its destabilizing forces of terror and there will be no promises broken as far as the administration is concerned. Nevertheless, in the long run, Obama may still find himself on the hot seat if he fails to correct his lukewarm concern for Al-Shebaab’s terrorist endeavor in Somalia. ..more..http://aigaforum.com/articles/Making_Sense_out_of_an_Inherently_Contradictory.htm

Fresh fighting continues in Mahaday hawiye (abgaal )town.Battles in Middle Shabelle Region Leave 8 Dead

fresh fighting between forces loyal to mostly habar-gidir (hawiye )shabaab and pro government Islamic Courts Union is continuing in El-baraf village in Mahaday town in Middle Shabelle region, witnesses told mogadishu radio on Sunday.Reports from the village where the fighting is currently going on say that the war started early on Sunday morning after the pro government Islamic courts forces attacked Shabaab al-Mujahideen: Terrorist in the El-baraf village in the Middle Shabelle region.Residents said that the sound of heavy gun battle could be heard all the areas of the village as both sides are exchanging heavy weapons in the fighting.Locals said that there are casualties of deaths and injures, but added that it was too difficult to confirm the figure due to the clashes. The is no comment about the fighting from both the warring sides and the clashes follow several other confrontations between the two sides which continued in parts of Middle Shabelle region recently. We shall keep updating you for any further details about the fighting as it is covered by our reporters. Jowhar — At least three people were killed and three others wounded when clan militias attacked militias of a rival clan in Adale district, local sources reported.
Militias of the warring clans have targeted each other over the past two weeks, with some sources saying eight people have been killed in revenge attacks during this period.
"Today's fighting was heavy...some nomadic families fled the area," said witness Abdulle, who lives in Adale district.
Separately, fighting between Al Shabaab insurgents and the pro-government Islamic Courts Union militia in Middle Shabelle region left at least five people dead last Thursday.
The fighting took place in Mahaday district, where ICU remnants have staged sporadic attacks on Al Shabaab insurgents who took control of the region last month.

US to support Kenya's action against Somalia,US ‘has spent $10m on arms aid to Somalia’

The U.S government has pledged support for the Kenyan government in whichever step it decides to take in protecting the country's borders from the Al-Shabaab Militia group in Somalia.
While visiting victims of the fighting in Somalia at a Nairobi hospital, U.S ambassador Michael Rannerberger said America had already supplied Somalia's transitional government with some weapons and ammunition to help the government fight back the militia groups.
Ahmed Osman Abdulahi, the chief security officer for Hiran region in Somalia told the ambassador that the situation was terrible in Somalia and Kenya should move with speed to protect its borders.
"Don't take Al-Shabaab's threats to attack Kenya lightly, go ahead and protect Kenya's borders," he said. ..more..http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=58227
US ‘has spent $10m on arms aid to Somalia’
The US government has provided about 40 tonnes of weapons and ammunition to Somalia’s embattled government in the past six weeks to help it fight Islamist insurgents, a senior US official said on Saturday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States spent less than $10 million on what he described as small arms and ammunition as well as on payments to other nations to train Somali government forces.
While the State Department confirmed on Thursday that it was providing weaponry to the government, it had not previously provided details on the type, cost or amount.
The senior State Department official told reporters the United States began providing the arms soon after Somalia’s al-Shabaab insurgents began a major offensive against the fragile transitional federal government (TFG) in early May.
Al Shabaab, which is seen as a proxy for al Qaeda, controls most of south Somalia and all but a few blocks of the capital Mogadishu. The official said Washington feared that it could destabilise the region and turn Somalia into a safe haven for foreign Islamists and “global terrorists.”..more..http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/616070/-/139cxkuz/-/index.html

Al-Qaedastan

The Obama administration yesterday announced that it will increase assistance of arms and funds to Somalia's government, as it tries to beat back a terrorist insurgency that includes an international who's-who of jihadists, including Al-Qaeda.
It does not exaggerate the stakes in Somalia to say that for the first time in its history, Al-Qaeda is about to have rule over an entire country. The Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based affiliate of the group, assassinated the country's national security minister on June 18 and currently controls the entire south and large portions of the central parts of the nation, along with parts of the capital. Should the terrorists succeed, they will also have extremist Somali networks in the West to call upon to expand their jihad and support their efforts.
Al-Shabaab and its allies have received extensive backing from foreign countries, the greatest of which is Eritrea, a single-party state with a history of religious oppression and with a recent fondness for rogue states like Iran. Eritrea was accused by the U.N. in June 2007 of secretly providing Somali insurgents with "huge quantities of arms" possibly including suicide bomb belts and anti-aircraft missiles.
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Awyers, the leader of Hizbul-Islam, which is allied to al-Shabaab, is known to have taken safe harbor in Eritrea in the past. Awyers told Reuters in May that Eritrea was supporting his organization, saying "Eritrea supports us and Ethiopia is our enemy--we once helped both countries but Ethiopia did not reward us." The current U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs has also said that there are numerous "credible" reports that "the government of Eritrea has, in fact, been supplying weapons and munitions to al-Shabaab."
This seriousness of this threat is greatly compounded by the reach of the Somali networks in the West. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates will not only have a country to themselves, free of any limits or restrictions a host government might impose, but will also be able to draw upon extremist segments in unassimilated Somali communities in Europe and the United States. Already, these segments are causing trouble for those with counter-terrorism duties.,,more..http://www.aina.org/news/20090627035411.htm
Asterpix Interactive Video - Al-Shabaab go for arm and leg: Amnesty International is calling on the Al-Shabab a.. http://tinyurl.com/lcdbol

Ethiopian troops reach in southern region

Ethiopian troops with armored vehicles and Somali militias have reportedly reached in Bakol region in south western Somalia, witnesses said on Saturday. Residents said the Ethiopian troops started operations and troop movement in Yeed village in Bakol region where they reached on Saturday. The people in Bakol region have expressed concern about the Ethiopian troops who reached in the region. The move comes as the speaker of Somalia’s parliament Sheik Adan Mohamed Nor demanded last Saturday from neighboring countries to send their troops in Somalia. The Ethiopian government did not rule out sending troops to Somalia again but it said there has not been danger against Ethiopia from Somali Islamist Insurgents. The Ethiopian troops are now in Kalaber junction in Hiraan region in central Somalia and they have also made operations in Elberde town in Bakol region days ago.
Ethiopia pulled out its troops from Somalia in mid January 2009 after two years of ill-fated occupation. Thousands of civilians were killed by shabaab Somalia and millions were displaced during their presence in the country.

The Plight of a Double Amputee

Asterpix Interactive Video - Al-Shabaab go for arm and leg: Amnesty International is calling on the Al-Shabab a.. http://tinyurl.com/lcdbol

The four men who each had a hand and foot cut off stand in a square in Mogadishu on 22 Jun 2009 before their sentence was carried out

When a militia loyal to al-Shabaab recently amputated the wrists and the feet of four young men in Mogadishu, no one felt the implications better than Abdi, a double amputee who led a difficult life without his right hand and left foot for nearly a decade. The 31-year-old, Mogadishu resident, who asked us not to use his full name because he feared repercussions, said the recent amputations reminded him of a horrible chapter in his life."It's a very bad and a very sad feeling," he said in an exclusive interview with the VOA Somali Service. "If you lose your hand and foot judiciously, it’s understandable. But if you lose them injudiciously...that haunts me to date."In a graphic account of his story, Abdi said that a man he worked for as a driver accused him of looting, stealing and injuring another man, an allegation he adamantly denies. A clan court in northern Mogadishu then condemned him to double amputation, “without sufficient evidence, due process or nothing,” he said.It was a hot September day in 1999, said Abdi, when he was summoned to an open field, chained in the hands and the legs. A few hours into a “hasty hearing,” Abdi said four men held him to the ground while a masked man cut off his right hand and left leg with a machete.Asked if he was anesthetized to relief the pain, Abdi lamented: “No, not at all. They cut my beloved hand and feet forcefully, and in an excruciating pain.”With no medical attention on hand, Abdi said he almost bled to death before being rushed to a nearby hospital. He was discharged after only one day of treatment. The untreated injuries he sustained pain him to date, he said.
The four men who each had a hand and foot cut off stand in a square in Mogadishu on 22 Jun 2009 before their sentence was carried out
When Abdi learned about this week’s amputations in Mogadishu, he said he realized that the four young men will “enter a dark chapter of their young life, undeservedly.”The clan court that sentenced Abdi and potentially dozens of others to amputations no longer exists, a fact not lost to Abdi. “It pains me so much that I lost my hand and my foot to selective justice. It saddens me immeasurably.”Muslim scholars say al-Shabaab’s swift application of the harshest codes in Sharia law is categorically un-Islamic. Such precipitous sentencing ignores a crucial jurisprudence that stipulates that every possible excuse must be exhausted before one is condemned to amputation, said Sharif Abdirahman, the imam of Darul-Hijra Islamic Center in Minneapolis.The high evidentiary bar set for such harsh sentences, said the imam, renders it almost impossible to implement them. “The harsh penal codes are essentially designed as a preventative measure,” he added, “that’s why it was historically implemented only in exceptionally rare circumstances.”In addition, the imam said the implementing party must be the legal authority of the land, and must control the jurisdiction permanently---none of which applies to al-Shabaab.Meanwhile, Abdi, who like the recently amputated young men was never afforded an attorney, says life without his hand and foot has been unusually onerous. Asked what advice he would give al-Shabaab, he said people must be taught the Islamic faith so that they know what they are signing up for, before their body parts are cut off.“Justice must not be applied expeditiously. People have the right to know the rules of the game,” he said, grudgingly.
Source: VOA, June 26, 2006

Amputations and kidnappings force Somali civilians to flee militant advances

First they came for his father, then they told Abdirahman Sharif Mohamed that they were coming for him.
In a series of chilling telephone warnings, militants from Somalia’s notorious al-Shabaab movement denounced the father of six as a traitor and ordered him out of Mogadishu.
“They said they would kill me if they found me,” he said. “They told me since I was working for the Government they wanted me dead.”
Hundreds of people are crossing Somalia’s border with Kenya every day as they flee the Islamist militias who have brought a fresh round of terror to an already dysfunctional country,Families who stayed through 18 years of strife have had enough.
Almost 170,000 people have left the capital, Mogadishu, in six weeks of fighting that has raised brutality to new levels — even by Somalia’s standards. Amputations, kidnappings and murder are the tools of war.
Mr Mohamed arrived in Dadaab, northeast Kenya — the world’s largest refugee camp — this week after a fortnight hitching rides and walking to the border. “I was born in Mogadishu and decided to work for the Government,” he said, sitting on a rickety bench outside United Nations huts, where he was waiting to register as a refugee. “It made me proud. It was my duty.”
The digital watch on his wrist was a symbol that he was a man of means. Earning $2 (£1.21) a day meant that he could look after his family and help to rebuild Somalia.
However, after the fifth menacing telephone call from the Islamist militants he decided that it was time to run. His father had been kidnapped and then executed and he feared that he would be next.
There are dozens of similar stories among the families gathered around the simple UN huts where they register for vaccinations, food and shelter. Wives have arrived without their husbands, not knowing if they are alive or dead. Everyone has lost loved ones or watched friends shot dead.
The latest fighting pitches the Islamist al-Shabaab movement against an interim Government which has struggled to assert any authority since being formed in 2004...more..http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6586475.ece

Mr. Bush's Push for Peace in Somalia

The June 25 news story "U.S. Sends Weapons to Help Somali Government Repel Rebels Tied to Al-Qaeda" misstated Bush administration policy toward Somalia. The Bush administration did not focus "almost exclusively" on targeting terrorists in
Somalia, but rather was one of the chief external supporters of the Djibouti peace process, which has resulted in the government of Sharif Ahmed that the Obama administration seeks to assist.
In addition, the Bush administration provided extensive support to the African Union Mission in Somalia, and to training and equipping Somali government forces, policies that the Obama administration is also continuing.
Where the Bush administration policy differed from Obama administration policy is in the former's push for U.N. peacekeeping forces to buttress the understaffed and underfinanced African Union force. Were such peacekeepers in place today, the situation that the legitimate government of Somalia faces might not be so dire
JOHN A. SIMON Visiting Fellow Center for Global Development
Washington The writer was U.S. ambassador to the African Union from 2008 to 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/26/AR2009062603999.html

Silence the village madman, call the Shabaab bluff...Kenya must decide whether to stop al-Shabaab or let them be

.Terrorist Sheik Hassan Yacqub
I confess I have been writing saucy war headlines. We journalists and our soulmates in certain sections of society, mainly MPs, talking heads and other armchair jockeys, are in the grip of a bloodlust which started with Migingo and followed the Tana westwards.
We probably need to come down a little from our armchair balloons and take a second look at this war proposition.There are two issues. One, is war itself; the second is the so-called enemy, the machinegun-toting, pickup riding, suicide attack-threatening, gentlemen of al-Shabaab.
War. It’s a nasty, expensive business. One soldier told me that armies don’t go to war (they just do the shooting), countries do. When you go to war, you throw everything into it. You open your treasury to the military and you close it to everything else. No CDF, no roads, no digital villages, no undersea cables. Just bullets and MREs.
I was surprised when a Saudi I recently met in London told me his wealthy kingdom is basically broke after Gulf War One. One of the biggest beefs in Saudi Arabia, he told me, is that few Saudis can afford to live in their own houses.
The government has no money to build them houses or give them soft loans because all the money went into paying for that war. So war is expensive even for people who shower in crude. Then of course many, many of your people are killed. In a sense, when a country goes to a serious war, it gambles its very survival. It is not the kind of thing you want to do too often.
And (this is the enemy part of the argument) for what? To teach 2,000 Somali tribesmen a lesson? Would they even get it?
Conventional military reasoning is that al-Shabaab is not an army; it is a group of thugs, a militia which is guided by no ideology, no coherent policy other than a misreading of religion, bravado and the commercial interests of the warlords who pay, train and arm them.
It’s not capable of waging war, not in the conventional sense. It is only capable of committing criminal acts, including serious ones such as terrorism. In that sense, al-Shabaab is a problem to be dealt with by the Rapid Response Unit of the Administration Police, rather than the 78 Tank Battalion.
The Somali state is in an unprecedented condition of collapse. Without a government for 28 years, it is not just law and order which no longer exists. It is a society without organised healthcare, education system or infrastructure. A military victory over al-Shabaab will not solve the problem of state collapse..more..http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/616150/-/4lcux1/-/index.html

Kenya must decide whether to stop al-Shabaab or let them be
I have been getting quite amused by a line of local argument that Kenya does not have what it takes to invade Somalia. There is a lot of idle chatter in this country on everything, which I find best to ignore.
But with al-Shabaab making daily mincemeat of Somalia’s pathetic Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and causing massive constipation to the Kenyan authorities in the process, it is time to put a few facts straight.
Fact 1: Kenya has indisputably the most professional military in our region and is, indeed, among the best in Africa. It is superbly trained and equipped, by sub-Saharan Africa standards of course. Doubting this by pointing at Migingo is neither here nor there. You don’t use a hammer to swat a fly, as lawyer P.L.O. Lumumba likes to say.We also forget Kenya is the sole country in East Africa with a functional air force. Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and even the Democratic Republic of Congo only read about jet fighters in foreign military manuals like Jane’s Defence Weekly.Ethiopia used to rival us in this sphere, but the MiGs it inherited from the Soviet Union are barely serviceable these days. They make do with helicopter gunships, which they used with devastating effect when they intervened in Somalia in 2006.
Fact 2: The Defence Staff College in Karen, Nairobi, does not just train Kenya’s top military brass. It also trains those of the neighbouring states, and many others in Africa besides.
Fact 3: The al-Shabaab are not an army. They are a militia, rough and unruly. To imagine they are a match to Kenya’s armoured military is wishful thinking. If Kenyan soldiers simply wanted to march to Mogadishu, nothing would stop them...more...http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/616182/-/4lcv0q/-/index.html

AU: Chairperson Jean Ping says Somali crisis compounds list of challenges'AU: AU considers backing direct military aid for Somalia

The political crisis in Somalia and the global financial and economic crisis are expected to dominate the African Union (AU) heads of state assembly meeting due to begin in the Libyan resort of Sirte, Africa’s top diplomat Jean Ping said in Sirte on Saturday.In an exclusive interview, African Union Commission Chairperson Ping said the political crisis in Somalia, the global economic downturn and the worsening fighting in Somalia posed dangerous threats to the stability and peace in Africa and required the utmost attention of the continent’s leaders.“The global financial and economic crisis presents a variety of challenges and opportunities. We are facing difficulties which are very serious,” Ping told PANA on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) meeting in Sirte, Libya on Saturday.African leaders due to meet in Sirte for the regular sessions of the AU assembly are expected to give the African Union Commission more political impetus to tackle challenges the continent faces.This year, the continent has been battling with the prospect of increased hunger pangs, declining economies, and the Horn of Africa region is facing its worst security threats as a result of intense fighting in next-door neighbouring state, Somalia.The Somali government, which the regional states - Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda - have helped to establish, has been under renewed pressure from radical Islamic militant groups. These are are suspected of importing radical Islamist fighters into its ranks to help oust the transitional government.The fighting has claimed lives of several civilians and military targets, including last week’s suicide bomb, which killed Somalia’s Security Minister Aden Hashi while he was supervising plans to attack a militant hideout used by the radical Islamist factions hostile to the Transitional government in Somalia (TFG)...more..http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/au:-ping-says-somali-crisis-compounds-list-of-challenges-2009062730594.html
AU: AU considers backing direct military aid for Somalia

Al-Shabaab should be taught a lesson

I argued here recently that the solution to the piracy in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia lies not offshore but in the borders. I suggested that Somalia’s neighbours should consider moving into the country to restore order.
In a separate article about the disputed island of Migingo, I wrote that today it may be Uganda laying claim to Kenyan territory, but tomorrow it could be Sudan or Somalia.
Increasingly, the world is discussing Somalia, especially since the extremist Islamist forces gained the upper hand in the fighting against the Transitional Federal Government and now look set to overrun it.
Al Shabaab are not confining their military activities and designs to the borders of Somalia; they have warned that they will attack Kenya if Nairobi masses troops on the 1,200 km-long border.
And only last week, the Islamists warned that they would blow up a bridge that links the rest of Kenya with the north as if to emphasise their earlier claim to North Eastern Province . In other words, like Siad Barre, that policeman-turned-soldier-turned-butcher president, al Shabaab are saying they believe in a greater Somalia, an expansionist dream best captured in the pointed stars of the Somalia flag.
This dream explains why Mogadishu and Addis Ababa went into a misguided war in the late ‘70s over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia and the strained relations between Nairobi and Mogadishu over Kenya’s North Eastern Province...more..http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/616152/-/4lcux3/-/index.html

CAN AMERICAN ARMS SAVE SOMALIA?!Somali Army colonel says government needs tanks.,Somalia: Background Briefing on U.S. Assistance to the somalia

Kanini Evans Kariuki

THE new American administration had officially announced that it would provide Somalia arms and financial assistance to fight the Al-Shabaab group, which presently controls most of Southern Somalia, including most of the Somali capital districts of Mogadishu.The Al-Shabaab group had manifested its control in the capital after it had executed the cutting of arms of four Somali youngsters who had stolen pistols and mobile phones. Many Somalis are anxious that the arms America supplied to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) may land in the hands of the Al-Shabaab group.They are basing their fears on the previous experience that happened to the Abdulahi Yusuf´s TFG.Yusuf´s regime had trained more than 5,000 police and military soldiers in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and inside Somalia.These forces subsequently defected to the militia of the United Islamic Courts and surrendered their arms to the United Islamic Courts.This happened because the government failed to provide the basic necessities for the police and the military soldiers.The current government is dealing with the present police force and soldiers in the same procedure and treatment.Already, there is the defection of the United Islamic Courts supporting Sharif´s regime which has joined the Al-Shabaab group and the Muslim party, now up in arms against Sharif.That is why the Somalis are highly concerned about the delivery of arms to Somalia without ensuring that a secure supply of logistics and loyal forces are available and properly executed through a military command that is sincere to the regime, as well as having qualities and experience of fighting with the radical groups.The Al-Shabaab groups are dedicated to their missions and targets, and are ready to spend money to bribe anybody who is ready to co-operate with them or join their .rvices...more..http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/107731

Somali Army colonel says government needs tanks.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/107677

Somalia: Background Briefing on U.S. Assistance to the Transitional Federal Government

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906270025.html

US Congressional Hearing Examines Military, Political Situation in Somalia

(VIDEO) Hearing: Prospects for Lasting Peace and a Unified Response to Extremism and Terrorism

The violent and unstable situation in Somalia was the subject of a U.S. congressional hearing on Thursday. Testimony by officials from Somalia, the United Nations and the African Union, and experts came as the Obama administration confirmed it has decided to bolster Somalia's embattled Transitional Federal Government against Islamist forces.
With each day bringing further deterioration in Somalia, including among other things the recent bomb attack that killed the Somali transitional government security minister, Thursday's hearing was timely.
Coinciding with the hearing, the State Department confirmed that the U.S. is providing urgent shipments of weapons and ammunition to Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, the TFG, to help it avoid a complete takeover by Islamist rebels the U.S. suspects has ties to al-Qaida.
Ted Dagne, African Affairs Specialist with the Congressional Research Service, predicted that violence is likely to increase in coming months as the Islamist group al-Shabaab, backed by foreign fighters, attempts to oust the transitional government. "The primary objective of this offensive is to force the collapse of the TFG (Transitional Federal Government), and to force AMISOM (African Union Mission to Somalia) to leave Somalia," he said.
Al-Shabaab has taken over much of Mogadishu and southern Somalia, and is on a U.S. government list of international terrorist groups.
Dagne says highly de-centralized and mobile al-Shabaab forces threaten the Transitional Federal Government, and noted that African Union forces are constrained because they are not authorized to take offensive action. He said al-Shabaab is supported by more than 400 foreign fighters, and is funded by al-Qaida and certain foreign governments.
Peter Pham, Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Political Science and Africana Studies at James Madison University, says conditions in Somalia threaten security and stability of the Horn of Africa:
"Even without toppling the TFG, al-Shabaab has already achieved a major objective by securing a territorial base from which like-minded militants and terrorists can carry out attacks elsewhere, especially against targets in the Arabian Peninsula as well as participating in the current violence against Somalis," he said.
Representative Donald Payne, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, said further violence can be avoided only if Somalis from all three regions of the country come together: "As we gather today many Somalis continue to be displaced, maimed and killed. The dream and aspirations of millions of Somalis are on hold or crushed," he said...more..http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-26-voa2.cfm
http://www.hiiraan.com/images/june2009/USPuntland/pages/IMG_0005%202_jpg.htm
Al Shabab Threat Clouds the Horn of Africa