U.S Senate Resolution for Somalia

Urging the development of a comprehensive strategy to ensure stability in Somalia, and for other purposes.






IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. FRANKEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

RESOLUTION

Urging the development of a comprehensive strategy to ensure stability in Somalia, and for other purposes.
Whereas Somalia has been without a functioning central government since 1991, resulting in lawlessness and an increasingly desperate humanitarian situation;
Whereas, despite the return of the internationally recognized Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to Mogadishu and ongoing diplomatic efforts through the Djibouti Peace Process, supported by the United Nations, there has been little improvement in the governance or stability of southern and central Somalia, and armed opposition groups continue to exploit this situation;
Whereas the traditional mediation role played by Somali elders has been eroded as the dynamics of conflict and the proliferation of weapons make it difficult to influence warring parties;
Whereas, since 2007, armed violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 21,000 people in Somalia and the displacement of nearly 2,000,000 people, including over 500,000 refugees in Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Tanzania, and Uganda;
Whereas the United Nations estimates that 3,200,000 people, or 43 percent of the population of Somalia, are in need of humanitarian assistance and livelihood support to survive;
Whereas the United Nations reports that almost 1,000,000 displaced Somalis in need of aid cannot be reached by United Nations refugee and food agencies because of growing insecurity and the threat of kidnappings to staff;
Whereas local humanitarian organizations are trying to meet the needs of the Somali people by restoring basic social services in urban and rural communities, which places them on the front lines of the conflict and make them vulnerable targets for killings, kidnappings, or being accused of working for foreign governments;
Whereas al Shabaab, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Department of State, and other armed groups continue to wage war against the Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu and one another to gain control over territory in Somalia;
Whereas al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including suicide attacks—in Mogadishu, as well as in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting officials of the Government of Somalia and perceived allies of the TFG; Whereas, according to Human Rights Watch, al Shabaab is subjecting inhabitants of areas under its control in southern Somalia to executions, cruel punishments, including amputations and floggings, and repressive social control;
Whereas the human rights situation in Somalia has dramatically worsened over the past several years with increased numbers of killings, torture, kidnappings, and rape;
Whereas the 2009 Department of State Country Terrorism Report notes that ‘‘Somalia’s fragile transitional Federal government, protracted state of violent instability, its long, unguarded coastline, porous borders, and proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, made the country an attractive location for international terrorists seeking a transit or launching point for operations in Somalia or elsewhere’’;
Whereas the situation in southern and central Somalia, particularly the activity of al Shabaab, poses direct threats to the stability of Puntland and Somaliland regions, as well as the stability of neighboring states and the wider region;
Whereas al Shabaab leaders have stated their intent to provide recruits and support for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen;
Whereas the Government of Eritrea has provided military and financial support for armed opposition groups, including al Shebaab, in part as a proxy front in its continuing tensions with Ethiopia;
Whereas, according to the most recent report by the United Nations Somalia Monitoring Group, arms, ammunitions, and military or dual-use equipment continue to enter Somalia at a fairly steady rate, primarily from Yemen and Ethiopia;
Whereas, in July 2009, the Department of State confirmed that, in addition to other support for the TFG, it had provided cash to purchase weapons and ammunitions for the TFG’s efforts ‘‘to repel the onslaught of extremist forces which are intent on destroying the Djibouti peace process’’;
Whereas, according to most recent report by the United Nations Somalia Monitoring Group, ‘‘[d]espite infusions of foreign training and assistance, government security forces remain ineffective, disorganized and corrupt — a composite of independent militias loyal to senior government officials and military officers who profit from the business of war and resist their integration under a single command’’;
Whereas, on April 24, 2010, President Barack Obama issued an executive order to sanction or freeze the assets of militants who threaten, both directly and indirectly, the stability of Somalia, as well as individuals involved in piracy off Somalia’s coast;
Whereas, in March 2009, at a hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate, Andrew Liepman, Deputy Director of Intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center, noted that ‘‘[s]ince 2006, a number of U.S. citizens [have] traveled to Somalia, possibly to train in extremist training camps’’;
Whereas, in September 2009, at a hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Michael Leiter testified that ‘‘the potential for al-Qaeda operatives in Somalia to commission Americans to return to the United States and launch attacks against the Homeland remains of significant concern’’; and Whereas the extraordinary and ongoing crisis in Somalia has enormous humanitarian consequences and direct national security implications for the United States and our allies in the region: Now therefore be it Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) acknowledges the urgency of addressing the

threats to United States national security in Somalia

and the conditions that foster those threats;

(2) reaffirms its commitment to stand with all

the people of Somalia who aspire to a future free of

terrorism and violence through advancing political

reconciliation and building legitimate and inclusive

governance institutions;

(3) recognizes the difficult, but very important,

work being done by the African Union Mission in

Somalia (AMISOM) to help secure parts of

Mogadishu, and reaffirms its support for the mis14 sion;

(4) calls on the Transitional Federal Govern16 ment in Somalia—

(A) to cease immediately any use of child

soldiers;

(B) to ensure better accountability and

transparency for all received security assistance;

(C) to renew its commitment to political reconciliation; and (D) to take necessary steps toward becoming a more legitimate and inclusive government in the eyes of the people of Somalia;

(5) calls on all actors and governments in the region, particularly the Government of Eritrea, to play a productive role in helping to bring about peace and stability to Somalia, including ceasing to provide any financial or material support to armed opposition groups in Somalia;

(6) welcomes efforts by the President to bring greater focus and resources toward understanding and monitoring the situation in Somalia;

(7) urges the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure that all United States humanitarian, diplomatic, political, and counterterrorism programs in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa are coordinated and making progress toward the long-term goal of establishing stability, respect for human rights, and functional, inclusive governance in Somalia;

(8) urges the President and Secretary of State, as part of a comprehensive strategy— (A) to provide greater support for a range of diplomatic initiatives to engage clan leaders, business leaders, and civil society leaders in Somalia and the Somali Diaspora in political reconciliation and consensus-building; (B) to ensure better oversight, monitoring, and transparency of all United States security assistance provided to the TFG; (C) to increase and strengthen the United States diplomatic team working on Somalia, including the appointment of a senior envoy, and to ensure that these officials have the necessary resources, access, and mandate; (D) to pursue opportunities for periodic, temporary United States Government travel to Somalia, consistent with any security concerns; (E) to expand and deepen our engagement with the regions of Somaliland and Puntland and other regional administrations in order to promote good governance, effective law enforcement, respect for human rights, and stability in these regions; (F) to explore, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, increased options for pressuring individuals, governments, and other actors who undertake economic activities that support armed opposition groups and violence in Somalia; and

(G) to develop, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, creative and flexible mechanisms for delivering basic humanitarian assistance to the people of Somalia while minimizing the risk of significant diversion to armed opposition groups.

U.S Resolution for Somalia Download PDF

Somali president leads drive against hard-liners on the front line, Somali leader battles rebels with AK-47

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed enters front-line action in Mogadishu on Wednesday.
(CNN) -- Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed joined his troops on the front line Wednesday to fight hard-line anti-government Islamists, a presidential aide told a journalist in Mogadishu.

"The president is on the front line leading the fight against Al Shabaab and he is armed with an AK-47," said the aide, who declined to be named.The aide said that the president is accompanied by government soldiers and forces from the African Union Mission in Somalia.The chief of Somali Police, Gen. Ali Mohamed Hassan, told reporters that the drive led by the president marks the beginning of a larger operation against Al Shabaab.Ahmed has a long history of military leadership that has included fighting on front lines. Before he became president in 2009, he led an Islamist movement that took control of the capital in June 2006. After the international community -- led by Ethiopian forces -- ran him from power late that year, he began to cooperate with those same international powers. He became president of a U.N.-backed unity government, which led the country's parliament to appoint him president.Also Wednesday, heavy shelling rocked the capital during the evening, killing at least five people and wounding at least eight, according to ambulance service spokesman Ali Musa. The shelling started after clashes erupted in two parts of the city.Ahlu Sunna fighters -- a Sufi militia aligned with the government -- fought fiercely against al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab near Bakara market while government forces and Al Shabaab clashed in the north.

Terror Free Somalia Pictures.

In pictures: Ethiopia's forgotten archive His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

In pictures: Ethiopia's forgotten archive His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Somalis Denounce South African Government for Aimless Killing of a Somali Citizens

Mogadishu — The Somali people in South Africa have denounced the South African government for the brutal killing against a Somali citizen who was shot and killed by gangs in Cape Town fortnight, officials, witnesses said on Wednesday.
Armed South African bandits had killed businessman in and injured another in Cape Town as they stormed his shopping centre in the town and looted more money from the shop on Tuesday night
Mohamed Omar Abdi, the coordinator of the Somali people and the South African government has said in an interview with Shabelle radio that they were very sorry for the murder of the Somali businessman killed there as he was in his business centre in Cape Town.
"The South African gangs always commit crimes against the Somali people. I don't know the reason. But it is unfortunate that the South African government not start a crackdown on that and continuing killing against our people who are refugees in South Africa," said Mohamed Omar.
The coordinator said that the Somali people did not come to South Africa to interrupt and create problems in the country adding that the Somalis were people who like to work for themselves and earn money.

Somalia: Al-Shabab close to 'controlling entire south'

Mogadishu, 30 June (TF.SF) -Al-Shabab, the Somalia Al-Qaeda affiliated militant group, says it is close to the presidential palace in capital Mogadishu which will allow it to control the southern part of the country.

In a 10-minute video obtained exclusively by Adnkronos International labelled "The African Crusaders" Al-Shabab refers to troops from the African Union, primarily in Mogadishu to defend the airport, as "crusaders."

A voice speaking English with an American accent describes the video's images of destroyed tanks and other military vehicles, praising Al-Shabab's successes.

Somali government troops and hardline rebels have for months been locked in conflict in strategic locations in and around the Somali capital.

A government security official this week admitted to retreating following a fresh Al-Shabab offensive but denied that the militants had made any significant gains.

Using the video as propaganda to demonstrate the perceived weakness of transitional president Ahmad Shari, the insurgents show images of destroyed buildings and gun battles that happened in the lastest offensiv

Kenya appeals over Somalia

1/1 President Kibaki inspects guard of honour NAIROBI, June 30 – Kenya is appealing to the international community to mount a decisive intervention programme to address the twin challenges of extremist insurgency in Somalia and piracy off its coastline and the Indian Ocean waters. President Mwai Kibaki on Wednesday said the situation is out of hand and urged for international intervention.   “The deteriorating situation in Somalia has been a key security challenge.  Today, this challenge has graduated from being a regional problem to a global challenge.  There is now urgent need to address the twin challenges of extremist insurgency in Somalia and piracy off the Somali coastline and the Indian Ocean waters,” the President said. President assured Kenyans that the government was deploying adequate security personnel along the country’s border with Somalia to meet the insecurity posed by the instability in the neighbouring country. President Kibaki, who was speaking during the commissioning of Officer    Cadets at the Kenya Military Academy, Nakuru, said the deteriorating situation in Somalia remains a key security threat to Kenya among other neighbours and has graduated from a regional challenge to a global problem.   The President expressed the government’s total commitment to working closely with other IGAD member states, the African Union and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in search for sustainable peace.   With regard to the ongoing East African integration process, to serve the country’s economic and security interests, President Kibaki affirmed the government’s full commitment to making operational the Eastern African Standby Brigade as per the roadmap of the African Standby Force.   The President observed that Kenya had deployed 850 soldiers as peacekeepers, military observers and staff officers in Southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Darfur.    The President emphasized that the country had made great strides towards deepening cooperation with other East African countries in addition to her participation in peace keeping in troubled parts of the world.   “The presence of cadets from Uganda who have undergone this training alongside our own cadets demonstrates my Government’s commitment to the ideals of East African integration which serves our economic and security interests”, President Kibaki said.   On professional standards in the military, the Head of State reminded the commissioned young officers that the military the world over was faced with proliferation of security challenges and technological changes that require new and innovative approaches.   The President, on that note, challenged the military to continually upgrade their knowledge and skills in order to keep pace with a rapidly changing society and adapt to new situations and change as the situation demands.   President Kibaki announced plans to upgrade the Kenya Military Academy, an affiliate of Egerton University, to a degree awarding institution in the near future as part of the government efforts towards ensuring that military officers are well equipped to effectively discharge national and international security obligations.   “To facilitate further studies, a number of training programmes have been initiated by our Armed Forces in partnership with local universities”, said the President.   President Kibaki, therefore, urged the officers, who have undergone 20 months of vigorous training, to take full advantage of the available training opportunities as they form the basis of a successful and rewarding career.   He called on the commissioned officers to be diligent in their work and to uphold the dignity and good image of the Kenyan Armed Forces at all times and in all places while at the same time remaining loyal to the country and the Government as prescribed in the oath of allegiance they swore to uphold.      In attendance were Defence Minister Mohammed Yusuf Haji, Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura and the Chief of General Staff Gen. Jeremiah Kianga among other invited guests.

Al Qaeda branch inspired to launch English magazine

Online advertisement for the upcoming English edition of a magazine by Al Qaeda’s media-savvy branch in the Arabian

www.Henley-Putnam.edu

By Michelle Shephard National Security Reporter

They call it Inspire, and Al Qaeda is hoping it will. Al Qaeda’s media-savvy branch in the Arabian Peninsula has announced this week in an online advertisement that they will publish the group’s first English magazine. Featuring guest writer Anwar al Awlaki — the American cleric blamed for inciting violence among Western Muslims youth, including members of the so-called Toronto 18 — the magazine Inspire is an extension of an already popular online Arabic magazine Sada al-Malahim (Echo of the Battle). Simply the idea of Al Qaeda churning out a magazine while supposedly dodging drone attacks and security forces in Yemen’s tribal areas has led to ridicule in the past. Articles in the Arabic magazine have included profiles of terrorist leaders or suicide bombers, an analysis of the role of women in jihad and helpful tips of how to not divulge information if caught and interrogated. “In some ways, Sada al-Malahim isn’t all that different from Slate,” wrote Brian Palmer in a piece for his current affairs online magazine, noting that both publications separate content into rubrics, “like Martyr Biographies,” and often run pieces in installments. But noted Yemen scholar Gregory Johnsen says the new magazine is worrying because it confirms a presence of western, English-speaking members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) beyond Awalki. “This is something myself and others have long suspected, but the magazine is the first real evidence we have a core group of these type of individuals, many of whom likely possess western passports,” he said. The magazine will also likely be powerful online tool of recruitment, says Johnsen. “The idea here is that AQAP can reach, influence and inspire other like-minded individuals in the west. No longer do these individuals need to travel to Yemen or read Arabic in order to take instructions from AQAP. Now they can just download and read the magazine in English.” That is bad news for western security services that are often playing catch-up with the spread of Internet recruitment, which appeals to disenfranchised Muslims angered by the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or the presence of Guantanamo Bay. It is this greater war of words — far from the battlefields in Afghanistan and Pakistan — that has western intelligence agencies focusing hard on the messages sent by Yemen’s AQAP and Al Qaeda’s arm in Somalia, Al Shabaab. Al Shabaab managed to recruit at least six Toronto-area young men to Mogadishu to fight against the UN-backed transitional federal government, in part through online propaganda. AQAP, which formed in January 2009 when factions in Yemen and Saudi Arabia merged, jumped to the top of Washington’s agenda after the group was linked to the failed Christmas Day attempt to down a Detroit-bound flight, allegedly by Nigerian “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. And even though the plot may have failed, the group got the fame it sought. “They’re trying to be the new Al Qaeda, the headquarters of Al Qaeda,” said Charles Schmitz, professor of geography at Maryland’s Towson University. The magazine is another attempt to show their international reach, said Schmitz. “These guys are capable. They’re not backwater, underprivileged folks who have been drawn into the battle. These are educated folks who know about the world and have seen how the media works and want to imitate it for their own cause. “They want whenever possible to just stick it in the eye of the American administration.” But Schmitz and Johnsen, both of whom have travelled extensively in Yemen and are fluent in Arabic, caution that sometimes the reaction to arrests or attacks makes the jobs of online recruiters’ easier. New Mexcio-born Awlaki, for instance, was not considered among the hierarchy of AQAP or well known to Yemenis until the failed Christmas Day plot and the White House confirmed he was on the CIA’s hit list. CIA director Leon Panetta said Sunday that Awlaki has “declared war” on the United States. “Awlaki is a terrorist, and, yes, he’s a U.S. citizen, but he is first and foremost a terrorist and we’re going to treat him like a terrorist.” “Awlaki gets defended because they say America’s trying to act above the law,” said Schmitz. “So we play into their hands by appearing to be above the law in that sense.” As Johnsen argued recently in Newsweek, the U.S.
administration’s argument is based more on “frustration and assumption
than real strategy.”
“Inside that organization, (Awlaki) is a nobody — at best, a
mid-level functionary in a local branch,” Johnsen wrote. “There are
dozens of men who could do more harm to the United States, and killing
Awlaki would only embolden them and aid in recruitment.
“Assassinating Awlaki may make us feel safer, but it won’t make us
safer.”
In the first 12 editions of AQAP’s Arabic magazine Awalki’s name is
mentioned only once, and then only to dispute claims he had been killed
in a U.S. drone attack.
Judging by the slick online promotion of the new English magazine — advertised as “A special gift to the Islamic Nation” — guest writer Awlaki appears to have become the group’s rising star.

Experts Gather in New York Wednesday to Discuss Jihadism in Somalia

Professor Kenneth Menkhaus of Davidson College says counter-terrorism efforts might have further strengthen Islamic groups in Somalia

James Butty | Washington, D.C. 30 June 2010

Photo: AP

Islamist insurgent fighters during clashes with Somali government soldiers in southern Mogadishu's Wardhigley neighborhood, Somalia, 24 June 2010

A U.S. based university professor has said counter-terrorism efforts by both U.S. and Ethiopian governments to marginalize or defeat Islamic groups in Somalia might have had the unintended consequence of further strengthening the groups.
But, Kenneth Menkhaus, professor of political science at Davidson College in North Carolina, said he was encouraged by policy shifts both in Ethiopia and the United States to reduce external factors that he said sometimes inflame radicalism in Somalia.
His comments came as a two-day summit on peace and security opens Wednesday in New York City to explore a variety of conflict situations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and their possible effect on national security.
A workshop at the summit is expected to consider the possible impact of the global jihadist movement on Somalia and whether the global jihad problem has been created by U.S. counter-terrorism efforts.

AFP Photo

Somali Islamist fighters

Professor Menkhaus said Somalia is a security threat to its neighbors and the West because of the dramatic rise of the jihadist group al-Shabaab.
“Since 911, and most specifically since around 2004-2005, the rise of the jihadist group al-Shabaab has dramatically increased the security threat that Somalia poses to its neighbors and possibly to Western countries, and the United States. Al-Shabaab has directly affiliated itself with al Qaida, at least rhetorically. It has declared war on both Ethiopia and Kenya. It has a physical presence inside Kenya. That puts it in the position to potentially launch a terrorist attack on that country if it chose to do so,” he said.
Menkhaus said, while over 200 years of international exploitation and colonialism might have contributed greatly to Somalia’s current instability, it is ultimately the responsibility of the current Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to pull Somalia out its quagmire.
“There’s a lot of blame to go around for what has gone wrong in Somalia. Certainly, external actors during the Cold War provided support to a dictatorship that gave rise to these armed liberation movements and devolved into criminal militias fighting one another. Having said that, it is the Somali leaders’ responsibility to pull the nation out of this mess,” Menkhaus said.
He said the international community continues to support Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government despite its weakness because the cost of abandoning the government is high.

AFP Photo

African Union peacekeeper in Somalia

“We supported the Transitional Federal Government not because it’s a good option, but because it’s been the best of bad options. There’s real frustration both in Somalia and in the international community about what to do with the TFG. The costs of abandoning it are fairly high. Most observers still don’t want to consign Somalia to yet another round of national reconciliation talks,” Menkhaus said.
Menkhaus reiterated his belief that foreign military intervention has been a significant source of radicalization.
“This has become a vicious circle in which both Ethiopian and U.S. efforts to reduce, or marginalize, or defeat Islamic radicals in Somalia has had the unintended consequence of strengthening them or empowering them in ways that (we) could never have imagined five years ago,” he said.
But, he said he was encouraged by policy shifts both in Ethiopia and the United States to reduce external factors that he said sometimes inflame radicalism in Somalia. voa

Somali community to celebrate homeland's independence ,, 50th Anniversary of Somali Independence Day

50th Anniversary of Somali Independence Day

The Somali community in the St. Cloud area will celebrate the independence of its homeland at an event Thursday at Halenbeck Hall on the St. Cloud State University campus.he event, from 3-7 p.m., commemorates the 40th anniversary of Somalia's freedom from colonization, and unification of its northern and southern territories.
Traditional food, speakers and songs will be part of the celebration, which is open to the community.
"Celebration is celebration, no matter where you are," said Ismail Ali, contact person for the event and a Somali community leader. "It's important to share our culture and to work together in our schools and communities."
Gary Loch, diversity coordinator at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, often serves as a bridge with the local Somali community.
"Through leadership and events, we are challenging young people to use their strongest weapons, their minds," Loch said of the celebration planning.
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis will give a brief proclamation in honor of the day. Guest speakers include Somali community leaders such as Abdirahman Ahmed, current chair of the Somali Elder Counsel, as well as St. Cloud State University President Earl H. Potter III and St. Cloud school Superintendent Bruce Watkins.
Saado Ali, a Somali singer, is scheduled to perform.

Somalia Official Says Aim Remains Peace and Security

Photo: AP

Islamist insurgent fighters during clashes with Somali government soldiers in southern Mogadishu's Wardhigley neighborhood, Somalia, 24 June 2010

An official of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government told VOA the European Union sponsored training of the country’s police force is progressing steadily despite stiff opposition from hard-line insurgent groups.
Government spokesman Abdi Kadir Walayo said President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed’s administration is still determined to wrestle power from hard-line Islamic insurgent groups and to restore peace and stability.
“For the last 20 years, the whole Somali government infrastructure has been shattered and the police force and other law enforcement agencies were also part of that infrastructure. And, the present administration was trying to train and put back the infrastructure and law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Walayo’s comment came as the country prepares for its independence day celebrations. It also follows claims by insurgents that they have seized control of significant parts of the capital, Mogadishu, on the eve of the country’s independence observation.
The insurgents, including al-Shabab and Hezbul Islam rebel group, have refused to recognize the Somali government vowing to overthrow the administration and implement the strictest form of the Sharia law...more voa

Somali Islamists say they take over new positions in Mogadishu

Allies at odds over Somalia

Allies atThe US and its main ally in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, are
pursuing contradictory policies when it comes to dealing
with Somalia's Islamist movements. While Addis Ababa is
pursuing its traditional unaccommodationist and at times
hostile policy towards these groups, Washington is
encouraging all those Islamist movements that are
interested in renouncing violence to participate in the
political process. click here for moreodds over Somalia

Somali Islamists say they take over new positions in Mogadishu

The radical Islamist group of Al Shabaab on Tuesday said it took over control of several key areas in the north of the Somali capital Mogadishu after concerted attack on positions of Somali government forces overnight.

The fierce battles broke out late Monday in the Somali government-controlled northern part of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Islamist officials took local journalists to the northern parts of the capital to show newly captured government bases but a mortar shell landed at one of the bases where almost four of the reporters, photographers and cameramen present were slightly injured.

The takeover showed that territory controlled by government and African Union (AU) peacekeepers is "shrinking by the day and will be destroyed soon," Ali Mohamoud Raageh, spokesman for the Al Shabaab movement told reporters at a news conference held in one of the newly seized government bases.

The Somali government has not so far officially commented on the claims by the Al Shabaab commanders but the state-run Radio Mogadishu condemned the Al Shabaab movement for "endangering the lives of Somali journalists by taking them to a battle area."

The Islamist Al Shabaab movement which controls much of the Somali capital as well as the south and centre of the war-torn east African country, wages almost daily attacks on Somali government and the AU peacekeepers based in the capital, Mogadishu.

The international recognized government of Somalia controls only few blocks in the chaotic coastal city of Mogadishu with the support of the almost 5,000 AU peacekeeping forces.

Somalia has not had a strong, effective central government since the overthrow of the late Somali leader Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and has been through lawlessness and civil conflict since.

Source: Xinhua
original story was presented  by mouthpiece Terror Sympathizer  allgedo

The Myth of Modern Jihad

It would be an understatement to say that Faisal Shahzad, the would-be Times Square bomber, pleaded guilty last week. “I’m going to plead guilty a hundred times over,” Shahzad told the judge. Why so emphatic? Because Shahzad is proud of himself. “I consider myself a Mujahid, a Muslim soldier,” he said...........more..

An Al-Shabaab Narco-Terrorism Connection?

The Al-Qaeda linked Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab is now said to be raising funds through the trade of khat, a narcotic green leaf, Dutch media reports.The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are the only two Western countries where it is legal to import the narcotic. According to Swedish police estimates, about 80% of the khat imported to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam is smuggled into surrounding countries.In an interview with a Dutch radio station, one Swedish former khat smuggler just released from prison, said that he used to be involved in sending money to Al-Shabaab. The ex-smuggler, who spent seven years as the right hand man of a Somali drug lord, estimated that twenty thousand Euros per week were sent to Somalia—eventually making its way to Al-Shabaab leaders seeking new sources of revenue to pay its militants.Swedish police official Stefan Kalman said that the Swedish secret service recently received information that several Somali groups in the khat trade have joined Al-Shabaab. He described the khat trade as a great opportunity for Al-Shabaab to raise money.Swedish MEP Olle Schmidt said that the position of the Netherlands on khat is a problem, and that he hopes that the new information about the link between the drug's trade and terrorism will be a "wake up call for the Dutch government."The issue of narco-terrorism is a growing problem, not only for European law enforcement, but for U.S. officials as well. In 2002, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) established the Counter-Narco-terrorism Operations Center (CNTOC). This division of the DEA has cracked several cases since its establishment.As recently as December of 2009, the DEA arrested several individuals suspected of trafficking cocaine throughout Africa as part of a narco-terrorism conspiracy. The men, Oumar Issa, Harouna Toure and Idriss Abdelrahman, have been indicted in New York for conspiracy to provide material support to both Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).In a March 2010 Congressional testimony before the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs Anthony P. Placido, Assistant Administrator for Intelligence for the DEA, summed up the narco-terrorism phenomenon:"As insurgents and terrorists become more heavily involved in the drug trade, hybrid organizations are emerging. These hybrids have morphed into one part terrorist organization, one part global drug trafficking cartel."Palcido emphasized that these narco-terrorist groups, "represent the most significant security challenge facing governments worldwide." IPT News

New propaganda video titled: "The African Crusaders". From al Qaeda in Somalia Video First Posted on YouTube

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New al Qaeda in Somalia Video First Posted on YouTube

Somalia and the Honourable People of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn Regions

'That which does not kill us makes us stronger'
-Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

Firstly, let me express my solidarity with the honourable people of the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions of Somalia. These people have been treated quite appallingly, in recent years, by the puppet regimes in both Puntland and Somaliland. To make matters worse, the rather thuggish Ethiopian state is now attempting to achieve its nefarious desired objectives directly in North-Western Somalia by extremely violent means, as was the case in recent massacre in the border town of Buuhoodle. There can be no doubt that the Ethiopian regime, in Addis-Ababa, is pursuing a divide and rule policy with respect to the entire Somali peninsula. The Ethiopian state, as has been demonstrated time and again, has no regard for the truly awful consequences of the manifestly anti-Somali policies which it consistently chooses to pursue. Indeed, the shedding of Somali blood is an integral component of the long-term objectives of the Ethiopian state to depopulate the Somali national territory of both the Somali people and their ancient culture.

The honourable Somali people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions have courageously thwarted both the evil designs of the brutally extreme Ethiopain army—and its associated militia—and the dastardly plans of the secessionist Somaliland regime of Dahir Riyaale Kahin in Hargesa by refusing to participate in the sham elections of this month(1). The secessionists of Somaliland seem to believe that they shall somehow benefit materially from supporting the profoundly anti-Somali elites of the Ethiopian state. However, by attempting to violently destroy the legitimate interests of the people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions, the secessionists in Hargeisa only draw themselves deeper into the malignant sphere of influence of racist Ethiopia.

I call upon the leadership in both Puntland and the secessionist enclave of Somaliland to respect the  right to self-organisation of the honourable Somali people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions. This includes the right to organise their own economic affairs without fear of extortion or violent intimidation by the wicked security apparatus of the Ethiopian state and its puppet regimes inside Somalia. At the present moment in time, far too many so-called Somali leaders are all too ready to go out of their way in order to serve the best interests of the Ethiopian state(2); and too often at the absolute expense of the Somali people. This must stop. Far too often, people such as the hopelessly weak and ineffective prime minister of the ghastly TFG of Somalia—Cumar CabdirasiidCali Sharmaarke—have made statements which condemn the people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions simply because—in the eyes of such so-called leaders of modern Somalia—to oppose the Ethiopian state is considered to be something wrong and unthinkable. This is a great pity. I, for one, am deeply disappointed by anyone who can claim to be a leader of the Somali nation whilst simultaneously serving the best interests of the beast Meles Zenawi!

Ethiopia is directly responsible for all of the death and destruction that has been the ruin of the Somali republic during the past 21 years. Ethiopia is the prime beneficiary of all anti-Somali policies ever pursued in the Horn of Africa region—by one power or an other—for over 100 years. Ethiopia is an illegal entity which is built upon the illegal partitioning of the Somali national territory a long time ago, and we still with the dreadful consequences of this evil act to this day. Not satisfied by this historic criminal act, the modern Ethiopian regime seeks to further divide Somalia, region by region, for their own nefarious ends. Ethiopia is an entity built upon the bodies of many oppressed nations and it is sustained by the spilled blood of all of these nations—not least the blood of the Somali nation! I sincerely believe that the road to freedom, for all of the oppressed and long suffering nations of the Horn of Africa, can be found by all those who are able to emulate the strength and courage demonstrated recently by the honourable people of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions of Somalia. Only then, with the will of the Almighty—when all of us completely reject the manipulative influences of the puppets currently active in the Horn of Africa and their shadowy handlers—may we find peace.

Nasr Ibn Othmann
E-Mail:yann1@live.co.uk

4 suspects in Rwandan general shooting in court

By LESEGO MOTSHEGWA, Associated Press Writer Lesego Motshegwa, Associated Press Writer – 58 mins ago

JOHANNESBURG – Four men accused of trying to kill a Rwandan general living in exile in Johannesburg made brief court appearances Tuesday, while prosecutors said that the suspects were not from Rwanda or South Africa.
Dissident Lt. Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa's wife has accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame in the shooting, a charge the Rwandan government denies. The attack comes as human rights groups say Rwanda's government is smashing dissent ahead of an August election.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that the four men arrested are from Tanzania, Somalia and Mozambique but refused to say how long the suspects have been in South Africa.
Court records identified the four suspects as Juma Huseni, a 35-year-old Tanzanian, Ahmed Ali, a 26-year-old Somali, George Francis, a 31-year-old Mozambican and Shafiri Bakari, a 30-year-old Tanzanian. Three of the suspects said they have asylum status.
Police spokesman, Govindsamy Mariemuthoo refused to disclose a possible motive until the suspects make their next appearance in court.
Mariemuthoo said the next appearance is Thursday. But court officials say it is July 14 to give investigators time to determine the suspects' immigration status.
Police last week dropped attempted murder charges against two others who were also arrested after the shooting.
Nyamwasa and his wife were returning to the upscale gated community where they live in northern Johannesburg when a lone gunman fired on him June 19. He was shot in the stomach and is expected to recover.
Nyamwasa and Kagame were once allied but have fallen out, reportedly because Kagame sees his former military chief as a political rival. Nyamwasa came to South Africa earlier this year.
Rwandan officials have accused Nyamwasa of trying to destabilize their government. The Rwandan government says it has linked Nyamwasa to three grenade attacks in Rwanda's capital Feb. 19 that killed one person and wounded 30 others.
South African police said earlier this year they had not arrested Nyamwasa because they do not have an extradition treaty with Rwanda.
Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda's minister of Foreign Affairs and the government spokeswoman, said Rwanda does not kill its own people, and that if it has a problem with someone it will take them to court.
"There is this whole psyche that there is a crackdown in Rwanda, that tensions are reigning," said Mushikiwabo. "People are taking advantage of the forthcoming elections to project this kind of situation, but I can assure you that the situation is created."

Somaliland’s desperation: do or die strategy

“All roads lead to Rome..” Unknown

June 27, 2010 (laasqoray Online) – Separatist regime in North-Western Somalia convincingly continue to lure the international community by selling true lies via enclave’s misguided media and through opportunistic international NGOs. The unwarranted propaganda campaign has taken its toll–even the most prominent media sources such as The New York Times and Daily Telegraph carried stories pertaining to what they called ‘Somaliland’s credible election.  Indeed, those organizations have no physical presence on the ground, and have no idea about Somaliland’s tainted election. Unfortunately, international observers and fewer journalists who came to report on the facts have no access to most constituents where the said election is to take place. They are bound to rely on Hargeisa’s area poll stations. And Hargeisa is where the separatists cohorts have their strength.
In a desperate attempt to justify Somaliland’s illegitimate election, Somaliland’s Election Commission reported 1 million registered voters. Well, if that is the case, not to mention half of the north excluded, Somaliland all along claimed its population to number 5 million. What happened to the other 4 million citizens?  As misleading as the voting process itself, the proponents of the enclave’s goal to secede from the rest of Somalia placed great emphasis on the illegitimate election. Attaining an international recognition for the enclave has led them to take direct orders from Addisababa regime.
As part of the Meleze’s plan to farther dismember Somalia, Ethiopia has established intelligence offices in Hargeisa. Ethiopians carry out secret operation in Hargeisa in a broad day light; hundreds of innocent Ogadenia citizens were either killed or arrested in the process; even the only port in Somaliland, Berbera is subleased to Addisababa.  In return the Meleze regime mires Somaliland die-hard SNM loyalists whilst consummating the remainder of Somalia. Definitely, Hargeisa serves as a staging ground for Ethiopia’s Wayaane operatives who carry out deadly missions within stateless Somalia.
In one of the missions, Ethiopian Secret Police abducted an elderly Ogaden women who escaped oppression and the assault of the Ethiopian Army in the Ogaden Region. And when the act was criticized by the Amnesty International, Somaliland officials openly admitted that the women was extradited to Ethiopia based on a bilateral relations between the two countries. The question is: when did Somaliland became sovereign state? Only sovereign states with treaties can extradite suspects to one another.
Ethiopia also plays major role in silencing half of the Northern Somalia’s population, in perspective North Central Regions: Sanaag, Sool, Ayn and Haylaan. The people in those regions like many others in the North West and elsewhere in Somalia are pro-union and categorically oppose dismemberment of Somalia.  Smuggling ballot boxes into those regions was not successful–many of the boxes were confiscated and the militia that delivered the boxes are in Puntland’s custody.
To end, all that inhumane acts and lies did not buy international recognizion for Somaliland in the past, and the election itself is the last desperate attempt to mislead the international community.
Ahmed Mohamed

Israel arrests seven with al-Qaida ties

JERUSALEM, June 28 (UPI) -- Israeli security forces say they've arrested seven Israeli Arabs allegedly affiliated with al-Qaida and charged them with terrorist attacks including murder.
Shin Bet, the Israeli Security Agency, arrested the seven, all residents of Nazareth, between May 11 and June 21, the Jerusalem Post reported Monday.
Three of those arrested allegedly confessed to taking part in the killing of a taxi driver, Yafim Weinstein, in November 2009.
After the killing, Shin Bet said, two of the suspects attempted to travel to an al-Qaida training camp in Somalia but were stopped from entering the country at the Kenya border.
Three others planned to kidnap and kill a Nazareth resident, Shin Bet said, and threw stun grenades and fire bombs at Jewish-owned and Christian-owned businesses and homes in the town.
All seven of the men were indicted Monday at the Haifa district court, the Post reported.

siad Barre was the lion of Africa....Interview with former Somali President Siad Barre - 1978

 
Interview with former President Siad Barre (Siyaad Barre) regarding the sudden Russian alliance switch from Somalia to Ethiopia...  Barre Stop Socialist  to take over  Africa

British couple's family pay ransom to Habar Gidir Hawiye gang

Reuters) - The family of a British couple being held by Somali pirates have handed over half of the ransom demanded by the gang to elders involved in the negotiations, a clan chief said Friday.

UK

Paul and Rachel Chandler, both in their 50s, were kidnapped while they sailed their 38-foot (12-metre) yacht Lynn Rival in international waters north of the Seychelles last October.
"We have received $430,000 (286,490 pounds), which is part of the $800,000 ransom agreed to pay to the pirates, from the family, and they sent this money through an agent," said Ali Osman Suge.
The elders were expecting Somalis living in Britain to send the remainder of the money during the weekend, he told Reuters.Somalis in Britain, which has been their refuge from the anarchic Horn of Africa country, have contributed some money as a gesture of goodwill for the Chandlers. They have also rallied for the couple's release, holding demonstrations and media appeals."Now, we are waiting for the Somali community in Britain to send their contribution on either Saturday or Sunday so that we can secure their safe release," the elder said.The pirates had demanded a $7 million ransom for the couple, but reduced the figure to less than $1 million.The gangs, some made up of former fisherman angered by the presence of foreign fishing fleets in Somali waters, have made tens of millions of dollars in ransoms by seizing ships and crews.

(Reporting by Mohamed Ahmed; Writing by Abdiaziz Hassan, Editing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura

Map: the Chandlers journey
Last October, the Chandlers were kidnapped by pirates in the Indian Ocean just off the Seychelles, hundreds of miles from Somalia. Freelance Somali journalist, Jamal Osman, met the couple at a secret location somewhere between the towns of Adado and Haradhere and miles from any human settlement.

Habar -gidir Hawiye kidnap: Chandlers' plea to Cameron

STATUS OF SEIZED VESSELS AND CREWS IN SOMALIA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN 30 March

We don't care about mercy, we just want the money: Exclusive interview with yacht couple's pirate captors...Habar-gidi Hawiye Terrorist Tugs

Yacht wife held by Habar-gidir Hawiye pirates 'is suffering from scabies'

Yacht Briton held by Habar-gidir Hawiye pirates 'could become blind in weeks' after catching severe eye infection, Yacht couple held by Somali pirates speak of 'torment'‎

My rape terror at hands of Somali pirates: New ordeal for British hostage as yacht couple face being starved to death,The British woman being held by Somali pirates,she has told how she narrowly escaped being raped.by Habar Gidir Hawiye Terrorist Animals

 

 

 

 

 

US Warships Stationed Off Iranian Coast

June 28, 2010 "Raw Story" June 27, 2010 -- -As unconfirmed reports of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities pick up steam in the Middle Eastern media, a US-based strategic intelligence company has released a chart showing US naval carriers massing near Iranian waters.
The chart, published by Stratfor and obtained by the Zero Hedge financial blog, shows that over the last few weeks a naval carrier -- the USS Harry S Truman -- has been positioned in the north Indian Ocean, not far from the Strait of Hormuz, which leads into the Persian Gulf. The carrier joins the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was already located in the area. The chart is dated June 23, 2010.
Reports of mass movements of Israeli and US naval warships have been circulating through the media for weeks. On June 19, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that 12 US and Israeli warships were seen moving through the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
And a report from the Associated Press published Saturday evening cited "unconfirmed" reports from Israeli and Iranian media that Saudi Arabia has allowed Israel to use its territory in preparation for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
"The allegation could not be independently confirmed, and the Saudis deny cooperating with the Israeli military," AP reported.
An article in the Gulf Daily News, largely dismissed by Western observers, did not mention any Saudi involvement but said Israel is preparing to attack Iranian targets from the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia.
The claims that Israel may be preparing for an assault on Iranian nuclear facilities were strengthened this weekend by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who told reporters at the G8 summit in Canada that G8 leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel will "probably" strike Iran.
“Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively,” Berlusconi said, as quoted at Ha'aretz.
CIA director Leon Panetta said Sunday that Iran has enough enriched uranium to build two nuclear bombs. In an interview on ABC's This Week, Panetta also said he believed the recent spate of international and US sanctions against Iran will not convince the country to change course on its nuclear program.
"Will it deter them from their ambitions with regards to nuclear capability? Probably not," Panetta said.

U.S. court indicts Israeli ?suspected of arms trade with Somalia

nothing but a traitor. 

Florida prosecutors suspect Hanoch Miller attempted to bypass a UN resolution and U.S. law, both of which have an embargo on weapons trade with Somalia.

A United States court last week indicted an Israeli man suspected of attempting to obtain assault weapons and sell them to the government in Somalia.

According to the indictment filed at a district court in Florida, the suspect, Hanoch Miller, and several others attempted to bypass a United Nations Security Council resolution and U.S. law, both of which have an embargo on weapons trade with Somalia.

The south Florida district attorney charged that Hanoch conspired with associates, who are not mentioned by name, in the U.S. and Israel to sell AK-47 assault rifles to clients in Somalia.

According to the indictment, Miller provided a falsified end user certificate that was meant to show the weapons were destined for the Republic of Chad, a country with which weapons trade is legal.

The suspects also allegedly attempted to hire planes from Bosnia to transport the weapons to Somalia.

The weapons were intended for the government in Somaliland, which is regarded internationally as an autonomous region in Somalia that has been run by a secessionist government since the 1990 

A United States court last week indicted an Israeli man suspected of attempting to obtain assault weapons and sell them to the government in Somalia.

According to the indictment filed at a district court in Florida, the suspect, Hanoch Miller, and several others attempted to bypass a United Nations Security Council resolution and U.S. law, both of which have an embargo on weapons trade with Somalia.

The south Florida district attorney charged that Hanoch conspired with associates, who are not mentioned by name, in the U.S. and Israel to sell AK-47 assault rifles to clients in Somalia.

According to the indictment, Miller provided a falsified end user certificate that was meant to show the weapons were destined for the Republic of Chad, a country with which weapons trade is legal.

The suspects also allegedly attempted to hire planes from Bosnia to transport the weapons to Somalia.

The weapons were intended for the government in Somaliland, which is regarded internationally as an autonomous region in Somalia that has been run by a secessionist government since the 1990s.

	FBI agents make an arrest in May 2010.
	Photo by: AP

Several months ago, Israeli officials said the government may consider recognizing Somaliland's independence and establishing diplomatic ties with it. However, Yigal Palmor, a Foreign Ministry official, told Haaretz that was an unofficial announcement that does not represent Israeli government policy.
Hanoch Miller is a 53-year-old resident of Yehud in central Israel and an aeronautics engineer who served in an airplane design unit in the Israel Air Force.
After his discharge in the 1980s, Miller started Radom Aviation with two business partners and was considered a solitary contractor that worked both with the Israel Aerospace Industries and other defense industries.

More than three years ago, Miller sold his share in the company and became an independent consultant that worked, according to his friends, in the field of electronic weapons and night vision equipment.

The alleged weapons were destined for the Somali government, with which Israel has recently declared a willingness to establish diplomatic ties.
here's some background

 

The tribal entity sepretest Somaliland produces most  terrorist in Somalia

Ahmed Godane, Alshabab Supreme leader who often imitates Mullah Omar is from Somaliland. Shirwac, American-Aslbabab martyr, is from Somaliland. Mohamed Almuhajiri, Alshabab martyr, is from Somaliland.
Ahmed Godane, Alshabab Supreme Leader is from Somaliland.
Shirwac, the Alshabab-American, blew himself in Hargeisa was from Somaliland.
Mohamed Al-Muhajiri, Alshabab from Toronto, was also from Somaliland.
Two Somali detainees, Mohammed Soliman Barre and Ismael Arale, were transferred to regional authorities in Somaliland. 
The Danish cartoonist attacker was also from Somaliland.

Tribal enclave The separatist Somaliland administration anti- Ethiopian propaganda

Shabab leaders from the Northern Somalia are mainly to blame for destroying Southern Somalia.

Time UNDP Stood up tribal entity sepretest Somaliland

SOMALIA: Human trafficking on the increase

protests against somali tribal entity sepretest Somaliland and support for Somali unity