Piracy off the Coast of Somalia

The collapse of any form of administration leads humans to resort to chaos and competition for available scarce resources ultimately spearheading survival of the fittest. The aftermath of Somalia's collapse in 1991 and the subsequent chaos that plunged the nation in to wide scale humanitarian disaster saw the proliferation of premeditated murders of foreigners especially employees of aid agencies and international correspondents. more..http://www.somalipressreview.com/view.php?articleid=882

18 indians' life at stake in hijacked cargo ship off somalia coast

somalia coast once again in news for its sea pirates, who are constantly hijacking cargo ships , this time they hijacked a ship in which there are 18 Indian crew members.
Hijackers have seized a cargo ship chartered by chemical tanker shipping group Stolt-Nielsen off the Somali coast, a senior company officer said on Wednesday. more http://www.nowpublic.com/world/18-indians-life-stake-hijacked-cargo-ship-somalia-coast

Pirate Ransom Helped Somalia Islamist Militants Seize Port

French Commandos Free Hostages in Somalia

Somalia – Hours ago, a 30-man French assault team from the Hubert Commando, an elite frogman commando unit, air dropped a distance away from the Carre D'as IV, and swam to the yacht. The Commandos then stormed the Amel Super Maramu sailboat. One pirate opened fire, and was killed.

http://yachtpals.com/somalia-pirates-french-rescue-3059

Two Filipino seamen confirmed on HK vessel hijacked off Somalia

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Wednesday confirmed that two Filipino seamen were among the abducted crew members of a Hong Kong vessel that was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday.　http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6501025.html

Spain sends patrol plane to ward off Somali pirates

Spain is sending a maritime patrol aircraft with 90 soldiers on board to ward off pirates operating off Somalia, Defence Minister Carme Chacon said Wednesday. The P3-Orion plane was due to reach the Indian Ocean over the week- end. It will inform fishing vessels, freighters and ships transporting humanitarian aid about the movements of pirates, Chacon said. more.http://www.enews20.com/news_Spain_sends_patrol_plane_to_ward_off_Somali_pirates_11623.html

Islamist militant threat paralyses Mogadishu airport

on Wednesday after militant Somali Islamists threatened to attack any planes using it.
Staff at the airport said carriers using the sea-front facility in south Mogadishu had decided not to take any risk following the threat by al Shabaab to target aircraft landing or taking off after midnight on Tuesday.
Al Shabaab, which is on Washington's list of terrorist groups, is spearheading an insurgency against the Somali government and its Ethiopian military backe more..http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LH410374.htm

Yemen to host regional meeting on combating piracy

SANA'A, Sep. 16 (Saba)- Yemen will host the second regional meeting on combating piracy which to be held on 27-30 October in participation of representatives of 20 countries . Diplomatic sources pointed out that the 20 countries would sign a memorandum of understanding to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships sailing in the Gulf of .. more..http://www.sabanews.net/en/news164164.htm

Somali youth for peace workshop in Beled Hawa City (GADO) JUBBALAND STETE OF SOMALIA

US Embassy Nairobi, Kenya September 16, 2008
- The week of August 25th through the 29th marked the first of major student workshop held in Beled Hawa for school boys and school girls in the gedo region jubbaland state of somalia. The workshop had a wide ranging and marked the first of major student workshop held in Beled Hawa for school boys and school girls from GEDO (jubbaland state) The workshop’s opening and closing ceremonies were headed by the Mandera District Commission, Kenya and were lent a helping hand by the active representatives of Beled Hawa city known as the Gedo Administration. Educators, parents, locals, from jubbaland state of somalia political and religious dignitaries from both Mandera and Beled Hawa were in attendance for the opening ceremonies of the youth workshop.
The workshop was almost entirely organized by seven staff members at the local U.S embassy and the initiative was led by the Public Diplomacy Officer for Somalia, Mr. Mark Zimmer.
The embassy also provided funding for the workshop; paying for staff, accommodations and meals and other expenses during the five day seminar.
There were over 50 participants in the youth orientated seminar in total. 17 of which were from the Kenyan side of the border. The boys and girls were led to their separate accommodations. The boys were staying at the local secondary school for boys; the females at the secondary’s sister school. The workshop had a wide ranging and eventful agenda for the lucky 50 students who were selected by merit. Activities included: Quran recitation competition, football (soccer) matches, volleyball, handball, arts and crafts, poetry writing contests, and essay writing contests. The workshop also gave the students a chance to voice their opinion while having an open forum style discussion with the embassy officials. Some of the topics covered were the possibility of co-existence, non violence, U.S – Somalia friendly relations, education, career development and the role of youth in the peace process.
At the programs conclusion, it was not only the children who left with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment; but rather everyone involved took something with them from that unique experience. The U.S Embassy was extremely satisfied with the workshop and its results.

Jubbaland army will be doing with Military Exercises with the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF)

JUBALAND army units who come under the command of a Somali Member of Parliament and former Defense Minister Bare Adan Shire (hirale), jubbaland army will be doing with Military Exercises with the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) the largest military in Africa .Exercises in Dolow district in Gedo region. Witnesses said.
“I live in a place which is some is 15KM from Bulahawo district in Gedo region and this morning when I woke up I saw almost 20 trucks wobbling with JUBBALAND army. The Jubbaland troops ousted by AL shabaab with ONLF the southern key town of Kismayu. Because lack of support from federal government TFG , they suffering from neglect for of TFG government for last two years .they liberate the from city from mostly hawiye jehadast group ICU (al shabaab) two years ago under the Command of then-defense minister BARE ADAN SHIRE with the help and The support of Ethiopian troops . When MP bare aden shire was defense minster TFG. most of jubbalans army support is base on locally the largest tribe in the Region..They raceaved very little support from federal government of Somalia or international community. They never get any funds from TFG government. The fact is the president and prime minster never visit the region… this is the area where the residents in the region very supportive of federal government of Somalia... and majority of the people are against Islamic jehadast. And they are war with the Somalia jihadists’ a. 1995. Organization calls SNF. founded by leaders of mareehan tribe 1996 in gedo region. They began to fight... jihadists in the region before any one in...(Horn of Africa)... and is calling the war with al itaha al silaamiya mareehan defead al itaaha .al islaamya .In 1997 1998... in 2006 The mostly hawiye tribe jehadast come back with new name ICU ISLAMIC COURT UNION. They where defeated again... now the come with new allied OLNF... an al-Qaida train al shabaab. .the it comes as no surprise when Terrorist Coalition forces jehadist al shabaab with OGADEN ONLF looking for soft target made surprise attack. City of kismayu early last month, and witness said .. a jubbaland army heading towards Dolow district which borders Ethiopia, he said. I made contact with Dolow district and my next of kin told me that there were grounds which were ploughed for the training of militiamen from mareehan tribe loyal to jubbaland state of Somalia (mareehan tribe)” said Ali Gedi a resident in the area.
Some independents reports from the ground also says that mareehan tribal leadership is due to have wide discussion with Kenya-Ethiopia government Dolow district of Ethiopia most of them live villages along border state of gedo both sides of the border. They want to get support to recapture city of kismayo now the hand of terrorist al shabaab with ONLF. Is the strategic town in region Seaport town city of Kismayu Is the bread and butter of jubbaland state 0f Somalia and must be libearty from al shabaab and ONLF...witness said “I cannot actually confirm for the exact number of these army who are now present in our district, but to my estimation they are thousand and above” said a resident in the area who does not wish his name to be aired speaking to TFSF

Somalia Kidnapping Economy Booming

Two weeks after three journalists and their fixers were abducted in Mogadishu, the kidnappers finally have named their price: $3 million for the scribes' safe return.
This is only the latest and most headline-friendly event in worrying trend: Somali gunmen, on land and at sea, are successfully squeezing millions of dollars per month in ransoms from foreign companies and families. Currently pirates hold 11 ships at the southern port of Eyl. Seized vessels have fetched $1-million ransoms, on average, during this year's spike in hijackings.
The problem "will get worse," DANGER ROOM naval analyst Galrahn predicts. Why? He crunched the numbers to explain just how lucrative, relatively speaking, banditry is to Somalis. Piracy, for one, has "replaced fishing as the local industry" in southern Somalia. "The 30+ ships hijacked to date are potentially worth $30 million to the local economy, while the entire fishing industry of Somalia today is estimated around $1.5 million." MORE..Two weeks after three journalists and their fixers were abducted in Mogadishu, the kidnappers finally have named their price: $3 million for the scribes' safe return.
This is only the latest and most headline-friendly event in worrying trend: Somali gunmen, on land and at sea, are successfully squeezing millions of dollars per month in ransoms from foreign companies and families. Currently pirates hold 11 ships at the southern port of Eyl. Seized vessels have fetched $1-million ransoms, on average, during this year's spike in hijackings.
The problem "will get worse," DANGER ROOM naval analyst Galrahn predicts. Why? He crunched the numbers to explain just how lucrative, relatively speaking, banditry is to Somalis. Piracy, for one, has "replaced fishing as the local industry" in southern Somalia. "The 30+ ships hijacked to date are potentially worth $30 million to the local economy, while the entire fishing industry of Somalia today is estimated around $1.5 million."

Islamic sharia courts in Britain are now 'legally binding'

Islamic sharia law courts in Britain are exploiting a little-known legal clause to make their verdicts officially binding under UK law in cases including divorce, financial disputes and even domestic violence. A new network of courts in five major cities is hearing cases where Muslims involved agree to be bound by traditional sharia law, and under the 1996 Arbitration Act the court's decisions can then be enforced by the county courts or the High Court.
Officials behind the new system claim to have dealt with more than 100 cases since last summer, including six involving domestic violence which is a criminal rather than civil offence, and said they hoped to take over growing numbers of 'smaller' criminal cases in future. more..http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1055764/Islamic-sharia-courts-Britain-legally-binding.html?ITO=1490

The African Union Condemns the Attack on AMISOM Peacekeepers by Insurgents

Press Release

The African Union Condemns the Attack on AMISOM Peacekeepers by Insurgents Resulting in the Death Of 2 Peacekeepers

The African Union deeply regrets the death of two peacekeepers and another seven injured members as a result of unprovoked insurgent attack on their positions in Mogadishu
The African Union unequivocally condemns this cowardly and barbaric act and reiterates that these acts will neither weaken the serious efforts to implement the Djibouti Agreement nor deter the African Union, the People of Somalia and the United Nations in their determination and commitment to intensify efforts towards national reconciliation peace and stability as concluded in Djibouti.
The African Union therefore calls on all peace loving nations to consider any threat to AMISOM as threats to international peace and security. The Commission therefore calls on the international community to collectively join in condemning all acts of aggression and terrorism against AMISON and to continue to provide AMISOM with the necessary morale and logistic support to finding a lasting peace in Somalia

Addis Ababa, 15 September 2008

Uganda Government News: Uganda to deploy fresh troops in Somalia

The Uganda People’s Defence forces says it has finalised training of a new force to take up peace keeping duties in strife torn Somalia. The Spokesperson for the UPDF, Maj. Paddy Ankunda says the new force will replace the current 1,600 UPDF troops currently doing peace keeping duties in Somalia. Maj. Ankunda says UN peace keeping regulations require that a peace keeping force in operation be withdrawn after six months, and replaced by another peace keeping force.He says Uganda delayed to change the peace keeping troops who begun their duties early last year because of the dire insecurity in Somalia as well as logistical challenges.Ankunda says the new peace keeping comprising of 1,600 peace keeping troops has been well trained and is ready for deployment next month in October.Uganda was the first country to send peace keeping troops to Somalia and the AMISON (African Union led Peace keeping mission) with 1,600 troops sent there early 2007. Burundi recently deployed 800 peace keeping troops to boost UPDF efforts in Somali but other countries which committed themselves to send peace keeping troops to Somalia are still reluctant to do so.Somalia is witnessing an extended crisis due to fighting between the different faction of islamists and tribal leaders. The peace keeping troops are expected to pacify the north-east African country until the interim government of Somalia is able to take charge.

Somali Islamist fighters kill Ugandan peacekeeper

Somalia - Somali Islamist fighters killed a Ugandan peacekeeper and wounded two others on in the capital Mogadishu on Sunday, a spokesman for the African Union force said.
It was the latest in a series of attacks the strengthening insurgency over the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Barigye Bahoku said troops were fired on from the rooftop of an apartment building during a routine patrol near the airport. more http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25472082/.

4 AU Peacekeepers Killed in Mogadishu by al shabaab today

Four Africa Union peacekeeping soldiers were killed Monday in a roadside bomb attack in the south of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia,An eyewitness sys that AMISOM soldiers have been onboard a vehicle when the roadside bomb went off that caused huge destruction on their vehicle. Four other soldiers wounded in the explosion.Another eyewitness says the bomb went off underneath of AMISOM convoy vehicles from the airport that was passing in Hamarjajab. "The vehicle upended when the bomb hit" he said. The AU currently has some 2,600 peacekeepers deployed in the lawless Horn of Africa nation, a contingent that falls far short of the 8,000 soldiers pledged by the continental body in 2006.Uganda was the first country to contribute troops and Burundi dispatched its own forces earlier this year.

Bomb kills another Ugandan peacekeeper in Somalia

http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN548986.html

Two Ugandan Peacekeepers Killed in Somalia

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-09-15-voa51.cfm

Top AL SHABAAB LEADERS visits kismayu

AL SHABAAB leaders Terrorist who are based in Asmara, Eritrea, today arrived in Kismaayo, Lower Jubba [southern Somalia]. The delegation led by Terrorist Hasan Mahdi, who is the spokesman of the Terrorist shabaab group based in Asmara, said "We came to see the mujahidin. The al shabaab have had some differences, so the main reason of our trip is to reconcile them and double the jihadist effort [words indistinct]; that was the main reason for our trip" He said.
"We are in Kismayo, but also planning to go Dhoblai. We are currently with the al shabaab Terrorist in Kismayo, who welcomed us. We are hoping to visit all the regions where is Terrorist under way" He added.It has been reported that a meeting has been held in Jalalaqsi and in Jowhar to resolve the rows between the Asmara-based al shabaab Terrorist faction and the Djibouti-based one icu . Nothing has been resolved. As you know, after the meeting, the points we agreed on were violated even before we arrived in Asmara. Therefore, the decisions reached during that meeting have been annulled. We resolved some things, among them continued fighting, but the meeting was not primarily aimed at reconciliation the two groups. Terrorist Mahdi said ..I believe that the groups here are not divided as they appear to be united; all of the Terrorist are fighting together.

Powerful explosion targets AMISOM troops in Mogadishu

A Ugandan AMISOM soldiers shave came under a bombing Sunday morning that destroyed the street they were passing between the international airport and Km4 in Mogadishu shortly after they stepped out, the eyewitnesses said. The troops opened fire immediately after the explosion was heard. Losses sustained in the explosion targeting AMISOM troops .No comments could be reached from AMISOM troops regarding that incident.The AU, which currently has some 2,600 peacekeepers deployed in the lawless Horn of Africa nation; those specifically based unambiguous locations in Mogadishu.

Al- Shabab group ordered a closure of the Mogadishu airport starting 16 September

Presenter] A press release issued today by the [Islamist] Al- Shabab group ordered a closure of the Mogadishu airport starting Ibrahim Mohamed Adan has the details. 9-16-2008
[Adan] In a press statement issued to media organizations, Al- Shabab said investigations into operations of the Mogadishu airport had revealed that the airport is being used as base by enemy troops from Uganda and militias of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia [TFG]. The Al-Shabab said the airport is also being used to ferry AMISOM [African Union Mission in Somalia] troops from Uganda, Burundi and other countries. Al-Shabab also said the airport is being used to transport foreign soldiers injured or killed in fighting in Mogadishu and southern Somalia.

Al-Shabab further said that income generated from the Mogadishu airport is being managed by the head of Ethiopian troops in Somalia and used to fund the Ethiopian troops in the country.
Al-Shabab added that the airport is also being used by American and Israeli intelligence officers and, based on these findings, the Mogadishu airport is will remain closed starting next Tuesday the 16 of Ramadhan 1429 [16 September 2008]. Al-Shabab said from then on, all planes landing at the Mogadishu airport will be viewed as working for foreign troops in the country. Al-Shabab said the ban comes in effect on Tuesday midnight [2100 gmt].

The Mogadishu airport, which was closed for more than 10 years after the collapse of the central government in 1991, The airport was once again closed by former Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Gedi from Baydhabo, Bay Region, when fighting broke out between the UIC and the TFG, which was backed by Ethiopian troops. The airport was attacked by Ethiopian fighter jets and its operations halted. The airport was reopened after the TFG took control of Mogadishu.
The Mogadishu airport is used by commercial and cargo airlines. The airport is also used by government officials and officials of AU troops in Somalia.

Why Pirates Thrive And Cannot Be Defeated

The Transitional National Government (TNG), and its Ethiopian allies are still trying to work out political and economic agreements. While the TNG represents the majority of Somalis (or at least according to population controlled by clans and warlords), the smaller number of groups allied with the religious radicals of the Islamic Courts are more disciplined and militarily effective. But the Islamic groups are not powerful enough to dominate and rule the majority. The natural state of Somalia, over the last few centuries, has been violent anarchy. For the last century, however, order was imposed, first by colonial governments, and then by post-colonial dictators. But Somali dictators have been unable to maintain their rule over the entire region known as "Somalia." A government of sorts was always found in some of the coastal towns, which enabled trade with the outside world. But this has been threatened by the recent growth of piracy. Some warlords are taking over coastal villages and running piracy operations from them. This is possible because of the current anarchy. In the past, piracy was suppressed by foreign navies destroying the towns of villages the pirates used as bases. This is no longer politically acceptable, and no one is yet willing to send troops ashore to fight the warlords who created and maintain the pirate operations. The nations with the military forces able to go into Somalia (like the U.S., Britain and France) are well aware of the region's history, and the willingness of the Somalis to just keep fighting. The availability of speedboats, satellite radio and GPS have made it possible to conduct piracy deep into the Straits of Aden (a major choke point for international shipping). Many nations are sending warships to try and control the pirates at sea, without going ashore. This will be expensive, but is believed to be ultimately less expensive than skyrocketing insurance rates for ships. At least someone is trying to do something about the growing pirate activity off Somalia's north coast. As the risk of ships getting seized in the Gulf of Aden passes one percent, the maritime insurance companies have raised premiums (covering passage through the 1,500 kilometer Straits of Aden) from an average of $900 to $9,000. That's expected to go higher because, when you do the math, you realize that the current increase does not quite cover the million dollars per ship ransom (which is also going up.) The insurance increase has made certain that all ships moving through the area are aware of the pirate risk, and more ships are alert enough to spot and speed away from the pirates. Most ships moving through the Straits of Aden have a top speed in excess of what the pirate speedboats can achieve. But the larger ships take time to reach their top speed, and the trick is to rev the engines of the larger ship soon enough to get away from the approaching pirate speedboats. This requires posting more lookouts (because the speedboats are low enough in the water to not show up well, if at all, on the navigation radar of larger ships). The pirates will continue to go after the ships that they can catch, and these will tend to be the smaller and slower ones from poor (often Moslem) nations. That could have interesting repercussions.
September 8, 2008: An American warship caught 14 Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, arrested them and destroyed their boats. Inside Somalia, the group that seized a Canadian journalist last month, are demanding a $2.5 million ransom for her release.
September 5, 2008: Ten ships have been hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden during the last two months.
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/somalia/articles/20080912.aspx

French fisherman attacked with grenades off Somali coast

Paris - French fisherman in the Indian Ocean called Sunday for a French naval presence after an attack on a fishing boat by Somali pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades. The tuna fishing vessel Drennec was attacked by pirates Saturday in a high speed boat in an attempt to board the ship. The vessel, crewed by mostly French and Spanish fishermen, managed to escape the pirates and curtailed its fishing activities to head to the Seychelles, the ship\'s captain said. Piracy along the Somali coast has been a continual problem along Somali, which has been plagued by chaos and clan-based civil war since dictator Mohamed Siad Barres was toppled in 1991. On Wednesday last week, Somali priates hijacked a South Korean cargo whip with 21 crew on board, while a German freighter was released Thrusday after being seized last month. 'Paris - French fisherman in the Indian Ocean called Sunday for a French naval presence after an attack on a fishing boat by Somali pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades. The tuna fishing vessel Drennec was attacked by pirates Saturday in a high speed boat in an attempt to board the ship. The vessel, crewed by mostly French and Spanish fishermen, managed to escape the pirates and curtailed its fishing activities to head to the Seychelles, the ship's captain said. Piracy along the Somali coast has been a continual problem along Somali, which has been plagued by chaos and clan-based civil war since dictator Mohamed Siad Barres was toppled in 1991. On Wednesday last week, Somali priates hijacked a South Korean cargo whip with 21 crew on board, while a German freighter was released Thrusday after being seized last month.

EU mulling military action to tackle Somalia pirates

15 September 2008, (BRUSSELS) - European foreign ministers on Monday agreed to set up a "coordination unit" to help tackle the growing problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia, with the possibility of an EU naval mission in future.The 27 EU ministers stressed their concern at the "acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast" and decided "to establish, in the next few days, a coordination unit in Brussels with the task of supporting the surveillance and protection activities carried out by some member states" off the coast.The ministers, meeting in Brussels, also approved a "strategic military option for a possible European Union naval operation," in the area. more.. http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1221480126.19o.

Hong Kong ship with 22 crew hijacked near Somalia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Armed pirates hijacked a Hong Kong chemical tanker with 22 crew members in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia — the 12th ship seized in the waterway in the past two months, a maritime official said Tuesday.
The tanker was en route to Asia and sailing in a maritime security corridor patrolled by an international naval force when it was attacked Monday, said Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau more..http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/16/asia/AS-Malaysia-Somalia-Piracy.php

French hostages held by Somali pirates freed by French army

Agence France-Presse 09/16/2008 12:40 PM

PARIS - A French couple held hostage by Somali pirates for two weeks have been freed by the French army in an operation in which one pirate was killed, the Elysee presidential palace announced Tuesday."One pirate was killed and six others were captured" during the special forces operation late Monday ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy, a statement said.
"The president is happy with the success of this operation" and sent "warm congratulations" to the troops who took part, it said. more..http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/world/09/16/08/french-hostages-held-somali-pirates-freed-french-army

al shabaab insurgents claim responsibility for mortar attack on Ethiopian base

APA-Mogadishu (Somalia) Al Shabab Terrorist, one of the most powerful Islamist insurgents in Somalia on Saturday morning claimed responsibility for a mortar attack on the main Ethiopian military base in Baidoa on Friday night. “Praise be to Allah, we have killed more enemy soldiers last night when our Mujahideen fired mortars on their camp in Baidoa” Al Shabab spokesman Terrorist Muqtar Robow Ali, better known as Abu Mansuur told APA on Saturday morning. “We have fired eight mortars inside the former factory of Hassey currently being used as a military base by the invading Ethiopians,”“Baidoa is the transitional seat of the Somali federal parliament and it has recently been experiencing Mogadishu-style attacks and targeted assassinations. Abdi Fitaah Ibraahim Geesey, the governor of Bay region where Baidoa is the provincial capital condemned the targeted killings and hit and run attacks in the town. “Insecurity is developing in Baidoa nowadays and we vehemently denounce the brutal killings against government officials, explosions and also the attacks on both our soldiers and those who came to help us, such as that of last night,” he told reporters on Saturday, pledging that his administration will tackle the insecurity.Meanwhile, Ethiopian soldiers based in Beledweyn, the capital of Hiiraan Region in central Somalia have moved their base towards the eastern outskirts of the town.“Last night the Ethiopian forces went out of the town and returned to their former base just five kilometres east of Beledweyn,” Jamal Ali, a resident in the town told APA. Al shabaab Insurgents Terrorist belonging to the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia re-occupied the town onSaturday morning.“Our Islamic forces are now controlling the city and we will impose the Islamic Sharia law” Terrorist Abdi Rahiin Isse Addow, spokesman for the Islamic Courts fighters told APA

After the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) was driven from power in Somalia by Ethiopian troops with TFG army with jubbaland army , al shabaab are Opening Up today new terrorist training camp "Kismayu " now under The al-Shabaab rebel group , and the radical Islamists have regrouped in kismayu , have increased their ability to strike across the country, and are more formally allied with al Qaeda than in the past., a group recently designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist entity. The State Department statement on the designation said the following:Al-Shabaab is a violent and brutal extremist group with a number of individuals affiliated with al-Qaida. Many of its senior leaders are believed to have trained and fought with al-Qaida in Afghanistan.Al-Shabaab has used intimidation and violence to undermine the Somali government and threatened civil society activists working to bring about peace through political dialogue and reconciliation.

more troops arrive in terror Heartland

In the early hours of Tuesday morning a company of Ethiopian troops who were fully militarily equipped have entered Baladweyn town the headquarters of Hiran region in central Somalia, and positioned themselves at Holwadag a section of Baladweyn town. These troops are newcomers who have crossed from the border town of Feer Feer. When they entered Baladweyn town they straightaway went towards Holwadag section and immediately dug trenches in the area, and the burden of these new Ethiopian troops was felt in the entire of Baladweyn town. It was early yesterday morning when heavy confrontation took place the Ethiopian troops and the Islamists. Like some other Centeral State in Somalia. Baladweyn (hiran) is Terror Heartland

mostly Hawiye.Terrorist Insurgents Attack African Union Troops

Somali al shabaab Terrorist insurgents and the AU troops exchanged fire at Km 4, where Ugandan peacekeepers have a unit. According to residents in the neighbouring Hodon, Waberi and Madina districts, shots were heard just before Daku, the late supper had by Muslims during the fasting season.A nearby mosque was also destroyed by the gunfire.The Amisom spokesman, Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku, stated that the attack took place after 3:00am"We repulsed the attackers and sustained no casualties. We are alert," he added.According to residents, four civilians sustained injuries although Maj. Ba-Hoku could not ascertain whether they were insurgents or civilian victims caught in crossfire.The Amisom spokesman also expressed surprise that the insurgents could attack the peacekeepers during Ramathan, a Muslim fasting season, where peace is emphasised.Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group fighting the Transitional Federal Government and its allies claimed responsibility through its website.On August 14, Amison soldiers came under attack from insurgents as they carried out a demining operation near Mogadishu airport.
one Ugandan peacekeeper was killed in the attack. Perhaps the most fatal attack on the peacekeepers was on May 16, 2007, when Amisom troops on patrol in Mogadishu came under insurgents' fire, leaving four Ugandan peacekeepers dead and six others injured.

Security forces on high alert in Somalia capital to secure airport

APA-Mogadishu (Somalia) The Somali military and police forces have been put on high alert to defend Mogadishu’s Aden Ade airport from Islamist threats to close it down, as the deadline set by Alshabab for the closure of the airport expired last night.
Hundreds of heavily armed police and soldiers were deployed early on Tuesday morning along all roads leading to the airport. more ..http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=75457

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, fierce critic of Islam, makes surprise appearance at Cleveland book awards

CLEVELAND -- A controversial critic of Islam whisked into Cleveland Thursday night under heavy security, made a surprise appearance at the end of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony, and disappeared under the protection of armed guards.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a feminist detractor of Islam and a former member of the Dutch Parliament, is lauded in some quarters and lambasted in others for rejecting her Muslim heritage and condemning the religion's treatment of women.
She escaped childhood beatings, an arranged marriage to a stranger and extremists who killed her documentary-film collaborator, Theo van Gogh, in Amsterdam in 2004.
When poet Rita Dove made the introduction at the Anisfield-Wolf ceremony, she compared the 38-year-old Hirsi Ali to the abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Ronn Richard, executive director of the Cleveland Foundation, more .http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/09/ayaan_hirsi_ali_fierce_critic.html

Muslims shall celebrate New Year, Ramadan in Peace

Addis Ababa, September (Addis Ababa) - The Muslim community shall celebrate the New Year and the Ramadan -the fasting month coincided in a peaceful and stable manner, the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council said. Council’s Vice President Sheik Elias Redman made the statement in a message he delivered in connection with the Ethiopian New Year.
Sheik Elias said the Muslim community should ensure peaces since it is indispensable.
Peace, national consensus, prevention of corruption and instill new thinking among the youth are essential elements to prosper the country. He urged the public to be committed in fighting poverty. He wishes for the Muslim community the Ramadan and the New Year a time of growth and prosperity.

International Community Must Act to save Somalia says Kibaki

President Mwai Kibaki has urged the international community to intervene to avert further degeneration of the current situation in Somalia.
Speaking Wednesday during the official opening of the Association of Military Christian Fellowship Africa Golden Jubilee Conference at Safari Park Hotel, President Kibaki urged the international community to fulfill the pledges they made to avail necessary resources to secure peace in the war ravaged country.
President Kibaki noted the many challenges that the transitional government is undergoing and called for the deployment of international peacekeepers to restore peace in the country.http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=52417

Islamic Emirate of Somalia imminent as Shabaab races to consolidate power

Leaders of Shabaab, the Young Mujahideen Movement in Somalia, stated Friday that the group is preparing for the establishment of an Islamic Emirate and that an announcement is expected within days. The statement came as the group consolidated power in the Lower Juba region, which borders Kenya, and formed a sharia-based administration in Kismayo.Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, who is also known as Abu Mansur, and top leader Sheikh Fuad Mohamed Qalaf told a Paltalk forum organized by the radical al Qimmah Forum that fighters "are close to uniting their ranks" and would integrate under the rule of the Islamic Emirate of Somalia. They said that the formation of the emirate is "imminent" and that an announcement would be made "very soon."Shabaab also announced on its official Web site that it set up an administration in Kismayo, Lower Juba's strategic port city. The seven-seat administration will be governed by Sheikh Abubakar Al Zeylici with three seats provided to Shabaab, three seats to the Islamic Courts, and a single seat to clan elders. Shabaab will control the offices of the District Commissioner, Information Secretary and Police Chief, while the Islamic Courts will control the offices of Finance Secretary, Head of Islamic Protocol and Chief Justice, Garowe Online reported.Although Kismayo remains calm, elders and Islamic Courts commanders who were not included in the administration voiced criticism. "Shabaab appointed its people to top posts without inviting other local people and the ICU that played a military role in taking over Kismayo," Courts commander Sheikh Ibrahim Shukri, who is also known as Abu Seynab, told AFP today. The process, he said, was "hijacked by elements who met in a small room.""The administration should include the local clans," he told Garowe Online. It is only "composed of al Shabaab and some former members of the Islamic Courts."According to the Somaliweyn Media Center, the administration in Kismayo will be broken down as follows:
Provincial Commissioner: Sheikh Abubakar Al Zeylici (Shabaab)Deputy Commissioner: Abdulqani Mohamed Yussuf (Shabaab)Head of Security: Abdurahman Ali Ahmed (Shabaab)Deputy Head of Security: Mohamed Sahal Eidle (Shabaab)Finance Secretary: Abdiweli Adan Dheriyow (Islamic Courts)Deputy Finance Secretary: Abraham Ahmed Isse (Islamic Courts)Head of Islamic Protocol: Khalid Mohamed Adan (Islamic Courts)Deputy Head of Islamic Protocol: Adurahman Ahmed Adan (Islamic Courts)Information Secretary: Sheikh Hassan Yacqub Ali (Shabaab)Deputy Information Secretary: Abdifath Abraham Ali (Shabaab more..http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/09/islamic_emirate_of_s.php

National Tribute

When our world changed forever...While the void in the New York City skyline became an ever-present reminder of loss, it also opened a space of deep courage, compassion and triumph of human spirit. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum will pay tribute to those who were killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, reflect the awe-inspiring compassion shown in the aftermath and create a place for learning about terrorism and its deep effect on today’s society.

Upcoming Events for the 7th Anniversary of 9/11

http://www.national911memorial.org/site/PageServer?pagename=involve_events

Navy foils pirates' plans

Nairobi - Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a South Korean cargo ship with 21 crew on board, but failed in an attempt to seize a Greek vessel in the Gulf of Aden, a maritime official said. "Pirates attacked a fully loaded South Korean bulk carrier en route from Europe to Asia and successfully hijacked her," Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. Piracy has surged this year in the Gulf of Aden, part of an important shipping route from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. The seizure of the South Korean vessel brings the total number of vessels being held by Somali pirates to 11. Over 150 crew members are being held hostage. more..http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2391262,00.html

Somali MP killed in provincial town: witness

MOGADISHU (AFP) - A gunman Tuesday killed an outspoken Somali lawmaker in the provincial town of Baidoa, the latest in a series of attacks in the lawless African nation, a witness and colleague said. more..http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080909/wl_africa_afp/somaliaunrestparliament

New Banadir regional ( the capital city of Mogadishu ) administration appointed

A decree from the office of the Somali president Abdullah Yussuf states that the Banadir regional administration is no longer lively, and new regional administration was appointed. This newly appointed administration will temporarily continue the job till new joint administration will be established. The spokesman of the Somali transitional federal government Abdi Haji Gobdoon has read the names of the appointed individuals before the press and are as follows 1- Abraham sheikh Muhidin - the Provincial commissioner 2-Abdikadir Walayo Mahamud- Deputy provincial commissioner 3-Hassan Mohammed Osman Hajji- Member4- Engineer Abdullah Ali- Member 5- Mohammed Abdullah Hamud member6-Engineer Mohamed Jamacc Kulmiye7- Hussein Adow Ali member8- Abdullah Abdinoor- member9-Suufi Mudey Ali-member10- Ali Moalim Noor (Ali Yare) member11-Said Jamac Ali - members12-Noor Mohamed Hussein -memberThis newly appointed administration was prohibited to be candidates in the forthcoming Banadir regional administration

Al-Qaeda marks 9-11 anniversary with video

CAIRO (AP) — Al-Qaeda marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks Monday with an hour and a half video message summarizing the state of jihad, or holy war, around the world and slamming Iran for collaborating with the United States.
In the short excerpts aired on the Arab satellite news channel Al-Jazeera, al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri accused Iran of working with U.S. forces.
"The guardian of Muslims in Tehran is cooperating with the Americans in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and recognizes the two hireling governments there," he said. more..http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-09-08-al-qaeda-video_N.htm?csp=34

Somalia: the Next Challenge

Major terrorism threat against US interests looms in Horn of Africa, according to new report.
Even the most assiduous news consumer would be hard pressed to find much mention of Somalia in discussions this election year about either foreign policy or counterterrorism. Indeed, most current attention is on Pakistan and Afghanistan as the epicenter of planning and organizing of jihadist attacks on US interests. A new report by the Washington, DC based think-tank Center for American Progress and Enough, a Brussels, Belgium based human rights group, however, argues that Somalia is fast and alarmingly becoming an incubator for a new generation of terrorists, in part due to self-defeating strategies of US counterterrorism efforts there.
The report, titled Somalia: A Country in Peril, a Foreign Policy Nightmare, is authored by Ken Menkhaus, a Davidson College professor who is regarded as one of the foremost US experts on the Horn of Africa. It portrays Somalia in a condition of rapid humanitarian, political and military meltdown. The fallout from this meltdown, Menkhaus believes, is likely to be an epidemic of Islamist extremism. Click here to see full report. more..http://hstoday.us/content/view/5062/149/

Somalia: A Country in Peril, a Policy Nightmare

http://www.enoughproject.org/somalia_report_090308

Somalia: A Country in Peril, a Policy Nightmare Wednesday, September 03 2008, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Presentation of the report written by Ken Menkhaus, former political advisor, UN Operation in Somalia; commentator Chris Albin-Lackey, Senior Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch; moderator Howard Wolpe, director, Africa Program
Video of Event
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/common/dsp_popup.cfm?media_link=AFR/AFR_20080903.wmv&title=Video%20of%20Event

terrorists using western media.. BBC interviews the FBI most-wanted man in SOMALIA terrorist Hasan Turki

THIS IS THE TODAY BBC INTERVIEWhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/somali/news/story/2008/09/080908_xasan_turki.shtml

we translate the full bbc interview in english

Kismayu somalia


al shabaab admin 'built in kismayu city.for Jihadists. Terrorist Hassan Turki ..southern Somalia has publicly endorsed a new administration for the strategic port city of Kismayo , Terrorist Hassan "Turki" Abdullahi Hersi, a key figure of al Shabaab, told the BBC Somali Service during a Monday interview that fighting between Islamist guerrillas and http://marehansade.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html mareehan clan army loyal to jibbaland state of somalia "started by accident." "A part of the jihadis started the war and we knew if we did not support them, that mp Barre [Hirale] Somalia: MP's Against Islamists Jubbaland army will kill them one by one," Turki said, adding: "Kismayo is now under Muslim control." Sheikh Turki defended the new seven-member administration, which disregarded clan sentiment and appointed as city mayor an Islamist official from the Somaliland regions, in northwestern Somalia .
"I get telephone calls with people asking me 'why did you hand over Kismayo to a man from Hargeisa' Somaliland capital," Sheikh Turki said, while defending the new Islamist-appointed administration on grounds that its "founded on Islam" and not the 4.5 clan-based, power-sharing formula, which the country's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is based on. He also addressed the dispute among members of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), which broke into two wings after ARS Chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed inked a peace pact with the TFG in June.
"I pray that the two Sheikhs Sharif in Djibouti and Aweys in Eritrea repent to Allah and return...my desire is to become the elder of al Shabaab jihadis," Terrorist Turki said.
"We will defend ourselves against hirale jubbaland army and TFG Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf and everyone and the Ethiopians and we will teach them a lesson," he said, while promising to "continue the jihad."
In March, the U.S. government designated al Shabaab a terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, there have been two fatal shootings inside Kismayo since Sunday, including a local businessman who was shot and killed in public.
In both cases, the killers escaped but the Islamists'


one of the The most Dangerous man Sheikh Hassan Turki Video
Terrorism and Security Monitor
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dB2mnoXLoec&feature=related

BBC Somali Section

BBC Somali Section, like everything else in our world, is constantly changing. What was once strict ethic of the BBC may be considered as non ethic now.It is unfortunate that the internationally accredited BBC is still accommodating a Somali and permitted him to use the only source of information and news of the Somali people, for his sinister and criminal advocating propaganda internationally. Terrorist Yusuf Garad is a Somali who is t jehadist to be removed like all others were disgracefully chased away from their strong forts. Terrorist Yusuf Garad is using a distant fort called BBC Bush House, where he devours irrationally all news that doesn’t match his wishes. He immorally disregards all information and news that does not serve his purpose, which is clannish in one time, hate propagating and supporting certain factions against others on the other hand. Last year during the time when the extremist Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) controlled many regions of Somalia including the Mogadishu, the capital city; Terrorist Yusuf Garad blatantly sided with his uncle Terrorist Hassan Dahir Aweys who was the Head of the Shura of UIC. He over publicized the UIC out of proportion.Yusuf Garad deliberately publicizes all negative propaganda against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its efforts to bring about a peaceful reconciliation. The reason is simple and clannish; because Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed is from a different clan. Similarly,one of the The most Dangerous man Yusuf Garad undermined and diluted almost all the positive and reconcilable endeavors of the TFG. He shamefully calls and holds international telephone conferences, by inviting, from around the world, certain elements of the Somali society who share his morbid opinion and casts through the BBC Somali service. He uses the BBC Somali service as a vehicle and tool to proliferate his jehadist religious and political believes.



we talk a bout voa in 1-12-2008
Problems in the VOA-Somali Service http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/problems_in_the_voasomali_serv.html

hawiye Terrorist ". ask for $2.5M .demanded for release of Canadian journalist kidnapped in Somalia

CALGARY - Kidnappers holding an Alberta journalist in Somalia have demanded a $2.5-million US ransom in exchange for her release, a local chief in contact with the abductors said Sunday.
Dahir Farah has been participating in negotiations to free Amanda Lindhout - a 27-year-old journalist from Sylvan Lake, Atla. working out of Baghdad - Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan and their Somali fixer, who were all abducted on August 23. The three were on the road between the capital Mogadishu and Afgoye, when they were kidnapped at gunpoint.
"The kidnappers demanded $2.5 million (US) and we are trying to secure their release," Farah said. more..http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=d5f37e3a-fae7-41aa-8c99-0addfb5f23c7

2 more aid workers kidnapped in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Unidentified gunmen kidnapped two Somali employees of the U.N.'s World Food Program Sunday, a Mogadishu-based member of the organization said, bringing to 20 the number of humanitarian workers kidnapped this year.more http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080914/ap_on_re_af/somalia