Thursday, November 28, 2013

Somalia: We Would Rather Be Feared Than Loved

November 26, 2013: Al Shabaab is still active, having largely settled an internal power struggle and found new sources of income by more aggressive use of extortion. This is done via widespread use of terror out in the countryside. Anyone with money (businesses and large farming operations) are expected to pay or face attack (beatings, death, or taking family members as hostages). The loss of Kismayo last year was a major blow to al Shabaab finances because that port could be used to smuggle illegal goods (especially ivory) out of the country. Al Shabaab also collected fees on anything leaving or entering via Kismayo. Now al Shabaab has limited, and irregular, access to smaller ports on the coast. The sudden loss of income from Kismayo led to many desertions and the inability to make attacks. But not all of the Islamic terrorists were gone and the hard core fought each other in June and July to decide who would control the organization and what the post-collapse strategy would be. Young men were still willing to join for religious, nationalist, or financial reasons. Living off extortion and other criminal enterprises has always been popular in Somalia, where warlords who could cobble together and maintain a private army were respected. The difference this time is that al Shabaab considers itself part of an international Islamic terrorist movement (al Qaeda) and welcomes foreign recruits. Generally, foreigners are not popular in Somali culture and are looked on as source profit, not a welcome guest. These Islamic terrorist foreigners are often used for suicide attacks because they are more fanatic and not experienced fighters (and can’t speak the local languages). These foreigners boost morale among the Somali members because it indicates international support for their cause. On the down side, the terror attacks kill more civilians than peacekeepers, police, or local soldiers and makes the Islamic terrorists unpopular with most Somalis. That is not a concern with al Shabaab right now, as they would rather be feared than loved. This is especially true within the organization, where there are still many Somali men who consider themselves al Shabaab but disagree with the current leadership. Paranoia and ready recourse to violence still defines the organization, which now considers itself part of an international movement.
This year Kenyan police have arrested 10-20 (or more) young men at the Somali border each month because the non-Somali travelers were suspected of heading north to join al Shabaab. Background checks often proved this to be the case and the men are deported. Most of those stopped at the border are from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Al Shabaab continues to try and impose lifestyle restrictions, even though they do not have day-to-day control in many areas. The latest annoying edict is to ban smart phones. That’s because you can use these devices to get on the Internet and find porn. According to al Shabaab this means any picture (especially videos) of a woman showing skin. Not all, just a lot more than al Shabaab allows on the street. Previous attempts to ban cell phones in general failed because these devices are too popular but al Shabaab persists, if only because many Somalis will use their cell phones to let the security forces know what the Islamic terrorists are up to.
Kenya wants over 500,000 Somali refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp to go home as soon as possible. The UN, which runs the camp, says this could take up to ten years. Kenya is now talking about ignoring the UN and speeding up the repatriation process. The Dadaad population is a source of crime and economic disruption in northern Kenya. Islamic terrorists are known to live there and were often recruited there to begin with. Kenya already plans to force foreign aid agencies to move to Somalia, believing the refugees would be inclined to follow. About 50,000 Somali refugees have left Dadaab and gone back to Somalia this year, but even more have arrived at Dadaab from Somalia. There are over 500,000 additional Somalis in Kenya illegally, often using false documents. These will be harder to find and sent back to Somalia.
Kenyan police have identified the four Somali men for helping plan and carry out the Westgate Mall attack in September. All four of the attackers died, but police have uncovered a network of Somalis and non-Somalis in Kenya who aided the attackers and traced the movements of the four men in the months prior to the attack. The four crossed into Kenya in June and went to live in a Somali neighborhood in Nairobi. There they made their final preparations, including many visits to the mall to familiarize themselves with the place. The four days of shooting and explosions inside the mall were largely the result of incompetent leadership from the security forces. At least 67 people died in the mall and 27 remain unaccounted for.
November 21, 2013: In the central Somali town of Beledweyne, police arrested over 200 people in the wake of an al Shabaab attack on the 19th.
November 19, 2013: In Beledweyne al Shabaab attacked a police station, killing 4 policemen and 10 civilians. At least 10 of the attackers were also killed or wounded.
November 17, 2013: In the southeast (lower Shabelle region) local clan militia fought with government forces, leaving 15 dead and two dozen wounded. Many clans are hostile to any sort of central government.
November 15, 2013: The UN has authorized a temporary increase in the peacekeeper force to 22,000 troops (from the current 18,000). This would allow a more intense and persistent effort against al Shabaab. The belief is that if enough damage can be done to the Islamic terrorist organization, Somali security forces and local clan militias can deal with the al Shabaab remnants long term.
November 10, 2013: Kenya and Somalis signed an agreement whereby Somalia agreed to take back over a million ethnic Somalis in Kenya over the next three years. In return Kenya agreed not to forcibly expel Somalis during that time, as long as Somalia accepts the returnees.
In the southeast (lower Shabelle region) two al Shabaab factions fought, leaving at least 10 of the Islamic terrorists dead.
November 8, 2013: In Mogadishu a suicide car bomber attacked a hotel, leaving 5 dead and 15 wounded.
In the north (Puntland) some twenty al Shabaab men attacked a prison to free some fellow Islamic terrorists. While three prison guard and an undetermined number of attackers were killed, the breakout attempt failed.
via ,,StrategyPage

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Ex-Somali Police Commissioner General Mohamed Abshir

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner  General Mohamed Abshir

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater
Somalia army parade 1979

Sultan Kenadid

Sultan Kenadid
Sultanate of Obbia

President of the United Meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Egal of the Somali Republic,

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire
Sultanate of Warsengeli

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre
Siad Barre ( A somali Hero )

MoS Moments of Silence

MoS Moments of Silence
honor the fallen

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre  and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
Beautiful handshake

May Allah bless him and give Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan

May Allah bless him and give  Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan
Honorable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was born 1919, Ganane, — (gedo) jubbaland state of somalia ,He passed away Jan. 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) President of Somalia, from 1969-1991 He has been the great leader Somali people in Somali history, in 1975 Siad Bare, recalled the message of equality, justice, and social progress contained in the Koran, announced a new family law that gave women the right to inherit equally with men. The occasion was the twenty –seventh anniversary of the death of a national heroine, Hawa Othman Tako, who had been killed in 1948 during politbeginning in 1979 with a group of Terrorist fied army officers known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF).Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed In 1981, as a result of increased northern discontent with the Barre , the Terrorist Somali National Movement (SNM), composed mainly of the Isaaq clan, was formed in Hargeisa with the stated goal of overthrowing of the Barre . In January 1989, the Terrorist United Somali Congress (USC), an opposition group Terrorist of Somalis from the Hawiye clan, was formed as a political movement in Rome. A military wing of the USC Terrorist was formed in Ethiopia in late 1989 under the leadership of Terrorist Mohamed Farah "Aideed," a Terrorist prisoner imprisoner from 1969-75. Aideed also formed alliances with other Terrorist groups, including the SNM (ONLF) and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), an Terrorist Ogadeen sub-clan force under Terrorist Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess in the Bakool and Bay regions of Southern Somalia. , 1991By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barre’s government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barre’s effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC and SNM Terrorist advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed factions Terrorist drove Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of the central government. Barre later died in exile in Nigeria. In 1992, responding to political chaos and widespread deaths from civil strife and starvation in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched Operation Restore Hope. Led by the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), the operation was designed to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to Somalis suffering from the effects of dual catastrophes—one manmade and one natural. UNITAF was followed by the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). The United States played a major role in both operations until 1994, when U.S. forces withdrew. Warlordism, terrorism. PIRATES ,(TRIBILISM) Replaces the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration .While the terrorist threat in Somalia is real, Somalia’s rich history and cultural traditions have helped to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. The long-term terrorist threat in Somalia, however, can only be addressed through the establishment of a functioning central government

The Honourable Ronald Reagan,

When our world changed forever

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Govern­ment in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac 'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac  'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.
Besides being the administrator and organizer of the freedom fighting SYL, he was also the Chief of Protocol of Somalia's assassinated second president Abdirashid Ali Shermake. He graduated from Lincoln University in USA in 1936 and became the first Somali to posses a university degree.

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic
Somalia

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