Amistad

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Everything posted by Amistad

  1. You are simply blinded by the fact you want recognition in SL, and you feel SL deserves it. Understood. But can you tell me why, after twenty years, not one State wants to recognize SL? It has nothing to do with US interests, it has to do with Somali interests as a whole.
  2. Originally posted by Jacaylbaro: quote:Originally posted by Amistad: you dont think the SSC Revolutionaries are aligned with Atams Shabab? If its not done already, I see it as inevitable. I know it is done already but there is no unity between them so far ..... Atam is not only a terrorist but also a well-known arms dealer. I know my friend, thanks for the report. And I dont think you can confirm anyones unity there? Rebellious groups have a history of seeking out EASY supporters and a means to an end. Who is easiest for the SSC boys to engage? Mr Atam perhaps?
  3. RedSea said = "And I do also believe that AS when not being hindered by few opportunist in its midst, is capable to bringing governance to Somalia as they have done in Kismaayo, Merka, Baydhabo and Jawhar". Wow, why not let them run your town then Ehh?
  4. you dont think the SSC Revolutionaries are aligned with Atams Shabab? If its not done already, I see it as inevitable.
  5. Gee, JB, I dunno know. Are you a person of Somali decent...I guess that would include you. Whats the matter, question waaay to simple for ya? The more you digress into being an ***** the sillier you look.
  6. Originally posted by Jacaylbaro: Am I not the people ?? ,,, according to you No, you are Somalilander...
  7. JB what would you do tomorrow if you woke up and discovered that SL & PL government and people were uniting as one?
  8. "If the TFG cant do anything about the SSC issue and from what it seems they still cant do much with the issue of alshabab. Then, I would say we need a proper government that can tack the issues that are rising in Somalia and who has the capability to maintain the somali unity". As you already know the TFG will never be able to fix the Somalia unity problem without politically engaging lower to mid level Shabab members. Think about that for a minute though. How does the TFG physically engage in conversation with these members of Shabab? Inviting them over to the Presidential Villa? No, they need to establish some type of forum first, and then start inviting them over for discussions. This raises the hair raising question on the western front of how the TFG engages in discussions with terrorist elements? It is fine and one thing for the west to sit back and say "The TFG needs to have discussions to fracture and splinter Shabab folks" while there is really no physical way to accomplish that right now.
  9. Good job, of course, goes without saying. These troublemakers as you say should be labeled as more than that though, they should be labeled as potential killers. Those devices have the potency to kill people and the folks that are planting them should go to jail for a very, very long time. Label them as Enemy Combatants to the State, not troublemakers.
  10. You answered your own question in some ways, and a better question would be, how can the TFG stop Somaliland from taking over regions that are part of Somalia? The reality is they cant, and neither can the SSC revolution. They are no match against a professional Army, unless they plan on going Guerrilla/Terror mode. It appears that the SSC only want a voice somewhere and representation & recognition in political circles. Fine, the TFG should be that vehicle but if they can not, then it does not necessarily warrant a call to arms , needless fighting and dying for something they can not and will not win in the end anyway. Wanting to make a military stand for what you believe in is one thing if not Noble, making it a reality is something completely different and done hastily and without careful planning & backing is a waste of lives, time and resources. In the end they will lose alot of fine boys, and would have wasted alot of Schillings on weapons and fighting. If they were smart they would pool that money better spent on politicking and negotiations before fighting. In reality this whole things sounds to me as a platform (read excuse) for secretly aligning themselves with Shabab elements in the south to forward their own agendas.
  11. I can relate to what you are saying, I am a firm believer that Somali unity should happen for everyones sake, but you can not do that halfway, it has to be a total commitment from all sides. Ive always made my stance clear here that SL & PL should think about inviting the TFG and combine resources together to fight a common enemy of the Somali people in a power sharing deal, that would benefit the people as a whole. It would be a smart move that defies most Somali logic for some reason. Fiefdom-ism. This weak SSC group represents one thing only.... their own demise. They are not a force to be reckoned with and are their own worse enemy. If SSC really stands for Somali unity they should take their message to the TFG or wherever they can have their voices heard via a Parliamentarian voice and try to really stand for something other than clan politics.
  12. "a young fighting force where discipline is an ongoing problem" ...AK-47 discharges in the background and the kids start running around. Wow, from the looks of that group, I think they should try harder to pursue diplomacy if possible, cause they dont stand a chance.
  13. unsophisticated mini IEDs buried just deep enough to blow someones leg or foot off... almost looks more like a scare tactic than actual explosive device.
  14. Somali Militant Group Built Training Camps By WILL CONNORS in Kampala, Uganda, SIOBHAN GORMAN in Washington, D.C., and SARAH CHILDRESS The terror group behind last weekend's deadly Uganda blasts recruited a local man to coordinate the attacks and received funds from al Qaeda, say investigators, as it extends its reach beyond lawless Somalia. Al Shabaab, the Somalia-based group that has claimed responsibility for July 11's triple suicide blasts that killed 76 people in Uganda's capital, Kampala, has in recent months built up Pakistan-style terror training camps. One top leader, Sheikh Muktar Robow, has helped to transform the group from a local insurgency into a global jihadist organization modeled on, and swearing allegiance to, al Qaeda. Bombings Show Support for al Qaeda View Slideshow Dominic Nahr/Magnum Photos for The Wall Street Journal A private security officer checked customers entering a phone shop in one of the main malls in Kampala. More photos and interactive graphics That picture of the group, and its development under Mr. Robow, emerged from interviews with Ugandan, Kenyan and U.S. investigators; current and former U.S. intelligence officials; and Somalis, including a member of the militant group. A U.S. intelligence official said information gleaned from militant communications shows links between al Shabaab and al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan and Yemen. U.S. officials also see evidence of overlap in training and membership and say their working assumption is that al Shabaab has several hundred core members, similar to the numbers in al Qaeda in Pakistan and in al Qaeda's Yemeni outpost. Intelligence officials say they believe al Qaeda is using the Somali group as a symbiotic host body, allowing its operatives access to other African countries. "As much as we're looking at al Shabaab, they are riding on the back of a more experienced player," said Col. Herbert Mbonye, the director of counterterrorism for Uganda's military intelligence body. That relationship has raised red flags at U.S. intelligence agencies. In the past 18 months, militant training camps have emerged in Somalia similar to those that developed in Pakistan's tribal areas, a U.S. intelligence official said. Intelligence officials are now following about two dozen individuals from the U.S. and other Western countries who may have been affiliated with al Shabaab, or gone through these camps. "It's quite an alarming story," the U.S. intelligence official said. Al Shabaab's relationship with al Qaeda appears to have been cultivated in part by Mr. Robow, a top commander. Also known as Abu Mansur, he is among the U.S. government's most wanted terrorists. Mr. Robow offered a warning of sorts ahead of Sunday's blasts, which hit a restaurant and a sports club where people had gathered to watch the final match of the World Cup. Speaking during a public address at Friday prayers earlier this month, Mr. Robow called for attacks against countries that had sent some 6,000 troops under African Union auspices to support the Somali government's offensive against al Shabaab. "We tell the Muslim youths and Mujahedeen, wherever they are in the Muslim world, to attack, explode and burn the embassies of Burundi and Uganda," Mr. Robow said, according to local media reports. Mr. Robow grew up in southern Mogadishu as a devoted student of the Quran, according to public speeches he has made. He studied law at the University of Khartoum in Sudan, and then returned to Mogadishu to teach Arabic for several years. He is about 40, U.S. officials believe, based on a birth date on an Eritrean passport he used. In 2000, Mr. Robow traveled to Afghanistan to train with the Taliban and al Qaeda, which used the strife-torn South Asian country to plot the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. In Afghanistan, Mr. Robow learned to fight, fire a sniper rifle and conceal roadside bombs, an al Shabaab official in Somalia said. He stayed less than a year, leaving before U.S.-led forces swept into Afghanistan. Back in Somalia, Mr. Robow became a member of the Union of Islamic Courts, which aimed to establish strict Shariah law in the country, which had been largely lawless for a decade. The group came to power in 2006. Mr. Robow helped to establish an Islamist government and founded al Shabaab, a youth brigade that would serve as the union's armed wing. The Islamist government soon collapsed. Al Shabaab endured. Mr. Robow, a skilled orator, became an al Shabaab spokesman and eventually deputy commander. Al Shabaab, which controls vast territory in Somalia, has been engaged in a running battle with Somalia's transitional federal government. The group has pinned the government to a strip of the capital, Mogadishu, and largely prevented officials and parliament from meeting. Beyond his ambition to overthrow Somalia's government, Mr. Robow has advocated linking the group's ambitions to global jihad. Through media interviews and in videos posted online, he sought to attract fighters in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Iraq, largely because foreign recruits could replenish al Shabaab's ranks and aid its finances. In a 2008 interview, he lamented that there "are not enough non-Somali brothers." The same year, the U.S. Treasury Department declared al Shabaab a terrorist group and named Mr. Robow its "spiritual leader." Mr. Robow later released a statement saying the group was "honored" to be included on the list but expressed disappointment al Shabaab wasn't ranked higher. Senior U.S. administration officials said some foreign fighters who answered Mr. Robow's calls—some of whom have "close links" with al Qaeda—came with experience, funding and the agenda of establishing Somalia as a base from which to attack Western targets. The foreigners also brought new tactics. Roadside bombs and suicide blasts, once unheard-of in Somalia, are now part of al Shabaab's armory. The group's commanders have banned dancing, mustaches and, most recently, watching World Cup games on television. Fighters punish offenders with floggings or public amputations. On Wednesday, armed al Shabaab fighters drove through towns in southern Somalia, blaring a warning to residents through megaphones mounted on their vehicles, according to witnesses contacted by telephone. "You must collaborate with [us] and allow your sons to fight the enemy of Allah," Abu Maryama, a senior al Shabaab official told crowds in the southwestern town of Baidoa. "If you pay no heed to this … you will be considered as another enemy and face punishment." Harsh retribution and indiscriminate deaths have sapped public support for the group, and created rifts within it. Mr. Robow has been caught between those who want to focus the insurgency in Somali—and retain a measure of popular support— and the global jihadists who don't care about local backing, according the al Shabaab colleague. Mr. Robow, a Somali who has long opposed foreign intervention in his country, may not be considered radical enough for the new agenda, according to a recent report by the International Crisis Group, a Brussels based think tank.In the Uganda attack, the group's two factions apparently found middle ground. The blasts have presented U.S. officials with a quandary. They see a need to step up support and involvement in the region, but they haven't determined the best course. "Violence always breeds urgency," the U.S. intelligence official said. "The question is: What [to do]?"The U.S. has been tracking al Shabaab and al Qaeda in Somalia for years, officials say. The Central Intelligence Agency works with military special forces units to collect intelligence and pinpoint targets, a former senior intelligence official said. The U.S. also works closely with the Ethiopian and Kenyan governments on counterterrorism operations. Those efforts have grown in recent years as U.S. officials discovered as many as 20 Americans from Minnesota making their way to Somalia, including one who was determined to have been among five suicide bombers in an October 2008 attack in northern Somalia. The intelligence-gathering paid off last year when U.S. Special Forces killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a top operative linked to both al Qaeda and al Shabaab who was believed to be linked to 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. But U.S. Special Forces units and intelligence officials have been grappling with a broader response to the growing terror threat from Somalia. Calling in airstrikes could fuel retaliatory measures against a weak Somali government. It could also stir up anti-U.S. sentiment that would advance the group's agenda, said the U.S. intelligence official. "If you strike a camp, it makes you feel good, but what do you do the next day?" the official said. "You don't effectively eliminate the threat." On Thursday, an al Shabaab leader underscored that point, delivering a message on the radio in Mogadishu congratulating what he called the Martyr Saleh Nabhan Brigade for the Kampala attacks. Intelligence agencies have warned about al Shabaab's growing ambition to attack other countries—particularly Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya—as well as the West, the U.S. intelligence official said.U.S. intelligence hadn't picked up many direct threats against Uganda, but there has been a general concern about attacks targeting countries that supply troops to A.U. forces. Investigators in Uganda say they are questioning a Ugandan man, Ali Isa Ssenkumba, who they say has confessed to helping plan the attacks. Mr. Ssenkumba, who is in his late thirties and hails from a farming community outside Kampala, told investigators he was recruited by Somali men who persuaded him that he could have success in business in Somalia, according to a Ugandan military official close to the investigation. Posing as a businessman, Mr. Ssenkumba made frequent trips to Somalia, where he attended an al Shabaab training camp, the Ugandan official said. Mr. Ssenkumba told investigators many other Ugandans are at al Shabaab's Somalia training facilities. This person says Mr. Ssenkumba become familiar with guards at the borders between Uganda and Sudan and Uganda and Kenya, and received money and coordinated logistics for roughly two dozen al Shabaab members in Uganda who are suspected of plotting the triple suicide blast. Mr. Ssenkumba said, and investigators say they separately determined, that the attack was partially funded by informal money transfers from al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Police in Kenya said they arrested Mr. Ssenkumba last week, before the attack, and handed him over to Ugandan investigators Tuesday, after the bombings. According to Nicholas Kamwende, the commanding officer of Kenya's anti-terrorism police unit, Mr. Ssenkumba walked up to an immigration officer on the Kenya-Somalia border some time before the Kampala attacks and turned himself in. "He said he didn't want to stay any longer with al Shabaab, that he wanted to go home," Mr. Kamwende said. "We didn't have anything to hold him on and we thought the Ugandans would be in a better position to exploit what he knew." Mr. Ssenkumba wasn't made available to comment and it wasn't immediately apparent whether he was represented by a lawyer. Neither Mr. Kamwende nor Ugandan officials would say whether Mr. Ssenkumba provided information before the impending attack.Ugandan officials say Mr. Ssenkumba didn't turn himself in voluntarily.
  15. Hows that been working out for ya? Not to well ehh? read it again.... I said its a START! One of their largest problems is no economy and no money (save for the Khat trade), and nobody wants to give them any. Get it? Fixing the rampant internal corruption and enhancing security invites trade and business, the life blood behind any country, terrorists or not.
  16. Yes, he is. I think he has some really good suggestions, specifically in order of what needs to happen. Number one mission in Mog should be to eliminate the government corruption of the TFG and make them accountable, including not issuing Travel Visas to any corrupt officials who resign and try to leave with the money.
  17. 1. Force the TFG to end Corruption through the forced implementation of the Liberia based modeled anti-corruption program. Governance Economic Management Assistance Plan (GEMAP) 2. Force Ethiopia to completely stop meddling in Somalia affairs. 3. Eliminate the new IGAD Agreement of sending Nation Bordering Troops to Somalia. 4. International community assists in the formation of a strong security apparatus in Somalia. would be a good start. Yes Ive been studying comments and opinions of Dr. Afyare Abdi Elmi out of Qatar Univ. Seems like a very sharp guy with some simple solutions that make sense.
  18. You are right, I didn't know that. Well lets take it a step further then. Why not form a Somalia Foreign Legion like France did? Seems the time would be right?
  19. "Warrant officer Abdullah Ibrahim Aden of the Somali army agrees, but like many others, this 28-year-old veteran of Mogadishu's street-fighting says the key to success will be the level of follow-up support he and his fellow trainees receive when they return to Somalia. "If we are trained by the European Union and they continue to care about the way we things are in Somalia, we can take control away from al-Shabaab," he says. "But if the soldiers don't get paid and they don't get food, they will take their guns and split off." from the mouthes of Babes..... so who is going to violate the UN Arms Embargo on Somalia now to give these guys more weapons?
  20. Originally posted by Jacaylbaro: AlShabaab Claimed the Responsibility ,,,,,,,,,,,, No need to point out others now ..... Yes there is... Shabab had serious Logistical internal help with this attack with a Ugandan Terror Group and you Peace-Niks cant get a grip on reality... nuff said. Maaddeey is a Shabab Supporter & Subversive, and should be Served with a Warrant and Interrogated if he lives outside the Democratic Box in a safe place he calls home.
  21. - - Very nice response. This may shock you but I have it on very good, upper echelon DoS authority that US Dept of State policy Makers and Shakers, and in writing ( I am tempted to post it here but will not) that current US DoS Policy, does not have Somalia Stabilization, Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Piracy/ High Criminal Acts responsibility in mind ...end comments. In other words, US DoS with a small budget and with no current (read Obama) forward thinking Somalia policy will not make any financial or further political obligations to the TFG. That is reality. A U.S. stance of "Constructive Engagement" is the new Coined term, which means no more Overt Weapons shipments or military, monetary help to the TFG in light of past abuses. Only Humanitarian help, which may accomplish some businessmen and community profits very slowly, but will do nothing to promote the overall economic growth of the country as a whole in the very near future. Therefore I see the AU, IGAD and AMISOM must go out on their own limb, and get this thing done on their own, whatever fashion that may be. I do not condone violent indiscriminate political shortsighted acts, but I do condone necessary force against an evil unwanted Wahhabi styled enemy the long standing Sufi culture of Somalia has no want of. I am speaking of course in a very Generality sense of politic. Northern Blood Somalis (PL-SL) political leaders should recognize this call to duty and respond in kind, to the Cancer in the south with a Call to Arms of the People which you are famous for. Meek, Argumentative & Clanish/Tribal disagreements & secessionist thinking will not make this disease in the south go away. Recognize now, that these foreign diseased al shabab miscreants are against the Northern regions as a whole. Think about combining your Forces in the North together, and Rid yourselves of the southern Cancer to heal yourselves as a Whole people. End of Rant. I really do not understand why the Northerners cant get their Sh_t together politically and militarily to rid themselves of their shared southern enemy, and live in combined and shared Peace? P-L & S-L hate Shababies right? Why the F_ck dont you combine forces to get rid of them? Ahhh right, thats to simple Ehhh? ARS, Hizbul Islam, get rid of them and their anti-Somali thinking also. Somaliland & Puntland share common enemies. Combine your resources in a smart style of new thinking and simply defeat your common enemies. Its not Rocket Science.... or cant you get your Clan & Tribal based politics together long enough to accomplish this Ends to a Means? The World Body looks at Somalis as ****** for not being able to bring the Players to the Table without so much Bloodshed.
  22. Originally posted by Sensei: Omar Jamal should likewise restrain his scolding of a fellow gov officer in the market of public opinions. Needless to say that Arman should have learnt from the recent dismissal of Gen. McCrystal. Couldnt agree more, I thought those were some very odd comments for the Somalia Envoy to the US ?
  23. The article below is a response by Omar Jamal, the First secretary of the Somali Mission to the UN, to an article by Abukar Arman, the Somali special envoy to the US,published on the Al Jazeera English website. Abukar Arman, the Somali special envoy to the US, alleges that the 15th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) Assembly of Heads of State and Government held this month in Ethiopia was a plot against Somalia. What is conspicuously absent from his article, however, is the passionate plea from the man who appointed him: Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Somali president. The president attended the session and made his plea to the entire region. He distinctly affirmed that without help, the Somali government might not be able to hold off the advance of Islamist groups on the capital. What is at stake here is the survival of the Somali government, which is now besieged by Islamists and war profiteers in Mogadishu. Arman seems to ignore the fact that the only alternative to seeking assistance from IGAD and the African Union is to let al-Shabab and its likes drag an already impoverished Somali people into more agony and suffering. The article further undermines the recent agreement between the Somali government and Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah by calling it a tool, micromanaged by the Ethiopian government. In addition to that, Arman questions the character and judgment of the recent ministerial appointees approved by the Somali president. Is he the only appointee we should all trust? A new era Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Somali president, pleaded for help [EPA] It is about time that we Somalis collectively take full responsibility for what happens in our country. We need to face facts and not attempt to shift blame for our troubles to Ethiopia or for that matter any other entities. We should all acknowledge the fact that Ethiopia has a vested interest in the region, as does Kenya and Djibouti. How each of these states and a handful of other countries exercise and pursue their interests is their own prerogative. Ethiopia is, in fact, the home of the largest Somali refugee population in the region. It has treated them with hospitality and friendship. It is about time we stop this long-held enmity against neighbouring countries and start a new era of cooperation and peaceful co-existence. Recent history has shown that Somali people have failed to disarm and sincerely seek internal peace without support from the outside. Instead Somalia is embroiled in petty differences and barbarism rooted in clan mentality. Chills run up my spine when I read the words of the Somali envoy to US. Such fractious behaviour is tantamount to an insidious and insubordinate act against the policy of the same president who appointed him. This behaviour is illustrative of the complete erosion of any sense of decency. This use of contemptuous words against the policy of the Somali government and the recent step to make the government inclusive by reaching an agreement with Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah is a breach of diplomatic code. The first and most important task for the president is to use the power vested in him by the constitution to restore good governance and the rule of law. In the future, I would recommend that the envoy voice his differences through an appropriate channel rather than in the market of public opinion. Omar Jamal is the first secretary of the Somali mission to the UN. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.
  24. I suspect in the end this is how it went down. A few Shababies traveled to Kampala with money. Not your average Somali Shababies, but foreign fighters (who they claim to loathe) with them and ones who were specifically trained by imported foreign fighters of Al Queda to teach and instruct how to construct suicide bombs of various sorts. The ADF was trained and used in a logistic capacity to purchase and gather the bomb making parts, provide safe assembly locations and identify soft targets where Ugandans and Ethiopians frequent. Shababies then claim responsibility. Ugandan ADF suspected in Kampala Bombing By MAX DELANY and GODFREY OLUKYA, Associated Press Writers Max Delany And Godfrey Olukya, Associated Press Writers – 2 hrs 24 mins ago KAMPALA, Uganda – Investigators found an unexploded suicide vest with ball bearings in a disco hall in Uganda's capital, suggesting that militants had planned a third bombing during the World Cup final, officials said Tuesday. Four foreign suspects were arrested in connection with the find. The discovery of a suicide vest in a suburb of Kampala on Monday was consistent with what was seen at the two blast sites in Kampala, said the inspector general of police, Kale Kaihura. The vest contained ball bearings, as did the bombs that exploded Sunday. Officials believe suicide bombers took part in the twin blasts during the World Cup final. "What we found here is consistent with what we found on both scenes of crime. And so this is a very significant lead in our investigation," Kaihura said. Four people were arrested in connection with the discovery of the unexploded vest, said Edward Ochom, the director of criminal investigations. He said the four were not Ugandan but would not say their nationalities. Kale hinted that Somali nationals could be among those arrested. Kaihura said a Ugandan militant group — the Allied Democratic Forces — may also have played a role in the attack. Like al-Shabab, the ADF is primarily a Muslim radical group. The death toll from Sunday's attack rose to 76, Kaihura said. Officials found a bomb vest, detonator, wires and ball bearings in a bag at the disco similar to a laptop computer bag, he said. Al-Shabab, Somalia's most dangerous militant group, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamists are calling for Uganda to withdraw their African Union peacekeeping forces from Somalia. The claim by al-Shabab, whose fighters are trained by militant veterans of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, raises the security stakes in East Africa and has broader implications globally. The group in the past has recruited Somali-Americans to carry out suicide bombings in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab, an ultra-conservative Islamic group that has drawn comparisons to the Taliban, has long threatened to attack outside of Somalia's borders, but the bombings late Sunday are the first time the group has done so. "We warned Uganda not to deploy troops to Somalia, they ignored us," said Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, al-Shabab's spokesman. "We warned them to stop massacring our people, and they ignored that. The explosions in Kampala were only a minor message to them. ... We will target them everywhere if Uganda does not withdraw from our land." Rage said a second country with peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu — Burundi — could soon face attacks. Fighting in Mogadishu between militants and Somali troops or African Union peacekeepers frequently kills civilians. The militants attacked two sites in Uganda's capital, one at an Ethiopian restaurant, the other at a rugby club where World Cup fans were watching the tournament's final at an outdoor screening.