Naagtii ganbada taabatee gacanta loo mayray Oo gelisay meeshii xumayd gabaygu soo maaha Halkaasuu ku go'ay. Waa dhammaaday. It's good that because of this thread A&T has married Buuxo

xaaji warkaan ma la hubaa? where is the source of this vote?

Is this true?

^^there is a good link of the works of both men. I will try to find it.

After the minister’s death, Galkacyo submits to the rule of law. The illiterate governor, having enjoyed whatever veneer of authority Galkacyo’s governorship afforded him, has now accepted his demotion. He even took to the airwaves invoking that cherished article of justice that says all are innocent until proven guilty. And on that account, one would be hard pressed to disagree. The president of Puntland has shown some courage for good governance, trait former leaders of the region lacked. Galkacyo’s status quo is unacceptable; the sub-clannish culture, which is a bad copy from the era of Barre regime, is untenable, and the instability in that city can no longer be ignored. I like the lyrics of Faroole play--- murti baa ka buuxda. You kill my minister, Faroole song says, and you face the wrath of my admin, not the vengeance of the minister’s clan as the conventional wisdom would have it. It was not a bluff. He put the city under a marshal law, limiting its activities. And the people complied. Yaa Salaam. That destroyed the reer Mudug myth, a caricature Faroole himself depicted during his visits abroad. Galkacyo is just another city yearning for stability and peace. Seems Faroole admin is at least trying this time. This resignation to justice, allowing the admin to act within the bounds of its politically derived power represents a ray of hope and political maturity. And if the disarmament plans of a divided city like Galkacyo are to be believed, this will represent a bold departure from how things has been, and a new beginning of how things should be. How things has been The old man used the city as a platform to showcase his military might. He had the biggest gun so those with small arrows did not threaten his power. They menace the city however. That though was a matter not to be bothered with as far as the old man was concern. Even some of his men got away with killing a sultan. Then Cadde, the General, came to power. As he paid visit to the city, Cadde faced his first test, and failed. One soldier was killed while apprehending a murderer. And the murderer was released in full view of the public. He failed to act then, and from that day on it has become the norm of the city that sub clans living in the city would take their affairs into their own hands, more or less disputing the claim of Puntland’s authority. That culture of violence killed many prominent men recently with very diverse background. And it killed the late minister. Faroole is trying to reverse it, reer Mudugh’s are cooperating, and other Somalis are watching. It's good that common sense is wining...

^^that is what you think, being able to back up your claim that is. i am sure i told you before but if it's the first day you heard that Sharif is a politician, and not a sheekh, please is fiican u qabo oo yaanan waa danbe kawada hadlin As for A&T, he wanted to flee the scene and found buuxo to be the perfect scapegoat he was so defeated

^^that is what you think, being able to back up your claim that is. i am sure i told you before but if it's the first day you heard that Sharif is a politician, and not a sheekh, please is fiican u qabo oo yaanan waa danbe kawada hadlin As for A&T, he wanted to flee the scene and found buuxo to be the perfect scapegoat he was so defeated

^^that is what you think, being able to back up your claim that is. i am sure i told you before but if it's the first day you heard that Sharif is a politician, and not a sheekh, please is fiican u qabo oo yaanan waa danbe kawada hadlin As for A&T, he wanted to flee the scene and found buuxo to be the perfect scapegoat he was so defeated

reasonable somalis are united on reviving the state and support tfg while solidifying the relative peace and political stability in the northern states. sharif has shown a political maturity when he applauded the progress of puntland, wishing her well as it's a major corner of the country he leads. he inherited a weak political arrangement based on clannish distribution, a broken security apparatus, and a widespread mistrust between Somalis in the south, and in general. the failure preceded him. the only crime he could reasonably be accused is accepting such a mess to begin with, and even that is not a crime. it's part of the leadership stuff we've been talking about alshabaab fights him, fools cheer for his besiege, while majority of somalis support and wish him well. even in Minnesota the man is popular Waryaaya galab wanaagsan

^^I only accuse you when i know i can support it with facts. Sharif is a politician, not a sheekh. He is not shariif , he is a somali from ****** clan, and never claimed to be the mufti of the state. edit: I have a question for you: have you seen your freind A&T after i defeated him?

^^I only accuse you when i know i can support it with facts. Sharif is a politician, not a sheekh. He is not shariif , he is a somali from ****** clan, and never claimed to be the mufti of the state. edit: I have a question for you: have you seen your freind A&T after i defeated him?

^^I only accuse you when i know i can support it with facts. Sharif is a politician, not a sheekh. He is not shariif , he is a somali from ****** clan, and never claimed to be the mufti of the state. edit: I have a question for you: have you seen your freind A&T after i defeated him?

Originally posted by Red Sea: People here are complete bafoons. Cheerleading is all they good at. red sea the man you hoped would be killed in two weeks after alshabaab milatery push is still alive, attracting support from abroad:

Originally posted by Red Sea: People here are complete bafoons. Cheerleading is all they good at. red sea the man you hoped would be killed in two weeks after alshabaab milatery push is still alive, attracting support from abroad:

Originally posted by Red Sea: People here are complete bafoons. Cheerleading is all they good at. red sea the man you hoped would be killed in two weeks after alshabaab milatery push is still alive, attracting support from abroad:

August 7, 2009 Clinton Offers Assurances to Somali Government By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN NAIROBI, Kenya — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with the new president of Somalia’s transitional government, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, for more than an hour on Thursday, expressing support for his fragile administration and warning Eritrea against supporting militants in the country. Speaking at a joint news conference with Sheikh Sharif, Mrs. Clinton said that his government “is the best hope we’ve had for some time,” and she reiterated the United States’ commitment to helping arm and train the government’s fledgling security services.Sheikh Sharif can use the help. His moderate Islamist government controls no more than a few city blocks in a country the size of California, with extremist Islamist groups, like the Shabab, which Washington calls a proxy for Al Qaeda, in charge of much of the rest. Mrs. Clinton said that the battle for Somalia, which has been the lawless home to Islamist extremists, terrorists, gun runners, drug smugglers, teenage gunmen and even pirates for the past 18 years, is deeply connected to American interests. “No doubt that Al Shabab wants to obtain control over Somalia and use it as a base to influence and infiltrate surrounding countries and launch attacks against countries far and near,” she said. “If Al Shabab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract Al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States.” She warned of unspecified consequences for Eritrea if it continued what she said was its support for Al Shabab and its efforts to destabilize Somalia. “It’s long past time for Eritrea to cease and desist its support for Al Shabab,” she said. “We intend to take action if they do not cease.” This is not the first time the United States has issued either the accusations or the warnings. In recent years, the Bush administration singled out Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism, and last week the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, threatened sanctions against the country if it did not cease its support of the militants. Eritrea has long denied any involvement in Somalia. Before leaving Kenya, the first stop on a seven-nation tour that will take her to South Africa, Angola, Congo and Nigeria, Mrs. Clinton visited the site where the American Embassy to Kenya was destroyed by Al Qaeda in 1998. The attack leveled several buildings in downtown Nairobi, killing more than 200 people and wounding thousands, mostly impoverished Kenyans. Many people were blinded by flying glass. Mrs. Clinton quietly laid a wreath at the foot of a plaque commemorating the people killed that day, and she told a group of Kenyan survivors, including an old blind man leaning on a cane, “We will continue to work with you.” Many victims have complained that the United States abandoned them after the attack and have been pleading for the American government to give them compensation money. One little boy stood next to Mrs. Clinton for most of her visit to the bomb site. His name was Michael Macharia, and both his parents were working in the same building that day and were killed together when the bomb exploded. Mrs. Clinton said that Michael, who is being raised by his grandparents and is now 14, was doing excellently in school and that she would tell President Obama about “his incredible character.” Michael bowed his head bashfully, and later, when asked how it felt to be recognized by the American secretary of state, said, “It’s good.” Mrs. Clinton, seeming to grow increasingly frustrated with Kenya’s leaders, toughened her message on Thursday, saying that if the Kenyan government refused to set up a tribunal to prosecute the perpetrators of last year’s election-driven bloodshed, the International Criminal Court at the Hague would get involved. “I have urged that the Kenyan government find the way forward themselves,” she said. “But if not, then the names turned over to the I.C.C. will be opened, and an investigation will begin.” In July the former United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, handed a sealed envelope with a list of prime suspects to the International Criminal Court. The court has also recently threatened to intervene if Kenyan leaders decide to continue the country’s stubborn history of impunity. The American government and Kenyan human rights groups have been pressing Kenya’s leaders to establish a local tribunal, but several of the top suspects are widely believed to be high-ranking ministers who have blocked any effort that might lead to their own prosecution. Mrs. Clinton, who said she was carrying a message directly from President Obama — “the son of Kenya,” in her words — added, “If there’s not going to be a special local tribunal that has the confidence of the people, then the people deserve to know that there is some process to hold people accountable.” More than 1,000 people were killed around the country when the disputed December 2007 presidential election set off a wave of ethnic and political fighting. Initially, much of the violence seemed like spontaneous outrage vented along ethnic lines, though later it became evident that it had been at least partly organized by local leaders and village elders, and possibly by higher authorities. The United States is not a signatory to the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, the first permanent institution authorized to try individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. While former President Bill Clinton supported joining the court, former President George W. Bush opposed it, out of concern that Americans could face politically motivated prosecutions. But Mrs. Clinton suggested that could change in the future. It is, she told a public forum at the University of Nairobi, “a great regret, but it is a fact that we are not yet a signatory. But we have supported the court and continue to do so.”

August 7, 2009 Clinton Offers Assurances to Somali Government By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN NAIROBI, Kenya — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with the new president of Somalia’s transitional government, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, for more than an hour on Thursday, expressing support for his fragile administration and warning Eritrea against supporting militants in the country. Speaking at a joint news conference with Sheikh Sharif, Mrs. Clinton said that his government “is the best hope we’ve had for some time,” and she reiterated the United States’ commitment to helping arm and train the government’s fledgling security services.Sheikh Sharif can use the help. His moderate Islamist government controls no more than a few city blocks in a country the size of California, with extremist Islamist groups, like the Shabab, which Washington calls a proxy for Al Qaeda, in charge of much of the rest. Mrs. Clinton said that the battle for Somalia, which has been the lawless home to Islamist extremists, terrorists, gun runners, drug smugglers, teenage gunmen and even pirates for the past 18 years, is deeply connected to American interests. “No doubt that Al Shabab wants to obtain control over Somalia and use it as a base to influence and infiltrate surrounding countries and launch attacks against countries far and near,” she said. “If Al Shabab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract Al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States.” She warned of unspecified consequences for Eritrea if it continued what she said was its support for Al Shabab and its efforts to destabilize Somalia. “It’s long past time for Eritrea to cease and desist its support for Al Shabab,” she said. “We intend to take action if they do not cease.” This is not the first time the United States has issued either the accusations or the warnings. In recent years, the Bush administration singled out Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism, and last week the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, threatened sanctions against the country if it did not cease its support of the militants. Eritrea has long denied any involvement in Somalia. Before leaving Kenya, the first stop on a seven-nation tour that will take her to South Africa, Angola, Congo and Nigeria, Mrs. Clinton visited the site where the American Embassy to Kenya was destroyed by Al Qaeda in 1998. The attack leveled several buildings in downtown Nairobi, killing more than 200 people and wounding thousands, mostly impoverished Kenyans. Many people were blinded by flying glass. Mrs. Clinton quietly laid a wreath at the foot of a plaque commemorating the people killed that day, and she told a group of Kenyan survivors, including an old blind man leaning on a cane, “We will continue to work with you.” Many victims have complained that the United States abandoned them after the attack and have been pleading for the American government to give them compensation money. One little boy stood next to Mrs. Clinton for most of her visit to the bomb site. His name was Michael Macharia, and both his parents were working in the same building that day and were killed together when the bomb exploded. Mrs. Clinton said that Michael, who is being raised by his grandparents and is now 14, was doing excellently in school and that she would tell President Obama about “his incredible character.” Michael bowed his head bashfully, and later, when asked how it felt to be recognized by the American secretary of state, said, “It’s good.” Mrs. Clinton, seeming to grow increasingly frustrated with Kenya’s leaders, toughened her message on Thursday, saying that if the Kenyan government refused to set up a tribunal to prosecute the perpetrators of last year’s election-driven bloodshed, the International Criminal Court at the Hague would get involved. “I have urged that the Kenyan government find the way forward themselves,” she said. “But if not, then the names turned over to the I.C.C. will be opened, and an investigation will begin.” In July the former United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, handed a sealed envelope with a list of prime suspects to the International Criminal Court. The court has also recently threatened to intervene if Kenyan leaders decide to continue the country’s stubborn history of impunity. The American government and Kenyan human rights groups have been pressing Kenya’s leaders to establish a local tribunal, but several of the top suspects are widely believed to be high-ranking ministers who have blocked any effort that might lead to their own prosecution. Mrs. Clinton, who said she was carrying a message directly from President Obama — “the son of Kenya,” in her words — added, “If there’s not going to be a special local tribunal that has the confidence of the people, then the people deserve to know that there is some process to hold people accountable.” More than 1,000 people were killed around the country when the disputed December 2007 presidential election set off a wave of ethnic and political fighting. Initially, much of the violence seemed like spontaneous outrage vented along ethnic lines, though later it became evident that it had been at least partly organized by local leaders and village elders, and possibly by higher authorities. The United States is not a signatory to the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, the first permanent institution authorized to try individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. While former President Bill Clinton supported joining the court, former President George W. Bush opposed it, out of concern that Americans could face politically motivated prosecutions. But Mrs. Clinton suggested that could change in the future. It is, she told a public forum at the University of Nairobi, “a great regret, but it is a fact that we are not yet a signatory. But we have supported the court and continue to do so.”

August 7, 2009 Clinton Offers Assurances to Somali Government By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN NAIROBI, Kenya — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with the new president of Somalia’s transitional government, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, for more than an hour on Thursday, expressing support for his fragile administration and warning Eritrea against supporting militants in the country. Speaking at a joint news conference with Sheikh Sharif, Mrs. Clinton said that his government “is the best hope we’ve had for some time,” and she reiterated the United States’ commitment to helping arm and train the government’s fledgling security services.Sheikh Sharif can use the help. His moderate Islamist government controls no more than a few city blocks in a country the size of California, with extremist Islamist groups, like the Shabab, which Washington calls a proxy for Al Qaeda, in charge of much of the rest. Mrs. Clinton said that the battle for Somalia, which has been the lawless home to Islamist extremists, terrorists, gun runners, drug smugglers, teenage gunmen and even pirates for the past 18 years, is deeply connected to American interests. “No doubt that Al Shabab wants to obtain control over Somalia and use it as a base to influence and infiltrate surrounding countries and launch attacks against countries far and near,” she said. “If Al Shabab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract Al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States.” She warned of unspecified consequences for Eritrea if it continued what she said was its support for Al Shabab and its efforts to destabilize Somalia. “It’s long past time for Eritrea to cease and desist its support for Al Shabab,” she said. “We intend to take action if they do not cease.” This is not the first time the United States has issued either the accusations or the warnings. In recent years, the Bush administration singled out Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism, and last week the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, threatened sanctions against the country if it did not cease its support of the militants. Eritrea has long denied any involvement in Somalia. Before leaving Kenya, the first stop on a seven-nation tour that will take her to South Africa, Angola, Congo and Nigeria, Mrs. Clinton visited the site where the American Embassy to Kenya was destroyed by Al Qaeda in 1998. The attack leveled several buildings in downtown Nairobi, killing more than 200 people and wounding thousands, mostly impoverished Kenyans. Many people were blinded by flying glass. Mrs. Clinton quietly laid a wreath at the foot of a plaque commemorating the people killed that day, and she told a group of Kenyan survivors, including an old blind man leaning on a cane, “We will continue to work with you.” Many victims have complained that the United States abandoned them after the attack and have been pleading for the American government to give them compensation money. One little boy stood next to Mrs. Clinton for most of her visit to the bomb site. His name was Michael Macharia, and both his parents were working in the same building that day and were killed together when the bomb exploded. Mrs. Clinton said that Michael, who is being raised by his grandparents and is now 14, was doing excellently in school and that she would tell President Obama about “his incredible character.” Michael bowed his head bashfully, and later, when asked how it felt to be recognized by the American secretary of state, said, “It’s good.” Mrs. Clinton, seeming to grow increasingly frustrated with Kenya’s leaders, toughened her message on Thursday, saying that if the Kenyan government refused to set up a tribunal to prosecute the perpetrators of last year’s election-driven bloodshed, the International Criminal Court at the Hague would get involved. “I have urged that the Kenyan government find the way forward themselves,” she said. “But if not, then the names turned over to the I.C.C. will be opened, and an investigation will begin.” In July the former United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, handed a sealed envelope with a list of prime suspects to the International Criminal Court. The court has also recently threatened to intervene if Kenyan leaders decide to continue the country’s stubborn history of impunity. The American government and Kenyan human rights groups have been pressing Kenya’s leaders to establish a local tribunal, but several of the top suspects are widely believed to be high-ranking ministers who have blocked any effort that might lead to their own prosecution. Mrs. Clinton, who said she was carrying a message directly from President Obama — “the son of Kenya,” in her words — added, “If there’s not going to be a special local tribunal that has the confidence of the people, then the people deserve to know that there is some process to hold people accountable.” More than 1,000 people were killed around the country when the disputed December 2007 presidential election set off a wave of ethnic and political fighting. Initially, much of the violence seemed like spontaneous outrage vented along ethnic lines, though later it became evident that it had been at least partly organized by local leaders and village elders, and possibly by higher authorities. The United States is not a signatory to the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, the first permanent institution authorized to try individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. While former President Bill Clinton supported joining the court, former President George W. Bush opposed it, out of concern that Americans could face politically motivated prosecutions. But Mrs. Clinton suggested that could change in the future. It is, she told a public forum at the University of Nairobi, “a great regret, but it is a fact that we are not yet a signatory. But we have supported the court and continue to do so.”

Thursday, August 06, 2009 NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged strong support for Somalia's fragile government Thursday and vowed to take action against Eritrea if it did not stop "unacceptable" interference in the country. Clinton held talks in Kenya with Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, whose administration is battling hardline Islamist militants including the al Shabaab insurgent group. "It is fair to say that President Obama and I want to expand and extend our support for the transitional federal government," she said later at a joint news conference alongside Ahmed. Western security agencies say Somalia is a haven for extremists plotting attacks in the region and beyond. Australian police said this week they had uncovered a plot to attack a Sydney army base by men they said had links to al Shabaab, which Washington says is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia. Clinton said the presence of "terrorist elements" in the turbulent country posed a threat to Africa and beyond -- and she warned neighbouring Eritrea to stop meddling in Somali affairs. "With respect to Eritrea, we are making it very clear that their actions are unacceptable ... and we intend to take action if they do not cease," she said. "It is long past time for Eritrea to cease and desist its support for al Shabaab and to start being a productive, rather than a destabilizing, factor." Eritrea routinely denies allegations of supporting rebels in Somalia. Ahmed said Eritrea still had an opportunity to "correct" its behaviour. The United States has offered military aid to his administration in recent months, including more than 40 tonnes of weapons and ammunition, as it fights al Shabaab. Clinton said Washington had given $150 million (89.2 million pounds) to Somalia over the past two years, and would provide additional funds. NO U.S. TROOPS Washington has also offered training for security forces and logistical help. Before meeting Ahmed, Clinton laid a wreath at the site of the U.S. embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998. She also met survivors of the blast that killed 218 people, and said visiting the memorial was an opportunity to renew U.S. resolve to fight against terrorism. "Certainly if al Shabaab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States," Clinton said. The Obama administration has ruled out sending U.S. forces to help Ahmed's government fight the insurgents. The last U.S. involvement in Somalia -- during the presidency of Clinton's husband Bill Clinton -- ended in shambles. Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed in a battle in Mogadishu in October 1993, marking the beginning of the eventual withdrawal of a U.S.-U.N. peacekeeping force from Somalia. Clinton said Washington supported the African Union peacekeeping force deployed in the Somali capital, and that it saw Ahmed's government as the best hope for some time for a return to stability and the possibility of progress. Ahmed was elected in January under a U.N.-brokered process that was Somalia's 15th attempt to set up a central government since 1991. "Was it a perfect election? Of course not, but the legitimacy of his election is something we want to support," Clinton told a meeting earlier at the University of Nairobi. "Our goal is to try and help create conditions of stability." Her talks with Sharif also covered a rise in piracy in Somalia's coastal waters -- vital shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe. The area has become a focus of pirates who have made off with countless millions of dollars in ransom from hijacking vessels, including U.S.-flagged ships. Pirates are expected to step up attacks on ships off Somalia's coast in the coming months as the end of the monsoon season brings better weather. Source: Reuters, Aug 06, 2009

Thursday, August 06, 2009 NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged strong support for Somalia's fragile government Thursday and vowed to take action against Eritrea if it did not stop "unacceptable" interference in the country. Clinton held talks in Kenya with Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, whose administration is battling hardline Islamist militants including the al Shabaab insurgent group. "It is fair to say that President Obama and I want to expand and extend our support for the transitional federal government," she said later at a joint news conference alongside Ahmed. Western security agencies say Somalia is a haven for extremists plotting attacks in the region and beyond. Australian police said this week they had uncovered a plot to attack a Sydney army base by men they said had links to al Shabaab, which Washington says is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia. Clinton said the presence of "terrorist elements" in the turbulent country posed a threat to Africa and beyond -- and she warned neighbouring Eritrea to stop meddling in Somali affairs. "With respect to Eritrea, we are making it very clear that their actions are unacceptable ... and we intend to take action if they do not cease," she said. "It is long past time for Eritrea to cease and desist its support for al Shabaab and to start being a productive, rather than a destabilizing, factor." Eritrea routinely denies allegations of supporting rebels in Somalia. Ahmed said Eritrea still had an opportunity to "correct" its behaviour. The United States has offered military aid to his administration in recent months, including more than 40 tonnes of weapons and ammunition, as it fights al Shabaab. Clinton said Washington had given $150 million (89.2 million pounds) to Somalia over the past two years, and would provide additional funds. NO U.S. TROOPS Washington has also offered training for security forces and logistical help. Before meeting Ahmed, Clinton laid a wreath at the site of the U.S. embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998. She also met survivors of the blast that killed 218 people, and said visiting the memorial was an opportunity to renew U.S. resolve to fight against terrorism. "Certainly if al Shabaab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States," Clinton said. The Obama administration has ruled out sending U.S. forces to help Ahmed's government fight the insurgents. The last U.S. involvement in Somalia -- during the presidency of Clinton's husband Bill Clinton -- ended in shambles. Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed in a battle in Mogadishu in October 1993, marking the beginning of the eventual withdrawal of a U.S.-U.N. peacekeeping force from Somalia. Clinton said Washington supported the African Union peacekeeping force deployed in the Somali capital, and that it saw Ahmed's government as the best hope for some time for a return to stability and the possibility of progress. Ahmed was elected in January under a U.N.-brokered process that was Somalia's 15th attempt to set up a central government since 1991. "Was it a perfect election? Of course not, but the legitimacy of his election is something we want to support," Clinton told a meeting earlier at the University of Nairobi. "Our goal is to try and help create conditions of stability." Her talks with Sharif also covered a rise in piracy in Somalia's coastal waters -- vital shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe. The area has become a focus of pirates who have made off with countless millions of dollars in ransom from hijacking vessels, including U.S.-flagged ships. Pirates are expected to step up attacks on ships off Somalia's coast in the coming months as the end of the monsoon season brings better weather. Source: Reuters, Aug 06, 2009

Thursday, August 06, 2009 NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged strong support for Somalia's fragile government Thursday and vowed to take action against Eritrea if it did not stop "unacceptable" interference in the country. Clinton held talks in Kenya with Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, whose administration is battling hardline Islamist militants including the al Shabaab insurgent group. "It is fair to say that President Obama and I want to expand and extend our support for the transitional federal government," she said later at a joint news conference alongside Ahmed. Western security agencies say Somalia is a haven for extremists plotting attacks in the region and beyond. Australian police said this week they had uncovered a plot to attack a Sydney army base by men they said had links to al Shabaab, which Washington says is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia. Clinton said the presence of "terrorist elements" in the turbulent country posed a threat to Africa and beyond -- and she warned neighbouring Eritrea to stop meddling in Somali affairs. "With respect to Eritrea, we are making it very clear that their actions are unacceptable ... and we intend to take action if they do not cease," she said. "It is long past time for Eritrea to cease and desist its support for al Shabaab and to start being a productive, rather than a destabilizing, factor." Eritrea routinely denies allegations of supporting rebels in Somalia. Ahmed said Eritrea still had an opportunity to "correct" its behaviour. The United States has offered military aid to his administration in recent months, including more than 40 tonnes of weapons and ammunition, as it fights al Shabaab. Clinton said Washington had given $150 million (89.2 million pounds) to Somalia over the past two years, and would provide additional funds. NO U.S. TROOPS Washington has also offered training for security forces and logistical help. Before meeting Ahmed, Clinton laid a wreath at the site of the U.S. embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998. She also met survivors of the blast that killed 218 people, and said visiting the memorial was an opportunity to renew U.S. resolve to fight against terrorism. "Certainly if al Shabaab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States," Clinton said. The Obama administration has ruled out sending U.S. forces to help Ahmed's government fight the insurgents. The last U.S. involvement in Somalia -- during the presidency of Clinton's husband Bill Clinton -- ended in shambles. Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed in a battle in Mogadishu in October 1993, marking the beginning of the eventual withdrawal of a U.S.-U.N. peacekeeping force from Somalia. Clinton said Washington supported the African Union peacekeeping force deployed in the Somali capital, and that it saw Ahmed's government as the best hope for some time for a return to stability and the possibility of progress. Ahmed was elected in January under a U.N.-brokered process that was Somalia's 15th attempt to set up a central government since 1991. "Was it a perfect election? Of course not, but the legitimacy of his election is something we want to support," Clinton told a meeting earlier at the University of Nairobi. "Our goal is to try and help create conditions of stability." Her talks with Sharif also covered a rise in piracy in Somalia's coastal waters -- vital shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe. The area has become a focus of pirates who have made off with countless millions of dollars in ransom from hijacking vessels, including U.S.-flagged ships. Pirates are expected to step up attacks on ships off Somalia's coast in the coming months as the end of the monsoon season brings better weather. Source: Reuters, Aug 06, 2009

Sharif, the man of the hour

Sharif, the man of the hour

Sharif, the man of the hour

^^good point