The young journalist’s composure and objectivity really impressed me the most about the whole interview. Kudos to him! He is definitely a personification of nascent breakthrough free press in Mogadishu. He kept his coolness and avoided leading the interview into confrontational and controversial course. All his questions were weighted accordingly and he meticulously stayed on track. Nevertheless, the distressing thing was that Ina-Yeey, on occasions, looked combative, undiplomatic and amateurish leader. above all, it was well conducted interview. listen it here. http://www.shabelle.net/wareysiyo/cabdulahiyusuf.ram

everything above was right to the point except the last point. ninkii boqolka soomay ee baqtiga ku afuray baa noqotay - M.I.L.K...... Ina-Yeey is part and parcel of this warlordism. He is no exception. Actually, he is the progenitor, the orignitor, and the perpetuator. he is a short-sighted clannish hard-headed dictator and his policies are diabolically destructive and could ignite another disastrous civil war. He is consumed by hate and arrogance. Let us not distinguish one warlord from the other. let us get rid all of them. the new Somali "FDERAL" transitional government is for the warlords, by the warlords. the whole charade was done to bring these warlords togather. they are all crooked hypocrites and anyone who supports one is another hypocrite. this propping up campaighn ( by yeey's clansmen) of Ina-Yeey and demonization of his equals/colleagues/partners in crime is a sign of hypocrisy and creates suspicion and mistrust among other Somalis. as long we turn a blind eye one one warlord and support him becouse he is from our clan- we will remain doomed forever. Hate all warlords. fight with them and get rid all of them. if you can't beat them, don't join them but work around them. use them as means to end...a better end than this status quo...

http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=george+galloway Published on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 by the Times Online (UK) Galloway vs. The US Senate: Transcript of Statement George Galloway, Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, delivered this statement to US Senators today who have accused him of corruption "Senator, I am not now, nor have I ever been, an oil trader. and neither has anyone on my behalf. I have never seen a barrel of oil, owned one, bought one, sold one - and neither has anyone on my behalf. "Now I know that standards have slipped in the last few years in Washington, but for a lawyer you are remarkably cavalier with any idea of justice. I am here today but last week you already found me guilty. You traduced my name around the world without ever having asked me a single question, without ever having contacted me, without ever written to me or telephoned me, without any attempt to contact me whatsoever. And you call that justice. "Now I want to deal with the pages that relate to me in this dossier and I want to point out areas where there are - let's be charitable and say errors. Then I want to put this in the context where I believe it ought to be. On the very first page of your document about me you assert that I have had 'many meetings' with Saddam Hussein. This is false. "I have had two meetings with Saddam Hussein, once in 1994 and once in August of 2002. By no stretch of the English language can that be described as "many meetings" with Saddam Hussein. "As a matter of fact, I have met Saddam Hussein exactly the same number of times as Donald Rumsfeld met him. The difference is Donald Rumsfeld met him to sell him guns and to give him maps the better to target those guns. I met him to try and bring about an end to sanctions, suffering and war, and on the second of the two occasions, I met him to try and persuade him to let Dr Hans Blix and the United Nations weapons inspectors back into the country - a rather better use of two meetings with Saddam Hussein than your own Secretary of State for Defense made of his. "I was an opponent of Saddam Hussein when British and Americans governments and businessmen were selling him guns and gas. I used to demonstrate outside the Iraqi embassy when British and American officials were going in and doing commerce. "You will see from the official parliamentary record, Hansard, from the 15th March 1990 onwards, voluminous evidence that I have a rather better record of opposition to Saddam Hussein than you do and than any other member of the British or American governments do. "Now you say in this document, you quote a source, you have the gall to quote a source, without ever having asked me whether the allegation from the source is true, that I am 'the owner of a company which has made substantial profits from trading in Iraqi oil'. "Senator, I do not own any companies, beyond a small company whose entire purpose, whose sole purpose, is to receive the income from my journalistic earnings from my employer, Associated Newspapers, in London. I do not own a company that's been trading in Iraqi oil. And you have no business to carry a quotation, utterly unsubstantiated and false, implying otherwise. "Now you have nothing on me, Senator, except my name on lists of names from Iraq, many of which have been drawn up after the installation of your puppet government in Baghdad. If you had any of the letters against me that you had against Zhirinovsky, and even Pasqua, they would have been up there in your slideshow for the members of your committee today. "You have my name on lists provided to you by the Duelfer inquiry, provided to him by the convicted bank robber, and fraudster and conman Ahmed Chalabi who many people to their credit in your country now realize played a decisive role in leading your country into the disaster in Iraq. "There were 270 names on that list originally. That's somehow been filleted down to the names you chose to deal with in this committee. Some of the names on that committee included the former secretary to his Holiness Pope John Paul II, the former head of the African National Congress Presidential office and many others who had one defining characteristic in common: they all stood against the policy of sanctions and war which you vociferously prosecuted and which has led us to this disaster. "You quote Mr Dahar Yassein Ramadan. Well, you have something on me, I've never met Mr Dahar Yassein Ramadan. Your sub-committee apparently has. But I do know that he's your prisoner, I believe he's in Abu Ghraib prison. I believe he is facing war crimes charges, punishable by death. In these circumstances, knowing what the world knows about how you treat prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison, in Bagram Airbase, in Guantanamo Bay, including I may say, British citizens being held in those places. "I'm not sure how much credibility anyone would put on anything you manage to get from a prisoner in those circumstances. But you quote 13 words from Dahar Yassein Ramadan whom I have never met. If he said what he said, then he is wrong. "And if you had any evidence that I had ever engaged in any actual oil transaction, if you had any evidence that anybody ever gave me any money, it would be before the public and before this committee today because I agreed with your Mr Greenblatt [Mark Greenblatt, legal counsel on the committee]. "Your Mr Greenblatt was absolutely correct. What counts is not the names on the paper, what counts is where's the money. Senator? Who paid me hundreds of thousands of dollars of money? The answer to that is nobody. And if you had anybody who ever paid me a penny, you would have produced them today. "Now you refer at length to a company names in these documents as Aredio Petroleum. I say to you under oath here today: I have never heard of this company, I have never met anyone from this company. This company has never paid a penny to me and I'll tell you something else: I can assure you that Aredio Petroleum has never paid a single penny to the Mariam Appeal Campaign. Not a thin dime. I don't know who Aredio Petroleum are, but I daresay if you were to ask them they would confirm that they have never met me or ever paid me a penny. "Whilst I'm on that subject, who is this senior former regime official that you spoke to yesterday? Don't you think I have a right to know? Don't you think the Committee and the public have a right to know who this senior former regime official you were quoting against me interviewed yesterday actually is? "Now, one of the most serious of the mistakes you have made in this set of documents is, to be frank, such a schoolboy howler as to make a fool of the efforts that you have made. You assert on page 19, not once but twice, that the documents that you are referring to cover a different period in time from the documents covered by The Daily Telegraph which were a subject of a libel action won by me in the High Court in England late last year. "You state that The Daily Telegraph article cited documents from 1992 and 1993 whilst you are dealing with documents dating from 2001. Senator, The Daily Telegraph's documents date identically to the documents that you were dealing with in your report here. None of The Daily Telegraph's documents dealt with a period of 1992, 1993. I had never set foot in Iraq until late in 1993 - never in my life. There could possibly be no documents relating to Oil-for-Food matters in 1992, 1993, for the Oil-for-Food scheme did not exist at that time. "And yet you've allocated a full section of this document to claiming that your documents are from a different era to the Daily Telegraph documents when the opposite is true. Your documents and the Daily Telegraph documents deal with exactly the same period. "But perhaps you were confusing the Daily Telegraph action with the Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor did indeed publish on its front pages a set of allegations against me very similar to the ones that your committee have made. They did indeed rely on documents which started in 1992, 1993. These documents were unmasked by the Christian Science Monitor themselves as forgeries. "Now, the neo-con websites and newspapers in which you're such a hero, senator, were all absolutely cock-a-hoop at the publication of the Christian Science Monitor documents, they were all absolutely convinced of their authenticity. They were all absolutely convinced that these documents showed me receiving $10 million from the Saddam regime. And they were all lies. "In the same week as the Daily Telegraph published their documents against me, the Christian Science Monitor published theirs which turned out to be forgeries and the British newspaper, Mail on Sunday, purchased a third set of documents which also upon forensic examination turned out to be forgeries. So there's nothing fanciful about this. Nothing at all fanciful about it. "The existence of forged documents implicating me in commercial activities with the Iraqi regime is a proven fact. It's a proven fact that these forged documents existed and were being circulated amongst right-wing newspapers in Baghdad and around the world in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Iraqi regime. "Now, Senator, I gave my heart and soul to oppose the policy that you promoted. I gave my political life's blood to try to stop the mass killing of Iraqis by the sanctions on Iraq which killed one million Iraqis, most of them children, most of them died before they even knew that they were Iraqis, but they died for no other reason other than that they were Iraqis with the misfortune to born at that time. I gave my heart and soul to stop you committing the disaster that you did commit in invading Iraq. And I told the world that your case for the war was a pack of lies. “I told the world that Iraq, contrary to your claims did not have weapons of mass destruction. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to al-Qaeda. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to the atrocity on 9/11 2001. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that the Iraqi people would resist a British and American invasion of their country and that the fall of Baghdad would not be the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning. "Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right and you turned out to be wrong and 100,000 people paid with their lives; 1600 of them American soldiers sent to their deaths on a pack of lies; 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies. If the world had listened to Kofi Annan, whose dismissal you demanded, if the world had listened to President Chirac who you want to paint as some kind of corrupt traitor, if the world had listened to me and the anti-war movement in Britain, we would not be in the disaster that we are in today. Senator, this is the mother of all smokescreens. You are trying to divert attention from the crimes that you supported, from the theft of billions of dollars of Iraq's wealth. "Have a look at the real Oil-for-Food scandal. Have a look at the 14 months you were in charge of Baghdad, the first 14 months when $8.8 billion of Iraq's wealth went missing on your watch. Have a look at Halliburton and other American corporations that stole not only Iraq's money, but the money of the American taxpayer. "Have a look at the oil that you didn't even meter, that you were shipping out of the country and selling, the proceeds of which went who knows where? Have a look at the $800 million you gave to American military commanders to hand out around the country without even counting it or weighing it. "Have a look at the real scandal breaking in the newspapers today, revealed in the earlier testimony in this committee. That the biggest sanctions busters were not me or Russian politicians or French politicians. The real sanctions busters were your own companies with the connivance of your own Government." © 2005 Times Newspapers ###

MORTAL WOUNDS AND UNDYING DREAMS By Rashid Ali The approaching 45th anniversary of our nation’s birth is laden with bloodshed, destitution and misery not seen before in its nascent history. Never has such a tumultuous period of uncertainty, disorder, and chaos affected the lives of our people so deeply. As blessed as we are with a unique ethnic homogeneity, cultural richness, one strong Islamic faith, and a vast beautiful land teeming with natural resources, we are on each others throat, maiming, murdering and starving our people, driving our weak and the unprotected into foreign lands, subjecting our daughters and women to the lowest levels of humanity and uprooting the young and the unborn, turning them to strangers onto their mother land. We are on the verge of complete and irreversible self-destruction. The nation is on the brink of dismemberment. The anguish and the deprivations are unparalleled, and there is no end at sight. The enormity of the pain inflicted and the brutality of the civil war could only be glimpsed from Hadrawi’s powerful and moving prose, the Secrets of Life1: Somali --- English Raqda solan lafaa soogan - The corpses and the dry scattered bones Bal su'aal u celi meydkan - Ask the fallen innocents again Sababtuu u go'ay raadi - The reasons killed seek and enquire Bal dhegeyso saylaanka - Pain and grief stricken, listen to the shrieks Iyo salowga beer-qaadka - And the mournful wailing Iyo sebiga yeedhiisa - And the infant’s screams Nevertheless, it is the resolve and faith in my people which gives me hope that this nation will overcome these seemingly insurmountable difficulties and rise to the occasion to rescue itself from the depths of despair and gloom. As deep as the divisions amongst our people may seem and as hopeless as the situation may look, the fundamental fuel rod that feeds the flames of our strife, when closely examined, is really nothing more than a race to the top among individual tribal leaders, their utter failure to peacefully resolve their petty disputes in a civilized manner and our misguided allegiance and unwavering loyalty to one or the other, notwithstanding the legitimacy of their call. The fundamental question that every sane Somali citizen must face is whether the ascendance to power by a fellow clansman worth the blood and sacrifice of hundreds and thousands of innocent lives? Is your fellow clansman flawless even if the blood of the innocent is still wet and dripping from his hands? Do I have the right to constructively criticize one whose decisions will affect my daily life and the future of my children, or because he is your blood lineage, I must follow blindly? Can one tribe alone live in an oasis of wealth, peace and power when surrounded by abject poverty, fear and insecurity? Verily! No. Thanks to the perseverance of our people, with these inescapable facts of doom and gloom, our nation defies death and our people refuse to loose hope. Our dreams are undying and our hopes and expectations are high. We are surely, but slowly stepping back from the suicidal mad march into a state of apocalyptic proportions to never again shed the blood of the innocent. To never again allow a tyrant regime. To never again let the defenseless starve. To never again destroy our cities. To never again let our children flee home and be swallowed up by the seas. We are examining and searching ways to establish a rock-solid-foundation for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous society for today and for posterity. The road ahead is strewn with difficulties and many stumbling blocks. The fear has not subsided. Hostilities are still pervasive. The distrust has not been overcome yet. The suspicions continue to grow. The weapons are still pouring into the land. The young are still armed, restless and jumpy. The economy is in shambles, the ubiquity of poverty is disheartening, authority is nonexistent and the grievances have not been fully addressed. Sliding back to anarchy and chaos is just one wrongful death or a gun shot away. It is said that “half of all countries emerging from civil conflicts relapse into violence within 5 yearsâ€2. Somalia can’t afford another 15 years of misery. We have already taken bold steps, on paper at least, to create the conditions for a stable and lasting peace by adopting federal parliamentary system of government in the transitional charter of the newly formed administration. Article 11 of the charter calls for a decentralized system of government based on federalism. Here is clause 4 of article 11: 4. (a) The Transitional Federal Government shall promote and develop the State Governments, Regional and District Administrations subject to legislation and guidelines of the Federal Constitution Commission on the formation of Transitional Federal Government. (b) The State Governments, Regional and District Administrations shall comprise all regions of Somalia. The charter continues in clauses 8 and 9 respectively to require that the federalization program be completed with in two to two and half years effective 90 days from the establishment of a constitutional commission. If the TNG fails in its mandate, the charter calls for a vote of confidence and if it fails the formation of a new TNG. This article alone significantly contributes to building a solid footing for an equitable, transparent and a democratic government, if implemented accordingly. Federalism is a covenant between equals. It is a voluntary self rule within a nationally shared rule. It is contract of partnership where free and autonomous different political communities unite, on their free will, under constitutional agreements based on the principle of division of powers. These member states in the federation have sufficient local responsibilities and powers to carry out their obligations on behalf of their own people in concert with the whole people of the federal polity3. The empowerment of the regions ensures the decentralization of the administration and enhances the opportunity for democracy to take root and be nurtured. It also enhances the pride of the locals and strengthens the cohesion of the people to take their fate into their own hands. An all powerful man sitting in Mogadishu is not best suited to address or solve problems in communities thousands of kilometers away. Only the locals are best informed to deal with their problems and should and must be empowered to do so. Furthermore, Local authority is indispensable to the efficient delivery of public services in health, education, security, and other local needs. Every state must be allowed to chart its own constitution in conformity with the national charter. It must be allowed to freely conduct its local elections, establish its judicial system, and any other social institutions as they deem fit. This will not only lead to a lasting peace and progress but it will also ensure the prevention of unforeseen disruptions, chaos and military coup d’etats, the curse of Africa. Therefore, based on these facts and the charter of the TNG, the ongoing pacification and peace-building process in Mogadishu, the capital city, is positive development which should be supported and encouraged. Imperfect and incomplete as it may seem, if Mogadishu succeeds in implementing a self rule and keeps at bay the incessant onslaught from certain quarters, sincere as they may be, which advocate the abdication of its legitimate autonomous rights, there is a good chance that other regions will follow suite and as such the seeds of democratization and stability will have a chance to flourish. Anything else will be a clear violation of the transitional charter and worse the beginning of the end of our national aspirations to once and for all secure peace, justice and democracy for our homeland. Because of the traumatic oppression of the last tyrannical regime and the subsequent nihilistic assault of the civil war, the people are understandably reluctant to entrust their freedoms to a centralized authority. To guard against the re-emergence of an authoritarian system, to preserve freedom of choice and individual liberty, to promote justice, equality and accountability, it is absolutely imperative to let them freely determine their fate. Only then, when every region of the country realizes its full autonomy will Somalia truly embark on the road to recovery and lasting peace. In deed, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to bring about an effective social and political system which best serves the interests of our people and nation. We also don’t have to merely adapt the pseudo-democracy which of late is so common in many parts of Africa. One needs not look far to see the sham titular freedoms in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and D’jibouti and so on and so forth. Definitely, that is not the model we should be pursuing. We have spilled too much blood and lost too many lives to be lullabied to sleep with false promises and fake freedoms under corrupt authoritarianism. Anything less than full freedom will render vain all the sacrifices we paid in blood and tears. We deserve the best and so we demand it. Evidently, many nations in Europe, Asia and America have successfully built democratic institutions with proven track record of social progress and prosperity. Guided by our rich cultural heredity, our noble and righteous Islamic faith and experience, there is no reason why Somalia shouldn’t emulate the best of these systems. What a nation has done another can do. We can successfully build a nation of laws where individual liberty and human rights are sacrosanct. A nation where justice is guaranteed to every human being and not bought with bribery. We can certainly turn our land a place where individual rights are not borrowed rights but birthrights, inviolable and Allah given. We can develop and maintain a system founded on transparency, accountability, freedom of speech, assembly and worship. These are non-negotiable civil rights which can not be taken away even under the guise of protecting national security. Practically, unless it is of sheer stu.pi.di.ty , from an economic point of view, there is no earthly reason why we should even quarrel, let alone annihilate each other. Here are few math numbers to ponder. If the land mass of our country were to be distributed equitably, every citizen would be entitled to 40 plots of land the size of which each is 40 m x 40 m lots. That is not all. We have proven mineral wealth from uranium, iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt and undetermined amounts of iron ore, and oil reserves. I am not done yet. This alone is enough to clear our foreign debt. Oh! Crisp and terrestrial paradise of unpolluted coast line in excess of 3000 km long. (Unfortunately, we must tackle the dumping problem) So! Can any one please tell me a reason why one child in this surely blessed land goes hungry even one night? Why would any, even one citizen flee this rich land? Why would our leaders not see the potential of this country? References: 1. Aftahan.com; A Somali web page with a collection of valuable Somali literature and poems. See Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame"Hadraawi" 2. At War's End; Building Peace after Civil Conflict; Roland Paris; University of Colorado, Boulder 3. Forum of Federations, Tel: +1 (613) 244-3360 / Fax: +1 (613) 244-3372, Rashid Ali Baltimore, MD E-mail: Rashid_Ali_66@hotmail.com

Iam ready to drop arguing that we need the Ethiopians to pacify Somalia (this is a friendly gesture but we all know what somalis are like when you stretch the hand of peace they'll demand the whole arm aswell) but you've to agree that we need peace keeping troops. Everyone of here should acknowledge that our beloved capital city it's not very safe at the moment and an interim alternative govermental seat should be agreed on. Why do you have to bring Ethiopians to pacify XAMAR? And how will they do such a grueling pacification enterprise? Will they have to subjugate and wipe out those Mogadishu warring factions? Wasn’t there a precedent of this before? Did we forget that this peacekeeping and peacemaking mission was tried by more than 30 thousand US troops ( with their rangers and delta forces ) who were armed with powerful technological military hardware and were more terrifically mechanized in every way than these Ethiopian poorly trained ragtag conscripted Oromo peasants that Ina-Yeey and Meles have in store? Who on earth will entertain such idiocy ? Pacification could only happen through dialogue, compromises and reconciliation. It will only happen when Ina-yeey abandons his menacing bullying apprehension and be courageous enough to go to the Mogadishu as the elected president of Somalia. He needs to work with his fellow warlords and work for peace. we don't need a third party forces. it will complicate things. Peace must come within. people have to put their pride aside and face the music. Sit with your foe and reconcile your differences. if you can't do that, let those who are willing to embark on such non-violent delicate task commit themselves into such task. be diplomatic, patient and sensitive. it is as simple as that. conflict resolution requires much sensitivity and diplomacy. it requires engagement, confidence building and tactical posturing. Ina-yeey's clique are out of touch of the Somali realities and most of his cheerleaders see this as a clannish exploits. A nation can't be built on such unaccommodating defeatist policy and we don't need a dictatorial nepotistic regime. isn't that what started this whole mess? when we gonna learn from our past blunder? we are all togather in this and we must all work togather. we have to save ourselves from a total obliteration.

prejudice refers to negative attitudes toward others and is based on faulty and infelexible stereotypes. prejudiced people( we have many here, including me) have attitudes that show irrational feelings and dislike or even hatred( that is extreme ) for certain groups/clans. but it has been a normal phenomona in our injured Somali psyche. it is sometimes easier to respond to these prejudiced people but it is counter-productive. prejudices satisfy practical functions. Prejudiced people express themselves that way ( with emotional fanfare) expecting to receive awards for their statement. deep down, that is what is burning them inside and they have to let IT out ( vent all that anger to relieve themselves)... it is healthy and I hope the Sheikh could go on with his life. if you express prejudicial statement about certain people,- as in the case of our resident Sheikh here, who unflinchingly managed to smear the people of Mogadishu with a one-dimensional paintbrush -,others who hold the same views, may like you more - as evidenced by the applause and ullulations Sky and Duke bestowed on the Sheikh. we have people here who can easily dismiss others, with name-calling and verbal abuse, instead of trying to effectively adjust to them. if others say things that are inconsistent with the views we hold dear, our sense of self may deeply be threatened and we may try to maintain our self-esteem by scourning and riducling the source of mesesage and the massage itself (Duke excels in that practice) that is what transpires here on daily basis though and it is a human nature. But still it is sad!!

Deja Vu all again!!same familiar skewed views from the same familiar sources! anything else new folks? The politics section is definitely uninspiring and is not worth the effort. I thought I will be engaged, enlightened, challenged and in the end of our discussions and exchange of views/ponderings, I thought we will have some encouraging conclusions. Now I realize that is not the case. Depressing indeed! It seems that the posters of this section have monlithic views on things and there is no divergent or rather revolutionary point of view. Typical Somali Maryooleeys exercising their Fadhi-Ku-dirir obtuse clan bashing in the cyber realm....nothing less...nothing more

Have you watched the documentary of Mukhtaar from the ....... militia who was killed he was only fourteen he had an AK which he described as his best friend. That mentioning of clan names and the whole Mogadishu bashing rant is a violation of the golden rules of this site. It demonstrates how we are all unsettled with the QABIIL thing. Any gifted debator would not champion and support his/her argument with such spiteful clan bashing. people need to ask ALLAH forgiveness and really atone themselves. We at least need to curtail and hold back some of our intrinsic prejudices against our fellow somalis.

The obligatory clan mentality creates so many people to willingly defend and even serve dictatorship, nepotism and corruption without consideration of the nation's interest. People of supposed rationale and truthfulness with western education and degrees have become stooges in the hands of a criminal warlord ( I don't distinguish warlords - they are all the same to me- ruthless and blood-thirsty buffoons) Clannish arrogance coupled with the quest for greed and interest has definitely blurred people’s ability to reason and think individually for themselves. The artificial slogans of somali unity are just an empty rhetoric. We have all lost any sense of nationalism, so let us not fool ourselves. I don’t trust anyone any more because Somalis are first and foremost loyal to their clan and they will prop up any leader because of clan allegiance. it is porven fact that no one can dispute. Let me remind the die-hard cheerleaders that Ina-Yeey’s regime's course of action is twisted and its machinery is cheaply oiled. Signs of failure, collapse and doom are everywhere, as we witness the short-sighted hostilities between the so-called power-brokers, i.e. warlords on both camps. Small-mindedness and arrogance of power have become dangerous tools in the hands of Ina-yeey's clique though, believing in antagonism as political virtue. The tortuous road to peace and stability is more elusive and Ina-Yeey’s lack of interest in reconciling the deep wounds and scars left by the civil war will even make it even beyond reach. So, please save yourself from unavoidable humiliation and at least try to come up with an alternative proposition to pick up this whole charade. We are willing to work with ruthless criminals and illiterate parliamentarians as long as we can find a way around of this status-quo.

Common Duke, you have barefacedly made us walk through your imperceptive assortment of tittle-tattle and hearsay surrounding this issue since the beginning of the Embagathi charade! A pretender shouldn't point fingers!

'Those who have once been intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it, even though for but one year, can never willingly abandon it.' Edmund Burke (1729-1797) what a prophecy!!

That is not the real picture though. One of the fundamental stumbling block to genuine reconciliation (beside the Ethiopian interference) is the view propagated here by Ina-Yeey’s supporters that the antagonism and political differences are between two belligerent and competing factions. That is not the case my friends. Half of these MPs in Nairobi don't support any side and don't have any substantial weight at all- they are just opportunistic lame ducks who will bolster the faction that puts on some show that is appealing to them on any day and they could be easily swayed to any side. so don't count your chickens before they hatch!! the real poitical sphere of influence is in Mogadisho and everyone is hurrying to be part of those who will have the ultimate triumph. The Ethiopians are trying to persuade some of these MPs with the usual kickbacks and bribery in order to put off the inescapable Mogadishu relocation. There are close to 40 MPs in Nairobi willing to go to Mogadishu soon. The real dilemma the government-in-exile of Ghedi and Yeey has to deal is where will they relocate? Baydhabo is completely out of the picture. Jowhar is also going be a contested city in a minute. they will have no other choice but entertain the outlandish whim of relocating to Boosaaso where Ina-Yeey would be able to wear the fictitious shoes that fit.

Sheikh.... get a somali name first! JUST JOKING BRO! take it easy! will you? just let me remind you that the government is made of warlords, by the warlords, for the warlords: the president is a warlord; the ministers are warlords, most of the parliamentarians are warlords. Do we have to distinguish one from other? And what is wrong with pacifying our beloved capital and reconciling our people? Remember this is a transitional government- we are all working to transit from clannism, warlordism to Soomaalinimo, peace and unity. it is a matter of common sense to rehabilitate these ruthless powerful warlords and all the illiterate clannish folks. Remember, the Somali adage, "Sidee xeero lagu ..... ilkana ku nabad galaan " Sorry, I am reer Xamar and not good at Maahmaahyo. We all have to welcome and support the Mogadishu initiative and keep pressuring all warlords( including the president-warlord ) to work togather and to put aside their petty differences for the common good. Somalia can't afford any more setback. Ethiopia is propping up Ina Yeey and his clique for the ultimate goal to see the collapse of this government and Somalia to remain a failed state that could be carved up into fiefdoms. it is like nin kula jira oo kaa jira or you are one of the die-hard cheerleeders of the warlord president? and cosider this as a clannish rivalry? those who see this as their birth-right presidency? who think if one of them is elected to lead, they are all leaders now? are we all cheering for a man of proven dictatorial tendency, war criminal and monger? we do have these cheerleeding guys here and in Starbucks fadhi-ku-dirir- folks who have never went to any schooling but are experts on clan politics. but the mainstream public are fed up with their loud and impolite mannerism.

The deciding war? What that could be? I think what this harebrained clannish whiz is alluding here is another civil war between the two major Mogadishu clans, namely the HG & AG. This is his yearning and would like to see his battles fought and won for him by others. Let me tell you an undisclosed secret in some circles here, this dream of yours will never happen to materialize for the simple reason that both camps and other important Mogadishu clans have moved politically forward and the early nineties futility and folly is a thing of the past. Mark my word, Ghedi, Beebe, Cadaani and the foolish governor of Jowhar ( that you are counting here ) are not politically that far to rejoin their progressive brethren and other peace loving Somalis and they will not entertain to fight Ina-Yeey’s battles. what could they possibly gain from that? people weigh their options and are not that unintelligent. your patronizing and cajoling of this group may backfire soon. The business community has a lot of financial stakes to lose here and they are the shot callers and will work tirelessly to prevent such disastrous war. People in Mogadishu on both sides cannot stomach the loss of wealth and resources such a war will be wasted on. A one day full-blown war in Mogadishu will cost them $100 thousand US dollars. The major actors in the city have been talking and reconciling for years. Remember, Mogadishu is a laissez-faire affable hub where practical ideas and views are exchanged and formulated on daily basis. They are discussing ways to privatize the vital economic sites in the capital such as the port. There are also mutual projects that all sides in the equation are investing in. Ceel Macaan group (now assumed to be on the prime minister’s side) had proposed that the re-opening of the port should be based on shares and quotas to all involved parties. Guess what? If they get that Ok’ed, would they be fighting for a clannish alien cause formulated in a faraway region? Aideed is bewildered fool who has no influence and voice in any of these matters. He is petrified to come back to Mogadishu let alone be a power broker. His return to the city is being desired by some vindictive clique. Does money wiring hard luck and fiasco ring a bell in your head? A war between the opposing RRA factions? Baydhaba, the infamous city of death will never accept another catastrophic hopeless conflict and the civil society in the city are diligently working to mediate between the opposing factions. So what deciding war we talking about? An Ethiopian invasion? I hope you won't suggest that the celebrated Puntland Daraawiish will march into Mogadishu victoriously and conquer it for their clan leader?

I was at a fundraising event held in Minneapolis that is designed to pay the ticket for all Somali parliamentarians headed to Mogadishu. There are more than 45 parliament members confirmed who had enlisted themselves willingly and audaciously to travel to Mogadishu within this week. They will join their colleagues there soon. Mr. Hussein Matan, the former attorney general, Professor Ali Khaliif Galydh and other prominent Somali scholars including Imam/Lawyer Hassan Jamici and Medical Doctor Mohammed Egal were the main speakers and organizers of this event. None of these prominent Somalis hails from Mogadishu but they all support the Speaker’s camp and have all expressed their admiration for the courageous act of the speaker and other parliamentarians. That alone shows how Somalis of goodwill, moral principles and newly found nationalism are abandoning the clannish hogwash the president and his dedicated cohorts are still caught in.

the SYL founders were younger than most of us and that itself is mind-boggling. they were awsome young liberators. I wonder what the 20 years old or even 30 years old somalis now in Diaspora are up to. 1 - Abdulkadir Saqawa-diin born in 1919 in Tiyegloow in Upper Jubba region was only 24 years old and died in 1945- two years after SYL was formed. 2- Mohammed Hersi Nur Sidi was born in Mareeg,in 1915 – 28 years old 3- Mohammed Osman Barbe, Born in Bardheere in 1910 was 33 years old and the oldest founder. 4- Yasin Haji Osman Kenadid was born in Hobyo in 1917 and was 26 years old when SYL was founded. 5. Haji Mohammed Hussein was born in Mogadishu in 1917 – He was 26 years old too. 6- Haji Mohammed Abdalla Hayeesi was born in Mogadishu in 1918 – 25 years old. 7- Osman Ghedi Raghe, Mogadishu, 1925 – 18 years old 8-Dhere Haji Dhere, Mogadishu, 1926 – 17 years old ( teenager) 9- Dahir Haji Osman, Hobyo, 1925, 18 years old, now living in Ottawa, Canada 10-Ali Hassan Maslah, From Hobyo. 11- Mohammed Ali Nur, Mogadishu, 1927, the youngest founder was only 16 years old. 12- Mohammed Farah Hilowleh – Born in Mareeg, 1926 – another teenager 17 years old. 13 Hudoow Moalin Abdullahi – Born in Mareeg, 1926 – 17 years old at the time

WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR YOUTH? COMMENTARY BY M.M. Afrah, Toronto (Canada) Having been raised as a "good boy" and changing over to become a sluggish copy boy in a newspaper office and later climbing up the ladder to become an editor and then editor-in-chief. But as I got older, I thought I liked to think that I have a strong sense of right and wrong. I joined anti-colonial demonstrations and with the help of hand operated press we printed inflammatory anti-colonial leaflets that naturally upset our colonial masters. The Somali Youth League (SYL) formerly the Somali Youth Club (SYC) was formed by 13 devoted Somali youngsters who fought relentlessly for independence in their own way. Their slogan was 'XORNNIMO AMA GEERI" (independence or death). Thousands of like minded boys, girls and elders joined them in their wholehearted and noble struggle. They all had grand dreams for the future of Somalia. Hence, the nationalist song "Soomaaliyey toosa." This Wake Up call paved the way for full independence in July 1960 despite various obstacles put up by you know who. I also know that young students, like George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Du Bois and Jomo Kenyatta among others created the great Pan Africanist movement in Britain in the 1930s and 1940s. From that humble beginning Africa sprung up to a full independence in 1960 when dozens of African countries became independent which subsequently led to the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Unfortunately, old Haile Selassie hijacked the organization and used it to undermine Somalia's fledging independence, convincing African heads of state that infant Somali government was an expansionist. Our delegates have been outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the emperor and his like minded cohorts within the OAU. As a result of these behind the scene machinations, a calamity was in the making in the form of border skirmishes intermingled with war of words. And eventually a full-scale war that claimed the lives of our youth in the spring of their lives. Historians now link those very machinations with the present conflict in Somalia as well as the volatile situation in the Horn of Africa. But that's another story. What bugs me most is why our contemporary youth became docile and indifferent to the grim events in our country? I understand that not all people can get along due to the cancer of clan loyalties back home. But would it not make more sense for the youth in the Diaspora to join together and step out into the world as a unified force to bring about peace in their native country? Now I may be an old fashioned man who has gone through the mills, but I am sure I am not the first person who has entertained this notion. Take for example the postings on the Banadir Public Forum by Libangedon who has been preaching a united Somali youth to fight the villains at home who ruined our country and reduced our people to paupers and corpses. The country became rapidly without government and people, a country where foreigners who wanted could come in and could go out at will without so much as by your leave. As a matter of fact a foreign diplomat described Somalia, unlike Afghanistan, as a fruit hanging from a tree (READY TO BE PICKED UP!). This was not the way the founders of the SYL visualized that Somalia should be run, and that it needed to be put straight. That's where you come in. You should not expect manna to fall from the sky. Only you could make a difference. It is not for me to say who is called to lead the United Somali Youth and who is not. It is not for me to say whether or not someone is qualified to start the new movement or not, it just seems to me to be unnecessary to have the Somali youth divided along clan lines forever. I had always believed that the youth in the Diaspora are free from that cancer called tribalism or clanism. This leads me to wonder what is wrong with our youth today? I believe many would say I am a dinosaur and that boys wearing ear rings and spending hours glued to the BET channel, listening to rap music or wearing over sized pants are "the in thing". But I ask myself: do those Pan Africanists and the founders of the Somali Youth League long time ago did not know what they were doing and as such it is necessary to be ashamed to be a Somali, and that boys wearing ear rings and watching the BET channel day in and day out is "Cool". I am sure BET will never teach you how to rebuild the country from the ashes of vicious clan wars or resuscitate the economy. Today the old Wake up Call is as important as it was 50 or 60 years ago. No doubt that after you have been uprooted from your native country by nasty people with guns, it has been challenging living in the Diaspora face-to-face with stone-faced immigration honchos, beefy security men and bullying landlords. But thanks to our Somali ingenuity and tenacity we are still standing and it is time to begin to look ahead to all the good things the old country has in store for us in the near future. You may have faltered, you may have stumbled or you may even have considered yourself an outright failure, but dear future leaders of Somalia I want you to rise and prepare yourself for tomorrow. There is nothing you can do about what had happened to our country during the last ten years. Yes, the past may be a story written in blood but the future can be written in gold. Do not be discouraged about the sad stories emanating daily from Somalia. For almost every great country on earth had gone through similar turmoil, or even worse. Here are few examples, the American and Spanish civil wars, not to mention the devastation of the Two World Wars and the Bolshevik Revolution that claimed the lives of millions of people. Again, it was the youth and the womenfolk who rebuilt their countries from scratch under extreme difficult circumstances. The ball is NOW in your court. I VALUE YOUR COMMENTS AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEND YOUR EMAILS TO ME OR TO THE PUBLIC FORUM www. Banadir.com (IT IS GOING TO BE THE BEDROCK OF A FUTURE BOOK, HOPEFULLY). Afrah95@hotmail.com

HornAfrik, the few remaining parliamentarians on Ina Yeey's group are now re-thinking about their position. Somalis are waking up to new realism and idealism. It is not about Qabiil any more. It is about rescuing our nation, restoring our dignity and reconciling our people. We can't afford to entertain the clan politics any more. We don't want any more dictatorship and clan rule. Abdullahi Yusuf is still caught up in the past while the Somali people had progressed. The third largest clan in Xamar after the two Hiraabs is Sade and many other folks from Ethiopia, Sool, Bari and Nugaal are coming back to Xamar. People have realized that co-existence, broadmindedness and reconciliation are more important than the meaningless clannish rift and petty animosity. Adeer Abdullahi and his cronies are controlled by the Tigray Mafia in Addis whose main undertaking is to keep Somalia ineffectually weak and helplessly divided forever. The most absurd and preposterous thing is asking AU to escort Abdullahi to Mogadishu. He wants to be protected in Villa Somali by 1700 Ugandan and Sudanese troops. AU is asking for 100 million dollars for such a mission. That is a charade and ludicrous plan that no donor nation is willing to invest. Mogadishu is peaceful and will be pacified. It will remain the only recognized Somali capital. When the speaker landed there today, there was no single technical at sight and the international community had taken notice of that. The withdrawal of the heavy armaments and militias loyal to the powerful warlords in Mogadishu was also welcomed as step towards restoring peace and stability in the city. The world desires a functioning legitimate government in Mogadishu and they will support those who could implement that daunting undertaking. Ethiopia has its own plan and motive to see Somalia remain as a failed nation-state and carved up into fiefdoms. Ethiopian intelligence officers and spy agencies had already managed to enlist all Somali clan elders and have promised each of these illiterate clan elders’ wealth and weaponry. They did convince these uneducated nomads and other opportunists to fight against their immediate neighboring clans or other opposing factions. The Tigrey conspiracy had worked for more than 10 years and people are now waking up to this devious divide and rule tactic. It will not work any more. The international community is aware of Ethiopia's plot and interest and they are not pleased with it. US and EU will never accept the so-called AU troops and will not invest in such a short-sighted defeatist proposal. Somalis have to come together and work their differences. That is the prevailing notion in international circles. If Ina-Yeey doesn't listen to the voices of reason and compromise, he will be dismissed and a new Somali president will be crowned within 3 months and guess what? Who has earned the respect and support of all Somalis and proved to be a real patriot? No Doubt - Sheriff Hassan is the hero of all Somalis and he will be easily elected to lead Somalia back to nationhood. The reactionary octogenarian shot himself in the foot and his submissive prime minister will be history. Ethiopian cronies will become pitiful pariahs in the eyes of Somalis and history will judge them as those weasels who sided with the nation’s enemy.

Monday May 16, 2005 Somalia Speaker off to Mogadishu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ken Ramani A section of the Somali MPs at the Wilson Airport before they departed for Mogadishu yesterday. The Speaker of Somalia’s Parliament left Nairobi yesterday morning for Mogadishu accompanied by 30 legislators. The Speaker, Sheikh Hassan Aden, and the politicians travelled in a chartered plane from Wilson Airport. At hand to see off the Speaker were Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Regional Co-operation, Joseph Nyagah and the Special Envoy to Somalia Peace Talks, Mr Bethwel Kiplagat. Also present were Somali politicians, General Morgan, Dr Abukar Abdi Osman and Awad Ashara. Sources said 20 more MPs will on Wednesday and Saturday leave Nairobi to join their colleagues in Mogadishu, a city said to be the most dangerous in Africa. Yesterday’s departure increased to 132 the number of MPs in the camp that is pushing for the relocation of their government to Mogadishu. If the 20 MPs make good their promise to travel this week, the number will hit 150. Somalia’s parliament has 275 MPs and to form a quorum, 139 members must be present. During an interview with The Standard, Aden maintained he will chair a parliamentary session tomorrow in Mogadishu. He said the priority of his moving to Mogadishu will be to lobby his countrymen to make the city safe by withdrawing militiamen. The Speaker denied reports that he is leading the faction that is critical of President Yusuf. "I am the Speaker of Somalia’s National Assembly. I can’t take sides as that will be against parliamentary standing orders observed all over the world," said Aden. The Speaker disclosed that he will work with other like-minded Somalis to ensure reconciliation structures are created to bring on board all groups. Meanwhile Reuters news agency reported yesterday that warlords had withdrawn 600 gunmen from Mogadishu to persuade jittery colleagues the lawless capital is safe enough to serve as the administration’s base. Officials of three prominent warlords from the big ****** clan who also hold cabinet positions said 600 of their fighters and 54 battlewagons, flatbed trucks mounted with heavy machineguns or with anti-aircraft guns fired horizontally, had been moved to two camps outside the city. Aides to the three, Osman Ali Ato, Muse Sudi Yalahow and Mohammed Qanyare, said 66 more battlewagons would be moved to the camps at Hilweyene 30 km (20 miles) to the north and Lantaburo 60 km (38 miles) to the south in coming days. The move does not affect so-called freelance militias -- mostly gunmen working for private firms or Islamic courts. Concerning the legality of parliament’s resolutions to be made in Mogadishu, Aden said: "As far as I am concerned, consensus is the most important goal that must be urgently achieved. The rest are details that will follow later." Ashara criticised the Kenyan Government for allowing President Yusuf to convene a parliamentary session at KICC, last week, yet the warring factions had agreed that no more such sessions should be held before their differences are resolved. He argued that President Yusuf’s violation of the Charter was frustrating efforts to reconcile factions within parliament. During a parliamentary session held in Nairobi last Wednesday, MPs present approved the deployment of Ugandan and Sudanese peace - keepers. The MPs, majority of whom were President Yusuf’s supporters, also agreed to invite Arab League peace-keepers to beef up the AU efforts to secure the transitional government and restore peace. The MPs also resolved that the government temporarily relocate to Baidoa and Jowhar and possibly move to Mogadishu once the security situation improves. In an interview with The Standard, Kiplagat explained that last Thursday’s resolution by the African Union that endorsed the idea of a peace-keeping force was a milestone. "I am now sure that the United Nations Security Council will approve the deployment of peace-keepers and donors will also release the funds they pledged to help in the reconstruction of Somalia," said Kiplagat. The relocation of the transitional government must include plans and resources for the restoration of essential services such as sanitation, water, electricity, health and education services. The Speaker said Mogadishu-based warlords had agreed to handover the airport and seaport to the new government when it relocates there. He said the warlords had already started withdrawing their militia, trucks and weapons to make Mogadishu safe.

Duke is a passionate clannish man who doesn't know how to intellectually utilize the forum space. His "copy and paste" flooding has put off a lot of gifted brothers and sisters to at least add their two cents on the discussions about the so-called Somali "politics". I hope he doesn't resort to other despicable means such as posting inflammatory clannish propaganda that will create further aversion and repulsiveness. I have already seen some but that was expected from a person of such a provincial view and understanding on things. So far, he is tolerable and all we could do is just ignore his monotonous postings. His days are numbered though for there will not be an exiled government to cheer for in the near future. Sooner than expected, we will have a new recognized Somaliland "nation-state" and a new revolutionary coalition consisting of all somali clans will form a new Somali government seated and functioning in Mogadishu. The EU and US will prop up a new Somali Karzaai. He is already being groomed in DC circles. This is in the making folks!. I know this guy and his group. He is much better than the lame ducks we are accustomed to so far. Then, after Somali clans show a peaceful co-existance in the south, there will be a talk of re-union and federalism between the south and the north. where does Ethiopia and its Somali warlord stooges fit in this plan? nowhere!Somalia as we know is gone and done thanks to the likes of Duke and his clannish opportunistic uncle-warlords.

Why the African Union Continuous to Fail Peace, but Opts to Create War in Somalia Instead African Union Fails to end the Uganda and Sudan Civil Wars which still go on, which have displaced more than 4 million people combined and which continues to kill a similar number of people for more than 2 decades to 2005. It has turned a blind eye to enforcing Ethiopia’s chronic violation of UN Arms Embargo Resolution on Somalia for the past 14 years It condones Ethiopian Belligerence in East Africa to go unchecked And now wants to further destroy Republic of Somalia and any peace that might have arisen with new Transitional National Government (TFG) by approving the IGAD “Axis of Evil†programme of mayhem! The African Union is nothing but a disgraceful club of dictators and former criminal warlords who should be prosecuted immediately for their past and continuing atrocities and crimes committed against their people. They have done nothing and will bring do nothing, no peace will they bring for Somalia people. These monsters turned “presidents-for-life†such as the despot in Ethiopia Zenawi(now in his 14h year of his dictatorship over Ethiopia), his partners Museveni (currently in his 18th year of dictatorship over the Ugandan people and shows no sign of letting go) and their other bloody neighbour to the north who needs no introduction whatsoever for his gruesome campaigns in Darfur, Southern Sudan and against his own people generally, Al-Bashir of Sudan— ever bringing peace to Somalia is not only ludicrous, but tantamount to the highest degree of black comedy! These men— taken together as individuals and collectively— in their decades long history of misrule over their countries have contributed nothing other than instigating and continuing more bloodshed, displacement of civilians, fomenting ethnic war, deliberately creating a climate of pervasive instability and turmoil in neighbouring countries in the region, a good case being Somalia, but also including Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Chad(and it goes on and on) than any semblance of peace and order that has been known in the whole of East Africa since the end of colonialism in 1960s. They continue to oversee their own civil wars and kill their own people. Taken as whole this African Union of Despots, be it in East, West, North or South has proven to be a futile exercise of its predecessor Organization for African Union(OAU) and continuous to ignore the pressing problems facing the African continent and the people of East Africa in particular. It continues to serve as a venue for drunken cabals and stupors involving Ethiopian prostitutes; the dismantling of human rights, national sovereignties and constitutions; as a centre for continuous laundering of Western aid money into private accounts; legitimatizing illegal usurpation and theft of national wealth and offices; hiding place of murderers turned presidents; and most reprehensively of all serving as forum for this dictators to create new wars as they are currently planning for Somali Republic. A good example today is the fact that it, the African Union and its sham of a “Peace and Security Council†unashamedly turns a blind eye to Ethiopia’s belligerent activities towards peace, the Somali people, those it holds captive within its bloodstained borders and those now residing in Somalia and never ending desire to deprive the emergence of Governance ever returning to Somalia. The African Union knowing full well Ethiopia’s central role in manufacturing and keeping the “status quo†of warlordism and clan strife, knowing all the destruction its violations of UN Arms Embargo, which amazingly still is flooding into Somalia to create war in Bay and Bakol provinces with ammunition and weapons as well as troops contrary to all laws—this African Union has the nerve today to approve an invasion force made up of this despots’ militias to Somalia! This proves the African Union is engineering and canvassing for more wars, genocides, “status quo†of instability and bloodsheds across Africa for the benefit of co-pillagers like Zenawi, Museveni, and Al-Bashir. They are the enemy accomplices for Africa’s stagnation and strife. The very fact that it is based in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa seat of one of the most heinous, repressive and primitive dictatorships to ever exist within Africa and that along with being the only country in Africa with a established tradition of ethno-based colonialism, it has further its unique reputation of using “hunger and starvation†as a legitimate means of political and social control—proves this is not even worthy to be called a “talkshop†since it is more like a contest of wild hyenas for who can be the more vulgar! It has done even very little to publish the massive human rights violations, killings, beatings taking place right NOW outside its offices in Addis Ababa against the Oromo people and especially against the brutalized Somalis of ******ia, which just last week Ana Gomes the European Union’s chief observer to that farcical comedy of an election stated in the best of diplomatic language amounted to state-sanctioned repression. In an interview on 11 May 2005 with the United Nations Integrated News Agency (IRIN) she stated that†“I myself have spoken to people who have been beaten, and we have other evidence and suggestions of a pattern of behaviour of disruptions of rallies and harassment… we had reports of murderâ€. The international respected and independent New York based Human Rights Watch was less diplomatic in its report on the situation in Zenawi’s dungeon, it stated concerning the many captive peoples(including over 6 million Somalis tortured in the eastern region daily and made to suffer the worst kind of state-sanctioned barbarism and forced deprivations since the days of Pol Pot). According to Peter Takirambudde, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Africa division, “The Ethiopian government claims that the elections demonstrate its commitment to democratic principles, But in the run-up to the elections, the authorities have intensified the repression they have used to keep themselves in power for 13 years." As for Uganda which continues to suffer corruption and political violence orchestrated by Museveni’s thugs as they seek to once again amend the constitution to make their Big Man president for life, following the footsteps of long entrenched African bloodsucking tradition, who as the U.S. state department states of Museveni At home, Museveni government has been unable to end a brutal insurgency in the north and west of the country. Under his rule the Lord's Resistance Army(LRA) rebels have killed and kidnapped many thousands of people than before. Along with Museveni’s militias they have displaced more than one and a half million Uganda people into camps. And as Mavis Makuni of the Financial Gazette states in regarding African dictators that it is “Only Museveni, who has been in power for 18 years, managed to bulldoze his way into having the amendment accepted. God knows how long he will now remain in power.†Al-Bashir who single-handily now oversees a “genocide†in his troubled country does not even know what “peace†means, there is no need for an a introduction of this sinful man who has tarnished the image of Islam globally and within Africa apart from that since its independence on 1956 Sudan is still going through a 21-year civil war that has cost 1.5 million and since 2003 under Al-Bashir’s rule and his militias have killed more than 1.5 million people have fled their homes and tens of thousands of people have been killed The African Union since its inception has done practically nil to either end Africa’s many sordid wars or pressing problems such as development and HIV/AIDS. The fact that it has overlooked to end Uganda, Sudan Civil Wars; the Zenawi Dictatorship, and now wants to further bloodshed in Somalia, proves that Africa is once again betrayed by none other than its myriad of bloody one-man shows, Dictators! In light of this and the fact that not one single conflict has been resolved by the Africa Union, but only new wars have been created under its patron war mongers, its peacekeeping (if it can be even called as such) will do nothing but a exacerbate the fighting in Somalia and serve as vehicle for plunder of Somalia as has occurred in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo all under African Union peacekeeping adventures. Thank God the United States of America and European Union have opposed this deviant concotation of “axis of evil†of IGAD dictators Zenawi- Museveni Al-Bashir and may they continue to help the poor Somalia people regain sovereignty and real PEACE through reconciliation and governance in TFG. Yusuf Ali Qoryoley Qoryoley@gmx.net Berlin, Germany

A Mafia Godfather Or A Responsible President? Friday, May 13, 2005 Last Wednesday the 11 of May 2005, Warlord Abdullahi Yusuf and his political partner Mr. Ghedi, hurriedly organised and held an illegal meeting with 124 Somali MPs whom they had bribed with bundles of US dollars. The meeting was illegal because according to the constitution, there was no any circumstance under which the president could call an emergency meeting of parliament while the ordinary seasonal meetings of the parliament were to be held on the 17 of May 2005 as the Chairman of parliament Mr. Sharif had stressed emphatically. Nevertheless, warlord Abdullahi and Mr. Ghedi did not manage to get the required number or quorum of MPs to hold such a meeting despite their falsehood wild claims in this respect. At the end of that theatrical and deceptive meeting, warlord Abdullahi claimed that his government secured all laws it sought in order to bring in Ethiopian troops and other African militia armies into Mogadishu, that the government be seated at Baydhabo and Jowhar while Mogadishu be ethnically cleansed by the use of violence. The question which needs to be answered is: why did warlord Abdullahi and his political partner Mr Ghedi, over stepped the law and took those dramatic and war footing decisions despite they lacked the necessary parliamentary quorum, the Somali peoples confidence and cabinet unity ? The answer is simple: The warlord realised beyond reasonable doubt that his claim to power and authority has completely collapsed and that his personal health was deteriorating fast, so he took a 'suicidal' decision that has a number of the following purposes:- 1. To satisfy Meles Zenawi's wishful thinking of colonising Somalia 2. Reignite clannish civil wars in Somalia, hoping he will win it because of Meles support and other foreign powers 3. To uproot and destroy the huge resources and infrastructures in the city of Mogadishu with regard to education, businesses, manpower, health and religious resources and communities 4. To seize the rich provinces of Jubaland, Lower Shabele etc 5. To polarise all Somali clans and set against each other 6. To restore what he regards as the 'lost authority and dignity of his clan' by collaborating with Meles 7. To make Somalia a hell on earth before he dies as did by Gen. Siyad Barre who was related to Yey in clan blood In sum, since warlord Abdullahi Yusuf was fraudulently declared president on 10 October 2004, his political and social behaviour and activities were similar to that of a Mafia godfather rather than a responsible president. He was totally uninspiring in speeches, management and in teamwork. He proved to be profoundly corrupt, vision less, tribalist and a national traitor who constantly panders to Meles Zenawi and anybody who would hurt Somalia by any means. Responsible Somali intellectuals have been warning the dangers being posed by warlord Abdullahi Yusuf since his unfortunate election and now all those prophetic warnings have become true, and Somalia is on the verge of a brutal and disastrous civil war. In this regard, it is understood that a number of countries are involved in the conspiracy to destroy Somalia for whatever reason and Meles Zenawi's declaration on Thursday May the 12, 2005 that there is a an Al-Qaida cell operating in Mogadishu and that Ethiopian troops will have to destroy that cell, is just the tip of the iceberg !! Woe to falsehood mongers and greedy mercenaries !! The Somali people have every right to defend their honour and their country at all costs. Eventually. right will triumph over falsehoods, deceits and hired mercenaries whether local or transnational borders. H. Shirwa

Meles Zenawi's Wolfish Appetite The root of the Somali anarchy is greed and self- interest. Though some may purport it as clan based. This may be true only to some extent but not entirely. Only few are benefiting from the chaos that has been going round and round in Somalia for fifteen years. All these years the Somalis have been suffering enormously. Every thing that citizens of a stable country consider as granted is practically unknown in Somalia. Somalis have been deprived of proper health-care, education, potable water supply, safe roads, and above all law enforcement agency. Talk about sanitation and sewage is a taboo in Somalia. And just thinking of it makes me nauseate and ill at ease. In some parts of Somalia there are savage gunmen who do not do anything but keep an eye on anyone who voluntarily tries to remove the garbage from the residential areas so that the environment becomes more habitable and healthier. These gunmen should be paid and dealt with before any good Muslim can clean the ambient. It is as though the garbage is held hostage and with it the Somali people. Because of the uncollected garbage, a breakout of dengue, locally known as Katiiti Baabow, a viral disease transmitted by the bite of certain strains of mosquitoes is back into Somalia. Few malignant people are getting fatter and fatter and they would do any thing to stop any one who tries to make life better for the Somali people. Keep the status quo is their motto. They think they will have nothing to gain if a change for the better comes along. It is really sad and unfortunate that “THEY do not see that everyone including “ They – The Fat People†will be a winner if peace and the rule of law is restored in lawless Somalia. It is absurd and far from the reality that Alqaida is in Somalia. What we have is a Somali problem caused by selfish criminals who shroud themselves with pseudo-clannism. Nevertheles the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi in an interview with the Associated Press on May 12, 2005 affirms that Alqaida is active in Somalia. First of all there is no international organization –whatever one likes to call it- in Somalia, which could be responsible for the lawlessness. The calamity with which the Somali people have been living day in day out for more than fifteen years is a product made in Somalia and by Somali hands and the raw material to produce it is flooded into Somalia by Mele Zenawi and Co. so that the Somali plight never ceases to exist. Secondly, Let us assume that Zenawi is telling the truth. Just for a brief moment. The question that presses for an urgent answer is why of all people has Dictator Zenawi got to do with that. We have now a president and his name is Abdullahi Yusuf and a prime minister and his name is Mohamud Ghedi. What happened to our guys? If Alqaida is in Somalia they should be the first to inform the Somali people. Have they lost their tongues or is Zenawi more informed about Somali’s current issues than the Somali’s Prime minister and it’s President or is it true that Zenawi is the man behind the scenes who is directing the show and all of a sudden decided to come to the fore, to the stage so as to take over the acting from his protagonists, namely Abdullahi Yusuf and Ghedi. The Somali people deserve better than a puppet government. They need a fair and a stable government that provides to the Somalis the services they need and collects the mounting garbage and the marauding gunmen as well. The Ethiopian dictator, Zenawi has his own problem. The Ethiopian people are starving and he has nothing to feed them. The Oromo people are uprising against the Tigre subjugation and in the ****** territory, freedom fighters are teaching unforgettable lessons to the Terrorists from Tigrinia. The days of Zenawi are counted and he is aware of that. Ethiopians are going to the polls next Sunday. This is no fair election, mind you, as the outcome is known for sure. There are no international observers in Ethiopia making sure that voters are not intimidated if they opt to cast their vote for the opposition. Dictator Zenawi and his regime will remain in power but not for long. Having sacked Ethiopia’s wealth and deposited it at foreign banks his last gambit is to use President Yusuf and Prime Minester Ghedi so that his ambition for more and more treasure is quenched – though I doubt that this point will ever be reached for the man has a wolfish and insatiable appetite. The Ethiopian people are fed up with Zenawi and would do any thing to get rid of him. Zenawi knows that the tide is turning against him and is about to drown him once and for all. And just like any other dictator who has no way of dealing and solving the economic and social problems facing his subjects, Zenawi recourses to the antique survival technique of distract and blindfold. His distraction to the Ethiopians is Somalia. And now he has come up with another one : Alqaida. Dictator Zenawi is crying wolf having seen that Somalis are adamant against the deployment of foreign troops especially Terrorists from Tigrinia. There are Muslims in Somlia and if Being a Muslim has become synonymous with Alqaida, then you may say so and the Somalis will know that Meles Zenawi is on a crusade to massacre innocent and peace loving Muslims. The word “ Islam†derives from Salaam, which means peace, and as such Muslims are peace-loving people. Others with stronger muscles and louder voices than a poor African dictator who does not know how to feed his own hungry-stricken people, have been attempting to taint Islam- the religion of peace and love- and Alhamdu lillaah, all their attempts has been and will be in vain. by: Ahmad Rooble Muhammad email: Roblinos@yahoo.com

This interim president, Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, is unfit to rule the country. He has consistently demonstrated, since the very first day of his election, serious deficiencies in judgment, political maturity and the ability to formulate an exit strategy from the persistent turmoil haunting our nation. To the contrary, under his tutelage, the dreams of the long suffering Somali people and the sweat of the international community are about to disappear into the thin air. He has deepened the divisions, increased the distrust and has further entrenched the hostilities to an alarming level, where sudden and incontrollable explosion of violence is, once again, almost inevitable. His arrogance, vitriolic rhetoric and bullying tactics have but completely paralyzed the already slow turtle pace race towards peace and the opportunity to bring Somalia back from the depths of despair and into nationhood. Shocked and disillusioned, many are dismayed as they watch helplessly the undoing of their long waited dreams. It is hard to comprehend for many how elderly Somalis, negotiating in good faith, aware of the plight of their people and the destruction wrought onto their country, could fathomably fail in reaching an agreement, forgiving each other and ceasing hostilities? Our forefathers have been doing exactly this same thing successfully over and over again throughout our history. Apparently, something has awfully gone wrong and all the fingers are pointing in the direction of the president. Blinded by the pursuit of supreme power, unmoved by the suffering of his people, ignorant to the political realities on the ground and mute to the deafening calls for reason and moderation, this president has become everything that a Somali president should not be, particularly in these tumultuous times. It is by now clear that he never really intended to go to Mogadishu, secure or insecure, until he garnered enough fire and man power to silence all and every conceivable opposition to his rule. This perhaps explains the unprecedented and strange servile disposition on his part towards Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia. It also further exposes the true objectives behind convening the extraordinary parliamentary session on May 12, 2005, with less than the required quorum, on the eve of the African Union’s proposed endorsement to deploy foreign troops in Somalia and the next day departure of the prime minister to Addis Ababa. Albeit if this act was in flagrant violation of the interim charter with grave consequences which could jeopardize the pillars of the constitution and the legitimacy of his administration. If the president could wrestle the legislative powers from the hands of the parliament even before his regime sets foot in the country, or openly threaten the speaker to throw him into the depths of Wardheer wells, one could only contemplate what would follow once foreign troops “assist†him in getting a foothold inside the country. Welcome “Jaalle Abdullahi, Aabbihii garashada geyigayagowâ€. What a tragedy? The Lame Duck Prime Minister Obviously, it is of no wonder that the prime minister is so contemptibly meek and ineffective to face the president and reign in on his trespasses, given the way he was appointed. Perhaps, the second biggest blunder the parliament committed, apart from its selection of Mr. A.Y. Ahmed as the president, is its endorsement of the way the prime minister was appointed. As we all recall, Mr. Geeddi gained the premiership when Mr. Mohamed Dhere, a staunch supporter and a political ally of the president, Ethiopian armed and groomed strong man of Middle Shabelle, vacated his parliamentary post. One could understand the preciousness of a parliamentary post in the present day Somali polity. Fathers slay their sons to win a seat, let alone voluntarily vacate a post for a fellow clan member. So what has Mr. Geeddi promised in return and what was the real deal and price? Whatever the deal was, not withstanding the sad crippling effect it had on the ability of the prime minister to freely and independently execute his duties, it also rendered the parliament as a trading place where strong men exchange positions in return for favors and monetary rewards, ultimately undermining its legitimacy to serve the people. As a direct consequence of these same arrangements, the prime minister missed valuable opportunities to win over politicians on the other side of the aisle which could have produced tangible successes in moving the country in the direction of a stable and viable democracy. In his last trip to Mogadishu, he was in the capital city for 9 days and did not even once sit with one of the most powerful men in the opposition, simply because he did not have the nod from his boss in Nairobi. It is not easy to serve two masters at the same time. Mr. Geeddi put himself and the country in a very difficult position and must extricate himself from this dilemma. Some will argue that in our present day situation, only a strong leader, the likes of Mr. Ahmed could salvage the country. This argument holds water only when one accepts the premise that the people are like herds of animal that should be driven to the slaughter house by whipping and beating them. Only and only then could a sense of normality be gained in Somalia. On the other hand, as attested by our culture, the Somali people deeply believe that they are decent by nature and are ordained as honorable human beings with intelligence, dignity and are by birth endowed by their creator with indelible rights. They hold true that consent and consultation rather than coercion and intimidation is the proven and more effective way in achieving lasting peace among men. To repair the damage and set the path for meaningful reconciliation and true nation building, Somalia needs a visionary president, just and untainted by political ambition, above and over petty tribalistic tendencies and solely driven by a sense of duty, patriotism and love for his people. A leader vividly described by the honorable Sayid Mohammed over 100 years ago. Abuu yahayba aadmiga ninkii sama ekeynaaya Abtirsiinya kii xigay nimaan iniq u dheeraynin Addoomaha Ilaahay nimaan kala irdhaynaynin by: Rashid Ali Baltimore, MD email: Rashid_Ali_66@hotmail.com

sad!