Hey Guys thats a nice design well done to Hiilac thats my kind of development. But we need to get a construction company to build up the roads in the cities and pave the streets. Well done, Samuria W bro post more pics.

Ma-shaallah nice, we need more planned construction like this one well done.

Victory indeed, but peace throught Somalia will be a victory worth while. Welcome back bro.

This information is from Somalinet.com http://somalinet.com/library/osmanya/w3.php Interview with Michael Everson. Michael Everson 1. Could you please briefly tell us about your areas of research interest and expertise? I am an expert in writing systems with a good deal of training in linguistics. I have for the past decade or so put nearly all of my energy into studying the writing systems of the world for the specific purpose of encoding them in Unicode. I'm also a font designer. 2. Could you please share with us what spurred your interest in the Osmania script? And when? I think it was in January 1998 that I first started looking into it. It was a year later that the first Unicode proposal document was written. What spurred my interest? Nothing in particular. It was one of several simple alphabetic scripts that I looked into at the time. It wasn't until a member of the Somali community made contact with me that I became more interested and involved. To put it another way, I love writing systems of all kinds, and was doing preliminary work on a number of them, Osmanya included. 3. Are there groups or individuals who assisted you in your research in the Osmania script, such as locating material, getting access to public and private collections, and making contacts with people who are authority on the Osmania script? I am very grateful to Osman Abdihalim Osman Yusuf Keenadiid and to his family for the support they gave this project. It is, as it turns out, difficult to find accurate information on Osmanya. Many books about writing systems repeat the same alphabet, showing the same untransliterated and untranslated sample! Osman Abdihalim Osman sent me a photocopy of a book which made the encoding of the script possible. 4. Are there any tangible results from your considerable research in the Osmania script? If so, how did you disseminate that information? The first proposal to encode Osmanya can be found at http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n1948.pdf. It was written in January 1999. Osman Abdihalim Osman found the paper on the web and contacted me about it. Working together with him, I published the final proposal, written in July 2001, which can be found at http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n2361r.pdf. Both of these papers were submitted to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 and to the Unicode Technical Committee, the groups responsible for the Universal Character Set. 5. How far along are you into your efforts to digitize the Osmania script and when can we expect to have Osmania script fonts for computers? Osmanya has been accepted for encoding in Plane 1 of the Unicode Standard, and is out for ballot in JTC1/SC2. That ballot will close in November 2002, and the amendment will be published some time the following year. I designed an Osmanya font very quickly to prepare the script proposal. That's why the fonts in the proposal documents are -- in my own opinion -- very rough and crude. Recently I began to "clean up" my fonts, to give to them sharp and typographically professional shapes. I expect that some time next year I will release them to the general public. I can say one thing -- if I were able to get hold of an original printed source it would be easier to improve the font, because an original document would be superior to the photocopy which I have at present. I am also interested in providing a method for keyboard input. I believe that a QWERTY-based keylayout would be the most convenient input method, especially as it would be easiest for Somalis to use since they are already used to the Latin orthography. 6. What are the barriers or problem you have encountered in conducting and, perhaps, expanding your research on the Osmania script? As I said, it was difficult to find information about it. There is surprisingly little on the internet about the script, considering that Osmanya was in active use until at least 1972. I am surprised not to find it used in more Somali websites, even just as decorative graphics, given its cultural and historical importance. Perhaps there are political issues of which I am unaware? I don't know how many books were printed with the script, or if newspapers were. I have not seen them, in any case. I have put a PDF file of the entire book http://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/pdf/afkeenna-iyo-fartiisa.pdf Afkeenna iyo fartiisa on my website. This is a large file, about 7 MB. It is the source book which we used to prepare the proposal. 7. Somali, as you are aware of, is currently written in the Latin alphabet. In your opinion, how difficult would it be to reintroduce the Osmania script to the Somalis or in Somalia? Certainly in this day and age, with the Latin orthography in use for thirty years, it might be difficult to replace Latin with Osmanya. But it is an important part of Somali culture, and I would hope that the script would form a part of the school curriculum in Somalia. In Sweden and Norway, for instance, children learn about the ancient Runic alphabet in school, and certainly some of them learn it and write notes to one another in Runes for the fun of it. Calendars, restaurant menus, T-shirts, and other kinds of "public text" could make use of it in conjunction with the Latin script. Other countries do similarly with their scripts. Why not Somalia? 8. Given your considerable expertise in extinct scripts, how would you characterize the foundations and the structure of the Osmania script? Structurally, Osmanya is a simple left-to-right alphabet with 22 consonants and 8 vowels. Three of those vowels are long vowels; the consonants WAW and YA are used to represent the other two long vowels UU and II. The Osmanya alphabet is very well suited to represent the sounds of the Somali language, in just the same way as the new Latin orthography does. The alphabetical order of Osmanya shows the influence of the Arabic script. The shapes of its letters are simple, to recognize and easy to write. It is a marvellous invention. 9. What do you know about the creator of the Osmania script, Mr. Osman Yusuf Kaynadid? Not as much as I would like. In searches on the web, I have found out that he was a very religious man. I was interested to learn that the reason he kept his mouth covered was "to avoid sin". I think that it would be a great thing if someone would write a biography of this important man. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. It has been an honour for me to work on the encoding of the Osmanya script. -- Contact: Michael Everson *** Everson Typography *** http://www.evertype.com

King_450, many people used the script in the mid 40 till 1970. Some SYL members I have been told used it when passing information. I have an aunt who can still writte it and I know a number of people who still teach it. Howver Somalias literacy drive was done after the adoption of the latin script and not much attention was paid to the old script as is the case in our homeland much attention is not paid to our history, look at the state of our poetry.

A tad bit old but a good read still. Take a punt on Puntland, urge Somali returnees GALKAYO, Somalia (UNHCR) - Carpenter Mohammad Gas Dunkal received a gift when he returned to his homeland of Somalia in 1995, after four years as a refugee in Kenya: the UN refugee agency gave him one radial saw. From that humble beginning, he has built a booming carpentry and metal-working workshop, now employing five master carpenters and 10 assistants. "Puntland is a land of great opportunity," he says with satisfaction. "I would advise all refugees to come back to their country and work to make their fortune." Mohammad, 47, the father of 10 children, is representative of the many former refugees who have sparked an economic revival in north-eastern Somalia, also known as Puntland. Returnees - some came directly from Kenyan refugee camps, while others have achieved professional success in Canada, the United States or Sweden - are contributing their money and know-how to Puntland's development. They have opened everything from small tailor shops to private hospitals and telecommunications companies. A drive through the streets of Puntland's two main cities, Bossaso and Galkayo, quickly reveals there is a construction boom going on. Bossaso, Puntland's economic capital on the shores of the Gulf of Aden, is home to a busy port that forms the gateway to lucrative trade with Arab countries. "Often people think of returnees as a burden to the societies and economies they come back to," says Simone Wolken, UNHCR Representative for Somalia. While it is true that some returnees are vulnerable and need the community's support to build a new life, Wolken adds, "UNHCR finds that returnees from exile quickly and successfully take advantage of the opportunities on offer in the peaceful areas of Somalia." Through their own initiative, many successful business people are creating jobs and reintegration, recovery and peaceful co-existence in Puntland. "The UN therefore liaises closely with the business community and counts on the constructive role it can play in Somalia," says Wolken. Twelve years after the outbreak of Somalia's civil war, Puntland and Somaliland, the self-declared independent state in the north-west of the country, are peaceful, while the Somali capital, Mogadishu, remains wracked by violence. Many Somalis have abandoned hopes of ever going back to Mogadishu, and have chosen instead to settle in Puntland, whether they have ancestral ties here or not. "I did not have any hope to go back to Mogadishu," says Osman Salat Fogase, a 34-year-old pharmacist in Galkayo, explaining his decision to leave Kenya after eight years in a refugee camp there. "No one would try to go back to Mogadishu. Here I am helping to build my country." While in Kenya, he says, UNHCR paid for the medical training that enabled him to open his pharmacy, where he now dispenses basic medical care as well as selling medicines. He had never even been to Galkayo before he settled here, but now he has built a house for his father, his wife and his five children. Entrepreneur Mohamed Jama Mohamed, 45, also had no ties to Bossaso before he decided to settle there in 1994 - after losing his $450,000 investment in a chain of photo shops in Mogadishu to the civil war. Friends and relatives who had known him as a successful businessman in the capital backed his new business ventures in Bossaso. Today he is deputy director of Dalsan remittance bank, which he says handles millions of dollars a month in personal and business transfers. "Any refugee who has any skill or any experience in any business, I urge them: It's easy to start over here," says Mohamed. "Don't be afraid. You will get support here. It all depends on you. Stand up and forget the refugee camp and start a good, hopeful life." For engineer Issa Omar Mohamed, who now runs a poverty reduction and economic recovery programme for the UN Development Programme in Bossaso, coming home was much easier than sitting idle and watching his professional engineering skills go rusty in a refugee camp. "Nothing is guaranteed [for returnees to Puntland], but at least here they have opportunities," he says in an interview at his office just steps from the bustling port, where fish and livestock are exported to the Gulf, and where ships from as far away as Sri Lanka and Norway come to fish. Further south in Galkayo, as one of the founders of Galcom telephone company, returnee Ahmed Ibrahim Osman has had a ringside seat to Puntland's economic development over the past few years. When his company started in 1997, Galkayo - a town with an estimated population of 170,000 - had just 150 telephone lines, and most people lit their homes with kerosene lamps. Today the town boasts 4,300 land lines, 1,500 mobile phone subscribers and 15 Internet cafes. Galcom itself also supplies electricity to the town, and employs about 200 people. "Telecoms can play a role of peace," Ahmed says. "People used to spread rumours, but when there is a telephone, they pick it up and get the truth." Many Somalis abroad are waiting for a national government to be formed before they will have confidence to come home, Ahmed says. A father of five children, aged three to 12, he himself vacillates in his assessment of Somalia's future. "Sometimes I say, my children will have the best future anyone in Somalia has ever had," he says. "Other times I say, it's 12 years [since the civil war started] and there is still no government. I say to myself, I have sisters in the USA and Canada, maybe I'll send my children there." But his counterpart in Bossaso has no such doubts. Returnee Abdulaziz Ahmed Hersi, chief engineer for Netco telephone company, advises all Somalis abroad: "Move back to Somalia, or at least send your money and let it work for you. There are good opportunities here." By Kitty McKinsey In Galkayo, Gardo and Bossaso, Somalia

I believe that if all Somali leaders had lunch together more often many things might get done. I like these pics its better than them slaping each other.

The Osmaniya script is part of Somali heritige and should be appreciated by future generations. It took one man to invent and 50 years to replace it. While the latin script is and will remain the main way of wrtitting Somali we must not forget the other and keep it alive in our culture. I cant think of many other Somali inventions that can compare to the simple script by Osman Yusuf Kenadeed.

Brief History - :The Osmanya script, called in Somali far Soomaali "Somali writing" or Cismaanya, was devised in 1920-1922 by (Cismaan Yuusuf Keenadiid) to represent the Somali language. It replaced an attempt by Sheikh Uweys of the Confraternity Qadiriyyah (died 1909) to devise an Arabic-based orthography for Somali. It has in turn been replaced by the Latin orthography of Muuse Xaaji Ismaaciil Galaal (1914-1980). In 1961 both the Latin and Osmanya scripts were adopted for use in Somalia, but in 1969 there was a coup, with one of its stated aims the resolution of the debate over the country’s writing system. Latin orthography was adopted finally in 1973. Gregersen said in 1977 that some 20,000 or more people use Osmanya in private correspondance and in bookkeeping and that several books and a fortnightly journal Horseed ("Vanguard") was published, all "cyclostyped" which I take to be equivalent to "cyclostyled" and to mean 'mimeographed'. More

Casey, Djabouti is much smaller than Bari which is one of the 18 administrative states of Somalia. Its economy is non existance why should it exist as a seperate country? Because france once ruled it? On Somaliland, 13 years no recognition, 13 years and its refugees are flocking to the west, no seat in the UN, AU or the Arab League, no seat even in IGAD. Its not a country, it has Airstrips, wow, it has a port wow, Mogadishu has 3 ports and 4 airstrips. Mogadishu even has a Coca Cola Plant wow, it should be a country right? Get over it people Djabouti is no more a country than Somaliland and Puntland which are not countries, republic or nation states. There is one Somalia it will be one soon that is my dream

We Wait Anxiously for New Government, and we should not rush anything lets take ourtime to onclude the agreement, we should learn from the failures of the past 13 conferences that anything that is rushed and done for only time in mind will not succeed. So far the federal charter has been passed. All thats left now is to name the MP's who will elect the president who will elect the PM and then thats it. However even if a national all inclusive government is formed it will take a while for it to control the whole country, to disarm the millitias and build infustructure it will be a difficult taks as the country is bankrupt and has been for a decade. So we wait and by the grace of Allah we will make it through. Horn Afrique thanks for the post mate

Allahu naxaaristo to the individual. Nassir, This is a low point even for you mate, this mans death was a family tragedy if it politics was behind his death then Puntlandpost.com would have been the fisrt to report it.

p.s rer sool is under controll its rer puntland that is creating the problems and they will be taking care off as soon as possible You have been saying soon for a couple of months now its an outdated statement Nassir when the "south" gets peace all Somaliland leaders will do is catch a plane and land in Mogadishu, then they will get their fare share of the cake. Simple there will be no new states in Somalia, hell even Djabouti's right to exist will be questioned when Somalia gets better.

The outcome will be peace, Somaliland's recognition will only come when it is recognised by the rest of Somalia. So my dear Northern brothers you are still waiting on Mogadishu.

Lander, there is no deal with warlords in this venture or many others in Mogadishu. Its get better by the day thanks to Allah.

Bannaanbaxyo isdaba joog ah Muqdihso ka dhacay, C/qaasim Salaad Xasan oo mid ka mid ah ka qayb galay . By A.D. Elmi. Posted to the web 18-02-2004, 14:17:57 Muqdisho:- C/qaasim Salaad Xasan oo shalay ka qayb galayay bannaanbax ay soo abaabuleen qaar ka mid ah haweenka gobolka Banaadir iyo dawladda KMG ah oo halkaas ka hadlayay ayaa taabtay dhinacyo badan oo ay ka mid yihiin heshiiska Nayroobi iyo waliba xiisadaha colaadeed ee haatan ka taagan gobollada Sool iyo Sanaag. “ Waxaannu si toos ah iyo si dadbanba ula hadalnay madaxweynaha dawlad goboleedka Puntland, mudane C/laahi Yuusuf iyo madaxweynaha gobollada Waqooyi ee la magac baxay Somaliland Mudane Daahir Riyaale Kaahin , waxayna naga ballan qaadeen inaysan wax dagaal ah samayn doonin” sidaana waxaa yiri C/qaasim Salaad Xasan oo markii u horreysay ay tahay ee la maqlo isagoo ugu yeeraya ragga ka kala taliya Puntland iyo Somaliland madaxweynayaal. Madaxweyne C/qaasim waxa uu ammaan u soo jeediyay haweenka gobolka Banaadir waxa uu dhinaca kalena xusay in waqtigan ay magaalada Muqdisho ka nabad fiican tahay sidii hore, “Waa halkan halka la keenayo dawladda Soomaaliyeed ee dhalan doonta” ayuu mar kale yiri C/qaasim oo intaa ku daray in nabadda Muqdisho wax badan laga qabtay iyadoo ay iskaashadeen ciidamada dawladda KMG ah, kuwa madaniga iyo waxgaradka xaafaddaha. C/qaasim oo ka hadlayay shirka Kenya, ayaa waxa uu ka muujiyay rajo wanaagsan, isagoo sheegay kuwa diidani inay yihiin qolo ibliisku uu taban taabiyay, isla markaana aan loo hakan doonin ee xoog lagu maquunin doono ciddii heshiiskaas diidda, sida uu hadalka u dhigay. Dhinaca kale maanta ayaa isu soo bax ballaarani ka dhacayaa garoonka kubadda Cagta ee Studium Muqdisho, kaas oo lagu rajo weynyahay inay imaan doonaan dad aad u fara badan, waxaana soo qaban qaabiyay dhaqaaqa nabadda oo ka mid ah ururada bulshada rayidka ah, kaas oo isna lagu ayidayo shirka Kenya. A.D.Elmi. Puntlandpost, Muqdisho, Soomaaliya.

Kolonzo issues a clarification statement to resuscitate Somali peace talks - Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at 22:35 Nairobi (AllPuntland) – A two-page clarification statement which attempts to salvage the ongoing Somali peace talks dogged by continuous disputes was issued earlier today by the office of Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephen Kolonzo Musyoka, also the current Chairman of IGAD’s Ministerial Committee. Extensive negotiations and exhaustive diplomatic manoeuvring had paid off in the form of a settlement over reported enigmatic fraudulent amendments slipped into the January 29 peace pact reached between Somali Leaders Committee and the Facilitation Committee in Nairobi, which resulted in the issuance of the clarification statement. The statement addresses disputed issues. Such issues which caused much of the disagreements included: recognised political leaders in the Somali reconciliation and peace conference, representation and political entities, civil society organisations, and most importantly a proposed plan to by-pass the obligatory plenary session to approve the stipulations of the January 29 peace pact. A highly contested issue was the definition of Article 30, section (i) of the transitional constitutional Federal Charter for the Republic of Somalia which deals with “recognised political leaders” in the selection of members of the Parliament (MPs) in the final phase. Our local reporter in Nairobi obtained a copy of the clarification statement, and envisages that today’s statement from Kenya’s Office of Foreign Affairs addresses the said issues in a manner deemed agreeable to all parties, and satisfactory to the Somali Leaders Committee. On the issue of the making good of the original agreement signed on the 29th of January, the statement begins: “I deem it necessary to issue the following clarification after the signing of a declaration on the harmonisation of various issues proposed by the Somali delegates on the 29th of January 2004 as State House, Nairobi......” It also states that the amendments made at the Safari Park shall remain as signed, with the 17th of February remedial declaration making good of the intended original covenant, thereby reinforcing the January 29 peace accord as amended herein. On the issue of who are considered “the recognised political leaders” which lies at the centre of the dispute, the statement clarifies in item three that: “The sentence “Leaders invited to the consultative meetings in Nairobi as from the 9th of January 2004” is superfluous” This dismisses the notion that the Leaders Committee will comprise of leaders at the Consultation Conference at Safari Park. It further notes with regards to the selection of Members of the Parliament (MPs) that: “The actual process of selection of members of parliament would be undertaken at the sub-clan level by the recognized political leaders comprising of the Transitional National Government (TNG), the National Salvation Council (NSC), Regional Administrations, the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC), the Group of Eight (G8) political alliance and the Civil Society and endorsed by genuine traditional leaders”. The interpretation here is that in the “the recognised political leaders” refers to the original Somali Leaders Committee, signatories of the Eldoret Cessation of Hostilities in October of 2002. It also reiterates that the process of selection of MPs will be based on the established 4.5 formula in that it reads: “The selection process would be undertaken under the 4.5 clan based formula” And finally, the clarification refutes the claim of Abdiqassim Salat Hassan of the Arta TNG being the President of Somalia and a witness, and not a signatory to the January 29 peace accord. Only President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, chairman of the IGAD Facilitation Committee was a witness to the January 29 pact. “So long as the process in itself is not suspect, there is still hope for the peace talks” according to a political observer in Nairobi. “IGAD and the Facilitation Committee regained its stature and status as a non-partisan body in the eyes of the Somali leaders, and that is vital for the peace talks to succeed” he added. So far, no group has voiced any objection to the clarification statement. However, it is not certain what will come of it after Somali leaders had subjected the document to scrutiny in their separate corners. And as the law of nature in Somali peace talks would have it, fresh round of disputes could be anticipated. AllPuntland News Desk

Bush Goal Was Dodging War February 15, 2004 Records released by the White House show that George Bush attended some drills in the Texas Air National Guard in the four months of 1972 while the air losses in Vietnam continued. On George Bush's last paid day in the Texas Air National Guard, on April 16, 1972, the air war in Vietnam had turned furious because Richard Nixon had ordered large strikes against North Vietnam, the first since 1968. Nixon was certain that bombing would crumble North Vietnam and give him a smashing victory in the war. Bush Goal Was Dodging War Bush was on duty for 26 days from January 1 until April 16. On that last day in Texas, April 16, 1972, the front pages around the nation, which George Bush could see because he was here, far from the shooting, had a photo of Maj. Gale Albert Despiegler, just captured after being shot down over Quang Binh, North Vietnam. Despiegler would be in the same prison with John McCain, who spent five and a half years in a Hanoi jail and was tortured. He tried suicide twice. On April 16, the American raids on the port of Haiphong and the capital city, Hanoi, were reported from Hanoi by Agence France-Presse: "Anti-aircraft guns fired on a formation of American F-4 fighter bombers early Sunday as the planes swept low over the North Vietnamese capital. The Hanoi radio said that American jets struck inside and outside Hanoi seven hours after the Haiphong raid. The Associated Press also reported. The radio said that 11 American planes had been downed in the raid. A Pentagon spokesman refused to comment on the reports from Hanoi." The United States command said that escort planes had accompanied the bombers. Anti-aircraft fire was believed to have been intense and some planes may have been shot down by surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire, but the command's announcement said only that all B-52's "returned safely." After that April 16, Bush went to Alabama and that pretty much ended his fighting career although he did battle cavities in a dentist's chair at Maxwell Field, Ala. The hack flacks in the White House and the Pekinese of the press are fighting over whether Bush actually did go to the dentist and thus was on duty, or was he missing from a real drill? His whereabouts have nothing to do with it. What matters only is that Bush was in the National Guard in Texas because he was dodging the war in Vietnam. In those days, if you were in the Guard, you were not called for Vietnam. Some people used college, or marriage, or Conscientious Objector or moving to Canada to evade. Bush used the Guard. Anybody trying that today is in great danger. The Guard units are being called up by the day. But Bush used the Guard when it gave safety. And now, shamelessly, preposterously, he sends people to get killed in Iraq. That he has no right to do so doesn't seem to enter his mind. In Texas, George Bush might have even had a uniform on. But he was not in Vietnam. And now, today, he is a guy who ducked the war, dodged the war, reneged on any chance to go to war, and yet without even a hint of personal shame sends young people to die in a war that his record shows that he would duck. That Bush was not near any of this is his business. Of course he had joined the National Guard so he wouldn't have to go to Vietnam. That he barely went to any National Guard drills is also his business. What matters to all our senses is that he is a president who struts around as a war hero, who dodged Vietnam and most of the National Guard drills and who with less shame than anybody we have had maybe ever, sends your kids to a war that he ducked as if he was allowed to do it by birth. The picture of him playing soldier suit on an aircraft carrier, the helmet under his arm like he just got back from a run over Baghdad, marks him as exceedingly dangerous. He believes he is a warrior president. He is not. He is a war dodger. Therefore, it is preposterous for George Bush to be a commander of anything. He doesn't have the right to send people to war and yet he orders them off, and almost cheerfully. What was he doing all day in April 16, 1972 when they raided Haiphong? It was the first attack on the port city by the eight-engine B-52's that fly slower than the speed of sound and drop enormous amounts of bomb tonnage in patterns of great length. This makes the B 52's vulnerable to ground fire, particularly surface-to-air missiles. The jet fighters, smoked lightning, must fly near the B-52's to attract the fire from the ground. A United States communique on April 15 said that four American aircraft, a Navy jet and three Air Force fighter bombers, were downed in raids against military targets around Haiphong. The Hanoi government claimed 15 planes were shot down, including a B-52. United States army headquarters reported that all B-52's returned from Haiphong. Another United States communique said the pilot of a Navy Corsair was rescued at sea, but the two crewmen of an Air Force Force 105 Thunderchief were missing. Whether this was part of the communique about four planes missing or was about two more losses, is unsure. What we are sure of is that we have a commander in chief who plays soldier with other people's lives. Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

A Dodger Not A Warrior February 15, 2004 There can be no dispute that George Bush attended some drills in the Texas Air National Guard in the first four months of 1972. By then, there were 56,000 dead Americans and the air losses in Vietnam continued. It isn't difficult to count Bush's days on duty in the Texas Guard because he wasn't present so many times. Only 26 days. If George Bush had been a milkman, children would have starved. He believes he is a warrior president. He is not. He is a war dodger. He confuses himself with George Patton, and proudly passes a National Guard record around all over America. There was a cheap argument between the hack flacks in the White House and the Pekingese of the Press over whether Bush attended a dentist one day. Yes! He certainly was in the dentist's chair. Give him the silver Medal for Molars! On George Bush's last paid day in the Texas Air National Guard, on April 16, 1972, the air war in Vietnam had turned furious, Richard Nixon had ordered large strikes against North Vietnam, the first since 1967. On Bush's last day, front pages had a photo of Maj. Gale Albert Despiegler, just captured after being shot down over Quang Binh, North Vietnam. Despiegler would be in the same prison with John McCain, who was to spend 5 1/2 years of torture in a Hanoi jail. McCain tried suicide twice. In their name today, George Bush is in command of a war, something that he knows absolutely nothing about, and because of this many are being killed and many, many more wounded. Bush was far from the fight on April 16, 1972. In the war he evaded, United States fliers raided Haiphong with eight-engine B-52s that fly slower than the speed of sound and dropped enormous amounts of bomb tonnage in long patterns. This made the B-52s vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles. The jet fighters, smoked lightning, flew near the B-52s to attract the fire from the ground. The North Vietnamese fired 200 missiles and thousands of rounds of anti-aircraft shells. On April 16, 1972, the American raids on Haiphong and Hanoi were reported from Hanoi by Agence France-Presse: "Anti-aircraft guns fired on a formation of American F-4 fighter bombers early Sunday as the planes swept low over the North Vietnamese capital. The Hanoi radio said that American jets struck inside and outside Hanoi seven hours after the Haiphong raid. The Associated Press also reported. The Hanoi government claimed 15 planes were shot down, including a B-52. United States army headquarters reported that all B-52s returned from Haiphong." The files show that the United States command said that "escort planes accompanied the bombers. Anti-aircraft fire was intense and some planes may have been shot down by surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire." United States communiques said that four American aircraft, a Navy jet and three Air Force fighter bombers were downed in raids against military targets around Haiphong. Another United States communique said the pilot of a Navy Corsair was rescued at sea, but the two crewmen of an Air Force F-105 Thunderchief were missing. Still another United States communique said the pilot of a Navy Corsair was rescued at sea, but the two crewmen of an Air Force F-105 Thunderchief were missing. The communique also said a helicopter and a medical evacuation helicopter were shot down north of Saigon. Whether this was part of the communique about four planes missing or was about two more losses, is unsure. What we're sure of is that, on April 16, Bush was training to lead his country in war by packing his bags in Texas and moving to Alabama, and that pretty much ended his fighting career although he did wage war on cavities in that dentist's chair at Maxwell Field, Ala. What matters is that Bush was in the National Guard in Texas through all the days from Jan. 1 until April 16 because he was dodging the war in Vietnam. At that time, if you were in the Guard, you were not called for Vietnam. Some people used National Guard, or college, or marriage, or conscientious objector, or moving to Canada to evade. Bush used the Guard. Today, National Guard troops are being activated and sent to Iraq. In Bush's time, the Guard was safe as an apartment in Paris. And now, he sends people to get killed in Iraq. That he has no right to do this doesn't seem to enter his mind. He dodged the war, rebuffed any chance to go to war, and yet shamelessly, preposterously, without any idea of what he is doing, and without an ounce of personal uneasiness, sends young people to die in a war. Has there ever been a president who seems less bothered by young dead than George Bush? The picture of him playing soldier suit on an aircraft carrier, the helmet under his arm as if he just got back from a run over Baghdad, marks him as exceedingly dangerous. The guy could actually believe he is a warrior. We have a commander in chief who made sure he missed all action for his country and now , without knowing what he is doing, plays war with other people's lives. Look at our casualties every day in Iraq since Bush declared the fighting over, sometime last year. Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

Its fun and games to you guys but people may be dying soon. A single life is sacred so nothing funny about the situation in our country.

Kowneyn, Nothing against Somaliland or its struggle, in fact all Somali's struggled against the tyrant and all Somali's suffered. Now we have men left from the former regime starting a war between Puntland and Somaliland in which they have calculated that they will win and the Somali people will lose. Why arrest the Suldan? why start warmongering now? and why not open dialogue through the various channel? Riyaale has a lot to answer for, his past is one and his actions today is another.

honorables members of the two houses and the fair and blanced goverment of somaliland decides to release this low pathetic called of a man Never laughed so much LOL fair and balanced this boy gets better every post. Recognition blah 30,000 phantom army, fair and balanced, all you have is a crook a former Afweyne boy milking your money and now making you insult one of your elders..how low can one get these days

The EU and US are supporting the peace process for Somalia, and no one seems to mention this. Two MP's go to Hargaysa for a Holiday and hey we are becoming a new country. In Britian 100 MP's can not convince their govrnment to go to war or to stop tuition fees and now you believe that 2 or 3 MP's will recognise Somaliland LOL. 13 years and this is what you show for your recognition efforts, this is what they refer to as HF or Horrible failure.

S-Warrior has spoken nuff said..

Lixle, dont get too excited son, the governemnt is coming. Here is an insiders view from the conference and its English as well IGAD meddling hinders Somali peace talks - Sunday, February 01, 2004 at 18:37 Nairobi (AllPuntland) – A peace accord hailed as a significant achievement was signed a few days ago at Safari Park in Nairobi subsequent to a 10-day Consultation Conference that brought about a congruous agreement among Somali leaders for the first time since the start of the Somali peace talks in October of 2002. Unfortunately fresh round of disputes among IGAD heads of State and Government impede the Somali peace talks. Material inconsistencies, last minute insertions, and litigious procedural amendments to the original terms of agreements reached among Somali leaders lie at the centre of the these recent fall-outs. Disputed are the identification of members of the Leader Committee, and the interpretation of the provisions of “article 30, section i” of the transitional constitutional charter which addresses the issue of who appoints members of the parliament (MPs) in the final leg of the peace talks, and who should be classified as legitimate leaders in process of power sharing. It states that “Parliament envisaged under Article 28 shall be selected by sub sub-clan political leaders as recognised by the TNG, existing regional administrations, faction leaders recognised by the conference, and must be endorsed by genuine sub sub-clan traditional leaders”. And even though the conference thus far had recognised 25 leaders, the new draft states there to be 39 recognised leaders. And there lies the predicament. For the duration of the Consultation Conference at Safari Park, it was agreed that only permanent 25 Somali leaders were to appoint MPs with the blessings of traditional elders. However, in accordance with the new draft that was being distributed to the Somali leaders, deliberate changes and insertions contrary to the peace accord signed on the 29th of January, and unknown to the leaders, had been identified. Consequently, the plenary session that was to take place on the following Saturday to approve the agreement had been cancelled, and is doubtful now will take place on Monday. Continuous meddling and backhander practices on the part of IGAD Facilitations Committee are said to be the source of the frustrations. Our local reporter in Nairobi approached Somali leaders for comments. Those contacted pointed out that original terms of agreement had been altered, unbeknown to them. “It is one thing to think that we [somali leaders] do not read, but to act on that false premise is a dicey precedent” one of the Somali leaders commented. “What you have here is, mediators [iGAD and others] doing their meddling which further complicates the process. You see, on the 29th January Somali leaders to their credit reached an agreement, and that should have been it, but I am afraid not. It became apparent that drafts detailing terms of the pact, and points of agreement had been changed. This really enraged most Somali leaders” a political analyst in Nairobi whose standpoint our reporter sought said. “Governments and international bodies who feel their interests are not being represented are frustrating the process. It is suspected that Mohamed Abdi Afey, Kenya’s Ambassador to the peace talks, and Djibouti’s foreign minister, Ali Abdi Farah had a hand in this” he added “It is disrespectful and insulting to the intellect of the Somali leaders at the peace talks” he concluded. Ordinary Somalis are enraged by these latest squabbling and fall-outs which could easily jeopardise the peace talks. Unconfirmed reports coming out of Kenya’s foreign office indicate that whatever caused the problem had now been resolved, and the second leg of the talks will have been concluded by Monday. AllPuntland News Desk