Originally posted by Faarax-Brawn: Life is not always about your qabil......................... At first it was about the djbouti agreement, then,the fake sea agreement with kenya and then the missing men...the shiiq addressed all of this. what is there to oppose markaan? [/QB] First obviously this is about your clan and not the Duke's, you always pretend to be a man who is all about the national interest. Yet you support this man because of clan reasons because you share the same distant clan father and nothing else. What is there to support? This man has been to more American towns in a week than he has to a single Somali village, town, dwelling or region outside Villa Somalia. This does not trouble you. That he relies on foreign forces that he once waged Jihad on, on Ethiopia in Hiiraan and AMISOM in his bedroom, also does not bother you. That this man clearly has put Somalia’s sea border into dispute when there was never one in our 49 year history, does not trouble you. That he is now fighting his former allies, friends and mentors, does not bother. That he is using the same talking points as Omar Jama, a man you so despised and who has outwitted this man, also does not bother you. What matters to you is that he is your clan, and for that you ignore everything you once pretended to stand for when the other man from that clan was President.

Well one starts the day with UK news, Guardian.co.uk, and Independent.co.uk both great for international news. Huffingtonpost.com, Economist.com Local Somali news. Allpuntland, Shabelle, Radiodaljir, Garoweonline, Calanka [good for pics] Do I have a favourite no, though most Somali news tends to arrive in SOL before one reads it on those sites.

^^^lool. Farax Brown, why are you so unhappy? Why is Somalitalk.com so mad and why is Sharif Hotel not able to control a single town in all of Somalia after 10 months? Those are the important questions lad; Omar Jamal humiliated you and your clan mad individuals. For your President said exactly what Omar has been saying all along and not the other way round. Sharif Hotel moved to Omar Jamal & Bixi's view point. Is that not a fact? The only thing here is he went beyond this and talked about drugs adding a new dimension to the issue. :eek:

^^^Oodweyne, dear lad the Mugging continues from Villa Morgan as we speak, Riyaale has extended his term for an indefinite term yet again. Your recognition which you predicted would come in November 2003 has yet to arrive and we are near November 2009. Poor you, Abdullahi Yusuf was meeting the President of China and your leader was kissing Melez’s ***, in fact Yusuf met more leaders than most of your clansmen under the guise of Somaliland ever met combined. The last one from your parts to have such success was ina Egaal and then he was the PM of Somalia. Poor you, today Puntland opened the largest Airport in Somalia, and your presidential palace is still General Mohamed Heris Morgan’s Hargaysa retreat were the locals used to entertain him and his entourage. Now the locals entertain Riyaale , a man who was born in Ethiopia and even ran as a member of Parliament for Ethiopia. Again Oodweyne, you are not an elegent writer, nor do you present any facts or substance. You are like your secessionist agenda full of hot air, and big holes. But again do try and this time stop the Mugging of our sister Shankaroon in the NW, before we intervene on her behalf. NO TO RIYAALE, YES TO SHANKAROON.

In January 2009, Mr. Ahmed was rewarded his deception and he was aided replacing former warlord and leader of TFG1, with a 550 ‘parliamentarians’, a larger in number than that of India. The motive of external actors for replacing previous players of TFG1 to TFG2 was they hoped that the new group would have the energy and strength to take on against the ever powerful insurgency against Ethiopia. As I have argued my piece in July 2008 dividing the so called Islamist would have weaken and taken them to manageable position. But again it seems as if someone who was in charge of the phase three of ‘War on Terror in Somalia has overrated the guy’. Convicting, his superior empowerment would somehow result former insurgency groups being divided, and yet fight against one another. But that has not happened. On the contrary, today with the protection of AMISOM, TFG2 is caged in Villa Somalia. Far from dividing their opponent; to qualify a bodyguard post, even former UIC who are serving inside ministerial post in his administrations (few of them in number) requires to be someone who does not perform regular Muslim prayers. Otherwise he cannot be trusted, just in case; he turns his gun on them. That is how far he and his associates are far from their former supporters. After his appointment to the post of TFG2 leader, he showed up briefly in Mogadishu on the side of, none other than General Gabre, a man who was commanding the Ethiopian occupation forces in Somalia in previous two years. On the other hand he wasted a valuable time; travelling around world capitals, while his most closest two lieutenants, former warlord late Omar Hashi and former Courts official, Janaqow were trying old tricks of clannish with help of media warlords, by telling the local population in Mogadishu, the ones who are opposing them, ‘came from other regions’ like Bay, North Eastern and North Western Somalia, a claim which fall apart as soon as Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aways return to Mogadishu. Within watchers of Somali affairs, as soon as he started imitating the leaders of TFG1, He become a laughing stock by accusing his opponent as part of Al-Qaeda plot and calling the neighbouring countries, namely Ethiopia to come for his defence. He recently gave an interview with Aljazeera TV, where he declared Ethiopia government as being friend of Somali people. He said she (Ethiopia) is doing everything, and so, she can help seeing peaceful Somalia, whereas, Eritrea is branded as ‘an enemy’ who is, according to him, destabilizing the country. His administration, has recently signed the deal, selling Somali sea waters to the Kenyan government, for the mere reportedly few Million dollars of kickbacks for him and few other close associates. The question many Somalis are asking therefore is whether the guy is aware of ‘what he is expects from the Somali people, setting aside, his lack of skills to do the tasks ahead of him? Answer seems to be unfortunately no. He doesn’t. And to prove that, you only need to look back, no further than, his recent meeting with the United States, Secretary of State Mrs. Clinton. The meeting took place the American Embassy in Nairobi Kenya, where according to reliable source that was part of his entourage, Ahmed, alone was taken to the meeting room, to meet the American officials, who informed the rest of the delegates to wait the reception area, including his foreign minister, and other aids. It is against international norms and diplomacy for a head of state, on his official capacity to have a meeting with foreign government, without present of his aids and minders, who would act as his advisors and recorder of what was discussed (taking minutes of the meeting). He has been alone with them in that meeting for one hour! Somalis are in the dark of what was discussed, what he has agreed to do for them. The only actions anyone can remember regarding that event, was his glowing face and shaking hand with Lady Clinton, Secretary of State. ‘The Amirul Mumineen’, the implementer of Shariah law in Somalia, (Islamic penal Code); have exercised it in very public in that press conference room. Talking of shaking a ladies hand, I am pleading guilty myself but unlike hypocrite two faced like him, I don’t pretend to be otherwise. The ‘leader’ who never was has failed to lead. He betrayed the nation, his old comrades in arm, traditional clan elders and last the Islamic scholars who tried to mediate the opposing groups. Even his backers, are losing interest in him because, he is not useful for them anymore. Reliable sources are reporting from the region, that western security agencies in Nairobi have been bypassing his administration lately and have established a direct contact with former ********, (warlord) and one time Courts official, Yusuf Indhocade. It means his days are numbered and they are preparing the next warlord after his departure. He is ruining around the capitals of the world like a headless chicken,begging for a cash. He has never been a leader but a sample for the misfortunes of our nation. Ali Sharif Ahmed London UK. aahmed_2001@hotmail.com

Few weeks later, signed documents from the said meeting have landed on a desk of his colleagues in Asmara. When he was confronted about his ostensible deceit, he fled to Djibouti and first renounced the government of Eritrea accusing her obstructing peace in Somalia. Consequently, he said ‘she (Eritrea) wants the war in Somalia to continue’. Eritrea was the only nation in the world, which opens her doors to ARS, when everyone else had refused to allow her to have a political office in her country. The poor man was so ungrateful to that extent, he could not even remember, the generosity of impoverished nation for providing his multiple wives and their uncountable children for a comfortable living condition that most Eritrean would not dream of having it in their own country. Please, do not get me wrong that I have nothing against for a man to have more than one wife in principle, as long as he is the provider. A real leader would have tried to sell the deal and persuade his group to come along with him. Instead, he jumped the first opportunity and runaway from his troops as he did in Dhoobley. For instance, if you are familiar in the Northern Irish politics like I do. Thus, imagine Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness, the leaders of Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Army political wing, would have signed, the Good Friday Agreement with British government and Unionist political leaders without first selling the idea to their supporters and convincing to the leaders of Army wings of IRA? Today, Northern Ireland would not have enjoyed the peace and prosperity it has after more than 30 years of sectarian conflicts with a community calls her small land at home. But the poor man lacks the experiences and leadership skills similar to those men. Hence, he thought the approval of Ambassador Ould Abdallah alone will do the job for him. As a result, he went on to make claim of; a very few former ARS individuals have stayed in Asmara, therefore, he had the mandate to reach an agreement with TFG, and like as of the childless lady, he fancied that Somalia people will believe him and identify him as their golden times leader. Not realizing that, the shoes that he was wearing on was never his in the first place. The ‘chosen leader’ signed a paper, in Djibouti, with TFG, agreeing to renounce the resistant against Ethiopia and pledging to disown any group which continues the fight against Ethiopia.

Many have questioned at time whether Mr. Ahmed was a sleeper cell within the Courts, working for foreign intelligence services. Even though some refused anything to do with him after that, bizarrely however, that was not the end of his leadership or political life. In September 2007 at Asmara, he and his supporters who have been known as the campaigners of clan politics in the past 17 years mostly from Europe did everything possible for him to be elected as leader for the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS). In this time around, it was an opportunity for him to rethink and to thank Somali people, particularly, his associates at UIC, explaining himself and asking them; what they wanted him to do, but like the lady who gave the birth to miracle child. He could not remember anyone except those whispering on his ears; telling him that he was a chosen leader. He forgot he was an actor in a play representing a cause, which those who supported him cared for. As the situation on ground became tense and resistance against Ethiopian occupation toughened, those who have masterminded the downfall of the UIC tried to find for someone to take the blame of their miscalculations. The Ethiopian man, Ali Mohamed Geedi, was sacked and parachuted in his position to another ‘yes man’. Furthermore, the UN envoy for Somalia, who has been making for his living out of Africa’s mis- fortunes in the recent past has been instructed to put together a plan of: ‘how best to divide the Asmara based political wing of the resistance’. A job, he found doing it much easier than he had anticipated himself, I am sure. Let us wait that, when he publishes his memo not far distance future, I would hope. He travelled to Asmara to meet ARS leaders. This meeting was the first serious contact from the outside world since the establishment of the organization in September in 2007. Hence, as the result, it turns out in ARS sending a delegation to Kenya. None other than Mr. Ahmed himself, accompanied by Sharif Hassan, Ibbi, Sheikh Omar Iman, General Jama Mohamed Qalib and others, led the delegation. It is the role and responsibility of a person in charge to find a political way out while the struggle is still on. Thus, ARS was right to explore a political dialogue with her adversary and those who were in a position to influence Ethiopia to withdraw its forces from Somalia. Nonetheless, he squandered this excellent opportunity once again. It happened when he and others in his entourage held a meeting with the United States Ambassador to Kenya. Still valid reason to meet the Ambassador, but what followed next was scandalous. He signed a letter or memorandum of understanding expressing among other things that, he was willing to reach an agreement with Ethiopia and TFG. Still I see that being within the leader’s rights to entertain the possibility of making up with his opponent, but where he went wrong was that when he returned to his group, and so he mentioned none of it. This was sign of political immaturity or dishonest on his part. When he was pressed on about the existent of any such agreement, he stuck with his denial and said nothing was signed on that meeting, only verbal discussions have taken place.

A leader who never was!by Ali Sharif A childless lady who has passed the age of child bearing discovered that by way of miracle, she gave birth to a baby boy and instead of thanking to Allah for given her a son, she run off of the house and shouted ‘I have got a baby boy, I have got a baby boy’. None the less, when she returned to the house, the miracle baby was nowhere to be found. By the same logic, it was in the year 2006 when a hardly known Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was heard as the leader of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in southern Somalia from the media channels. Mr. Ahmed had unidentified record of accomplishment within modern Islamist groups, i.e. Al-Islah and Al-Itahad al-Islam that dominated Islamizing nation’s citizens in the past 30 years and so. On the contrary, he was said to be an aid to warlords Ali Mahdi then Mohamed Omar Habeeb (Mohamed Dheere). His appointment to the post was rather a lot more to do with local political arrangements than any meritocratic or previous leadership skills. Nevertheless, war-weary population, who have known only murderous warlords have welcomed the seemingly charismatic young leader who has been making right noises. The defeat of the UIC by means of the hands of Ethiopian forces led the remnants of the UIC and their families including small children to flee into the forest of Dhoobley, the South-end of Somalia. During this epoch, amalgamations of Ethiopian armies, America’s Special Forces as well as the aerial bombardment from USA’s Apache helicopters were hunting down UIC’s loose ends on the ground. Like this situations, the job of a true leader would have been to lead his troops to either victory or defeat or to negotiate their safe passage or even to surrender. Instead, he hitchhiked en route to a five star Nairobi hotel with the very same American Copra Helicopter gunship, which has been gunning down his men in the forest of Dhoobley. Leaving behind everyone, including women and children, where some of them have been rendered to the torture champers of Ethiopia’s prisons, as part of American ‘War on Terror’. Hence, according to human rights organizations they were tortured endlessly in the Ethiopia’s persecuting camps

A leader who never was! | Ali Sharif Daabaco | Print | Faafin: SomaliTalk.com | Monday, September 21, 2009 A leader who never was! | Ali Sharif | Akhri Qoraalkan A childless lady who has passed the age of child bearing discovered that by way of miracle, she gave birth to a baby boy and instead of thanking to Allah for given her a son, she run off of the house and shouted ‘I have got a baby boy, I have got a baby boy’. None the less, when she returned to the house, the miracle baby was nowhere to be found. By the same logic, it was in the year 2006 when a hardly known Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was heard as the leader of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in southern Somalia from the media channels. Mr. Ahmed had unidentified record of accomplishment within modern Islamist groups, i.e. Al-Islah and Al-Itahad al-Islam that dominated Islamizing nation’s citizens in the past 30 years and so. On the contrary, he was said to be an aid to warlords Ali Mahdi then Mohamed Omar Habeeb (Mohamed Dheere). His appointment to the post was rather a lot more to do with local political arrangements than any meritocratic or previous leadership skills. Nevertheless, war-weary population, who have known only murderous warlords have welcomed the seemingly charismatic young leader who has been making right noises.

^^^lool. Lool. As long as you recognize the gross injustice that was committed by the recruiters who your hero believes are still in the US. Also make sure you don’t get angry like your favorite website Somalitalk.com. So Xiin, you are not a good actor like Sharif Hotel, a good flip flopper yes, but you don’t have his Oscar face.

Originally posted by xiinfaniin: Omer waa wiil yar oon adeer u ahay, Oh how the song has changed, from insults to my cousin, and nephew. Its good like your hero you are morphing soon we will have you demonstrating with the parents of the missing youth.

^^^^^^lool. The script of Sharif Hotel is indeed old and so is Xiin's attempt at politics, leave to the likes of Omar Jamal and don’t embarrass yourself.

^^^Adeer you are indeed a good simple man, the President you speak of is a total failure. His days, policies are done, he will make money but his agenda [which only Xiin knew] is the past. He controls not a single town or village let alone district. He sold the sea, and what he did to Xasan Dahir he has done to Abu Bakar and you are still clapping unable to overcome your man crush. Dont worry, you are still a Puntlander your only hope now, and Omar Jamal is your friend.

^^^No but it does bother you and Abu Bakar big wigs, their investment and your screams got you this, that Omar Jamal scores big while you are making up stories to limit the damage.

^^^lool. Will do he met Hotel and you did not.

^^^Yup adeer, keep up the pretences for you are lost and weak in the knees this day, next you will tell us that Sharif Hotel had a joint meeting with Somalitalk.com [mouth piece of Abu Bakar] and they are not angry. Minneapolis: Sheikh Shariif oo Khudbadiisii ku Weeraray Masaajidda Allah, badda Soomaaliyana muran weyn geliyay Somalitalk attack Sharif Hotel

"Waxaad ogtihiin in caruurtii masaajida aan geynay loogu galay halkaas, iyagoo maskaxda laga badalayo si ay Somaliya u aadaan ugana soo dagaallamaan”, waxaana uu intaasi raaciyay in caruurtaasi qaarkood daroogo la siiyo si ey u fuliyaan faflka khatarta ah sida isqarxinta iwm. . Tacsi ayuu u diray madaxweynaha waalidiinta Somaliyeed ee caruurtooda maskaxda laga xaday ee Somaliya loo diray kuwaasoo qaarkood ku dhintay halkaas. Minnesota ayaa ah magaalada ey Somalida ugu badantahay Mareykanka, waxaana lagu wadaa in uu madaxweynuhu cagta soo mariyo gobolo kale oo ey Somalidu dagan tahay oo ku yaal Mareykanka ka hor inta uusan kasoo dhoofin dalkaasi Mareykanka.

^^^lool. Xiin, you do need to give it up, you are small time saxib, the man you so idolise has attacked the groups you support. Omar Jamal & Sharif Hotel were singing from the same song sheet, singing a different tune to you and Abukar Center.

^^^Yup Omar Jamal showed many his importance in MN and I hope you took note.

The Mugger of the SNM, 10 years and counting Oodweyne, again you are just angry with the wrong person. Let me make it clear I am not Riyaale, I have never met Riyaale and I do not support Riyaale. Now get some back bone, instead of trying to talk down Puntland go liberate Villa Morgan from the Mugger in Chief.

Somalia: Sheikh Sharif's weakness will be his ultimate demise [Editorial] 29 Sep 29, 2009 - 11:20:42 PM SUNDAY EDITORIAL | Sheikh Sharif's character weakness poses a grave threat to the international community's financial and political backing, which could backfire with disastrous effect. The number one issue surrounding the Somali conflict is a matter of how genuine the parties directly or indirectly involved are. Often, the officials of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) are accused of lacking legitimacy among the Somali public, in part due to the fact that most TFG officials are well-known crooks with ties to the Somali civil war. Internationally, Western powers with the U.S. government at the forefront are accused of neglecting the root causes of the Somali conflict and aggressively dealing with the effects of war, as demonstrated by the targeted killing of an Al Qaeda terror suspect by American commandos on September 14, 2009. Somalia's neighbors are accused of abusing the chaotic situation and supporting different sides of an enduring civil war, for national advantages that are often detrimental to the restoration of a peaceful and stable Somalia. Among all these actors, the most important role is played by the TFG officials. Today, the TFG enjoys more support than any other "interim government" in Somalia since the violent collapse of Gen. Barre's 21-year military dictatorship in 1991. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, who led the rise of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in 2006, then considered a Taliban-type movement by U.S. officials, became Somali president in Jan. 2009 at the conclusion of UN-brokered peace talks in the neighboring Republic of Djibouti. The international community hoped that Sheikh Sharif, who was a prominent figure among Somali Islamists, could marshal support among the Islamists' grassroots networks that provide manpower and funding support to advance the Islamist insurgency against the Western-backed TFG in Mogadishu, Somalia's war-battered traditional capital city. Further, it was hoped that Sheikh Sharif as Somali president could inspire young Islamist fighters to join his cause – much as they did in 2006, when thousands of Islamist fighters joined the ICU's popular war to overthrow Mogadishu's hated warlords. To put it mildly, Sheikh Sharif has failed catastrophically in his capacity to lead Somalia from the ruins of war. The UN's Special Envoy to Somalia, Amb. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, campaigned for President Sheikh Sharif's interim government as the "best hope" to restore national order in Somalia. However, eight months into his administration, President Sheikh Sharif's interim government is looking identical to the interim government of Col. Abdullahi Yusuf, who expelled ICU fighters from Mogadishu with the backing of Ethiopian troops in early 2007, thereafter igniting the ongoing Islamist insurgency. Most recently, addressing the UN General Assembly, President Sheikh Sharif called on the UN to remove the 1993 arms embargo on Somalia – following, it seems, the exact footsteps of President Yusuf who had asked the UN for the same thing. Sheikh Sharif has the characteristics of a weak leader. If the TFG is a weak institution in and of itself, then Sheikh Sharif's character weakness poses a grave threat to the international community's financial and political backing, which could backfire with disastrous effect. The TFG, under Sheikh Sharif's stewardship, has been unable to combine all the security forces under a single command to fight the insurgents; naturally, this disorder on the ground in Mogadishu has led to frequent deadly clashes among Somali government forces. Further, he has been unable to reign in support from Islamist guerrillas, whom have labeled him a "puppet" of the West, and he has lost control of towns and regions dominated by members of his own clan, thereby making him a leader without a constituency. Important towns like Jowhar – seized by Al Shabaab insurgents – come to mind. A more pressing example of President Sheikh Sharif's character weakness is his inability to control some Cabinet ministers, especially Finance Minister Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, a shady character with intimate ties with Mogadishu's hated warlords. In a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, President Sheikh Sharif was "questioned intensely" about the Finance Minister's powerful role in the Somali government. According to informed sources, Saudi government officials expressed serious concern with a recent statement issued by a number of Somali lawmakers, who accused Finance Minister Sharif Hassan of corruption and urged Arab countries not to give him donor funds. The Finance Minister, the sources added, suggested that a rival group of Somali MPs be "bribed" to issue a press statement to counter allegations of corruption against him. So far, such a press statement has not been issued publicly by the rival lawmakers, however, but in a bloated Somali Parliament with 550 MPs, expect anything. Leadership requires intellect, courage, charisma and resolve. Especially in a country torn apart by endless wars, the characteristics of leadership play a pivotal role in the survivability of the leader. What damages Sheikh Sharif's ability to lead is his dramatic 360-turn from ICU chief in 2006 who actively campaign against foreign troops – the single most divisive issue in Somali national politics – to blatant and unashamed support for foreign troops currently in Mogadishu under the auspices of the African Union. Most important of all, a genuine leader must truly care about his own people. Judging by the evident weakness of character and the influence of shady officials close to him, Sheikh Sharif's demise will come by his own doing.

Xiin, you are sad today,poor lad for Omar Jamal met your President and got what he wanted, while you was cheering. I was at home laughing out loud.

^^^Have you liberated your leader Qaynyare's house yet Mr Ceelbuur? Ahem.

If it aint Oodweyne and his soft voice. Dear lad I assure you that you have no clue whats going on and are bereft of facts and simple logic. As you know Yusuf and Riyaale clashed in SOOL and Yusuf won, and while he was in Garowe, you did not even dare make threats let alone a military move. This is a fact and you can scream all you like. When Yusuf Yey was around you was the defeated lot. Now you talk big, for a man who supports a clan entity that has never overcome the blwos it received 20 years ago. The myth making aside you are hostage to your past, your nightmares of a strong Somali state in which your group is but one of the big minorities bring you dread. This mass psychological impairment has led you into the arms of a two bit, NSS spy who is now Mugging you comfortably from Morgan Villa oops your Presidential palace. We know who gets used and abused by Melez, was it not the Ethiopians who just a month ago told the SNM clans that Riyaaale was untouchable, thus while Garowe can change leaders, you are stuck with the man who was born in Ethiopia, and who is a member of Melez’s political party. Adeer you have so many issues to deal, rigged elections, clan violence, corruption and the disenfranchisement of the SNM clan, for you to gloat about the problems of the Deep South let alone compete with Puntland state. Wake up Oodweyne, your whole agenda is as soft and annoying as your shrieking voice, violet, tell Shankaroon not get Mugged again.

Somali president: Recruiters likely still in U.S. by Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio October 3, 2009 St. Paul, Minn. — The president of Somalia said today he believes that recruiters who lured Minnesota men to fight with a terrorist group remain in the United States. source