Muqdisho: Al-Shabaab oo sheegatay iney ka danbeysay qarax is-miidaamin ah oo shacab fara badan ay ku la’deen 24. Januar 2009 Muqdisho(AllPuntland)- Ugu yaraan 15 qof ayaa ku geeriyootay tiro intaa ka badana wey ku dhaawacmeen kadib markii gaari waxyaabaha qarxa laga soo buuxiyay uu isku qarxiyay wadada shaqaalaha ee magaalada Muqdisho, halkaasi oo ay ku sugnaayeen gaadiid iyo ciidamo ka tirsan AMISOM. Dadka geeriyooday oo ahaa rayid saarnaa Gaari Bas nooca dadweynaha qaada oo halkaasi marayey, ka hor inta uusan qaraxa sameyn gaariga ayaa waxaa wadada ku joojiyay Askari ka tirsan ciidamada Dowladda, si loo baaro gaariga, waxaana darawalkii waday uu markiiba qarxiyay gaarigii xili gaariga dadweynaha waday uu marayey dhinaciisa, waxaana ku geeriyooday 13 qof oo haween, rag iyo caruur isugu jirtay halka Askarigii gaariga qarxay iyo darawalkii waday ay iyaguna ku dhinteen, Afhayeen u hadlay Ururka Al-Shabaab ayaa sheegtay in ay qaraxaasi ismiidaamin ah ay ka danbeeyeen isla markaana ay ku guuleysteen hadafkoodii oo ahaa iney waxyeelo gaarsiiyaan ciidamada AMISOM, balse wax khasaare dhimasho iyo dhaawac soo gaaray oo ilaa iyo hada jira la ogeyn marka laga reebo burbur yar oo soo gaaray gaadiidkii AMISOM ee halkaasi yaalay. Dhinaca kale waxaa beeniyay oo qaraxaasi ka hadlay Afhayeenka ciidamada Midowga Afrika Capt. Barigya Bahako oo sheegay in qaraxaasi uu ahaa mid waxashnimo oo lala beegsaday shacab, isla markaana waxaa uu ku eedeeyay kooxihii ka danbeeyay in ay xasuuq u geysteen shacab aan waxba galabsan, isagoo xaqiijiyay in aysan wax khasaare ah soo gaarin ciidamada Midowga Afrika ee qorshuhu ahaa in lala beegsado qaraxaasi. Ma ahan markii ugu horeysay ee qarax noocaan oo kale ah lala beegsado dad rayid ah, iyadoo sidan oo kale bartamihii sanadkii hore lala beegsaday qarax miino Haween fara badan oo ka shaqeynayey nadaafadda wadada Maka Al-Mukarama ee magaalada Muqdisho, qaraxaasi oo sababay geerida in ka badan 20 haween ah iyo dhaawac fara badan. AllPuntland, Muqdisho

Who did this then? The Ethiopians ?

Kool Kat you are my candidate, all you need to do is announce and we will get stright to copy and pasting all your words and actions.

Kool Kat for President 2009..

Adeer Juje, lets even take your comments a little seriously, thus they [new group] will face even more problems than the other group before them, considering their pay, their accommodation and even their coherence as a governing body. My dear lad we have moved on and are working on real progress, grassroots developmental change while they photo copy a failed system..

A call for Puntland political opposition parties Taking into account the nature of Somali politics, the need for change and the situation of our beloved nation of Somalia. I believe it is time to put together a movement for political change in Puntland, led by the Diaspora, with the aim of peacefully change. It can only come from abroad with the tacit support of the people, it must be region wide and represent a cross section of the entire clans of the state. The Faroole admin must fulfill its early promise to move the state into a multiparty system based on equality and the pursuit of progress. This is the right time for such change, the old system is no longer valid, business as usual can not be accepted for the next elections must be based on districts and on the right of the ordinary man and woman to choose their representatives at every level of government. Puntland has proven to be a peaceful state now we must perfect our state and its system. The Duke has already doing his little bit towards change now its your turn.

Any pics of the man, I have not seen any recent ones of him. He is not bad candidate at all.

Djibouti project seems like another fake dawn. The djibouti meetings of 1991 which produced Ali Mahdi and 1999 which created the Abdiqasin led Arta project both where welcomed by the government starved people of Somalia, both were ill thought out and both failed. This new project of Walid Abdalla and the NGO's seems to be going the same route, a bloated congress , and a rushed job combining the federal institutions to the so called "Islamists" using the same formula which the opposition used to object to which is the 4.5 clan distribution. The problem with this group is who names the 275MP's that is given to the opposition, its clear these men are named by Sharif Ahmed and his group, thus not from their clans and not from their regions. Thus what authority will they carry if their legitimate position is even less credibal than the previous 275 who were named by their clans and regions. The Somali's will again welcome a new government for the state, but what will be their fate, will they try to impose order or will they at the top level eat the donations and sit in their holes like Abdiqasin waiting for the next reconciliation conference? This is a donors project led by the UN and their NGO's in Nairobi, the Somali's have found no solution to this deadly group [NGO's] and we must try ti overcome them with time.

Breaking News: Ex Somali President has had a taste of Yemeni tea according to unconfirmed reports that were re-laid to us by a our man in Sanca . “President Yusuf found the tea to be rich and not to his liking, because of his liver ailment he is quite sensitive to strong teas and does not drink coffee” the unnamed security official stated. The source could not confirm nor deny if the Presidents wife or children had also tried the tea and could not for security reasons could not brief us on what the President thought of the Yemeni cuisine. We were unable to contact President Yusuf or any members of his entourage to confirm or deny this report. Ex Somali President Abdalla Yusuf Ahmed resigned from his post in late 2008 and has since traveled to Garowe and Galkacyu and is now in Yemen at the request of his long term ally and personal friend Ali Abdalla Salah [no relations].

Emperor, the election of NW Somalia must be watched closely, we need change back there and Riyaale is up to something. Keep an eye on things lads, they are Somali's after all.

Skirmish Fighting was reported early Wednesday morning in Awr-bogeys village, in disputed Sanaag region. Local sources reported that a gunfight erupted after Somaliland officials brought voter-registration materials to the village, with pro-Puntland native militia reportedly attacking a house where the Somaliland officials stayed. Conflicting reports emerged following the battle, with unconfirmed reports saying local militias burned one of the Somaliland armed trucks. The Somaliland officials were led by a politician from the native clan in Sanaag, named Hayran Hagar Dirir, local sources said. Somaliland’s separatist government claims legality over Sanaag region under colonial-era boundaries. Efforts to bring Somaliland election boxes to disputed Sool and Sanaag regions have been met with violent opposition from locals. Neighboring Puntland, a relatively stable self-governing region within Somalia, claims ownership over Sool and Sanaag due to kinship ties to the native clans. Politicians and traditional elders from the disputed regions are mainly in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, where they participated at the peaceful parliamentary vote on Jan. 8 that brought President Abdirahman Mohamed “Farole” to power.

Somalia: "Somaliland" election heats up ahead of March vote 21 Jan 21, 2009 - 2:22:04 PM HARGEISA, Somalia Jan 21 (Garowe Online) - Elections in Somalia's separatist republic of Somaliland are heating up ahead of the March 29 vote, when the breakaway region's next president will be elected, Radio Garowe reports. Somaliland President Dahir Riyale was recently accused by fellow members of the ruling UDUB party of “illegally” naming a committee to organize the party’s upcoming conference to select a single nominee for the election. Mr. Abdullahi Hussein Darawal, a former Somaliland health minister, held a press conference last week at Imperial Hotel in Hargeisa, the breakaway region’s capital and Somalia’s second-largest city. “Riyale has used an authority he does not have by appointing an illegal committee, and [he] even made his deputy Ahmed Yusuf Yasin the chairman,” said Mr.Darawal while referring to Somaliland’s vice president. Fellow UDUB member Ahmed Sandon Hassan, who held a joint press conference with Mr. Darawal, suggested that President Riyale is planning to “eliminate competition” within the ruling party. Both Darawal and Sandon are seeking UDUB's party nomination for the presidential election in March. Somaliland’s leader has not responded to the accusations. 2009 election The upcoming election is a major test for democratic progress in Somaliland. The breakaway republic has held parliamentary and presidential elections before, but the March election is an opportunity for the region to elect a new president who can lead the region in a new direction. President Riyale is widely criticized for illegally extending the office term for the Guurti, the upper house of the bi-cameral Somaliland parliament. In return, the Guurti gave Riyale an additional year in office after his five-year mandate expired in May 2008, in a move strongly condemned by the opposition Kulmiye party as unconstitutional. The political crisis was resolved peacefully weeks later, but Riyale’s term-extension damaged the young democracy’s ambitious statehood agenda. Ahmed Silanyo, the Kulmiye party chairman and Riyale’s likely opponent, is a rebel veteran who fought against the Gen. Barre regime in the 1980s when Riyale was an intelligence agent for military dictatorship. If Silanyo loses the election, as he did in 2003 by a small number of votes, there are lingering concerns that an insurrection might erupt in Burao, the opposition stronghold. With the Ethiopian occupation of Mogadishu coming to an end, and the Puntland parliament electing a new president, Somaliland is poised to embrace the wave of change that is gradually sweeping Somalia. Source: Garowe Online

Prince Bandar bin Sultan al Saud, is half African Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia, Prince Bandar is a son of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. His mother Khaziran was a concubine of Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz from the province of Asir.[1] For years Prince Sultan refused to recognize Bandar as his son until he was pressured by his half brother King Faisal to accept him as a son. Under Sharia nevertheless, all sons have equal status and Bandar Bin Sultan received a modern education, and even married Princess Haifa bint Faisal, King Faisal's daughter, before he became the Saudi ambassador to the United States of America in 1983.[2]

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/ mark-steel/mark-steel-now-weve-all-seen-through-th e-israeli-governments-excuses-1452234.html

Mark Steel: Now we've all seen through the Israeli government's excuses If the Hamas rockets are so lethal, why doesn't Israel swap an F-16 for some? Wednesday, 21 January 2009 The worrying part about whether the ceasefire in Gaza can hold together will be whether the international community can stop the flow of arms to the terrorists. Because Israel's getting their planes and tanks and missiles from somewhere and until this supply is cut off there's every chance it could start up again. The disregard for life from these terrorists and their supporters is shocking. For example Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, wrote that the purpose of the Israeli attack must be to "inflict a heavy death toll and heavy pain on the Gaza population". Replace "Gaza" with "western", and that could have been written by al-Qa'ida. Maybe this is the problem: the Israelis are writing their policies by downloading statements from an Islamic Jihad website and just changing the place names. Also, if the Israelis think the Hamas rockets are as lethal as they say, why don't they swap their F-16 fighters and Apachehelicopters for a few of them? These things are capable of terrorising a whole nation for years apparently, yet the Israelis have neglected to buy any, wasting their money on gunboats and stuff. Given that their annual arms budget is $7.2bn plus $2.2 bn in "aid", they'd save enough to buy a selection of banks in every country in the world. The military advantages would be enormous because the Israelis' complaint about Hamas is the use of tunnels to smuggle arms. But if Israel gave Hamas a few planes and tanks and helicopters, they could probably be persuaded to shut down those tunnels that seem to be the cause of such bad feeling. Whatever you say about Israel, at least it moves its weapons about legally – except for when it secretly built a nuclear arsenal against an array of international agreements. But they did it above ground and not in a tunnel and that's the main thing. Watching the reports from Gaza, another reason why the ceasefire may break down becomes apparent. The Israelis might claim that their satellite pictures now show Palestinians in possession of huge mounds of rubble – lethal if thrown over the border. Luckily these weapons are easy to spot. Most of them are next to women howling, "Look what they've done to my house," but perhaps the airforce should bomb them again – just in case. The Israelis say they fear Hamas will once again break the ceasefire by sending over those rockets. But the whole point of the operation was to make that impossible. Because they must have asked themselves the question, "If we slaughter 1,300 people, including 300 children, is that likely to make people: A. less cross or B. more cross?" And presumably they concluded it will make them much less likely to grow up full of hatred and determination to retaliate. Perhaps they saw medical research that shows when someone is suffering from anxiety and bouts of irascible ill-tempered behaviour, the best treatment is to pen them in with no food or medicine and then kill some of them, and that calms them down a treat. Another way to allay their worries about Hamas breaking the ceasefire is to read the report from their government's own Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre. This states that during the ceasefire "Hamas did not take part in any rocket fire and sometimes prevented other organisations from attacking." Still, with all that's been going on I suppose they haven't had time for reading. Despite all this there might be one cheery sign, which is that never before have so many people seen through the Israeli government's excuses for handing out mass destruction. The demonstrations in support of Palestinians have been bigger than ever before, and even the United Nations and the Wall Street Journal have suggestedIsrael has committed war crimes. One poll in America suggested that 60 per cent of people opposed the bombardment, and the change of opinion reached the point that an Israeli diplomat has admitted that "The harm to civilians in Gaza is causing us huge damage." Maybe, best of all, was genetics expert Steven Rose who appeared on Radio 4's Today programme to talk about a new study that's located "morality spots", the part of the brain that deals with our morality. Asked how we could know whether this was true, he said in a marvellously posh academic Radio 4 voice "Well we could test the brains of the Israeli cabinet and see if they've got no morality spots whatsoever." And the most immoral part of all is the perfectly cynical timing, as if three weeks ago Bush shouted: "Last orders please. Any last bombing, before time's up? Come along now, haven't you got homes to demolish?"

This post the usual nonsense of an argument, there is no real debate, Riyaale was an NSS commander and as part of the regime should not be excused. If he is then so should Morgan and the rest. Thus the myth of “Somaliland” and its anti Barre regime axis does not hold any water. If Barre was bad so are his henchmen and spies, who now lead the secessionist enclave. Also I do like how the name of the Duke is dropped in every conversation these groups have, maybe they are alluding to something with regards to Morgan, oh we are two Generals I guess. Anyhow I must say I do like the new Morgan look its fantastic..

Amazing story, Africans are everywhere now even in the White House of the USA..

Baarlamaanka federaalka oo sheegay in 26 bishaan la dooranayo madaxweyne iyo mucaaradka oo iyaguna sheegay in isla waqtigaas lagu dooranyo jabuut Posted to the MOL January 20, 2009, 10:34 am Gudoomiye ku xigeenka 2-aad ee Baarlamaanka ayaa xildhibaanada isugu yeeray magaalada Baydhabo si loo doorto Madaxweyne uu dalka Soomaaliya yeesho Gudoomiye ku xigeenka 2-aad ee Baarlamaanka kmg Cusmaan Cilmi Boqore ayaa sheegay in magaalada Baydhabo ay isugu yeereen dhamaan xildhibaanada baarlamaanka si 26-ka bishan loogu qabto doorashada madaxtinimada Soomaaliya. Boqore ayaa sheegay in ay horay u dhiseen gudiga doorashada oo uu tilmaamay in haatan sida sharciga ah ay doorashada qaban qaabinayaan Sidoo kale gudoomiye ku xigeenka 2-aad ee baarlamaanka ayaa intaa ku daray in aysan waxba kala socon doorashada lagu wado dalka Jabuuti,waxaana uu sheegay in illaa haatan aaneey heyn fariin dhab ah oo loogu yeerayo inay ka qeyb galaan. Dhanka kalle madaxa wadahadalada ee isbahaysiga dib uxoraynta ayaa ka digay dhaqdhaqaaqyada xildhinaabadu ku dooranayaan madaxweyne cusub wuxuuna sheegay sheegay in taasi ay kala fogaynayso howlihii dib uheshiisiinta wuxuuna intaasi ku daray in 26 bishaan madexweyne lagu dooran doono dalkaasi jabuuti. waxaa muuqanaysa kala fogaansho iyo ismaandhaaf xoogan oo udhexeeya dhinacyadaasi ayadoon aysan muuqan hab lagu xalinayo khilaafkaasi. Rabiile Cabdikariin Gabanow Mudugonline.com Boosaaso

Jahwareer ka taagan halka doorashada m/weyne ey ka dhici doonto Cape-Town, S/Afrika (Calanka.com) 20-Janaayo-09 Warar is bur burinaya ayaa ka soo baxaya goobta ay ka dhaceyso doorashada madaxweynaha Soomaaliya oo ay isugu tagayaan xubnaha baarlamaanka Soomaaliya ee tiradiisu gaareyso 275-ka xubnood . Xildibaano la hadlay wargeyska Alsharqul Awsat oo ku kala sugan Baydhabo iyo Nayroobi ayaa tibaaxay in ay ku jahwareersan yihiin goobta ay ka dhaceyso doorashada iyadoo daldalolada dhanka amaanka ee ka jira Baydhaba ay shakiyo badan keenayaan . Mas`uuliyiin ka tirsan Qaramada Midoobay iyo IGAD ayaa horay waxaa ugu soo yeeray suura galnimada ah in dalka Jabuuti la aado halka xildibaanada qaarkod qabaan in Baydhaba lagu qabto . Madaxweyanaha 30-ka ahna gudoomiyaha baarlamaanka Sheekh Aadan Madoobe ayaa gaashaan u daruuray in kulanka doorashada madaxweynaha ka dhaceyso dalka jabutri ee la dariska ah Soomaaliya . "Cid go`aamin karta ma jirto halka baarlamaanka ku kulmayo aniga ayay ii taal horay waxaan ugu baaqay in Baydhabo la isugu yimaado", sidaa waxaa yiri Aadan Madoobe . Xiliga la qaban lahaa doorashada madaxweyne ayaa waxa ka harsan maalmo yar waxaana taagan musharaxiin badan , lamana saadaalin karo cidda ku fariisaneysa kursiga wareega ee aan salka dhulka dhigin ee madaxtinimada Soomaaliya . Xigasho: http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp? Cismaan Xasan Cali (Fantastic) ossmanfantastic@hotmail.com Calanka News Deck

SHEIKH SHARIIF OO TAAGEERAY IN YUSUF INDHO CADEE UU XOOG KU QABSADO SHABEELAHA HOOSE. Posted to the MOL January 20, 2009, 10:34 am Warar xogogaal ah oo aan ka helnay ilo ku dhow dhow shir ay magaalada Muqdishu ku yeesheen Nuur cadde, Sheekh Shariif Sh. Axmed, Yusuf Indhacade iyo siyaasiyiin waaweyn oo can ka ah magaalada Muqdishu, maalmo ka hor intii aysan ciidamada Itoobiya kabixin Soomaliya ayaa lagu goaamiyay in yusuf Maxamed Siyaad Indhacade lagu taageero sidii uu dib u qabsan lahaa Gobolka Shabellada Hoose Shirkaas oo ahaa mid qarsoodi ah ayaa waxaa looga hadlay sidii uu Yusuf Indhacade looga dhaadhicin lahaa in uu taageero heshiiska Jabuuti. Sheekh Shariif oo ka mid ahaa dadka ka qeybgalay shirkaas ayaa soo jeediyay in Yusuf Indhacade taageero heshiiska Jabuuti taas bedelkeedana ay siyaasiyiinta beesha ****** isku raacaan in maamulida iyo aayo ka talinta gobolka Shabeelada Hoose loogu dambeeyo Yusuf Indhacade. Dood dheer iyo falanqeyn kadib ayaa siyaansintii ka soo qeybgalay shirkaas oo ay ugu cad cadaayeen Sheekh Shariif Sheikh Axmed, Nuur cade raiisul wasaaraha Somaliya iyo Yusuf Indhacade ay isku raaceen in gobolka shabellada Hoose iyo maamulkiisa laga bilaabo kulankaas looga dambeeyo Yusuf Indhacade laguna taageero ciidan iyo maaliyadba in uu dib u qabsado gobolka Shabeelada Hoose. Si loo fuliyo heshiiskaas ayaa Yusuf Indhacade uu qabsaday magaalada Afgooye, maleeshiyo beeleedkiisana ay weerareen deegaanka KM 60. Dad badan oo ka soo jeeda gobolka Shabeelada Hoose ayey fajiciso ku noqotay in Sheikh Shariif oo ah nin wadaadnimo lagu yaqaano, uu hadda dhiiro geliyo isla markaana garab istaago in beel ka mid ah beelaha soomaaliyeed ay xoog ku maamusho beelo kale oo soomaliyeed. Dad badan ayaa xusuusta, in Sheikh Shariif uu furaha gobolka Shabeelada Hoose oo uu soo wareejiyay Sh.yufuf indhacade intii ay dalka ay maamulayeen maxkamadaha uu sheikh shariifna ku yiri Indhacade “ii sii hay furaha si ku meel gaar ah”, taas oo ahayd masraxiyad siyaasadee lagu maadsado oo uu Jilaa ka ahaa Sh. Shariif. Hadda oo 2 sano ka soo wareegtay dhacdadaas ayaa Sheikh Shariif waxa uu doonayaa in xil siyaasadeed uu ku raadsado in dadka gobolka Shabeelada Hoose uu u gacan geliyo dhiigyacabka Yusuf indhacade. Laakiin kulankaas ka hor ayey cadaatay in isbahaysiga dib u xureynta garabka Djabouti ay ciyaarayaan kaar qabiil si ay u kasbadaan ama u helaan taageerada dadka ******, sheikh C/raxmaan Janaqow ayaa horay u sheegay in madaxda Alshabab aysan u dhalan deegaanada ay shabaabka ka dagaalamaan sidaas darteedna aysan u damqaneyn dadka dhimanaya oo dagaal sii wadaan isagoo si dadban ugu sheegay dadka Muqdishu inay xaq ku taagan yihiin.

He said: "Power alone cannot protect us." The US would "begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan". He told the world's Muslims that his administration will be looking for a "new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." And he is warning leaders around the globe who try to encourage conflict and "blame their society's ills on the West" that their people will judge them on what they build, not what they destroy. He is also pledging to "work alongside" the people of poor nations to make "farms flourish and let clean waters flow." Barack Obama was speaking after he made history when he was sworn in as the first black US president, riding a wave of public optimism he will need to tap to deal with the worst economic crisis in 70 years and two wars. Fantastic stuff from the new President.

President Barack Obama

Inaugural address of President Barack ObamaRemarks as prepared for delivery by the 44th president of the United Statesguardian.co.uk, Tuesday 20 January 2009 17.07 GMT Article history My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the west; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise healthcare's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do. Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the west - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]." America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.