Alla Ha,unaxariisto intii dhimatey.

^We must had different vantage points.

the government had a full backing of almost all Somalis JB..This is where you are wrong! The Somali government lost the confidence and support of the southerners. As someone who's from Puntland (tribally), I assure we had no allegiance to the government till the bitter end. And this is coming from someone who was born in Bilaajo Carab. I could only imagine how people in Mudug, Nugal and Bari felt. The same sentiment prevailed among all southern tribes. And anyone who lived in Xamar and the south at large can attest to that. The Somali state failed cuz it's severed its relationship with the public. Without the support of its consistency, the government failed. Oodweyne...I believe this is what I and Jb trying to establish. Institutions can not survive without the tacit approval of the public.Now if the question is can Somaliland army live up to the expectation of its base, then that's another argument.

Oodweyne..Agreed, as long as you don't tell me the Somaliland's army super awesomeness is what keeping them away. JB..I will have to disagree with that assessment.SSDF might have stopped being militarily operational but it had two effects on the SNA and the Somali state at large.One is the military aspect in that Somali officers of Puntland origin have all abandoned the army as institution. Of course, some came back but most were demoted and were never trusted-essentially rendering their usefulness as military officers. The second effect SSDF had on the Somali state is the political one. The entire community was marginalized and their property confiscated, not mention the crimes committed against them in response to the Cirro coup. SSDF delivered the second blow to the Somali state and army. The first blow was the defeat in 77. The third blow was SNM. The formation of USC and lack of support from southern tribes to the government was the last and the lethal blow. If the government and army had full backing (politically, militarily, and economically)of all southerners, than equation would have been different because any setback suffered by government could have been corrected and SNM will have behaved like Tamil tigers. It would have been one Somali clan vs every Somali.

Al-shabaab can only fight where it has mass following and that is why it was able to withstand against the Ethiopia's army Now you are making sense Oodweyne

^No body denies SNM did damage to the State but to say it caused its ultimate downfall is disingenuous and factual wrong. The government sphere of influence started decreasing right after 77 war.

^But they are relevant unless your argument is Northern Officers is what made the Somali war.And add the political dimension to the equation as the State lost the confidence of an entire communities. The country began to unravel at every level after 77. SNM represented one dimension of the overall problem that was facing the Somali state.

Jb...The SNM (military wing) had little or no operational capabilities in the early 80s. It was still in its infancy but the departure of northern and northeastern officers did obviously weakened the SNA at officer level.

^Not really, a lot of the officer corp have abandoned the army and turned against the government.By the late 80s, the officer corps were largely uneducated, ill-equipped bunch.Everything in the Somali institutions took qabiil dimensions as well.

Don't u know Somaliland with less resources and capacity ran over the strongest military in Africa who defeated Ethiopia, Cuba and their allies ?? Now, we knows where the delusions come from? P.S. Just factual correction, Somalia was defeated in 77 despite its initial success! The arrival of the Cubans and the massive Soviet arsenal sealed the Somali Army fate. since then, the Somali forces were on downward trajectory.

I red that few years ago, I can't remember anything about it.

Al-Shabaab has bigger prize on its sight.Hargeysa is not in the equation anytime soon.

What's this obsession with showdown?

^Is there clan dimension to their existence or are they diverse criminals on payroll?

^Yeah, a friend was telling me there are nasty bunch, worse than Woyanes.What came of Daud?

Is it true the new "leader" of the Somali region has own Janjaweed-like militia?

^Individual organizations like this church can do whatever but it's the establishment that sets tone and they need to be held accountable. To have Newt compare Islam to Nazism is unacceptable.Islamophobia has become an accepted form of racism.

^Everything is about intent.Danish cartoonists intent was to provoke Muslims by mocking revered individual. If they were gonna make point about terrorism, couldn't they have mocked Zawahiri and Osama. The paper knew they were doing and they knew the role of Muhammad in Islam. Interestingly enough, three years prior, they turned down cartoons mocking Jesus knowing well that they would offend people. The Danish daily turned down the cartoons of Christ three years ago, on the grounds that they could be offensive to readers and were not funny. web page

^Him finding out he's not the only atoore in her life.

How many of these so called Garaads are really Garaads, and how many were appointed by the former regime?

God bless Al-Shabaab Passerby....Axmaar ma,daalayo.

Seeker...I stand correct.That's not Longfellow bridge.The background fooled me. It looks like the Boston financial district/downtown. If not in Boston, then where...hhhmm?

War Jb, you have been uncharacteristically quite on the Somaliland front since Siiraanyo's ascendancy to power-maxaa ka dhan ah?

For sometime now, your stories were eclipsed by A&T's piquant though I must admit at times tasteless anecdotes.This is good comedic comeback aimed at the futility of anything Somali. Now how could we get Duke and Xuduudi to read this

Seeker-Oh jeez, let me call friend *ring ring ring* I'm told that's "Salt-and-Pepper Bridge" on the Charles river. *thanks the friend*