Originally posted by General Duke:The news is incoming so lets be patient. Here we have Duke calling for patience. Originally posted by General Duke: What on earth made them run into a refugee camp? Oh, but no he couldn't resist the temptation. Spreading lies once again are we? The news hasn't been confirmed as yet, so hold you're hell-destined tongue. Rather, prepare yourself for news regarding the assassination of Uncle Shaytaan. This news is closer than the demise of any ICU leader.

^Hindsight is a wonderful thing. You guys will be regretting these words when the full horors of the Ethiopian occupation come to fruition. Whether our beloved Sheekh Shariif and Sheekh Cawyeys survive or not, the struggle will continue. All praise is due to Allah.

Uthman1, Jazakallah Khayr. Final victory will be for the believers and the religion of Allah.

Brother Alle-ubaahne, i and all right-minded Somalis and Muslims are with you. Indeed despondency gripped the Muslims after the prophets death, until the blessed one, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq reminded them of the following quranic ayah: " Muhammad is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude"(An-Nisaa:144). As for our beloved two, Sheekh Shariif Axmed and Sheekh Caweys, they have walked upon this earth with dignity and if they were to die, Inshallah the Malaaikah will descend upon them with the following quranic ayats: " Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray. "-(Fussilat:30-31)

Allamagan, runtii qabiilnimo waligeey maraacsaneen. Maxkamada qaabiilkooda iyo waxeey kala ahaayeen ayageey quseesaa. Waxaan hubaa laakiin in eey umada u ahaayeen dabeel caafimaad. Aniga kowdii waxaan ahay bini aadan Muslim ah, mida labaadan ah qof Soomali, waqtigaan lajoogo mid sadaxaad meesha mataalo. I've never been to Diinsoor and i have no knowledge of any clans that reside there. All i'm concerned with is in highlighting the crimes of these lunatics, irrespective of their clan affiliations.

Originally posted by HornAfrique: [QB]Two feuding clans were fighting over a deserted ICU truck full of heavy armaments when the TFG forces leaving Diinsoor heard the squabble and the defense minister sent a younger brother of his and another army officer on a sahan to go investigate the problem. Horn, the article tells an entirely different story. I don't know how good you're Somali is but the report indicates that Barre Hiraale was enraged upon seeing a vehicle belonging to him which Islamic Courts fighters captured from him during fighting that took place in Bu'aale, shortly after he was the capture of Kismaayo by the Courts. Hiraale was simply angry at the site of seeing his former vehicle in Diinsoor. Two feuding clans were fighting over a deserted ICU truck full of heavy armaments when the TFG forces leaving Diinsoor heard the squabble and the defense minister sent a younger brother of his and another army officer on a sahan to go investigate the problem. The deserted truck you speak of belonged to Hiraale. Instead of simply reclaiming the truck, the murderer went on a rampage and killed upto 10 people. How can anyone excuse that? You're version of events don't add up. Are you telling me that you're more informed than C/fitaax Ibraahim Rashiid, the minister in the TFG who first reported these incidents or of the well-informed Shabelle reporters. When will you TFG supporters stop making excuses for these murderers?

VIEW: Destabilising the Horn —Salim Lone Daily Times, Pakistan The best antidote to terrorism in Somalia is stability. Instead of engaging with the Islamists to secure peace, the United States has plunged a poor country into greater misery The stability that emerged in southern Somalia after sixteen years of utter lawlessness is gone, the defeat of the ruling Islamic Courts Union now ushering in looting, martial law and the prospect of another major anti-Western insurgency. Clan warlords, who terrorised Somalia until they were driven out by the Islamists, and who were put back in power by the US-backed and -trained Ethiopian army, have begun carving up the country once again. With these developments, the Bush Administration, undeterred by the horrors and setbacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, has opened another battlefront in this volatile quarter of the Muslim world. As with Iraq, it casts this illegal war as a way to curtail terrorism, but its real goal appears to be to obtain a direct foothold in a highly strategic area of the world through a client regime. The results could destabilise the whole region. The Horn of Africa, at whose core Somalia lies, is newly oil-rich. It is also just miles across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, overlooking the daily passage of large numbers of oil tankers and warships through that waterway. The United States has a huge military base in neighbouring Djibouti that is being enlarged substantially and will become the headquarters of a new US military command being created specifically for Africa. As evidence of the area’s importance, Gen. John Abizaid, the military commander of the region, visited Ethiopia recently to discuss Somalia, while Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Horn countries a few months ago in search of oil and trade agreements. The current series of events began with the rise of the Islamic Courts more than a year ago. The Islamists avoided large-scale violence in defeating the warlords, who had held sway in Somalia ever since they drove out UN peacekeepers by killing eighteen American soldiers in 1993, by rallying people to their side through establishing law and order. Washington was wary, fearing their possible support for terrorists. While they have denied any such intentions, some Islamists do have terrorist ties, but these have been vastly overstated in the West. Washington, however, chose to view the situation only through the prism of its ‘war on terror’. The Bush Administration supported the warlords — in violation of a UN arms embargo it helped impose on Somalia many years ago — indirectly funnelling them arms and suitcases filled with dollars. Many of these warlords were part of the Western-supported transitional ‘government’ that had been organised in Kenya in 2004. But the ‘government’ was so devoid of internal support that even after two years it was unable to move beyond the small western town of Baidoa, where it had settled. In the end, it was forced to turn to Somalia’s archenemy Ethiopia for assistance in holding on even to Baidoa. Again in violation of the UN arms embargo, Ethiopia sent 15,000 troops to Somalia. Their arrival eroded whatever domestic credibility the government might have had. The United States, whose troops have been sighted by Kenyan journalists in the region bordering Somalia, next turned to the UN Security Council. In another craven act resembling its post-facto legalisation of the US occupation of Iraq, the Council bowed to US pressure and authorised a regional peacekeeping force to enter Somalia to protect the government and “restore peace and stability”. This despite the fact that the UN has no right under its charter to intervene on behalf of one of the parties struggling for political supremacy, and that peace and stability had already been restored by the Islamists. The war came soon after the UN resolution, its outcome a foregone conclusion thanks to the highly trained and war-seasoned Ethiopian army. The African Union called for the Ethiopians to end the invasion, but the UN Security Council made no such call. Ban Ki-moon, the incoming Secretary General, is being urged to treat the enormously complex situation in Darfur as his political challenge, but Somalia, while less complex, is more immediate. He has an opportunity to establish his credentials as an unbiased upholder of the UN Charter by seeking Ethiopia’s withdrawal. The Ethiopian military presence in Somalia is inflammatory and will destabilise this region and threaten Kenya, a US ally and the only island of stability in this corner of Africa. Ethiopia is at even greater risk, as a dictatorship with little popular support and beset by two large internal revolts by ******is and Oromos. It is also mired in a military stalemate with Eritrea, which has denied it secure access to seaports. It now seeks such access in Somalia. The best antidote to terrorism in Somalia is stability. Instead of engaging with the Islamists to secure peace, the United States has plunged a poor country into greater misery in its misguided determination to dominate the world. —Agence Global Salim Lone, a Kenyan whose last assignment in his UN career was as spokesman for the UN mission in Iraq immediately after the 2003 war, is a columnist for the Daily Nation in Nairobi

Only when the dust settles will we come to realise and fully appreciate the deeds of this blessed personality. I've posted some of the following words in an earlier thread. I feel them to be relevant to this thread, so here they are: Sheek Shariif has proved himself to be a born leader. The world, both Arab and non-Arab were impressed by his gentle manner, clarity of mind and political astuteness. Sheek Shariif will surely come to be immortalized in Somali history. He along with Sheekh Caweys have taken their rightfully earned positions alongside Axmed Gurey and Muxammad Cabdille Xasan. Like many others in this thread, i agree that he should not be written off as yet. Praise be to Allah who has once fulfilled his promise and will once again fulfil his promise to all those who work good.

^Mahadsanid Xoogsade.

^Indeed. Where are the TFG lackeys hiding? I repeat, the accusations in this story are not coming from TFG detractors, but rather from a minister within the TFG!

Duke, i see you're in damage control. Don't labour so hard. The TFG leadership as a whole have lost the plot. Interesting you mention the 'art of speaking'. Lack of this 'art' is conspicuous within the TFG. Aideed is not alone. Salaad Jeele and Abdirahman Dinari are just two examples. I've listened to these two guys in both Somali and English and have found them to be most incoherent at the spoken word. Dinari, the so-called government spokesman, has a bad habit of oftly-repeating neo-con buzz words. Pay attention to his next quotation and you'll find that such phrases feature prominently. Geedi doesn't fare much better. It's almost as if the TFG has a talent for recruiting the worst to their leadership. Somalis are famous for their clarity and decisiveness at the spoken word. We all remember the captivating speeches of Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed. The TFG are about to do irreparable damage to this reputation. Somalia deserves better leadership. The leadership of the TFG are incompetent to the core. Even if they manage to pacify the country, they will not be its best advocate abroad. They will sell the economic interests of our country for peanuts, simply due to sheer incompetence.

Peacenow, they sure were the best we had for a long time. Whatever their end, history will be very kind to these two men.

^Verily, Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in rows (ranks) as if they were a solid structure - As-Saff(61:4) And if you are killed or die in the Way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass (of worldly wealths) - Al-'Imran (3:157)

^These guys are guaranteed a bad end. The transitory nature of this world is the guarantor.

Wiilo, thanks for digging up this article. It advances a number of points relevant to this post. I'll summarise some of these below. Originally posted by Wiilo: East Africa: Foreign Troops Must Leave Somalia - Rep. Donald Payne. The invasion of Somalia by Ethiopian forces, despite claims of invitation by the weak Baidoa-based Transitional Federal Government , only leads to more suffering and instability in the Horn of Africa region. The author, Donald Payne, seems to have been following events quite closely. Of all the articles i've come across on the so-called 'invitation' of Ethiopian forces by the TFG; Donald Payne's anaylsis comes closest to the truth when he uses the words 'claims by the TFG'. This is the point of this thread. The 'invitation' authorised by the TFG is illegal. It was never passed in Parliament. It indeed nothing more than a claim. A claim calculated to deliberately mislead. If Donald Payne had known of this troubling fact, his analysis of this conflict would have been significantly different. It would have given him greater amunition to demand urgent action. United Nations Security Council resolution 1725 clearly stated that "all Member States, in particular those in the region, should refrain from any action in contravention of the arms embargo and related measures." The author, as with all concerned parties, rightly points out the contents of this yet to be implemented resolution. I strongly condemn this aggression and call for the immediate withdrawal of Ethiopian and all foreign forces from Somalia. The Union of Islamic Courts has consistently stated and indeed participated in negotiations with the Transitional Federal Government. A fact too often dismissed by many, including some members in this forum. The fact of the matter is Ethiopian forces are in Somalia and not the other way around. Meles can lie but he cannot deceive.

^Say: 'Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible and He will inform you about what you did.' - Quran (62:8)

Here we go again. Mind you, the accusations in this story are not coming from TFG detractors, but rather from a minister within the TFG. Dhiig cabayaashi ayaa soo noqday. Ilaahiyoow kuwaan umada kaqabo. Diinsoor 31, Dec.06 ( Sh.M.Network) – Wasiir K/xigeenka Ganacsiga dowladda KMG ah ee Somalia C/fitaax Ibraahim Rashiid ayaa ku eedeeyay wasiirka G/dhigga dowladda KMG ah ee Somalia Barre Hiiraale in xasuuq uu ka geeystay deegaan ka tirsan degmada Diinsoor ee gobolka Baay. Wasiir K/xigeenka oo u waramay Shabelle, isagoo ku sugan degmada Diinsoor ayaa waxa uu sheegay in wasiirka G/dhigga Barre Hiiraale uu dad ku laayay deegaanka Reydab oo hoos-yimaada degmada Diinsoor ee gobolka Baay. C/fitaax Ibraahim Rashiid ayaa waxa uu ku eedeeyay wasiirka g/dhigga in uu dilay ilaa 10 ruux, isla markaana uu qafaashay in ka badan 10 kale, isagoo sheegay in aanu wax xiriir ah la sameyn wasiirka, isgaarsiinta oo hawada ka maqneyd owgeed. Xasuuqaan wasiirka lagu eedeynayo ayaa ka dambeeyay, ka dib markii gaari UD ah oo sida saanad oo magaalada Diinsoor ay uga tageen maxkamadaha islaamka uu watay nin ka soo jeeda tuulada Reydab, iyadoo gaarigaasi UD ga ah uu horey u lahaa Barre Hiiraale, isla markaana ka mid ahaa gawaaridii looga qabsaday degmada Bu'aale. Xiriir aanu la sameynay Col. Barre Hiiraale ayaysan inoo suurto galin in aynu helno. Arintaan ayaa waxa ay ku soo beegmeysaa xilli gobolada Jubbooyinka laga cabsi qabo in uu ka dhaco dagaalo lagu hoobto oo dhex mara maxkamadaha islaamka iyo ciidamada Ethiopia oo kaashanaya kuwa dowladda.

^International legal norms and institutions have been against Muslim countries for sometime now. I do agree with you on that point. However, although it may not make a difference, it is still important to expose the lies being spread by the TFG.

Mystic, this invasion is not seen as illegal by the international community. This misunderstanding is largely due to the fact that the TFG continues to announce at almost every press conference, that the Ethiopian forces are in Somalia at the 'invitation' of the TFG. The parliamentarians who had the power to authorise this 'invitation' refused to give their approval when this resolution/bill was initially tabled. Some of these parliamntarians fled Baidoa after this incident, with at least one of them being killed as a result. It was only after failing to get the endorsement of their fellow parliamentarians, that Abdullah Yusuf Geedi invited the Ethiopians unilaterally. I think some in the international community would have had second thoughts about this invasion, had they know this crucial fact. There are of course some diplomats who may have know of this fact, but i am totally convinced that most diplomats who were working on this issue lacked adequate knowledge on the illegality of this resolution to 'invite' Ethiopian soldiers to our country.

As the likelihood of a swift Ethiopian withdrawal from Somali territory appear increasingly distant, questions about the legality of this invasion are being discussed in diplomatic circles. On the 25th of Dec, i started a thread 'An illegal invasion'. The thread was designed to highlight the lies spread by Geedi and Abdullahi Yusuf that Ethiopian troops were invited at the behest of the TFG and that a resolution authorising this 'invitation' was passed by cabinet. In fact, no such resolution was ever passed. This 'invitation' was unilaterally taken by the Abduallhi Yusuf and Geedi (pls read the first thread of this post for more details). It was, perhaps, understandable that not many SOL members were interested in replying to legal matters at a time when the battle was raging. Now that the real intentions behind this illegal invasion are starting to become more clear; it is incredibly important that we discuss this crucial matter. Many TFG supporters will be shocked to learn how undemocratic and dictatorial Geedi and Yusuf were in their 'invitation' of this occupying force. The following aricle by Salim Lone, is relevant to the above post. The author does not mention the lack of a binding resolution from the TFG to authorise this invasion, but he does discuss the recent UN resolution barring all neighbouring countries from involvement in Somalia, as welll as wider legal concerns from the perspective of international law. Salim Lone was UN spokesman in Iraq in 2003 and is a columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya. Read: International lawlessness

Originally posted by HornAfrique: Sophia Tesfamariam, December 28, 2006: In the mid 90s, Ghedi’s relationship with the minority Tigrayan regime in Ethiopia tightened and he was subsequently recruited as the regime’s spy . He was paid a monthly salary for his contributions of confidential intelligence to Meles’ regime. Ghedi continues to put the interests of the minority regime in Ethiopia ahead of that of the Somali people and has worked aggressively to scuttle any peace talks, calling instead for the invasion of Somalia by his godfather’s forces. Geedi is worse than Abdullahi Yusuf. This man lacks any shred of humanity. I hope they both perish very soon, but if i had a choice, i would take out Geedi before Abdullahi Yusuf. The US led international community may have shattered the hopes and aspirations of the Somali people temporarily, but no amount of fire power can kill the spirit of a people fighting for justice forever. However evil his (or rather his master's) designs for Somalia are, the final say will be for the Somali people, as the author rightly points out.

Abwaan, Waa ayaandarro aad u foolxun waxa maanta kasocdo wadanka. Xoogsade, Diinta ilaahay waligeed uma dhamaato, oo ilaahay anaga ayuu nagu imtixaamayaa. Guusha uga dambeeyso waxaa lahaan doono diinta ilaahay. Peacenow, this nightmare will surely end. The saddest thing of all, however, is the transgression against the dignity of our Somali sisters. Abdullahi Yusuf and his band of thugs, will be made to pay a high price by the Somali people, Inshallah.

Caamir, My country needs me to speak the truth. This truth is self evident to all those who pay heed. The ICU liberated Mogadishu from the warlords. The TFG brought them back. Not only that, it brought them back along with an arch enemy of our country. The TFG has made the dream of successive Ethiopian regimes to occupy Somalia a reality. Whatever the ICU has done does not come close to the grave mis-calculations of the TFG in allowing Ethiopia to occupy our country. A mis-calculation it has not yet fully realised. Most Somalis have already returned a guilty verdict for the TFG. History will judge the TFG very harshly indeed. Don't end up on the right side of history, appreciate the truth for what it is before it is too late. Leaving the merits or otherwise of the ICU aside for a moment; are you really content with the state of affairs in our country today? Do you really support the Ethiopian occupation of Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia?

Word from my relatives back home is that the Ethiopian soldiers have started raping our Somali sisters. In Dhuusamareeb, two sisters were gang-raped and then shot dead! Laa Hawla Walaa Quwata Ilaa Bilaah. This is what credible Somalis and those whom Allah has endowed with wisdom, have been warning against. As Sheekh Shariif, with his trademark insight, has rightly pointed out, " There are two options in the country and we have to choose one . Do we need to live as a colony or [do] we prefer freedom?. "I think freedom is the better [choice]. So we must fight for the religion until none of us is left," he added. "We left Mogadishu in order to prevent bloodshed in the capital, but that does not mean we lost the holy war against our enemy," he added, re-iterating the reasons behind his movements withdrawal from Mogadishu. "I want to tell you that the Islamic courts are still alive and ready to fight against the enemy of Allah," Ahmed told residents of Kismayo. Our sisters have no better protectors (after Allah) than Sheekh Shariif and his band of true believers. No doubt the rape incident mentioned above will become more common the longer these occupiers stay in the country. Zenawi's two domesticated animals, Abdullahi Yusuf and Geedi have no plans to ask these occupiers to leave the country anytime soon.

^You continue to spread your clannish ethos. This war is no longer about clan rivalries. The survival of all Somalis, whatevery their clan, is at stake.