She should have left this to a non-Somalis in the government. She may have got herself out on a limb.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/09/2013923205423372989.html Kenya FM says al-Qaeda behind mall attack Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed tells Al Jazeera deadly mall siege is work of al-Qaeda, not al-Shabab. The Kenyan foreign minister has told Al Jazeera that al-Qaeda is responsible for the ongoing siege of a mall in Nairobi that has killed at least 62 people. In an exclusive interview on Monday, Amina Mohamed said al-Shabab was not acting alone and that it was part of an international terrorism campaign. She told Al Jazeera's James Bays that about 20 gunmen and women were behind the attack, and that both the victims and perpetrators came from a variety of nationalities. Al-Shabab and al-Qaeda announced their alliance in in February 2012, and Abu Omar, a Somali-a-based al-Shabab commander, confirmed in an interview with Al Jazeera that his group is taking orders from al-Qaeda. "Al-Qaeda are our leaders, they are our mentors, they are our leaders …and we are all engaged in a single conflict against an international Christian crusade and so we are partners in this," he said. Meanwhile, a government spokesperson said that all of the hostages had been evacuated from the shopping mall. At least three al-Shabab fighters have been killed and ten soldiers wounded in the military operation to end the standoff. "Our special forces are inside the building checking the rooms. Obviously it's a very, very big building," said government spokesman Manoah Esipisu. "We think that everyone, the hostages, have been evacuated, but we don't want to take any chances," he said. "The special forces are doing their job and yes, I think we are near the end." "The special forces call this sanitising. It's a very complex and very delicate operation," he said, but said no resistance was being encountered. "At the moment they have not met any resistance, but of course we are not ruling out the possibility that there are a couple of them hiding in a remote room or corner," he told the AFP news agency. Al Jazeera's Mohamed Adow reported from Nairobi that security forces had given priority to rescuing as many hostages as possible and that it had pledged to continue its operations in Somalia against al-Shabab. "Kenya went into Somalia in 2011 saying that al-Shabab had attacked Kenya and that they were not just going to fold their arms and wait," he said. "Kenya went into Somalia to protect its own security … and now they will continue what they started in Somalia." Al Jazeera's Peter Greste reported from the vicinity of the mall that at least ten people have been arrested in connection with this crisis. Foreign Minister Mohamed said governments needed to communicate better and share resources in the same way that armed groups were doing. “We must stay ahead of the curb in this war on terrorism,” she said. “We’re going to fight them relentlessly with the same amount of resources." The United Nations Security Council condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms," and reminded Kenya that any response must comply with international human rights law. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/09/2013923205423372989.html

Somalis for all their education and time in the west seriously lack a basic understanding of democracy and governance. 1- Protesting a President or other high official does NOT equal you don't support the Government of Somalia just as Tea Partyers protesting Obama does not equal no support for the Government of the USA 2- Protesting a President does NOT equal 'perpetual opposition' and 'stealth secessionism' - just as protests in Somaliland don't mean the whole state is crumbling and regions are seceding

^Safferz - You know - in general I agree with you and I understand your frustration but given the scale of this - we can't be silent. And these folks use Islam as the motivation for their bloodthirsty murder - other Muslims have to speak out against it. And as Somalis - our community faces extra hurdles that require be tackled if reports of foreign passport holding Somalis are involved in this attack prove to be true.

This is a majorly bungled job. 3 days of siege and international coverage.

LayZie G.;979151 wrote: What The Deadly Attack On A Kenya Mall Was Really About Either they can mobilize against Shabaab and take the movement out once and for all – by drying up its financial sources, exposing its operatives, and denying the movement any safe space from which to operate – or they can sit on their hands and make vague calls for a negotiated settlement, as they have done for years. Gosh darn it! I mean Somalis should be able to just wipe out Al-Shabaab just like the USA with all its power and money was able to wipe out Al-Qaeda. And look now the USA is encouraging the Afghan government to agree to a 'negotiated settlement' with Al-Qaeda junior partners the Taliban. Come on - this simplistic blather is pointless.

Safferz;979165 wrote: Right, which is an act of apology and an acceptance that we're responsible for the actions of a few lunatics as a collective. Embarrassing, really. Condemnation does not equal apology. Obama had condemned this - is he apologizing for it? Nope. And let's face it. Somalis are associated with a major and sensational terrorist attack. You gotta distance your community from it - and if it means apologizing so be it. It certainly isn't the time to be defensive.

Can't believe this is a coincidence. But who are these ppl rounded up - actual shabaab or just scapegoats? And if actual shabaab - how is it they were 'found' so quickly? A lot of questions here.

The president is a micro manager and photo op hog. I don't think there is any doubt about that.

Names are Somalis with foreign passports. https://twitter.com/HSM_PRESS2

Culusow directive is not another state in the south and his faithful servant obliges by encouraging his kinsmen with fantastical dreams. Reer Qalamanyo.

Wish her all the best and laud her accomplishments. But I can't help feeling Somalis have become so thoroughly westernized that women/womanhood is celebrated only when they reach some high office. The best women I know are stay at home moms and they contribute most to society and future civilization. And they get the least notice from other folks especially fellow ladies.

Haatu;978714 wrote: Who told them to demonstrate and start a rebellion against their ruler? As Hassan al-Basri said, not a day of good did they get from raising the sword. Instead their homes have been destroyed and their families killed or living as refuges. May Allah help the poor Syrians caught up in this violence. So people should just nod and grin and take it any which way? Boy - the Queen and Country BS indoctrination huh.

Safferz;978640 wrote: Your frustration is misguided, the Telegraph and al Arabiya are simply reporting claims (which may or may not be true) made by Tunisia's interior minister, who has a clear agenda to support government actions against "jihadists," and a mufti who seems to have been appointed by the government. I'm interested to see if any individuals or organizations not affiliated with Tunisia's government can confirm the story. That said, it's quite reactionary to dismiss this as anti-Islamic propaganda (and ignores the young girls who are victims here). I think you're a little hasty. News organizations don't generally rush to publish sensational unverified hearsay. Didn't see anywhere the Tunisians providing any evidence for these allegations. When you rush to publish this - this says something about your journalistic standards. I think this whole story is huuhaa.

Marksman;977543 wrote: In my opinion islam goes against many human rights and common laws we have today in the western world. And we take them for granted. Why don't we talk about this instead of a romanticized version of islam? Sure there are some good things, but go into detail and you'll be shocked. Go to the islamic sources and you'll see that being a minority (religion), slave or a woman is one of the worst things to be in a country based on islamic law. I wish people would refute my claims with examples. I'll do the same later. Sure it makes me sad when people say islam is perfect and Muslims aren't. In general we lack critical thinking. We're stagnant, we're stuck. I think it is best if you elaborate and prove your points factually rather than just making blanket statements. And where does it say that one or many rights lacking in a society necessarily means that a decent and fulfilling life can't be had. In many respects Singapore is a police state - but I believe most of its citizens are happy with the way things are and lead a better quality of life than other countries that allow their citizens 'more rights'. You infer from rights lacking(which you haven't shown) a dismal quality of life. You're leaping to unfounded conclusions.

One of the responses to this:

You gotta love French people! The good thing this will be overturned in the courts. BTW - has anyone ever seen crescent shaped earrings or a Star of David ring? Where is LayzieG in all this? Must be a good week for her.

By Nelson Wyatt and Peter Rakobowchuk, The Canadian Press September 12, 2013 MONTREAL - The choices for Quebec's observant religious minorities now seem to boil down to fight or flight with the release of details of Quebec's proposed charter of values. It bans religious symbols from the public service and would forbid employees from wearing such garments as the hijab, turban and kippa. Compliance is another option, but not for Diaa Quarmauch, a Muslim woman who came to Canada from Morocco. Forget about asking her to remove her hijab. "I will never change," the 34-year-old said Tuesday. "I will never take it off. I think the Muslims will leave Canada before they take off their veils." Although religious minorities are open to debating the charter, the tone was more defiant on Tuesday. Demonstrations are slated for later this week and a Muslim leader said his group is ready to go to court if necessary. "I promise you, if this becomes law, we will help anyone to challenge this law all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to," said Salam Elmenyawi, president of the Muslim Council of Montreal. The so-called "values charter" announced by the government would impose broad restrictions, unique in North America, on religious clothing for employees in all public sector institutions including schools, hospitals and courts. While the cross above Montreal's Mount Royal and the crucifix in the legislature are OK because they are considered part of the province's heritage, government employees wearing a crucifix would have to conceal it. Religious headgear such as hijabs, burkas, kippas, veils and turbans would also be forbidden. "This was a total disappointment, even shocking, to see a minister for all Quebecers to stand up and talk about discrimination as if it is just a matter of fact and try to legalize it by introducing laws to discriminate against minorities under his care," said Elmenyawi. "We have a very long list of actions planned to engage Quebecers in a calm debate and we're trying to explain to them the damage that they would be causing because of this." Isham Singh, who was born in India and raised in Quebec, agrees the issue needs to be debated. He said it would be better for the government to promote inclusive values and teach Quebecers about different religions. "Definitely the neutrality of the state is important, definitely equality between men and women is of the utmost importance but unfortunately we feel that the means by which the Parti Quebecois intends to achieve the claimed neutrality is not appropriate," said Singh, a 25-year-old lawyer. "There is a distinct difference between a person's ideology and the way they look. Just because someone wears a cross or a kippa or a turban doesn't mean they will be partial to one person or another." The proposed charter dominated TV and radio on Tuesday and lit up social media. At least two parodies surfaced on YouTube, one with a mother warning her little girl not to wear a hat and scarf because she could be mistaken for a Muslim and another where people were told not to use the "plus" sign because others might think it was a cross. Eve Couture, a spokeswoman for media tracking company Influence Communications, said there had been 6,000 to 7,000 tweets sent in Quebec on the subject over a 24-hour period. "There was actually a tweet every two seconds on the subject in Quebec," she said, noting 15 per cent of those mentioned the crucifix in the legislature. However, while the debate on Quebec identity was heated, it only represented a quarter of the tweets fired out over the Montreal Canadiens' acquisition of Daniel Briere in July. Charles Taylor, who co-chaired a commission into reasonable accommodation set up by then-premier Jean Charest's government, said Tuesday the PQ proposal goes too far. His thoughts were echoed by Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, director of equality program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, who said the proposed charter has serious implications for the promotion of diversity within society. "If we want to have diversity and equality in our society, we need to have diverse leaders, we need to have diverse role models," she said, citing police officers, teachers and judges. "This proposal would essentially say that's not possible, a person has to hide aspects of their diversity and certain people won't be able to fill those roles at all." Mendelsohn Aviv said the charter leaves out a number of important values. "I think that it violates values that many Canadians and Quebecers hold dear — the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion, the right to autonomy and to make your own choices and very much the right to equality," she said. "I think it's a very troubling development and I think it's unconstitutional." The union representing most of Quebec's primary and secondary school teachers welcomed the government's effort to address the reasonable accommodation of immigrants, which has been a simmering issue in the province for several years. Union president Louise Chabot was cautious about the ban on religious accessories, saying she would have to consult with her members. Another teachers union, the Federation autonome de l'enseignement, said it opposed the ban on religious symbols, saying it calls into question a teacher's right to work. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Religious+minorities+face+fight+flight+choice+Quebec+values+charter/8896484/story.html

It's an estimate. I think they look at neighbouring countries where they have a better grasp of facts/statistics and project that on to Somalia. The key determinants being birth rate, death rate and migration rate. The CiA World Factbook has PGR at 1.68% and the World Bank almost a percent higher. No one is sure.

^Norf - I'm not quite sure what you're saying. It's a straightforward mathematical calculation. If your growth rate is 2.7% and your starting population is 10 mill and you want to find the future population in 37 years time - here is the calculation: Future Population = 10 mill * (1 + .027) ^ power of 37 = ~26.8 mill The only problem with this is that population growth rate can change in the intervening period. It could drop to 1% in 20 years time and then the figure would be off substantially.

Good stuff. The folks who worked on this and made it possible in Somaliland should be recognized and paraded out to the population. Too many times I see pics of minister hebel at the launch of something that well meaning individuals in Somalia have organized and funded without any support from said minister. I hate that Isku dheerays.

^I'll take your word for it - Alz was always a head case!

YoniZ;977531 wrote: It seemed propaganda at the start. However, the websites claiming that ,president Hassan signed the support letter on board of American warship seems credible with this new development. It's amazing that they can't get official communications from the president right. How hard is it to have a press office that communicates official government policy? Another sign of the headless chicken antics of the current government.

^I haven't watched the video - but according to Alz one of the girls is boasting about not practicing her religion. If that is indeed the case - I believe that person is lost. I don't expect everyone to be a good Muslim - it's upto the individual - but I draw the line at people who denigrate their religion/culture and slavishly adopt the predominant secular, materialistic, anti faith mentality of the West.

This is about the last thing this government needs to do. To create a government owned para-statal when basic security and governance isn't established. If they want to do something to improve air links and transportation - it's to build better airports capable of handling bigger planes. Unless this whole thing is a stunt where they sell the rights of Somali Airlines to some crony who provides a kickback to the government/individuals in it.