Ina Abdirashid: No big offensive in Somalia, it'll be gradual!!

[Maaddeey]

By KATHARINE HOURELD

Thursday April 01, 2010

 

 

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Despite months of pronouncements by officials that a big offensive is imminent, Somalia's prime minister told The Associated Press the government will only gradually try to expand its control of the capital, most of which is held by al-Qaida-linked Islamist rebels.

 

Officials familiar with the offensive's planning said it was repeatedly delayed because the Somali army lacks equipment, training and a reliable system to pay its soldiers — problems that the EU hopes to address by training 2,000 troops under a plan it approved Wednesday.

 

Any offensive action will be more of a gradual expansion of the area under the government's control, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said, claiming the media had misunderstood the government's plans.

 

"It is not a big push. It will be gradual and well-planned," Sharmarke said in an interview Wednesday.

 

U.S. diplomats have been pressing Somali leaders to detail the goals of the assault, to figure out how the U.S. could help. The Pentagon is considering dispatching surveillance drones and other limited military support. Somali Interior Minister of State Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig said there is already "strong collaboration" between the U.S. and Somalia on security, humanitarian and development issues and that U.S. surveillance planes already fly over Somalia's skies, something Somalia encourages.

 

"The U.S. has the full permission to carry out any security operations against international and local terrorists in Somalia. It had already targeted some terrorist elements," (fiiri khabiith-kan wuxu ku hadlayo)Hidig said. A 2008 airstrike and a 2009 helicopter raid by U.S. special forces killed two men accused of terrorism.

 

In a sign of building international support for the beleaguered government, the EU will send around 100 military officials to help train two groups of 1,000 soldiers each for six months at a time in Uganda, which already contributes peacekeeping troops to an African Union mission in Somalia.

 

The EU said it will work in close partnership with the U.S., U.N. and African Union.

 

U.S. officials were not immediately available for comment on the form their support might take in the training. Somali State Minister for Defense Yusuf Mohamed Siyad said it is hoped the U.S. would help guarantee pay for the soldiers.[dhuuni]

 

Without a guaranteed salary, soldiers might simply desert to the Islamists after training. Siyad said this has happened several times before. The U.S. already pays the salaries of about 1,800 Somali soldiers, he said.

 

The Somali government is also hoping that divisions between the two main Islamist insurgent factions deepen before any offensive, Hidig said. Two insurgent groups that are nominal allies, Hizbul Islam and al-Shabab, have launched a campaign of assassinations against each other in recent weeks. Al-Shabab controls much of Somalia and large sections of its capital, and is loosely allied with al-Qaida.

 

Somalia has not had a functioning government for nearly 20 years.

 

Associated Press reporter Malkhadir Muhumed in Nairobi contributed to this report.

[Polanyi]

Alshabab should give amnesty to Sheikh hotel. build him a five star hotel and a give him a state pension. All SomALIS will support them for that.

[Maaddeey]

 

Somali recruits use sticks to train for war

 

 

Friday, April 02, 2010

 

 

 

MOGADISHU (AP) –Somali army recruits are using sticks instead of guns as they train for combat against battle-hardened Islamist rebels . Lacking equipment and training, Somalia's prime minister said a planned army offensive will be gradual instead of a blitzkrieg.

 

The offensive, repeatedly delayed for months, would be the government's biggest attempt to restore control over an anarchic nation where an Islamist insurgency has taken root and whose coastline is dotted with pirate lairs.

 

Officials familiar with the offensive's planning said the delays are partly due to the army's lack of equipment, training and a reliable system to pay its soldiers – problems the European Union hopes to address by training 2,000 troops under a plan approved Wednesday.

 

Pouring cold water on perceptions the offensive will begin with an all-out assault, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said it will be a slow expansion of the small area under government control.

 

"It is not a big push. It will be gradual and well-planned," Sharmarke said.

 

Source: AP

[Shaakirullaah]

Also reported by AP:

 

During recent training, recruits ran hunched over the burning sand while others shouted 'bang bang' as they sighted down sticks, providing imaginary covering fire. They hurtled through the dunes to ambush imaginary jihadists, carefully checking those playing dead for documents before they called in kills on invisible handsets.

Maj. Samuel Wasswa, the Ugandan officer in charge of training at al-Jazira, the government's main military base, said the recruits need to learn how to set up ambushes, evacuate the wounded, fight in built-up areas and simply learn better discipline. The trainers themselves need better equipment and accommodations, he added.

So far international efforts to help train soldiers have been patchy: African Union instructors in the main government camp are desperately short of equipment and sporadic international training outside the country has been uncoordinated.

At Camp al-Jazira, nearly 2,000 soldiers and their families share 50 torn olive tents. Many sleep in the sand under the thorn trees. There's only one water source — a well with a generator-powered pump — no fence and no clinic. Pay is sporadic at best.

"It's really bad for morale," said soldier Mohamed Duhul.

bang bang

[Che -Guevara]

Ar meeshaan waa la,isku durbaan tumey

So, since we are in agreement about Sharif administration's military weakness, why is it taking Al-Shabaab this long to dislodge his administration?

[Gheelle.T]

^AMISOM tanks are stopping them!

[Che -Guevara]

^There's be a way to deal with those tanks instead of just killing "apostate" Somalis which are easy targets but good for propaganda.

[Shaakirullaah]

Victory is not something which is achieved by the strength of the mujahideen or the weakness of their enemies.

Rather, victory lies in the hands of Allah – the provider of success..

[Jacpher]

And the bloodshed goes on.......

[Gheelle.T]

Shaakullaah,what are you saying now? Is that a talk of defeat?

[Che -Guevara]

Originally posted by Shaakirullaah:

Victory is not something which is achieved by the strength of the mujahideen or the weakness of their enemies.Rather, victory lies in the hands of Allah – the provider of success..

That's just lazy way of thinking or you are simply out of ideas.

[Shaakirullaah]

The fact that victory, i.e. a successful result, comes from Allah is a very important principle to abide by, especially with regard to jihaad.

Victory comes with patience, relief comes with affliction, and ease with hardship..

And of course, patience (sabr) is an active and not a passive quality– so it's not a lazy way of thinking.

So meanwhile, all praise and thanks be to him who subdued and humiliated the filthy apostate traitor who was issuing boastful threats a few months ago.

[Che -Guevara]

Where does God's will end and your responsibility begin?

[Shaakirullaah]

Allah's will is irresistable and does not end..

His decree is comprehensive, so nothing happens in this universe, good or bad, but by His will.

Our responsibility as muslims is to tie up, i.e. take the necessary precautions and thereafter put our trust in Allah.