Shariif Xasan "heshiiskii Cadan waa laysku raacay" Muqdisho-21.January.2006 Gudoomiyaha baarlamaanka Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan oo shir Jaraa'id ku qabtay hotel Saxafi ee magaalada Muqdisho shirkii maanta ay yeesheen xubnaha labada gole ka dib, ayuu wuxuu sheegay in xubnaha labada gole ee ku sugan magaalada Muqdisho ay dhammaantood isku raaceen heshiiskii Cadan uu kula saxiixday madaxweyne C/laahi Yuusuf Axmed. Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan wuxuu sheegay inuu aad ugu faraxsan yahay wadashaqaynta ay la sameeyeen xubnaha ku sugan Muqdisho si ay u ogolaadaan heshiiskaasi. Shariifku wuxuu sheegay in wax kasta oo laysku hayay ay uu go'aan ka gaari doono baarlamaanka. C/laahi Soomaali SBC Muqdisho Kulankii maanta ee xildhibaanada Muqdisho oo laysku afgartay Muqdisho-21.January.2006 Waxaa is afgarad uu ku soo dhammaaday kulankii maanta ay xubnaha labada gole ee Muqdisho ay ku yeesheen Hotel Saxafi oo ku saabsanaa heshiiskii ay magaalada Cadan ku kala saxiixdeen madaxweyne C/laahi Yuusuf Axmed iyo gudoomiyaha baarlamaanka Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan. Kulankaasi oo maanta ay ka soo wada qayb galeen wasiirada hubaysan ee Muqdisho ku sugan ayaa waxaa la sheegay inuu ku dhammaaday jawi is afgarad ah. wariyaha SBC ee magaalda Muqdisho C/laahi Somali ayaa soo sheegay in shir Jaraa'id uu qabtay Cumar Xaashi Aadan afhayeenka labada gole uu ka sheegay in gudoomiyaha baarlamaanka loo daayay inuu isagu go'aamiyo meeshuu ku qabsoomayo fadhiga ugu horreeya ee baarlamaanka. C/laahi Soomaali SBC Muqdisho

Xildhibaannada jooga Muqdisho oo ay ka mid yihiin kuwa hubeysan oo ansixiyay heshiiska Col. Yuusuf iyo Shariif Xasan ee Sanca. Ruunkinet 21/01/06 Kulan ay maanta ku yeesheen magaalada Muqdisho xubnaha labada gole ee Xanar ku sugan ayaa ansixiyay heshiiskii ay magaalada Sanca ku kala saxiixdeen madaxweynaha Soomaaliya iyo guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka dowladda federaalka ah ee Soomaaliya. Kulankan oo ay ka soo qeyb galeen in ka badan 90 xubnood oo ka tirsan xildhibaannada Xamar jooga ayna ka mid yihiin wasiirada hubeysan sida Qanyare, Suudi iyo Caato ayaa si wada jir ah waxay ugu dhawaaqeen in ay ogolaadeen heshiiska lagu gaaray Sanca. Xildhibaan Cumar Xaashi Adan oo ah afhayeenka xildhibaannada Xamar jooga ayaa sheegay in si buuxda ay u taageersan yihiin heshiiskaasi. Xildhibaannada ayaa sidoo kale go'aamiyay in loo daayo guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka Shariif Xasan in uu ku dhawaaqo goobta ay isku immaanayaan labada garab ee golaha baarlamaanka. Dhanka kale, warar ayaa soo baxaya oo ku warammaya in ay jiraan heshiis hoosaad ay ku qanacsan yihiin wasiirada hubeysan oo guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka la gaaray wasiirro ay ka mid yihiin Qanyare, Caato iyo Muuse Suudi. Cabdullahi Xuseen, Ruunkinet, London

Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka oo isagoo kalsooni qaba berri ku dhawaaqaya Magaalada lagu qaban doono Kulanka Xubnaha Baarlamaanka Soomaaliyeed Jimco, January 20, 2006(HOL): Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka Soomaaliyeed Shariif Xasan Shiikh Aadan oo maalmahaan kulamo la lahaa xubnaha baarlamaanka Soomaaliyeed ee Muqdisho ku sugan si uu uga dhaadhiciyo waxyaabihii uu ku saabsanaa heshiiskii ay isaga iyo Madaxweynaha ku soo gaareen magaalada Cadan ee dalka Yemen ayay warar aynu ka helnay ilo lagu kalsoonaan karo waxay sheegayaan in uu Guddoomiye Shariif Xasan ku guuleystay in uu dhamaan xubnaha labada gole ee Muqdisho uu ka dhaadhiciyo in ay qaataan heshiiskaas, isla markaana ay maalinta berri ah ka soo wada qeybgalaan kulan looga hadli doono heshiiskaas iyo weliba magaaladii lagu qaban lahaa Kulanka ugu soo horeeya ee ay isugu imaanayaan dhamaan Xubnaha Baarlamaanka Soomaaliyeed. Shariif Xasan ayaa maalmihii tegay wuxuu si guud iyo si gooni gooni ahba uu kulamo ula qaatay Xubnaha labada gole ee Muqdisho, kuwaasi oo ay ugu dambeyntii isla garteen in meesha laga saaro khilaafaadyada jira, isla markaana meel looga soo wada jeesto sidii ay Dowladda Federaalka Soomaaliyeed uga kici lahayd naafada ay noqotay mudadii ay soo jirtay. Wararku waxay intaas ku darayaan in Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka uu wakaalad ka helay xubnaha Baarlamaanka taasi oo maalinta berri ah u suurtagelin doonta in uu ku dhawaaqo magaaladii lagu qaban lahaa kulanka ugu soo horeeya ee xubnaha Baarlamaanka Soomaaliyeed, inkastoo ku dhawaaqistaas wararka qaarkood ay ku tilmaamayaan in ay tahay mid soo jeedin ah kadibna ay xubnaha Baarlamaanka dood ka yeelan doonaan. Heshiiskii ay wada gaareen madaxweynaha iyo Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka Soomaaliya waxaa soo dhaweeyay inta badan xubnaha labada gole ee Dowladda ee ku kala sugan magaalooyinka Muqdisho iyo Jowhar, marka laga reebo Wasiirrada hubeysan ee Muqdisho oo iyagu aan muujin wax ogolaasho iyo diidmo ah oo ku saabsan heshiiskaas, walow ay ku gaabsadeen in ay marka hore doonayaan in loo faah faahiyo waxyaabihii ay labada mas'uul ku soo heshiiyeen. Salaad Iidow Xasan (Xiis), Hiiraan Online sxiis@hiiraan.com Mogadishu, Somalia

Pictures ; Warbixin ku saabsan qaabkii uu u dhacay kulankii xubnaha labada Muqdisho ay ku ansixiyeen heshiiskii Cadan iyo hadaladii ay saxaafada siiyeen Shariif-ka iyo Cumar Xaashi(sawiradii laga soo qaaday)

Kooxdii Yuusuf iyo kooxdii Shariifka ee 2005-ta ee u dhaxeysay ciyaartii siyaasada oo ku soo uruuray hal koox oo ah xulka Qaranka kadib markii sanadkii 2005-ta ay u dhaxeysay ciyaar siyaasadeed kooxda Yuusuf iyo kooxda Shariifka ayaa maanta ay labada kooxood waxay isugu soo uruureen kooxda xulka Qaranka Soomaaliya, waxaana la magacaabay 22-kii ciyaartoy ee laga soo kala uruuriyay kooxda Yuusuf iyo kooxda Shariifka iyadoo guddoomiyaha kooxdana uu yahay madaxweyne C/llaahi Yuusuf Axmed, halka tabaraha kooxdana loo magacaabay guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan, waxayna kala yihiin magacyada 22-ka ciyaartoy ee 4-ta sano ee soo socota:- 1. Goolhaye Mowliid Macaan Maxamuud 2. Max’ed Ibraahim Xaabsade 3. Aadan Max’ed Cali 4. Cusmaan Xasan Cali Caato 5. C/risaaq Cusmaan Jurille 6. Axmed Diiriye Max’ed 7. Cumar Xaashi Aadan 8. Saalim Caliyow Ibrow 9. Max’ed Qanyare Afrax 10. Cali Max’ed Geeddi (Kabtanka kooxda) 11. Xasan Abshir Faarax keydka waxaa u fadhiya 12) goolhayaha labaad Maxamuud C/llaahi Jaamac Sifir 13) Qaalid Cumar Cali (Difaac) 14) Yuusuf Mire Seeraar (Dhexda) 15) Cabdi Cabdulle Siciid jinni-boqor (Weerar) 16) Cali C/llaahi Cosoble (Weerar) 17) Max’ed Cusmaan Maye (Difaac) 18) Muuse Suudi Yalaxow (Difaac) 19 Saleebaan Colaad Rooble (Dhexda) 20) Xuseen Ceydiid (Weerar) 21) Ciise Weheliye Maalin (Weerar) 22) C/llaahi Aadan Axmed Black (Goolhayaha saddexaad) kooxdan maanta la magaabay ee xulka Qaranka Soomaaliya ee dhinaca siyaasada ayaa kulamo tijaabooyin ah la kala yeelan doonaan kooxo ku kala ciyaaraya magaca TNG-dii Carte xubnaha waayay dowladda federaalka iyo siyaasiyiin aan ka mid noqon dowladda, sidoo kale waxay kulan tijaabo ah la yeelan doonaan xubnaha baarlamaanka gobolka Banaadir, waxayna dadka xiiseeya ciyaaraha siyaasada lana socday sanadkii hore qaabka ay isaga soo horjeedeen labadii kooxood ee Yuusuf iyo Shariifka ay soo dhoweeyeen Midowga ay sameeyeen kooxahan oo haatan noqday hal koox. Waxaa diyaariyay: Axmed Max’ed Cabdulle (Uurdoox). Uurdoox48@hotmail.com

Muqdisho: War deg deg ah: Hogaamiyeyaasha Muqdisho oo taageeray heshiiskii Cadan. - Saturday, January 21, 2006 at 10:29 Muqdisho(AllPuntland)- Hogaamiye kooxeedyada hubaysan iyo guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka Soomaaliya ayaa shir koodii albaabadu u xirnaa uu kusoo gabo gaboobay magaalada Muqdisho. Hogaamiye kooxeedyada awoodda ku leh magaalada Muqdisho waxay si cad u taageereen heshiiskii Cadan ee ay wada gaareen madaxwaynaha Soomaaliya iyo Guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka. Marka uu shirku soo gabo gaboobay ayaa waxaa la qaadayay heeso munaasabadeed ay kamid tahay " Soomaaliyeey Toosooy Toosoo isku tiirsada. Hogaamiye yaasha hubaysan ee ay kamid yihiin Maxamed Qanyare , Cismaan Caato iyo Muuse Suudi waxay sheegeen inay la shaqaynayaan heshiiskaasi la gaaray. Wali waxaa sii socon doona shirar gaar gaar ah oo ay yeelanayaan guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka iyo hogaamiyeyaasha hubaysan. Rayn rayn ayaa aad looga dareemayaa aagggu shirku ka socdo ayadoo dadkuna ay isku tahniyadaynayaan ayagoo tilmaamaya inay aad ugu qanacsan yihiin heshiiskan. Shirkaan soo gabo gaboobay ayaa waxaa sal u ah sidii hogaamiyeyaasha hubaysan iyo xubnaha baarlamaanka ee Muqdisho looga dhaadhicin lahaa inay qaataan heshiiskii ay cadan ku gaareen madaxwaynaha Soomaaliya iyo guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka. CCC Farayaamo

Xubnaha Labada Gole ee Dowladda Federaalka ku sugan magalada Muqdisho oo maanta si buuxda u taageeray Heshiiskii Cadan. (Caato,Qanyare iyo Muuse oo taageeray Heshiiska) Xildhibaannada iyo wasiirada ku sugan magaalada Muqdisho ayaa si buuxda u taageeray heshiiskii Magaalada Cadan ku gaareen Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka iyo Madaxweynaha Dowladda Federaalka Soomaaliya. Fadhigii Maanta ay yeesheen Xubnaha Labada Gole ee Muqdisho uuna shir Guddoominayay Afhayeenka Baarlamaanka Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan ayna ka soo qeybgaleen Wasiirada hubeysan iyo xubnaha kale ayaa si buuxda looga ogolaaday heshiiskii Cadan ee lagu soo afjaray khilaafkii Dowladda Federaalka Labadeeda garab. kulankii maanta ka dhacay Hotelka Saxafi isla markaana si weyn loo wada sugayay ayaa ugu dambeyntii xubnihii ka qeybgalay kulanka waxay isku raaceen in si buuxda loo taageero heshiiskii Cadan iyo in Baarlamaanka uu yeesho fadhi guud oo ka dhacaya gudaha dalka. Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka Shariif Xasan ayaa ka gudbay Imtixaankii horyaalay isagoo haatan laga sugayo magaalada shirka ka dhacay iyo sida Baarlaamanka ku tagi doono Magaaladaas,iyadoo warar soo baxaya ay sheegayan in Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka u ambibixi doono maalinta beri Magaalada Nairobi. Madaxweynaha Dowladda Federaalka C/llaahi Yuusuf oo xalay ka hadlayay Magaalada Jowhar ayaa ka codsaday xubnaha Labada gole inay tagaan goob kasta oo lagu dhawaaqo in shirka Baarlamaanka ka dhici doono. Wasiirada hubeysan ayaa maanta ka qeybagleen shirka waxayna taageereen heshiiska Magaalada cadan ku gaareen Madaxweynaha iyo Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka,iyadoo taageeradooda ka dambeysay wadahadalo is daba socday oo Guddoomiyaha Baarlamaanka la yeeshay Wasiirada hubeysan. Markii go'aanka ka soo baxay shirkii Maanta Hotelka Saxafi ayaa xubnaha labada gole waxay qaadeen heestii Soomaaliyay tooso oo ah hees inta badan dadka Soomaaliyed ku reebta xusuus gaar ah. Nuuradin Macalin Mukhtaar (Dinow) nuradin007@hotmail.com Xafiiska Midnimo ee Muqdisho Soomaaliya Midnimo Information Center wararka@midnimo.com

People like you who hide behind the Somaliweyn agenda are the worst enemy of Somali people in general. At least I'm very honest with no hidden agenda. I'm for Somaliland for better or worst. What is you position? Please don't say Somaliwayn because all you have in your end is one BRACH of the STAR. That doesn't give Mogadishu to speak on the behalf of the other FOUR including Djibouti a sovereign recognize nation. My point is Somalia and Somaliland alone doesn't make Somaliweyn. Ninyahow, my somaliweyn believes are my business, and I only share somthing with those somali people believe somaliweyn nationalism, unity, brotherhood among all somali people. If you don't want somaliweyn good luck bro there is nothing we share, so we don't need to argue about anything, go mind yuou business and work on your virtual country. The enemy of somali people is the one who is against our noble somali flag (the blue flag) sorry bro you are not honest, you are the worest among all people, because you have one clan agenda , you believe a clan supremecy my position is not your business, I believe somaliweyn but who ever don't want can leave and can go his weparate way. Mogadisho is the capital of somalia(Somali Republic) who said mogadisho is speaking for someone what four you talking about ? :confused: :confused: :confused: I am not from mogadisho or so-called somaliland, I am from North Central Somalia (Sool Sanaag and Cayn) jabouti to garissa is somaliland (dhul soomaaliyeed if you know what it means) Today somaliweyn is four Somali Republic (Somalia), DJabouti, Western Somalia, Southwest Somalia (NFD)

nin yahow hadii ey jirtu cid borooranasa, waa adi iyo wixii kula mid ah, adoo waxaa u ooyasaa oo lagaa hortaagan yahay ingriis mee? mana qaan meeloo ingriis jiro... adi you worship gumeysiingriiska ahaa , mana qaan waxa oo ku tusay On the other hand, I proud of every Somali person who stood up for the right thing like fighting against the invaders and colonials that includes faarah oomaar, timaca cadde, the 13 youth who created syl, ahmed gurey, and Sayid maxammed cabdullah xasan was the greatest among all Somali heroes ( the man who led the first and the strongest liberation movement in all Africa, that made his headquarter of daraawiish the target of first ariel bombardment against an African town in the history of the world, it 1921, British empire led ariel attack against sayid base in Taleeh, 12 warplanes that just returned from world war one hit taleeh and other darvish target in nugaal and haud of north central Somalia) regardless of their clan affiliation x y or z or whichever colonial power they suffered from they are all Somalis to me. for you only faarah oomar is hero because you share with him a clan affiliation And sayid is enemy because he is from different clan and fought with British in uncivilized manner in your week opinion. If you are man sometimes you need to fight a real fight not intellectual, especially when you fighting with gaallo colonial power like British.

Originally posted by Xarago: quote:Originally posted by SOO MAAL: However, Sool is different case, Presently Sool regoen is in state of war because of the aggression and the war that Somaliland (a clan faction) is waging against Sool region. The people of Sool have faith that they will defeat and teach a unforgettable lessons to invaders and aggressors. Ado kale waxaa la odhan jidhey, xaniinyo aan kugo ol baad ku dharatey.... waxaa ila haboonaatay in aan kaa aamusu

Originally posted by Jaylaani: Have you ever wonder why this mullah was in Somaliland in the first place? Isn’t like he was from there nor was he representing or fighting for ALL Somalis in general. The question remains why Somaliland and the British? He could have done the same thing in Ethiopia (his own people) or Somalis under the Italian rule that were more oppressed if he was sincere. The mad Mullah was the first WAR LORD in the history of the Somalis. He killed a lot of innocent Somali people (read his poetry). He had a hidden agenda in promoting and spreading the dominance of one particular tripe and yes Somaliland citizens saw it and rejected his twisted political strategy. He was never embraced in Somali history books before Siyad Barre came to power…I wonder why? The British never bombed my homes or raped my women (evidence: there were never little half British b.a.stards in the history of Somaliland). Please stop the cheap argument of dividing the nation. What nation would that be. If you're talking about the illusion Somaliweyn concept, I created that and embraced it with all my heart and you killed it and raped it ina daylight. Come up with something constructive and act like HUMAN than maybe we can have that conversation one day. Until then you have no plat form to speak of so stop boring me with your pathetic self promoted history. You’re talking about Somaliland in the same argument you’re subtracting Sool region from the equation. Maa anigaa waalan waalan mise LA LA Land ayaad ka heesaysaa. Sool is the most undeveloped region in Somaliland. I wonder why? You should use Awdal as motivation factor, build your region and get with the program. Somaliland will be recognized sooner than later and yes Sool will be included. Runtii waxaa nasiib darro ah...oo ah wax laga murugoodo in aad aaminsantahay waxaa kor ku qoran, oo sheegayain la kala qeybiyo dadka walalaha ah ee somaaliyeed, in la khasbo reer sool xitaa hadii dagaal tagtu, in aan la khasbin reer woqooyi galbeed oo loo ogolaadu waxa ey rabaan xi taa hadey rabaan inay ayago dadka kale khasbaan (BIG HYPOCRISY), waxaa taa ka daran in aad rabtid in la soo nooleeyo taariikh dii madoobeed oo gumeysiga uu ka tagay waxaas oo dhan waa arrimo muruge leh oo aad looga xumaadu the sad thing is that there is some somali people (not Foreigners )want to divide the brotherly somali people who share everything language, religion, culture, history,etc it is an unacceptable to force people of sool to join so-called somaliland I have a great respect for the peaceful and highly educated people of Awdal, unfortunately some people took advantage of the civilized tradition of the people of Awdal. Awdal people deserve to be respected, in fact majority of Awdal population supports the unity and the brotherhood of all somali people. But because of the circumstances and geographic realities people of Awdal decided to keeping a low profile. Walaal waa wax aad u fiican in runta la isu sheego, waxaana xun in beenta la isu sheego si xaqiiqda loo gaaro in runta laga war wareegin As wadani Somali from Sool regoin (North Central Somalia) , I want to be co-citizen with every single Somali who believes unity and the brotherhood of all Somali people regardless of tribal affiliation or former colonial masters I don't care about clan X, Y or Z or this Somali region was colonized by former European master A , B or C. Somali is a Somali period.

Originally posted by Jaylaani: Sool is the most undeveloped region in Somaliland. I wonder why? You should use Awdal as motivation factor, build your region and get with the program. Somaliland will be recognized sooner than later and yes Sool will be included. Your statements are only reflecting a clan secessionists bias and hate filled views, and not the facts on the ground, I don’t think that Sool is less developed comparing with other Somali regions, Sool region has everything that Somali region could have Awdal region is a Somali region completely occupied by invaders who to create a simply clan-state. The people of Awdal surrendered to aggressors However, Sool is different case, Presently Sool regoen is in state of war because of the aggression and the war that Somaliland (a clan faction) is waging against Sool region. The people of Sool have faith that they will defeat and teach a unforgettable lessons to invaders and aggressors. Horumarka iyo wax dhisada wey iska imaanasaa waayo waa natural, lakiin waxaa ka horeeya nabada iyo amaan la isi siiyo, cid kastana amaan lagu siiyo guryahooda. Reer Sool waa dad taariikh wanaagsan ku leh ummada soomaaliyeed, halgan badan ayeey u soo galeen xoriyadii iyo midnamadii Somalia, hadana marka la eego xaalada adage y ku jirtu ummada somaaliyeed, reer sool waxey dhabr u riteen inay ilaaliyaan midnimada soomaliyeed ayada oo cidna la khasbeen Reer Sool Qaran ee naf iyo maal ba u hureen kuma dhaafsanayaan arrin reer kale u gaar ah oo ku salaysan gumeysi wax laga xigtay. It is 15 years since the clan faction in Hergeysa unitarily declared independent Somaliland, and no country is still ready even to consider the clan agenda! In 21 century, the world is going through globalization process, meaning continents are uniting not countries are disintegrating into clan feithdoms,. Whether you like it or not, the international communities don’t want to recognize so-called Somaliland, because International community is clearly aware that if Somalia is divisible, Somaliland is as well divisible, and they don’t know where the process will stop, hence they prefer not to recognize anyone, because granting recognition to one Somali tribe is a dangerous precedence.

Originally posted by Jaylaani: It was my mistake to respond to primitive savage undeveloped minds. What the F.uck is Riyaale get to do with what happened 100 yrs a go? All of you Somaliland and Riyaale haters..., Saaxiib hawshaasi waa hawl reer Somaliland u taale ee adigu inaad dantaada ka talisaa miyaanay kula haboonayn. P.S. Please stop the cheap argument of dividing the nation. What nation would that be. If you're talking about the illusion Somaliweyn concept, I created that and embraced it with all my heart and you killed it and raped it ina daylight. Come up with something constructive and act like HUMAN than maybe we can have that conversation one day. Until then you have no plat form to speak of so stop boring me with your pathetic self promoted history. As long as your warlord Riyaale and Somaliland are threat and waging war against Sool Region, Somaliland will have trouble with its neighbours( to colonize people is impossible mission in 21 century) saaxib waa somaliland cida faduuliga ah ee duulan ku ah jaarka dantoodana garaneen. anigu walaalaha woqooyigalbeed waxaan la rabaa iney la midoobaan waxna la qaybsadaan walaalahood sooomaaliyeed taasa ini ila haboon, haday gartaan inay gooni uga baxaan walaalahood soomaaliyeed go'aana, anuu waxaan qabaa in la khasbin oo lagu ixtiraamo waxa ey gartaan, hadii ey ayana amaan siiyaan oo ixtiraam rabitaanka shacabka sool sanaag iyo cayn ey rabaan inay mid a haadaan somalia, waxna laqabsadaan walaalaha soomaaliyeed ee aaminsan midnimada ummada soomaaliyeed. Note; Please, I think you should stop the meaningless theory of utopia (clan-state of british slaves dominated by one clan ). If you're talking about the dream of clan supremecy ideology mixed with british allegiance. I think You should act like human being and come up with healthy discussion that is based on logic, brotherhood, and unity, or mind your business and leave people alone, because no one in NorthCentral Somalia (Sool sanaag cayn) appreciates the idea of northwestern Secessionists - one clan dominated feithdom (meaning former british Somaliland colony)

Yemeni Landmark Deal: The Beginning of the End of Somalia's Warlords Djibouti (HAN) January 18, 2006 - Earlier, Mr Abdulahi Yusuf's main USC rivals accepted his victory, after he was declared winner last year, with 99.9% of the USC Warlords vote during the Nairobi Peace talks. The leader of Somali,Mr. Abdulahi Yusuf was congratulated on Tuesday by Kenyan President Kibaki and other regional IGAD leaders, fresh from his own political victory during Aden summit. Kibaki said, Somalia was "a beacon of hope in a troubled region of the Horn of Africa, and an example to other African countries working to realize the promise of understanding and to built a working relationship among the leaders to gain freedom, peace and trustship for regional stability". Acknowledging his victory for the first time on Tuesday in Nairobi on his way to Kuwait, Mr Abdulahi yusuf said: "My countrymen and women in Somalia, thank you for the trust you have put in me." "I hope I will fulfill the promises that I have done to you to stabilize Somali within 2 years." He went on to say the warlords and private militia in Southern Somalia who flourished during decades of conflict in Somalia would find things harder now. "There will not be any private militia forces," he said. Mohammed Qanyare Affrah Qanyare, one of the dreaded Somali warlords, accuses President Yusuf of amassing troops at Jowhar, a tiny centre north of Mogadishu where Yusuf’s government has been operating from since it relocated from Nairobi in May.. Abdulkadir Khalif is freelance journalist based in Mogadishu. Opinion: Can you imagine Somalia's Transitional Federal President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, hugging the Speaker of Somalia's Transitional Federal Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, an unlikely event only a week ago. It happened, however, in early January when the two top officials met in Sana, Yemen, following an invitation from Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Salah. What surprised many and delighted others was the speed at which the two Somali politicians sorted out their differences, moved to the coastal city of Aden and concluded a landmark deal - it all took just three days. They stayed in the same hotel, dined together and at all times maintained the most cordial relations, in stark contrast to the bitter words they had been exchanging ever since they were respectively elected head of state and Speaker of the House. To many Somalis, it was an unexpected Idd-el-Adha gift because when the two men met in Yemen mid last year, they agreed to disagree on every national issue they discussed, between the so-called Ministers in Mogadishu Group led by the speaker and the main government body that opted to make Jowhar town, 90 km north of the capital, the temporary base of the government. JUST THREE days after the signing on January 5 of the now popular Aden Agreement, the residents of a neighbourhood in Mogadishu decided to confront an armed group that had established a roadblock at Adan Adde junction in Wardhighley district. Youngsters from the area volunteered to challenge the dozen men who were demanding leejo, an unlawful payment, from passing vehicles at gunpoint. The confrontation between the volunteer youngsters and the armed group took place on January 7; it marked the first time communities in Mogadishu had opted to challenge the city's heavily armed militias. For days afterwards, many city dwellers were visiting the area to confirm for themselves that the area was truly free from armed groups. ON JANUARY 6, a roadblock was re installed at Bakara crossroads, a strategic section of the heavily used Wadnaha Street. A group of armed militia claiming to be loyal to the Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, manned the roadblock, demanding leejo. The public reaction was one of outrage, as people could not believe that someone claiming to be a government minister could allow armed youth to harass people, especially motorists and their passengers. The "Minister in Mogadishu" did not issue a statement disassociating himself from the youngsters' acts, further infuriating the city's residents. In Karan district, a stronghold of Al-Hajji Muse Sudi Yalahow, the Minister of Commerce, the situation is even worse. There are armed youth everywhere and gunfire is frequent, giving the lie to the minister's claim that he would make the city completely free from violence. The growing expression of opposition to warlords in Mogadishu is an obvious reaction to their obstruction of the president and the prime minister. Their promises to disarm their forces have not materialised and the militia they assembled at two camps outside the capital have long been disbanded. The "Ministers in Mogadishu" promised to set up an administration for the capital, despite being warned against doing something they where not mandated for, because the premier and his executive Cabinet were not involved. They set up a 64-member council in December 2005, but the warlords now appear to be unhappy with the city council whose formation they masterminded. City residents are little sure that the new council is going to be effective because its architects are already squabbling over how to control it. Each warlord wanted to have influence over the council, but local assembly members have begun to follow more independent lines. The "Ministers in Mogadishu" know that their failure to control the council they initiated is likely to cost them a lot of political capital. Soon after the formation of the TFG in Nairobi, the tsunami hit the Somali coast. No real state response took place since an internal rift immediately paralysed the new governmnt. SECURITY IN Somalia, especially in Mogadishu, has never been assured as disarmament plans were not allowed to be implemented. Igadsom, a mission to deploy forces from the Igad states to help the disarmament of the armed groups in the country, was made impossible by the "Ministers in Mogadishu" causing a hullabaloo about foreign intervention. Abdulkadir Khalif is freelance journalist based in Mogadishu ANALYSIS Contributed to Geeska Afrika Online By: Abdulkadir Khalif,

Lander, You don't need to worry about the future and what will happen in 30 years, presently in somalia there is people who glorify warlords like Riyaale in northwest somalia, who only want to divide somali people

Abul Gheit welcomes Somali accord posted: January 17, 2006 Cairo, Jan. 17, (BNA) Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, welcomed the agreement recently signed in Adan by Somali President, Abdulla Yousif, and the Chairman of Somali Federation Parliament, describing the accord as "a right step on the right path towards national reconciliation". In a statement transmitted by the Middle East News Agency (MENA) today, the Egyptian Minister hoped the efforts aiming at comprehensive reconciliation would succeed to turn the country into normalcy and enable interim government's institutions to be active to serve the common interest of all Somalis. Meantime, Abul Gheit appreciated in his statement the role played by Yemeni President Ali Abdulla Saleh in narrowing the gap in viewpoints among the conflicting Somali sides.

US Diplomat Praises Yemen for Somali Peace Deal By Observer Staff Jan 17, 2006, 20:02 SANA'A – The US ambassador to Yemen has praised Yemen’s efforts in reconciling the varied Somali factions during a meeting with Foreign Minister Abu Baker al-Qerbi. In the meeting the US diplomat Thomas Krajeski discussed means of increasing links between the countries, Saba news reported. They also discussed regional and international developments, especially issue relating to the troubled country of Somalia. Al-Qerbi confirmed Yemen's intention to work hard in order to settle security and stability in southern Somalia, calling for international support for the current Somali government.

US Diplomat Praises Yemen for Somali Peace Deal By Observer Staff Jan 17, 2006, 20:02 SANA'A – The US ambassador to Yemen has praised Yemen’s efforts in reconciling the varied Somali factions during a meeting with Foreign Minister Abu Baker al-Qerbi. In the meeting the US diplomat Thomas Krajeski discussed means of increasing links between the countries, Saba news reported. They also discussed regional and international developments, especially issue relating to the troubled country of Somalia. Al-Qerbi confirmed Yemen's intention to work hard in order to settle security and stability in southern Somalia, calling for international support for the current Somali government.

Aden Agreement could signal end of Somalia's warlord era By ABDULKADIR KHALIF - khalifos@hotmail.com Can you imagine Somalia’s Transitional Federal President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, hugging the Speaker of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, an unlikely event only a week ago. It happened, however, in early January when the two top officials met in Sana, Yemen, following an invitation from Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Salah. What surprised many and delighted others was the speed at which the two Somali politicians sorted out their differences, moved to the coastal city of Aden and concluded a landmark deal – it all took just three days. They stayed in the same hotel, dined together and at all times maintained the most cordial relations, in stark contrast to the bitter words they had been exchanging ever since they were respectively elected head of state and Speaker of the House. To many Somalis, it was an unexpected Idd-el-Adha gift because when the two men met in Yemen mid last year, they agreed to disagree on every national issue they discussed, between the so-called Ministers in Mogadishu Group led by the speaker and the main government body that opted to make Jowhar town, 90 km north of the capital, the temporary base of the government. JUST THREE days after the signing on January 5 of the now popular Aden Agreement, the residents of a neighbourhood in Mogadishu decided to confront an armed group that had established a roadblock at Adan Adde junction in Wardhighley district. Youngsters from the area volunteered to challenge the dozen men who were demanding leejo, an unlawful payment, from passing vehicles at gunpoint. The confrontation between the volunteer youngsters and the armed group took place on January 7; it marked the first time communities in Mogadishu had opted to challenge the city's heavily armed militias. For days afterwards, many city dwellers were visiting the area to confirm for themselves that the area was truly free from armed groups. ON JANUARY 6, a roadblock was re installed at Bakara crossroads, a strategic section of the heavily used Wadnaha Street. A group of armed militia claiming to be loyal to the Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, manned the roadblock, demanding leejo. The public reaction was one of outrage, as people could not believe that someone claiming to be a government minister could allow armed youth to harass people, especially motorists and their passengers. The "Minister in Mogadishu" did not issue a statement disassociating himself from the youngsters’ acts, further infuriating the city’s residents. In Karan district, a stronghold of Al-Hajji Muse Sudi Yalahow, the Minister of Commerce, the situation is even worse. There are armed youth everywhere and gunfire is frequent, giving the lie to the minister's claim that he would make the city completely free from violence. The growing expression of opposition to warlords in Mogadishu is an obvious reaction to their obstruction of the president and the prime minister. Their promises to disarm their forces have not materialised and the militia they assembled at two camps outside the capital have long been disbanded. The "Ministers in Mogadishu" promised to set up an administration for the capital, despite being warned against doing something they where not mandated for, because the premier and his executive Cabinet were not involved. They set up a 64-member council in December 2005, but the warlords now appear to be unhappy with the city council whose formation they masterminded. City residents are little sure that the new council is going to be effective because its architects are already squabbling over how to control it. Each warlord wanted to have influence over the council, but local assembly members have begun to follow more independent lines. The "Ministers in Mogadishu" know that their failure to control the council they initiated is likely to cost them a lot of political capital. Soon after the formation of the TFG in Nairobi, the tsunami hit the Somali coast. No real state response took place since an internal rift immediately paralysed the new governmnt. SECURITY IN Somalia, especially in Mogadishu, has never been assured as disarmament plans were not allowed to be implemented. Igadsom, a mission to deploy forces from the Igad states to help the disarmament of the armed groups in the country, was made impossible by the "Ministers in Mogadishu" causing a hullabaloo about foreign intervention.

Originally posted by Mansa Munsa: quote: I remember them bombing a warlord and his thugs in their hideouts. Suldaanka, how about if I go ahead and say that Siyad Barre bombarded Hargeisa because it became the home of SNM thugs and their hideouts. I am sure it would have caused some chemical imbalances in your brain but I've a good news for you, CAN WE GET ALONE?, mise seefahaynu isula baxnaa oo eegnaa ninkii reerka u hadha! Well said Mansa Originally posted by Mansa Munsa: quote: I remember them bombing a warlord and his thugs in their hideouts. Suldaanka, how about if I go ahead and say that Siyad Barre bombarded Hargeisa because it became the home of SNM thugs and their hideouts. I am sure it would have caused some chemical imbalances in your brain but I've a good news for you, CAN WE GET ALONE?, mise seefahaynu isula baxnaa oo eegnaa ninkii reerka u hadha! Well said Mansa The Sayid is unquestionably one of the greatest somali heroes, leadesrs ever somali race produced, his national liberation movement was very sophisticated and brave, Taleeh- became The first African town suffered ariel bombardment. Labada mid uun bey noqon in la hishiiyo(ama hana qoto in wax la isku darsadu ama in aankaa laka la maro), ta labaad waa in la isku dhacaa oo seyfahu dhameeyaan arrinka. ama caqli haa lagu kala baxo ama seyf(ama qori).

Ruunkinet Guddoomiye Shariif oo maanta laga sugayo magaalada Nayroobi, madaxweyne Yuusuf oo ciidda ka dib immaanaya magaalada Jowhar iyo xildhibaannada kala ah Muuse Suudi iyo Qanyare oo la sheegay in ay abaabulayaan baannaan bax looga soo horjeedo heshiiskii lagu kala saxiixday magaalada Sanca. Ruunkinet 09/01/06 (Click) Dowladda Talyaaniga oo casumaad u fidisay madaxweynaha iyo guddoomiyaha baarlamaanka Soomaaliya iyo warar kale. Ruunkinet 08/01/06 (Click) Shariif Xasan oo la filayo in uu berri oo Axad ah yimaado Nayroobi iyo magaalada Baydhabo oo u muuqatay ay golaha baarlamaanka ku kulmi doonaan 30 casho gudohooda. Ruunkinet 07/01/06 (Click)

President's Remarks at U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C. President's Remarks view In Focus: Education 3:50 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Madam Secretary, it's your building, you can give my speech, if you want to. (Laughter.) But first, our nation sends our deepest sympathies to Ariel Sharon. He lies immobilized in an Israeli hospital. We pray for his recovery. He's a good man, a strong man, a man who cared deeply about the security of the Israeli people and a man who had a vision for peace. May God bless him. Madam Secretary, thanks for having me. I'm here to let the good folks know here how strongly I support the national security language initiative. I've had a little problem with the language in the past, so -- (laughter.) If you've got room in the initiative for me, let me know. (Laughter.) Condi said, come on by, we've got a bunch of university presidents here. And I said, great, just so long as we don't have to compare transcripts. (Laughter.) She's the Ph.D., I'm the President. (Laughter and applause.) She's a heck of a Secretary of State, though. And Don Rumsfeld is a heck of a Secretary of the Defense, and I want to thank you both for joining together on this initiative. It's interesting, isn't it, that the State Department and the Defense Department are sponsoring a language initiative. It says something about the world we live in. I felt certain that the Secretary of Education would be here. After all, we're talking about education. And I want to thank you for being here, Margaret. But I also find it's interesting you're sitting next to John Negroponte, who is the Director of National Intelligence. In other words, this initiative is a broad-gauged initiative that deals with the defense of the country, the diplomacy of the country, the intelligence to defend our country, and the education of our people. And it's an important initiative, and I'm going to tell you why in a second. But thank you for joining your -- together to make this happen. I want to thank Deputy Secretary of State Bob Zoellick, and I want to thank the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Lugar from Indiana. Senator Pat Roberts from Kansas is with us. I think you'll find this interesting: He has promoted the advanced study of foreign languages through the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program. Thanks for doing that. And I want to thank Congressman Rush Holt for being here, as well. Thank you for coming, Rush. Thanks for taking time. I appreciate all the Ambassadors who are here. I'm scanning the room. I see a few familiar faces, and thanks for serving. What the heck are you doing here? Like, you're supposed to be -- (laughter.) The deal was overseas. (Laughter.) We're living in extraordinary times. I wish I could report to you the war on terror was over. It's not. There is still an enemy that lurks, that wants to hurt us. I hate to report that to the American people, but my duty is to lay it out as plainly as I possibly can. And that's the truth. And so the fundamental question is, how do we win? What do we do? Well, in the short-term, our strategy is to find them and bring them to justice before they hurt us. In other words, we've got to stay on the offense. We've got to be unyielding and never give them a, you know, a breath of fresh air, never give them a hope that they can succeed. It's the only way to do it. We must defeat them in foreign battlefields so they don't strike us here at home. And that's one of the reasons why the Secretary of Defense is here. He wants his young soldiers who are the front lines of finding these killers to be able to speak their language and be able to listen to the people in the communities in which they live. That makes sense, doesn't it, to have a language-proficient military -- to have people that go into the far reaches of this world and be able to communicate in the villages and towns and rural areas and urban centers, to protect the American people. We need intelligence officers who, when somebody says something in Arabic or Farsi or Urdu knows what they're talking about. That's what we need. We need diplomats -- when we send them out to help us convince governments that we've got to join together and fight these terrorists who want to destroy life and promote an ideology that is so backwards it's hard to believe. These diplomats need to speak that language. So our short-term strategy is to stay on the offense, and we've got to give our troops, our intelligence officers, our diplomats all the tools necessary to succeed. That's what people in this country expect of our government. They expect us to be wise about how we use our resources, and a good use of resources is to promote this language initiative in K through 12, in our universities. And a good use of resources is to encourage foreign language speakers from important regions of the world to come here and teach us how to speak their language. You're going to hear a lot about the specifics of the program. What I'm trying to suggest to you that this program is a part of a strategic goal, and that is to protect this country in the short-term and protect it in the long-term by spreading freedom. We're facing an ideological struggle, and we're going to win. Our ideology is a heck of a lot more hopeful than theirs. You can't have an ideology that works if you say to half the population in a part of the world, you have no rights. You can't say to a group of people, my ideology is better than freedom, and if you speak out you're going to get -- you'll be tortured. You see, freedom is the ideology that wins. We got to have confidence in that as we go out. But you can't win in the long run for democracy unless you've got the capacity to help spread democracy. You see, we got to convince people of the benefits of a free society. I believe everybody desires to be free. But I also know people need to be convincing -- convinced -- I told you I needed to go to language school. (Laughter.) And you can't convince people unless you can talk to them. And I'm not talking to them right now directly; I'm talking through an interpreter on some of these Arabic TV stations. But we need people in America who can go and say to people, living in freedom is not the American way of life, it is a universal way of life. We're not saying your democracy has to be like yours. We're just saying give your people a chance to live in a free society; give women a chance to live freely; give young girls a chance to be educated and realize their full potential. And the best way to do that is to have those of us who understand freedom be able to communicate in the language of the people we're trying to help. In order to convince people we care about them, we've got to understand their culture and show them we care about their culture. When somebody comes to me and speaks Texan, I know they appreciate the Texas culture. (Laughter.) I mean, somebody takes time to figure out how to speak Arabic, it means they're interested in somebody else's culture. Learning a language -- somebody else's language is a kind gesture. It's a gesture of interest. It really is a fundamental way to reach out to somebody and say, I care about you. I want you to know that I'm interested in not only how you talk but how you live. In order for this country to be able to convince others, people have got to be able to see our true worth in our heart. And when Americans learn to speak a language, learn to speak Arabic, those in the Arabic region will say, gosh, America is interested in us. They care enough to learn how we speak. One of the great programs we've got here in America in terms of people understanding how we think and how we act is these scholarships we provide to our universities. I know this isn't the topic the Secretary assigned me to talk about, but it's one I'm going to talk about anyway. We want young kids from around the world coming to our universities. It's in our national interest that we solve visa issues and make sure that -- (applause.) We have been calibrating the proper balance after September the 11th, and I fully understand some of your frustrations, particularly when you say the balance wasn't actually calibrated well. But we're going to get it right, because the more youngsters who come to America to get educated, the more likely it is people in the world will understand the true nature of America. You can't figure out America when you're looking on some of these TV stations -- you just can't -- particularly given the message that they spread. Arabic TV does not do our country justice. They put out some kind -- sometimes put out propaganda that just is -- just isn't right, it isn't fair, and it doesn't give people the impression of what we're about. You bring somebody here to college, it doesn't matter what's on TV, they see firsthand the compassion of the United States of America. They get to see firsthand that we don't discriminate based upon religion. They get to see firsthand the multicultural society in which we live, all united under the fabric of freedom. That's what they get to see. And so I'm working with Condi, and she's working with others, to work with you, to make sure these youngsters are able to come to our universities. I'll tell you what's really neat, is to sit down with leaders from around the world, welcome them in the Oval Office or go to their office, they say, you know, Mr. President, I went to Texas A&M, or I went to Stanford -- like President Toledo of Peru. I mean, it is -- it makes it so much easier to conduct foreign policy and diplomacy when you've got that common ground of being able to talk about a university experience here in the United States. It makes it so much easier to be able to advance the interests of this country when you're dealing with a leader who doesn't have a preconceived notion about what America is all about, because he spent time studying here in the United States. We're going to teach our kids how to speak important languages. We'll welcome teachers here to help teach our kids how to speak languages. But we're also going to advance America's interests around the world and defeat this notion about our -- you know, our bullying concept of freedom by letting people see what we're about. Let them see firsthand the decency of this country. And so, Madam Secretary, in front of these presidents, you and I vow that we'll find that proper balance between security and letting people come to our universities for the good of this country. I -- there is no doubt in my mind we will win the war on terror. There's no doubt in my mind that Afghanistan will remain a democracy and serve as an incredible example. For those of you in education, you might remember this was a country that refused to educate young girls. And now, young girls in most of Afghanistan are going to school. Iraq -- we'll succeed in Iraq. It's tough. And the reason it's tough is because a handful of killers wants to stop the advance of freedom for a reason. Democracy in the heart of the Middle East is a major defeat to their ideology and their ambitions. And it's hard work. What you're seeing on your TV screen is hard work. But we've done, as Condi said, hard work before. We have defeated fascism in the past. We defeated communism in the past. And we will defeat this ideology of hatred. But it's going to take all the tools at our disposal. One of the stories I like to share with people is this. I -- one of my best buddies in international politics is Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. He's an interesting person. Elvis was his favorite singer, for example. (Laughter.) Every time I meet with him, it strikes me as an amazing fact of history that Number 41, President 41, at age 18 fought the Japanese, and 43, his son, is sitting down with the Prime Minister working on keeping the peace. It's amazing to me. And something happened between 41 going into combat and 43 talking to the Prime Minister whether it be about troops in Iraq to help this young democracy flourish in the heart of the Middle East, or whether it be dealing with the leader of North Korea who is starving his people to death, and how do we solve that? What do we do about it? And what happened was that the Japanese adopted a Japanese-style democracy. It wasn't an American-style democracy; it was Japanese-style democracy. And that society, that form of government was able to convert an enemy to an ally. And that's what's happening. I live it when I talk to the Prime Minister. I see it firsthand. It's a real part of my family's life. Someday, an American President is going to sit down and thank this generation for having the willpower and the determination to see to it that democracy has a chance to flourish in a part of the world that is desperate for democracy. Someday somebody is going to say -- (applause) -- somebody someday will say we're able to more likely keep the peace because this generation of Americans had confidence in our capacity to work with others to spread freedom. And that's what we're facing today, and the stakes are high. It's an exciting time to be here in Washington, D.C. It's a fantastic opportunity to serve our country. And I want to thank those of you who are serving it in government. And I want to thank those of you who serve it through higher education. There's no greater gift to give a child than the chance to succeed and realize his or her dreams. And you're doing that. Appreciate you giving me a chance to come by and tell you what's on my mind. My God bless our country. (Applause.) END 4:00 P.M. EST

Tomorrow's homework: reading, writing, and Arabic Bush announces language training against terrorism By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff | January 6, 2006 WASHINGTON -- President Bush announced a new initiative that will begin teaching Arabic and other ''critical need" languages to American students -- some as young as kindergarteners -- so they can eventually help the US government win the long-term struggle against terrorism. Article Tools Printer friendly E-mail to a friend Nation RSS feed Available RSS feeds Most e-mailed Reprints/permissions More: Globe Nation stories | Latest national news | Globe front page | Boston.com Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts ''We're living in extraordinary times," Bush said in a speech that signaled his desire to see schools and universities play a greater role in the war against Islamic extremism. ''I wish I could report to you the war on terror was over. It's not." Speaking at the State Department, Bush told an audience of about 70 university professors that the program could help the United States gain vital intelligence for the ongoing war, as well as improve the country's image abroad and help spread democracy throughout the world. The program, called the National Security Language Initiative, will expand existing government-supported programs for language study and establish new programs -- dubbed Director of National Intelligence ''feeder programs" -- at elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges. Those new programs would provide training in languages such as Arabic, Urdu, and Farsi to 400 students and 400 teachers in 2007 and up to 3,000 of each by 2011. The president spoke at the start of a two-day meeting of university presidents invited by the State Department in part to discuss how universities can help further national security interests and help improve the country's image abroad. Bush plans to ask Congress for $114 million to fund the program in 2007; $24 million would go toward federal grants to teach ''critical need" languages -- including Arabic, Chinese, and Hindi -- from kindergarten through high school under the Department of Education's Foreign Language Assistance Program, and $13.2 million would go to expanding a program whose aim is to produce 2,000 advanced speakers of those languages. The initiative will increase the pool of scholarships available for students to study foreign languages abroad, create a State Department-sponsored language immersion summer program, and beef up the US Fulbright scholarship program's language component. Underscoring the importance of the program, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte -- who oversees the CIA and the FBI -- were in the audience, seated among the university presidents during Bush's speech. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice co-hosted. Bush said the new language-training initiative is vital to long-term US military and intelligence operations. He said Rumsfeld ''wants his young soldiers, who are on the front lines of finding these killers, to be able to speak their language and be able to listen to the people in the communities in which they live." ''We need intelligence officers who when somebody says something in Arabic or Farsi or Urdu, knows what they're talking about," Bush said. Rice told the audience that the initiative is similar to US government-funded programs during the Cold War, when she learned Russian and became a noted Sovietologist. ''I was one of those young people who fell in love with the study of the Soviet Union and of Russia, but I was also told that it was a patriotic and good thing to do for my country," Rice said. ''This country made a huge intellectual investment in winning the Cold War. In universities across the country, people studied the cultures and the languages of Eastern Europe and of Asia and of places that we had not known before World War II." Only two presidents from Massachusetts universities came to the summit: from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A spokesman for Harvard University's president, Lawrence H. Summers, said he had been invited but could not attend. UMass Chancellor John V. Lombardi, lauded Bush's speech and said Amherst had been a ''big participant" in language programs during the Cold War and is eager to participate again. ''Now we need to do it for the next generation," he said. But Boston College law professor Kent Greenfield, who heads an organization that sued Rumsfeld over military recruiting on campus, said universities must be careful not to be co-opted by the government's agenda. ''I think the Cold War is instructive," he said. ''During the 1950s and the McCarthy era, what really hurt America at that time was the absence of independent voices and skepticism. It is not un-American to be skeptical, to be independent of the government." In his off-the-cuff remarks, Bush called for a deeper knowledge of languages that can help American diplomats persuade the rest of the world to become democracies, which would mean the end of terrorism. But it was the president's promise to fix the problem of foreign students being denied visas -- a major issue since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- that brought him sustained applause from the university presidents. © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

Kenyan peacemaker sets up conflict resolution foundation Kenyan peacemaker Kalonzo Musyoka, who mediated the Sudan and Somalia peace talks for nearly 10 years, has formed a foundation to foster conflict mediation and the fight for democratic ideals in Africa. Kalonzo was excluded from the new look President Mwai Kibaki cabinet late last year after spearheading campaigns for the rejection of a proposed constitution, which would have drastically increased presidential powers. He led the Sudan peace process to its conclusion and oversaw the election and swearing-in of the new Somali administration before he was transferred to the Environment Ministry. "I have decided to form this (Kalonzo Musyoka) foundation because of the deep feelings I had serving as foreign minister. The painful reality of conflicts in Africa made me want to work for peace. The need to fight poverty and famine is not new to me," Kalonzo said during the launch. The Musyoka Foundation is closely allied in ideals to the Moi Africa Foundation, formed by former president Daniel arap Moi, who spent most of his 24 years as a peacemaker in the Great Lakes region, reconciling warring factions in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Speaking during the launch of the Musyoka Foundation in Nairobi at the weekend, Somali peace process chief mediator ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat said he was pleased with latest efforts by Yemeni leader Ali Abdalla Saleh to foster peace among Somali rivals. Somali leaders agreed to cease internal wrangles among themselves at a meeting in Aden, Yemen on January 4, saying their "selfish and fruitless squabbles" was not helpful to establish a central authority in the Horn of Africa nation. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf and Speaker of Parliament Sheik Aden Mohammed agreed to convene the first ordinary parliamentary sitting inside Somalia, the first of its kind since the 275-member interim legislative council left Nairobi in June 2005. "I was pleased to hear that the two leaders have agreed to work together," Kiplagat said during the ceremony in Nairobi to launch the peace and democracy foundation. The Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation would be funded by contributions from individuals and a board of directors, including Kenyans in the Diaspora would be formed to manage to contributions in a not- for-profit manner. "The foundation has both long term and short term objectives. In the proper order of time, we expect to have contributed to a stable and peaceful society. We expect to make an indelible mark in building a society which is harmonious and wholesome," Musyoka said. He said the foundation would contribute to conflict resolution in the Horn of Africa region and beyond while making progress in building up proper governance ideals whenever its services may be required. Source: Xinhua

To grant citizenship for aliens or not to: Govt should rethink By Dann Okoth and Maore ithula Soon after independence, many African states were hit by a wave of civil wars and for the Great Lakes region, Kenya was a natural regional refuge or safe passage for a few fallen leaders. Many of their (deposed leaders’) lieutenants and thousands of subdued rebels sought political asylum and remained in the country for decades. A substantial number has since acquired citizenship legally or through unorthodox means. Many refugees residing in the country are now keen on acquiring Kenyan passports, it has emerged. The rush to become Kenyan citizens is partly due to the fact that many of the refugees have stayed in the country for a long time and integrated into the Kenyan society. "There are thousands of Somali children who were born and brought up in Kenya and who do not even speak their own language," says Hassan Abdi Ali Noor, a refugee residing in Nairobi. Hassan, who has himself acquired a Kenyan ID, says many refugees feel part and parcel of the Kenyan society after staying here for a long time. However, how the refugees acquire citizen status is another matter all together. Some have become citizens by birth, marriage or naturalization in the years since conflict drove them to Kenya. Others have done it by subverting the law. An impeccable source told The Big Issue that some refugees who are eager to become Kenyan citizens buy IDs from compromised Immigration officials for up to Sh40,000. The process is, however, easier for Somali refugees who grew up in the country because there is no way of telling whether they are Kenyans because they resemble other Kenyan communities living in North Eastern Province. "The biggest task for the prospective applicants, however, is to prove beyond any doubts that they trace their ancestry to Kenya," says Mohammed Obed, a 20-year-old Somali refugee who now claims he owns a Kenyan passport. The underlining factor is that some refugees do not seem ready to go home yet, even though their troubled countries have somewhat regained a measure of peace and stability. Official recognition of the refugees and a chance to let them participate in economic activities as stipulated in the pending Refugees Bill would probably help in addressing the situation. That these people have a direct role in the stability and growth of the economy cannot be gainsaid. It is, therefore, possible to predict what lurks for Kenya’s economy as political normalcy takes root in these ever troubled countries. Steven Muathe, a Nairobi-based business research consultant and former research lecturer at the United States International University says the economy will lose billions of shillings every year if every refugee who is economically active returns to their home countries. "It is obvious that during any civil strife, only the rich can make it to safety in foreign lands," he says. "Such people have been in our midst for many years. They are a community with immense wealth and connections across the globe — a potential that is an envy of any developed or developing economy. Their investments in the economy are indeed employing thousands of Kenyans who would otherwise remain jobless. And many others are involved in export and import businesses earning the economy foreign exchange and providing cheaper goods and services," says the researcher. "When their respective countries have stabilized politically," he continues, "these people will be needed to help in the reconstruction of their (refugees’) economies. And when this happens, the opposite will happen to Kenya unless some checks and balances are put in place beforehand. For instance, the Kenya government should allow these people to acquire a local citizenship whether or not they want to revoke their origins." The government should borrow a leaf from the developed world where asylum seekers automatically become citizens if they are in possession of substantial wealth or are valuable professionals, he says. "This helps these governments to tap the full potential of the refugees allowed into of those countries for the good and welfare of the host country," he says. It is worth noting that if we do not receive these people (rich refugees) with open hands, the America government and the European Union cannot think twice when a billionaire presents papers seeking citizenship in their countries." Many Kenyan cities and towns are home to thousands of immigrants from Southern Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. The presence of Rwandese, Burundians, Eritreans and Congolese cannot also be overlooked. Some of the foreigners, of course, have been naturalised after intermarrying with local communities or otherwise