Listen to NPR.."Pro-Israel lobby probed in Pentagon spy care" http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3912376

Here in California we already know who is going to win, thus my vote is not that "critical" as those in Ohio or Florida. :mad: And my favorte (Ralph Nader) candidate is not on the ballet. Whereas, i will still vote.

lol@bool " to me he looks real oromo" ...that is true is not somali, i heared about this dude and he is Ethiopian. Ayuup thanks so much as a big fun of the gunner it is good to see one nomad in it. INSHA ALLAH in the near future we will see him playing

Qurac! Good try SXB canoboodho! As a result Qoxoti of *****ishiekh will suffer . BAD STRATAGEY. what a scare tactic plz try again. That was then this is now we will drink cano gel... By the way, where did you get the "canoboodho" where you dont even have the real cano? :eek: I wounder what would happen if you stop shiping Qat? You know what would happen?.. :mad: scary huh...you guessed it right.. instate of deluding youselves in state of "miraqaanistic" they will think realistically. As we all know, the truth is tough to swallow but that day is not far.

ethiopian 5 region will forever be ethiopia (somalilanders who live their will get citizenship) I am afraid this time you sound like BUSH ON VIAGRA very scary and totally unpatriotic....I wouldnt mind had you been very realistic and said North somali will remain Somalia. I tell you this SXB you will witness sooner rather than later history your master Males Zenawi will be chased bare feet from that part of the region and WE will join union. somaliland will soon be recoginze and become a soverign nation bad joke but laughable indeed not to mention aWISHFUL THINKING i must say, though you have entitle to it since it is free to hallucinate i will respect that.

MASHA'ALLAH Thank you shiekh that was indeed impressive

Layzygirl... Once I heard that he apologized yesterday, I started to smell something fishy... Yes, the statement puzzled me as well. Frankly, I wish she realized all of this before everything became public. I don't think a woman her age with multiple partners or sexually active is that unusual either. From day one everybody including those poor prosecuters know that this girl is lying and inconsistant...The moron already admit that he had commeted an adultary...but he didnt rape her...it was "volunteer" or "consentual" what puzzles me the most is.. the alleged victim is no longer willing to testify. WOOOOW!!! give me a break.. who'd a seen that coming? (sarcasm alert) As it should be, she was one poor girl who sought an attention at the wrong time with wrong person, Kobe was ****** . ****** does not equal being a rapist though.

case dropped by the prosecutors Next news at 11 It was dropped by the prosecutors, with a little caveat - without prejudice, meaning that legally they can try the case again later. Realistically, the prosecutors did that because they are just trying to cover their asses. They know this case was dogsh!t as soon as the evidence came to light. One of them I believe is running for reelection also, so to dismiss the case without that opening would be to admit defeat, and thus admit they were wrong all along. It's also come to light that the prosecutor's may have been witholding some other evidence that would help exonorate Bryant. I wonder if Kobe can countersue the prosecutors now for malicious prosecution, or does that require they go to trial first. I definitely hope he countersues the accuser because I think she's clearly a lying b!tch who was after the money and was willing to see someone toss in the slammer for a rape he wasn't guilty of.

WA YAAB!!!! OK, this is just too much! Can you say "privacy?" As in, "where is our right to it???" Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was...picture and all! Thanks Homeland Security ! Maybe we should start up a petition or something protesting this. What do you think? Go to the web site and check it out. It's unbelievable!!! Just enter your name, City and state to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked "Please Remove". This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement. http://www.license.shorturl.com

I saw this guy playing few years ago and he was good player. I was wondering why he call himself Somalia?

looool@Jamu..What a "scare tactic"!!! good attempted. SXB bear with me for few weeks till she came out and declare it officially @ SOL that we are legally ligitmate couples.

Though it is a hypothetical I thought nominees should be on Somalis from the former Somali Republic...as far as my knowledge is concerned Og-irl is not from there. OG Girl is from Zone five in Ethiopia, so how we can make our prime -minister some one known internationally as a Ethiopian citizen Somaliya somalibaa'iskaleh ..so long one is capable of doing a right job, i dont see a reason why not she be a PM? Remember the great leader Maxamed Syad was born in Ethiopia. Many great scholars born out side somalia as the same time contributed to somalia fully.

Guys! Talk is cheap. I have nothing to hide nor to pretend. I request to all of you to back off from my princess of OG. You all have the right to fantasize but i will ask you to do it in privaate. PPL dont exhibt your dream in public. Anyways, she will tell the truth soon after we end our time. RUDY! We are on our way to south cali..(i.e. Cathalina island) for couple of nights. Trust me you & your girl will be our honerable guest. PEACE

Guys! leave my fiance alone me and her are spending a quality time called "MALAB CANO" or honeymoon @ anonmous resort for "security reason". . Therefore; no time for SOL and its nomad at this moment. By the way, We appreciate your concern but she is fine and enjoying life. Sincerely yours Bachelor and his lover OG_Girl. She says hello to all of ya and missed you as well

Good luck Moti. I hope and pray you won't end up in ADDIS.

Modesty, Not to be the pessimist here, but I fail to see how these few businesses is going to suddenly turn things around for somalia. The country Somalia doesn’t have government thus no law, what you sale and buy is contraband because where there is no law there is no import revenue therefore it is logic that things could be cheaper than the countries where they have Government and law. I agree and you are right Somalia business has been boomng without central government that relied on alternative system for runing the country since it has become failed state. Since there is no taxes and laws control the buisness it easier to offer cheaper services like small industries, and cheap telecoms. One thing is for sure thought, when you dont have a strong central gov. that secure the stablity of the counrty then this kind of Business environment has benefited commerchants for quick wealth and that is way many support for small regional states that pronlongs civil war and somali people sufferings.

This was written by a black guy in Texas.......so funny.....what a great sense of humor! enjoy it..! When I born, I black. When I grow up, I black. When I go in sun, I black. When I cold, I black. When I scared, I black. When I sick, I black. And when I die, I still black. You white folks...... When you born, you pink. When you grow up, you white . When you go in sun, you red . When you cold, you blue . When you scared, you yellow. When you sick, you green . When you bruised, you purple. And when you die, you gray . So who you callin' c ol or ed ??

http://lelombrik.free.fr/LoMBriK/Sublimimal/sayit.swf

Sudan had to be brought to submission for two reasons: one, oil; and second, the water of the Nile. Until now, U.S. firms were excluded from the lucrative oil deals available in Sudan. Total reserves are estimated at 2 billion barrels. The lead actors in Sudan's oil industry are the China National Petroleum Corporation, Petronas from Malaysia, Talisman Energy from Canada, Gulf Petroleum Corporation from Quatar, Ludin Oil from Sweden and the French Total Fina Elf. On July 25, a new investment package of $1.7 billion was signed for the exploration of new oilfields in the South and the construction of a new pipeline to the Red Sea. This time, British and Russian firms were also part of the deal. After the implementation of the Kenya peace treaty, those lucrative oil deals would also be open to U.S. firms. Read more : http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2004/3131sudan.html

Driving a cab is the most dangerous job in America -- but it also lets immigrants move ahead. Is this a great country or what? I found it a very interesting story/experiences specially for those cabie nomadic boys in America read it when you have time. "The girls, I swear, they get more drunk than the guys," he says. "A drunk white woman does whatever she feels -- take off top, try to touch you. They go crazy. She don't know that guy; now he's in her house. I see a lot of women lose their personality and do these crazy things." . . "That was a funny Somalian guy," he explains after the call ends. "One time, I drove some guy for hours. At the end, he get out of the car, didn't pay me but left a large package in the back. I opened it up and looked inside. I didn't know what it was at first, but I read the box: It was a plastic *****! The receipt was still there, so I took it back to the store and got thirty bucks for it. That was the first time I ever got paid like that! So now, every time I talk to this friend, he asks me, 'So, how's that plastic *****?'" http://www.westword.com/issues/2004-07-08/feature.html/1/index.html

Here is for those of you who need some clarification about ONLF. 7/10/2004 4:33 P.M. Chat Forum Commentary & Analysis WHO IS THE O.N.L.F. ?: An Inside Look into The Organization and the Idea. November 25th 2001 (Reposted on March 8, 2004) BACKGROUND The year was 1978. The Horn of Africa had just witnessed the largest mechanized war in Africa since Hitler’s desert Fox, General Rommel rolled his tanks across North Africa. The war was known as the ****** War, and it brought Somalia and Ethiopia to the brink of mutual destruction. Ethiopia, backed by thousands of Cuban troops and Soviet “Advisors” succeeded in ejecting Somali regulars sent into ****** in support of the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) from territory it claimed as it’s owned. Observers at the time point to the fact that what had taken place was a high stakes chess game between the Super Powers in which Somalia and Ethiopia were pawns. At the end of it all, a massive refugee crisis existed and the Somali military, which was no match for Cuban armed troops and their Soviet puppet masters, was in shambles. But beneath this headline was another story. A deeper story. The people of ******, the very ones whom Somalia had sought to liberate and Ethiopia had claimed as it’s own were witnessed the carnage of war on their own territory and suffered the vicious reprisals of Ethiopian troops after the Somali army had withdrawn. The WSLF for its part, continued to wage an armed struggle but political understandings between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu meant that material support from Somalia was dwindling. This support had been the lifeline of the WSLF. As such, it was no surprise that Mogadishu also yielded great influence in the leadership and conduct of the affairs of the WSLF. This fact did not escape some senior members of the WSLF who following the Somali pullout of ******, resented the fact that their struggle’s intensity was largely dictated by Mogadishu. A NEW PHILOSOPHY: THE EARLY YEARS It was this feeling of over dependence which lead 6 men, all members of the WSLF to come together in secret for the purposes of creating a new organization which was accountable only to the people of ****** and independent of any government in Mogadishu. However, this simple principle, soon developed into a philosophy whose core elements were: The ****** struggle is not a conflict between Somalia & Ethiopia but rather a struggle between a colonized people and their oppressor. Only a home grown movement free of foreign influence will be seen as legitimate in the eyes of the people of ******. The term “Western Somalia” only serves to confuse the issue portraying it as reclaiming land once belonging to the Somalia Republic and as such is not appropriate Using the term ******, as so-called by the British, achieves the objective of identifying a geographical area while rejecting the notion that the struggle is merely a border disagreement between two sovereign states. Both the Scientific Socialism model of Somalia and the Marxist Leninist model of Ethiopia should not be the economic and social ideology of this truly independent national movement since that opens the door for potential reliance on communist bloc nations thereby allowing future manipulation of the struggle by foreign powers. A movement for National Self-Determination cannot succeed unless it is democratic at it’s core and has proper mechanisms to ensure democratic changes of leadership and collective decision-making. The struggle of the people of ****** for Self-Determination should go beyond the geo-politics of the Horn of Africa and ascend to the global stage as a legitimate international issue in it’s own right in order for their to be a successful conclusion. Upon completion of this ideology, the ****** witnessed the birth of the ****** National Liberation Front (ONLF) on August 15th 1984 Almost immediately, the movement was dismissed as no threat by Ethiopia and looked upon unfavorably by Mogadishu. The first target for the ONLF was to systematically seek out all disgruntled members of the WSLF who had grown weary of outside domination and who were not blinded by Socialist ideologies.[1] The recruitment process was both slow and dangerous. In the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, where many young and educated WSLF sympathizers lived, was fertile ground for recruitment. Yet it had to be done delicately so as not to tip off the expansive intelligence network of the Barre regime. Going more smoothly was the recruitment of students from ****** sent to Arab capitals for education under a scholarship program largely set up as a request by Somalia to Arab governments. In ****** itself, the heavy presence of Ethiopian troops backed by newly received Soviet hardware and Cuban foot soldiers made the logistics of recruitment more difficult, yet news of disgruntled WSLF fighters left without supplies was quick to reach young educated ******is in Mogadishu leading them to question the continued viability of the WSLF, to say nothing of the fact that this also brought them a step closer to the philosophy of the ONLF. Throughout the 1980’s the ONLF continued it’s careful and systematic indoctrination of the youths in Mogadishu and the Middle East. By the late 1980’s, rather large gatherings of former WSLF members were taking place both inside and outside of ****** under the auspices of the ONLF. COLLAPSE OF THE SOMALI STATE The collapse of the Somali government and the catastrophic civil war that followed resulted in a mass exodus of both refugees from ****** who had sought refuge in Somalia and intellectuals tracing their roots to ******. The migration pattern in general followed two routes. One was a move back into ****** and the second was a move to countries in Africa and beyond. The return of this educated, former middle class students and bureaucrats who had fled ****** during the 1977-78 war to their homeland meant the ONLF now had tangible assets on the ground in ****** which had the capacity to promote their philosophy. Elsewhere, the ONLF was not as lucky in that the uprooting of families and their new refugee status proved to difficult to overcome, at least in the beginning, for ONLF cadres to seek to indoctrinate this group. By 1993, every major city and town in ****** had ONLF sympathizers. Their success in gathering recruits was in part due to the early disconnect between the new EPRDF government in Addis Ababa who was itself still consolidating power. Another often overlooked factor was the general belief in Addis Ababa that the collapse of the Somali State also meant the collapse of any real “rebellion” in ******. It came as no surprise therefore that when the central government of Ethiopia, who had now renamed all regions under it’s control in line with the Ethnicity of it’s inhabitants, announced the holding of elections for regional parliaments, the ONLF registered and participated as a legitimate political party. What did come as a surprise, at least to the authorities in Addis Ababa, was the winning of 84% of the seats in the regional assembly by candidates fielded by the ONLF. It soon became clear to the government of Ethiopia that they were dealing with a new player in ******, one which could not be said to be controlled by Somalia and as such was free to take it’s own path. While Ethiopia felt no military threat from the ONLF, they did regard the ideology presented by the ONLF to be dangerous. Ethiopia had not foreseen that an organized political movement would emerge from ****** which was able to demand that Article 39 of its constitution guaranteeing the right of nations to self-determination be implemented. Indeed, the first act voted on by the new assembly of which 84% were ONLF delegates was to beginning the process as outlined by article 39 of the Ethiopian constitution and to seek the holding of a referendum on independence for ******. Almost immediately, the Ethiopian government disbanded the regional assembly and arrested almost all ONLF deputies. Less than 10 years after the formation of the ONLF, it faced its first major crisis. The leadership of the ONLF entered into a series of high-level discussions, which lasted for several months. These discussions held in different capitals sought to set a direction for the movement now that Ethiopia had struck its first blow by arresting ONLF deputies and disbanding the regional assembly. THE BEGINNING OF AN ARMED STRUGGLE The ONLF had several things going for it in 1993 and early 1994. The first was that it had succeeded in forming and promoting a clear philosophy among it’s rank and file which had swelled following the collapse of the Somali government. The second was that since it had not been engaged in armed conflict with the Ethiopian government, years of focusing on indoctrination and recruitment had paid off. The public was agitated in ******. The hopes for a new future after the overthrow of the Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Marian were shattered. There was only one avenue left. Armed struggle. Initially, there were doubts as to whether the ONLF would be able to transform itself from a movement composed largely of students, intellectuals and civilians, into an effective guerilla force. Debates within the inner circle of the ONLF exposed this concern. The leadership was faced with turning political activists into freedom fighters. After much discourse, it was clear what had to be done. The ONLF needed to seek out and re-activate former WSLF fighters who had largely returned to their homes after years of fighting without supplies and resources following the Somali pullout of ****** and the collapse of the Somali state. What was thought to be a difficult marriage of political idealist s and guerrilla fighter actually turned out to be a perfect fit to the joy of the ONLF leadership. The ONLF now had a military wing. The ****** National Liberation Army. Items of immediate concern such as the securing of weapons and supplied proved less difficult than first thought, since ****** was flooded with small arms of all sorts. All the ONLF had to do was organize and discipline large numbers of fighters and provide a guiding principle and philosophy. While the military organization was left to former WSLF commanders, ONLF political officers attached to each unit served to solidify the fighters understanding of what exactly they were fighting for. It was here that the battle cry of the ONLF, Unity-Militancy-Self-Reliance-Victor (Midnimo, Mintid, Isku-Tashi, Guul) was branded into the hearts and minds of ONLF fighters. By mid to late 1994, the ****** National Liberation Front had begun armed operations against the Ethiopian government forces stationed in ******. ETHIOPIAN REACTION TO THE ARMED STRUGGLE Ethiopia, who had thought the ONLF problem had been solved by the dissolution of the regional assembly and the arrest of ONLF delegates, was once again caught off guard. Authorities in Addis developed a two-part strategy to combat the growing ONLF threat. The ONLF should never be mentioned by name as an armed “rebel” group operating in ******. Instead, Ethiopia’s heavy military presence in ****** should be justified by saying that a vigorous effort was underway to eliminate Islamic Extremists forces in the form of Al-Itihaad Al-Islaamiya. This would ensure that the ****** question would be prevented from being raised again as an issue in the Horn of Africa and present the Ethiopian government in the eyes of the West as worthy of military and financial support. A truly independent regional assembly as called for in the constitution should not be established in order to avoid a repeat of what happened when the first freely elected regional assembly chose to embark on the path to self-determination. This strategy could only be implemented with the creation of “suitcase parties” lead by ethnic Somali cronies of the EPRDF such as the Ethiopian Somali Democratic League (ESDL), which eventually filled the seats of the reconstituted regional assembly. Ethiopia soon realized that another component to this strategy needed to be implemented. In order to defeat the ONLF, Ethiopia had to create the illusion that the ONLF had “merged” with the ESDL and that political dissent had disappeared in ****** leaving only the fundamentalists to deal with. It is with that in mind that Ethiopia announced the formation of the Somali People's Democratic Party and sought to sell it at a union between the ONLF and the ESDL. Ethiopia continued to claim that any armed clashes in ****** were between Ethiopian forces and that of Al-Itihaad Al-Islaamiya despite the fact that Al-Itihaad had long since abandoned the ****** altogether as a base of operations beginning as early as 1995 through 1996. In august 1998, the ONLF held a long awaited central committee meeting at an undisclosed location in ******. The movement, having reviewed progress on the ground in ****** then elected a new leader which quickly made news. However beyond that election, a more significant decision had been made, one which was sure to put the ONLF on the map for good. TAKING THE MESSAGE TO THE WORLD Following the election of a new President (formerly the position had been a Chairmanship) and a Secretary-General, along with a central committee and an executive council. The movement was forced to face a hard reality. Ethiopia was winning the propaganda war outside of ****** if the ONLF was winning the hearts and minds of the citizens of ******. It was at that time that the ONLF, just as it had called on former WSLF fighters when it was in need of a military component, turned to it’s political officers, to take the message of the struggle to ******is in the Diaspora. By now, citizens of ****** who had settled in Europe, North America and the Middle East having fled the collapse of Somalia had established a foothold in their new homes. For the first time, they had seen what life was like living under a democracy (for those in the West) and peace. What the ONLF sought to sell to the citizens of ****** in the Diaspora was that this same opportunities and freedoms were lacking in their land of origin and they had a responsibility to help their brethren in the struggle. ONLF political officers, some of whom had settled in these communities got to work right away in sensitizing these communities outside of ****** to the struggle back home. In early 1999, the ONLF sent delegations to North America, Europe, The Middle East and other nations in Africa aimed specifically at enlisting the support of natives of ****** who had settled overseas. However, the ONLF had more ambitious ideas. Among the most important and least mentioned decisions of the 1998 central committee meeting was the intensification of diplomatic contacts with the outside world. For this, the ONLF once again relied on a different breed. ONLF cadre’s educated in the West and the Middle East were specifically targeted for recruitment to form the diplomatic corps of the ONLF. This diplomatic corps began contact with the governments, NGO’s, human rights agencies and others in a bid to raise awareness of the ****** struggle. On the media front, ONLF cadres were also specifically recruited to put the struggle on ****** on the news radar of journalists. Something that had been lacking. The formation of homegrown media outlets was a central piece of this effort. The ONLF appears to have used it’s access to RADIO FREEDOM (Radio Xoriyo) to further spread the message and philosophy of the front. Even though the ONLF maintains its own web site (http://www.onlf.org/ it has also benefited from it’s access to another independent homegrown media outlet ****** ONLINE (www.******.com) CONTINUED SYSTEMATIC EXPANSION: INCREASED PARTICIPATION The ONLF’s popularity continues to grow both in ****** and overseas among the citizens of ******. With this growth in popularity has come not only support but also increased calls for participating in the decision making apparatus of the ONLF among the citizens of ****** overseas. As such, the ONLF challenge will be to find a balance between increasing transparency, without adversely exposing the organization to Ethiopian intelligence which are currently intensively seeking to penetrate the organization. In this area however, the ONLF appears to be on the right track. Choosing a decentralized structure with local decision making over a highly centralized hierarchy susceptible to collapse will serve not only to satisfy those who seek increase public input into the organization, but also to root out enemy agents by forcing them to gain the confidence of their local communities before ever being in a position to even have the potential to gather any useful intelligence on the ONLF. While the ONLF, like all political movements, has it’s share of critics, it appears to contain the fundamentals needed to sustain a political movement into the foreseeable future. As long as the ONLF continues to by a ‘Dynamic’ and not a ‘Static’ organization, prospects look bright for this 17 year old organization. When the people of ****** finally achieve Self-Determination, the legacy of the ****** National Liberation Front will not be armed conflict, diplomacy or even it’s ability to disseminate information to the masses. It will be quite simply that they stood up when many believed that the struggle was dead and revived a hope among the people of ****** that they can achieve what they have sought for so long. A country of their own. ****** ONLINE SPECIAL REPORT ---------------------------------------------------- [1] It should be pointed out that at this time, Socialism was popular among freedom fighters throughout Africa and indeed the world leaving a back door to Soviet influence. Early ONLF cadres were suspicious of WSLF member trained in the ideas of Scientific Socialism by the Bare regime and generally thought of them as being susceptible to influence by external communist powers. Staff@******.com Copyright © 1998- 2002 ****** ONLINE All Rights Reserved. This site is created by ****** Online. Reproduction of any material on this site is prohibited without express permission of the site owner and the webmaster.

I think its totally wrong what S/L officials have done in regards to the people who have been handed to the Ethios. Thank you. What is the ultimate goal of the ONLF? As of now their main goal is to struggle by all means to librate their land and freed its people from the oppressive regime and birth the freedom air. Anything short of full freedom is unacceptable. Until Sufficient freedomare given to the Somali-ogadeeni people, such as the freedom to choose for themselves whether or not to remain a part of an empire which conquered it's forefathers with machine-guns or to secede. That is why there are so many separatists in Ethiopia. Is it to join Somalia, independence or toppling the TPLF regime and staying within Ethiopia? That is not for ONLF to decide it is upto the people to join the union or not. As far as i am concerned, majority of them would like to join the union if not full independence will do it. INSHA ALLAH quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bachelor Its just about the matter of time. I am rather optimistic soon Ethiopia will even be worst than Somalia and every region will secede. INSHA ALLAH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is that a good thing? SXB! CERTAINLY IT IS A GOOD THING honestly, i wouldnt loss sleep if ethio disappears from the map over night. We have not seen a single benefit from stronger ethiopia. I believe stronger ethiopia is a threat to ENTIRE SOMALI POPULATIONno matter which group you belong to. If thats the case, which part of part exactly, all of the Somali region, part of it or what exactly? See the map above. Yes, all the regions that are inhabited by somali if they want if not they can remain with ethio. And i guess ONLF knows thier limit.

Christian Zionists are growing in influence - even as they fight for policies their critics say work against peace in the Mideast. For these believers, it's all about fulfilling biblical prophecy. By Jane Lampman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor JERUSALEM - Ray Sanders and his wife, Sharon, grew up on farms in the American Midwest, but Israel has long been their home. Their journey began in the 1970s, when they read Hal Lindsey's apocalyptic bestseller, "The Late Great Planet Earth," which laid out a scenario for the end of the world according to a literal interpretation of Bible prophecies. "That awakened our understanding to Israel and its prophetic role in the Last Days," Mr. Sanders explains in his spacious Jerusalem office. "That was a real paradigm shift in our lives." That shift spurred the couple to leave their jobs, attend Bible college in Texas, and move to Jerusalem, where in 1985 they helped found a biblical Zionist organization called Christian Friends of Israel (CFI). With a handful of similar groups here they are marshalling financial and moral support from evangelical Christians around the world, and particularly in the United States, to fulfill what they see as their role in an unfolding final drama. Christian Zionists, an Evangelical subset whose ranks are estimated at 20 million in the US, have in the past two decades poured millions of dollars of donations into Israel, formed a tight alliance with the Likud and other Israeli politicians seeking an expanded "Greater Israel," and mobilized grass-roots efforts to get the US to adopt a similar policy. Christian Zionist leaders today have access to the White House and strong support within Congress, including the backing of the two most recent majority leaders in the House of Representatives. For many Jews, the enthusiastic support of these evangelical Christians is welcome at a time of terrorism and rising anti-Semitism. Several Israeli leaders have called them "the best friends Israel has." But other Jews and Christians have begun speaking against the alliance, which they see as a dangerous mix of religion and politics that is harmful to Israel and endangers prospects for peace with the Palestinians. The prophecy For Christian Zionists, the modern state of Israel is the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham and the center of His action from now to the Second Coming of Christ and final battle of Armageddon, when the Antichrist will be defeated. But before this can occur, they say, biblical prophecy foretells the return of Jews from other countries; Israel's possession of all the land between the Euphrates and Nile rivers; and the rebuilding of the Jewish temple where a Muslim site, Dome of the Rock, now stands. These beliefs lead to positions that critics say are uncompromising and ignore the fact that most Israelis want peace. "Pressuring the US government away from peace negotiations and toward an annexationist policy, that has a direct negative impact on the potential for change in the Middle East," says Gershom Gorenberg, a senior editor at The Jerusalem Report newsmagazine. Two former chief rabbis of Israel, Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliahu, recently approved a ruling urging followers not to accept money from the groups, warning that their ultimate intent is conversion of Jews. (Christian Zionists believe that during the Last Days Jews must either accept Jesus as the Messiah or perish.) Other Christians in the Holy Land oppose what they consider a false interpretation of Christianity that is heightening tensions here. "Christian Zionism transforms faith into a political ideology, and one that needs an enemy," says the Rev. Rafik Khoury, of the Catholic Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem. But Christian Zionists argue that Christians' role is to back Israel wholeheartedly and conform to God's message in Genesis: "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curses thee" (Gen. 12:3). To this end, Christian groups have sponsored the migration of thousands of Jews from Russia, Ethiopia, and other countries. They've funneled resources into social programs for Israeli communities, and they encourage churches in the US to support Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. "We stand for the right that all the land that God gave under the Abrahamic covenant 4,000 years ago is Israel's ... and He will regulate the affairs of how Israel comes into the allotment which is hers forever," says the Rev. Malcolm Hedding, director of International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), the largest of the Zionist groups with branches in 55 countries. Biblical Zionism rejects any effort to read the Scriptures spiritually or allegorically, Mr. Hedding says. "There is no such thing as a Palestinian," he adds. Chrisitan Zionism's roots Christian Zionism is a more recent term for a 19th-century theology that began in England, called premillennial dispensationalism. It divides history into eras (dispensations) based on a complex interpretation of biblical texts in books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. Most other Christian groups view these prophecies as predictions fulfilled long ago or as visions with a purely symbolic or spiritual meaning. But premillennialists insist they will occur on earth in the future. Israel's creation in 1948 and the Six-Day War of 1967 - in which Israel captured all of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza - galvanized premillennialists to believe the Last Days had begun. Mr. Lindsey's book, the nonfiction bestseller of the 1970s, popularized premillennialist teachings for millions of Americans and put Israel right at the center, says Donald Wagner, professor of religion and Middle East studies at North Park University in Chicago. Lindsey started a consultant business, Dr. Wagner says, which involved sessions with the Pentagon, CIA, Israeli generals, and the US Congress. But Lindsey wasn't the first premillennialist author to leave his mark. William Blackstone, a fundamentalist lay preacher in the US, wrote a 1882 bestseller, "Jesus Is Coming," and in 1891 organized the first campaign in support of a Jewish state in the Middle East. Premillennialists in the British imperial government included Lord Arthur Balfour and Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who were the first to officially promise a Jewish homeland with the 1917 Balfour Declaration. Christian Zionism today In the US, premillennialist teaching has spread through TV and radio evangelists and, most recently, the "Left Behind" novels and prophecy websites. Supporters range from avid believers to more passive participants who nonetheless believe in prophecy and watch for its fulfillment, scholars say. Such teaching may attract more followers in times of stress, observers suggest, as it offers one explanation for disturbing world events. "[Christian Zionists] create a worldview into which people walk and don't realize how big a move they've made," says Martin Marty, religious historian and co- director of the Fundamentalist Project, set up to study worldwide religious reaction to modernity. There are sincere people in the movement who pray for the conversion of Israel but don't take up the political program, he says. But he and others, including some Evangelicals, are increasingly concerned that many Christian Zionists have become activists whose actions could ultimately have serious - even disastrous - consequences. "The danger is that, when people believe they 'know' how things are going to turn out and then act on those convictions, they can make these prophecies self-fulfilling, and bring on some of the things they predict," says the Rev. Timothy Weber, president of Memphis Theological Seminary in Tennessee, and author of "On the Road to Armageddon: How Evangelicals Became Israel's Best Friend." "Before the Six-Day War, dispensationalists were content to sit in the bleachers of history explaining the End-Time game on the field below, pointing out events and identifying players," Dr. Weber adds. "But after expansion of Israel into the West Bank and Gaza, they began to get down onto the field and be sure the teams lined up right, becoming involved in political, financial, and religious ways they never had before." A confluence of events in the 1970s and '80s set the stage for the current activism. After the 1967 war, Roman Catholics and mainline Protestants joined the international consensus that Israel should give up the occupied territories for peace; a growing Evangelical community became more politically active; and for the first time the Likud Party came to power in Israel with an aim to hold on to "Judea and Samaria" (the biblical terms for the West Bank). A 1978 study by an Israeli scholar on American fundamentalist churches helped spur the Likud Party's courting of Christian Zionist leaders, such as the Revs. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, according to Clifford Kiracofe, a former senior staff member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Since then, Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ariel Sharon have addressed Christian Zionist gatherings of thousands in Jerusalem and met with evangelical leaders and groups during trips to the US. Evangelical leaders began traveling to Israel and organizing tours for churches from across the US. Today a network of more than 200 pro-Israel grass-roots organizations has developed in the US, and Christian Zionist groups work to involve American congregations in prayer, financial aid, and advocacy. For Ray Sanders and thousands of US churchgoers, their role is to learn how best to bless Israel. "We take that injunction very seriously, and we want the Jewish people to realize the goodwill we have toward them, contrary to centuries of anti-Semitic history," he says. CFI runs several humanitarian projects, including a distribution center for the needy in Jerusalem, where donations from the US have provided clothing and household items for 250,000 people. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), which draws support from the Christian Zionist community, holds an annual Day of Prayer for Israel that last year involved 18,000 US churches. Since fundraising began eight years ago, individuals and churches have contributed about $100 million in humanitarian aid for Israeli social programs ($20 million in the past year alone), and sponsored 100,000 émigrés from Russia and Ethiopia, says Yechiel Eckstein, who founded the group with an evangelical pastor. "We have 350,000 donors who support this work, and we get 2,000 to 2,500 checks in the mail a day," he says of IFCJ, based in Chicago and Jerusalem. Rabbi Eckstein travels to several continents to educate congregations on the Jewish roots of Christianity and to urge advocacy for Israel. When the International Court at The Hague debated the legality of the wall Israel is building on the West Bank, he rallied a thousand Christians to march in protest outside the court building. Republican Party strategist Ralph Reed has joined with Eckstein to form Stand for Israel, a project to build grass-roots advocacy for Israel among US Christians. Christians' Israel Public Action Committee (CIPAC) lobbies Congress to oppose any limitation on Israel's action, including President Bush's peace proposal, the "road map." Richard Hellman, CIPAC head, recently called on US leaders "to desist from proposing any more plans to settle the Israel-Arab dispute." Americans for a Safe Israel has joined with other groups in a national One-State Solution Campaign to halt the road map, using bumper stickers and billboards displaying a White House phone number. Members of Congress in sympathy with the Christian Zionist point of view have taken positions contrary to administration policy, which supports a Palestinian state. House majority leader Tom DeLay ® of Texas, while visiting the area, said, "I don't see occupied territory; I see Israel." Speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. James Inhofe ® of Oklahoma said Israel had a right to the land "because God said so." In a 2002 appearance on Chris Matthews's "Hardball" show, former Rep. Richard Armey ® of Texas, then House majority leader, proclaimed his support for "transporting" the Palestinians to other countries. "In Israel, this position is regarded as somewhat like that of the Ku Klux Klan in the US," says Gorenberg. "These American figures are taking positions way to the right of the Israeli mainstream." Influence on US policy The debate over these groups is not whether they have influence on US policy but how much. Deal Hudson, editor of Crisis magazine and a conservative Catholic, says their influence is overemphasized. "The administration's commitment to Israel was there from the very first day, prior to the coalition of Evangelicals the administration has cultivated for the past 3-1/2 years," he says. "Their role is only supportive." Others point to many instances of influence. Gary Bauer, president of American Values, for example, recalls Israel's first attempt on the life of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi in June 2003, when Mr. Bush publicly berated Israel. "Several Evangelical leaders took issue with the president," Mr. Bauer says. They urged others to let the White House know. "I got thousands of e-mails the next day that were copies of e-mails sent to the president. Within 24 hours, he [bush] had modified his remarks and emphasized Israel's right to defend itself." The White House was publicly supportive in April when Israel's second effort to assassinate Dr. Rantisi succeeded. As a result of Christian Zionists' alliance with Likud governments, they now work actively with Jewish groups in the US, even though historically the two have been on opposing sides of key issues. "Christian Zionist groups play an increasingly important role," says Morton Klein, head of the Zionist Organization of America and a leader of the Jewish lobby, AIPAC. "In many districts where there are very few Jews, the members of the House and Senate are Israel's supporters in part because of the strong Christian Zionist lobby on Capitol Hill." Other observers say the Bush administration's tilt toward Israel in the Israeli- Palestinian dispute results from a coalition of neoconservatives, the Jewish lobby, and Christian Zionists - with the latter providing the grass-roots political punch as a prime Bush constituency. On the ground in Jerusalem Most worrisome to critics is the impact Christian Zionists are having - or could have - on the volatile situation here. Some local Christians say they feel the impact directly. Thousands of Palestinian Christians - many of whom trace their family histories back to the early church - live in Israel and the occupied territories. They've survived as a minority among Muslims and Jews for centuries. But because the Christian Zionist perspective is hostile to Islam and ultimately to Judaism, some now worry about its influence on their neighbors. They say some local Muslims now assume that this Western prophetic phenomenon - and its dismissal of hopes for a Palestinian state - is what all Christians believe. For many Christian Palestinians, Christian Zionism is disturbing because its conclusions work against their deep desire: justice for both Israelis and Palestinians. Many local Christians come from families who became refugees or were displaced within Israel when the state was created in 1948. Naim Ateek's family were driven from their comfortable home in the town of Beisan by the Jewish army when he was 11. Eventually becoming an Anglican pastor, Father Ateek says he struggled, wondering how to keep faith alive among his congregation under the hardships of military occupation. How were Christians to think about "the God of Israel"? Is God pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian, or is He a God of justice for all? After an in-depth study of the Bible, he wrote "Justice and Only Justice," in which he explores the scriptural basis for a God of inclusiveness. God's law requires justice for both peoples, Ateek says, and there won't be peace until that is accepted by both sides. "If I as a Christian am not about truth, justice, peace, and reconciliation, then what is my ministry?" he asks in an interview in his book-lined office. Ateek joined with local leaders from the 15 Christian denominations here - from Greek Orthodox to Quakers - to found an ecumenical movement, Sabeel ("the Way" in Arabic), which now works to counter extremism on both sides of the conflict. It further inflames the situation, local Christians say, when other Christian groups provide resources to build and strengthen Jewish settlements on land confiscated from Palestinians. For example, after the 1993 Oslo Peace Accord, which called for steps toward removal of Jewish settlements, Ted Beckett of Colorado Springs, Colo., formed Christian Friends of Israeli Committees. CFOIC enables US churches to support settlers through tours, funding special projects, and ongoing partnerships. About 60 settlements have identified projects for church support, and an "adopt-a-settlement" program encourages ongoing ties. Sondra Baras, an Orthodox Jew who heads the program here, says she takes about 10 tour groups a month to settlements. "The Evangelical community is standing with us in such a strong way, and through financial support and visits have brought such a message of encouragement to those living here," she says. This spring, Sabeel tried to provide a counterweight to such developments by holding a conference called "Challenging Christian Zionism." Some 500 Christians from 31 countries came to Jerusalem to discuss ways to check the growing influence of Christian Zionism. They heard also from Jews concerned about its impact. "When political conflicts are framed as theological wars, we lose the ability to deal with them - the only solution is the final one," warned Jeff Halper, a professor of anthropology at Ben-Gurion University. Christian Zionist ties to Jewish fundamentalists are disturbing to many Israelis, the majority of whom are secular, added Dr. Halper. The most explosive possibility relates to the prophecy that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount, where Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque now sit. Some Christian Zionists in America "are becoming quite involved financially and otherwise in the so-called Temple movement," says Weber. When he talks to Christian Zionists about the destruction of the Dome of the Rock, some say, " 'Well, this is all prophesied - it's bound to happen,' " Weber says. Some suggest perhaps an earthquake will clear the mount. One predicted that "in an Arab-Israeli war a surface-to-surface missile aimed at Jerusalem will miss and hit the Dome of the Rock." It's this kind of perspective that worries knowledgeable observers. Such mixing of prophecy and politics "could start World War III," says Dr. Marty. Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0707/p15s01-lire.html

Its just about the matter of time. I am rather optimistic soon Ethiopia will even be worst than Somalia and every region will secede. INSHA ALLAH As I write this I don't know what the ONLF struggle is exactly about, apart from burning Somaliland-owned trucks. Ayoub SXB! Bear in mind, the Truck burning is just one incident. Do you know how many time the so called somaliland puppets handing over innocent and ALLAH fearing people who came to do business in the name of terriors (i.e. AL ITIHAD & ONLF). As a result do you know how many kids became orphans. As we speak they turning people over to Wyenee. SHAME :mad: We will see how far that pays off. Can you tell me what they, Oromo, Afar and other Muslims over there fighting for? They are fight for their independece and to secceed from the oppressive regime.

Recently i been to Canada and i saw few somali resturants and as for me Xamdi(Hamdi) is #1. The reason i said this is because they offer Warm Hospitality, delicious food, with clean enviroment. In Minnapolis, Newly opened Resturant Faynoos very clean and good food. Lots of bad Somali resturants therefore no need to mention. Reason: to aviod law suit as well although i am exteremely poor.