NGONGE, siduu waa dhawayd iigu yiri 'If he says it, I believe it' , he meaning Siilaanyo, waxaan ula doodaaba waa khalad. Laakiin, doodaa ka qaldane, aniga iyo Val aad baan isku dhawnahay, degaan iyo dhalashaba

Valenteenah.;751436 wrote: Ah, but attaining peace is hardly an impossible dream (attaining recognition, however, just might be). Why limit yourself to an undeliverable project when the alternative possibilities are endless? (See, it works both ways!) Allow me to further your intellectual bullet, ya Barwaaqo. You see, NGONGE makes leap of faith in believing that separatist project is viable or even realistic. In doing so he ignores the body of evidence before him, which has been accumulated in the last twenty years. No one country on the entire hemisphere had even shown slightest interest in NGONGE's project. He ignores the geopolitics of the region. He evades the hard question that harshily askes why would the world create a precedent in inaugurating new state in a turbulent region. What would the world achieve from dismembering small country in Africa? Peace? Stability? Seriously, tell us what would the world gain. He ignores the realities on the ground and the vocal opposition against separatism within the historical British Somaliland manifested in SSC movement. He ignores all of it. The brother wants to dismiss facts and realities completely! Alas, he then dares to accuse others on relying on false hopes and delusions.

Baashi;751303 wrote: I am glad he is in the helms for he’s better politician than mad dog waraabe . We know where he stands on Somaliweyn issue. This man is not deaf-tone. If the grand bargain expected to be held soon bears fruits then is conceivable that the stage is set to bargain with him. In the meantime he is forgiven to hold the fort and stand toe to toe with the opposition. If that makes him a hawkish (provided it does not lead to bloodshed) for the short run so be it. North can understand this. I wish I could say the same for our NGONGE. The gist of analysis in this thread is the following: for the moment, Puntland is fishing deep in Somalia's political sea, because it can. Somaliland is doing the same work but in a shallow pond. That is to say both are playing politics but on different levels of maturity. As the folks on these boards know very well, I am a fan of the old man, Siilaanyo. I appreciate the political difficulties that surround him. That said, Puntland's priorities are much higher than separatist's. Puntland's goal in relation to Somaliland is on track if not already achieved, which is to convince the world that Somalia is manageable in one than it would be in pieces. Puntland's goal in relation to Somalia is even nobler than Somaliland. It is to see Somalia come back again as a republic and work very hard toward realizing that goal. And that is that, ya NGONGE

Allah@reer-magaale gaboobay, rag haday is qabtaan, budhka soo rogan maaye, waluhuu ku raftaa Let me resort to a chess analogy. Somaliland is akin to a chess game opponent who lost the vital officers in the game but is left with considerable number of pawns. Crowding the chess board with pawns when the formidable Queen could have a field day on them is not strategic play, technically speaking. Worse yet, bringing the King from the safety of his fortified castle to the front lines is a sign of desperation, ala iskaaya sii waxaan kala helayno aan kala helnee But to the uninitiated , such moves suggest a important, strategic play that will result in capturing the base of the opponent.

Baashi;751283 wrote: Silaanyo on a scapegoat mission Fresh from the Press By Qurbo-Joog Cimi-Dhegood Unplugged Gazzete .... Sub clans that are aligned with the two admins in the area argue that the time is short, the gap between SSC politicians are sizable and hence its in the interest of the SSC community to throw their lot to one of the admins (majority as well as the SSC rank and file are leaned toward PL for purely clannish reasons). Secondly, Garowe is ahead of the curve, sort to speak, when it comes to clan machinations and political calculations. Farole admin figured that if transition to post conflict Somalia were to proceed, it must be based on building blocks concept which originally underpinned reconciliation roadmap. With informed PM in place and PL in advantageous position of being called established recovery zone and autonomous region of Somalia, he wields a big stick. Farole task was to make sure the venue of the grand bargain Somalis is expected to have is in his backyard. He gets to play the host with all its perks. With this backdrop, Silaanyo presiding over population with high expectation of getting recognized solely because of the relative calm in their zone and historical anomaly of being colonized by different European power coupled with internal opposition colored by clannish motivation, sees the hurricane cat 5 heading to his way. So he heads to the center of gravity: Las Cano, Sool. The conventional wisdom has it that if he shows he can go there and sip tea with the local folks his presence there has the potential of putting all these rumors of defection and reconsideration of alliance with Hargeisa admin to bed. He’s not coming with empty handed either. It is said that SSC areas that fall in Hargeisa sphere of influence will receive 5% of the SL budget (through clans aligned with Hargeisa). ... Hargeisa admin has no willing partner in Garowe to engage in this sort of unnecessary civil war. . Well said indeed. The Xaaji Xunjufs of this world will have bragging rights no doubt to say that their separatist leader has made a powerful visit at the gates of Puntland seat. But the chess board suggest a more lethal however subtle Puntland political calculation.

^^ :D Prof. Abtigiis , I trust your judgment since you have been that region numerous times. What is your take on the situation. Atoor Guunyo Sagaaro analogy is a false and you know it.

The leader of Somalia’s northern region, Somaliland, made a historic visit to the disputed city of Laascaanood. Although his visit was very brief, lasting only hours, the significance of its political symbolism will linger in the months to come. Surely, Siilanyo’s visit will not change the political and security dynamics of the region. It will have however a powerful propaganda to boost the morale of the separatist movement. If you are in doubt, ponder on this: in contrast to Siilaanyo’s triumphant pictures, and exultant soldiers in the frontline trenches, Puntland leader was nowhere to be seen. The situation forced him to issue what amounted to a protest press statement. For the avid followers of the politics of the region, it was very telling that the strongest condemnation of Siilaanyo’s visit came not from the Puntland’s Security Minister, but from a traditional leader, the elder of Sanaag region. And this is the effect of Siilaanyo’s visit; the propaganda produce however fleeting does indeed a masterstroke. Aside from Siilaanyo’s propaganda upshot (which my little write up here is indisputably contributing), there is a reason, however, for Faroole to feel good about the current political setup in the region, and in the big scheme of things. Let me explain. First off, unlike Puntland, Somaliland has reached sort of a political sealing. The case it built in the last twenty years to win its independence is currently stalemated. The political confidence of the elites to get recognition is beginning to wane. Elections were held. Power was transferred peacefully and successfully. But neither convinced the world that such democratic gymnastics are enough to inaugurate a new state in a turbulent region. So the secessionist region is today at a political and economic crossroads. If the commotion that surrounded the Turkish scholarship is any measure, the mismatch between reality on the ground and average expectation of Somaliland man and woman poses a serious internal, political implosion. On the other hand, Puntland has just begun to make the transition from a political arrangement predicated on security and defense posture to a national leader and player. Puntland’s sealing, politically, is that of Somalia. Faroole’s priorities attest to that. Puntland leadership is busy in shaping the national affairs of Somalia. SSC, however important and central to Puntland’s political soul, pales in comparison to the national consideration. If UN announcements are considered, Puntland is playing a lead role in holding the next Somali conference. A conference (mind you) that could advance the effort to resolve the larger Somali conflict, including the SSC disputes. Hence Puntland’s current priorities are starkly different than that of the separatist region. And that explains why Puntland’s response was weak and muted. That is why Somaliland was so bold and politically brash to have Siilaanyo visit Laascaanood. If you understand how the current national efforts to include Faroole, is good for him, giving him a bigger fish to fry than provoke a border conflict with Somaliland, then one can easily deduce that the outcome of that conference will also give him an advantage politically. And there are two possible outcomes concerning the SSC region. Either the national Somali conference will result in a cohesive national entity that encompasses and absorbs all the political entities in Somalia inclusive SSC, which then resolves that issue once and for all. That will be good for Somalia, for Puntland. Or the conference fails to resolve the issue, which gives Puntland the political and security rationale to win the region whatever it takes, in essence giving the Puntland leadership all the reasons to mobilize all the resources without national consideration. Such efforts will not be different in spirit than the 1991s effort to confront USC ambitions toward Galkacyo. Lets hope it does not come to that, and some sort of larger, national arrangement is found and applied to Somalia to achieve a permanent peace and security for all.

^^Baashi, below is Friedman's take on the current tumult in the world. ====================================================================== Something’s Happening Here By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN When you see spontaneous social protests erupting from Tunisia to Tel Aviv to Wall Street, it’s clear that something is happening globally that needs defining. There are two unified theories out there that intrigue me. One says this is the start of “The Great Disruption.” The other says that this is all part of “The Big Shift.” You decide. Paul Gilding, the Australian environmentalist and author of the book “The Great Disruption,” argues that these demonstrations are a sign that the current growth-obsessed capitalist system is reaching its financial and ecological limits. “I look at the world as an integrated system, so I don’t see these protests, or the debt crisis, or inequality, or the economy, or the climate going weird, in isolation — I see our system in the painful process of breaking down,” which is what he means by the Great Disruption, said Gilding. “Our system of economic growth, of ineffective democracy, of overloading planet earth — our system — is eating itself alive. Occupy Wall Street is like the kid in the fairy story saying what everyone knows but is afraid to say: the emperor has no clothes. The system is broken. Think about the promise of global market capitalism. If we let the system work, if we let the rich get richer, if we let corporations focus on profit, if we let pollution go unpriced and unchecked, then we will all be better off. It may not be equally distributed, but the poor will get less poor, those who work hard will get jobs, those who study hard will get better jobs and we’ll have enough wealth to fix the environment. “What we now have — most extremely in the U.S. but pretty much everywhere — is the mother of all broken promises,” Gilding adds. “Yes, the rich are getting richer and the corporations are making profits — with their executives richly rewarded. But, meanwhile, the people are getting worse off — drowning in housing debt and/or tuition debt — many who worked hard are unemployed; many who studied hard are unable to get good work; the environment is getting more and more damaged; and people are realizing their kids will be even worse off than they are. This particular round of protests may build or may not, but what will not go away is the broad coalition of those to whom the system lied and who have now woken up. It’s not just the environmentalists, or the poor, or the unemployed. It’s most people, including the highly educated middle class, who are feeling the results of a system that saw all the growth of the last three decades go to the top 1 percent.” Not so fast, says John Hagel III, who is the co-chairman of the Center for the Edge at Deloitte, along with John Seely Brown. In their recent book, “The Power of Pull,” they suggest that we’re in the early stages of a “Big Shift,” precipitated by the merging of globalization and the Information Technology Revolution. In the early stages, we experience this Big Shift as mounting pressure, deteriorating performance and growing stress because we continue to operate with institutions and practices that are increasingly dysfunctional — so the eruption of protest movements is no surprise. Yet, the Big Shift also unleashes a huge global flow of ideas, innovations, new collaborative possibilities and new market opportunities. This flow is constantly getting richer and faster. Today, they argue, tapping the global flow becomes the key to productivity, growth and prosperity. But to tap this flow effectively, every country, company and individual needs to be constantly growing their talents. “We are living in a world where flow will prevail and topple any obstacles in its way,” says Hagel. “As flow gains momentum, it undermines the precious knowledge stocks that in the past gave us security and wealth. It calls on us to learn faster by working together and to pull out of ourselves more of our true potential, both individually and collectively. It excites us with the possibilities that can only be realized by participating in a broader range of flows. That is the essence of the Big Shift.” Yes, corporations now have access to more cheap software, robots, automation, labor and genius than ever. So holding a job takes more talent. But the flip side is that individuals — individuals — anywhere can now access the flow to take online courses at Stanford from a village in Africa, to start a new company with customers everywhere or to collaborate with people anywhere. We have more big problems than ever and more problem-solvers than ever. So there you have it: Two master narratives — one threat-based, one opportunity-based, but both involving seismic changes. Gilding is actually an optimist at heart. He believes that while the Great Disruption is inevitable, humanity is best in a crisis, and, once it all hits, we will rise to the occasion and produce transformational economic and social change (using tools of the Big Shift). Hagel is also an optimist. He knows the Great Disruption may be barreling down on us, but he believes that the Big Shift has also created a world where more people than ever have the tools, talents and potential to head it off. My heart is with Hagel, but my head says that you ignore Gilding at your peril. You decide.

Siilaanyo is a politician, he did the visit because he could. He is an old man who appreciates the resolve of SSC. He understands that come next year the political landscape of that land could radically change. So he does it when he is actually ahead, and he was quite effective.

I hope Turkiya is not disappointed by the poor leadership and savage actions of Somalis.

In Turkish culture, it is believed that something good will come out of all bad experiences. In Somalia, too, this disaster can mark the beginning of a new process by focusing international humanitarian efforts and global attention on the plight of the region. However, this situation will only be sustainable if we continue to be sensitive to the needs of the Somali people. The tears that are now running from Somalia's golden sands into the Indian Ocean must stop. They should be replaced by hopeful voices of a country where people do not lose their lives because of starvation and where they express their eagerness to develop and restore peace and stability. Regardless of which culture we come from or where we live, I am confident that our common heritage as human beings will motivate us to ease the suffering of Somalia. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/10/the_tears_of_somalia?page=0,0

By Charles Krauthammer, Published: October 6. “We don’t allow faster-than-light neutrinos in here,” says the bartender. A neutrino walks into a bar. — Joke circulating on the Internet The world as we know it is on the brink of disintegration, on the verge of dissolution. No, I’m not talking about the collapse of the euro, of international finance, of the Western economies, of the democratic future, of the unipolar moment, of the American dream, of French banks, of Greece as a going concern, of Europe as an idea, of Pax Americana — the sinews of a postwar world that feels today to be unraveling. I am talking about something far more important. Which is why it made only the back pages of your newspaper, if it made it at all. Scientists at CERN, the European high-energy physics consortium, have announced the discovery of a particle that can travel faster than light. Neutrinos fired 454 miles from a supercollider outside Geneva to an underground laboratory in Gran Sasso, Italy, took less time (60 nanoseconds less) than light to get there. Or so the physicists think. Or so they measured. Or so they have concluded after checking for every possible artifact and experimental error. The implications of such a discovery are so mind-boggling, however, that these same scientists immediately requested that other labs around the world try to replicate the experiment. Something must have been wrong — some faulty measurement, some overlooked contaminant — to account for a result that, if we know anything about the universe, is impossible. And that’s the problem. It has to be impossible because, if not, if that did happen on this Orient Express hurtling between Switzerland and Italy, then everything we know about the universe is wrong. The fundamental axiom of Einstein’s theory of relativity is the absolute prohibition on speed faster than light. Einstein’s predictions about how time slows and mass increases as one approaches the speed of light have been verified by a mountain of experimental evidence. As velocity increases, mass approaches infinity and time dilates, making it progressively and, ultimately, infinitely difficult to achieve light speed. Which is why nothing does. And nothing ever has. Until two weeks ago Thursday. That’s when the results were announced. To oversimplify grossly: If the Gran Sasso scientists had a plate to record the arrival of the neutrinos and a super-powerful telescope to peer (through the Alps!) directly into the lab in Geneva from which they were being fired, the Gran Sasso guys would have “heard” the neutrinos clanging against the plate before they observed the Geneva guys squeeze the trigger on the neutrino gun. Sixty nanoseconds before, to be precise. Wrap your mind around that one. It’s as if someone told you that yesterday at drive time Topeka was released from Earth’s gravity. These things don’t happen. Natural laws don’t just expire between shifts at McDonald’s. Not that there aren’t already mysteries in physics. Neutrinos themselves are ghostly particles that travel through nearly everything unimpeded. (Thousands are traversing your body as you read this.) But that is simplicity itself compared to quantum mechanics, whose random arbitrariness so offended Einstein that he famously objected that God does not play dice with the universe. Aphorisms don’t trump reality, however. They are but a frail, poignant protest against a universe that often disdains the most cherished human notions of order and elegance, truth and beauty. But if quantum mechanics was a challenge to human sensibilities, this pesky Swiss-Italian neutrino is their undoing. It means that Einstein’s relativity — a theory of uncommon beauty upon which all of physics has been built for 100 years — is wrong. Not just inaccurate. Not just flawed. But deeply, fundamentally, indescribably wrong. It means that the “standard model” of subatomic particles that stands at the center of all modern physics is wrong. Nor does it stop there. This will not just overthrow physics. Astronomy and cosmology measure time and distance in the universe on the assumption of light speed as the cosmic limit. Their foundations will shake as well. It cannot be. Yet, this is not a couple of guys in a garage peddling cold fusion. This is no crank wheeling a perpetual motion machine into the patent office. These are the best researchers in the world using the finest measuring instruments, having subjected their data to the highest levels of scrutiny, including six months of cross-checking by 160 scientists from 11 countries. But there must be some error. Because otherwise everything changes. We shall need a new physics. A new cosmology. New understandings of past and future, of cause and effect. Then shortly and surely, new theologies. Why? Because we can’t have neutrinos getting kicked out of taverns they have not yet entered.

by Patrick J. Buchanan, October 07, 2011 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Observing the correlation of forces in this city and the intensity of conviction in the base of each party, the outcome of the ongoing fiscal fight between Barack Obama and the Tea Party Republicans seems preordained. Deadlock. There will be no big jobs-for-taxes deal. The can will be kicked down the road into the next administration. A second truth is emerging. When the cutting comes, as it shall, the Pentagon will be first to ascend the scaffold. Why so? Consider. The Republican House cannot agree to tax increases without risking retribution from the base and repudiation by its presidential candidates. All have pledged to oppose even a dollar in tax hikes for 10 dollars in spending cuts. For his part, Obama has refused to lay out any significant cuts in the big Democratic entitlement programs of Social Security and Medicare. As for the hundreds of billions in Great Society spending for Medicaid, food stamps, Head Start, earned income tax credits, aid to education, Pell grants and housing subsidies, neither Harry Reid’s Senate nor Obama, in trouble with his African-American base, will permit significant cuts. That leaves two large items of a budget approaching $4 trillion: interest on the debt, which must be paid, and national defense. Pentagon chief Leon Panetta can see the writing on the wall. Defense is already scheduled for $350 billion in cuts over the decade. If the super-committee fails to come up with $1.2 trillion in specified new cuts, an automatic slicer chops another $600 billion from defense. House Armed Services Committee Chair Buck McKeon has issued an analysis of what that would mean: a U.S. Army and Marine Corps reduction of 150,000 troops, retirement of two carrier battle groups, loss of one-third of Air Force fighter planes and a "hollow force" unable to meet America’s commitments. Also on the chopping block would be the Navy and Marine Corps versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. If the super-committee trigger has to be pulled, says Panetta, "we’d be shooting ourselves in the head." That half defense-half domestic formula for automatic budget cuts was programmed into the slicer to force Republicans to put tax hikes on the table. They will refuse. For tax hikes would do more damage to the party than the slicing would the Pentagon. Thus America approaches her moment of truth. Thanks to the irresponsibility of both parties, of the Bush as well as Obama administrations, we are facing unavoidable and painful choices. We are going to have to reduce the benefits and raise the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare. Cut and cap Great Society programs. Downsize the military, close bases and transfer to allies responsibility for their own defense. Or we are going to have to raise taxes — and not just on millionaires and billionaires, but Middle America. And if our leaders cannot impose these sacrifices, the markets will, as we see in Europe, where the day of reckoning is at hand. Ours is next. But if defense cuts are unavoidable, where should they come? What should our future defense posture be? Which principles should apply? Clearly, the first principle should be that the United States must retain a sufficiency, indeed, a surplus of power to defend all of its vital interests and vital allies, though the defense of those allies must be first and foremost their own responsibility. They have to replace U.S. troops as first responders. During the Cold War, America was committed to go to war on behalf of a dozen NATO nations from Norway to Turkey. Eastern Europe under Moscow’s boot was not considered vital. Thus we resisted the Berlin Blockade, but peacefully. We did nothing to rescue the Hungarian revolution in 1956, or the Prague Spring in 1968, or the Polish Solidarity movement in 1981, when all three were crushed. Now that the Red Army has gone home, Eastern Europe is free, and the Soviet Union no longer exists, what is the argument for maintaining U.S. Air Force, Army and naval bases and thousands of U.S. troops in Europe? Close the bases, and bring the troops home. The same with South Korea and Japan. Now that Mao is dead and gone and China is capitalist, Seoul and Tokyo trade more with Beijing than they do with us. South Korea has 40 times the economy and twice the population of North Korea. Japan’s economy is almost as large as China’s. Why cannot these two powerful and prosperous nations provide the troops, planes, ships and missiles to defend themselves? We can sell them whatever they need. Why is their defense still our responsibility? In the Persian Gulf we have a strategic interest: oil. But the oil-rich nations of the region have an even greater interest in selling their oil than we do in buying it. For, without oil sales, the Gulf has little the world needs or wants. Let the world look out for itself for a while. Time to start looking out for America and Americans first. For if we don’t, who will? COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Great news. Puntland needs this. Food, heavy duty vehicles, tents and what have you, Somalia needs it all.

It is true. This did not particularly fit the occasion. It is also true that some are using a five minute clip out of two hour event to make a point.

I said I could not help ask the question. In previous massacres such Beledweyne and Shamow, alshabaab had high value targets on their sight, and civilian casualties could have been described as collateral. Still un-Islamic, I know, but in the context of violent conflict such as the one in Mogadishu, what they did was not a radical departure from how modern wars are conducted. This week's merciless killing of so many students and their parents, however, and in the background of debilitating famine, is beyond extremism. It shows this organization whatever it's beginnings were has transformed itself to Khmer Rouge like, narrow-minded sect that respects no boundaries oon waxba xeerinayn. I agree with Jacaylbaro and others assessment on alshabaab. Extremism begets extremism. The other night, as I was listening their press release I could not even underst and the terms they were using to describe their opponents. They've become so radicalized they will do anything to exact their vengeance on the poor, innocent Somalis. Ilaahay sharkooda dadka haka qabto.

Upon hearing the awful news of the huge explosion that killed dozens of young, aspirant students and their parents in Mogadishu, I could not help but ask the question: what would one achieve in killing so many young souls causing so much anguish and sorrow for the survivors? Even if considered from purely military standpoint, I still could not find a satisfactory answer. I listened alshabaab spokesperson press release. I put up with the apparent cruelty and utter disregard to the lives lost in that press statement of his just to understand why alshabaab did it. Still, the read out of the statement ended without giving me the slightest rationale as to why would an organization that aspires to rule Somalia one day resort to such a mass killing of innocent Somalis. Surely the religious principles in whose cause alshabaab fight and die does not condone such an evil act. So in the face of bewildering alshabaab actions and the contradictions it presents to its political manifesto, which is Islamic in nature, I pose the question to the gallery: why would they do it? To filter out frivolous answers, assume that alshabaab is a serious organization whose actions are intended to meet tactical or strategic goals. Assume that alshabaab does not act impulsively but rather in a calculated fashion and out of some sort of a plan.

Zack, waagaan ciyaal xamarka ahayn , canbe wax kalaan u kasaynay. Ask Che

This by far is the most heinous act of terrorism alshabaab carried so far. No respect for religion , humanity or even rules of engagement.

Somaliland waa maaweelada caruurta, maalin walba waxaad ka yaabto bay kuu sheegayaan

Ilaahay intii dhimatay ha u naxariisto, faraj kheyr qabana alaha u furo umadda Soomaaliyeed. Ilaahow aamin.

LOL@Prof Abtigii Sheekada wanku waa sheeko hore. Shaydaan reer ka xabadda mesagada ha ku darsaday bay la mid noqon hadday sidaan ku wadaan. Shariif nimanka waxooda ha u celiyo

^^Waryaa Professoorka afkaaga xunka ah ka duw! Prof. Abtigiis, are you back yet or still in Mogadishu awoowe?

Yes in the limited sight of Carafaat xiinfaniin is 'Gabaldaye'.