Regretfully, that (Ina yeey) vile hate-consumed warlord has been crowned as our president. Even people who are little bit acquainted with him recognize his passion and appetite for creating clan animosities. This spiteful speech unquestionably reveals how he is devoid of integrity and civility.

Groupthink* Groupthink is the mode of thinking people engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant that it overrides any realistic appraisals of alternative courses of action. Thus, groupthink involves nondeliberate suppression of critical thinking as a result of internalization of the group's norms. Symptoms of Groupthink Victims of groupthink 1. Share an illusion of invulnerability. That illusion provides a degree of reassurance about obvious dangers and leads them to become overly optimistic and willing to take extraordinary risks in the face of clear danger. 2. Believe unquestioningly in the inherent morality of their in-group. That belief inclines the members to ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions. 3. Collectively construct rationalizations in order to discount warnings and other forms of negative feedback that might otherwise lead the group to reconsider its assumptions each time that it recommits themselves to past decisions. 4. Hold stereotyped views of “enemy groups.†Those “enemies†are thought to be so weak, unitelligent , or evil that any attempts at negotiating differences with them are unwarranted. 5. Exercise self-censorship by avoiding deviation from what appears to be group consensus. They keep silent about their misgivings and minimize to themselves the importance of their doubts. 6. Apply direct pressure to any individual who expresses doubts about any of the group's shared illusions. Likewise, they pressure anyone who questions the validity of the arguments favored by the majority. 7. Appoint themselves asmind guardsto protect the leader and fellow members from adverse information that might break the complacency they share about the effectiveness and morality of decisions. 8. Share an illusion of unanimity within the group concerning judgments expressed by members who speak in favor of the majority view. Solutions to Groupthink Recommendations for preventing groupthink include the following suggestions: 1. Assign the role of critical evaluator to each member. Encourage the group to give high priority to openly airing concerns, objections,and doubts. 2. Adopt an impartial stance instead of stating preferences and expectations at the beginning. This will encourage open inquiry and impartial probing of a wide range of alternatives. 3. Set up outside groups to work on the same issues or questions. Each should deliberate under a different leader. This can prevent the insulation of an in-group. 4. Require each member to discuss the group's deliberations with associates in his or her own unit of the organization and then report the reactions to the group. 5. Invite one or more outside experts to each meeting/discussion on a staggered basis and encourage the experts to challenge the views of the core members. 6. Assign at least one person the role ofdevil's advocate . Ensure that at least one person challenges the majority position. 7. Survey of all warning signals from rivals. Develop alternative scenariosthat are based on the rivals' intentions. 8. Divide the group into two or more subgroups to meet separately under different leaders.then,come back together to openly discuss and resolve differences. 9. After reaching a preliminary consensus about what seems to be the best policy or decision, the group should hold a second-chance meeting/discussion at which every member expresses as vividly as possible all residual doubts. Rethink the entire issue before making a definitive choice. ________________ * Source: Adapted from Timmons, K. (Writer & Director). (1995). Groupthink . (Available from CRM Films, 2215 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008).

20. Abdulkadir Ali Abdi (Xurka) ( USA )-Xuurka is a shadowy mistrustful and clannish con-artist from Columbus, OHIO. He is good of collecting and embezzling "Qaaraan" from naive Hiiraan folks. If this dupe is an intellectual, then I am a super genius. then there is the chubby pretender Ciid Bedel of Ottawa being part of the IGAD fact finding mission! what a travesty!! this is a divine comedy in the making!

Somalia peace talks in Kampala today By Kakaire A. Kirunda & Agencies Mar 7, 2005 KAMPALA - The Inter -Governmental Authority on Development defence ministers are expected to meet in Kampala today to discuss the deployment of peacekeepers in Somalia. According to the weekend's edition of South Africa's Sunday Times and agencies, the Igad defence ministers and senior military officials will review the findings of an expert-level fact-finding trip to Somalia to prepare a report on the mission. Quoting the Permanent Secretary of Uganda's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Julius Onen, reports indicated that the defence chiefs are to prepare a situational analysis and come up with the number of troops needed for the mission, its budget and other logistics. Onen said the talks would set the stage for a meeting of Igad foreign ministers on the issue of Somalia to be held on March 16 and 17 in Nairobi. Plans by Igad member states (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda) to send peacekeepers follow authorisation from the AU to help the country's new transitional government get traction in Mogadishu when it eventually relocates from exile in Nairobi. Onen said the defence ministers would discuss rejection by influential Somali warlords of troops from Djibouti and Ethiopia but "that threat will not stop the mission because the region is ready to deploy troops in Somalia." Uganda’s troops are ready but in a recent interview, the Director of the International Crisis Group's Horn of Africa Project, Mr Matt Bryden told the Voice Of America radio that the issue (troop deployment) would be divisive and inflammatory. "Members of the Cabinet, the parliament and the Somali public have got deeply opposing views," he said. © 2005 The Monitor Publications.

maybe i didn't get it....did he say that a group of ISRAAC members - are advocating for the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia? and approached him to endorse thier misguided call - what a shame?! but then this is a statement on their site - confusing indeed!! can anyone help me decode this puzzle.. a whizz kid needed here! check Ali Khalif's interview - http://www.markacadeey.com/radiomarkacadeey/radio_marka.asp?src_table=http://www.radiomarka.com/wareysi_cali_khaliif_20050305.rm He admits being part of the group but later withdraw from endorsing their position. what a bluff! Columbus – ISRAAC, The Pan-Somali Council for Peace and Democracy is the largest organization for Somali professionals and intellectuals. The primary goal of ISRAACA is to search for peaceful mechanisms for ending the protracted Somali civil war in a negotiated settlement. The Council condemns in the strongest terms the African Union’s Peace and Security Council decision that authorizes Somalia’s hostile neighbours to send their troops to Somalia. Therefore, we categorically reject sending Ethiopian or Kenyan troops to Somalia for the following reasons: 1. Historically, these two countries, particularly Ethiopia, have had hostile relations with the Somali nation and its people. Ethiopia was one of the colonial countries which participated in the partitioning of Somalia. Currently, both Ethiopia and Kenya control Somali regions. Since Ethiopia and Kenya annexed Somali territories in the past, there is no guarantee they have no ulterior designs on the Republic of Somalia today. 2. Ethiopia has been a principal party to the Somali conflict for a long time. It has armed and supported its proxy warlords. The Security Council’s Expert Panel Report on Somalia (S/2003/223) confirms that Ethiopia has been sending weapons to Somalia. Ethiopia has also invaded Somali border towns on numerous occasions. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, Ethiopia has been the chief obstacle to the formation of a Somali national government free and independent of Ethiopian hegemony. The Pan-Somali Council for Peace and Democracy urges the international community to consider sending neutral peacekeepers from countries outside the region only under the following conditions: a) The Somali people must have a say on which countries are allowed to participate; b) The United Nations must lead the mission; c) The operation must be limited in scope and have a clear mandate; d) Disarmament, if part of the mandate, must be applied fairly across the entire country; e) Forces from bordering states must not be included at all; f) Peacekeeping troops should be educated on Islamic morals and values, and screened for communicable diseases, such as AIDS; g) All major Somali groups must accept the arrangement by which foreign troops are to operate; h) Peacekeeping troops should not engage in any activity that can jeopardize the reconciliation spirit. The Pan-Somali Council for Peace and Democracy calls upon Somali organizations and individuals in North America, Europe and anywhere in the world to take an active role in the fate of Somalia; to globally raise the profile of this issue; to advocate for a peaceful political engagement; and to restore credibility of the Somali nation. To this end, we should contact our Senators, Congressmen/women, Members of Parliament (MPs) and peace lovers in the world over to inform them as well as enlist their assistance in order to save Somalia from Ethiopian occupation. Finally, we emphasize that, should Ethiopian troops enter Somalia, it might lead to a renewed full-scale civil war among Somali clans or it might result a direct military confrontation between Somali groups and the Ethiopian forces. The Board of Directors, Zainab Hassan, Chair of the Board For Information, please send your e-mails to contact@israac.net Title: Waa in Dalalka Deriska Aysan ka Mid Noqon Ciidamada Nabad-Ilaalinta -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Columbus – ISRAACA, Ururka Pan-Somali Council for Peace and Democracy (ISRAACA) wuxuu si kulul u canbaaraynayaa go’aankii uu Golaha Ammaanka iyo Nabadda ee Ururka Midowga Afrika ugu oggolaaday dowladaha Soomaaliya ay colaaddu kala dhexeyso inay ciidamo u diraan Soomaaliya. Waxaan ka soo horjeednaa in ciidamada Itoobiya iyo Kenya loo diro Soomaaliya sababaha soo socda dartood: 1. Labadan dal, gaar ahaan Itoobiya, waxaa kala dhexeeya Soomaaliya colaad soo jireen ah. Itoobiya waxay ka mid tahay dalalkii guemeystayaasha ahaa ee Soomaaliya u qeybiyey shanta waaxood. Itoobiya iyo Kenya waxay heystaan dhul Soomaaliyeed. Maaddaama ay hore u maroorsadeed dhul Soomaaliyeed, ma jirto maanta wax damaanad qaadaya inaysan ujeeddooyin gurracan oo dal-ballaarsi ah ka lahayn Soomaaliya. 2. Itoobiya waxay gacan weyn ku laheyd dagaallada sokeeye muddo dheer. Waxay hubeysay qabqablayaasha dagaalka ee ay iyadu taageerto. Warbixin uu soo Golaha Ammaanku ee Qaramada Midoobay (S/2003/223) ayaa ka marqaati kacaysa in Itoobiya ay hub u *** jirtay Soomaaliya. Sidoo kale, Itoobiya waxay marar badan qabsatay gobollo iyo magaalooyin Soomaaliyeed. Ugu danbeyntii, Itoobiya waxay ahayd caqabadda ugu weyn ee is-hortaagtay in la sameeyo dowlad iyada ka madax-bannaan. Taas waxaa caddeynaya sidii ay u fashilisay heshiisyadii hore. Waxaan ugu baaqaynaa bulshaa caalamka inay ka fekeraan sidii loogu diri lahaa Soomaaliya ciidan dhexdhexaad ah oo nabadda ilaaliya oo aysan ku jirin dalalka deriska ah. Waa in la tixgeliyo shuruudaha hoos ku qoran: a) Waa in Soomaalidu talo ku leeyihiin dalalka ka qeybqaadanaya; b) Waa in Qaramada Midoobay ay hoggaamiso; c) Waa in hawl-galka noocani uu kooban yahay, islamarkaasna la wada ogyahay soohdintiisa; d) Haddii hub-ka-dhigis la samaynayo waa in si siman dalka oo dhan hubka looga dhigo; e) Waa inaysan dowladaha safka hore ka mid noqon ciidamada; f) Waa in ciidamada tagaya Soomaaliya la baro qiyamka Islaamka, islamarkaasna laga baaro cudurrada fuda sida AIDS-ka; g) Waa in kooxaha Soomaalida oo dhami ay aqbalaan qorshaha lagu geynayo ciidamada; h) Waa inaysan ciidamadu ku kicin wax dhibaato u keeni kara hannaan dib-u-heshisiinta. Ururka ISAACU wuxuu ugu baaqayaa ururrada iyo shaqsiyaadka Soomaaliyeed ee ku sugan Waqooyiga America, Yurub iyo meelaha kalaba inay door weyn ka qaataan halganka ay ummadda Soomaaliyeed ugu jirto sugidda aayatiinkeeda. Waa inay isku dayaan in qaddiyadda Soomaalida caalamka la fahamsiiyo. Sidaa darteed, Ururka ISRAACU wuxuu ku boorinayaa in lala xiriiro siyaasiyiinta iyo bulshada nabadda jecel ee dal kasta oo ay Soomaalidu u haajirtay si looga badbaadiyo Itoobiya dhulka Soomaalida. Ugu danbeyntii, waxaan ku baaqeynaa mar kale inaan ciidamo Itoobiya leedahay aysan Soomaaliya gelin. Haddii ay taasi dhacdo, waxaa suurtagal ah in dagaalkii sokeeye uu mar kale billowdo ama dagaal toos ah uu dhexmaro Itoobiya iyo kooxo Soomaaliyeed. The Board of Directors, Zainab Hassan, chair For Information, please send your e-mails to contact@israac.net here is israaca site: http://www.israac.org/default.asp

JULIUS NYRERE - MY IDOL - THUS THE NAME - SOMALISIZED - we had Siad Barre then - the thoughtless ruthless dictator and the so called " macalinka kacaanka" revolutionary teacher " aabihii ummadda" father of the nation - who started this mess and fire and whose progeny and protégés, i.e the warlords, the corrupt government officers , the unrepentant so called privileged elite, loitering and lurking in exile, here in the alien lands of the west and the illiterate clannish elders and their ilk ( still corrupting and contaminating younger generations with their divisive clannish creed- example the forum flooders , the dukes and company ) are the ones who destroyed our nation and still competing for its final demise - i have read this article first on the best selling book - everything you know is wrong which was a follow up to the other best selling book: you are being lied to. you could google the tittle or the authors of this article - also you could visit different leftist and progressive site. there are so many literature on the net about globalization, WTO, WB, IMF. i like to read those writers who advocate for global justice and whose agendas are de-globalization, anti-war, anti-racism, women's liberation, third world nationalism, debt relief, and so on. google these writers and institutions and you will have a rich literature about the subject: Tariq Ali, Tom Paine, Greg Palast, S. Amin, M. Barlow, Walden Bello, Patrick Bond, Marylou Malig, Naom Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Arundhati Roy, J. Singh, V. Shiva, Gore Vidal, Jayish Gosh, Edward Said, sungur savran, boris kagaristky, the reformed arianna huffington ( i like her accent ) , jim hightower ( america's #1 populist) and many others i can't recall now - i am suffering amnesia - and going blank here . also check these sites: www.zmag.com, www.corpwatch.org, www.50years.org, nadir.org, www.wsfindia.org, www.foodfirst.org, www.globalexchange.org, www.indymedia.org, www.pacifica.org, www.commondreams.org www.twnside.org.sg. you could also check other prespective from these sites of these liberal organization and think tanks: Carnegie, Ford and Rockefeller foundations, world economic forum council of foreign relations, brooking institute - ) read articles by Joseph Stiglitz (ex WB Chief, Nobel Prize winner in Economics and author of Globalizarion and its discontent) , K. Naidoo, Paul Krugman, W. Mathai - one of my favorite books about related subject is Barrier to Riches co-authored by Stephen Parente, Edward Prescott ( U of M professor and Nobel Prize Winner. you don't have to buy this book - it is available on the net as pdf file - google the tittle as pdf or better, i will give the link : http://research.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/sr/sr236.pdf i guess that is enough resources ( though biased and left leaning ) for snapshots of different views about the subject - get the globalization reader book by FRANK J LECHNER and JOHN BOLI - it has essays by such writers as Samuel P. Huntington( clahs of civilisation ), Jagdish N. Bhagwati( in defense of globalization ) Benjamin Barber ( Jihad and Macworld ) and finally Mr. MURAAD here is the link you requested - by the way, i am international relations and business buff and enthusiast- http://www.alluvium.com/~denizen/stuff-of-note/Sell%20The%20Lexus%20-%20Burn%20the%20Olive%20Tree.pdf http://www.gregpalast.com/index.cfm

BURN THE OLIVE TREE, SELL THE LEXUS by Greg Palast and Oliver Shykles Globalization is really neat. Just ask Thomas Friedman. He has a column in the New York Times and he wrote a big, fat best-selling book, "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" which explains it all to us - the marvels of the New Globalization Order. Now right there in my Lexus book it says that in this brave new world we will all have internet-enabled cell phones which will allow us to trade Amazon.com stock and, at the very same time, we can talk to Eskimos. The really exciting part is we will all be able to do this from our bedrooms in our pajamas. When he's not in his pajamas Friedman is in fact one of gaggle of happy-go-lucky globalizers running around chirruping the virtues of globalization in its current form. He lays out, on a level of detail never seen before, the ability of globalization to democratize three key areas: technology, finance, and information. He argues that everyone his global New World Order will have access to the all the technology, finance and information they need to live healthy and happy lives. And so when I finished reading his book I thought to myself, “Wow! This is a future I want to be a part of.†Just imagine, every village from the Andes to Shaker Heights will be connected, empowered and enabled and that's one heck of a future. I want this and I want it now. But hold on a minute ... I just picked up the paper and it said that 100,000 people massed in Genoa to protest against the G8: that is the eight largest industrial nations driving forward globalization. And 10 months before 20,000 people had gathered in Prague to demonstrate against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund: two of the key international agencies driving free trade expansion, a guiding force behind globalization. So what the heck is wrong with these protestors, don't they understand? Haven't they heard about the Eskimos? Don't they understand economics? As the Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair, explains, "The protests and people who indulge in the protests are completely misguided. World Trade is good for peoples' jobs and peoples' living standards", "These protests are a complete outrage." But, you have to forgive youth it's lack of sophistication. They obviously haven't read the Gospel of Globalization according to Thomas, nor their daily scripture, the New York Times The answers were first became widely known as “Thatcherism†in Britain and “Reaganomics†in the US and then later as “The Washington Consensusâ€. As Friedman puts it, "The Golden Straightjacket first began to be stitched together [...] by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. That Thatcherite coat was soon reinforced by Ronald Reagan." In fact, it's a very lucky thing that global capitalism happens to be such a good system because as far as Friedman is concerned it's now the only one left. Socialism, communism and fascism have all gone kaput, "The Cold War had the Mao suit, the Nehru jackets, the Russian fur. Globalization has only the Golden Straightjacket." And so all that's left in our closet is Friedman's golden straightjacket but it's okay because, as Friedman puts it, "the tighter you wear it the more gold it produces." So strap yourselves in! Everyone still breathing okay? Then I'll continue. So there are no dissenters now, we all agree, we're all wearing the same straightjacket. As Friedman explains on page 106 of his book, it was all democratic, we all got to take part in the debate. And I thought about this and I remembered that we did have a choice, Friedman was right. We had our choice of George W. Thatcher, Reagan Clinton Bush or Al Thatcher Reagan Gore. You see, there's no room in the golden straightjacket for anyone who doesn't agree. And as Friedman himself admits, "it is increasingly difficult these days to find any real difference between ruling and opposition parties in those countries that have put on the Golden Straightjacket ... be they led by Democrats or Republicans, Conservatives or Labourites, Christian Democrats or Social Democrats." So just when I was getting sized up for my own straightjacket, and boy was I excited, I read that there were riots in Ecuador. And I remember thinking to myself, “Oh my, why are they in the streets?†There are people in the streets and there are tanks too. And I thought to myself, “Perhaps the Internet is down, perhaps they're trying to unload their Amazon.com stock which is dropping like crazy. They can't log on. It's all jammed up. I mean, the future's on hold here. Will someone please call AOL.†But it turned out that these people were on the streets, facing down the tanks because the price of cooking gas had just been raised by 60%. This is odd because at the time the world was in a glut of fuel and oil prices were way down. Ecuador was a member of OPEC, it has more gas than it knows what to do with. It's drowning in oil. That's one of the reasons why Ecuador was in financial trouble. So who would be bonkers enough as to raise the price of cooking gas and create all that needless suffering? The people on the streets claimed that this was a requirement placed upon Ecuador by the World Bank. Now I didn't believe this for a second; Reagan and Thatcher gave us the answers 20 years ago and there was nothing about cooking gas. But then I showed up at my office and while I was quietly sipping my coffee and leafing through the paper a pile of documents flew in through the window. Right on the front of one of them it said "restricted distribution" and "it may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization." It was a "confidential", for eyes only, document. I couldn't resist the temptation so pretend you never saw what I'm about to reveal to you - when you've finished, rip out this chapter and eat it right up. So I opened up the document. It was called The Ecuador Interim Country Assistance Strategy. I read this strategy and it included a schedule for raising the price of cooking gas. Now, they used to call these things “Structural Assistance Plans†but oops, they got a bad name, so like all the best PR firms, they did the right thing and changed the name. Now they're know as "Poverty Reduction Strategies ". Nothing like a little whitewash to keep people quiet. But the people of Ecuador weren't keeping quiet, so I read on ... Along with the forced hike in cooking gas prices the World Bank required the elimination of 26,000 government jobs. Other poverty reduction strategies included a cut in pensions and a cut in real wages nationwide, by half no less, all this through World Bank directed macroeconomic manipulation. Part of the plan included the handing over of a license for a trans-Andes pipeline controlled by British Petroleum. I wasn't sure; perhaps I had become confused. Maybe they meant that the poverty reduction program was a poverty reduction program for British Petroleum. In all, the World Bank and IMF helpfully “suggested†167 strategies as part of its loan package. But Ecuador was broke, that's why it had asked for the World Bank's help in the first place. It desperately needed the wampum, so desperately in fact that it had no choice but to accept these strategies. I shall, therefore, refer to these “strategies†as conditions, which is what they are, loan conditions. No ifs, no buts, sign on the line thank-you very much. Oddly I didn't read about Structural Assistance Plans or the 167 conditionalities for Ecuador in my Lexus nor in the Times. But just hold on a moment, what happened to democratic finance? Thomas Friedman, our new apostle, said that anyone can obtain finance capital now, it's all democratic. Hey, he said, even David Bowie can issue bonds (to the tune of $55 million no less). Maybe Ecuador's problem was that it didn't have a rock star to co-sign with them. But there's a bigger problem here, these conditions weren't just put together especially for Ecuador. Any country in crisis receiving a loan package from the World Bank gets a neat little set of conditions along with their loans, 111 on average. Now you'd think that if they were doing all these wonderful things to reduce poverty they would want to shout it from the rooftops. Hey, perhaps they're just modest. In fact, talk about modesty - did you know they even found a cure for AIDS? Yes indeed, I kid you not. But before I tell you how they did it you first have to understand all the conditions, all the little nuggets that can be found in the pockets of our golden straightjackets. So let's enumerate them just as Thomas Friedman does on page 105 of his book. Okay, privatization is number one. Second is deregulation: you've got to get rid of all those dull bureaucrats and their thick rule books, you know they just get in the way of things. Next is free trade: drop the borders between people and all the nice things they want. Four, free up the capital markets, let capital flow in order to generate business and jobs worldwide. Five, support those international agencies which enforce our new international order - the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and let's not forget the good ol' World Trade Organization. In other words don't dye your hair green and go into the streets of Seattle and break the windows in a Starbucks. And finally: you must look for a market-based solution. Remember, that's the one that gives you the “win-win†situation. Now, I can tell you that it's with the market based solution that they found a cure for AIDS in Tanzania. Now in Tanzania the silly things used to give away health care. Can you believe it? So what World Bank said was, “You've got to stop being so scatterbrained and start charging for medical careâ€, “You've got a health care crisis and you've got to cure it with our market based solutionâ€. In a nation with 1.4 million people with HIV/AIDS that means a lot of visits to the hospital. So when you start charging those people to visit the hospital they stop coming. In Dar Es Salaam the number of hospital visits dropped by 53%. That's quite a cure and I don't think anyone could beat that. Now, globalization has many other “success†stories. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher took the electricity system and she privatized and deregulated it. Electricity used to cheaper in Britain than in the US but now consumers pay 70% more per unit than their American counterparts. The same process was applied to the gas system and the charges shot up to a level some 60% higher than in the US where some type of regulation still exists. Water in the US is still mostly a publicly owned system but the British, still not satisfied with the privatization and deregulation of the gas and electricity industries, went about the same process with the water industry. Now the happily straightjacketed folks there pay 250% more than we do in the US. So tickled were they with their clever programs of privatization and deregulation they decided to spread the good news. The system spread, via a World Bank loan condition, to Brazil. There the electricity industry was targeted and the Rio Light Company of Rio de Janeiro was taken out of public hands. The new British, French and American owners came along and said, “Just look, look at this bloated and inefficient company and its huge payrollâ€. So they immediately set to work making it lean and mean. And mean it was: they knocked off 40% of the workforce. But there was a problem; the workers knew where the transformers were. So the lights in Rio de Janeiro started flickering and Rio Light is now know as Rio Dark. But that was not all, for a flickering light system the people of Rio de Janeiro got to pay double what they had paid prior to privatization. But don't panic; it's not all doom and gloom. There was a huge increase in profits. So after the failed attempt at privatization in Brazil they said, “well, let's try it again, we'll do it right this time. We'll go to Indiaâ€. And that failed, so they went to Pakistan: the attempt there became one of the reasons why they had a military coup. So they went to Chile and that didn't work there either. So they said, “Let's try, one more desperate time. We'll go to a place that understands the future. We'll go to California and they'll get it, they'll be able to deal with deregulation. They'll get the wonderful effects of reductions due to the miracles of the markets. There'll be competition and prices in California, which are too high, will plummet.†In fact when the Californian legislature voted to de-regulate the price of electricity, they even changed the law to the effect that prices would fall 20%. Yet, year on year prices rose in the wholesale market in California. Actually in one year they rose 380%. So faced with a terrible problem in California they went to Cleveland instead. While I was in Cleveland to debate Thomas Friedman I got a letter from my friendly-faced hotelier. It read: “Dear Guest, due to the current energy issue, a surcharge is being applied nightly to all guest accounts'. We'll I'll tell you it's not an “energy issueâ€. It's a crisis. And it's not a crisis of energy; it's a crisis of globalization. It's a crisis of a plan that never seems to work. I used to work as an advisor with the utility commission of Ohio, amongst others, and we were thinking about what to do about the billions spent on nuclear plants and other wasteful projects that went nowhere. That was in the 1980s, in the bad old days before de-regulation, so the answer we came up with was simple: you put a cap on the price. You just put a cap on it. You regulate in the public's interest. But little did I know that we should have looked for the market-based solution. I am now reading Paul Krugman. Now he is the guy that appears in the New York Times with Thomas Friedman. So there it was, Friedman the globalizer and Krugman the globalizer and they agree with each other. Krugman says, “I know the solution to bring down the prices of supplies: what we should do is remove all caps and allow electricity prices to rise.†And I said, “Wow!†I didn't think of it; that's really deep. If you want the prices to go down you raise them. And I thought about that. It's like a one hand clapping thing. I have to confess I didn't understand it at all. I said, “This is beyond me. I had better go to one of the gurus of globalization. I mean one of the inventors of market-based solutions. You know: the top banana.†So I went to Cambridge University with my camera crew from BBC. And I sat down, for several hours, with the man himself; the voice of globalization, Professor Joseph Stiglitz. Now Stiglitz was the chief economist of the World Bank. The guy who wrote some of these plans and conditions. The guy who came up with these market based solutions. And so I said, “You've gotta answer this for me. I'm really losing it, Professor Stiglitz. To cut electricity prices you raise the prices. To cure AIDS, you raise the price of medicine. To stop the hemorrhage of capital in Ecuador, you remove capital controls on the export of capital. I don't get it.†And so he explained it to me sort of like this, “You see, in the Middle Ages, they used to put leeches on people’s bodies when they were ill and they would get sicker and sicker. And you know what they would say? They would say, “You know what? You know what's wrong? There's still blood.†So they would apply more leeches. And that's how the globalisation program works. You just keep applying leeches and if a little deregulation seems to be making the system sick what you need is more deregulation to try to cure the system.†And I said, “You know what? You don't sound like you're wearing your straightjacket.†And he replied, "Well I'm not, not anymore". Despite the fact that there's supposedly no dissent, he was dissenting; and this is the guy who conceived the system. So I asked him “What happened here then?â€, and he said, “Well, you know, economics is a science. It's a dismal science, but it's a science. And you know what the problem with globalization and the program of privatizations, deregulation, liberalisation of capital markets are? They don't work.†And he told me to take a look at Latin America in the period 1960 to 1980. In the Dark Ages in which they had all kind of government regulations, controls, quasi-socialist economies and government intervention, Latin America's per capita income grew by 73%. The same went for Africa; its per-capita income grew by 34%. But it was "inefficient" and we thought we could do better with free-market solutions. And so it began in 1980, with the International Monetary Fund and then the World Bank, sending out structural assistance programs with loan conditions. They said, if we're going to give you money, you've got to change your economy. Then came the economic miracle. Latin America, in the next 20 years in its straightjacket, went from 73% growth per capita income to just about nothing: 6%. Africa, which had grown at a pokey 34% during those 20 years, has since dropped by 23%. The privatization program became what Professor Stiglitz called the “briberization†program. What happened was that privatization became the means to sell off the country to bandits who then had no reason to operate businesses so instead they just sold off the assets. And that's what happened in Russia and there it resulted in a depression. I said to him, “You sound like a bitter man. Did it work for anyone, is it all doom and gloom?†He said, “Oh no, you look at the numbers for Asia; the World Bank always talks about how well Asia did. That's because of China and the tremendous growth it experienced.†And I asked him what China's trick was and he replied, “They didn't listen to us!†China said, “We're not privatising; we're not liberalizing. Worry, keep your straightjacket.†I asked him if there were any other good stories. He said, “Yeah, Botswana.†“So what did they do?†I asked. He said - no points for guessing - Botswana, it turns out, also said “Forget it.†Botswana was the one nation in Africa that refused the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's help. So it had all gone bad. The protesters were going to be out in the streets this week and there were protests going on in Ecuador. In fact, when we talk about protests we think about Seattle and Genoa and the claims that all these white college kids are just out there because they don't know what to do with themselves, and because they just don't understand economics. But what you didn't hear about was the 400 protests that took place in the Third World in 1999 alone. There they understand exactly what's going on. But how come we never hear about these demonstrations on our televisions or in our newspapers? Well, it's because Thomas Friedman the globalizer, on the political left, writing in The New York Times, agrees with Milton Friedman the globalizer, on the political right. And the opinion in The Times matches the opinion in the Washington Post, which matches the Financial Times which matches ABC, NBC, BBC and CBC and any other mainstream media outlet you care to mention. And so it would seem that everyone agrees now. That is everyone who is doing quite well, thank you very much, out of globalization and out of the suffering of billions of people. They are not going to tell you about suffering on the streets in the First World and the Third World caused by the undemocratic international agencies and our supposedly democratically elected governments (the idea of democracy is based on a choice - a real choice, not a choice between globalistas and globalistas). They won't tell you that this system is a mess because it is not in their best interests to do so. Currently the wealth of the world's 475 billionaires is greater than the combined income of the poorest half of humanity. But Friedman still wants to assure us that, "The answer is free-market capitalism. Other systems may be able to distribute and divide income more efficiently and equitably, but none can generate income to distribute as efficiently as free-market capitalism." I'm sure that the poorest half of humanity feels much better now Mr Friedman, thank you. But there was nothing wrong with the international control of trade when the World Bank - that is the World Bank that John Maynard Keynes devised - came along and rebuilt the nations that had been flattened by World War II. The International Monetary Fund also helped by correcting the imbalance of trade that resulted from changes in commodity prices. But things changed in 1980 when we all climbed into our golden straightjackets with Thatcher, Reagan and Milton Friedman. The agencies were taken over by the Free-Market Believers who had plans for structural adjustment, globalizing and economies free of government. “So where did we go wrong?†I asked myself. In my pile of confidential papers I found a General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) from the secretariat of the World Trade Organization. You're not supposed to see this either, but what the heck. This document contains a discussion of something called the "necessity test" and it tells you the real plan behind the several "democracies" Friedman says are the gift of globalization. The “Necessity Test' appears within GATS article 6.4. Now I know this has nothing to do with trading stock in your pajamas, but this is what globalisation is really about. This is the plan for the establishment of a panel which will vet national laws and regulations. What this innocuous looking article means is that only those regulations of a nation which are "least burdensome" to business for "legitimate policy purposes" are allowed. Legitimate policy purposes? But I thought that's what nations had Congresses and Parliaments for: it is for Congress and Parliament to decide what is legitimate and what is not. A "necessity test" already exists in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); this will be expanded in the FTAA and this is why there were people in the streets in Quebec in April 2001. So what happened under NAFTA with this "Necessity Test"? Well, there's an interesting story here: it's the story of the case of Metalclad, a US based company who wanted to build a toxic dump in Mexico. It was one of the new breed of globalizers following the advice of Larry Summers, who said that the Third World is under polluted from an economic point of view. Summers is the guy who was US secretary of the Treasury and Stiglitz's predecessor at the World Bank, so he must know what he's talking about. He was also the guy who demanded that Stiglitz be fired for dissent. (So now there cannot be any dissenting, because we all agree, right? There is no dissent now, because if you dissent your head is cut off and put on a spike on L Street, Washington. But I digress) So Metalclad wanted to put a toxic dump into a central Mexican state, on top of an aquifer, no less. And Mexico said, “You know, we have our rules. You can't put a toxic dump above our water supply.†And Metalclad said, “Have you read NAFTA?†And so Metalclad took Mexico to court under the NAFTA "Necessity Test" rules. But the NAFTA disputes panel is not like the courts as you know them, where things are open. The NAFTA disputes panel is secret, closed to the public. So Metalclad made their case and it turned out that Mexico was being "trade restrictive". So not only did Mexico get a toxic waste dump right on top of their aquifer but they also received a bill for millions of dollars for delaying the toxic dumping. But it's not just Mexico that has experienced the full force of NAFTA, California now faces a bill for $976 million as punishment for not changing its anti-pollution laws. The trade restrictive hooligans there wanted to stop a Canadian company from selling them their toxic gasoline additive. But I just couldn't get Ecuador off my mind so I went back to Stiglitz and asked him about how those pesky folks got into financial trouble in the first place. He told me the International Monetary Fund and World Bank years ago forced Ecuador to liberalize its capital markets, remove all restrictions on ownership of bonds on the movement of money across borders. This way, capital can easily flow in and flow out. But the capital flowed out and it flowed out. So the IMF said, my god, you gotta get that money back, start raising interest rates! So Ecuador raised their rates 10 ... 20 ... 30 ... 40 ... 50 ... 60 ... 70 ... 80 ... 90%. But that caused the economy to go into the tank. Then the World Bank said “Well you can't raise interest rates anymore, so start selling everything that isn't nailed down.†And when that money was used up to pay creditors the bank ordered a price rise on items like cooking gas. Yet despite the World Bank's success, some people didn't want to put on their golden straightjackets. In 2000 there was a protest in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It was a protest against the privatization and deregulation of the local water company and it was led by the local Archbishop and a union leader named Oscar Olivera. The privatization and deregulation was part of the World Bank's cure because Cochabamba had problems; only 35% of the people there had good drinking water. So of course the World Bank said we have an idea: let's privatize the water company. And so they passed Cochbamba's problems to Bechtel, an American company, and International Water of London because they will know what to do, they will apply a market-based solution. And they did: they raised the price of water. That's why there were people on the streets. Hugo Banzar, who used to be Bolivia's dictator but who had now become president, sent in the tanks. And then I got this note which told me that two days later a 17 year-old, Hugo Daza, had been killed, shot through the face. A friend of mine, who knows his family, told me that he was just in town to run an errand for his mother. In the protests that ensued four more people were shot dead. Jim Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, was asked about the incident a couple of days later. He said, “The riots in Bolivia, I am pleased to say, are quieting down'. He then went on to warn the Bolivians that they had better start paying their water bills. A year later the protesters won, and the price of water dropped. But then it started creeping up again. Then I got another note telling me that Oscar Olivera and the Archbishop, head of the human rights committee, had led another peaceful protest. The authorities had responded by sending in close to 1,000 heavily armed members of the Bolivian security forces to disperse the peaceful marchers with tear gas, beating them and confiscating their personal possessions. Oscar Olivera went missing. It turned out that he had been detained by the authorities, an action which contravened Bolivian law: Article 7 of the Bolivian constitution guarantees citizens the right to protest and the freedom to meet and associate for legal ends. I understand now why Thomas Friedman, despite talking at length about the democratization of technology, of finance and of information, only once mentions the democratization of democracy and it's right there on page 167 where Friedman proudly explains democracy IMF-style: "It's one dollar, one vote." I've gotta go now, I gotta get my cell phone, get in my pajamas and tell those Eskimos what's really goin' on.

Somali Intellectuals without Borders†or "Somali Intellectual Mercenaries without Border. “ March 4, 2005 This article is a response to an article, which earlier appeared in Hiiraan online recently. The article in question was written and undersigned by a group calling themselves “ Somali Intellectuals without Bordersâ€. However, given the message that their article is carrying they better called themselves“Somali Intellectual Mercenaries without Border. This is because the content and the intention of their article was a very suspicious and questionable, as they were asking our noble parliament with a mixture of intimidation to vote for the intervention of our historical enemy (Ethiopian) forces into our soil. These enemy forces will undoubtedly offend and sacrileges our precious and sanctity faith our God given nature and resources. The --- such groups are calling has without the shadow of a doubt a long and short term hidden and undeclared territorial and maritime ambitions. As illustrated by this group, calling themselves “Somali Intellectual without Borders†are on the campaign and side of our enemy’s patronage so-called president (Abdullahi Yusuf). Additionally, most signatories of this group are well-known personalities who hail from Abdullahi Yusuf’s clan, except few negligible and insignificant individuals whom I believe have not signed but being used their names without their consent or under the duress of promise of political position or economic material reasons. Moreover, most of these undersigned personalities are well-known figures whose faith is not as strong as those opposing the enemy imposition. To the knowledge of many Somalis, these individuals are under the payroll of foreign enemies and the –patronage Abdullahi Yusuf. To the bewilderment of many noble Somalis, this group have discarded their beloved faith, pride of their nation/country’s sovereignty and they share the hatred of those who carry Prophet’s (peace be upon him) message such as culima, religious madrass and the custodians of our historical heritages. Above all this group hate and displeasure towards ****** clan whom they see as the defender of the faith, custodian of our country’s sovereignty and nation’s pride. The bulk of this group who call themselves “Somali Intellectual without Borders†are those who are either promised to be given the lion share of our country’s bureaucratic institutions, if their man-Abdullahi Yusuf succeeds to bring in foreign troops-preferable our historical enemy (Ethiopia) or they are already in position their posts of power but they are blocked by those campaigning against the arrival of foreign troops. This group are under the instruction to lobby their man-Abduulahi Yusuf internationally and nationally, to convince the rest of the world to accept the =-- occupation as the only route that Somalia can be stable and join international club of states. They also believe if they succeed in their mission, they will dominate or take it over our country’s resources, political direction through foreign collaboration and alliances. I and many others who share with my belief that such above mentioned groups are recipe for the future destruction of our beloved country’s sovereignty, and they are campaigning the road map and ways of how our country could fell into the hands of our historical enemy and its tutelages or patronages under the name of intellectual mercenaries. We should stand up for the defence of our country with pens, blood, verbal and material wealth and all other means that we can gather for assistance, otherwise our beloved country’s sovereignty, faith and nationally territorial integrity is in its greatest danger and jeopardy since our independence. Finally, I urge our noble and faithful members of parliaments to reject the idea of bringing or allowing foreign troops notably from Ethiopia and other like-minded nations into our country soil. Under our recently constituted constitution and power sharing Charter; the remaining obstacle of our country’s return to peaceful and statehood provision can be achieved through a well-thought and a sensitive process of reconciliation, forgiveness and give and take manner rather than externally imposed foreign domination and dictatorial manner. Our members of parliaments are under oath to preserve their neutrality, protection of our nation, and to be guardian and the guarntatorers of our constitution. They are not obliged to hand over or make our country under dictatorship rule or foreign football ground, as above-mentioned pseudo groups are lobbing. As I indicated, the above-mentioned group-under the pseudo name of “Somali Intellectual without Borders†has hidden agendas, and they are in alliance with our historical enemy and its proxy and well-known Ethiopian patro Cumer Kulmiye

This chronicle of opposing letters is like watching a suspense movie – plots and actions unfolding before our own eyes – the Somali farcical saga and comedy continues

and the credible one: Letter to the Somali leaders To: His Excellency Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, President of the Republic To: Honorable Ali Mohamed Ghedi, Prime Minister To: Honorable Sharif Hassan Aden, President of Transitional Federal Assembly To: the Honorable members of the Transitional Federal Assembly We, concerned Somali citizens from all walks of life, share with our people the aspiration for a timely re-establishment of peace and stability in our country and fully support the outcome of the national reconciliation conference in Nairobi, Kenya and the faithful implementation of the accords concluded. We are grateful for the support and the commitment of the United Nations Organization, the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the IGAD to the Somali peace process. However, we are deeply alarmed by the initiative of the government to invite foreign troops including contingents from the frontline states, especially Ethiopia , and the subsequent decision of the African Union Peace and Security Commission to authorize their deployment without the consent of the transitional federal assembly. The reason of our concern is based on the well known fact that some of these frontline states, particularly the latter, have been in conflict with Somalia for a long time, without concluding any settlement so far and have for the past fourteen years pursued a hostile policy to keep the civil war simmering by supporting with arms and funds some factions against others and working for the balkanization of the country. Honorable leaders: We find the decision to include frontline states contingents in any eventual peacekeeping mission in Somalia perilous for the national interest of an independent and sovereign Somalia and extremely counterproductive for the fragile reconciliation process initiated in Nairobi . In fact the history of the modern world is replete with examples of forces from neighboring countries, who were vicariously invited by local politicians, and who would not leave even after their missions were accomplished. A pertinent current example unfolding these days is the issue of the Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon , who are resisting the call of the Security Council of the U. N. to withdraw. The injection of troops from frontline states into Somalia, particularly Ethiopia, is counterproductive for the fragile peace laboriously reached at after two years of negotiations, because most of the Somali people will not perceive them as neutral forces, who came in the country with a peacemaking mandate; on the contrary they will be perceived as forces of occupation and aggression who came to pursue the imperial design of Menelik, as outlined in his circular letter to the European powers. If you invited them to disarm the factions, they will do it selectively. Instead of disarming all the factions, they will rearm some, and disarm others, as they have been doing up to now; instead of calming animosity, they will fuel it, and instead of stabilizing the country, they will destabilize it In the end they will unravel the very government that invited them. There is serious chance that the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia might provoke armed resistance against them and ignite armed confrontation among Somali factions. For the reasons outlined above we appeal to all the members of the Somali government and to the deputies of the transitional federal parliament to reject the inclusion of frontline states troops in any military support or peacekeeping mission to be eventually deployed in Somalia and stop this dreadful plan. At the same time we want to clarify that we are not opposed for the government to pursue a policy of good neighborly relations with all the neighboring countries, based on the mutual respect of the sovereignty, the territorial integrity and non interference in the internal affairs of each state. RECOMMENDATIONS : 1) In order to consolidate the results of the NRC we advise to pursue the goal of national reconciliation above everything else. Considering the current political condition, you should seek to move the nation from its conflict posture to brotherly accommodation. At present, we are far from this essential goal. Therefore, any action that can excite popular passion should be avoided by the leaders. 2) The president of the republic, the prime minister, the president of the assembly the ministers and the deputies must act and operate within their institutional role as defined by the charter. 3) Initiate at once the elaboration of a national security plan to be approved by the council of ministers, debated and approved by the parliament. In this context the modality of re-establishment of the national police force, the army must be debated and defined. The role of the militias of the factions and of the regions must be negotiated and defined pending the commissioning and deployment of the national police and the national army. Disarmament, decommissioning and rehabilitation issues of the militias in a national context must be defined. Particular responsibility lies on the shoulders of the faction leaders, especially those in the Capital, for the maintenance of the security until the national police force is operational. The composition, mandate, role, rule of engagement of the envisaged IGAD, A.U., Arab League or U.N. peacekeeping mission must be clarified by the parliament. 4) We consider Mogadishu 's security, being the capital of the country, as preeminent for the functioning of the federal transitional government. Attaining security in Mogadishu only fully consolidates the Mbagathi accords and is an essential step for implementing the outcomes aiming at restoring government and national unity in Somalia . We encourage you to come up with a carefully crafted plan endorsed by the parliament in securing the nations capital. 5) The invitation of foreign troops should be considered as only one option, however the mandate of any such foreign troops should be limited to: (a) the protection of the members of the new government and its facilities, (b) the training of regionally balanced Somali forces for the future. However, the disarming and the decommissioning of local militia should be carried out voluntarily and on the bases of agreements reached between the Somali factions all over the country. 6) We note with emphasis President Ismail O. Ghelle of Djibouti 's statement regarding the position of Ethiopia on deploying troops to Somalia and we welcome its careful understanding of the sensitivities surrounding the issue and the cautious position it has taken in this regard during the IGAD summit deliberations on this matter. 7) We welcome the agreement reached by Mogadishu area faction leaders to voluntarily remove their militias out of the capital city to pave the way for the arrival of the new government. We hope that you will welcome this new development and work out the details in the parliament. 8) We ask the government leaders and the members of parliament to find a lasting solution to their squabbles. They should heed the wishes of the Somali people and the international community to tow the common purpose of peace and stability. The institutions cannot accomplish much if the personalities representing them are distrustful of each other. Signed by: Concerned Somali citizens : 01. Abdullahi Ahmed Addow, Former Minister and Former Ambassador ( USA ) 02. Ali Khalif Gallaydh, Former Prime Minister ( USA ) 03. Abdulkadir Aden Abdulle, Former Minister ( USA ) 04. Mohamed Ali Nur, Former Minister, MD ( USA ) 05. Nur Haji Omar, Former Minister ( USA ) 06. Sheikh Mohamed Omar Garyare, Muslim Scholar ( CANADA ) 07. Mohamud Hassan Nur, Professor. ( USA ) 08. Ali Nur Mohamed, Associate Professor ( USA ) 09. Hassan Omar Mahadalle, Associate Professor ( USA ) 10. Abdirashid A. Elmi, Ph.D. ( CANADA ) 11. Ahmad Rashid Hanafi, Educator ( CANADA ) 12. Abdinur Sheikh Mohamed, Ph.D. ( USA ) 13. Abukar Dahir Osman “Baalle†( USA ) 14. Abukar A. Arman ( USA ) 15. Said Mohamud Shire “Suugan†( USA ) 16. Said Ahmed Salah ( USA ) 17. Abdurahman Sheikh Isse, ( CANADA ) 18. Abucar Aden Abdulle, MD ( USA ) 19. Nur Elmi Osman, Former Director, Somali Red Crescent Society ( USA ) 20. Abdi Idle Shuriye, Former Director of Dept., Ministry of Commerce ( USA ) 21. Abdi Ali Malin, Former Director General, Juba Valley Ministry ( USA ) 22. Abdirahman Abdullahi M. “Badiyow†( CANADA ) 23. Ali Mohamed Omar ( USA ) 24. Mire Ali Siyad, MD ( USA ) 25. Hassan Mohamed Sabriye ( USA ) 26. Hassan Mohamed Omar ( SWEDEN ) 27. Abdurahman Mohamed Ahmed, Veterinary Doctor ( USA ) 28. Ahmed Ali Ulussow ( USA ) 29. Mohamed Abdullah Gabeyre ( USA ) 30. Abdulkadir Yalahow Hirabe ( USA ) 31. Osman Mohamed Ahmed Dhegacadde ( USA ) 32. Ahmed Mohamed Mahadalle ( USA ) 33. Abdulqadir Ahmed Fiqi ( USA ) 34 Abdurahman Ali Mohamed ( USA ) 35. Ahmedweli Hilowle Mohamed ( USA ) 36. Guled Artan, Ph.D. ( USA ) 37. Hayle Ali Wardheere ( USA ) 38. Ibrahim Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed ( USA ) 39. Sadia KhalifAden ( USA ) 40. Faduma Mohamud Hassan ( USA ) 41. Mohamed Yusuf Afrah ( USA ) 42. Ahmed Mohamud Warsheikh ( UK ) 43. Ahmed Moallim Ibrahim 44. Nur Ahmed Mohamed 45. Abdurahman A. Roble 46. Mohamud Sheikh Ahmed, MD 47. Afyare Abdi Elmi ( CANADA ) 48. Abdalla Hirad ( USA ) 49. Fartuun Mohamed Hassan ( USA ) 50. Abdalla Mohamed Hassan ( USA ) 51. Mohamud Ali Gaildon ( USA ) 52. Mohamed Ali Ebar (( HOLLAND ) 53. Abdullahi Hassan Mahdi, Phd. ( CANADA ) 54. Ahmed Ali Kheyre ( HOLLAND ) 55. Mohamed Abdi Mohamed “Gacmacadde†( USA ) 56. Mumin Abdi Barre ( USA ) 57. Sharif Mohamed Stilla ( UK ) 58. Mohamud Mohamed Diriye ( USA ) 59. Mohamud Yusuf Garre ( UK ) 60. Abukar Caddaani ( UK ) 61.Mohamud Hussen Khalif ( SAUDI ARABIA ) 62.Bedel Abdi Diriye ( USA ) 63.Hussen Khalif Jama ( Saudi Arabia ) 64.Mohamud Mohamed Yahye “ “ 65.Said Aden Abdulle ( Saudi Arabia ) Media contact person: Prof. Ali Nur Mohamed: E-mail: somalipatriots@hotmail.com

and the rebuttal... March 04, 2005 - 01:55 In Response to: Somali Intellectuals Without Borders Sir* Reading the recent letter released by this disingenuous group calling itself �Somali Intellectuals Without Borders, who should better be called by their rightful name and occupation �Traitors of Somalia Without Borders� has really made me see not only the sickness, but the entrenched nature of clannish prejudice, and dare I say, hatred currently pervading the electronic media. This group claims that they represent �Somali Intellectuals�, but which sane Somali� let alone a grouping of intellectuals� would knowing write, with knowledge of the role that the Ethiopian regime has and continues to play illegally� in the devastation and bloodshed in Somalia (exporting lethal weapons and killing Somali civilians) that bringing its troops �a indictable and hostile act of treason itself�would serve in the best and long term interests of the Somali nation! These men are not only blinded by their ignorance and self-serving false consciousness, but they are totally out of sync with the reality of the world and of Somalis! Not only do the vast majority of the Somali people oppose the invasion of their country by the hostile Ethiopian regime under the guise of �peacekeeping�, but they continuously protest the infringement of their sovereignty by that country. According to this modern day charlatans and fictitious scholars legalizing Ethiopian occupation and infringement on Somalia and Somali affairs- would not only end the current relationship based on �clan� with Ethiopian regime, but will also make it an all Somali-Ethiopian relationship, in other words, what they are saying is not only would Ethiopia, once allowed into Somalia proper, reconcile its domination and control beyond those select clans/warlords to all other resisting Somali communities, but that it will stop Ethiopia from doing its �mischief� once inside ! The preposterousness of such a claim need not even be weighted, but I want to ask this simple question to these so called �scholar-charlatans�: �Why would Ethiopia, already under international scrutiny for its chronic and illegal infringement on the UN Arms Embargo on Somalia, who you acknowledge; albeit lackadaisically �� may take its own political interests into account even when it is engaging in the Somali peace process�,--which by the way does not justify its illegal military incursions and operations onto Somali soil, contravening article 2(4) of the UN Charter- stop its �Mischief�� once rubber stamped into the country?� The fact of the matter is Ethiopia�s interference and specially the heinous manner in which it has wholeheartedly embraced its role as �primary accomplice along with the Warlords� for the continual genocide and lawlessness that is occurring in Somalia, is not a country that is interested in any stretch of the imagination (including the vast majority of Somalis) of cultivating a �stable� and �peaceful� Somalia. Excuse me for saying this, but what are we on the same planet, because it sure doesn�t seem like it! Despite the efforts of such malignant and deluded individuals as yourselves, abusing and mudding the Somali name and of intellectuals by aligning so outlandshingly with the criminal Ethiopian regime�not to mentioned having in your ranks such disgraced politicians and individuals as Ali Khalif Galaydh, the two of the most clannish and anti-Islam ( not to mention anti-reconciliation and peace) men as Ali Bahar and Mohamud Siyad Togane exposes you for what you are! in spite of what you may think, everyone in the International Community knows about Ethiopia, particularly the fact that it has not shied away from every opportunity in instilling strife between Somali clans and sending bountiful lethal arms; empowering like minded criminal Warlords including quite recently their chief patron, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, to dump toxic waste upon Somalia�s north-eastern shores and stifle the popular will of not only ordinary godfearing Somalis in general, but of his clansmen who voted him out of office in 2002; a nation whose deliberate actions have been so diametrically opposed to the revival of Somali statehood and nationalism; should today be accorded in your writing the role of �peacekeeper �in Somalia is not only a pathetic farce, but an insult to every literate Somali! One in which no one will ever accept! The people of Mogadishu, like all decent Somalis all over the world, welcome the return of inclusive �constitutional� governance. However, they in no way will welcome nor be a party to the re-colonization and a dictatorship of their country by hostile Ethiopian regime and proxy warlord- in any form or fashion whatsoever! And I�m afraid if you SIWB or Warlord Abduallahi Yusuf thinks the days of blatant force and foreign beseeching will work in Somalia like it did among his northern eastern clan fiedom, he and you are sadly mistaken! The International Community has made its decision regarding Ethiopian forces crystal clear and they did that in 1945 with the founding of the union of independent states, the United Nations, whose Charter, specifically article 2(1) and (4) of states: " The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.� and �All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." So until Somalia and its sovereignty is totally abolished by International decree of law, it stands as an internationally recognized sovereign state whose borders and internal affairs must be left alone and be respected, which are inviolable to none but its own citizenry! And despite the treacherous actions of the few, the vast majority of patriotic Somalis have voiced in the tens of thousand that they do not want �Ethiopian Occupation of Somalia,� they do not WANT SOMALIA WITHOUT BORDERS and Nothing that a warlord parliament or president or phony charlatans like yourselves write from exile will change that! Mohamed Aden Garre Salem, Oregon USA adengarre@yahoo.com

here is the sham letter. The Issue of Deploying Peace Enhancing Troops in Troubled Somalia For Immediate Release March 2, 2005 A NATION UNDER SEIGE AND A GLIMMER OF HOPE: The Defenders of the Status Quo versus the WILL of the Majority of the Somali Public. Mr. Speaker and honorable Parliamentarians, it is very likely that the Executive Branch of your government, the President and the Prime minister, will soon bring a motion before you, asking you to authorize the deployment of IGAD peace enhancing forces that will protect the institutions of the fledging government and that will also train a proposed Somali army that will participate in the disarmament of all of the Somali militia in all regions. We, the under-signed, a collective of Somali intellectuals and concerned Somali citizens who hail from all regions of Somalia pray for you during your deliberations of this most difficult and historical task at this juncture of heightened sensitivity in our society. We also stress upon you that when you exercise your vote, that you do so in conformity with your conscience, bearing in mind that you have been sworn to your office and position to place the welfare of the Somali citizens before any other interest. Because of the prevailing anarchy and lawlessness, our country is today a prime haven for terrorists, pirates, international toxic waste dumpers and war profiteering enterprises masquerading as legitimate businesses; business enterprises that do not pay taxes, that use the national infrastructure such as ports, airports, highways and hospitals and yet do not pay for these services to any national authority, that do not care about the environment or human rights and that thrive in an atmosphere of bullying and thuggery. We understand that some Mogadishu politicians and the Mogadishu-based Islamic Courts have voiced their opposition to the deployment of the proposed IGAD Peace enhancing forces on the grounds that Ethiopia , a member of IGAD and a possible contributor to the proposed forces, has a hidden agenda to colonize Somalia . Mr. Speaker and honorable members of Parliament, this spurious argument should not emotionally sway you because it is an argument that has neither logic nor substance. We remind you that these born-again nationalists were at one time or another, client rebels of Ethiopia and that they owe their current economic as well as political power to Ethiopia . And they are not alone because most clan-based militias have at one time or another benefited from Ethiopian patronage and tutelage. It begs then, why Ethiopia was good enough for these men back then and it is decidedly bad now. That is one question that you, honorable members, should satisfy yourselves with before you cast your vote. In the eyes of most Somalis, these Warlords are using Ethiopia as an escape goat to achieve their political agenda, which is to keep the country hostage. The public will not be swayed by their cheap maneuvers and their current behavior amounts to a classic case of shedding crocodile tears. We are certain that even if the Ethiopia were excluded from the process, these professional warlords will erect another road block (Isbaaro) on the road to peace and normalcy. Honorable members, a second question that you should ponder upon while casting your vote is, why in the past 14 years, besides chopping the hands of poor and vulnerable individuals in Mogadishu, the Islamic courts have not stood up for the poor and the vulnerable and challenged the warmongers in some pockets of Mogadishu, or why they have failed to organize rallies to address the issues of disarmament and peace in Mogadishu in the past. Yes, it is primarily Mogadishu which is the sticking point because on February 26, 2004, the IGAD fact finding mission, which is presently touring the country, has presented a preliminary report to President Yusuf and Prime Minister Geedi to the effect that the majority of the Somalis that they have encountered in many localities of Somalia have signaled an overwhelming support for the proposed peace enhancing forces, with or without the so-called front line states, which presumably includes Ethiopia. It is our considered opinion that these groups and others are fudging the issue and that they are using Ethiopia 's involvement in the proposed peace enhancing forces as a ruse in order to derail the completion of the peace process and the pressing agendas of the fledging Transitional Federal Government. We are not unmindful of the fact that Ethiopia may take its own political interests into account even when it is engaging in the Somali peace process. Any student of international relations, politics or the logic of History knows that countries must place their political interests before any other country and it must be expected that Ethiopia would do so. A stable and peaceful Somalia with a Central Government is, indeed, in the interest of all neighboring countries, including Ethiopia . However , you, as the legislators of Somalia should be concerned with taking the interests of your country into account when you cast your vote. These are some profound questions that you should reflect upon on the Ethiopian question: Honorable members, given the fact that most Somali clan-based militias have or have had some sort of client-master relationships with Ethiopia, including those who are now vocally opposing its involvement in the proposed IGAD forces, would it not be a better idea if we dealt with Ethiopia on a government-to-government basis, instead of clan-Ethiopia relationship as the current arrangements are. If your government invites Ethiopia into the process in a clear vote that is transparent to the whole world and under strict UN and AU-guaranteed conditions, then Ethiopia cannot continue the mischief that is attributed to her, because it will be subject to the spotlight of the international scrutiny. During your deliberation, we hope you also take into account the following: The word “ Somalia †has entered into the contemporary political lexicon as the quintessential Failed State , and for a very good reason. Our country is teeming with weapons and the Somali population is held hostage by those strong enough to own or carry weapons and who keep them in perpetual fear, poverty and in some areas serfdom. Somalia also ranks among the very lowest countries in the world on the UNDP's Human Development Index (HDI), ranking below Sierra Leone which ranks at the very lowest bottom of the HDI ladder. The mortality rate for children under five exceeds 25%; average life expectancy is estimated at 41-43 years, adult literacy rate ranges between 14-17%; primary school enrolment is 13-16%; and GNP/capita is between US $176-200. Moreover, a United Nations' environmental report released in recent days indicates that nuclear and hazardous wastes including uranium, radioactive waste, heavy metals (lead, cadmium and mercury); industrial wastes, hospital wastes, and chemical wastes dumped into Somalia's shores for the last 20 years had been scattered by the recent Asian tsunami into the inland and are now infecting Somalis in coastal areas. Unless an immediate clean up and remedial action is launched, this environmental disaster is tantamount to a ticking bomb that may explode at any time, thus adversely affecting the health and well being of all Somalis for years to come. Honorable members, you have a choice between succumbing to the pressures of the guardians of the anarchic status quo or answering the call of your government for positive change towards peace and stability. History will remember you either as those men and women who saved their nation from the chaos and lawlessness or those who failed to grasp a golden opportunity and sentenced their fellow country men to an uncertain future and a life of misery and suffering. It is your choice. Please do the right thing; and pass this important motion in the interest of the Somali citizens. Signatories No. Name (Country) 1. Dr. Ali Said Faqi ( USA ) 2. Ahmed Jama Hamud (Canada) 3 Abdurahman Hosh Jibri (Canada) 4. Abdulkadir Abo (Canada) 5. Catherine Michael Mariano (Canada) 6. Ms Anod Mohamed (USA) 7. Ali Bahar (USA) 8. Prof. Mohamud Siyad Togane (Canada) 9. Faisal Roble (USA) 10. Abdirizak Omar Mohamed (Canada) 11 Prof. Abdihamid Haji Mohamed (The Netherlands) 12. Prof. Abdulqadir Ismail Abdi (UK) 13. Abdiaziz Abukar Osman (USA) 14. Mohamud Dhafuuje (Canada) 15. Malaq Mukhtar Mohamed Aden (USA) 16. Col. Abdi Daad Osman (Canada) 17. Dr. Abdirashid Mohmed Shire (USA) 18. Bashir Gardaad (Canada) 19. Omar Sidow Omar (USA) 20. Abdulkadir Ali Abdi (Xurka) ( USA ) 21. Avv. Abdullahi Dirie Jama ( USA ) 22 Pilot Ahmed Elmi Gure ( Canada ) 23. Mohamed Muhidin Omar ( USA ) 24. Abdulkadir Nur Abo ( USA ) 25. Aden Omar Abokor ( USA ) 26. Prof. Mohamed Siyad Togane ( Canada ) 27.. Abdisalaam Haji Mohamud Dhere ( UK ) 28. Dr. Abdi Greek ( UK ) 29. Said Ahmed Salah ( USA ) 30. Suldan Said Faqi ( USA ) 31. Col. Hassan Salah Naji ( Canada ) 32. Col. Abdullahi Hussein Abdi Xayyi ( USA ) 33 Ali Abdulkadir Mumin ( USA ) 34 Bashi Hosh Jibril (Canada) 35 Ali Alio' Mohamed ( USA ) 36 Ms. Sadia Mohamed Dirie ( USA ) 37 Shekh Mumin Shabab ( USA ) 38 Ms. Rowda Moallin ( USA) 39 Abucar Abubakar (Australia) For media enquires and comments, please email: Somali Intellectuals Without Borders (SIWB) intellectualsomali@yahoo.com

Recently the typical clan-oriented Somali sites posted a manifestation letter written by a self-styled group of Somali intellectuals urging Somali members of the parliament to support the warlord president’s attempts to summon the enemy troops of Ethiopia into the Somali peninsula. Among the recognizable names of the signatories of this letter were the former prime minister of Arta, Ali Khalif ( later his name was taken out and excluded ) and some of the Somali Diaspora buffoons and charlatans such as Togane and Xoosh. A lot of people immediately pointed that the letter was a fraud and that such a group doesn’t exist. No one have ever heard of any formation of Somali intellectuals without borders. It turns out that this deceptive letter was fabricated by some one in Boston (Shasna Media watch, the fanatical illusory cohorts of Ina Yeey) The travesty of the message of this sham letter and the political view of some its signatories are obviously very inconsistent. There was also a rebuttal letter posted by awdalnews.com and now we have another letter circulating by some honorable Somalis with an opposing message and astoundingly Ali Khalif is one of the signatories this time too. however, the new letter carries a familiar point of view and sounds legitimate and credible. Here it is: Letter to the Somali leaders To: His Excellency Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, President of the Republic To: Honorable Ali Mohamed Ghedi, Prime Minister To: Honorable Sharif Hassan Aden, President of Transitional Federal Assembly To: the Honorable members of the Transitional Federal Assembly We, concerned Somali citizens from all walks of life, share with our people the aspiration for a timely re-establishment of peace and stability in our country and fully support the outcome of the national reconciliation conference in Nairobi, Kenya and the faithful implementation of the accords concluded. We are grateful for the support and the commitment of the United Nations Organization, the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the IGAD to the Somali peace process. However, we are deeply alarmed by the initiative of the government to invite foreign troops including contingents from the frontline states, especially Ethiopia , and the subsequent decision of the African Union Peace and Security Commission to authorize their deployment without the consent of the transitional federal assembly. The reason of our concern is based on the well known fact that some of these frontline states, particularly the latter, have been in conflict with Somalia for a long time, without concluding any settlement so far and have for the past fourteen years pursued a hostile policy to keep the civil war simmering by supporting with arms and funds some factions against others and working for the balkanization of the country. Honorable leaders: We find the decision to include frontline states contingents in any eventual peacekeeping mission in Somalia perilous for the national interest of an independent and sovereign Somalia and extremely counterproductive for the fragile reconciliation process initiated in Nairobi . In fact the history of the modern world is replete with examples of forces from neighboring countries, who were vicariously invited by local politicians, and who would not leave even after their missions were accomplished. A pertinent current example unfolding these days is the issue of the Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon , who are resisting the call of the Security Council of the U. N. to withdraw. The injection of troops from frontline states into Somalia, particularly Ethiopia, is counterproductive for the fragile peace laboriously reached at after two years of negotiations, because most of the Somali people will not perceive them as neutral forces, who came in the country with a peacemaking mandate; on the contrary they will be perceived as forces of occupation and aggression who came to pursue the imperial design of Menelik, as outlined in his circular letter to the European powers. If you invited them to disarm the factions, they will do it selectively. Instead of disarming all the factions, they will rearm some, and disarm others, as they have been doing up to now; instead of calming animosity, they will fuel it, and instead of stabilizing the country, they will destabilize it In the end they will unravel the very government that invited them. There is serious chance that the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia might provoke armed resistance against them and ignite armed confrontation among Somali factions. For the reasons outlined above we appeal to all the members of the Somali government and to the deputies of the transitional federal parliament to reject the inclusion of frontline states troops in any military support or peacekeeping mission to be eventually deployed in Somalia and stop this dreadful plan. At the same time we want to clarify that we are not opposed for the government to pursue a policy of good neighborly relations with all the neighboring countries, based on the mutual respect of the sovereignty, the territorial integrity and non interference in the internal affairs of each state. RECOMMENDATIONS : 1) In order to consolidate the results of the NRC we advise to pursue the goal of national reconciliation above everything else. Considering the current political condition, you should seek to move the nation from its conflict posture to brotherly accommodation. At present, we are far from this essential goal. Therefore, any action that can excite popular passion should be avoided by the leaders. 2) The president of the republic, the prime minister, the president of the assembly the ministers and the deputies must act and operate within their institutional role as defined by the charter. 3) Initiate at once the elaboration of a national security plan to be approved by the council of ministers, debated and approved by the parliament. In this context the modality of re-establishment of the national police force, the army must be debated and defined. The role of the militias of the factions and of the regions must be negotiated and defined pending the commissioning and deployment of the national police and the national army. Disarmament, decommissioning and rehabilitation issues of the militias in a national context must be defined. Particular responsibility lies on the shoulders of the faction leaders, especially those in the Capital, for the maintenance of the security until the national police force is operational. The composition, mandate, role, rule of engagement of the envisaged IGAD, A.U., Arab League or U.N. peacekeeping mission must be clarified by the parliament. 4) We consider Mogadishu 's security, being the capital of the country, as preeminent for the functioning of the federal transitional government. Attaining security in Mogadishu only fully consolidates the Mbagathi accords and is an essential step for implementing the outcomes aiming at restoring government and national unity in Somalia . We encourage you to come up with a carefully crafted plan endorsed by the parliament in securing the nations capital. 5) The invitation of foreign troops should be considered as only one option, however the mandate of any such foreign troops should be limited to: (a) the protection of the members of the new government and its facilities, (b) the training of regionally balanced Somali forces for the future. However, the disarming and the decommissioning of local militia should be carried out voluntarily and on the bases of agreements reached between the Somali factions all over the country. 6) We note with emphasis President Ismail O. Ghelle of Djibouti 's statement regarding the position of Ethiopia on deploying troops to Somalia and we welcome its careful understanding of the sensitivities surrounding the issue and the cautious position it has taken in this regard during the IGAD summit deliberations on this matter. 7) We welcome the agreement reached by Mogadishu area faction leaders to voluntarily remove their militias out of the capital city to pave the way for the arrival of the new government. We hope that you will welcome this new development and work out the details in the parliament. 8) We ask the government leaders and the members of parliament to find a lasting solution to their squabbles. They should heed the wishes of the Somali people and the international community to tow the common purpose of peace and stability. The institutions cannot accomplish much if the personalities representing them are distrustful of each other. Signed by: Concerned Somali citizens : 01. Abdullahi Ahmed Addow, Former Minister and Former Ambassador ( USA ) 02. Ali Khalif Gallaydh, Former Prime Minister ( USA ) 03. Abdulkadir Aden Abdulle, Former Minister ( USA ) 04. Mohamed Ali Nur, Former Minister, MD ( USA ) 05. Nur Haji Omar, Former Minister ( USA ) 06. Sheikh Mohamed Omar Garyare, Muslim Scholar ( CANADA ) 07. Mohamud Hassan Nur, Professor. ( USA ) 08. Ali Nur Mohamed, Associate Professor ( USA ) 09. Hassan Omar Mahadalle, Associate Professor ( USA ) 10. Abdirashid A. Elmi, Ph.D. ( CANADA ) 11. Ahmad Rashid Hanafi, Educator ( CANADA ) 12. Abdinur Sheikh Mohamed, Ph.D. ( USA ) 13. Abukar Dahir Osman “Baalle†( USA ) 14. Abukar A. Arman ( USA ) 15. Said Mohamud Shire “Suugan†( USA ) 16. Said Ahmed Salah ( USA ) 17. Abdurahman Sheikh Isse, ( CANADA ) 18. Abucar Aden Abdulle, MD ( USA ) 19. Nur Elmi Osman, Former Director, Somali Red Crescent Society ( USA ) 20. Abdi Idle Shuriye, Former Director of Dept., Ministry of Commerce ( USA ) 21. Abdi Ali Malin, Former Director General, Juba Valley Ministry ( USA ) 22. Abdirahman Abdullahi M. “Badiyow†( CANADA ) 23. Ali Mohamed Omar ( USA ) 24. Mire Ali Siyad, MD ( USA ) 25. Hassan Mohamed Sabriye ( USA ) 26. Hassan Mohamed Omar ( SWEDEN ) 27. Abdurahman Mohamed Ahmed, Veterinary Doctor ( USA ) 28. Ahmed Ali Ulussow ( USA ) 29. Mohamed Abdullah Gabeyre ( USA ) 30. Abdulkadir Yalahow Hirabe ( USA ) 31. Osman Mohamed Ahmed Dhegacadde ( USA ) 32. Ahmed Mohamed Mahadalle ( USA ) 33. Abdulqadir Ahmed Fiqi ( USA ) 34 Abdurahman Ali Mohamed ( USA ) 35. Ahmedweli Hilowle Mohamed ( USA ) 36. Guled Artan, Ph.D. ( USA ) 37. Hayle Ali Wardheere ( USA ) 38. Ibrahim Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed ( USA ) 39. Sadia KhalifAden ( USA ) 40. Faduma Mohamud Hassan ( USA ) 41. Mohamed Yusuf Afrah ( USA ) 42. Ahmed Mohamud Warsheikh ( UK ) 43. Ahmed Moallim Ibrahim 44. Nur Ahmed Mohamed 45. Abdurahman A. Roble 46. Mohamud Sheikh Ahmed, MD 47. Afyare Abdi Elmi ( CANADA ) 48. Abdalla Hirad ( USA ) 49. Fartuun Mohamed Hassan ( USA ) 50. Abdalla Mohamed Hassan ( USA ) 51. Mohamud Ali Gaildon ( USA ) 52. Mohamed Ali Ebar (( HOLLAND ) 53. Abdullahi Hassan Mahdi, Phd. ( CANADA ) 54. Ahmed Ali Kheyre ( HOLLAND ) 55. Mohamed Abdi Mohamed “Gacmacadde†( USA ) 56. Mumin Abdi Barre ( USA ) 57. Sharif Mohamed Stilla ( UK ) 58. Mohamud Mohamed Diriye ( USA ) 59. Mohamud Yusuf Garre ( UK ) 60. Abukar Caddaani ( UK ) 61.Mohamud Hussen Khalif ( SAUDI ARABIA ) 62.Bedel Abdi Diriye ( USA ) 63.Hussen Khalif Jama ( Saudi Arabia ) 64.Mohamud Mohamed Yahye “ “ 65.Said Aden Abdulle ( Saudi Arabia ) Media contact person: Prof. Ali Nur Mohamed: E-mail: somalipatriots@hotmail.com

- trekking to Guban to Mareeg to qoryo to qansax - - i see some stash - http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/GC03Dj02.html SPEAKING FREELY The oil factor in Bush's 'war on tyranny' By F William Engdahl [..] Sudan, as noted, has become a major oil supplier to China, whose national oil company has invested more than US$3 billion since 1999 building oil pipelines from southern Sudan to the Red Sea port. The coincidence of this fact with the escalating concern in Washington about genocide and humanitarian disaster in oil-rich Darfur in southern Sudan is not lost on Beijing. China threatened a United Nations veto against any intervention against Sudan. The first act of a re-elected Dick Cheney late last year was to fill his vice-presidential jet with UN Security Council members to fly to Nairobi to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, an eerie reminder of defense secretary Cheney's "humanitarian" concern over Somalia in 1991. Washington's choice of Somalia and Yemen is a matched pair, as a look at a Middle East/Horn of Africa map will confirm. Yemen sits at the oil-transit chokepoint of Bab el-Mandap, the narrow point controlling oil flow from the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. Yemen also has oil, although no one yet knows just how much. It could be huge. A US firm, Hunt Oil Co, is pumping 200,000 barrels a day from there but that is likely only the tip of the find. Yemen fits nicely as an "emerging target" with the other target nearby, Somalia. "Yes, Virginia," the 1992 Somalia military action by George Herbert Walker Bush, which gave the US a bloody nose, was in fact about oil too. Little known was the fact that the humanitarian intervention by 20,000 US troops ordered by father Bush in Somalia had little to do with the purported famine relief for starving Somalis. It had a lot to do with the fact that four major US oil companies, led by Bush's friends at Conoco of Houston, Texas, and including Amoco (now BP), Condi Rice's Chevron, and Phillips, all held huge oil-exploration concessions in Somalia. The deals had been made with the former "pro-Washington" tyrannical and corrupt regime of Mohamed Siad Barre. Siad Barre was inconveniently deposed just as Conoco reportedly hit black gold with nine exploratory wells, confirmed by World Bank geologists. US Somalia envoy Robert B Oakley, a veteran of the US mujahideen project in Afghanistan in the 1980s, almost blew the US game when, during the height of the civil war in Mogadishu in 1992, he moved his quarters on to the Conoco compound for safety. A new US cleansing of Somali "tyranny" would open the door for these US oil companies to map and develop the possibly huge oil potential in Somalia. Yemen and Somalia are two flanks of the same geological configuration, which holds large potential petroleum deposits, as well as being the flanks of the oil chokepoint from the Red Sea. [..]

my two cents on this!... http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/42977.htm - definitely this buys me a time to re-group and re-tort...to a subdual proclivity of ..... - to attend to some negelcted vocation of mine... Movies!!! palsy passion! - out of the fiddle-faddle family fued ! http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/42977.htm Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC March 3, 2005 Somalia: Restoration of Governance The United States values the leadership of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and the African Union in establishing the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. The United States strongly supports the establishment of a functioning central government in Somalia capable of bringing the Somali people out of this long period of civil conflict and addressing the international community’s concerns regarding terrorism. The Transitional Federal Government is now at a crossroads. We urge the Transitional Federal Government to quickly address the challenging tasks of relocating to Somalia and beginning a gradual process of establishing effective governance. The Transitional Federal Government can only establish legitimacy within Somalia through a process of peace and reconciliation, not through force of arms. The Transitional Federal Government can only succeed with the full support of the Somali people through the establishment of national administration and provision of services to the Somali people. We hope the Transitional Federal Government will reach out to all Somalis, religious or secular in orientation, who disavow the use of violence. The United States shares the concerns of the international community and many Somalis regarding the introduction of foreign troops into Somalia. The African Union and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development would likely play an important role in a peace support mission for Somalia at the appropriate time. Such a mission, however, must be carefully evaluated and have the support of the Somali people. In order to support this process, all nations must honor the United Nations arms embargo for Somalia. Somalia’s neighbors have legitimate national interests that are best protected by the successful establishment of a stable and effective central government in Somalia; however, any external force should exclude troops from those countries. To include troops from neighboring countries at this time could pose an insurmountable obstacle to the Transitional Federal Government’s ability to gain the support and trust of the Somali people due to the perception within Somalia that some neighboring countries may be biased towards one or more elements of the Transitional Federal Government. We urge all Somalis involved in the creation of a new Somali government to focus on the needs of the Somali people while respecting the peace, governance and security that exists in areas not currently participating in the reconciliation process. We hope all Somali participants will continue their efforts towards the reestablishment of effective governance in Somalia through a sustained process of reconciliation and dialogue. It is in the interest of the international community to support the establishment of regional stability and the peaceful return of governance to Somalia. ### 2005/278

Forget about this frenzied analysis of future events and worst-case scenario proceedings; Think of what is at stake? And think of what this thuggish and factional warlord president with the aid of the "useful i.d.i.o.t.s " of Jowhar and his docile and untried PM had already brought into the theatre of Somali disunity and distrust. Bro, Mark my word, as a reluctant Somali partisan ( for the time being ); we will, inadvertently, all(regardless of what clan you hail from) wind up being caught on the long awaited second civil war that will, for good, end the antagonistic fantasies of some Somali circles. and to melez and his collaborating cronies, all we got for them is 'bring it on' for I am confident that the belligerent militants of the "Presumably Alienated" prevailing folks of Mogadishu and surroundings are geared up for the ultimate obliteration of enemy stooges. -- Black hawk down should be sufficient to being an indication of past heroism -- ( i am really animated here for i care less of what others think and fed up with being an optimist ) If what is at stake is our unity, if we want is to recuperate from this Machiavellian rivalry of clannish ascendancy then the optimal solution is an sincere attempt to engage in peace and reconciliation ..if not , the let the " animosities reign and bloodshed prolong, let the fiefdoms multiply and new warlords emerge, ...

Duke- Allah will not bring peace to Somalia- for its people abondoned his worship and associate his divinity with the Clan-Gods. he will not also bring peace to your soul for you personify and epitomize the hypocrites who unreservedly promote the clannish creed.

Somalia's second civil war is about to start. This time it will not even be a civil war but a genocide in the proportion of the one in Rwanda. Clans from the south to the north of the country are all geared up, prepared and waiting the full-size warfare to blow up. No one will be spared and millions of innocent Somalis will be as usual become the victims. This will be the legacy of the Nairobi conference under the leadership of the ruthless warlords. where are the somali intelectuals, visionaries, leaders? we don't have one! we are a nation of lunatics, warlods, thugs, fools, nomads, fanatics, living in the stone ages both mentally and spiritually. we are the poorest nation on planet earth. we have nothing and no one. Even God is angry with us. we are doomed and cursed! From the day of independence to the present time, we have been led by clannish ill-bred brute thugs. We have been blessed with ailing leaders who have no vision and sight.And sorrowfully, here we are all cheering the vicious and regressive dogma of tribalism, supporting one warlord or the other. Can this forum be used for discussing progressive ideas to keep us from the looming calamity that is about to befall to our unfortunate nation other than disseminating perpetuating the primitivism of our elders? Can we liberate ourselves from their backwardness?

Ramifications of Authorizing Abyssinian Aggression Against Somalia Feb 10, 2005 ****** Online Editorial The recent news from AU towards the authorization of "IGAD-read Ethiopia" member contribution of military personnel for the pacification of the Somali militias is very troubling on many fronts. It is a fact found in many history books that Abyssinia and Somalia are sworn enemies who fought many wars. Ethiopia currently colonizes ******ia whose inhabitants are of Somali brethren. Ethiopia now occupies or worse has its own proxy militias in many parts of Somalia from the north to as far as Baidoba in the south where there are musings of making it the new capital. It is therefore mind boggling to many Somalis and to the rest of the sane human being minus the scambugs in suits at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, why it, AU, will overlook all the aforementioned actualities and authorize Ethiopia in the name of IGAD to send troops to Somalia. It is our inherent belief that this resolution, which Ethiopia incessantly campaigned for and appears to have finally won as a concession for its comical acting as a concerned neighbor, will if implemented only create more chaos and provide more powder keg for the bloodshed of the once proud, powerful but now downtrodden Somali citizenry. It is both counter productive and against international peacekeeping protocol to ask a country's sworn enemy to contribute militarily towards its peace seeking efforts. Asking Ethiopia or giving it the green light to forcefully interfere with the Somali affairs at a time when all the nascent Somali government now in Kenya needs is a financial support and an ever-present threat of the war criminal label for problematic and un co-operative warlords is futile. Sending Abyssinian militias, in the name of a peacekeeping mission, to the Somali Republic is metaphorically like asking Israel to help Syria stand on its own feet after along period of civil strife. It appears that black Africa never learns from its history. If, ECOWAS, whose contributing members had unstated economic interests in Liberia but no historical enmity, could not stabilize their neigbor, what gives us hope that Ethiopia, a country in an unending civil strife itself and a sworn enemy of the Somali populace will bring peace, prosperity and the rule of law to lawless Somalia? Zenawi, the ever-scheming Abyssinian midget, appears to have encountered successive, multipronged problems that he had been seeking creative solutions for. As a result of the expensive and futile military escapade in Eritrean Badme in 2000, he ended up with a large army of mostly illiterate, untrained and unruly ethnic militias dominated by his Tigrayan people. In order to create employment and a diversionary target, he sent many of his militias to ******ia with the intention of overwhelming both the civilians and the armed freedom fighters of ONLF. Zenawi’s marauding militias could not have a regular, sustained face-to-face contact with these fighters since they were hit mostly at night, on the road, and from unexpected places, they become disillusioned and started fighting amongst themselves. Some escaped to neighboring countries such as Djibouti, Eriteria, Kenya and Yemen. While still struggling with what to do with the militias he now could not feed regularly, the unfortunate events of 9/11 happened. Zenawi thought he could exploit American misfortune by claiming that there were armed ‘Islamic Terrorists’ in ******, which he claimed to have been fighting since 1997. In order to eradicate them he requested both financial support as well as military equipment for his army from the US government. To his dismay, America decided to pursue the alleged ‘terrorists’ in ****** by using their Special Forces and created bases in Djibouti, which resulted neither military support nor the financial windfall Zenawi thought he would receive as a result of his support. To the contrary it appears having American troops to scour ******ia for Zenawi’s terrorists have had the unintended consequence of exposing to the outside world the suffering and lack of development faced by the ****** population. Sensing the financial goodies he thought he will receive from the USA were not forthcoming and in search of natural ports for his landlocked country, Zenawi thought he could use the Somali ports such as Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo at no cost with the use of his army to provide the logistics of moving the goods from the Somali ports to Abyssinia proper. What he did not realize were the many hurdles he will face were he to realize his ambition. Chief among the obstacles were the fact though Somalia was in turmoil and had no central government, however it was an independent country with a ‘border’ he could not allow his army to cross at will without attracting international condemnation and possible sanctions. Even if he were to succeed in getting the goods from the ports, transportation would expose his army to both unhappy Somalis wanting to harm them as well as the armed freedom fighters in ******ia who would welcome the opportunity to have large columns of slow, goods-laden transport trucks and an exposed, escorting army to waylay. It is with the intention of getting an unimpeded access to the Somali ports and to control the destiny of the Somali nation that Zenawi fervently involved his government in the Somali reconciliation process from its inception. It is no secret that Ethiopia with Kenyan blessing or appeasement played a key role in creating a numerically uncontrollable parliament as well as cabinet so that those who oppose Abyssinian agenda will be drowned out which is what happened during the recent cabinet authorization of the deployment of IGAD-Abyssinian forces in Somalia even though it was explicitly made clear at the beginning of the conference that no IGAD troop involvement in Somalia will neither be welcome nor acceptable. What is inexplicable is what caused AU’s change of heart towards the deployment of IGAD-Abyssinian troops in Somalia? Abyssinian intensions towards Somalia are clear. Abyssinia wants to control the Somali soul as well as economy. It has schemes for the use of the many Somali ports. It plans to create another colony. It is clear that it has already calculated that it cannot control all of Somalia as the Somali fabric, culture, and religion will always present armed opposition. However it is counting on the fact that having its military inside Somalia with AU blessing will at least enable her to milk whatever benefits it can accrue from its ‘official’ presence while prolonging the suffering of the war weary Somali citizenry who yearn for the return of relative peace. The world should not fail the Somali nation by allowing a country harboring such historical enmity as well as economic domination plans to provide a supposedly stabilization force. Allowing Ethiopia to assume a peace keeping role inside Somalia reminds of a story in the Somali folklore where a hyena was once asked to be the shepherd to which he laughed incessantly knowing what the ramifications of fulfilling such a request are going to be. ****** Online Editorial editorial@******.com staff@******.com

Setta-dii saan aa lo galay!!

Help, not foreign troops needed From correspondents in Mogadishu 07-02-2005 From: Agence France-Presse NEARLY 5500 gunmen making the nucleus of a new Somali police force have rejected the planned deployment of foreign troops and asked the world to equip them in order to exert authority in the shattered Muslim country. Under the command of ex-army officer General Mohammed Nur Galal, respected by the rank and file in bullet-scarred Mogadishu, 5470 officers, according to his estimates, lined up at the police academy, sang the national anthem and went through routine police training. Although they are prone to carrying a fearsome array of firearms, the officers opted not to display some today, apparently as a gesture of discipline. "Definitely we need technical support, but not an intervention force or foreign troops," Gen. Galal told a team of lawmakers visiting the country to negotiate the return of the country's government from exile in Kenya. "The troops are here to restore law and order and they only want logistic support from the international community to exert authority," Gen. Galal told the leader of the team, parliament speaker Shariff Hassan Sheikh Aden. The Somali Government in Kenya over the weekend approved the deployment of at least 5000 African troops in the capital, which is sub-divided into numerous fiefs under control of warlords. The African Union last month agreed in principle to send a peace mission. Warlords themselves have rejected the planned deployment and radios have carried numerous street interviews objecting to foreign troops. At the academy, police officers were dressed in soiled khaki uniform, which was official during the regime of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre, who was toppled in 1991, thereby plunging the nation into a round of anarchy. Among the so called policemen, some are ex-policemen and -military officers. Most of the officers haven't been paid in the absence of a governement. In the recent months, parliament and a cabinet have been set up but still holed up in Nairobi.

Xildhibaanad drs Caasha axmed Cabdala Ayaa Shaaca Ka Qaaday Hadii Aad Shacabka Aad Masuu'lka katahay ka Baqato Macnaheedu Waa Masuuliyadd Ma Qaban kartid. Xildhibaanad Caasha Axmed Cabdala oo kamid ahayd xibnahii wafdiga baalamanka iyo xukuumada ee uu hogaaminayay Gud. Baarlamanka Dowlada FKMG ee Soomaaliya ayaa cadeeyesay in qofkii mas'uuliyad qaada Shacabkana Ka baqanaya ee aan u imaan karin uu san masuuliyad qaadi karin iyadoo ka hadlaysay arinta ah Muqdisho lama imaankaro. Xildhibaanad Caasha Axmad Cabdala oo iyadu daawanaysay qaabkii loo soodhaweeyey ayay amaantay Dadwenaha Muqdisho iydoo sheegtay in laraaco fikirka Dadka.Madaxdii shalay kusoolaabatay dalka Soomaaliya ayaa u muuqda kuwa iyagu kalsooni kahelay Dadweynaha Soomaaliyeed halka Madaxweynaha DfKMG uu ku adkeysanayo inaan latagi karin Muqdisho taasoo aay ku tilmaameen Miduu Dano gaara ka leeyahay isaga iyo Dowlada Itoobiya oo heshiis khaas ah Galay waa Cabdulaahi Yuusufe . Dhinaca kale Jaaliyada Soomaalida ee ku nool Dalka Holand Ayaa mar ay xalay la soo xariireen Saxaafada Muqdisho ayey u cadeeyen inay kufaraxsan yihiin fikirka ay dhiibteen Dadweynaha Muqdisho iyo Afgooye, jaaliyadaasoo uu u hadlayay Abuukaate Guuleed Cabdulaahi ayaa carabka ku adkeyey in korneyl Cabdulaahi Yuusuf uu dano gaara Kaleeyahay ciidamada Uu dalbanayo oo ay ku Jirto waxa uu ugu yeeray Caadifad qabiil waasida uu hadlka u yiriye. MUSTAF NUUR GUULEED RIDDIL MUQDISHO

All the civil society leaders, the parliamentarians including the speaker and the progressive ones, the Islamic courts, the ex old guard led by General Galaal,the most important Mogadishu warlords: Osman Ato, Muse Sudi, Ina Aideed, Qanyare, and their factions all oppose the outsider AU peace keepers ( according the numerous Somali sites ). We have almost allthe residents of the city's assurance of a return to normality and stability. the far-fetched question is what is with this warlord president's obsession with peace keeping forces? In addition; He is now coming with uncanny scheme to change the seat of the government to Baidoba, albeit the TNG's constitution pronouncement of Mogadishu being the permanent capital of the country.

Maxamed Qanyare: "Amxaaro ayey dadweynuhu diiddan yihiin loona keeni mayo Amxaaro" February 07, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Amxaaro ayey dadweynuhu diiddan yihiin loona keeni mayo Amxaaro" Sidaasi Waxaa yiri Maxamed Qanyare Afrax oo ah Wasiirka Aminga Qaranka, kana tirsan xildhibaanada ku jira golaha Baarlamaanka federaalka kmg-ka Soomaaliyeed, kaas oo Xaqiijiyay in aan Soomaaliya loo Baahneyn in Soomaaliya la keeno Ciidamo Shisheeye, Gaar ahaan Ciidamo ka socda dowlada Itoobiya. Qanyare ayaa dhowr mar oo hore sheegay in loo Baahan yahay in Soomaaliya la keeno Ciidamo shisheeye oo hub ka dhigis ku Sameeyo Maleeshiyooyinka hubeysan ee ka jira gudaha, isla markaasna ilaaliya goobaha ay degayaan Madaxda Dowlada federaalka Soomaaliyeed, Marka ay dalka ku soo Laabato. Max’ed Qanyare oo shalay hadal gaaban u jeediyey dadweynihii isugu soo baxay Fagaaraha Tribuunka ee soo dhaweynayey wafdiga uu hoggaaminayey Shariif Sh. Aadan ayaa Hadalkani jeediyay. Xubno Fara Badan oo ku jira labada gole ee dowlada federaalka kmg-ka Soomaaliyeed ayaa si weyn uga soo horjeeda in gudaha SOomaaliya la keeno Ciidamo Shisheeye, iyada oo maxkamadaha Islaamgiga ahna ay diidan yihiin keenista Ciidamo Shisheeye ee Soomaaliya. Maxamed Cali Maxamud (Madka) Xafiiska Markacadeey Muqdisho

Help, not foreign troops needed From correspondents in Mogadishu 07-02-2005 From: Agence France-Presse NEARLY 5500 gunmen making the nucleus of a new Somali police force have rejected the planned deployment of foreign troops and asked the world to equip them in order to exert authority in the shattered Muslim country. Under the command of ex-army officer General Mohammed Nur Galal, respected by the rank and file in bullet-scarred Mogadishu, 5470 officers, according to his estimates, lined up at the police academy, sang the national anthem and went through routine police training. Although they are prone to carrying a fearsome array of firearms, the officers opted not to display some today, apparently as a gesture of discipline. "Definitely we need technical support, but not an intervention force or foreign troops," Gen. Galal told a team of lawmakers visiting the country to negotiate the return of the country's government from exile in Kenya. "The troops are here to restore law and order and they only want logistic support from the international community to exert authority," Gen. Galal told the leader of the team, parliament speaker Shariff Hassan Sheikh Aden. The Somali Government in Kenya over the weekend approved the deployment of at least 5000 African troops in the capital, which is sub-divided into numerous fiefs under control of warlords. The African Union last month agreed in principle to send a peace mission. Warlords themselves have rejected the planned deployment and radios have carried numerous street interviews objecting to foreign troops. At the academy, police officers were dressed in soiled khaki uniform, which was official during the regime of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre, who was toppled in 1991, thereby plunging the nation into a round of anarchy. Among the so called policemen, some are ex-policemen and -military officers. Most of the officers haven't been paid in the absence of a governement. In the recent months, parliament and a cabinet have been set up but still holed up in Nairobi.