December 24, 2006 - 5:08 PM Ethiopia fights rival Somali Islamists By Hassan Yare BAIDOA, Somalia (Reuters) - Ethiopian planes defending Somalia's weak interim government pounded Islamist fighters in Somalia on Sunday in an escalating conflict that threatens to engulf the Horn of Africa. Ethiopian Information Minister Berhan Hailu said the operation targeted several fronts including Dinsoor, Bandiradley and Baladwayne and the town of Buur Hakaba -- close to the administration's encircled south-central base Baidoa. It was the first use of airstrikes and Ethiopia's first public admission of its military involvement in Somalia, where the government is surrounded by fighters of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) backed by mortars and machineguns. "After too much patience, the Ethiopian government has taken self-defensive measures and started counter-attacking the aggressive extremist forces of the Islamic Courts and foreign terrorist groups," Berhan told Reuters. Somalia's ambassador to Ethiopia Abdikarin Farah said government forces had killed 500 Islamist troops, most of them Eritreans, in two days of heavy fighting, but there was no independent confirmation of the death toll. The Islamists say they have killed hundreds of pro-government troops, but aid agencies put the total number of dead at dozens. Farah said Islamists killed 10 government soldiers and wounded 13, adding that 280 enemy fighters were taken prisoner, some of them from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sudan. REGIONAL WAR Diplomats fear Addis Ababa's announcement may have touched off a war ensnaring Horn of Africa rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea. They also fear it may attract foreign jihadists answering the Islamists' call for holy war against Christian-led Ethiopia and possibly trigger suicide bombings in east Africa. Berhan gave no details, but Somali witnesses said Ethiopian planes droned overhead firing missiles as Islamist and government forces battled for a sixth day. Islamists also accused Ethiopia of using MiG warplanes and helicopters. Ali Dahir Horow, a resident in Baladwayne, 190 miles (300 km) north of Mogadishu, said one airstrike killed two people. "People started fleeing once the planes fired at the town," he said, adding most missiles nearby hit Ceel Jaale, where many people escaped to after last month's heavy flooding. The U.N. World Food Programme said it dropped 14 tonnes of aid to flood-affected villages in southern Somalia, shortly after reports of the airstrikes. Another U.N. agency said the conflict would have disastrous consequences for efforts to help 1.4 million people suffering from the floods. Both sides have rained rockets, mortars and machinegun fire across several parts of a slim frontline near Baidoa. Amid the explosions, pick-up trucks armed with heavy weapons have ferried supplies forward and collected the injured. In the Islamist port city of Kismayu, hundreds of women and children waved goodbye to 1,000 men who had volunteered for the frontline. Dressed in a ragtag of fatigues, the men sped off in camouflage-painted trucks to the chants of "Victory is ours". Further north in Mogadishu, women and children gathered in a market to badger men walking along the streets to join the war. "They told me to wear their clothes if I will not go to war," said Abdi Rashid. "They said I'm not a man, because all men are on the frontline, so I should wear women's clothes." The SICC captured Mogadishu and a swathe of south Somalia in June, frustrating the Western-backed government's aim to restore central rule for the first time in 15 years. In other parts of the coastal capital, sombre-faced groups of men huddled together to listen to radio news broadcasts, some making calls to relatives in the battle zones. Several radio stations aired patriotic songs, urging Somalis to defend their country, with some dating from the 1977-78 ****** war when Ethiopia's army crushed Somali troops who tried to lay claim to its ethnically Somali ****** region. Independent specialist on Somalia, Matt Bryden, told Reuters he did not expect either side to win the war decisively. "The Ethiopians are trying to hit the Islamists hard enough that they will come to the negotiation table," he said. "But they run the risk the war will become a protracted and unwinnable conflict." Military experts estimate Ethiopia has 15,000-20,000 troops in Somalia, while Eritrea has about 2,000 behind the Islamists. Asmara denies the accusation, while Addis Ababa previously admitted to having a few hundred military trainers in Baidoa. (Additional reporting by Guled Mohamed and Sahal Abdulle in Mogadishu, Sahra Abdi in Kismayu, Tsegaye Tadesse in Addis Ababa and Wangui Kanina in Nairobi) Reuters (IDS)

End of the neo-con dream By Paul Reynolds World Affairs correspondent The neo-conservative dream faded in 2006. Iraq was meant to be the showcase for a New American Century The ambitions proclaimed when the neo-cons' mission statement "The Project for the New American Century" was declared in 1997 have turned into disappointment and recriminations as the crisis in Iraq has grown. "The Project for the New American Century" has been reduced to a voice-mail box and a ghostly website. A single employee has been left to wrap things up. The idea of the "Project" was to project American power and influence around the world. The 1997 statement (written during the administration of President Bill Clinton) said: "We seem to have forgotten the essential elements of the Reagan Administration's success: a military that is strong and ready to meet both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national leadership that accepts the United States' global responsibilities." Neo-conservatism has gone for a generation, if in fact it ever returns David Rothkopf Carnegie Endowment Among the signatories were many of the senior officials who would later determine policy under President George W Bush - Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliot Abrams and Lewis Libby - as well as thinkers including Francis Fukuyama, Norman Podheretz and Frank Gaffney. The neo-conservatives were called that because they sought to re-establish what they felt were true conservative values in the Republican Party and the United States. They wanted to stop what they felt were the isolationist tendencies that had developed under President Clinton, and even under the pragmatic President George Bush senior. They saw the war in Iraq as their big chance of showing how the "New American Century" might work. They predicted the development of democratic values in a region lacking in them and, in that way, the removal of any threat to the United States just as the democratisation of Germany and Japan after World War II had transformed Europe and the Pacific. Attack Since so much was pinned on Iraq, it is inevitable that the problems there should have undermined the whole idea. George Bush is about the last neo-conservative standing David Rothkopf Carnegie Endowment "Neo-conservatism has gone for a generation, if in fact it ever returns," says one of the movement's critics, David Rothkopf, currently at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, and a former official in the Clinton administration. "Their signal enterprise was the invasion of Iraq and their failure to produce results is clear. Precisely the opposite has happened," he says. "The US use of force has been seen as doing wrong and as inflaming a region that has been less than susceptible to democracy. "Their plan has fallen on hard times. There were flaws in the conception and horrendously bad execution. The neo-cons have been undone by their own ideas and the incompetence of the Bush administration. "George Bush is about the last neo-conservative standing, Cheney as well maybe. Bush is not an analytical person so he just adopted the neo-cons' philosophy. "It fitted into his Manichean, his black and white view of the world. After all, he gave up his dissolute youth and was born again as a new man, so it appealed to his character." In-fighting The fading of the dream has led to a falling-out among the neo-conservatives themselves. Richard Perle had once argued for going to war in Iraq In particular, two leading neo-conservatives, Richard Perle and Kenneth Adelman, attacked the Bush team in Vanity Fair magazine. Both had been on a Pentagon advisory board. Both had argued for war in Iraq. In an article called "Neo Culpa", Richard Perle declared that had he known how it would turn out, he would have been against it: "I think now I probably would have said: 'No, let's consider other strategies'." Kenneth Adelman said: "They turned out to be among the most incompetent teams in the post-war era. "Not only did each of them, individually, have enormous flaws, but together they were deadly, dysfunctional." Donald Rumsfeld "fooled me", he said. He declared of neo-conservatism after Iraq: "It's not going to sell." Defence and counter-attack Other neo-conservatives defend their record, arguing strongly that the original idea had an effect, and pressing the point raised by Perle and Adelman that it was the execution of the idea not the idea itself that was wrong. "Now I am not sure we can pick the bacon out of the fire Gary Schmitt American Enterprise Institute Gary Schmitt used to be a senior figure at the "New American Century" project. Now he is director of strategic studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and he says the project has come to a natural end. "When the project started, it was not intended to go forever. That is why we are shutting it down. We would have had to spend too much time raising money for it and it has already done its job. "We felt at the time that there were flaws in American foreign policy, that it was neo-isolationist. We tried to resurrect a Reaganite policy. "Our view has been adopted. Even during the Clinton administration we had an effect, with Madeleine Albright [then secretary of state] saying that the United States was 'the indispensable nation'. "But our ideas have not necessarily dominated. We did not have anyone sitting on Bush's shoulder. So the work now is to see how they are implemented. Obviously it makes life difficult with the specific failure in Iraq, but I do not agree with Richard Perle that we should never have gone in. "I do argue that the execution should have been better. In fact, I argued in late 2003 that we needed more troops and a proper counter-insurgency policy." Indeed, not all neo-conservatives have given up all hope in Iraq. The AEI, which has become the natural home for refugees from the American Project, is promoting an article entitled: "Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq". The article calls not for a withdrawal of US troops but for an increase. President Bush's decision is expected in early January. Paul.Reynolds-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

Ethiopia Edges Closer To Somalia Invasion Baidoa, Somalia — 22 December, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Steve Bloomfield, Africa Correspondent Published: 23 December 2006 The growing conflict between Ethiopia and Somali Islamists escalated further yesterday as Ethiopian tanks rolled towards the front line and the Islamists announced that ground troops would begin attacks today. Ethiopia, which has always rejected claims that it has combat troops operating in Somalia, last night hinted that it would be prepared to launch an official invasion. In a statement released by its Foreign Ministry, Ethiopia claimed it "has been patient so far". But, the statement warned, "there is a limit to this". Fighting in Somalia continued for a fourth consecutive day with each side hammering the other with heavy artillery and rockets. Two fronts have opened up near the town of Baidoa in central Somalia, where the weak transitional government is based. Witnesses said nearly 20 Ethiopian tanks were heading towards Daynunay, a government military base 12 miles south-east of Baidoa, while fighting has also been heavy in Idaale, 44 miles south-west of Baidoa, which the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) claimed to have captured on Thursday. Some 500 Ethiopian troops and eight tanks were seen headed for Bandiradley, a town in central Somalia controlled by the Islamists. The UIC claimed that Ethiopian troops were also on their way to Galkaayo, a town close to the semi-autonomous Puntland region, prompting fears that the province, which has been relatively peaceful, could soon be sucked into the conflict. Both sides claimed they had killed hundreds but neither declaration could be independently verified. So far most of the fighting has been done from a distance using heavy weapons, but the Islamists plan to send ground troops to the front line today. "Our troops have not started to attack," the UIC's deputy spokesman, Ibrahim Shukri, said. "From tomorrow [saturday] the attack will start." War-ravaged Somalia, which has been without a functional central government for 15 years, has been on the brink of a fresh conflict for the past six months. The transitional government, which was set up in 2004 with the support of the United Nations, has struggled to provide leadership or gain any authority over most of the country. In stark contrast, the UIC has quickly gained control over large swaths of central and southern Somalia, bringing an element of law and order to towns previously controlled by rival warlords. Despite attempts to broker a peace deal between the government and the UIC, both sides have been edging closer to war. The current fighting is the most serious in Somalia since the UIC drove US-backed warlords out of the capital, Mogadishu, in June. Ethiopia, which fears an Islamist state on its border, vowed to "crush" the UIC if it attacked the Somali government. Reports that Ethiopia had sent troops to Baidoa to support the beleaguered government first surfaced in July. Ethiopia has always denied the presence of combat troops in Somalia but a recent UN report estimated as many as 8,000 Ethiopian soldiers could have crossed the border. The same UN report also accused Ethiopia's bitter rival, Eritrea, of arming the Islamists and sending some 2,000 troops in support. The UIC has consistently claimed its opposition is to the Ethiopian troops in Somalia, not the government itself. The organisation's secretary, Ibrahim Duley, yesterday said: "We call upon the Somalis to rise up and join in the jihad against our enemy Ethiopia." The United Nations yesterday accused both sides of using child soldiers. Calling for an "immediate end" to the conflict, the UN said: "This conflict will push the children of Somalia into further dire crisis." The fighting has also prevented aid agencies from reaching hundreds of thousands of Somalis made homeless by recent flooding. Source: Independent http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2097758.ece

Eebbe ayaa jiro, asagaana ummadiis u maqan. Eebboow ummadaada kala qabo, kuwii wax garasho la'aan u geysayna naga qabo -- aamiin, Eebboow, aamiin. AAMIIN. The TTG[Tigree Transitional Government] will be defeated IA. http://baidoa.wordpress.com/

"^^^Saxib, maybe AP is also pro courts, this is the group that reported the corpses..Your lies might work in Mogadishu, but not every where." No one expected AP,NYT or any Western media to write anything positive about the ICU or any other Islamic group.

^Ceeb kama xishootid. Somaliweyn.com was never been a pro-court website...It has been pro-TTG[transitional Tigree government] for a long time.

^Duke, your freedom from Tigree bondage will come very soon, have patience little boy.

^The few bad ones stealing the headlines.

Mustaf Jamma is thought to have returned to Somalia Opposition MPs want an inquiry into claims a Pc Beshenivsky murder case suspect fled the UK in a Muslim veil. Mustaf Jamma reportedly evaded Heathrow checks last year to return to Somalia. Shadow home secretary David Davis said tighter border checks were needed. Labour MP John Denham said sensitivity around veils meant the claim could cause "huge damage". The Home Office said the claim was unlikely to be true as women can be asked to lift veils in identity checks. Visual checks are carried out on people arriving in the UK. BAA, which owns and operates Heathrow airport, said it was the responsibility of individual airlines to confirm the identity of passengers at check-in and boarding gates. The Home Office said police and immigration officers carried out checks on those leaving the UK on an "intelligence-led basis". Human rights laws Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said keeping paper records of all arrivals and departures, which were scrapped by the Conservatives for EU travel in 1992 and for the rest of the world by Labour in 1998, was no longer suitable. The government wants to use details stored in biometric passports to introduce electronic border controls from 2009. Mr Denham, a former Home Office minister, said the suggestion that a veil disguise was used, when there was no evidence to support the claim, was potentially damaging because "veils are a very sensitive issue in our society at the moment". Mustaf Jamma was released from jail six months before Pc Beshenivsky was killed. He was considered for deportation after his release but was allowed to stay in the UK because Somalia was thought too dangerous. 'Standard practice' Pc Beshenivsky's widower, Paul, condemned human rights laws for preventing Mustaf Jamma's deportation. But Mr Denham, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the UK could not send asylum seekers back to countries "where they are likely to be killed or tortured". "It is one of the things that marks us out as part of the club of civilised countries and we have to live with some of the really bad consequences of that, as well as the fact it enables us to hold our heads up," he said. The wanted man is the brother of Yusuf Jamma who this week was found guilty of Pc's Beshenivsky's murder in Bradford. We are calling for an inquiry into exactly what happened David Davis, shadow home secretary Some newspaper reports have suggested the 26-year-old stole his sister's passport after he was put on police wanted lists and wore a full niqab, a veil that totally obscures the face, to evade capture at the airport. Shadow home secretary David Davis said the UK's borders "are not just porous, but non-existent". Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg has said if the reports are true it "beggars belief" that there are no visual facial checks when a person leaves the country at an airport. It is understood West Yorkshire Police - who have not commented on reports about the veil theory - regard it only as one of a number of possibilities. On Tuesday the jury in the trial of four men over 38-year-old Pc Beshenivsky's death was discharged after failing to reach a verdict on a final count of robbery. Three men have been found guilty of killing the officer, who was shot after an armed raid in Bradford in 2005. Another man had earlier admitted murder. The jury could not decide if Raza Ul-Haq Aslam, 25 - who was cleared of murder, manslaughter and firearms offences - was guilty of robbery, and a retrial was ordered. As well as Mustaf Jamma another man called Piran Ditta Khan, whom the prosecution alleged was the "architect of the robbery", remains on the run from police.

Somalia rivals 'to resume talks' Louis Michel pressed both sides to resume negotiations Somalia's interim government and rival Islamists have agreed to resume peace talks, a European Union envoy says. The news came after a day of heavy fighting close to the base of the weak Somali interim government in Baidoa. After meeting representatives from each side, envoy Louis Michel said both were committed to re-starting talks without conditions and had agreed a ceasefire. But even as Mr Michel held talks in Baidoa, fighting continued only a few kilometres away. Hundreds of people are reported to have died in those clashes, the BBC's Adam Mynott says, giving the EU envoy's announcement of progress a hollow ring. Are you near Baidoa? Send us your experiences After talks in Baidoa, Mr Michel travelled on to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, where he met leaders of the Union of Islamic Court (UIC). He then announced both parties had agreed to resume efforts to find a negotiated settlement of their differences. A nine-point memorandum of understanding included agreement to begin talks again without preconditions, he said. Islamic militias have attacked us and the fighting is continuing The Union of Islamic Courts had set aside a demand that Ethiopian troops withdraw from Somalia as a precondition for talks, Mr Michel added, although it remained a major grievance. Translating these verbal and written commitments into action will be the next big test, our correspondent says. Mr Michel has urged both sides to begin talks as soon as possible, at the latest early in January. Residents said pro-government forces and the Islamic militia exchanged mortar fire at Daynunay, 20km (12 miles) from Baidoa on Wednesday. Both sides have blamed each other for the fighting. Ethiopia says it has no troops in Somalia, but our correspondent says that as he drove to the airport in Baidoa, he was stopped by a huge convoy of Ethiopian military armour. There have been fears Somalia's conflict will plunge the entire region into crisis. The UIC has introduced law and order to the capital and much of southern Somalia for the first time in 15 years and denies links to al-Qaeda.

If you were a drug-addict, Duuliye, I would be more inclined to think you were going on withdrawal rather then an OD sxb. Stop seeing stars where there are non. The defeat stress shows no sign of declining.

^The war is between Ethiopian occuppation forces and the ICU libarators. Those willing stooges such Abdulahi-Ahmaar have no future in Somalia and those others in Baydhabo held hostage will be freed IA.

^Abdulahi-Ahmaar is just an asset of Ethiopia sxb. When he is no more, they will find someone else, will your loyalty of Ethiopia remain strong The main concern of Ethiopia is not to keep your uncle safe in Baydhabo but to stop those in Ethiopia struggling to free their people getting help from strong Islamic State of Somalia. VOA: Somalia Crisis Centers on Islamist Hardliners Versus Ethiopia, says Analyst By Joe De Capua Washington 19 December 2006 Both the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) have indicated they are willing to talk to each other to discuss peace. But what are the odds a ceasefire agreement could be signed? For an analysis of the situation, VOA English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua spoke with Dr. Ken Menkhaus of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. "They could sign an accord, a ceasefire.the problem has always been getting them to implement what they've signed. We don't even know who actually represents whom on the courts' side. We get lots of contradictory statements, people attending meetings, making a statement and then others, who turn out to have more power in the movement.so I don't hold a lot of hope in yet another accord," he says. Menkhaus says resolving the crisis involves more than tensions between the ICU and the interim government. He says, "I think the first thing we need to do is to acknowledge that the real conflict is not between the courts and the TFG. The real conflict that is propelling the eastern Horn of Africa into what looks like is going to be a devastating, long-term, protracted war is the conflict between the government of Ethiopia and the hard-line Islamists. Until they have some line of communication, until they hopefully come to some kind of an agreement to co-exist, there is going to continue to be the threat of war there." Asked how the two sides could learn to live side by side, Menkhaus says, "First of all, Ethiopian officials have been very clear that they have lived with an Islamist government on their border that they didn't like, and that was namely Sudan, for years. They can do it if they have to. They need security guarantees from Somalia." He says that hardliners in the ICU need to say publicly state that they reject claims on territory of neighboring countries to form a greater Somalia. He says until that happens, Ethiopia has a legitimate fear of the ICU. What's more, he says that the ICU needs "to make a binding statement that they do not support, in any way, armed insurgencies against their neighbors." Menkhaus says that the international community must provide security guarantees along the border between Ethiopia and Somalia. He also says that Ethiopia must make some concessions, such as withdrawing its forces from Baidoa to the border area.

"according to duuliyesaare quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ECONOMIC INDICATORS GDP $5.9 billion (2002) Per capita $89 (2002) Growth 5.0 percent (2002) Inflation -7.2 percent (2002) Debt $5.3 billion (2002) Defence budget $408 million (2003) Defence expenditure $467 million (2002) Source: Military Balance 2003/2004, IISS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay away fromthe green stuff, it may look like an herb but its a drug! " Getting too emotional of anyting written about Abdulahi-Ahmaar and Ethiopian masters haye. Here is the source of the facts and figures of Ethiopia. You should not read if it upsets you. Source: Europa World Year Book 2003: http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/countryprofiles/437323.htm?v=details

quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by General Duke: Sightings of Ethiopia seems to be on the increase. Though why that much armour in Gedo? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Horn "This has nothing to do with Gedo and you know it sxb. " Smile, Amhaaro is coming!!!Seriously, tell us what the smile tells G-DUKE. The ICU enemy waalooyaabaa miyaa.. Suldaanka " ^^ Are you saying Gedo, as of now, is an occuppied region? " Just like Saudi Arabia, hosting friendly army is not an occupation

"lol. Its the other side that will win through patience, since they have already acheieved the necessary diplomatic and political break through."You are blinded from the reality of todays world sxb. Your main concern is to score a goal against the competing clans in tiny Somalia when there is world wide struggle between Islam[good] and its enemies[evil]. What makes Abdulahi-Ahmaar different from dictator Sadam who is being used and abused.... Cadde Muuse oo C/llaahi Yuusuf u soo jeediyey in. Madaxweynaha maamul Gobaleedka Puntland Jeneral Cadde Muse oo haatan kusugan Magaalada Baydhabo ayaa waxa uu kulan gaar ah la yeeshay C/llaahi Yuusuf, waxaana kulankaasi la iskula soo qaaday sidii looga hortagi lahaa Maxaakiimta Islaamiga ah oo haatan ku soo dhawaanaya xarunta Dowladda Federaalka ee Baydhabo. Gen. Cadde Muuse ayaa waxa uu sheegay in Maxaakiimtu ay yihiin xoogag awood ah isla markaana ay ka go’an tahay inay gacanta ku dhigaan Magaalada Baydhabo, waxa uuna C/llaahi Yuusuf u soo jeediyey in Dowladdu ay ku sii shaqeyso Magaalada Gaalkacyo ee Gobalka Mudug, isagoo sheegay in Dowladda loo diyaariyey xarumihii wasaaradaha iyo goobihii ay ku shiri lahaayeen, hase yeeshee warar ayaa waxay sheegayaan in C/llaahi Yuusuf uu arrintaasi ka goos adeegay sheegeyna in Maxaakiimta Islaamiga ah ay ka saari doonaan gebi ahaanba dalka, basle ma cadeeynin waxa uu adeegsan doono, waxaase loo badiyey in C/llaahi Yuusuf uu adeegsan doono Ciidamada Itoobiya ee maalmahan ku soo qulqulaya dalka Soomaaliya. “Reer Puntland maxaa keligood u xilsaaray inay Dowladda difaacaan, maadaama ay Dowladdu tahay mid ka wada dhexeysa Shacabka Soomaaliyeed” ayuu yiri Caddee Muuse oo sheegay in xoogga Dowladda Dowladda ee ku sugan Baydhabo sida ugu dhaqsiyaha badan loogu raro Magaalada Gaalkacyo si hal waji looga hortago Maxaakiimta Islaamig a ah. Ciidamada Puntland ee ku sugan Magaalada Baydhabo ayaa ilaa afar bilood aan qaadan wax mushaar ah, waxaana laga cabsi qabaa in ay gadoodaan oo ay ku biiraan Maxaakiimta Islaamiga ah, haddii aan sida ugu dhaqsiyaha badan ciidamadaasi dhaqaale loogu helin, warar kale ayaa waxay sheegayaan in C/llaahi Yuusuf uu sida ugu dhaqsiyaha badan uu wada hadal ula galo Maxaakiimta Islaamiga maadaama ay inta badan gacanta ku hayaan dalka. somalitalk.com

^Patience is a virtue my friend. Soon IA, we will all celebrate, Amhaar free Somalia.

^Why..To protect Abdulahi-Ahmaar, the loyal servant of the Woyane/Tigree dictator. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS | ECONOMIC INDICATORS | MILITARY STATISTICS | COMMUNICATIONS Show news Religion There are roughly equal numbers of Christians (40 percent) and Muslims (40 percent) in Ethiopia, while local religions are heavily practiced in the south and south west. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS Infant mortality 116 per 1,000 live births (2001) Maternal mortality 870 per 100,000 live births (1985-2001) Life expectancy 44.6 years male, 46.7 years female (2001) Illiteracy 51.9 percent male, 67.6 percent female (age 15 and above 2001) Access to basic care 50-79 percent (access to affordable essential drugs, 1999) Access to safe water 24 percent (access to an improved water source, 2000) Human development index value 0.359 (2001) Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2003 ECONOMIC INDICATORS GDP $5.9 billion (2002) Per capita $89 (2002) Growth 5.0 percent (2002) Inflation -7.2 percent (2002) Debt $5.3 billion (2002) Defence budget $408 million (2003) Defence expenditure $467 million (2002) Source: Military Balance 2003/2004, IISS MILITARY STATISTICS Armed forces 162,500 active forces. The Ethiopian armed forces were formed following Eritrea's declaration of independence in 1993. Extensive demobilisation of former members of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has taken place. Ethiopia auctioned off its naval assets in 1996. Currently 17 divisions, but the peacetime re-organisation outlined below. Army 160,000 troops with 270 or more main battle tanks, one anti-guided weapon and air defence guns. Air force An estimated 2,500 forces with 50 combat aircraft and 25 armed helicopters. Opposition rebels The United Liberation Forces of Oromia: strength not known; and the ****** National Liberation Front: strength not known. Source: Military Balance 2003/2004 COMMUNICATIONS Civil aviation Ethiopia has two international airports, at Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, and about 40 airfields. Bole International Airport in the capital handles 95 percent of international air traffic and 85 percent of domestic flights. A new airport terminal and runway is under construction in Addis Ababa, while airports at Axum, Aba Minche, Gondar, Dire Dawa, Bahar Dar and Lallibela are to be improved. Military airports at Gambella and Gode will be converted for civilian use. Railways The governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti jointly own the 781-km railway, of which 681 km lie in Ethiopia. It links Addis Ababa with Djibouti. Roads In 2000 the total road network comprised of an estimated 31,571 km of primary, secondary, and feeder roads, of which 3,789 km were paved, the remainder being gravel roads. In addition, there are some 30,000 km of unclassified tracks and trails. A highway links Addis Ababa with Nairobi in Kenya, forming part of the Trans-East Africa Highway. The Ethiopian Road Transport Authority has secured $96 million from the World Bank and the African Development Bank for a programme of road repairs. Telecomms In 2001 there were 310,000 telephone main lines, 27,500 mobile cellular phone lines, 75,000 personal computers and 25,000 Internet users. Source: Europa World Year Book 2003

Somalia: Yemen And Sudan Urge Ethiopia to Pull Its Troops Out of Country Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) December 18, 2006 Posted to the web December 18, 2006 Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu -Yemen's effort to mollify the dire situation in Somalia was supplemented by an endeavor of Sudan that is also taking roles in preventing the Horn of African country from falling into clannish wars again. The news came as Ethiopian troops were massed along the Ethiopian border with Somalia. Fresh Ethiopian troops were also brought in the government base of Baidoa to protect the transitional federal government (TFG) against the expected invasion of Islamic Courts fighters that gave an ultimatum, which will last tomorrow. The ultimatum calls on the Ethiopian government to pull its troops out of the country or that it will face major jihad wars. Reliable sources in Yemen say that Sudan and Yemen were cooperating to convince the Ethiopian government to withdraw its troops from Somalia to calm aggravating situation in the country. Sources also say the two countries appealed that IGAD, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, should give Somalia's peace talks mediated by Arab League a chance as Abdurahman Mohammed Hussein, Sudanese defense minister, convened with premier Males Zenawi in Addis Ababa, raising the ultimatum Islamists gave and the threat that they would launch a jihad on Ethiopian military forces in Somalia. The Islamist delegation le by Sheik Sharif, the chair of Islamic Courts, met with Mr. Salah in the Yemeni capital Sana, concentrating on the solution sought for Somalia's political crises. Yemeni proposal is to urge Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia.

Somalia: Premier Accuses Igad Member States of Hindering Peace Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) December 18, 2006 Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu Somali Prime minister was questioned today about his cabinet ministers' effectiveness and developments in the past three months when the cabinet was reshuffled. Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi was present at the session that the transitional parliament held in Baidoa on Monday. The parliament session in which premier Gedi delivered a speech was participated by 150 parliamentarians and members of Puntland delegation that attained Baidoa Sunday. Gedi who was being put to many questions by MPs explained what his cabinet has achieved so far in the past three months, indicating his cabinet forestalled terrorist attacks destined to kill government officials. Asked how Islamic Courts happened to clutch Bur Hakaba and Dinsor, districts that were under the government control before they fell to Islamists, Gedi pointed out that although Islamists claimed residents in those districts invited them, it occurred because the government was too careless to react. "But now the government is fully geared up to attack back every one that tries to invade the government positions", he said. The prime minister's speech comes as hours are left for rival Islamists that gave the Ethiopian government seven days, (which will last Tuesday), to pull its troops based in Baidoa to safeguard the Somali government out of the country, or that it would encounter major attacks. Yemeni government that is trying to broker peace deal between the government and Islamic Courts has enabled the powerful parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden and Islamic Courts chairperson Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed to meet in Sana and concur on peace talks. Source in Sana say Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Salah has also contacted Ethiopian premier Males Zenawi for an attempt to create peace accord between Somalia's Islamists and the Ethiopian government. Gedi has condemned Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti, member states of the regional body (IGAD) for impeding IGAD's mobilization of troop deployment in Somalia to find stability and peace in the country. "Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is demanding foreign troops in his country, is hampering the peacekeepers from coming to Somalia. Djibouti that has foreign forces in its country says no foreign forces to Somalia. These are the countries that are undermining IGAD's efforts to bring peace to Somalia", he said. He also accused some media outlets of backing up the Islamic Courts based in central and southern provinces in the country. Gedi warned that if war happened in Somalia, it would not only influence the region, but it would also be global. "The African Union summit in Abuja, heads of states commonly agreed that Islamic Courts in Somalia are diseases which can spread rapidly in the African continent, so they decided to avert them before spreading", he added. He said the government has the right to bring Ethiopian troops in the country, laying the blame on Islamic Courts for inviting rival Eritrean troops in Somalia. Experts fear Somalia could become a proxy war for arch foes Ethiopia and Eritrea that fought border battles from 1998 to 2000. The transitional government was formed in Kenya in 2004 after protracted negotiations and with the participation of the country's warlords.

I think red is under the false impression that if the ICU and the government fight, Somaliland will get international recognition. Did not now Abdulahi-Ahmaar supporters can read minds..

Ethiopia must quit Somalia before any talks-Islamist Thu 14 Dec 2006 16:11:43 GMT ADEN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - A senior leader of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC), which controls most of Somalia, said on Thursday it would only hold talks with Ethiopia after the neighbouring African state withdrew its troops. Islamists in Mogadishu have already threatened to attack Ethiopian troops unless they leave Somalia by Tuesday. The defence chief for the Mogadishu-based Islamists said Ethiopia had until Dec. 19 to remove the more than 30,000 troops they say it has on Somali soil to bolster the administration of President Abdullahi Yusuf in Baidoa, the only town under government control. Ethiopia says it has several hundred military trainers in Somalia. "We are ready to speak to the Ethiopians if they leave Somalia. Otherwise their fate will be defeat and we will fight them until we evict them from Somalia," Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told the state-owned Yemeni satellite channel from Aden where he arrived on Wednesday for talks with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Sheikh Sharif said he discussed with Saleh a Yemeni peace initiative for reconciliation between Somali factions. He did not elaborate. The Islamists' deadline for Ethiopian withdrawal has heightened fears of all-out war in Somalia where there have been skirmishes between reconnaissance teams from government and Islamist forces close to each other near Baidoa. The Islamists took Mogadishu in June and have expanded across south Somalia since then. Many countries fear any war in Somalia could inflame the Horn of Africa and spread south into Kenya and beyond. http://www.qaadisiya.com/2006/December/sharif_kulan_yeman1.jpg http://www.qaadisiya.com/2006/December/sharif_yeman6.jpg A U.N. monitoring group reported last month that Yemen, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Uganda were all providing military support to the authorities or the Islamists in violation of a 1992 U.N. arms embargo.

Ethiopia must quit Somalia before any talks-Islamist Thu 14 Dec 2006 16:11:43 GMT ADEN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - A senior leader of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC), which controls most of Somalia, said on Thursday it would only hold talks with Ethiopia after the neighbouring African state withdrew its troops. Islamists in Mogadishu have already threatened to attack Ethiopian troops unless they leave Somalia by Tuesday. The defence chief for the Mogadishu-based Islamists said Ethiopia had until Dec. 19 to remove the more than 30,000 troops they say it has on Somali soil to bolster the administration of President Abdullahi Yusuf in Baidoa, the only town under government control. Ethiopia says it has several hundred military trainers in Somalia. "We are ready to speak to the Ethiopians if they leave Somalia. Otherwise their fate will be defeat and we will fight them until we evict them from Somalia," Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told the state-owned Yemeni satellite channel from Aden where he arrived on Wednesday for talks with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Sheikh Sharif said he discussed with Saleh a Yemeni peace initiative for reconciliation between Somali factions. He did not elaborate. The Islamists' deadline for Ethiopian withdrawal has heightened fears of all-out war in Somalia where there have been skirmishes between reconnaissance teams from government and Islamist forces close to each other near Baidoa. The Islamists took Mogadishu in June and have expanded across south Somalia since then. Many countries fear any war in Somalia could inflame the Horn of Africa and spread south into Kenya and beyond. A U.N. monitoring group reported last month that Yemen, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Uganda were all providing military support to the authorities or the Islamists in violation of a 1992 U.N. arms embargo. More pics @ www.qaadisiya.com

Karzai cries during speech Monday, December 11, 2006 KABUL - The Associated Press President Hamid Karzai turned emotional during a speech on human rights yesterday, dabbing away tears and taking long pauses as he described how Afghan children were being killed by terrorist bombs and by attacks from NATO and the U.S.-led coalition. Portraying a general sense of helplessness to the chaos engulfing parts of his country, Karzai said the cruelty imposed on his people "is too much." "We can't prevent the terrorists who are coming from Pakistan, and we can't prevent the coalition who are bombing the terrorists," he said. "And our children are dying because of that." Karzai paused, then wiped both eyes with a white hankerchief. Then a single tear rolled down his right cheek and off his suit lapel. "Cruelty at the highest level," he said, his voice breaking and lips quivering. "The cruelty is too much." Referring to NATO and U.S. militaries, he said: "We have no power to stop them from bombing, and we have no power to prevent Pakistan from sending bombs," a reference to fighters and suicide bombers many Afghan officials say come from Pakistan.

^lol. Walee meel aan kuu raaco ma'aqaan...If I could only understand the above statement!!!Say it again in Af-Somali, if it helps sxb.