^Why would they fear uprising if things are going well in these two states??

Somaliland govt fears country may fall to islamists. afrol News- The government of the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland today broke its silence on the rising threat from the Islamist movement in neighbouring Somalia. In a strongly worded statement, Deputy Justice Minister Yusuf Ise Duale Tallaabo warned Islamists against their "dream of capturing Hargeisa," the Somalilander capital. Fearing a popular Islamist uprising at home, he warned citizens against believing in "a new prophet" from Mogadishu. Minister Tallaabo told the press in Hargeisa that his government would not tolerate Islamist aggression in Somaliland. "I tell the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) who dream of capturing Buroa and Hargeisa that Somaliland is an independent republic that has restored its sovereignty in 1991. We have a government, national flag, internationally recognised borders and a constitution," he said, adding, "Somaliland is not Kismayo or Mogadishu." Warning the Somaliland citizens against being deceived by what is happening in Mogadishu, Mr Tallaabo said: "Where do you think you are going? The Sharia is not only in Mogadishu. We have the Koran and we know the direction of the Qibla [the Ka'ba in Mecca]. Why are you looking at Mogadishu as if a new prophet has appeared in it?" Attacking further the **** of the Islamist movement, he expressed his astonishment at the UIC claiming of following the Islamic Sharia and at the same time using force to capture territories. "Does Sharia mean hijacking people’s will? A man who claims to be ruling on Sharia should follow peaceful ways," the Minister said. The Islamist court movement, which by now has captured most of Somalia, has made it clear that it wants Somalia reunited, overturning the former British colony of Somaliland's unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, accepted by 97 percent of the people in a referendum - in sharp contrast to the rest of Somalia. While Somaliland has been successful in building a peaceful, orderly and highly democratic state during the last 15 years, Islamist movements have been allowed to thrive, causing fear in Hargeisa that the population may support an Islamist intervention. Analyst Bashir Goth told afrol News that the influential Somalilander Islamist leader Sheikh Ali Warsame has now left for Mogadishu, being "a very dangerous development that causes jitters in Hargeisa." Mr Warsame is the founder of the 'Somali al Ittihad al Islami' - a dissolved Islamist organisation that allegedly had close ties with Al Qaeda - and is seen as a close ally of Hassan Dahir Aweys, a Mogadishu hardliner within the UIC. He has been based in the Somalilander town of Buroa during the last years, where he has turned into an influential cleric. "Minister Tallaabo's tone also reflects the great concern the government has about the Islamic Courts Union winning the hearts and minds of its people, particularly knowing the Islamist grip on the economy and life of Somaliland people," Mr Goth added. Also in Puntland - an autonomous region in north-western Somalia that is controlled by the militia od Somali transitional President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed - urgent preparations are being made to meet a possible Islamist insurrection. Puntland authorities yesterday banned Somalis from the south from entering its territory and have already deported a number of businessmen and other individuals back to Mogadishu. The Somaliland press today further reported that Puntland authorities have ordered their forces stationed in the Sool region - a territory claimed by Somaliland but occupied by Puntland - to be ready for redeployment to Baidoa, the seat of Somalia's transitional government. Here they were to take part in the defence of the government against any possible attack by the UIC. "The latest developments indicate how much Somaliland and Puntland authorities have been alarmed by the fast collapse of the Juba Valley Alliance and the easy fall of Kismayo in the hands of the UIC," comments Mr Goth. Kismayo and the Kenyan border area fell to the Islamists on Sunday, seriously altering the balance of power in Somalia. Afrol News

Somaliland oo uga digtay Maxaakimta Muqdisho in ay soo fara geliyaan arrimaheda Last Updated::2006-09-28 17:05:23 Hargeysa:- Wasiir-ku-xigeeka caddaalada ee Jamhuuriyada la magac baxday Somaliland Yuusuf Ciise Ducaale(Tallaabo) ayaa shir jira'id uu shalay ku qabtay magaalada Hargeysa waxaa uu uga digay Maxaakimta islaamig ah ee Muqdisho sheega shadooda ku aadan jamhuuriyada la magac baxday Somaliland. Wasiir-ku-xigeenku waxa uu digniin toos ah u diray kooxo aanu carrabaabin kuwaas oo ku eedeeyay in ay u raxlaynayaan maxaakimta Muqdisho. Waxaa uu Mr.Tallaabo uu yiri [...Dad yahow xagee u jeedsateen shareeco xaggaa (Xamar)inaga ma xigto, kitaabkina waa haysanaa, qibladii iyo kacbadiina xaggan ayey innaga xigaan, waa maxay waxa laga eegayaa ee innaga jira sidii nebi ka soo baxay Xamar...] Mr.Tallaabo mar uu ka hadlayay hadalada ka soo baxaya saraakisha maxkamadaha Muqdisho ah ee ay ku sheegayaan in dhul balaarsi goodu sii socon doono ilaa ay ka qabsanayaan Jamhuuriyada la magac baxday Somaliland, waxa uu sheegay in shareeco ayaanu wadnaa haddana xoog iyo jajuub ayaanu wax ku doonaynaa aysan is qabsan karin waxana uu is waydiiyay [...Shareecadu ma duniday afduubaysaa...] illeyn ninka kitaabka wadaa waa inuu luga fidsadaa. Waxaana ugu damayntii uu Mr.Tallaabo u digay qolyaha maxaakimta ah ee ku taamaya in ay qabsadaan Burco iyo Hargeysa. HorseedNet.com

Kenya: Geeddi oo si waji-gabax ah uga huleelay xafiis Wasiir kuxigeen Posted to the Web Sep 28, 04:09 Ra'iisul wasaaraha DFKMG, Cali Maxamed Geedi, ayaa Talaadadii Sept 26 waxa uu si wajigabax ah uga baxay xafiiska wasaaradda arrimaha dibadda ee dalka Kenya kaddib markii la qadarin waayey ballan uu la lahaa wasiir kuxigeenka Wasaarada Arrimaah Dibadda Kenya, sida ay qortay jariidada Standard ee kasoo baxda Nairobi. Cali Maxamed Geeddi iyo safiirka Talyaaniga, Mr Enrico Gerardo De Maio, ayaa isku mar waxa ay soo galeen xafiiska si ay ula kulmaan wasiir kuxigeenka wasaarada arrimaha dibada Kenya, Mr Moses Wetang'ula. Geeddi waxa u qorshaysnaa in uu arrimaha Soomaaliya uga warbixiyo.. Daqiiqad kahor intii uusan qaabilin De Maio, mr. Wetang'ula waxa uu si dhaqso ah uga soo baxay xafiiskiisa waxana uu dalbaday in ergeyga Talyaanigu uu soo galo xafiiskiisa. Talyaanigii waxa uu galay xafiiska kuxigeenka wasiirka. Geeddi oo isla xilligaa ballanta lahaa bannaanka ayaa looga tegey. Waqti dheer markii uu Geeddi sugayey in loo yeero, oo aysan muuqan cid tixgelineysa ballantii uu lahaa, waxa uu ka huleelay goobtii si wajigabax ah, waxana uu si hal-haleel ah uga tegey goobtii uu ku sugayey wasiir kuxigeenka muddada dheer, goobtaas oo ahayd meeshii uu kulahaa ballanta aan tixgelinta lasiin. Kenya waa dal gumeysta qayb ka mid ah dhulka Soomaaliyeed (NFD), Talyaaniguna waxa uu ka mid yahay dalalkii sababay in Soomaaliya la qaybiyo. W/D Amiin Yuusuf Khasaaro E-Mail amiinkhasaaro@hotmail.com Xigasho: Somalitalk.com

Wednesday September 27, 2006 By standard team The Somalia Prime Minister, Mr Ali Mohammed Gedi, yesterday left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a huff after his host failed to honour an appointment. Gedi and the Italian ambassador, Mr Enrico Gerardo De Maio, arrived at the same time to meet Assistant minister Mr Moses Wetang’ula. Gedi was to brief the Sirisia Member of Parliament on the situation in his country. Minutes before seeing De Maio, Wetang’ula popped out of his office and instructed that the Italian envoy be ushered in. The Italian went in and after a long wait Gedi left in a huff Elsewhere, Mr Ernest Munyi, the Coast PC, yesterday said the Government was closely monitoring unfolding events at Kismayo in Somalia. Reports indicated that militants had taken over the town following fighting. In a telephone interview, Munyi, said there were no reports of refugees coming in the country. Kismayo is 200km from Lamu town. Meanwhile, Lamu residents have expressed fear over their security following the Kismayo takeover. A retired Kenya Navy major, Mr Seif Sheyumbe, yesterday urged the Government to search vessels traveling between Kismayo and Lamu for small arms.

If we could only have as much fun as our brother ME here in SOL .

If we could only have as much fun as our brother ME here in SOL .

Well done people of Mogadishu, the reall power behind the change. Some people here are finding very hard to swallow the picture of peacefull Xamar. Duke surelly missed his favourite posts about Xamar. And why do you choose to hide your sources adeer, this is not the 1st time??? Man in Malaysia waxaan u maleynaya qabiilka maxkamada matalayay ee gaari ka qaatay in uu necebyahay qabiilka oo cali mahdi ka dhashay(gari waxa ka qaatay xasan daahir awees walalkiis iyo qabiilka uu ka dhashay) Waaba qaladba waxaan ku diidnaa wax walboo niyada kuu dhisaaya. I suggest you apply work here as a referee: Cockfighting http://www.longdays.com/thailand/photos/r05p19.jpg So far no mass demonstration about the incident...Shacabka Xamar dantooda waxba anaga nagama weeydiinaayaan, sidi tuugada eey iskaga ceersheen ayeey u ceeyrinayaa Maxkamadaha hadii eey u bagi waayaan adeer . 2-qabiil oo leeysku xuuxinayona maahi kuwa Maxkamadaha 1-Qabiilka kadhigayoow

^Duke and co. still finding hard to swallow a peacefull Mogadishu.

Teenager Fazal Mohamed fled war-torn Somalia for South Africa in search of a better life - only to be subjected to a prison-like working and living environment. The Barako Cash and Carry shop in Gugulethu's L3A Small Business Centre, where he works, is sealed by burglar bars. It is the 19-year-old's job to pass parcels to customers waiting outside through a small gap. Instead of being pleased when people come to the shop, he gets nervous as they may turn out to be robbers or even killers, like those who murdered the 26 other Somalis who have died in the Western Cape this year. This has left many refugees from this East African country living in fear. As Ahmed Khalif, who runs the Nabe supermarket in Langa, put it: "We no longer ask one another 'how are you' or 'how is the business doing?'. We speak about how many Somalis have died the day before and wonder when out turn will come ... We expect to be killed any time." Many of his countrymen believe that they are targeted in black areas and are much safer in coloured and white communities in Cape Town. The spate of killings comes at the same time as a report was released claiming Africans were the worse racists of all South Africans, and that their main targets were other Africans, often immigrants and refugees. Although Somalis believe they are being deliberately targeted, others believe differently. Police and some community organisations have said Somalis were simply being hit by criminals, like everyone else. Many of the major supermarkets in the black residential areas such as Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Langa are now run by Somalis. These businesses were previously operated by local Africans who gave up due to either crime, stiff competition from the big retail supermarkets who have opened township outlets, or became bankrupt because of bad business practices. In 2002 there was a spate of killings of black businessmen running shops in Khayelitsha. In those incidents nothing was stolen. At the time other businessmen alleged that jealousy of business success was behind the killings. Khalif and Mohamed first went to live in Port Elizabeth but were driven away by robberies and came to Cape Town. But only three hours after arriving in the city, Khalif, 22, was robbed of his cellphone and cash during a robbery by three men at his friend's shop in Philippi. Crime forced him to close his shop in Khayelitsha and re-open the Nabe shop in Langa. Close to 20 local people work for him but he believes locals think "we are taking their opportunities". Asked about why other African refugees like those from the Democratic Republic of Congo were not attacked, he said Somalis tended to live in close communities and run more lucrative businesses than those from other countries. He had sent his wife back to Mogadishu because he feared for her life. "I'm waiting for my turn to die," he said. While Khalif wants also to return to Somalia, Mohamed said he intend to remain in South Africa. His mother had been killed in Somalia earlier this year. "I can't return to Somalia, there is war up there. I want to stay here. I like to work here." But he does not like living as a prisoner. Nomfundo Moshani of the SA National Civics Organisation said crime was high across the board in the Western Cape and Somalis were targeted because they were successful. She said communities should reinforce the culture of good neighbourliness, get to know each another and protect each other, including the foreigners. Western Cape police failed to respond to questions sent to them that could shed light on the exact number of Somali deaths and whether there have been any arrests in connection with these. Police spokesman Billy Jones confirmed that five Somalis had been killed this month, four in Khayelitsha and one in Mfuleni. No one has been arrested but the investigations were continuing, he said.

^ No wonder why Duke is frustrated!!!Sorry dude, only good news coming from Xamar

Munaasabadii Furitaanka Dekkada Weyn ee magaalada Muqdisho Last Updated::2006-08-24 23:55:30 Muqdisho:- Guddoomiyaha golaha fulinta maxaakimta islaamiga Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed oo maanta khudbad ka jeediyay munaasabad ballaaran oo loo qabtay furitaanka dekada caalamiga ee magaalada Muqdisho ayaa ku eedeeyay xirnaashaha dekada iyo garoonka magaalada Muqdisho cadawga umada Soomaaliyeed oo adeegsanaya shaqsiyaad maangaab ah oo iibsaday diintooda iyo sharaftooda. Sheekh Shariif ayaa sheegay markii nabada ay ka dhalatay magaalada Muqdisho in cadawga dalka ee Ethiopia ay ka soo yeertay qeylo dhaan uu ku muujinayo carada uu ka qabo nabada iyo horumarka ay gaareen shacabka Soomaaliyeed taasina waa tan lagu garan karo buu yiri shirqoolka cadawga uu inoo maleegayo. "xirnaashaha dekada iyo garoonka waxaa ka danbeeyay cadawga umadda oo adeegsanayay shaqsiyaad maangaab ah oo iibsaday diintooda iyo sharaftooda, waxaana taa daliil u ah markii la nabadeeyay magaalada qeylo dhaanta ka soo yeeraysa dawladda Ethiopia" ayuu yiri Sheekh Shariif. Guddoomiyaha golaha fulinta maxaakimta islaamiga ayaa ka hadlay ciidamada Ethiopianka ee qabsaday qeybo ka mid ah dhulka Soomaaliya, isagoo ugu baaqay shacabka in ay dagaal kala hortagaan ciidamada Ethiopianka ee qabsaday qeybo ka mid ah dalka, waxa uuna caddeeyay masuuliyada wixii ka dhaca dalka in ay dusha u ridan doonaan shaqsiyaadka isku sheegaya masuuliyiinta. Sheekh Shariif waxa uu sheegay baahi loo qabo ciidamo shisheeye in la keeno dalka Soomaaliya in haatan aysan jirin, isagoo tilmaamay in taasi macnaheedu tahay in dagaalo hor leh laga huriyo dalka, waxa uuna hoosta ka xariiqay nabad ka dhalata Soomaaliya in ay la mid tahay nabad ka dhalata geeska africa, halka colaad ka dhalata Soomaaliya ay la mid tahay colaad ka dhalata geeska africa. Guddoomiyaha golaha maxaakimta ayaa ka codsaday beesha caalamka iyo dawladaha dariska la ah in ay ixtiraamaan rabitaanka shacabka Soomaaliyeed oo caddeeyay sida ay uga soo horjeedaan ciidamo shisheeye, isagoo tilmaamay hawlaha maxaakimta ay ka wadaan dalka in 90% loo dhan yahay, waxa uuna u soo jeediyay shacabka Soomaaliyeed meel kastoo ay joogaan. Guddoomiyaha golaha shuurada maxaakimta islaamiga Sheekh Xasan Daahir Aweys oo isagana ka hadlay munaasabadaasi ayaa sheegay in waxyaabihii beesha caalamka ay ku xujeyn jireen maamuladii hore ee ahaa dekada iyo garoonka in ay furaan maanta in ay dhamaatay, waxa uuna ka digay cadaawad loo qabo islaamka darteed in beesha caalamka ay wax ugu qaban waayaan bulshada, isagoo su'aal furan u jeediyay beesha caalamka. "waxyaabihii beesha caalamka ay ku xiri jireen wax u qabashada bulshada ee ahaa furitaanka garoonka iyo dekada in maanta ay dhamaatay, laakin waxaan ugu digaynaa in cadaawad ay u qabaan islaamka darteed ay u diidaan wax u qabashada bulshada, waxaan beesha caalamka u jeedinaynaa su'aal furan dadkii nabadeeyay magaalada, oo wax ka qabtay ammaanka, oo ku hawlan soo celinta bilic samida magaalada ma waxey la mid yihiin dad meel iska jooga oo aan wax u qabaneyn bulshada, marka ma ahan umadda in lagu xiro qolyahaasi" ayuu yiri Sheekh Xasan Daahir. Waxaa sidoo kale ka hadlay munaasabadaasi masuuliyiin ka tirsan golaha maxaakimta, culimaa'uddiin, ganacsato, odayaal dhaqameed, waxaana ka soo qeyb galay munaasabadaasi dadweyne aad u fara badan oo wajiyadooda laga dareemay farxad ay u qabaan dib u firista dekada caalamiga magaalada Muqdisho iyo garoonka oo horay loo furay. HorseedNet.com

Wararka -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ciidamada Ethiopia oo xarig ku bilabey shacabka Puntland Aug 24, 2006, 16:50 Wararka naga soo gaaraya dhanka Galkacyo ee xarunta Gobolka Mudug ayaa sheegaya in Ciidamada Ethiopia ee ku sugan Puntland ay maanta ka dhex qabteen gudaha magaaladda Galkacyo oday weyn oo lagu magacaabo Foore Cabdi Cali. Ninkan oo markii la qabanayey ku sugnaa meel taleefoonada laga dirsado lana xirirayey sida loo sheegay shabakada Garowe Online dad eheladiisa ah oo ku sugan dibada ayaa la xaqiijiyey in Ciidamada Ethiopia oo ay horkacayaan niman Soomaali ah ay halkas ka qabteen ulana kaceen dhanka Xerada ay ka degan yihiin Galkacyo. Ilaa iyo hadda lama garanayo sababta ninkaas ay Ciidamada Ethiopia u kaxaysteen, mana jiro wax war ah oo ka soo baxay dhanka Mamulka Puntland iyo Ciidamada Ethiopia oo ku saabsan xariga ninkaan. Sida ay shabakada Garowe Online u xaqiijiyeen dad ninkan aqoon dheer u leh ayaa sheegey in uusan wax siyaasad ku shaqo leheyn isla markana dhawaan ka yimid Magaaladda Wardheer oo ah meesha uu u dhashay. Arrintaan ayaa cabsi weyn ku beertay dadweynaha ku dhaqan Gudaha Puntland ee u dhashay Gobolada Ismaamulka Soomaalida (*&***). Maamulka Puntland ayaa ka badbaadey 15 sano ee la soo dhaafey faragalinta ciidamada Ethiopia ay ku hayeen qaybaha kala duwan ee Somalia.

Somalia: Islamic Courts threaten Puntland A representative of the information office of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts, stated that there will soon be a response to the support given by Puntland armed elements to Ethiopian and Somali troops Thursday, August 24, 2006 by MISNA Polemics continue between authorities of Puntland, the self-proclaimed autonomous region since 1991, and the Islamic Courts, which yesterday threatened to attack if the government of Puntland continues interfering in Somali affairs. Speaking to the local press, Sheikh Abdirahin Ali Mudey, representative of the information office of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts, stated that there will soon be a response to the support given by Puntland armed elements to Ethiopian and Somali troops that two days ago seized the village of Bandiiradley (70km north of Galkayo, capital of the central Mudug region). "Puntland must stop acts of provocation and interference that threaten the region, as it should stop its support to Abdi Qeybdid (a powerful leader of a clan defeated and pushed from Mogadishu in June), or else the situation will soon change", warned Ali Mudey. In the past weeks, since the Courts began a campaign to extend their influence also in the central-north of Somalia, Puntland authorities took a defensive stand, threatening armed interventions, deploying troops along the border and arresting in its territory dozens of people accused of connections to the Islamic Courts of Mogadishu. Meanwhile, the Eritrean government has expressed itself contrary to the deployment of African troops in Somalia, as recently announced by representatives of the IGAD, the inter-governmental regional authority of the Horn of Africa. In a statement, the Information ministry underlined that a mission in Somalia could jeopardise attempts to restore calm in Mogadishu and the rest of the country, referring to the Courts, of which Asmara is among the main supporters. The statement emphasises that the only objective of the mission is to "carry out the political agenda of the government party in Ethiopia and nothing more".

Somalia: Ethiopian soldiers detain old man in Puntland Aug 24, 2006, 17:31 Puntland authorities, accompanied by Ethiopian soldiers, arrested an old man on Thursday in Galkayo, the capital of Mudug region in central Somalia. Foore Abdi Ali was detained while trying to make a phone call to relatives in the Diaspora and reports said the old man was taken to the outskirts of Galkayo, where Ethiopian forces are based. The reasons for old man Foore Abdi's arrest are unknown. Both Puntland and Ethiopian officials have not commented on the arrest. Relatives of old man Foore Abdi have told Garowe Online that he was not involved in politics and that he had recently arrived from Wardheer, a region in eastern Ethiopia. Somali-speaking people predominantly inhabit eastern Ethiopia's *** region and Ethiopian troops regularly engage Somali rebels who have been fighting for self-determination for decades. www.garoweonline.com

Sxb Macruuf, "Reer Surwaal Gaab" wax dhaama maanta Somalia ii sheeg??I go with them instead of the Somali Warlords and their Ethiopian master. Here is the Enterior of the Mosque: Outside the Mosque:

More pictures from Isbahaysiga Islamka mosque... Sh.Umal Sh.Cumar Imaan Abuukar

^^The aim, if deployment ever materializes, is to complicate things for the Islamic Courts and halt the progress they made. What else would you do if your policy were to keep Somali anarchy continue as it has been? Very true. Our neighbours will do anything to keep Somalia weak and divided and their main ally for this ugly crime is the warlords.

The BBC is government owned media and reports only what Blair wants it to report. And these days you cannot distinguish an American news report from that of Israel itself.

What Has Happened to the Israeli Army? by Uri Avnery So what has happened to the Israeli army? This question is now being raised not only around the world, but also in Israel itself. Clearly, there is a huge gap between the army's boastful arrogance, on which generations of Israelis have grown up, and the picture presented by this war. Before the choir of generals utters its expected cries of being stabbed in the back – "The government has shackled our hands! The politicians did not allow the army to win! The political leadership is to blame for everything!" – it is worthwhile to examine this war from a professional military point of view. (It is, perhaps, appropriate to interject at this point a personal remark. Who am I to speak about strategic matters? What am I, a general? Well – I was 16 years old when World War II broke out. I decided then to study military theory in order to be able to follow events. I read a few hundred books – from Sun Tzu to Clausewitz to Liddel-Hart and so on. Later, in the 1948 war, I saw the other side of the medal, as a soldier and squad-leader. I have written two books on the war. That does not make me a great strategist, but it does allow me to voice an informed opinion.) The facts speak for themselves: On the 32nd day of the war, Hezbollah is still standing and fighting. That by itself is a stunning feat: a small guerilla organization, with a few thousand fighters, is standing up to one of the strongest armies in the world and has not been broken after a month of "pulverizing." Since 1948, the armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan have repeatedly been beaten in wars that were much shorter. As I have already said: if a lightweight boxer is fighting a heavyweight champion and is still standing in the 12th round, the victory is his – whatever the count of points says. In the test of results – the only one that counts in war – the strategic and tactical command of Hezbollah is decidedly better than that of our own army. All along, our army's strategy has been primitive, brutal, and unsophisticated. Clearly, Hezbollah has prepared well for this war – while the Israeli command has prepared for a quite different war. On the level of individual fighters, the Hezbollah are not inferior to our soldiers, neither in bravery nor in initiative. The main guilt for the failure belongs with Gen. Dan Halutz. I say "guilt" and not merely "responsibility," which comes with the job. He is living proof of the fact that an inflated ego and a brutal attitude are not enough to create a competent chief of staff. The opposite may be true. Halutz gained fame (or notoriety) when he was asked what he feels when he drops a one-ton bomb on a residential quarter and answered: "a slight bang on the wing." He added that afterwards he sleeps well at night. (In the same interview, he also called me and my friends "traitors" who should be prosecuted.) Now it is already clear – again, in the test of results – that Dan Halutz is the worst chief of staff in the annals of the Israeli army, a completely incompetent officer for his job. Recently he has changed his blue air force uniform for the green one of the land army. Too late. Halutz started this war with the bluster of an air force officer. He believed that it was possible to crush Hezbollah by aerial bombardment, supplemented by artillery shelling from land and sea. He believed that if he destroyed the towns, neighborhoods, roads, and ports of Lebanon, the Lebanese people would rise and compel their government to remove Hezbollah. For a week he killed and devastated, until it became clear to everybody that this method achieves the opposite – strengthens Hezbollah, weakens its opponents within Lebanon and throughout the Arab world, and destroys the worldwide sympathy Israel enjoyed at the beginning of the war. When he reached this point, Halutz did not know what to do next. For three weeks he sent his soldiers into Lebanon on senseless and hopeless missions, gaining nothing. Even in the battles that were fought in villages right on the border, no significant victories were achieved. After the fourth week, when he was requested to submit a plan to the government, it was unbelievably primitive. If the "enemy" had been a regular army, it would have been a bad plan. Just pushing the enemy back is hardly a strategy at all. But when the other side is a guerilla force, this is simply foolish. It may cause the death of many soldiers, for no practical result. Now he is trying to achieve a token victory, occupying empty space as far from the border as possible, after the UN has already called for an end to the hostilities. (As in almost all previous Israeli wars, this call is being ignored, in the hope of snatching some gains at the last moment.) Behind this line, Hezbollah remains intact in their bunkers. However, the chief of staff does not act in a vacuum. As commander in chief he has indeed a huge influence, but he is also merely the top of the military pyramid. This war casts a dark shadow on the whole upper echelon of our army. I assume that there are some talented officers, but the general picture is of a senior officers corps that is mediocre, or worse, gray and unoriginal. Almost all the many officers who have appeared on TV are unimpressive, uninspiring professionals, experts on covering their behinds, repeating empty clichés like parrots. The ex-generals, who have been crowding out everybody else in the TV and radio studios, have also mostly surprised us with their mediocrity, limited intelligence, and general ignorance. One gets the impression that they have not read books on military history, and fill the void with empty phrases. More than once it has been said in this column that an army that has been acting for many years as a colonial police force against the Palestinian population – "terrorists," women, and children – and spending its time running after stone-throwing boys, cannot remain an efficient army. The test of results confirms this. As after every failure of our military, the intelligence community is quick to cover its *** . Their chiefs declare that they knew everything, that they provided the troops with full and accurate information, that they are not to blame if the army did not act on it. That does not sound reasonable. Judging from the reactions of the commanders in the field, they clearly were completely unaware of the defense system built by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The complex infrastructure of hidden bunkers, stocked with modern equipment and stockpiles of food and weapons, was a complete surprise for the army. It was not ready for these bunkers, including those built two or three kilometers from the border. They are reminiscent of the tunnels in Vietnam. The intelligence community has also been corrupted by the long occupation of the Palestinian territories. They have gotten used to relying on the thousands of collaborators who have been recruited in the course of 39 years by torture, bribery, and extortion (junkies needing drugs, someone begging to be allowed to visit his dying mother, someone desiring a chunk from the cake of corruption, etc.). Clearly, no collaborators were found among Hezbollah, and without them intelligence is blind. It is also clear that intelligence, and the army in general, was not ready for the deadly efficiency of Hezbollah's anti-tank weapons. Hard to believe, but according to official figures, more than 20 tanks were hit. The Merkava ("carriage") tank is the pride of the army. Its father, Gen. Israel Tal, a victorious tank general, did not want only to build the world's most advanced tank, but also a tank that provided its crew with the best possible protection. Now it appears that an anti-tank weapon from the late 1980s that is available in large quantities can disable the tank, killing or grievously wounding the soldiers inside. The common denominator of all the failures is the disdain for Arabs, a contempt that has dire consequences. It has caused total misunderstanding, a kind of blindness of Hezbollah's motives, attitudes, standing in Lebanese society, etc. I am convinced that today's soldiers are in no way inferior to their predecessors. Their motivation is high, and they have shown great bravery in the evacuation of the wounded under fire. (I very much appreciate that in particular, since my own life was saved by soldiers who risked theirs to get me out under fire when I was wounded.) But the best soldiers cannot succeed when the command is incompetent. History teaches that defeat can be a great blessing for an army. A victorious army rests on its laurels, it has no motive for self-criticism, it degenerates, its commanders become careless and lose the next war. (See: the Six Day War leading to the Yom Kippur War). A defeated army, on the other side, knows that it must rehabilitate itself. On one condition: that it admits defeat. After this war, the chief of staff must be dismissed and the senior officer corps overhauled. For that, a minister of defense is needed who is not a marionette of the chief of staff. (But that concerns the political leadership, about whose failures and sins we shall speak another time.) We, as people of peace, have a great interest in changing the military leadership. First, because it has a huge impact on the forming of policy and, as we just saw, irresponsible commanders can easily drag the government into dangerous adventures. And second, because even after achieving peace we shall need an efficient army – at least until the wolf lies down with the lamb, as the prophet Isaiah promised. (And not in the Israeli version: "No problem. One only has to bring a new lamb every day.") The main lesson of the war, beyond all military analysis, lies in the five words we inscribed on our banner from the very first day: "There is no military solution!" Even a strong army cannot defeat a guerilla organization, because the guerilla is a political phenomenon. Perhaps the opposite is true: the stronger the army, the better equipped with advanced technology, the smaller are its chances of winning such a confrontation. Our conflict – in the north, the center, and the south – is a political conflict, and can only be resolved by political means. The army is the instrument worst suited for that. The war has proved that Hezbollah is a strong opponent, and any political solution in the north must include it. Since Syria is its strong ally, it must also be included. The settlement must be worthwhile for them too, otherwise it will not last. The price is the return of the Golan Heights. What is true in the north is also true in the south. The army will not defeat the Palestinians, because such a victory is altogether impossible. For the good of the army, it must be extricated from the quagmire. If that now enters the consciousness of the Israeli public, something good may yet have come out of this war.

Israeli Leaders Fault Bush on War* By Robert Parry Consortium News Sunday 13 August 2006 Amid the political and diplomatic fallout from Israel's faltering invasion of Lebanon, some Israeli officials are privately blaming President George W. Bush for egging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert into the ill-conceived military adventure against the Hezbollah militia in south Lebanon. Bush conveyed his strong personal support for the military offensive during a White House meeting with Olmert on May 23, according to sources familiar with the thinking of senior Israeli leaders. Olmert, who like Bush lacks direct wartime experience, agreed that a dose of military force against Hezbollah might damage the guerrilla group's influence in Lebanon and intimidate its allies, Iran and Syria, countries that Bush has identified as the chief obstacles to U.S. interests in the Middle East. As part of Bush's determination to create a "new Middle East" - one that is more amenable to U.S. policies and desires - Bush even urged Israel to attack Syria, but the Olmert government refused to go that far, according to Israeli sources. One source said some Israeli officials thought Bush's attack-Syria idea was "nuts" since much of the world would have seen the bombing campaign as overt aggression. In an article on July 30, the Jerusalem Post referred to Bush's interest in a wider war involving Syria. Israeli "defense officials told the Post last week that they were receiving indications from the US that America would be interested in seeing Israel attack Syria," the newspaper reported. While balking at an expanded war into Syria, Olmert did agree on the need to show military muscle in Lebanon as a prelude to facing down Iran over its nuclear program, which Olmert has called an "existential" threat to Israel. With U.S. forces bogged down in Iraq, Bush and his neoconservative advisers saw the inclusion of Israeli forces as crucial for advancing a strategy that would punish Syria for supporting Iraqi insurgents, advance the confrontation with Iran and isolate Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. But the month-long war has failed to achieve its goals of destroying Hezbollah forces in south Lebanon or intimidating Iran and Syria. Instead, Hezbollah guerrillas fought Israeli troops to a virtual standstill in villages near the border and much of the world saw Israel's bombing raids across Lebanon - which killed hundreds of civilians - as "disproportionate." Now, as the conflict winds down, some Israeli officials are ruing the Olmert-Bush pact on May 23 and fault Bush for pushing Olmert into the conflict. *Building Pressure* Soon after the May 23 meeting in Washington, Israel began to ratchet up pressure on the Hamas-led government in the Palestinian territories and on Hezbollah and other Islamic militants in Lebanon. As part of this process, Israel staged low-key attacks in both Lebanon and Gaza. [For details, see Consortiumnews.com A 'Pretext' War in Lebanon.] The tit-for-tat violence led to the Hamas seizure of an Israeli soldier on June 24 and then to Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza. That, in turn, set the stage for Hezbollah's attack on an Israeli outpost and the capture of two more Israeli soldiers on July 12. Hezbollah's July 12 raid became the trigger that Bush and Olmert had been waiting for. With the earlier attacks unknown or forgotten, Israel and the U.S. skillfully rallied international condemnation of Hezbollah for what was called an unprovoked attack and a "kidnapping" of Israeli soldiers. Behind the international criticism of Hezbollah, Bush and Olmert justified an intense air campaign against Lebanese targets, killing civilians and destroying much of Lebanon's commercial infrastructure. Israeli troops also crossed into southern Lebanon with the intent of delivering a devastating military blow against Hezbollah, which retaliated by firing Katyusha rockets into Israel.. However, the Israeli operation was eerily reminiscent of the disastrous U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Like the U.S. assault, Israel relied heavily on "shock and awe" air power and committed an inadequate number of soldiers to the battle. Israeli newspapers have been filled with complaints from soldiers who say some reservists weren't issued body armor while other soldiers found their equipment either inferior or inappropriate to the battlefield conditions. Israeli troops also encountered fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas, who took a page from the Iraqi insurgents by using explosive booby traps and ambushes to inflict heavier than expected casualties on the Israelis. Channel 2 in Israel disclosed that several top military commanders wrote a letter to Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, the chief of staff, criticizing the war planning as chaotic and out of line with the combat training of the soldiers and officers. [Washington Post, Aug. 12, 2006] One Israeli plan to use llamas to deliver supplies in the rugged terrain of south Lebanon turned into an embarrassment when the animals simply sat down. Reporter Nahum Barnea, who traveled with an Israeli unit in south Lebanon, compared the battle to "the famous Tom and Jerry cartoons" with the powerful Israeli military playing the role of the cat Tom and the resourceful Hezbollah guerrillas playing the mouse Jerry. "In every conflict between them, Jerry wins," Barnea wrote. *Olmert Criticized* Back in Israel, some leading newspapers have begun calling for Olmert's resignation. "If Olmert runs away now from the war he initiated, he will not be able to remain prime minister for even one more day," the newspaper Haaretz wrote in a front-page analysis. "You cannot lead an entire nation to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power. "You cannot bury 120 Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in shelters for a month and then say, 'Oops, I made a mistake.'" [see Washington Post, Aug. 12, 2006] For his part, Bush spent July and early August fending off international demands for an immediate cease-fire. Bush wanted to give Olmert as much time as possible to bomb targets across Lebanon and dislodge Hezbollah forces in the south. But instead of turning the Lebanese population against Hezbollah - as Washington and Tel Aviv had hoped - the devastation rallied public support behind Hezbollah. As the month-long conflict took on the look of a public-relations disaster for Israel, the Bush administration dropped its resistance to international cease-fire demands and joined with France in crafting a United Nations plan for stopping the fighting. Quoting "a senior administration official" with Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, the New York Times reported that "it increasingly seemed that Israel would not be able to achieve a military victory, a reality that led the Americans to get behind a cease-fire." [NYT, Aug. 12, 2006] But the repercussions from Israel's failed Lebanon offensive are likely to continue. Olmert must now confront the political damage at home and the chief U.S. adversaries in the Middle East may be emboldened by the outcome, more than chastened. As in the Iraq War, Bush has revealed again how reliance on tough talk and military might can sometimes undercut - not build up - U.S. influence in the strategically important Middle East.

Duke sxb,qeeylo yeesan kaa dhamaan, were there is injustice, the ICU will come, Puntland is no different.

Ethiopian police fire rubber bullets at hundreds of Muslims 08/11/2006 They were protesting the demolition of a mosque in Ethiopia's capital. Ethiopia's population is about 45 percent Christian and about the same percentage Muslim. Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas Friday at hundreds of stone-throwing Muslims who were protesting the demolition of a mosque in Ethiopia's capital, witnesses said. Several people were bleeding in the streets, but the extent of their injuries was not clear. More than 100 protesters were taken away in four military trucks; another 100 were under armed guard on the street. At least one car was overturned and several others had windows smashed. Federal Police Cmdr. Hailu Demsash said he was aware of the clashes in the capital's Merkato district, the main Muslim area of Addis Ababa, but he had no details. Witnesses said the protesters were angry that a mosque had been demolished two weeks ago outside the Merkato district. The reason for the demolition was not immediately clear. Ethiopia's population of about 77 million is about 45 percent Christian and about the same percentage Muslim, with the rest following indigenous beliefs.

Airline Begins Flights to Mogadishu The Nation (Nairobi) NEWS August 11, 2006 Posted to the web August 11, 2006 By Nation Reporter Nairobi Kenyan carrier, African Express Airways, is flying thrice weekly to Mogadishu International Airport in Somalia. This follows the reopening of the airport by the Islamic Courts Council after its closure nearly 14 years ago following the outbreak of armed conflict. The first international scheduled passenger flight landed at the Somali airport at 10 a.m. on August 3, 2006. African Express operates four aircraft and was designated a flag carrier in May last year. It is allowed by the Kenya's Ministry of Transport to operate flights to the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Senegal, Zanzibar, France, Oman, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), Qatar, Somalia and Saudi Arabia. The low-cost carrier says it is in preparing to resume flights on the Nairobi-Mombasa route, and Nairobi-Johannesburg and Nairobi-Juba flights in alliance with some major carriers. "Warlords could not allow any airport operations until the Islamic Court Council removed them. There is order everywhere. The main port of Mogadishu is also fully open with loading and offloading of ships being done with no security problem," said the airline, owned by the Bulhan family, in a statement.