source dayniile. -- --

War cusub dheh. Sxb Calm down, your uncle will be safe in the hands of the Islamic courts.

True enough. It certainly seems like a good day for Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf; with the warlords defeated, he now has a single unified enemy in the Islamic Courts. The U.S. and other powers will have no other choice but to back him Miskiin. Trust in Allah and yourself sxb not outside powerers.

Maxkamadaha=worst nightmare for the warlords.

More gains by the courts... Watching the enemy After the battle. celebrating after the battle. Moving to frontlines. Courts to stay Muse Sudi territory.

I'm 110% in support of the Islamic courts if they bring justice and stability to Somalia, no matter what outside forces think.

Big turnout for the Islamic courts. source: hiiraan.com Gudoomiyaha Midowha Maxaakiimta Haween taageersan Maxaakiimta Islaamka female supporters of the Islamic courts ...female supporters of the Islamic courts. Mid ka mid ah maleeshiyaadka Maxaakiimta islaamiga oo sugaya amniga Big turnout to support the Islamic courts Very strong support for the Islamic courts.

Are we exporting violence, I hope not? Somalis' struggle in the UK By Dominic Casciani BBC News community affairs Adam Dirir: "We need one voice" Highly visible on the street, but paradoxically a largely unknown people, uncomfortable questions are being asked about Britain's Somali immigrants - and the answers are by no means easy to find. When Adam Dirir and his colleagues at Somali Voice take to the airwaves on Friday evenings, they face an image crisis. Headline after headline has talked about Somali crime gangs terrifying communities. And yet, despite being such an easily identifiable minority - all Somalis descend from a single tribe and so share similar facial characteristics - after more than a century of Somali presence in the UK, little is known about who they are. There's a similar dearth of knowledge about the apparently very serious problems they face in adjusting to life here. And so Adam, who also produces Somali Eye magazine, goes on the airwaves on London's Sound Radio to tell it like it is - a mixture of harsh reality and encouraging words to a community he says can make it. "There is a lot of anger out there," says Adam, referring to the unrest among fellow Somalis. "We need to show the role models and we need to show other communities that we have been here for decades - and will be here for decades." AT A GLANCE Lawlessness rife since collapse of military government in 1991 Capital is in ruins and under factional control Self-proclaimed state of Somaliland and region of Puntland run their own affairs Political rivals are split over where a transitional government, set up in 2004, should be based In Depth: The conflict in Somalia Somalis have long formed close-knit communities in Britain. For more than a century, their faces have been familiar in London, Cardiff and Liverpool after the arrival of seamen and traders. But the situation changed dramatically with the rapid arrival of asylum seekers and refugees in the 1990s, fleeing civil war. Since the ousting of Somalia's government in 1991, much of the country, situated on the eastern "Horn of Africa", has been in a state of violent anarchy, perpetuated by warlords with rag-tag armies of young men. Countries don't get more chaotic than Somalia and many who fled are now living in Britain, having originally gained refuge in other European states. In Britain, anecdotes have percolated into wider society that suggest many of the internal disputes that have bedevilled Somali society have travelled with the diaspora. Unclear picture Telling the story of Somalis in Britain is hard because there is a chronic lack of nationwide research. The 2001 census suggested there were 43,000 Somalis in the UK. But other experts suggest at least 95,000 and as many as 250,000. While they represent one of the largest ethnicities, the only significant research has been localised case studies. These tend to show that Somalis children are widely regarded to be underperforming at school. Although there are naturally many stories of individual success, the limited statistics that are available from some boroughs are mixed, showing below average exam grades, but improvements, particularly among girls. The community is also extremely mixed, coming from different clans and different social backgrounds, including a high proportion of skilled professionals who have not been able to find work in their field in the UK. Nobody knows how many of the young Somalis in Britain have brought with them traumatic experiences of war. INTEGRATION ISSUES Until society understands the needs of those communities, they will always have problems Some asylum seekers are simply released into society without any funding or support and one wonders how on earth they manage to exist Mohamed Ali, former Somali councillor, Liverpool The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (Icar), a body of experts at London's City University, recently pulled together all it could find on Somalis in Britain. Dr Chris McDowell, head of Icar, says that the experience of Somalis in the UK is extremely complex and differs greatly to comparable communities that have fled war zones. A key factor is the Somali tradition of nomadic and collective identity - what you are part of informs who you are, says Dr McDowell. "The politics and power struggles in Somalia has had an impact on the coherence of the communities within the diaspora," says Dr McDowell. "The same thing cannot be said for groups such as the Sri Lankans because they are overwhelmingly Tamil and have a coherence and unity within themselves which keeps them together in a new place." "In Somalia, you are part of something, part of a clan along with your family, your co-religionists. If you remove that anchor, because these groups are not recreated, then people feel adrift." Crime The contrast with the Tamil communities is important because, in general terms, large and unified groups get cash for projects, such as language integration schemes, advice bureau and so on. London has a plethora of small Somali groups, many of whom are essentially directly competing with each other for the same state or charitable funding. Other ethnic minorities in the UK have avoided this pitfall because they don't suffer from inter-communal differences. And it's in this potential vacuum of missing social networks that some alienated young Somali men have forged a defensive gang identity, say experts. Unclear of where they stand between the traditionalist clan viewpoint of their elders and the individualist creed of western societies; between protection through community and standing alone within society; the easy answer for some is to adopt a readily available, aggressive street persona, largely based on gangsta rap culture. "I think many of these young people try to find a group they can ally with," says Dr McDowell. "Gangsta culture provides that identity because it's about male power, is about making people scared and it seems that some Somali boys gravitate towards it because it allows them to be in control." Somali refugees are spread far and wide - these girls are in Yemen Adam Dirir of Somali Voice says that this defensiveness is not helped by under-reporting in the media of incidents where Somalis are victims, and over-reporting of incidents where Somalis are the alleged perpetrators. Nevertheless, he says the priority has to be support for youths who have fallen out of education and have drifted apart from their community. "We need the Somali youth workers who can communicate with these kids. If you don't have the youth workers, how can you hope to understand their problems? "We need one voice, one fusion and to be more open about the problems and issues. We need to accept that we are here, not with one leg in this country and another in Somalia. "There are a lot of angry kids and we just don't know what to do. There's a lot of pain in the community." Mohamed "Jimmy" Ali says he has witnessed that soreness - and says we need to ask questions for how Britain integrates troubled minorities. Outsiders Two years ago the Liverpool social worker became what is widely believed to be Britain's first Somali councillor, although he has since lost his seat. "Somali kids just don't get any help," he says. "They come from a war zone and they have no idea about [britain] in terms of its culture, religion or even how education works. And that is why they need support." In Liverpool, Mr Ali has found Somali children unofficially excluded from lessons, sitting alone in the corridor, because teachers had effectively given up trying to communicate. This compounds the feelings of alienation, frustration and increases the likelihood of racist bullying. In turn, young Somali men on the receiving end are all the more likely to become defensive and see society in terms of us and them. "Until society understands the needs of these [somali] communities, it will always have problems. Some asylum seekers are simply released into society without any funding or support and one wonders how on earth they manage to exist." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5029390.stm

^Macnayaroow, From abu Ghraib atrocities to shooting an armed person in the mosque to bombing civilians in weddings...to unconditional support of Israeli terrorism....the title savagery goes to USA.

Castro sxb....only matter of time before they will be overthrown....maybe US is even doing the work for Muslims. And good examples of the work US doing for Muslims can be seen in IRAQ, AFGANISTAN and now MOGADISHU, SOMALIA. :confused:

Baydhabo Janaay always shines

This thread reminds me the Song, "If I had million dollars, I would do this and I would do that". I only see two camps full of criminals who claim to represent Somalia and ordinary Somalis who are either with the criminals or have no power to defeat the criminals.

Duke, I don't know if you read it or listened to CNN, the Islamic Court are a big power to be reckoned with and in par with the Warlords and the TFG, according to U.S officials. Alloow kuu sahal. The media and the US government officials are two sides of the same coin. One cannot survive without the other. Remember the propaganda campaign before the Iraqi Massacre begane.

Sample polls shows majority of Southerners support Somaliland absolute rubbish But hey, Why not become the PR man for warlord Riyaale just like our own GDUKE who take great pleasure in being PR man for warlord Yusuf.

God bless Islam.

Galabta wax dagaal ah kama jirin deegaanka Sii Sii, waan waan ayaana socota Jimco, May 12, 2006 (HOL): Waxaa galabta deganeyd xaaladda deeganadii ay maalmahan dagaallada ka socdeen ee Sii Sii, walow saakay uu dagaal xooggan dhexmaray dhinacyadii dagaalka uu u dhaxeeyay ee Isbaheysiga La dagaalanka Argagixisada iyo Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamka. Ma jirin cid kala dhex gashay oo joojisay dagaalka labada dhinac, hayeeshee waxaa loo qaatay in ay isku daaleen oo markaasina ay wax natiijo ah ka keeni waayeen dagaalkii lixda maalmood u dhaxeeyay, kaasi oo ay ku dhinteen dad aad u badan. Waxaa ka socota Hotelka Bin Cali ee Degmada Yaaqshiid ku yaala waan waan ay wadaan Ganacsato iyo Odayaal ka soo jeeda Beesha Mudullood, kuwaasi oo 5 maalmood kadib ku soo baxay dagaalka ka socda Deegaanka Sii Sii oo ah mid ay dad badan oo rayid ah wax ku noqdeen. Ganacsatada iyo Waxgaradka ku soo baxay joojinta dagaalkan ayaa waxaa ka mid ah Guddoomiyaha Midowga Ganacsatada Gobolka Banaadir Maxamuud C/kariin Gabeyre, C/raxmaan Maxamuud Hilowle (C/raxmaan Showqi), Iimaan Maxamed Cali, Faarax Wehliye Caddow Sendiko, Cabdi Xasan Dhiblaawe (Cabdi Dheere), Muxyaddiin Xasan Afrax iyo waxgarad kale. Shirka ka socda Hotelka Bin Cali ee ay isugu yimaadeen Waxgaradka iyo Ganacsatada Beesha Mudullood ayaa waxaa gunaanadkiisii lagu magacaabay Guddi deg deg ugu howlgala joojinta dagaalka socda, kaasi oo xiriir la sameyn doona dhinaca dagaalamaya. Dagaalka lixda maalmood ka socday Magaalada Muqdisho, gaar ahaan deegaanka Sii Sii ayaa wuxuu sababay khasaare lixaad leh oo soo gaaray dadka rayidka ah, kuwaasi oo ay guryahooda ugu tagtay rasaas yar yar iyo waa weyn isugu jirta oo habow ah, waxaana kaliya Isbitaallada Keysaney iyo Madiina dhaawac ahaan loo geeyay 268 qofood (Madiino 102 qofood oo dhaawac ah ayaa la geeyay, halka Keysaneyna la dhigay 166 qofood oo dhaawac ah). Ka sokow dhimashada iyo dhaawaca uu geystay dagaalka Sii Sii ka dhacay waxaa uu sababay barakac ku dhacay dad ku sugnaa halka dagaalka ka socday iyo kuwo kale oo ku noolaa deegaano fog, waxayna dadkaasi u qaxeen gobollada Shabeelaha Hoose iyo Shabeelaha Dhexe oo la deris ah Gobolka Banaadir. Waxyaabaha cajiibka ah ee dagaalka Sii Sii uu kaga duwanaa dagaalladii hore u dhexmaray labada dhinac ayaa waxaa ka mid ah iyadoo ay dhinacyada is-haya u kala qeybsadeen dagaalka maalin iyo habeen (Koox habeenkii ay wax weerartaa, kooxda kalena maalintii), taasina waxay dadka deegaanka lagu dagaalamayo u diiday in ay salkooda dhulka dhigaan waayo habeen iyo maalinba waxaa ku socota rasaas aan loo meel dayin oo la iska ridayo. Si kastaba arrintu ha ahaatee, dagaalka Sii Sii oo xiligan ku jira xabad joojin iskiis ah ayay dad badan rajo ka muujinayaan in ay hakiyaan Waxgaradka iyo ganacsatada maanta shirka ku yeeshay Hotelka Bin Cali, walow aan la oran karin waxay soo af-jarayaan xiisadda u dhaxeysa labada Isbaheysi oo horay ugu dagaalamay Nawaaxiga Kulliyaddii Jaalle Siyaad iyo Deegaanka Galgalato oo Muqdisho duleedkeeda ah. www.hiiraan.com

Ahmadinejad letter attacks Bush Ahmadinejad's letter came at a time of heightened tension Details have emerged of the surprise letter written by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to US President George W Bush. In it, Mr Ahmadinejad criticises the US invasion of Iraq and urges Mr Bush to return to religious principles. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has dismissed the letter, saying it contained nothing new. The letter was issued as foreign ministers met in New York for talks on the Iranian nuclear crisis. But after three hours, the ministers failed to agree on a unified position on how to tackle the problem of Iran's atomic programme. Iraq 'lies' The letter - thought to be the first from an Iranian president to a US leader since Iran's 1979 revolution - sparked intense interest, coming at a time of acutely tense relations between Washington and Tehran. Why have the various aspects of the [9/11] attacks been kept secret? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iranian president The 18-page document has not yet been made public, but according to leaks, Mr Ahmadinejad spoke of the invasion of Iraq, a US cover-up over the 11 September 2001 attacks, the issue of Israel's right to exist and the role of religion in the world. "On the pretext of the existence of WMDs [weapons of mass destruction], this great tragedy [the US invasion of Iraq] came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. "Lies were told in the Iraqi matter," Reuters news agency quoted the letter as saying. "What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to," Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted as saying. The president also questioned the creation of Israel, asking "how can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?", Reuters reported. HAVE YOUR SAY Iran should let the UN get involved if they want nuclear power Send us your comments In an apparent allusion to Iran's nuclear programme, Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted by the Associated Press as asking: "Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East region is translated into and portrayed as a 'threat to the Zionist [israel] regime'? Is not scientific R&D [research and development] one of the basic rights of nations?" In another part of the letter, Mr Ahmadinejad suggests Washington has concealed elements of the truth about the 11 September 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, Reuters reports. "Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities?" he asks. The president ends the letter by appealing to Mr Bush to return to religion. "We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point - that is the Almighty God. "My question for you is, 'Do you not want to join them?'" Divisions exposed Washington swiftly dismissed the letter as a ploy, saying it contributed nothing towards helping resolve the stand-off over Iran's nuclear programme. The US is pushing for a decisive resolution "This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort," Ms Rice told AP. "It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way." Hours after the letter was sent, Ms Rice held an inconclusive meeting with her UN Security Council counterparts and the German foreign minister on what action to take over Iran. BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says that far from drawing the key powers at the UN towards agreement on how to confront Iran, the meeting seems to have exposed the scale of division. The UK's newly-appointed foreign minister, Margaret Beckett, acknowledged the meeting had been important but difficult. She refused to repeat her predecessor Jack Straw's insistence that military action against Iran was inconceivable. Mrs Beckett said she preferred to make clear that no-one was discussing military action. This language, our correspondent says, was far more welcome to the Americans. After the meeting, an unnamed senior US state department official said prospects for an agreement this week on a UN Security Council resolution were "not substantially good". However, the official said the US was "very satisfied and confident" at this stage. Washington has pushed for any resolution to be adopted under the terms of Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. These are binding on all UN members, but do not automatically lead to sanctions or military action. Further decisions would be needed for such measures. But China and Russia have resisted such a move, fearing it could lead to a new war. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4752831.stm

Ahmadinejad letter attacks Bush Ahmadinejad's letter came at a time of heightened tension Details have emerged of the surprise letter written by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to US President George W Bush. In it, Mr Ahmadinejad criticises the US invasion of Iraq and urges Mr Bush to return to religious principles. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has dismissed the letter, saying it contained nothing new. The letter was issued as foreign ministers met in New York for talks on the Iranian nuclear crisis. But after three hours, the ministers failed to agree on a unified position on how to tackle the problem of Iran's atomic programme. Iraq 'lies' The letter - thought to be the first from an Iranian president to a US leader since Iran's 1979 revolution - sparked intense interest, coming at a time of acutely tense relations between Washington and Tehran. Why have the various aspects of the [9/11] attacks been kept secret? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iranian president The 18-page document has not yet been made public, but according to leaks, Mr Ahmadinejad spoke of the invasion of Iraq, a US cover-up over the 11 September 2001 attacks, the issue of Israel's right to exist and the role of religion in the world. "On the pretext of the existence of WMDs [weapons of mass destruction], this great tragedy [the US invasion of Iraq] came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. "Lies were told in the Iraqi matter," Reuters news agency quoted the letter as saying. "What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to," Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted as saying. The president also questioned the creation of Israel, asking "how can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?", Reuters reported. HAVE YOUR SAY Iran should let the UN get involved if they want nuclear power Nadan Mickwanna Send us your comments In an apparent allusion to Iran's nuclear programme, Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted by the Associated Press as asking: "Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East region is translated into and portrayed as a 'threat to the Zionist [israel] regime'? Is not scientific R&D [research and development] one of the basic rights of nations?" In another part of the letter, Mr Ahmadinejad suggests Washington has concealed elements of the truth about the 11 September 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, Reuters reports. "Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities?" he asks. The president ends the letter by appealing to Mr Bush to return to religion. "We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point - that is the Almighty God. "My question for you is, 'Do you not want to join them?'" Divisions exposed Washington swiftly dismissed the letter as a ploy, saying it contributed nothing towards helping resolve the stand-off over Iran's nuclear programme. The US is pushing for a decisive resolution "This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort," Ms Rice told AP. "It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way." Hours after the letter was sent, Ms Rice held an inconclusive meeting with her UN Security Council counterparts and the German foreign minister on what action to take over Iran. BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says that far from drawing the key powers at the UN towards agreement on how to confront Iran, the meeting seems to have exposed the scale of division. The UK's newly-appointed foreign minister, Margaret Beckett, acknowledged the meeting had been important but difficult. She refused to repeat her predecessor Jack Straw's insistence that military action against Iran was inconceivable. Mrs Beckett said she preferred to make clear that no-one was discussing military action. This language, our correspondent says, was far more welcome to the Americans. After the meeting, an unnamed senior US state department official said prospects for an agreement this week on a UN Security Council resolution were "not substantially good". However, the official said the US was "very satisfied and confident" at this stage. Washington has pushed for any resolution to be adopted under the terms of Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. These are binding on all UN members, but do not automatically lead to sanctions or military action. Further decisions would be needed for such measures. But China and Russia have resisted such a move, fearing it could lead to a new war. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4752831.stm

Minutemen Turn Down Al-Jazeera Interview Request Barbara Ferguson, Arab News WASHINGTON, 2 May 2006 — The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, an anti-illegal immigration organization that patrols the border in Arizona, has refused another interview request by Al-Jazeera TV, calling it a “terrorist TV station.†The Minutemen volunteers, many of them Vietnam, Korean and World War II veterans, said they would leave camp if the Arab news organization, which some described as “anti-American,†was given access to the site. Al-Jazeera has attracted millions of viewers throughout the Arab world with its coverage of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and its airing of tapes of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. But Al-Jazeera’s growing popularity also brought it greater scrutiny. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accused the Qatar-based network of encouraging militants by airing hostage executions. And Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly branded it a “propaganda network...bent on encouraging violence and sympathetic to terrorists.†The controversy between the Minutemen and Al-Jazeera started a year ago, when Nasreddine Hssaini, a Washington, D.C.-based Al-Jazeera reporter, said he wanted to interview leaders of the Minutemen and others in Arizona. Hssaini said he was interested in covering the increase in apprehensions of illegal aliens known as OTMs — “Other Than Mexicans.†Reportedly, these foreigners increasingly include Arabs, Muslims and others from the Middle East. At the time, the founder and president of MCDC, Chris Simcox, refused Al-Jazeera request to interview and film the Minuteman patrols on the border. “I’ll have no part in aiding and abetting the enemy, and will continue to work to protect our country from terrorists who are clearly looking at our unsecured borders as the pathway to destroy America,†he said in a June 2005 interview. “Would we allow Japanese or German television to film the unsecured border during World War II?†Minuteman spokeswoman Connie Hair added. “These people broadcast to the enemies of America. It’s not a news story, it’s recon.†But Al-Jazeera did not abandon the project, and finally negotiated an agreement with Simcox. Now, according to Connie Foust, a MCDC sector head, when the news organization announced it had the “OK†from Simcox and wanted to interview and show the volunteers — may of whom are armed at their border observation posts — the volunteers said they would refuse to stay in camp if Al-Jazeera showed up. But local journalism professors defended Al-Jazeera. “With constant news that Middle Easterners may try to slip through Mexico, it’s no wonder that an Arab news channel would also be interested,†said Alan Weisman, a University of Arizona journalism professor. “Al-Jazeera is a legitimate news organization. If we have the right to go into Middle Eastern countries to cover issues, why on earth shouldn’t we allow them to come here, particularly since we allege that Middle Easterners might try to cross the border? That’s a story of great journalistic interest,†Weisman told reporters.

Horn is very happy for his **** to get the green light from A.Yusuf. When will Somalis learn from past mistakes?

Suldaanka reminds me the old days of dictator Siyaad bare.....government manipulating the media;) Failing to report the "not so good news"

Somali Businesses Stunted by Too-Free Enterprise By Ian Fisher Mogadishu Journal August 7, 2000 There are five competing airlines here; three phone companies, which have some of the cheapest rates in the world; at least two pasta factories; 45 private hospitals; 55 providers of electricity; 1,500 wholesalers for imported goods; and an infinite number of guys with donkeys who will deliver 55 gallons of clean water to your house for 25 cents. What Somalia does not have is a government, and in many ways, that makes it the world's purest laboratory for capitalism. No one collects taxes. Business is booming. Libertarians of the world, unite! So it may come as a surprise that business people in Mogadishu, the wrecked and lawless capital, are begging for a government. They would love to be taxed and would gladly let politicians meddle at least a bit in their affairs. "The thing is," Abdi Muhammad Sabria said, "it's a lot better to pay a tax than to go through what we are going through." Last year Mr. Sabria and his partners opened a pasta factory here, and at the moment they cannot make enough to meet demand. But they pay $3,000 a month just for gunmen, including the one who sits with an AK-47 across the factory's spotless concrete floor from the pasta cutting machine. Because there is no port, they lose up to 10 percent of their imported supplies on the beach. They had to dig their own well. They generate their own power. "You have to provide everything for yourself," Mr. Sabria said. "You have to collect the garbage on your own street." Even this requires a payment to local toughs, who often block private garbage trucks. Established business people here are all too aware of the paradox they face: what helps make their business so good -- freedom from government -- is exactly what will kill their businesses in the long run. It may be true that the government that is best governs least. But at least it governs. "Security is the doorstep for development," said Muhammad Ahmed Hirabe, an economist collecting statistics on the business climate in Mogadishu. His partner, Muhammad M. Sheik, added: "Lack of government is not good for the economy and the whole business environment. That is the bottom line." And so businesses are among the key supporters of the peace conference in the neighboring country of Djibouti, in which some 2,000 Somalis are gathered to try yet again to establish a government. Businessmen are backing various candidates for top posts, in ways that make other Somalis nervous about the influence they may have on a new government. But the business people argue that their success has irreversibly altered the way government is viewed in Somalia. The unavoidable reality is that business will shape whatever government is formed, most likely by making it far smaller than its predecessor. Business has been one of the few sources of stability in Somalia since the military dictator Muhammad Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991 and no one rose to replace him. In anarchy deepened by local warlords, private interests swooped in to provide essentials like water, telephones and electricity, though not in the most efficient ways. The three telephone companies, for instance, operate entirely independently of one another. Having access to all people with phones means having three telephone lines -- one from each company. Drinkable water is delivered mostly by donkey. Smuggling thrives, in everything from guns to cigarettes to electronics. One of the major exports is charcoal, to the Persian Gulf states. The trade has caused an environmental disaster as well as battles between tree cutters and herdsmen whose camels eat from the trees. But the market's invisible hand has worked in remarkable ways: competition is so fierce that international phone calls are just $1.50 a minute. The main market downtown is jammed with goods. And after Mr. Sabria's factory opened last summer, a price war sharply cut the cost of pasta, one of the staples in this former Italian colony. The company started off selling high-quality pasta at about $8 for a 10-kilogram (22-pound) box. Then importers moved to undercut them, selling a lower-grade pasta shipped in from Dubai at $5 a box. Not to be outdone, Mr. Sabria's company introduced its own lower-grade line, for about $4.60 a box. Now, three months later, he says he has wrested the market back from the importers. "They are crying," Mr. Sabria said with predatory glee. "We still hold them, and there is no way they can get out." It is striking that Somalia, unlike many parts of Africa, has achieved this thriving business climate on its own, without the usual aid and advice from rich nations. They have all but disengaged from Somalia since the failure of the United Nations operation here in the early 1990's. Somalis have learned that they are pretty good at making money. "It's entrepreneurism that's doing it," said Ahmed Abdisalam Adan, director of programs for Horn Afrik, Somalia's first independent radio and television station, established last year. "It's who has more creativity. It's who is willing to take risks. Before it was the government. The government could make you rich one day and poor the next." Indeed, in General Siad Barre's heyday, the government controlled nearly all commerce, from airlines to sugar factories to hotels. It was consequently one of the most corrupt on the continent -- typical of African governments, whose leaders often run publicly owned industry into the ground as they siphon profits into private bank accounts. If the Somali businessmen's smaller-is-better vision becomes reality, it will be a radical departure. In general, these businessmen say, government has a strong role to play as a regulator of existing industries. For example, it might force the telephone companies, to integrate their lines, or ban the export of charcoal. But they argue that any new government should focus on essentials like roads, education and health. "A lot of services can be covered by the private people," said Abdul aziz H. A. Sheikh, managing director of Somalia Telecommunications, one of the three phone companies. But the economist, Mr. Sheik, argues that a small government is an impossibility, given the state of Somalia's public works nearly a decade after the government fell. There are few roads, no central power plants, no water and hardly any habitable public buildings. "If it is very small, who is going to rehabilitate?" he asked. "The private sector can't do that." The private sector is clearly hard pressed. Mr. Adan, 40, who started his radio and television company with two people who like him had fled to Canada, said that at the outset his security guards had been forced into firefights with the gunmen of a local warlord. The telephone company chief, Mr. Sheikh, says thugs regularly prevent him from digging trenches for phone cable. Smaller entrepreneurs, too, find it difficult to work in chaos: Abdi Muhidin, 23, who goes to the beach near the ruined downtown nearly every day to dig flakes of gold from the volcanic rock there, can make as much as $10 a day, a good wage here. But bandits often rob him. "Yeah, it happens," he said, as he scraped the rock with a metal rod. "What I would like to have is peace." One of the eight gunmen guarding a reporter (at $200 a day) squatted down and told Mr. Muhidin, "I don't want a government." Mr. Muhidin did not bother to look up. "Yes," he told the gunman, "for you it's better not to have one."

This could be a good news for Somalia's camel herders?

Milking the benefit from camels Camel's milk is already widely drunk in many countries World population of camels is about 20 million Somalia is home to largest herd About 5.4 million tonnes of camel milk produced annually But just 25% is consumed by humans It tastes slightly saltier than cows' milk And it is three times as rich in vitamin C Source: UN FAO Camel's milk and other products like camel's cheese, ice cream and camel chocolate could soon be hitting the shelves of Western retailers if a United Nations bid to stimulate the rudimentary industry is successful. It is already widely drunk across the Arab world, but the United Nations says camel's milk has untapped potential to hit the global markets. Tasting slightly more salty than cow's milk, but with three times the vitamin C and up to 10 times the iron content, camel's milk is touted as a powerful tonic against many diseases and as an aphrodisiac. Potentially it could provide more food to people in dry areas, and also give nomadic herders from Mauritania to Mongolia a rich source of income. Many people believe the camel is a dirty animal, but that is not true. If you think there is not a high quality product coming from these animals, that is not true either. Hodner Mardach Camel Dairy Milk Ltd To do that, the fledgling industry needs to overcome numerous humps in production. A camel typically produces about five litres of milk per day, but that could be easily improved with changes to the low-tech business, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. "The potential is massive. Milk is money," says FAO dairy and meat expert Anthony Bennett. "No-one's suggesting intensive camel dairy farming, but just with improved feed, husbandry and veterinary care daily yields could rise to 20 litres." Fresh camel milk fetches about a dollar a litre on African markets. Mr Bennett says that with the right investment, a global market worth $10bn (£5.6bn) is entirely possible. 'Camel-bert cheese' British-born Nancy Abeiderahmanne has run a camel dairy in Mauritania for about 15 years. MILK FROM THE DESERT World population of camels is about 20 million Somalia is home to largest herd About 5.4 million tonnes of camel milk produced annually But just 25% is consumed by humans It tastes slightly saltier than cows' milk And it is three times as rich in vitamin C Source: UN FAO Back in 1992 the FAO helped her develop a camel cheese-making process, sending a scientist to show her how to use a special enzyme to give her products the right consistency. The result was a soft cheese with a white crust, "Caravane", and nicknamed Camelbert. Ms Abeiderahmanne says she has had interest from upmarket stores like Harrod's and Fortnum and Mason, in London, and is trying to find an acceptable certification system in a bid to get an export licence. Other ventures from the Western Sahara to Mongolia hint at the industry's potential. Nomads in Kazakhstan exploit a centuries-old method of storing camel milk in places lacking electricity, processing fresh milk into fermented milk, Shubat, a local delicacy. In Kazakhstan's old capital of Almaty, a modern factory produces Kourt, a hard cheese, and a range of camel's milk sweets. Meanwhile a Vienna-based chocolatier, Johann Georg Hochleitner, is preparing to launch a low-fat, camel milk's chocolate - prepared in Austria with powdered camel milk. Mr Hochleitner wants to tap into what he says is a potential market of 200 million in the Arab world. Taste test The BBC's Wanyama wa Chebusiri visited the Camel Dairy Milk factory in Nanyuki, Kenya - a country where many see the camel herd as a traditional symbol of wealth. Some upmarket Western stores are said to be interested in "Caravane" cheese Owner Hodner Mardach is hoping to tap the commercial potential of milk and related products like ice cream and yoghurt. "Many people believe the camel is a dirty animal, but that is not true," he said. "Many think there is not a high quality product coming from these animals, that is not true either." The company talks up the health benefits of its products, coming as they do from an animal which eats a diverse range of vegetation. Yet a taste test hinted what may be a battle to convince consumers. "Camel's milk compared to cow's milk... I like camel's milk very much," one man told the BBC. But a young woman added: "Camel's yoghurt is not so sweet. I compare it with cow's milk and with goat's - not only is it too heavy, the taste is not so good."

Most of these pics are from the Waagacusub website.. That fact makes even kids to question its authenticity. And to say this is our national army will invite nations such as Madagascar or E-Timor to invade you.