Xabad oo khayr sheegay waa wax wanaagsan. Oh. Canada. we really love this country.

Holac, you got some valid points. The rebels will not roll over. They have big backers and territory. Putin may as well hit a quagmire in the long run. My argument is some times quick intervention is the best solution. Imagine if the war between Qaddafi and the eastern based rebels were left to continue without western intervention. Qaddafi with his air force and tribal base, the rebels with their public support , could have lasted many more years without clear winner and an ending bloodshed. While Libya is still in great upheaval, it is much better than Syria. The crust of the matter is, he could have created no fly zones four years ago and spared the suffering of millions. Holac, by the way, the conservatives are disintegrated to many different groups. Some are out right crazy maniacs, who do not have any meaningful ideas. Among them are Cruz, Huckabee and Trump. But the realist ones have concrete solutions.

. To run for President in Somalia you must have money, a lot of money. In fact you must have a truck load of money. In early October 2012, when he came back from Mogadishu after the loss of the Somali election to Hassan Sheekh Mohamuud, Proff. Ahmed Samatar told us that " we lost the election because of money and tribal machinations". When I told that story to one my friends in Ottawa, he said " Waar ma caruur baynu nahay mise waan is yeel yeelanaa, Qabaa'il la isku duba rito iyo lacag in furuhu yahay ma cid aan ogayn ayaa jirta". Roughly means " isn't it that obvious? ". I am one of those who believe that money alone will not resolve the problem. While having money helps you grease the dry and hungry Somali hands, peoples skill and personalities may go a long way to earn or loose a friend. great communication skills ; grass root organizations and cultural understanding of Somali people; generosity and having an out going personality are needed to gain the trust of the people. Before we indulge on the financial help that swayed the election in to the President Hassan's favour , let us examine his other strengths, including his peoples personalities that he showed way before the election. The Hiil-Qaran party was in the works since early 2008, but we haven't launched it officially until the spring of 2011. Some of the major platform document that covered the nation security, economic and social issue of the party were produced in a conference held in Djibouti called " Hoog Qaran Iyo Hill aqoon yahan". We took that name after that conference. In December 2010, that conference was organized and hosted by the Djibouti government. people from back home and from the diaspora were invited to participate. I did not participate in that conference , but I was in Djibouti for different reasons when it concluded. While Proff. Samatar, who chaired that conference made his usual big noises , a quite Hassan Sheekh Mohamud was sitting in his chair acting like a private citizen who was their just to observe. He was among a dozen participants who came from Mogadishu, Garowe and Bossaaso. While Samatar was making waves in Djibouiti , including chatting with dictator Omar Geelle, who pledged his support for the professor, Mr. Hassan Sheekh worked his plan quietly. Also people who met Mr. Hassan many years ago will tell you that the wide smile (Qoslaaye) we all happen to notice when he meets people, was always present regardless of the circumstances. Regardless of that smile and outgoing personality, at the end, it was money that elevated President Hassan to the presidency. Money that was funneled from the gulf monarchs through Islamic charities controlled by one of his friends. Now let us leave behind that history of 2012 , and way forward to the up coming election of 2016. My sources told me that the outgoing unofficial president of Somalia Nicolas Kay and his international backers have agreed that a change of leadership in Somalia is overdue in order to move forward. When I say change , I mean change of leadership not only from President Hassan but change from the same HAG clan that was ruling the country since 2009. This development became apparent after former President Shariif Ahmed and others from that same clan appeared to be the leading candidates to replace Hassan Sheekh. An emergency meeting between Nicolas Kay, the incoming United Nations envoy Michael Keating and President Hassan took place in late November to discuss the new criteria of selecting the 2016 parliament and possible alternating of the presidency to different clans. In these discussions with UN envoys , President Hassan accepted the Idea of alternating the Presidency to the "D" block. Since they have a head start from anyone else, The Damjadiid boys begun their campaign to hand pick the next "D" block leader to replace Hassan Sheekh. Not only they will be picking the next leader , but they have also decided from which "D" block clan they prefer to select from. This time Damujadiid are not alone . There is another group, mainly connected to " Islaah Movement" who are also competing to be power brokers with extensive connections to Islamic charities and are expecting money from abroad to achieve their goal. On the second group of Islaah, the main players are Shariif Hassan of South west region; Ahmed Faqi, the man Damjadiid defeated in Galmudug, Ina Carte qalib, and others. The strange thing is Damujadiid are pushing former Prime minister Farmaajo to be their man. When I asked " how about other millionaire businessmen in Mogadishu and Nairobi, don't they have a horse in this race?", he said "No business people can afford to throw millions of dollars on election without knowing the outcome". As I said, only those who have access to unearned money from the gulf could compete in this race. If this report is true a whole new group of people will not only be buying the election, but will be running the country through the gulf.

The exeptionalism of the united state was something Americans and people around the globe looked up to it . It has always been a place of hope and the destination for people fleeing oppression, poverty and tyranny. They have welcomed almost everyone regardless of ethnic origin, culture and religion. In 2002 , in the height of 911 crises, President Bush and his administration airlifted 10,000 Somalis from Kenyan refugee camps. These were very venerable people who were poor, black and Muslim. In The Somali nomadic culture, it is a weakness to neither apologise for a mistake nor to say how one is grateful of someone's help. There were many communities who were settled in America. Regardless of it's contradictions and problems , America is still the preferred destination for people around the globe. since his historic election in 2008 and his re-election three year ago, President Obama has done many good things for his country. He stabilized the American economy from the financial collapse of 2009 , he created and brought back millions of jobs lost on that crises , he implemented the affordable health care act which gave access to millions of uninsured Americans and the price of gasoline is at all time low since 2005. he showed a soft and gentler American leadership around the globe, and finally he inspired and gave hope and bride among many black Americans in his country. While he has done many great things for his country, he failed in one of the fundamental aspects of the American leadership. While keeping the nation save is the primary duty of every president , He failed to grasp the American leadership and position around the globe. He did not realize that, if the United State doesn't stop genocide and tyranny around the world , no one will. He failed to understand that any void left by the retreating American leadership will be filled by ruthless dictators and tyrants like Putin , Ayatollah or any other unscrupulous greedy leaders like the Chinese's. America is not supposed to be a benevolent Scandinavian country like Sweden or good old Canada, providing peace keeping and other humanitarian needs of the world. Being the leader of American nation means stepping up and doing the dirty jobs that many has shied away for many different reason. It means stepping on someone else's toes and stopping genocide around the globe. If America doesn't , no one will. Imagine if the affairs of the world were left to whims of the Russian and Chinese despots, the Xenophobic Hungarians and their financially broke Greeks breathers, or Arab monarchs and dictators. Believe me you, we would be in dire situation. In the early nineties, Europe was devastated by the Bosnian war. It was one of the most cruel war in Europe since second world war, over 220,000 people, mostly civilians have died in less than few years. Serbian dictator Milosevic and his paramilitary forces murdered thousands of un armed civilians, shelled major cities and markets . Europe watched as that slaughter underwent, even the incompetent Dutch military, deployed to safeguard civilians in the so called save heaven of Srebrenica, not only watched , but allowed the Serbian militia to over run the UN protected town. They did nothing but observe when Serb militia rounded up 7,000 men and boys , walked them to the forest and massacred. Europe did nothing. Finally the United States led by President Clinton with help of the Republican congress acted and stopped the war. Milosevic tried to repeat the same tactic in 1998 in Kosovo. But, this time the United State led NATO intervened and bombed Milosevic and his military infrastructure until he accepted a United Nations procured peace deal. .Russia, led by Boris Yelsin tried to intervene , but was swayed by the American collision. By the way, all of that American intervention was done to save helpless Muslims of Bosnia and Kosovo. while the victims of these wars are grateful with intervention of America , others will despise their actions. Remember , one you lead , you may not be liked , but you will be respected. That was the American execeptionalism that Obama doesn't understand. Today we are all watching the bickering and finger pointing of the American leadership and their failure to resolve the Syrian issue to one way or another. The dithering President Obama is satisfies to just manage the chaos unfolding in his own eyes. Few yeas ago he set a red line for his involvement in Syria, choosing chemical weapons to be the catalyst for his intervention. The chemicals have been already used with devastating effect. While there are no empirical evidence pointing out to a particular group for using chemical weapons, there are many ways he could help and reduce the carnage in Syria, minimize the mass movements of the refugees and the barrel bombing of civilian by the tyrant Assad. He could have set up a civilian protection Zones were aerial bombing is off limits from the Syrian bombers, Just like his predecessors like Clinton did in the nineties to protect southern Iraq and northern Kurdistan from Saddam's planes. If there is anyone who could be helping Syrians or reducing the emptying 10 million refugees from their homes, it is Obama. If there is anyone capable of stopping the carnage of aerial bombardment of civilians, it is President Obama. Yet , he is satisfied with debating the rednecks of America and the nativists who has nothing else to offer. Of course , he likes lecturing Americans for the merits of allowing few thousands Syrians by sounding as someone who is taking the higher moral ground. Allowing some refugees will not resolve the plight of millions of refugees who would prefer safety in their home land. Well, he could probably feel good by winning the debate among " Jacksonian red necks", As someone pointed out last week. This weak leader, who represents the retreating of American influence around the globe, even went further and inadvertently or by design , allowed the Russian tyrant Putin to have a permanent base in the middle east. Putin is the man who is arming and allowing pro-Russian rebels to terrorizing next door neighbor Ukraine. Putin is amused and some what surprised by the idea of Turkey helping their north Syrian Turkmen to fight Assad. Few months ago Obama called Putin a dictator who is undermining his neighbors by annexing Crimea and other regions, and imposed economic and political sanctions. How can you allow that same tyrant to flex his muscle in the middle east and bomb the same Syrian opposition America is arming to oust Assad. If he has the backbone , he could easily defeat ISIS , Putin , Assad and the Ayatollahs in Syria and make the world a save place . America is a constitutional republic which renews it's moral mandate every decade throughout history. A buffoon like Donald Trump or back ward looking Wahabis running like a mad dogs in the middle East will not change the character of the nation. He is sending five hundred there , and then adding another fifty special ops there and so on. He could easily set up a refugee protection area and no fly zones within the country to help those fleeing bombardment. He could have listened American political veterans like Senator McCain and others who predicted this outcome long time ago, but, as I said, in the headline he is happy managing chaos. Few months ago the new President of Nigeria Mohamadu Bohari after a visit in the white asked him to deliver some modern weapons to defeat the terrorist group Boko Haram. Obama denied that requested, and as usual lectured him about corruption and other issues. Rather than help them crush the threat imposed this crazy movement, he narrates his usual utopian rhetoric. Same political strategy of chaos is directed in Somalia. Rather than train and equip the Somali army, he is concentrating with useless drones to kill some insignificant Al-shabaab leaders. Every other month , a useless Al-shabaab commander is killed by drones , while the American defence leadership announces the news in a press conference. It seems the whole American strategy in Somalia is observing the movements of Al-shabaab leadership so they could take out a useless looser. In Yemen , for four yeas , he was chasing few Al-Qaeda members in the mountains of Yemen with drones and other targeted killings while ignoring the Iranian backed Houthies militia who were over working to took over the whole country. At the same time, the legitimate government of Yemen disappeared without strong resistance. Folks, these are the failures of Obama's policies in the middle east. In Africa, since his election, the audacity of African dictators has surpassed the limits. Client states like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Djibouti who all receive a huge amount of aid from America, have all refused to end their grip on power and decided to rule for ever. There are no significant pressure from Obama to democratize the continent and force these dictators to abandon their illegal maneuvers. When those mischievous Norwegian Noble committee awarded the Noble Peace Price in 2010, while Obama has done anything peace worth, I knew they were trying to disarm America and tie the hands of President Obama . Before he leaves office, this President will be supervising chaos, instability and terrorism around the globe. Finally, Mr. Obama could keep lecturing the red necks about the merits of the American melting pot or he could act and show the world once again that the United States doesn't watch history but makes history.

That will divide the city in two and create problems. Galmudug means 25% of Gaalkacayo and two districts.

Xabad do you even read before your response. Point # 2 was exactly that. I guess this Is not your cup of tea. As you said in your first comment, leave these to others

That was the young ministers with his shoes on the carpet. everyone removed their but him. Arogance?

The so called federalism can be implemented in a different way than the one currently being pushed by the international community. The country is 18 regions that could make the federation. Who says that they must be joined one or more to make it larger. The provisional constitution was rushed during the 2012 road map under the gun of Al-shabaab violence. certain influential players wanted to have bigger voice than most Somalis. Since neither an elected parliament or popular referendum voted for these constitution, I believe it could be amended any time if their are political will from the leaders. In states , Canada or Australia, the huge states and small states, all have voices in the federal system. The Ethiopian federal system which is based on ethnicity can not be compared with tribal based regions of Somalia, but if you insist on following that system , then you must accept or copy their solutions. Disputed or mixed cities were left under the federal government. The former Somali City of Diredawa , now overrun by Oromo is under the control of the federal government. Why would anyone want to force Gedo to Jubada Hoose. Because Kenya and others want this to be huge political entity that could have undue influence in the affaires of the Somali State. Also, the power grab of the Mogadishu based HAG is forcing many to challenge their dysfunction and domination which prevented the formation of a viable state. In order to break the HAG strangulation of the system, many communities are encouraging a system of government that could have irreparable damage to the future function of the state. The best way to break the HAG strangulation and dysfunction is not to put holes in the boat that we are all ridding , but to build the strength of the national government. Also, one issue that can not be ignored is Dam Jadiid. They are maneuvering and creating wars to gerrymander their 2016 agenda. We must all unite to rid them after the end of their mandate. Traditionally Somalis have bad history of providing public services to both cities and rural communities. Making these regions big and unsustainable will not serve the interest of no one. They could be ridding guns with their militia in the streets, the countless ministers could be flying around but, no service will be delivered. Just observe the latest federal state of Galmudug pushed by Damjadiid. Before they even dug a water wall or build a school, the first order of the day was to mobilize their militia . No wonder there is no national army for the country, while a well armed tribal militia could be found both in Puntland and Galmudug. Back to the Mudug quagmire.... There are no logic to divide the City of Gaalkacayo in two to satisfy the tribal hegemony of these warring groups. . There are no good or perfect solutions, but there are logical ways to resolve. 1- The idea of Puntlanders having only their tribal brethren in Puntland is a non starter. The Huge H..ti project which meant to combined Sool , Estern Snaag and Buuhoodle had already failed. Cali Khaliif and company decided to form Khaatumo and rejected that plan. The whole of Mudug including Xaradhere and Hobyo and their communities could join to Puntland, thus the "Reer Mudug" will have a strong voice inside Puntland that combines former hostile neighbors. The Puntland that was envisioned by many during the civil war might not be possible today. 2-The whole MUdug region and Galgaduud could become one federal state. That central state will leave Puntland to only Bari & Nugaal while eliminating Cabdi Weli's sub clan from Puntland and joining them with other trouble makers of the central region. This scenario automatically excludes North MUdug communities who are and were integral part of puntland since the formation of Puntland. It may be a tough pill to swallow, but tough solutions are not supposed to be easy. 3-Since this region is a mix of different communities, it could be left alone as one region under the federal system. They will not be neither under Puntland nor central region. This idea of forcing , influencing ,bribing or using foreign powers to create this huge illogical regions is a recipe for disaster. Most of these solutions can only be implemented by strong Somali leader who shows competence, impartiality and vision. A leader who could reject these huge unsustainable regions trying to be big fishes in a small Somali pond. More dicenralization is needed for the people to get the service they needed. I am in favour of all 18 regions managing their affairs. If two regions , voluntarily agree to join hand without influence or bribe, they should be welcomed. This huge camel who can not carry his own water must not be trusted to carry big loads. IN Somaliland, Togdheer will be it self, Woqoyi Galbeed and AWdal will each have their own administration. Same goes with Sool and Sanaag. Since that project of separation is over, there are no reasons to keep pushing illogical ideas for another 25 years. For 25 years the Somaliland system could not build 50km of roads or any meaningful projects to reduce poverty or unemployment. Please stop these huge illogical bureaucracy and transfer the service and decision making to local communities. The people do not need 30 ministers and another 30 deputy ministers to masquerade as a regional government. They need public health managers, education administrators, public works projects in their local communities, competent and impartial justice system. They do not need fat men ridding land cruisers flying to Nairobi and Dubai to satisfy the ego of the tribe.

Me too. It was about time That Russian bully punched in the nose. The $100/barrel oil made Putin rich and arrogant. If the oil stays below $45 , these Russians will be broke and dysfunctional sooner than many predict. If Obama has a backbone , he could defeat both Assad, Putin and ISIS in Syria.

WEll, those law flying out dated Kenyan jets will think twice before bombing civilians in Gedo and other regions. Also, in the near future when a competent Somali leader comes to the scene , he will demand that the front line states of Djibouti ,Kenya and Ethiopia leave the republic. I see the man-child Uhuru of Kenya ignoring this order. When he flies to our space it will be shot down just like the good Turks did to the despot Putin. It is time to buy weapons for the national army.

Mooge waan ku salaamay. as I said before, the corruption thing was in the mind of the people. Under the civilian government, people were free and there was slow and steady progress. There were disconnection between the people and the government. Communist influences also exasperated the issue. people demanded illogical things and the Kacaan took advantage of the grievances. At the end, the looting of public funds and the impunity of those connected to the ruling class brought down the system. That is what MUhumad was talking about.

Landcruiser Gado soo bari galeey ( begging for corn while buying land cruiser-SUVs) This Somali classic song was composed by one of the greatest Somali composer of our times (Allah ha u Naxariistee), abwaan Cabdi Muxumed Amiin. He was born in Gabiley town, in the north west of Somalis. Although he was born in that city, his ancestral homeland stretches from Wajaale to Jigjiga. He is a close relative of another great singer and Somali patriot , Saynab Xaaji Cali Baxsan. Waa da lagu yaqaano wadaniyada iyo Soomaalinimada. He moved to Mogadishu in the middle of fifties. Unlike many composers and playwright creators of his era, he was both an actor, singer, composer and activist. He acted and sang on many famous playwrights like "Shabeel Naagood" and others. He started making lyrics and sang them in early sixties to encourage the nascent Somali state. He was a typical Somali with unlimited pride , generosity and courage. On the other hand, he was unpredictable and with a lot of contradictions. You could describe him: very bright, proud, challenging, naive, nomadic, unstable and patriot who cared a lot about his country. Higher expectations and unearned material gains sought by the public ,frustrated the early leaders of the new Somali government of 1960. Almost everyone wanted quick progress and the easy life style without working hard. The famous poet Qasim from Hargeisa said " Isma Doorin Gaal kaan diriyo Daarta kii Galaye", many others compared the new government as fat cats whom are not that much different from the old colonial era regime they have replaced. In his last interview, he said " we all thought that gaining independence and the formation of the Somali state was just the icing of the cake . " In la Barwaaqaysanayo oo sida Raha loo damaashaadayo iyadoon la daalin ayaa lawada sugayey". That sentiment was almost universal among the Somalis of that era. Unlike many intellectuals of his era, Muxumad Amiin encouraged the nation to move forward and composed his early songs which he called : keep the caravan to victory " Guulaystayaalow Gediga Wadaay". Dadki nala gudboonaa dayax hiigsadac Guulaystayaalow gedigaa wadaay. When the revolution of October came to power 1969, he overjoyed like most Somalis of his era,and considered the military government as the ultimate revenge of the people against the corrupt civilian government. He expressed his joy and feeling toward the revolution and it's leader by composing the famed song " Caynaaka hay". Wadadii Cadayd Cagta Saarnayoo , ku caraabiyoo cimirigi jiryoow, jiryow jiryow, caynaaka hay haay haay weliga hay , hay hay hay. President Siyaad Barre, called him after he heard the song from the radio and asked him what he wishes to get from the government. Unlike many Somalis of his era, he refused any special treatment or material gifts fro the state. In the early years of the revolution, a lot has been achieved throughout the country. both the prestige of the nation and it's people peeked. Somali artists and composers led the cultural and propaganda of The Kacaan. A progressive and outward looking Somalia was emerging. . Almost everyone was proud about the Somalia of nineteen seventies. Among his famous patriotic songs he composed were: hadaanay geesiyaal u dhiman xornimo kuma dhawaqaneen hadaan dhimasho loo marin jamuuriyad ma dhalinineen Alaa Allaa Allahu Akbar.. Baxsan sings.... Dhalin yahay dhmaanteen dhulka maw shaqaynaa ha ha dhalin yahay dhamaanteen cududa ma isu dhiibnaa ha ha dhalin yahay dhamanteen dhagxumada ma diidnaa ha ha Alaa Alaa allahu Akbar. Ahmed Naaji answers... shanta in lays dhex keeno, dhashooduu wada ciyaartyo gumaysigana diidno , aduunkana u dhaxayno ayaa inoo dhignaan. hadaan murtida la dhuuxin oo an la dhigin afkeena oo aan shishiiye dhawro dhana u ciirsan mayno Dalxiis kaagamaan iman dalkaygow. The late Fadumo Qasim sings this song.. dalxiis kaagaman iman dalkaygow meel aan kugu doorsanaayo dalkaygow miyey dunidaba ku taal dalkaygow dabshaadu way udgoon tahay dalkaygoow in aan dibedha wareego dalkaygow Qaxooti in aan ahaado dalkaygow Then, the debacle and the defeat of 1977 war changed both the moral of the army and the nation. The dormant opposition tried to take advantage of the situation by launching a coup against the regime. That coup was aborted and the instigators were crushed. That event of April 1978, started the beginning of the decline and the Somali quagmire that we are all trying to sort out up this day. The great artists and many of his contemporaries felt disillusioned with the October revolution. By following their emotions, and without careful consideration of their actions, , they decided to cross the border and oppose the regime and join the Ethiopia based movements of SSDF and SNM. While opposing Siyaad Barre was a logical move, the idea of being hosted by Menguistu , the bloodiest dictator in Africa was absolutely the biggest blunder the Somali opposition groups had made. Menguistu was in a league with ruthless dictators of the twentieth century. He murdered more than sixty generals in one day, killed two presidents and massacred 90 Somali businessmen and elders in Jigjiga alone in 1977.. That shows how some of the opposition movements were not interested in reforms or democracy, but tribal hegemony to replace Siyaad Barre. They left a benevolent , some what ruthless dictator and joined a real blood thirsty dictator of their time. Abdi Muxumad Amiin was not among those disgruntled for tribal reasons. He said " I made a contract with revolution to build the country with justice , fairness and move forward, " I felt the October revolution was not living up to his side of the bargain". Another two patriots who felt that the revolution was leading in a wrong direction were Iikar Xaaji Mohamed Husein and C/Raxman Aideed. The later was the architect of the scientific socialism in Somalia. iikar was the son of the former leader of SYL Xaaji Mohamed Husein from Benadir. In Somalia of sixties and seventies, being the son of one of the founding members of the 13 SYL members, was something special. Also, unlike public perception, the Benadiri community were always at the for front of the Somali independence movement. Among the 13 SYL founders, three were Benadiri, among them, the first leader of SYL: Chairman C/qadir Saqawadiin, Dhere Xaaji Dheere and vice chair Mohamed Husein. A/raxman Aideed founded one of the movements called SDF. For these groups, the revolution was not living up to it's founding principle of equal justice and meritocracy for all. These three were true patriots who made big miscalculations. They were different from those who motivated by " Rag Ciil Cadaab Buu ka Doortaa". In October 18, 1984, these innocent men, who were trying to change the direction of the country, were shot in Harrar, Ethiopia while walking. An assassin's bullet killed C/raxman Aideed and Iikar Xaaji Mohamed while Abdi Muxumed was left for dead but survived. No one knows who did it, but definitely SSDf leaders were accused of the crime. A prolific writer by the name of Boobe Yuusuf Duale, who was present in the neighborhood, said that A/laahi Yusuf was the culprit. After he survived three bullet wounds, he went to south Yemen in exile. Bored, disolutioned and devastated, he composed a song called " Maxaan Kaligay Hamiyey" Maxaan Kaligay hamiyey Kuwii hill iigu xigay Hareertay maxaan ka deyey Muxuu igu dumay habeen Maxay Ilmo hibiq I tidhi. Why would a Somali artist with relatively good life and fame , enjoying what ever perks the nation offered, decide to abandon stability and join a bloody dictator like mengistu?. It is a question many have asked throughout the years. Every historian would probably answer with his own conclusions. I never have seen anyone do a credible research on the subject , but my few senses tell me that each group or opposition has it's own reasons. While tribal grievances always lead to the formation of guerrilla movements , others have their own personal reasons to wage war against the regime. One could say that those who where persecuted and humiliated , like members of the coup, could be justified to seek outside help, although going to Mengistu was the biggest blunder ever made by Abdilahi Yusuf and others. For Abdi Muxumad and IIkar, who were not part of coup leaders , it was probably the naiveté of that era which led them to abandon the Kacaan and team up with Mengistu. we all call that time " the age of innocence". Also living in Mogadishu probably blurred their vision. One who is sipping coffee in the relatively upscale neighborhood of the capital, might not realize the consequences of their actions or the challenges the Somali nation was facing in the horn of Africa. Even today, A person who spends great deal of his time in Xamar , could not have the big vision of seeing, Hargeisa, Jigjiga, Ceerigaabo and Zaylac , or the greatness of the vast land of the country. The same goes with Hassan Sheekh ,who is content to be called President while hiding inside the Amisom Tank. As he narrated, he left Yemen for Djibouti in 1987, coinciding with the visit Siyaad Barre made to Djibouti that same year. The Somali intelligence service in Djibouti made the necessary arrangements and finally Abdi Muhumad met Siyad Barre. They chatted for few minutes and the President told him that every thing is forgiven and forgotten, so he asked him to come back home. In fact, he told him to ride with him on the same airplane the President was travelling. Muhumad accepted , but since he was away from home for almost seven years with no money, he wanted to scrap some money in Djibouti. But, The President insisted and asked the Somali ambassador to give him some pocket money. finally he flew back home. While Siyaad Barre was ruthless in so many ways, he wasn't someone who holds grudge against those who opposed him. As history has shown , he appointed ministers, even Prime minister for those same guys he imprisoned. Abdi Muhumad started a new life in a country that changed since he left in the early eighties. Inflation was rampant, those who were connected with the government were getting rich. The value of the Somali shilling was reduced ten times to encourage export , while the IMF auctioned American dollars were looted and flooded to the market. From 1981 to 1990 , Somalia received almost $ 2Billion of foreign loan. The five regions of the Somali speaking world ascended to the nations capital. Mogadishu became the place to be. By 1989-90, While security was deteriorating in some regions , the streets of Mogadishu were filled by latest luxury cars : land cruisers, Mercedes's , and all models of SUVs. Yet the country was begging stable foods like corn and canola oil. As geneis as Muhumad was, he composed the now famous song " Land cruiser Gado Soo barri Galay". The late Somali star Saado Cali Warsame sings the song. Land Kuruuser gado Soo Barri galay. Gacal iyo tolow ma gudoonsateen bahida gudbani gurigeena tall inagoon ka guban ka guban gaadhi raaxo iyo land kuruuser gado guuxiisa mood mood mood Gob in add ku tahay geeska Afrikoow. Waa maan guracan iyo garasho jaahil Land kuruuser gado Soo barri galay. After twenty five years , this song is timeless. Fat Somali leaders are ridding land cruisers while the Somali soldier is without salary. In memory of Abdi Muhumad Amiin who passed away November 2008. Allah ha u Naxariisto.

You can't slap or punch the lion in the mountain. That is another issue. Gooni Waad asiibtay. cimaamad xataa uma xidhayaan. " waar ninka reer hebel ee bariga ka yimid inaga qabta ayey idaacadaha ka leeyihiin". Saalax , I di not knew the matter was decided before. Then, it makes sense to reject, but not punch the traitor. The national assets are for sale. Even those houses built by the British and Somali government. IN Hargeisa, the main reason is to pay up those who finanaced Kulmiye. most of these houses have been given by those debt owners. IN Mogadishu, it just greed by HAg.

I agree. he is a low energy, sleep walking with zero charisma. He could be worse than Siilaanyo in so many ways. you can't even hear when he speaks.

Baashe , the guy from Sool, all he said was let us vote this up or down. He wasn't agitated, angry or impatient. Yet the "Yule", who want to replace Siilaanyo, punches him in the face. The Yule is not even 60 years old , yet he seems to have speech impediment. He has no charisma, energy or even the capacity to control himself. Add that to the bad temper he displayed . The Yule is a Sleep walking man who want to replace an octogenarian senile Siilaanyo. He is also very corrupt. If you check the news regarding this incident , it seems everyone is piling on Baashe as the culprit. He is the one who was punched, yet everyone among the Habro is targeting him. Even Haaji Xantuf's Suldaan , went out of his way by accusing the vice chairman of being a man who " nin ku Naaxay Xoolahayaga halka ay Mujaahidiinta cidla Fadhiyaan". Well that is conscience of Hargeisa by blaming the victim. Then again , maybe Mooge is Correct. Everyone is out to punish the traitor

indeed you are smart . Your points are well taken. I probably did select those statements that fit my argument. To get or choose the right person, you must cross the line. I mean you must have the courage to dream. Some times, when you are in love, your judgement could be clouded. When I was about to be engaged , I did have some difficulty with my wife's family. I was madly in love and thought without her the world meant nothing to me. It was the best decision I made in my entire life. Few weeks ago, I was talking to one of my friends and we were discussed about a mutual friend who was divorced many years ago. he is in his late fifties. I said " since he is successful and well to do financially, why not get a wife ?". He said " by now the lust of physical intimacy is not that high as a young person, he is seeking someone compatible especially more mind than the body". I understood what he meant. As you age, you will not be following your heart but your head. The courage to take certain risks will diminish, you will easily detect imperfection from the opposite side, and you will be consumed by the fear to fail. If he is caring, series and shares your values, you must add your few senses and lead him in to prosperous future, if you are smart as you say. Smart women could prefect an average man. AS we say " Haween baa rag is Dhaafshay". I do not know about today's generations, but Somali women have always been strong in terms of advancing the family. By the way, the second wife thing is just " booto" as they say in Xamar. Those us in the diaspora have full plate to even think about " Mintaro ( wife # 2). Successful people get married and they stay married. Finally , you can not have both worlds. successful career and great family. The pendulum must swing in one way. It was good talking to you.

Sister Bluelicious, no one is perfect or complete except Allah (swt). The idea is that partnership in a marriage means sharing life's joy and hardship together. Since you seem to be eloquently stating the merits of religion in seeking perfection, Allah says " We put mercy and love among husband and wife". I also agree that maturity is required for young people to tie knot. No matter how advanced humans might seem in their technological lives, marriage is a time honored institution that bring strange souls together. My only advice to those seeking marriage partner is to follow few important principles and less trivial matters. The person you looking must share your values , faith and your outlook in life. if that issue is settled, you can adjust all other things. For an educated women , the future husband must be compatible in terms of education or at least must have basic understanding of her world. For men, we could even marry the maid with no basic education if she had the female qualities of loving wife and caring mother. Then again some people are too smart to get marry. Also, selfish people do not need to share . I do not want to bad mouth these young people especially the men, but I always thought after certain age, the thought of marriage is in the minds of the young men and women. Some times, the thought of second wife, like brother Gooni was contemplating is in our minds to fill these vacuums. Heck, sometimes when I am pushed too much by my wife, I would say " Naag labaad in aan iska guursado ayaa I haysa" . she will then say " Please go ahead, " Walaahi waxba kama qabee Maantadaa soo meheri waanan kugu taageersa nahay". some of you fools may think she is consenting for second wife or she doesn't care about " Minyaro", but she means over my dead body. The average life expectancy of a Somali is 60-65 years. Life is short , do not spend it for being lonely and with regrets. Good luck.

They do not need Presidential house in Gaalkacayo. They need a huge court house symbolizing justice or regional administrator building. They got their priorities upside down.

The concept of helping the needy does not exist in tribal and feudal societies in the gulf countries. In Qatar, 89% percent of the population is migrant workers who will never become citizens or permanent residents. They could take 1 million Syrians whom they share culture , language and faith. In fact, they could become a real nation by incorporating these people. We Somalis must distance this Zero sum game of the gulf and Arab culture as much as possible. We should not see them as different than any other Muslim nation like Indonesia, Bangladesh or Senegal. Remember , they are less than 25% of the 1.6 billion Muslims. You have to be human first to help the needy, and while observing these Arabs , I have never seen any human gestures toward anyone whether they are Muslims or other human beings. For Somalis, our people were suffering more than anyone else. At least these Syrians have thousands of dollars to pay for smugglers and ferries. Our Half million refugees in Dadaab, Kenya, will go back home today if $300 dollars were given each to relocate.

Tilamook, I think we all read between the lines. As you said the message is clear: Culusow, do not think of overstaying your time or else. If he doesn't back of, then they should put Speaker Jawaari will lead the 12 remaining months and implement the road map. I did listen that useless debate broadcasted by VOA last sunday. They just kept talking about constitutional court and other impractical maneuvers. If two third of the Parliament want to throw you out, there is no need to refer the matter to court. The hapless members of parliament are the highest legislators of the land. No court can overturn a two third majority. Mr. Culusow already got the writing on the wall. The international community want a Transfer. if he does not back off, the wheels will turn very quick for impeachment.

Malister Mudane afhayeen waajibkaagii waad qabsatay. Shaqo wanaagsan.

gooni, saaxiib hadalka waad dhamayasay. Af Soomaaligu qurux badanaa marka sidaa fiican loo qoro. He was President for the first six months and he was treated with red carpets around the globe. The whole government, the President and the Prime minister were all the product of NGO. All they know is how to beg and wait someone else to foot the bill. he could not manage to hire 300 Somali soldiers to protect villa Somalia. Musaveni of Uganda sent him 400 special forces to villa Somalia, yet he spent all his time organizing these useless " Dawlad Gobaleedyo". Neither South West, JUbba, the newly minted Galmudug could do any significant progress unless the overall security of the country is enhanced. Even, the 18 years old Puntland could not pay the salary of their soldiers. In the real world, Puntland should concentrate development not national security. If I were him, I would spent my time and energy to build national army, find their salary from a rock and hard place. For three years, the IC are training 100 soldiers every six months in Jaziira camp. What you need is mobilization of conscripts from Zaylac to Kismayo by thousands. gooni, Curuba ma dhisayaane way gadayaan, lacagtana jeebkay ku shubanayaan. Any way ,the best option is for Culusow and Damujadiid to finish their term and leave. They should not try to influence the next election.

They are smelling the blood. My sources told me that these latest impeachment maneuvers are coming from the international community. Their main accusations are corruption and embezzlement. The Americans are the ones leading these effort, but the main reason is to push Culusow from the power now or discourage him from running a second term During his visit to South Africa few months ago, President Hassan Culusow met privately with the so called international community. just like they told Andulaahi Yusuf to resign in 2008 before his terms were finished, Hassan was told not seek a second term and finish his term and implement the remaining issues of the road map. According to this source, the President refused to follow these orders. THen, he was privately shared some of the corruptions allegations his government and family members were involved. Among them: 1- One of his wife's bought a business block of buildings in one of the most famous plazas in number "4" area called " Equatore", for seven million dollars. To escape detection, she put under the name of a close family member. 2- The sale and the process to sell national assets like Hotel Curuba and other land marks for millions. $ 30 million is the starting price for this iconic hotel who represented the glory days of Somalia. 3- Up to $ 8 to $ 13 million were spent to gerrymander and influence the Galmudug election in order to put his man as the leader while Somali army members were not paid for six months. The politically motivated MPS added their own reasoning, among them, disobeying the constitution by Misleading people and eventually backing the formation of Gakmudug with one and half provinces, rather than follow the so called constitution which only allows two or more. They Also accuse him of incompetence. All this allegations of corruption and misdeeds can not bring down Culusow unless the powers that be, the( IC), are not pushing this. Certain members of Parliament , especially C/Rahman Xoosh, got some leaks from the IC pertaining the maneuvers to throw out Culusow if he insists to over stay his term in 2016. Since he got the tip, Xoosh was circling around to build a broad coalition to impeach, and almost everyone come on board including our friend Amin Amir. I am also in favor of the removal of Culusow, so put me in the yes column. Now , Mr. Jawari , the speaker says that " waa in Dastuurka la waafajiyaa", that means the supreme court or I should say the corrupt one man judge, Caydiid Ilka Xanaf, who in 2012 allowed the disbarred war lords to join the parliament, to rule if this impeachment and the crimes accused against the president are valid or proven in court. Those who know ILka Xanaf, say that this is an opportunity for him to get rich. So let us wait and let chips fall where they may.

The early Kacaan was very progressive and outward looking. They were also proud Somalis. ElPUNTO, dictatorship in the seventies was the norm in that part of the world. It wasn't something unique in Somalia alone. People every where adopted and managed with the system they ended up with. Only A Somali would leave the benevolent dictatorship of Siyaad Baree and join with the bloodiest dictator in Africa's history Mengistu Haile Mariam. He assassinated two presidents, one of them with his own hands, killed 60 generals in one night and massacred all members of the Ethiopian Monarchy. He was in league with Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot and others. Yet Somalis were his favored guests. On this picture , I would say that the Northerners were on the drivers seat in terms power and leadership. It shows their influence and power. Once again it disproves the lie that the Kacaan was against the north.