Rahima, I don't know the real nomad stats in the states. If I have to guess there are about 200,000. Of these about 30,000 have citizenship. It is an educated guess and I could be wrong. Ohio and Minnesota nomads can make a big difference if they take their civic duty seriously enough and vote for Kerry. Needless to say, I don't like Bush's policies. Kerry is the lesser evil in many ways. As to the US media, they are very biased. So biased that they are blowing each other's covers. Liberal media vs. Conservative activism is the buzz word among the shouting pundits. If you are not informed, well-rounded, avid reader and objective person, waa laguu yaabaa. I haven't voted yet but I will when I get off the work this afternoon. Aamiinta ducadiyo, Alla bariga mooyee, Arrin kale ma heynee! Aamiinta ducadaa, Aamiinta ducadaa, Aaaaamiinta ducada, iigu soo dadaala! Mooge-led waaberi political song for 1967 election. He was *****ing for A/rashiid Ali Sharmaake. Implicit in these lyrics, is the frustration and the lack of political muscle he felt at the time. Thus appealing to the higher authority for intervention. Same here...I'm feeling this one folks

Rahima, I’m thinking the nomad ingenuity will save the day tomorrow Tomorrow will be the day. Can't wait for Peter Jenning to announce: Kerry won the election, ABC is calling for Kerry win

Nomads PLZ cast your votes tomorrow - if you have the privilege that is. If you are not registered voter in your precinct, you can still vote provided you have your ID handy and something that confirms your place of residence e.g. utility bill. Unlike the Somali presidential election in Nairobi, you have a say here - why don’t we exercise this privilege and enjoy the feeling of being among those who kicked Bush out of the oval office. VOTE!

What the author is getting at is that America has ceased to be be a genuine grassroot democracy. Money, class, and access to the big media is what you need to win in any election. Not to mention as he pointed out that two-party democracy have rendered the system as a pie only edible by them. One man one vote works well but the voter is being lied to and there is nowhere to go to get informed anymore as the big media that have reach to the critical mass is part of the deception. Sad! Vote for Kerry. Why? Because if you work like I do then you have already felt the heat. My premium has increased 18% in the 2005 coverage year. Bush has already promised another tax cut for everybody. Now add the gigits up and you are looking another premium increase next year. Not only has my Health Care premium increased, I have to pay 10% of the services unless is a preventive care. On the foreign policy, the two candidate are almost same. Therefore Kerry looks good in the domestic issues. Vote whoever you prefer but make sure you vote if you are citizen.

^ what you think? share ur thoughts with us Jumatatu. Samurai Warrior, I’m against the proposition to use foreign muscle in order to stabilize Somalia. Here is the rationale for my opposition. 1. No one (known warlords) has so far refused publicly to work with the new government except the government of Somaliland. 2. The president has not completed the process of nominating the PM and the cabinet. He has no executive department! Yet, he’s asking foreign troops answerable only to him without the approval of the parliament and without the consultation of the key players of the new government. 3. Asking publicly foreign troops without parliament approval (here, he is undercutting the deliberative process), creates suspicion and deepens the conflict. This time, the militia (poor folks will be rallied under the banner of Islam and nationalism) will have ideological basis for the upcoming fight. He’s giving present to his foes. He is putting the cart before the horse! Why would he put his cards on the table? What if after alienating the key players, troops don’t even come for some odd reason. What if after creating deep suspicions among the warring functions, foreign troops come after a year? What if Ethiopians are part of the AU led troops? I can see the dilemma he’s faced with which is basically put his fate on the hands of Mogadishu’s warlord or give his foes considerable concessions like nominating, on merit, able PM (from Mogadishu) empowered with all the necessary tools to do what he has to do in order to stabilize Mogadishu and its environs. What that means is give up power and become a ceremonial president. Or keep this awesome power and play hardball with them despite the far-reaching consequences it will have on us and the generations to come.

Nur you wrote "In light of above reasoning (or against it), could you please give me reasons for your answers for Questions:" 4. Another civil war is looming in the horizon. True. Allah forbid another civil war is in the offing. The reason being the new government or more accurately the government-to-be has no teeth to do what it takes to achieve the peace. Consider this: the conflict has not been resolved (in its root causes), the actors of the civil war have not yet reconciled their differences, and Abdullahi Yusuf seems to put all his eggs in the basket of Ethiopian-led effort to use foreign troops in order to stabiles Mogadishu by force before even exploring other alternatives out there. Only one tribe will feel the wrath of the Abdullahi Yusuf’s new strategy. If that happens then we will be in square one again. 5.The politicians who swore by the Holy Quraan, believe in the Quraan and intend to serve the Nation according to the Quran's teachings. True. I’m making premature judgment here as I don’t know what’s in their heart. But it is suffice to say the Federal charter and the Holy Quraan’s dictations and directives don’t add up. I find it odd for someone to declare his/her allegiance to that charter by swearing on the Holy Quraan! 9. The President will have more power than the Constitution allows him, and he does not take a NO for an answer. True. If Abdullahi Yusuf’s past is relevant to the discussion of what he might or might not do in the future as the top man of Somalia in transition then I stand by my answer. When I say that, I have Puntland in mind! Even his admirers admit his dictatorial tendencies but they assume it as necessary strength in times of uncertainty and civil strive. I have a friend who justifies Abdullahi’s “resolve†and “steadfastness†in having absolute power as a necessary prerequisite of dealing with warlords and opportunists. 13. IGAD officials will manage all financial management for Somalia Questionable. I think Abdullahi and IGAD states are on the same page. There is no reason to antagonize their new friend by micromanaging the finance for his government. Remember Abdiqasim’s reign when Galeyr was his PM. He had a free hand for all aspect of finance and he wasn’t well liked by some IGAD member states. Whereas Abdullahi is someone wh has the support of all the members including Djibouti. Therefore, it is unlikely that IGAD will want to manage all financial dispensations for the government-to-be. Perhaps you know something we don’t know plz share with us. 17. The New President is dependent on IGAD and Ethiopia for decision making. True. IGAD and Ethiopia can simply make or break Abdullahi backbone at will. This government-to-be depends on the goodwill of the frontline states. If Abdullahi doesn’t consult or cross them in any way, shape, or form with matters pertaining to their vital security interests, they will do what they have done before which is proxy-war and kingmaking exercise with the full logistical support. 18. Becouse the MPs were honest in selecting the President fairly, they will carry out their duties with integrity and honesty, in other words they will not steal public funds. This should be false. I’m changing my answer to False. Here you have it Nur.

Mr. Annan's secretary is refering all the questions concerning Somalia to Mr. Tubman's office in Nairobi. When called his office, I was directed to call back some other time because Mr. Tubman is having an "afur" with the president. Reactions â€Maxaa la yiri†crowd murmured upon hearing the Cag Bakeyle’s pessimistic take on the state of the nation and Ngonge’s brief litany on the benevolence of dictatorship. This is not what they have been celebrating for days. In fact, the grand geo-political scheme concocted in the adjacent neighbors is not in their radar now. The only thing that matters to this crowd today is a government. What sort of government is acceptable? That 's not an issue for this crowd now. How the nominal political power is distributed among tribes, clans, and sub-clans is different matter all together, however. They don’t care in these issues not because they are dump. No! They do care! The reason the enormity of the political blunder and far reaching implication of the country’s interest fell through the cracks is two reasons. First the average folks have been living in a state of anarchy where “dog eats dog†literally. The hauling and whistling “madfac†takes lives randomly at will in some corners of the country while the security of many fellas are in the hands of warlords who provoke each other in a constant struggle over territory and power. The realities on the ground: the sense of personal security (without relying the might of your sub clan), the basic services that we take for granted, order, etc have become priority to them. Secondly, the matters of large concern are the domain of the so-called elites, tribal chiefs, professionals, and pseudo-politicians. The “maxaa la yiri†crowd can be blamed on many things: complacency, tribalism, illiteracy, etc. Anarchy is not something we can blame on the “maxaa la yiri†crowd. The civil war came about in part because the opposition groups who ousted the former regime didn’t think through their actions. Anarchy came about because the political and security vacuum the opposition groups created and the animosity between the clans the former regime adopted as a political tactic to perpetuate its hold on the reign. What Sage Nur is forgetting is how the genuine business and the warlordism blend perfectly well on the ground today. Yes they can read the balance sheet al right! That’s what they have been doing all along by co-mingling and some instances giving aid to the very people you disdain. In some circles, they are known as financiers of the civil war. Now, the recent development is the second best thing for Somalis on the ground that paid the price of the civil war. Any government is better than the civil war, the disintegration and the fiefdoms, and the total breakdown of civil institutions. On a more optimistic note, the setbacks that you alluded to can be reversed, the sham that they passed as the constitution can be revised, and the system can be fixed. The only thing is who is going to put his neck on the line and step up on the plate to do something about these setbacks. Do we at least agree that the peace is a first priority. Once that is attained, the questions of large importance can be dissected in a quiet room somewhere in our beloved country peacefully without the big brother looking over! Forgive me for the rambling... Inna-Kaadinajaasle reporting!

Il Capo, Eid and Oct. 21 were not the same on the minds of almost all Somali kids. True they were three major holdays. We used to anticipate the "aftax" time in these days. But that's where the similarities end. One was sort of holy the other was the symbol of the tyrannical power of the military junta. One was voluntary, Islamic, and anticipated by everyone, the other was a directive forced by the junta. As to the kids, I remember getting new stuff and "xaqal Mubaarak" from my parents, relatives, and neighbors in the two Eids every year. It was like Haloween with no "trick ot treat" part for us. We used to dress up and go around to our relatives' houses. Oct 21 was different. The only thing we were interested was the marching, festivities, fireworks, and light decorations.

Nur, in my humble opinion, Ethiopia has succeeded in reaching a political milestone: weak and unstable Somali state prone to its political manipulation. Some may argue the fact that Ethiopia has now realized its strategic national security, it is something of our own making and we should blame none but ourselves. Where we go from here and whether the current crop of politicians can pull this one off is something that remain to be seen. To answer your question YES it seems that way for now. For Somali state to succeed, if revived and if it survives from the internal squabbles inherent in the federal charter, it will depend on the goodwill of the IGAD states.

Here is my educated-guess: 1. True 2. May be 3. False 4. True 5. False 6. False 7. False 8. True 9. True 10. True 11. Not likely 12. Not likely 13. Questionable 14. True 15. Don’t know 16. True 17. True 18. False 19. True 20. True By any chance do you have some info on the # 13! If you do plz share with us.

[stress] Fidgety People Posted on Monday, December 15, 2003. “Fidgety people are rarely well. They have generally ‘a headache,’ or ‘spasms,’ or ‘nerves,’ or something of that sort; they can not be comfortable in their way, without trouble.†Originally from Harper's New Monthly Magazine, vol. 2, iss. 11, April 1851. There are people whom one occasionally meets with in the world, who are in a state of perpetual fidget and pucker. Every thing goes wrong with them. They are always in trouble. Now, it is the weather which is too hot; or at another time, too cold. The dust blows into their eyes, or there is “that horrid rain,†or “that broiling sun,†or “that Scotch mist.†They are as ill to please about the weather as a farmer; it is never to their liking, and never will be. They “never saw such a summer,†“not a day's fine weather,†and they go back to antiquity for comfort—“it was not so in our younger days.†Fidgety people are rarely well. They have generally “a headache,†or “spasms,†or “nerves,†or something of that sort; they can not be comfortable in their way, without trouble. Most of their friends are ill; this one has the gout “so bad;†another has the rheumatics; a third is threatened with consumption; and there is scarcely a family of their acquaintance whose children have not got measles, hooping-cough, scarlet fever, or some other of the thousand ills which infantine flesh is heir to. They are curiously solicitous about the health of every body; this one is exhorted “not to drink too much cold water,†another “not to sit in the draught,†a third is advised to “wear flannels;†and they have great doctors at their fingers' ends whom they can quote in their support. They have read Buchan and Culpepper[1], and fed their fidgets upon their descriptions of diseases of all sorts. They offer to furnish recipes for pills, draughts, and liniments; and if you would believe them, your life depends on taking their advice gratis forthwith. More

Muraad, Tan Jamaal baan ku qancay koley anniga. Kaliya waxaan ka beddeli lahaa labo meelood. Waan bidhaaminayaa anniga oo tiisa isticmaalaya: Warqadani waxaa ku xusan war-bixin muhiim ah oo ka socota qeybta Caafimaadka iyo Daryeelka ee Dowlada. Hadii aad u aragto in ay kuu fududdahay fahanka war-bixintan iyada oo Af-Somali ah, fadlan xariiq halkan , dibna iigu soo celi warqadan si laguugu so diro warbixin af-Somali ku tafatiran . Waxay ila tahay in aadan marnaba isku dayin tarjumid verbatim (word for word literally) oo kale ah. Ujeedku waa in macnaha sida ay tahay loo gudbiyaa.

Don't Quit When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit- Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow - You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up Whe he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - The silver tint in the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It might be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - It's when things seem worst that you must not quit. Succeed in believing that you will not fail, Use diligence and determination to set your sail, When the weather is stormy and the waters are rough; In the moment of peril the strong get tough Whenever life presses you down a bit Stand up and shout, "I will not quit!" ~Unknown~

Simultaneously, the leaders of the new Somali dispensation must realize that the era when dictatorial and deceitful leaders could hoodwink or intimidate the public is over. Btw, where can I find Bidhaan the journal?

Enough folks! An article written by secessionist sympathizing the plight of that unfortunate victim is now being used to score points against nomads. Samurai thought SOLers in favor of secession would be outraged by this despicable incident. Some voiced their outrage by posting and others didn't voice theirs on the SOL screen. Samurai smelled fish in all of this. Conspiracy, complacency, indifference...he assumed and implicated SL proponents. How could they he asked. Ngonge saw an open goal. He had to score this goal. He aimed the shot. The lil girl, the outraged secessionist thoughts on the CID and its adverse impact on the future of the independent SL didn't come to the picture. The goal must be had it. He remembered Samurai's past posts! They didn't add up. It must be exposed at once! Contradictions, hypocracy,...he saw all in there. How could he dare... Jamutatu seem to disdain the non ever-ending of what seemed to be boasting by some nomads. He thought and thought about the best angle. The article didn't matter at all. Bingo! What about PL and all of these nomads who seem to find boats and dealers that take them right through mansoons and into the unforgiving waves. How come you folks don't feel outraged, he asked. All of the sudden there were two teams and one turns out to be made up of clones of Ngonge. What team should I join? The winning teams is preferable but no one is winning. For once I thought Ngonge gave reluctantly an appology and SW was satisfied. But other members of the team didn't settle their differences so out of loyalty Samurai had to dig some dirt. Let's leave it there folks. The lil girl will get justice one way or other. If not in this world. She will get therafter one. If any1 cares her we should raise money for her. Forgive me for making all thses assumptions. Wabillahi Tawfiq. Ramadanu Karim.

Nin gabyaa ah yaa waxaa la yiri waxuu xoolo u doontey reerahoodii xilli abaar ah. Habeenkii uu ku hoydaba barbaartii reerka yaa tooshkiisa la guureysay . Waagii markuu beryey buu muraadkiisii sheegtay. Waxaa la yiri laba qaawan baanu nahay hadde laba qaawan isma qaado. Waxuu damcay inuu laabto mise tooshkii waa maqan yahay. Markuu soo laabtay baa la wareystey oo waxaa la yiri Faarax maxaa kuu soo hagaagey waa addigii innaga tagay oo caawimaada doontay e. Waxaa laga hayaa: Tabantaabo gacal iyo daa waxay i taabaane, Annigeyba tooshkii iga xadeen, tuugta miiraniye! Muraad hadda bal safiir iyo jago laga helo daa e annigaaba nafteyda uga baqaya caqiidka. Erayo badan oo ay ka mid yihiin: dibu-socod, camiil-shisheeye, qaran-dumis, iwm baa af-Soomaaliga dib ugu soo noqon doona. Hadalkaa ha la'iga qoro saaxibayaal.

Why give Sanaag the VP? Dawladdu ma dukaan nin leeyahaybaa oo uu ka shaqaaleysiinayo caa'ilada?

^Absorbing! As always brother Nur your thoughts are deep and valuable. I've read this post twice and probably will read it a third time to absorb the gist of it. Different prespective it was too, one that we pay little attention to understand and digest its monumental implication. Here is the highlight for me Freedom in its absolute meaning is not restricted, to time, space or physical barrier, absolutely nothing could limit this type of freedom, that Absolute freedom belongs to Allah SWT alone, Allah SWT describes Himself in the Quraan, " Facaalun lima Yuriid" He executes (all of) His wishes" , and there we have a big wisdom, no one else can claim that trait, and every other form of freedom, lesser than the absolute Freedom of Allah SWT is gradually compromised to make room for or yield to that absolute freedom. So in that regard, the higher up the ladder one gets, through worship of Allah alone, the freer one feels, and the lower one gets down the same ladder by denying Allah SWT or disobeying him, the more enslaved one experiences to fellow mankind who he must serve as a slave . in effect , being the slave of a slave is not a good idea. Readers plz share your thoughts on this piece.

Good read. Jazaka Allah Kheyran yaa Mutakalim. This paragraph caught my eye Now that your external self has shown its good conduct through servitude and subservience, it is time for your internal self to do the same. You must annihilate pride, jealousy, stinginess, ingratitude, hypocrisy, despair, impatience, negligence... and purify your soul from these states at all times. Instead, your inner kingdom must continuously be illuminated by humility, compassion, magnanimity, gratitude, sincerity, hope, patience, tolerance awareness, rememberance... This is all most necessary for he who wishes to make a step on the way towards the Beloved.

Please keep in mind that I am something of an anglophile, so this is not confrontational. Please remember, too, that I am merely an American. That means I am not very bright. It means I have no culture or sense of history. It also means that I am barely literate, so please don't use big, fancy words. Set me straight, folks!

^ Abdiqassim might have succeeded had he had Baashi’s blessing .

May Allah give the wisdom and vision needed to preside this difficult time in our history. May Allah bring the peace we all longed in earnest for so long. May Allah make this one a success. May Allah show them (MP's) the eternal wisdom in our religion. Amiin. I'm a cautious optimist and I think we will get some sort of government this time around. We have so many problems embedded in the constitution and Insha'Allah someday we will fix them. Any kind of government is better than the anarchy methinks. Keep your head up and keep hope alive.

Ramadan Karim to all...in advance.

Libaax, Prof Caalim @ Lafoole. I second Yasmine on this one.

Tonight...the last one. The "Dubya" and Kerry will be on the hot seat once again.