Faroole has won provincial presidency fair and square. He is the legitimate leader of the Puntalnd state. So far he has taken positive steps in the right direction. He visited citites throughout the state. Paid the civil servants. He made the cutomery reassurance to the regional bully that his dominion will not be used as proxy sprinboard by Ethiopian enemies -- read that as the Ogadem freedom fighters, Oroma rebels, and supporters of Islamic governance within the state as well. He also clarified his position vs. federal Somalia. He explained to Djbouti's Geelle why he has issues with the terminology used by Sherrif. The phrase in question is "dowlad midnimo" which implicates Puntland state as being under Sherrif's dominion before the grand bargaining ritual. All these actions are necessary steps to safegaurd the regional autonomy of this clannish construct. What he has not dealt with yet is the biggest issue facing his fiefdom -- piracy! According to western sources if trade routes become indefensible from pirate sneak attacks, Puntland faces imminent ground attack. This is serious national security situation. The last thing any leader would want is occupying force legitimized by UN mandate calling shots in your homeland. He is in special position to deal with the pirates. He needs to take the initiative on his own and in the process ask the powers that be material support to build his army and navy (actually militia) before the circumstances beyond his control force him to submit to the inescapable reality which is powers that be will take the fight against piracy to the their safe-havens if left them unchecked.

Peace and stability in the area is far more important and overrides whatever grievances politician Siilanyo and by extention his clannish supporters may have. Like it or not the voter tally has many inconsistencies. It is clannish in nature. The commision are divided over the issue not to mention the fact that some of the regions have doubts in the tabulation posted by the commison. They are not in a position to render a convincing decision on this issue at this time without going over the tally all over again. To do just that require more resources and time of course. You can't complain the validity of the voter registration on the one hand and urge authorities in charge to expediate election on the other hand! That my Siilanyo supporters does not add up. Wisen up lil bit. Riyaale did not extend his term. He merely asked the guurti to approve the motion tabled by commission. They weighed in and voted for the motion. Fair and square really!

Absolutely remarkable. Kudos to the man. He deserves praise in my book.

Better PR. In order to get a fair hearing in the US -- Isreal's life line -- Palestinians have to push through documentaries showing what the life under sliced and diced, humiliated and humbled, aparthied system is like. Enroll 1000 students in the Ivy League schools majoring Journalism, Political science. In 10 years you may have about 20 A-players in the system that can run for higher offices or lend their voices through the media.

Nuune, you got a handheld computer in your hand now. Make use of it. Now we need to jailbreak it and unlock it for you. It can be done in 30 minutes. When are you coming to Abu Dhabi? I'm not there yet -- supposed to be there on Nov. 30, 2008. Didn't happen as you can see. Attestation process killed me, literally, but I got it through though -- finally. Got my employment visa on hand now *walla*! I am going to land at Abu Dhabi airport on Jan 17th Allah willing. In fact I logged in today to collect few digits from my PM here on SOL. If you ever made to UAE holler we will get to know each other in person. Any one know whether Sophist landed there? Northerner I got your digits and I will def call you this time Insha'Allah. Listed below are some useful widgets I have on mine. MxTube (Downloads Youtube vids -- you need to unlock & jailbreak it first though) Linkedin Jobs Ultralingua (Dictionary) Wikipanion (Wikipidia widget) NYTimes eBay Pondera (excellent radio -- the best in the biz) NPR (my fav radio) Shazam (suppose you are in store shopping or even in yoour car and you heard this song you always wanted but never knew who sang it or its name -- well you flip this widget and it listens the song through the mic and in about a minute gives you the name and a file of the song plus youtube if it is in there -- less than a minute) Amazon (bookish folks like it to have it on their phone so there u go) Later.

Congrats! The man won this post fair and square. I hope he is in a position to take on the pirate groups in Eyl. As to Caamir awoowe remember this is politics and as such the practice rewards those who are cunning in their dealings. Intrigue and calculation is what makes political contests an interesting power play. If what happened in Garoowe happen in New York the headlines would've read "Stunning Upset". Your General was the fav politician. All eyes were on him. Reps in the parliament were open to persuasion and *cough* tips *cough* as well! Yet Faroole's intrigue and calculation gave him an advantage. Remember he won against Nuradin and Cadde -- the incumbent -- too. Looks like you were expecting sympathy and self-reflection among reps where they ponder on the fact that past occupants in the position hailed from the same subclan and hence your General deserved to be elected on that basis. Awoowe it does not work that way. Dispensing money and promises of administrative position do the trick. That's how the corrupt and underdog Faroole stole the biscuit.

As we creep into another inter-clan warfare season, Sh. Sherrif articulated some needed reminders with rare eloquence. He was, as they say, on the point. I mean this young man nailed several issues on the wall for your examination and review . On Inna Yussuf, he merely reminded him the fact that he leads TFG and in that capacity sent Inna A/Salan as a lead man for his team (ironically as a check to Nur Cadde). On the opposition, he explained what the objectives of their organizations were and how he intends to achieve them. On the Islamists, he is telling them that he will stand corrected if his tactics are proved to be deviation from the good book. And lastly -- and this is where I think he is shoulder and neck above the rest in his capacity to see around the corner -- he repeated his willingness to pursue the dialogue track. To end the conglict he sees reconciling warring factions is the only path open to him. He said this and I quote: "Shiikh Shariif Shiikh Axmed waxaa uu sheegay in ay dadaal iyo juhdi ku bixinayaan sidii dagaallada loo joojin lahaa, wuxuuna sheegay in ay dadka Soomaaliyeed ka daaleen dagaallo, wuxuuna carrabka ku dhuftay in loo baahan yahay in wax kasta laga wada hadlo. Waxaa uu intaas ku daray Shiikh Shariif Shiikh Axmed in ay soo dhaweynayaan oo ay la hadlayaan cid kasta oo mas’alo diineed wadata, cid kasta oo danta dalka ka hadleysa, iyo cid kasta oo dan gaar ah wadata ay soo dhaweynayaan, gacmahoodana ay furan yihiin, wuxuuna caddeeyay in ay diyaar u yihiin in ay ka haraan haddii waxa ay wadaan ay noqdaan wax ka soo horjeeda Diinta Islaamka. Waxaa uu sheegay in dadka Soomaaliyeed oo walaalo ah ay dhibaatooyin soo dhexmareen, wuxuuna carrabka ku dhuftay in ay u taagan yihiin sidii dadkaas loogu cadaalad fali lahaa." You gotta love him. He is simply stating the fact that the Somali civil war is primarily between Somalis. Granted foreign interference is a compounding issue that needs to be dealt with. But with reconciled Somalis is the way to get rid of the folgers. He is saying he underlying forces fueling the conflict are known commodities and as such one has to target the problem at its core if one wants to succeed in bringing the conflict to a close. I am sure one can find many shortcomings in his past or in the course of this marathon he is engaged in now but from the big picture I think he is, as Xiin put it in other thread, right on the money. Having said that I can see the roadblocks from this distance (Qurbaha). The inherent difficulty in appointing parliamentary members and the underlying power-sharing formula associated with the exercise in itself is the game changer here -- always has been. To end the civil strive one has to take into account the very forces that initiated the civil war -- clans!

No surprise there as Sheekha was our coach. Besides lujino stadium was a walk away. We won the championship in 1987. Big ups for Shakawadiin. Was he in raabica thaani, cilmi or athab? If cilmi, I might know him

Juje and Duke have a point there. AT&T is mixing apples with oranges here. You can't be for attacking ONLF vets recuparating and licking their wounds in what they thought was a safe haven and by the same token root for ONLF. There is a disconnect in that statement. I can see why the new admin in the region would want to consolidate their control of the area and get rid of all armed groups. What I don't get is why would they resort coercion and surprise attacks where diplomacy and dialogue have a chance to work. In any event, population in the area are happy with their new lords.

Waa runtaa. Check where DD went primary school That's my elementary school Hassan Cilmi Qarindi before they the two joined into one single school. These were the days though jalaato raqay, bajiye, what have you. Adduunyo!

Just for the record I have been in MMA's home. I am sure he was too young back then. His old man was biggie and their home was quite big sitting on a sizable real estate. I played boojo in the neighborhood. I was grade 6 at the time. As for Xamar -- what can I say!! Have a nice memories. The place has left a permanent mark in my head. Anyone from Sakhawadiin Secondary School in Shibis?

Take it form me. You will thank me later I know.

Do that Xiin. Build your network starting with the folks you work with. Make sure you join your school alumni group and professional societies like ISA or IEEE. It is powerful tool. I do get unsolicited interviews and invitations every other weeks or so. Gotta spend time on it.

Man oh man! these pirates are unknowingly giving powers-that be the perfect pretext to impose their hegemony on failed states. Dangerous biz they are in wallahi. Allow sahal.

Xiin go for it my man. Invite Sophist to your Linkedin profile and go from there. It is who you know sometimes awoowe Sophist are you there yet awoowe. I got few kinks to iron out mostly attestation papers and I'll be there very very soon Allah willing. Has anyone seen the CNBC one hour program of Dubai the other night? Oh man! phew shilimaad iyo nus if you got the good position and the right folks in place.

Ahem so what's the problem?

Keep Hope Alive By Rajo-Ku-Nool *Waxa-La-Yirri Tall Tales Nov 26 (Walliga Duula Dispatches) - Aw Baalle is a charismatic kitaab gaab with powerful personality, confidantes of the one man institution say. He has no crystal ball. Yet he often shares his “readings” with anyone who cares -- and there are many who want to hear from him. He does not have special powers to predict the future. Yet he predicts peace and prosperity in the land. When his good-to-be true predictions don’t materialize he blames arsons, murders, and other vile acts that transpired in the area. He is no scholar in either Islamic subjects or other worldly knowledge. To the contrary, he evokes Muslim Brotherhood’s wrath upon sight. He does not have formal education. Nor does he hold land title under his name. He is an unemployed wanderer who makes the ends meet by collecting meager donations in the form of one canjeelo and hafl cup of shaah from the well-wishers. He does not occupy the much respected official position of Malaaq in the traditional chieftain hierarchy. Yet folks in and around Kunturwaareey revere him. The womenfolk of the district in general and Makaay Dumis town in particular knew Aw Baalle number of years and have a profound respect and affection for him. The men of the area call him sheeko xariir and prefer to pass time with him. The unemployed youngsters of the district seek his advice in matters ranging from pride eloping, revenge killing, to farming. Last year at Qaxweyste Biibito of nearby Kunturwaarey city, Aw Baalle informed the large crowd in the shack that he flew to Mecca, perform salatul fajr there, and flew back with angels in tow. No one interrupted the Walliga Duula. He often recites Qur’anic verses when he senses that his tales are not getting through. This particular session was one of those occasions. He could read the facial expression of the crowd. So he recited suuratal naas. When he finished recitation he picked up where he left. He told the crowd the voyage happened in his dreams. He had them on board again. Elder Sheekhoow showed up with his Panasonic radio. It was time for war. Sheekhoow smacked the tiny radio couple of times, fixed the dial, and the BBC came on. The news was gloom and doom and the reporter said there is intermittent war between local militia in nearby district of Qoryooleey. With men unemployed, women depressed, and kids starving the news that the war is coming to Kunturwaareey was devastating. Here is where the rubber meets the road and Aw Baale a.k.a Walliga Duula shines. He is in his element when goings gets tough. To charm the folks, he started of yet another sheeko xariir. He asked elder Sheekhoow what his future plans and dreams were!! Deafening silence was all he could hear! Sheekhoow said he is planning to go to Merka and get few bundles of khat. He went on and on asking around. Aw Baalle acted like Andy Defresne, Tim Robin’s character in Shawshank - the movie, a prisoner who knows the importance of keeping hope alive, and informed the crowd that they better get busy hoping that the best days are yet to come. He told them it’s better to get their plans and dreams in order to escape the inhumanity of their existence than to lament about that of which they cannot alter or long for dead yesterdays. He recited the story by Juxa, an Aesop like wise man, about a man who had incurable disease that deformed his bones. The man in the story was in his twenties, like the youngsters of the town, and he wanted to tie the knot. After enduring rejection after rejection, the character of the story settled in a modest hut near the center of the city. He busied himself with perfecting horse shoes metals -- a tall order! He never had time to lament or reflect his misfortunes explained Aw Baalle. All he had was a task to finish, money to save so he can have doctors attend his ailment, and the hope that one day he will find a suitable woman ready to tie the knot. Aw Baalle concluded the story by Juxa by telling the crowd that the deformed man in the story did not get a wife. But the man prospered, Aw Baalle told the crowd, and succeeded to have reputable doctors from near and afar attending to his ailments. The crippled man with the crooked legs and the hunchback accomplished a lot despite insurmountable difficulties in the way. His disability never changed. If anything it worsened as years passed by, Walliga Duule reminded the crowd yet he remained hopeful that he might be able to cure his affliction and charm girls to marry him. He saw the possibility and that alone kept him hopeful. Aw Baalle was able to entertain the crowd, including armed youngsters, for three hours until it was time for salatul maghrib. He came back to Qaxweyste Biibito next day and performed his magic sheeko xariir to attentive crowd.

Awoowe you don’t know anything about debating. You are the master of manure slinging. Half of what you write is innuendos and you are this and that type of exchange. FYI I am not interested to read a post checkered by borrowed phrases a la diffuse and ornate style. What is it you wanna say exactly? What is your point there? One has to labor in order to make some sense of your cantrabaqash. If you want me to respond to your posts please be precise and to the point. I’ve had enough of your manure if you know what I mean

Kula gartay awoowe. Laakiin wiilkaasu waa wiil hoog ee addigu cadawga ha u jabin. Golahu waa xaafad xaafad. Addiga iyo dhowr kale oo yar baa doodoodu iyo qadiyadoodu meel sare gaarsiisan tahay. Ama karbaashka dadka ka wada sin oo saf kala wada mar ama doodaadii halkeedii ka wado. Ninkii wax kaa sheegana dameer ciyay ka soo qaad oo dan iyo heelo ha ka yeelan.

BOB, Grant is right on this one baba. Bajuni are the true natives of Kismayo. The Somalis that settled at the well came from the sea (Lowyo Kuus as Lahaleey folks would say) and the west (your typical Giir-Giir) Grant, Tell me more about Bechtel and the new port they built. Got any pictures of the port project?

Who would have thought an event of this magnitude would happen as a direct result of Djibouti conference!!!!! Dirrin process is more effective than winner-takes-all, we-are-holier-than-you, we-are-born-to-rule, fussing-and-fighting way of doing biz. One problem down -- almost solved! Another one is just around the corner. TFG is divided. Islamists are also divided. There are more diverse groups active in the political machinations than previously thought. Political squabbles and incessant disputes between the leadership of main groups have not diminished a jot. If anything they have been amplified. Who should talk to whom? How to unite the Islamist front and resolve TFG’s leadership dispute? Do you scrap TFG altogether and start anew, build on the 4.5 formula foundations, or revise the constitution by accommodating Islamists input? What to do with old warlords who will resurface once Tigre head west? How do you keep foreign interventions to tolerable level? This is not your cup of tea. The problems Somalis are facing are humongous and as such folks should realize the enormity and complexity of the situation.

Duke has the temperament to do this line of work. No doubt. He is for Inna Yey. He is rooting for the colonel. He religiously sticks with Inna Yey’s talking points. He sees Yey as Somalia’s savior. He disagrees with those of us who sees Inna Yey as part of the problem. He does that, however, without stepping anybody’s toes. Unlike Oodweyne, SOL’s Hannity, he does not bully, yell at, viciously attack, or impute the basest motives imaginable to anyone who deviates from his group’s (secessionists in the case of Oodweyne) talking-points. Yes he lashes out when cornered and gets defensive. But that's when folks curse him left and right. Xiinoow let Duke be. Ninkaas waad ka gar daran tahay awoowe. In this forum there are secessionists, Kelligii Muslims, and the like. They are all passionate about their views of the conflict. Each one of them roots for his “group”. Il Generale is just one of the cyber foot soldiers doing their thing for their ‘group”.

Try chicken soup. Drink as often as you can stomach. Also stay indoors & avoid allergen.

Allah Yarhama. Samir & Iimaan

What makes say that qallanjo?