How many of you (women who opined in this thread) have a good understanding of the ins and outs of raising a kid in the West? Put yourself in the shoes of a working mom! Suppose you have a 5 year old daughter and two year old son. At age 5, your daughter will soon start K school. School is 4 miles away and there is bus that will pick her up about 8:15am just outside the house. She will be done at 1:15pm and bus will again pick her up from school and drop at the corner street of your house. No relatives at home. Husband works. You too have to go to work. It is a morning shift. You need to be at your office on 8:30am sharp. You will get off work at 5pm sharp. You live in a big city say Atlanta. Commuting to and from work is an issue and takes time say 40 minutes each way for a normal day. On the TV news you always hear about molested or abused kids in the knidergarden or worst stolen kids by nutcase sexual deviants! This is the environment you live in. You are an educated, responsible mother who puts the best interest of the child before her career. The husband your husband makes a decent bundle. He is no controlling freak! He understands the value of having dual income in his household. He also understands the value of having quality time with the children is much more valuable than the extra income you bring to the plate. It is sunday. He is watching a football game. Vikings is playing against Broncos. it is a big game. You have been thinking about september the month your daughter supposed to start her class. You've been reading the activities involved in her schooling. Parent-teacher conference, friday slot parents are encouraged to volunteer in order to spend time with the kids, play at wednesday evening, this and that. You want the best for your family. Your two years old is lovely kid but he has this temper you think you only understand. Your daughter is very shy and she is so overwhelmed about the thought of being on her own out there in a far away school. The homework especially writing thing is time consuming and you are encouraged to spend enough time so she can get a leg up in first grade! You turned off the TV and start conversing your husband about the conflict of schedule of you two being away working and the kids being at kindergarden! He said you shoudl stay home with kids. Actually he thinks that's the best thing to do. What would your answer be? How would you handle a situation like this? This husband of yours has no problem of you working and bringing an income to home. However he has this philosophy that education and working is a means to an end. He is also big on children. He believes in raising children is a difficult and time consuming activity and parents should have to accept the ascrifices that comes with having kids. You love him. He is not perfect but he is a fair and responsible man. However you went to school for four years. Your friends are competeing with titles. Your best friend wants to go back to school and complete three courses that is left on her Masters degree. Your parents are broud of you. The parental pride they exhibit is overwhelming. They always talk about you. They point out your success when giving advice to their nieces and your younger sisters. Home stay wife is a taboo in your social circle. It is a role your "educated" friends look down upon. So as a reasobale and practical woman how are you going to face this dilemma. Send the kids to Kindergarden first time and go back to work or become a housewife? The latter role is something that has your beloved husband's blessing!

Here you go again Oodweyne! You are defending the indefensible again! Listen up bookish boy treason is a crime of disloyalty of one’s nation or state period. That’s long and short end of it. Go and quote Churchill now or lecture us about English/Irish or some other European narratives by penning another long and irrelevant “diffuse and ornate†write-up waabad yeeliye . Anyone who knowingly and willfully cooperates with an enemy for the sole intention of subverting sovereign state is committing treason. One betrays the nation or state at one’s own peril! Waryee it doesn’t matter whether the state is democratic, Islamic, socialist, or what have you. This simple fact should easily sink in through your over inflated thick skull. Now what is truly amazing is your Boolean logic where zeros and ones are doubly defined, rearranged, and reshuffled in order to find a way to justify your Bantustan’s actions to secede. Equally amazing is how you ignored the irony of treasonous entity (SNM led secessionists group) prosecuting the unionists on the grounds of them being treasonous!!! Kix kix ain’t that funny buddy Hold your horse now. I completely understand your erroneous reasoning! Yes I do. It goes like this: secessionist enclave up in the North is sovereign state and democratic one at that hence it is open for nay it promotes the freedom of expression so long the dissenters don’t undermine its very existence! Yeah but the same line can be used to justify the dictatorial regimes’ oppressive actions against those who subvert their very existence or willfully and knowingly aid and abate the enemy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regarding to “Uncle†Yey and the alleged support I supposedly lent him in this forum, well I could and I’m sure I would have done a good job. However Inna Yussuf and I simply don’t share political objectives. We are not on the same page on many many issues. Still he is a force to reckon with in southern politics. He has Melez’s ear and he has lately positioned himself as an alternative choice to political Islam in Somalia. He has a record on this issue. He has defeated Islamists in Puntland once upon time. Powers that be see him as a useful idi*t at this junction of Somali conflict. My position is that UIC, although imperfect in so many ways, are a force to reckon with. The enemy in this case the Ethiopians will do their utmost to pit them against each other. Since TFG has an Ethios support, the UIC will be forced to look for an outside support for it has to survive. Therefore this political machination and foreign interference will render Somalia as a battleground between those who don’t want Islamists as a political force in new Somalia and those who want to have Islam as the guiding principle in the political conduct of the state. I don’t want to see Somalia become a proxy for outside powers through the invitation of the factions vying for power. I hope they understand the forces at play here and sit down and talk it out. Enough said.

So my man Mr. Oodweyne Siad Barre's brutal clampdown against treasonous SNM is justified, right? According to your line of reasoning SNM were treasonous in their attempt to subvert the state no! The “diffuse and ornate†styled write-up you’ve tried to defend the secessionists’ attempt to silence the voices of dissent is troubling! Tell me tell me sweet lies oh no you can’t disguise! Adduunyo! And you come here and tell us that the question of whether to secede or not has been decided through the ballot!!!!

More power to them.

Xiinoow by any chance do you remember Hassan Adan Samatar's popular song? Lyrics is what I'm interested in! It goes like this: Waa boqol Yuhuudiye, Rag baa biirinaayo, Baarka u firraayee! Badda kuma cayaareen, Barbaarada ma laayeen, ... Any1? It has a nice melody too! The poet who composed that song said enough and that was back early eighties!

Yaa Oodweyne, my cyber-ku-dirrir buddy you are missing the point by sedex maalin guur Look! the interest of Somalis in general and the factions in both camps in particular is to end the Somali conflict as soon as possible. Now Islamists are force to reckon with, we really do have a shot to end the conflict today. One lesson we learned from our tragic experience in Somali civil war is that it is non-winnable contest! There will always be foreign powers that will tilt the balance of power to one faction or another. In each and every event that preceded the major and decisive flare-ups in the South, one faction or another seemed to have won the contest. Yet no one faction could pull it off. Hence we are still playing this game in never-ending over time. With Mogadishu under one entity, the opportunity to have a clean break from that trend has finally arrived. There are those who wish Somalia as a country and the south as a region to get bogged down in perpetual civil war. I hope you are not one of these devils. Despite your passionate commitment to secessionists cause, I’m sure deep down in your heart you long the day when Somalis live in peace and harmony. Assuming that is the case why would you play down the possibility of genuine dialogue between the two camps? Why not give a shot? What anyone got to lose? Sxb the current political machination is not limited to Somalis. The geopolitical interest of the powers that be is part and the parcel of the so-called “Somali Gameâ€. TFG although toothless and in the middle of political upheavals, still it is the favorite faction to these powers. They will pour money and logistical support in its covers. Not because they like the TFG but because they don’t want Islamists to emerge as the entity that rescued Somalia from all its ills and restored law and order. A monumental feat! In any event, you should understand that intrigue and political calculations is not something limited to secular ways of thinking. There are ways and means of weighing your options. This applies to adherent of Islamic tenets. The best option for the UIC, in my humble opinion, is to accept the Arab League’s invitation for genuine dialogue with TFG. I encourage them to give the TFG enough incentive that will convince them the need to cease requesting foreign troops. The message should be that their security will be guaranteed and they will be let in to Mogadishu provided that they embrace political Islam without any reservations. The play behind this option is that if UIC and TFG start talking to each other, the Somalis will own the process and the foreign involvement role in our internal politicking will be severely limited to a bearable level. I can guarantee you that the outcome of the Khartoum meeting, especially at a time foreigners and international entities throw their support behind the TFG, will be decisive and final. The Ethiopians will lose any opportunity to exploit our differences. IGAD, Arab League, EU, and UN will recognize the new political formation. They have no other choice but to do so. And even better this time around it will work! If all go right, and it is big if, Somalia will reemerge from the long and disastrous civil war with Islamist in an extremely influential position. An opportunity worth exploiting! The alternative is to prolong the conflict with no clear plan in sight. The only thing we know is that the TFG will get help according to its foreigner packers. Nabad doon

A word to the wise Now that Khartoum meeting is approaching, all the concerned parties need to attend. Even though Col. Aways has some reservation about the utility of such discussion, still we can expect some changes in the UIC camp before this meeting commences. As the popular cliché had it, you only make peace with your enemy not with your friends. Whatever happen "Hudeybia approach"? Col. Aways is totally wrong in refusing to take part of the Khartoum meeting. There is no excuse for his refusal to let Sheikh Sherif send the highly regarded delegates to Khartoum. The UIC is in a position of strength today. The TFG is cornered. The top leadership is in state of confusion and is now willing to put all their cards on the table! Why not exploit the situation the TFG is in today by giving them an opportunity to save face? The only alternative for them to stay in the game is to ask Ethiopian backup!! Why not give them a way out all the while you play your game according to Islamic principles. This is an age-honored practice. Well-intentioned Arab League has succeeded to drag the TFG to the peace table and it did this with the understanding that it already has UIC delegates on board! Why not honor their effort? What if UIC objectives can be attained through peaceful means? What if the TFG is willing to scrap all the cabinet ministers and replace with UIC members? What if half of the parliamentarian representatives volunteer giving up their seats for Islamist to fill in? Why not explore all these far-fetched possibilities (rumors at this stage) and see where the old man really stand and what he demands in return for the TFG concessions? They may have the opportunity to modify the Mpagathi constitution and make it a one that is compatible to Islam! You see there are deeply held suspicions and animosity as well between these two camps. These misunderstandings can be cleared clean with one swipe by talking in Khartoum instead of through radio wavelengths. The TFG needs Ethiopia and it is they that called Ethiopia to rescue their behind. They did this as a survival tactic thinking that UIC militias were their way to take Baidowa. They had good reason to think that way. After all UIC militia were sweeping towns in the neighboring provinces. By talking you will induce clarity to the murky political machinations. If political questions of what UICs’ and TFG’s demands are and what are they willing to concede in return is answered, then the TFG can have real opportunity to weigh in the alternatives for not bringing foreign troops. All these subtle understanding can be had by just talking. Why not start talking to each other? The UIC needs to sit down with the TFG for the sake of peace and stability for the region. That does not mean they should compromise their principle political position. Far from it, they must stand tall and remain true to their Islamic principles but they should give the old man an opportunity to reject Islamic approach to the Somalia's problem. Refusing to do so is a fatal blow to UIC credibility. Waayo-Arag

^No kidding! Did they do that! What a shocker

Anarchists have already infiltrated Islamists ranks. The white-eyed Islamists in Marka won’t disappoint us. This opportunist can wear all the Islamic garbs he wants but he can’t fool me for I know the man is true to his anarchist roots. Inna Kaadi-Najaasle

Nop. We can't trust them - the warlords that is.

^ Suufi baad tahay wallee. Waryee Qasaaro ma Maxkamadahaad doonaysaa inaad iga xigsato waabad yeeliye mise waxad tahay "kaligii Muslim"-kii qolada takfiirka ah laga sheegi jiray. Somali conflict at one level is an internal conflict where armed clans or alliance of collection of sub-clans fight for political supremacy. On an other level Somali conflict is a proxy war where other powers arm factions and pit them against each other. To the factions involved in any proxy war, the fight is either about resistance, freedom struggle, or religious struggle. Somali conflict is not any different from other ones. Those who supply the ammunition and have an interest to keep the fire burning have their own agenda. Congo and Somalia share the same predicament. Both countries are caught up into a protracted civil war. Both countries have internal factions vying for power. Both countries have neighbors and regional states that are arming the warring factions in their countries. Waryee ma ila socotee willkaagan farabaxsiga ah . It is true that UIC is Islamic oriented faction. However, their aim is to seize power so that they can implement the Shari’a. On the other end of political spectrum is TFG a secular entity who believes that they are the legitimate government entitled to run the country. In between the two ends you have greedy personalities (money and resources is what drives them) known as warlords who change sides as they see fit. That’s the internal dynamics. Whoever you support doesn’t change the fact that this conflict is a civil war at one level and proxy war on other level.

For the ignorant like urself, here is the pig picture Somalia, particularly the southern Somalia, is on the verge of disasterous civil war once again. There are two main factions ready to swap the sword. One is newly formed and highly successful entity by the name of Courts of Islamic Union aka UIC. The other is an entity composed of armed warlords and Puntland State (a fiefdom up in the north) named TFG. One is regionally recognized and regionally supported "government" that has no grassroot supporters on the ground. The other is Islamic oriented "wadaado" who secured cross section clan support in Benadir region. The latter successfully ousted blood thirsty and hated warlords from the most populated city of Somalia: Mogadishu. And Mogadishu happened to be the biggest price of Somalia's political stock. Whoever controls this vital city have sway on the political discourse of Somalis. UIC not only did they secured that price but they also pacified, to some extent, the city. They opened all its ports, disarmed the thugs and removed the infamous "isbaaro". Now here comes the complication. They the UIC that is were denied the opp to take part of the IGAD sponsored Nairobi and that was deliberate decision taken by the participants and supported by the International community. They are not part of the government. They control Benadir and other regions close to it, and they don't recognize TFG in Beydhabo. They hinted that they are open for dialogue provided that there is "mutual recognition" btw the parties, no foreign FTs in the Somali proper, and all the cards are on the table. Halkaa markey botorineyso Inna Yussuf initiated and campaigned a motion and got the affirmation to bring FTs to Somalia. His colleugues made unhelpful remarks that was so confusing to the point the comments were contradictory. And boom Inna Yussuf himself boycotted the meetings. UIC thinking that they were taken for granted emphasized the issue of UIC and Col. Aways made unhelpfu remarks designed to scrap the talks. UIC went to Bur Hakab to recieve a TFG contingent. That was considered as a move to Baydhabo. Inna Yussuf made the call and Ethios arrived Baydhabo. Halkaas bay sheekadu maraysaa. Support the the peace process. Why? because the alternative is full blown civil war and this time two countries will take part. Somalia will be another Congo if the wise men don't prevail.

My Cyber-ku-Dirrir pal, Mr. Oodweyne Here we go again! Oh what does one make of the predictable charges of “adeerkaa†(Yey supporter), from my pal Mr. Oodweyne, that he hurls so carelessly nowadays? You touch his sacred cow in any way, shape or form and it is a world war III! I come to conclude that you perhaps have some sort of reflex for discerning “Yey’s support†every line I write and for shouting “look waa one of the defeated lot†as substitute for argument! Awoowe ma qayilsan tahay see wax kaa yihiin Uncle Yey is in dhiiqo and big time at that. No qualms there! He has betrayed Somalism/Islamism and I agreed. He is in bed with Ethios. Yes, that’s true too. So far we are on the same page. Waryee ma ila socotaa. Inna Yey is guilty as charged. However you, of all people are not in a position to make that charge. That’s the whole point bro. And FYI I am Somaliweyn/Islamist sympathizer and it just so happened that he is not and that’s where we parted ways. Awoowe what I took issue is when you say something about Inna Yussuf which is actually true of yourself. Inna Yussuf is after the top seat and anything and I mean anything that can get him close to the marked seat will do! That’s a hardly a news. Secessionists, likewise, are after that Bantustan corner and anything that makes their neck of the wood a recognized state is a fair game. That includes performing a lap dance on the man himself mze Melez Zanawi. Yes you are right SSDF and SNM, even though they shared disdain for that regime, they were totally different. However the similarities btw the two are many. Here are few: both movements were used to destabilize Somalia that once existed by Ethiopia at a time we were at war with Ethiopia. They both waged proxy against Somalia. They both consider Ethiopia as a close friend. You Mr. Oodweyne are on the record here in SOL making the argument that Ethiopia is a friend of secessionists. So the question that begs for an answer is how inna Yeey’s friendship with Tigrey regime in Addis Ababa today is different from Siilaanyo’s or for that matter Inna Tuur’s friendship with Mengistu back then. To refresh your memory we were at war with Mengistu and he openly used your "mujahids" for the sole reason of destabilizing Somalia. Care to explain that lil inconsistency from ur part in layman’s lingo without being unmanly by hurling at your cyber boxers with underhand digs . Awoowe I'm all ears! Igu akhri casharadaadii yaa Oodweyne

^good for you awoowe. Glad to hear that u keeping it real Now tell me JB boy, can you converse in nomad lingo with ur fellow nomads? If ur answer is affirmative then we gotta have a helluva convo...on philosophy, on theology, on science, and what not. The king and I mean the SOL royalty the one and the only Philospher King aka Mutakalim will be present, I hope, and his presence will keep us from stepping on the khatif landmine for the jungle we are about to enter is full of landmines. What u think sonny? Do we have a deal?

^Powerful poem

Innaa Lilaahi wa innaa Illeyhi raajicuun. Allah yarxama marxuumka ehelkii uu ka tagayna Allah samir iyo iimaan ha ka siiyo. That's it!

^Right on JB. So u are fluent in Somali lingo I take it noh?

Ngonge wlc back buddy. More on the subject...this one is into distant distant past -------------------------------------------- In January 1919, he wrote: "If the peace conference decides to restore the Jews to Palestine, immigration into and development of the country can be assured only by the presence of a considerable army for an indefinite period. Not only the half million Moslems living in Palestine, but the millions in surrounding countries, will have to be cowed into submission by the constant show and occasional use of force (italics added)."[1] Even more prophetically, Anstruther MacKay, military governor of part of Palestine during World War I, wrote that the Zionist project would "arouse fierce Moslem hostility and fanaticism against the Western powers that permitted it. The effect of this hostility would be felt through the Middle East, and would cause trouble in Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India. To this might be ascribed by future historians the outbreak of a great war between the white and the brown races, a war into which America would without doubt be drawn (italics added)." [2] We are now living in the future predicted by Gibbons and MacKay. The Islamicate resistance has been slow in developing but now its has spread in one form or another beyond Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt and India to the farthest corners of the Islamic world--and even into the Islamic diaspora in the West. Source

Talk about a "broken record" and it's Oodweyne that comes to mind I hear ya loud and clear. Inna Yussuf betrayed "Somalinimo" you said. Absolutely! was the response I gleaned from high calibre guns such as SW and Xiin's post. The irony is the charge is coming from unexpected corner That's what throw them off! One can't help but wonder what biz does a committed secessionists has about "Somalinimo"? If you are under the illusion that Inna Yussuf has run on "Somalinimo/Islanimo" platform you are disgrace to highly regarded SOL "Cyber-ku-Dirrir" elite My man Oodweyne Inna Yussuf was the first man in Somalia who struck a lethal blow to Somaliweyn ideals. Not only has he struck a blow but he aimed at its heart! The price of opposing Somaliweyn platform goes to that man and your SNM "mujahids" are B-team in that regard. Ethios have difficult time choosing between the two but today they will temporarily use the A-team. Oh man! when will you be an A-team. It looks as if you won't be able to claim that high The Bantustan exclusive club for "Duriyada" is not materializing . Once again the A-team get on the way. No wonder you don't hold them in high regard To you they are a "defeated lot"! a pretty predictable stand!!! Waryee dee ha dhex-fariisan sidaadii saa waabad yeeliye Awoowe kaftan-dhable weeye

^Crap Today's young gals never had it so good. They are truly "living the dream" so to speak As to Mrs. Fields, she is old wrinkled lady whose prime time has been passed. She is dealing with Muxubo muuno beeshayee, moosinkeed waala moodayee syndrome. Kaftan aside the lady has a point. But who's listening!

The lamentation of the slut By Suzanne Fields Thursday, July 27, 2006 Editor's Note: This column contains language that may be offensive to some readers. A man of my acquaintance, he of a certain age, waxes nostalgic about the sexual style of his youth. In his carefree bachelor days, nothing ignited his imagination like the "allure of the slut." Loose women have always tempted men. Think Ava Gardner in "The Sun Also Rises," or Lee Remick in "Anatomy of a Murder." For decades, movie characters have been the standard girls measure themselves by. But as the sexual revolution begot working rights for women, the measurements changed. Sexual rites of passage changed, too. Years ago, at one of my high-school class reunions, a woman in our class accepted the prize for being the youngest grandmother: "I never thought I'd win a prize for getting knocked up in high school." But there's nothing funny, as we've learned to our sorrow and the society's financial pain, about teenage pregnancy. The poor, as always, suffer most when such mores change. In The Washington Post, a fashion writer makes fun of young women who prefer not to expose an excess of flesh at the beach or pool, and mocks their modesty as an excess of religious faith. In the nation's capital, where most metaphors are political, "WholesomeWear" bathing suits with skirts or culottes are described as the "ultimate coverup." The appeal to virtue is so (early) 20th century. Fair enough. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, but it seems to me that certain cover-ups are a mercy, along with the newfound concern for obesity. The clothes that many women wear are not exactly what Irwin Shaw had in mind with his wonderful short story about "the girls in their summer dresses." Fashion reflects the times, and modesty and femininity are anachronisms in a world in which "slut" is no longer a slur. The word was popularized by gangsta rappers, linking it with "ho" and other denigrating descriptions of women. The rappers must now find another word. The New York Times reports that it has become a term of endearment between women friends, a "fun word" for ladies who lunch. These are the young women who read "The Vagina Monologues" to each other, reveling in the celebration of their body parts. But despite what bloggers call "the taming of the slut," all does not sound sound in Slursville. Leora Tanenbaum, author of a book called "Slut! Growing Up Female With a Bad Reputation," finds that the word, popular as it may be in certain lunching parties, still inflicts pain and humiliation. She interviewed more than a hundred women between the ages of 14 and 66 and tells how "slut" acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy because young women think they're expected to live up to the label. Maybe they are. Teenage girls, like teenage boys, lie a lot about sex. Their bodies, subject to swift hormonal changes, are further manipulated by pop cultural expectations not always of their own making. Tom Wolfe drives this notion home in his novel, "I Am Charlotte Simmons," about promiscuity on the college campus. He tells of a sad conversation he overheard in a campus lounge: " . . . a boy's voice was saying, 'What are you talking about? How could I? We've known each other since before Choate! It would be incest!' And then I heard the girl say, 'Please, come on. I can't stand the thought of having to do it with somebody I hardly know and can't trust.' It turned out that she was beseeching him, her old Platonic friend of years' standing, to please relieve her of her virginity, deflower her. That way she could honestly maintain the proper social stance as an experienced young woman in college." Concludes Tom Wolfe: "There was a time when the worst . . . slut . . . for want of a better term . . . maintained a virginal and chaste facade. Today, the most virginal and chaste undergraduate wants to create a facade of sexual experience." Sexually active teenage girls nevertheless frequently tell interviewers how they wish they had waited until they were older. In a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2003, more than six in 10 express that sentiment. No matter how quickly our society pushes young women to grow up, a sped up sexual clock is rarely accompanied by the brakes of self-interest. In a media-saturated culture, appeals to emotion must precede good sense. As the space between romantic innocence and sluttish experience narrows, it's the young who suffer the pangs of rue. Their creative fantasies as well as the range of complex pleasures are haunted with regret and tinged with remorse. The allure of the slut becomes loss and lamentation. The young women are entitled to better. Copyright © 2006 Salem Web Network. All Rights Reserved. Source

Shame on snitches.

Brother our nation is divided, the enemy is strong, and the powers that be are against Somalia ruled by Islamic oriented brothers. We are up against powerful coalition that's itching to give the TFG all the material aid it needs to get the job done. They are also trying to give the Ethios a diplomatic cover. One way of dealing with this coalition is as you said go to all out war against TFG and its Ethios allies. In a time of war, the warring factions need military logistics. That means UIC have to get its armament supply from Eritrea. TFG has Ethiopia. The theatre of war is on Somali soil. This proxy war will have devastating consequences on vital regions in the South. Last time this kind of conflict raged in that region was back in the 90s. about quarter million died of starvation. That's not a desirable outcome for the residents of that area. Another approach is to complicate the enemy's game and use their plan against them. And that is get on the same page with the UN, AU, and Arab League by attending the peace process. You see UIC can make a tangible progress on the issue of Ethiopian presence at the table. It can raise the bar and ask the UN, AU, IGAD, Arab League to get Ethiopians out of Somali soil. It can also ask these regional and international bodies to go down there and verify thier allegations. I can assure you that Ethiopia's alleged presence inside Somalia is an issue taken very seriously by some Arab countries. Once they roll that ball they will gladly pick it up and run with it for touchdown score. By doing that you can put Ethiopia on the hot seat and you have an advocate that will do your bidding in these circles: Arabs. They can be a counterweight sometimes especially in the horn of Africa region. Egypt can educate US on this matter but it will need UICs to at least show some flexiblity on the peace process issue. Calm down yaa Alle-u-Baahane. It easy for you to beat the drum of war from Boston alla armchair general . It ain't pretty sxb. I would love to get the UIC off the international radar.

Waa biciid jabanoo ban yuurara! Innaba caadi ma aha abtigaa Now what does that mean my boy JB? Do u understand the gist of that phrase?

They are wrong in refusing to talk to TFG. They got nothing to lose by accepting to attend the peace process sponsored by Arab League and hosted by Sudan – entities that are friendly to UIC and sympathetic to their cause. Talking to your nemesis is always beneficial. You see sometimes opposing parties settle their differences without going to full blown war. Col. Aways is a bit adventurous and he is eager to kick Inna Yussuf’s behind it seems. So is Inna Yussuf. The two have a personal score to settle. Perhaps someone can arrange a boxing match between the two colonels – a duel if you will. However the war they have in mind is not a war we can afford to entertain. The courts have many enemies. Their enemies are trying their best to depict them as unreasonably violent and “Taliban-like†bunch of terrorists. By refusing to sit down with the other side in order to find a way out of this looming civil war, they are handing the TFG a rare opportunity to secure the military support from reluctant and weary interested countries. The TFG may get that support from some quarters anyway but if the UIC show restraint and attend each and every table that hosts a peace conference for this troubled nation they will come across as a non-violent and peaceful movement that wants to bring back normalcy to anarchic south. Moreover their cooperation in that venue will empower their sympathizers like the Arab League. It is opportune time for the UIC to wise up and deny the TFG and their Ethios backers the opportunity to stay put in a military footing within Somali proper. If there is no chance for peace and if the TFG is a weak entity that cannot withstand the might of the courts then one should expect the old man to defend his turf and do it with the backing of the Ethios. You see if and when the two sit down and try to iron out their differences, Ethiopia will be hard pressed to remain inside the country. The main thrust of their argument (in private conversation with EU, US, Arab League, IGAD) is that the courts are coming and they are coming with hardened and battle-bruised fighters (some are Ethiopian origin) who are separatists that want to disturb the delicately balanced ethnic diversity of Ethiopia. Arab League, in the absence of political negotiations and peace process, will be reduced to by-standards for they cannot encourage or defend partisan group that wants to wage proxy war for Eritrea. Perceptions are important in this age and time. Bargain hard, stick to your principles, and make a stand but for Allah’s sake spare us from unnecessary civil war. Accept to negotiate with the devil and don’t you take the bait for Ethiopia has a lot of support from the powers that be this time around.