A timely post.

Very telling press conference! The old man has a thin skin for questioning.

We are at it! Again! Are we not? And it is the same old song! Is it not? It is about grief-stricken clannish lot who wants to dismember an internationally recognized country in difficult period - open wounds exposed to the folgers and hyenas in the neighborhood. No? Dismember the country on the bases of what European power colonized what part of Somalia is the primary case the radical separtists have. The secondary case is the crimes committed by the former government, a government that no longer exist, not against all Somalis but "some" Somalis. Right? The terminology used to advance the case seems to be full of colorful words such as restoration of former British protectorate, divorce between the two sisterly colonies that united in sixties, reclaiming the lost independence. To make the matter worse. The former British protectorate, now defunct, is divided on the separation issue along tribal lines. yet separatist, a vocal majority, convinced themselves that the majority vote is applicable to only former Protectorate but not the rest of country. Bring this points to the fore and the kids are up in their arms mocking the tragedy of some pockets of the South and attriputing the abscence of this tragedy at the scale of the southern counterparts is a testimony of something and worthy of recognition! The world has to break Somalia up because of the above mentioned. I'm having difficult time digesting this line of reasoning What a disappointment!

Originally posted by J B: Where is my Graad Bashi when you need him, maybe he is the most probable to make you realize what Castro is talking about. My boy JB you are one-sided partisan when it comes to religion and those who either want to advance its virtues or defend its principles. Sooner you realize this fact the better. Now my buddy Castro is trying to help Nur sharpen his dacwa skills, and he is sincere and honest in his sporadic corrective posts I hope. But the fact of the matter is this is exactly the kind of thread that exposes all the shirk some od us harbour in their hearts and in my opinion no one is better equiped to engage such discussion than Bro. Nur. Let Nur and Cara have a dialogue. They are both polite and considerate and they won't disappoint us, I hope. For once let us be good listeneres.

Yes you are right on the money on the complexity of Somali politiking. The political equation that proceeded Arta’s conference is very complicated indeed as it is a multivariable in so many ways. However, it is overarching outlook is a trivial one. At it is core, the contest between the two clannish gurus was about who will have control over the number of delegates with actual votes. With help of the host, A/Qaim outmaneuvered the strong man. Abdullahi vowed to boycott the outcome of the Arta gathering and even actively campaigned against TNG government that emerged from that conference. Ethiopia as expected came to the rescue. As they say chickens come home to roost. The table has being turned against Abdullahi. He found himself walking on AbdiQasim's shoes. Today, Abdullahi is talking about the virtue of unity and the need of ending clannish feuds. Qasim loudly preached the same message in vain. Qanyare and Co. swapped roles and point finger at him about promises not kept and constitution not followed. Ethiopia is playing poker with both sides. La steza canta! Are you with me buddy? Come to Nairobi gathering and Abdullahi had both the backing of regional powers and the control over the selection of delegates of his tribe’s slate. My point is very simple bro. Abdullahi is a one helluva clannish man. He has neither the interest of the Somali nation at heart nor the character of a unifying leader who can bring back Somalia that once existed.

Il Generale, you are missing the big picture or so it seems. Granted Abdullahi has never endorsed Arta gathering let alone participated in its proceedings or for that matter agreeing with its outcome. That much is agreed. The question is why? I think we are on the same page on all other points.

The joke is on me buddy...I'm war mooge I suppose your sources are up and running. What's happening down on the sand dunnes of our beloved Somalia. Fill me in and make sure you got your feeds cross-referenced. Xog-haye is gone for fishing . He will be back.

Xiin, Gneral Duke has a point. I too question the good Sheikh's silence on land issues in both Mogadihsu and Lower Shabelle. He is either ignorant about the criminal enterprise some of his kinfolk are building in the land of galey iyo sisin which I strongly doubt is the case or he does not see the confiscation of Muslim properties (by force) as an issue worthy of public pronoucement. After all this is the same man who was willing to wrestle with Inna Yussuf (He called him Mujrim and Thalim) over the control of Bosso's port. As a leader and as an scholar you would think he would speak up for the oppressed Jiido and Gibil Cad in lower Shabelle. Why not stick it up to Inna Indha-Cadde and call spade a spade? I support the sheikh in the big picture politics of the region and his opposition of Ethiopian interference to our affairs. As to Indha Cadde, from what I gather the man is from Marka (born and raised in the town) so in that sense he is a local guy. He has every right to get involved in the local politics. That being said, the man's actions (warlording and being beholden to clan interest) do not measure up to Islamic principles where impartiality and justice is a divine directive. As to Inna Booy no doubt that the man is clannish but I gotta tell you Inna Yussuf is more clannish than Inna Booy. Inna Booy said he wouldn't reconstitute Somali Republic if the cost is civil war between the clans of his tribe. Inna Yussuf opposed the very qarran he now wants to reconstitute under his leadership when Inna Qassim was leading the charge!!! Simply put the strong man played Qanyare's role of the current TFG saga in then A/Qasim's TNG.

She is still in the news huh! I agree with SB I wouldn't like to be in the same neighborhood with Ayan. In any event, she hada coming... There is always a price to be paid when you actively campaign against the interest of millions of people not to mention badmouthing what billion people around the world hold to be the divine revelation of the Almighty.

Huh! what you know! Somalia is full of heroes buddy. Barwaaqo is right on the money. As to national hero, I for one don't know.

I'm thinking about it! UK and nearby European countries, Kenya or Dubai? Dunno yet

Baashi = ? any1?

Stoic awoowe ina rag waa kii wax walba isku daya. Mara waaxid . I too once went on to a canoeing trip with folks who have never tried it before. I can’t be bothered to remember the name of the lake. I remember this much though it is located on the outskirts of St. Paul, MN. Safety was a key issue. Before we got on canoeing we had an earful of safety talk and the folks down the resort handed a life saver jacket to everyone. All of the sudden we started smiling and regained our confidence back (we were nervous and uptight about the prospect of wht ifs). With life saver jackets, everyone felt that he/she could pull this one off. Maxaa ka dhacay hadde. Maneuvering the thing became a rocket science! But we all managed to get back to the shore. It was all good. As to kayaking, I’ve never tried. I would love to give a try though…one of these days! I just came back from a sightseeing trip (we went all the way up to Vopnafjordur ). What a beauty! Apart from the rough gravel roads (jid cadde ama jaay), it was fun. This palce’s natural beauty is stunning…just gorgeous. Strange rock formations, waterfalls, deep canyons, and the best of all natural hot water with man-made swimming pool facility! Iceland is a third world country in terms of infrastructure. Man! We went up about 800 meters high with 15% grade (that steep) and the road didn’t even have a barrier (fall protection!!!). It was wet, narrow, and on the edge (one wrong turn and we could be a toast plunging to a certain death). At one time we almost stopped in the middle of the road. We could not be sure if we were on the right track. I had a blast. I got some pics n will post them Allah willing. Sida kale waa shax-shax…I haven’t met any Somali so far. I met one Ethiopian girly girl. She thought I was another Etho qaxooti wandering in no man’s land. She was like batala catala dananish or something like that. Annigana waxa tiriba lagu yiri baan ku iri . As it turned out there are about 50 Ethiopians in Reyjkavik.

@"War hana dilin". Talented and creative that's what you are sxb. Do continue plz and for the sake of old timers portray Safia in guntiino, gareys, qamaar etc. And when i read this Her feet barely seemed to touch the bus floor. She must have been a ballerina, he thought. This song came to mind: Culeys uma dhaqaaqdoo, mana cararto, cagta socodka kuma celiso ciidee, way ciribsataa! Four faryareeys up.

^Baseball bat won't do let alone a stick. Good luck wrestling with the dinousor . I'm just gonna go there and enjoy watching how good ol Fidel loses his teeth .

Castro I love ya buddy and u know it Waryee Suldaan I don't listen to BBC but from what I gleaned from your tale of him, Qar-is-ka tuur is helluva man. As to in awoowe laga baxsan waaye c'mon awoowe is too old inuu ajnabi ku safaado

Yes you Castro do sit around and watch injustice prevail everyday. I dunno who calls me that other than you so what does that say about you awoowe? If memory serves me right you called urself "da" man in another threat. Nevertheless I was simply making a tongue-in-cheek remark when I said "da" man. Btw anythinng I write in SOL screen say nada about me.

I'm glad u are having fun in politics section. A man who makes his mom weep is what geesi means to me awoowe Now you remember al qaatil wal maqtuul kuluhum fi naar and I'm paraphrasing the xadiith. Geesi u xiniinya weyn dagaal ahli waa doqon awoowe. If you are less than 1% of the man Che was in his hayday why the call u "da" man in SOL crib sxb . And what that does say about Somali men in general? Adduunyo Awoowe G'nite

I thought Castro will the save the day ala Che style . geesi = brave

NO. I ran away with my tail btw my legs remember . I didn't even had the balls to defend my property sxb. Me no geesi awoowe.

Will ya?

Abandon clannism you said. I say, amin to that. Now don't get ahead of yourself. What you are stating has been stated countless times on this SOL screen. To my knowledge none of the partcipants in this rotten corner of SOL have ever absolved tribalism from the role it played in prolonging the misery of Somalis as well as its far-reaching monumental hand in the present anarchy. The tribalism is the source of Somalia political mess and subsequent anarchy we are reapping its fruits is testament of that. Awoowe that much is agreed. Having said there is another dimension to Somalia's problems and that's the foreign hand that is all over the political lanscape of the country. This is a fact. It has its impact and one of its consequence is arming the warlords and thus prolonging their staying power not to mention the funding and political platform it gives them by elevating their status to regional level.

Absolutely awoowe Watch how Tolstoy, Oodweyne, and other usual suspect go bananas when they see me do what I do the best: bust their half-cooked arguments I love it sxb. Now awoowe why don't you burden yourself for the role of moderating the two sides of the equation and by all means go outside of the black box.

^kix kix kax looooooooooool. Adduunyo Nayruus is right on the money. He is dealing with the present by setting the record straight. I'm sure that you heard of the much qouted axiom which states that those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it. In any event it seems to me that the secessionists are the very ones that can't let the colonial era be bygone. They are busy restoring the past. But again who do want to see that fact eh The prince of North West negates his main argument, unknowingly perhaps, by invoking majority/minority polemic. As of today the part of Somaliland whose voice he representing is a minority in internationally recognized country called Somalia no? And if his argument is something to go by secessionists are nothing more than bunch of malcontents living in a fantasy Bantustan self-declared state within Somalia proper. So much of majority/minority talk! As to why doesn't Somaliland provide guidance to the TFG . Very simple buddy. They don't have anything to offer to fragmented TFG. And in all honest, deep down, they don't even wish to see united and reconciled TFG for that beast is headed by none other than the much hated strong man which they consider as lethal threat to their recognition bid. The Southern conflict is too complicated sxb. The diversity of clans, the foreign and shadowy hands which are busy in empowering one warlord while undermining another, the widely available ammunition and armament in the hands of many thugs beholden to none of the actors in Southern theatre, and the animosity between clans is what makes the reconcilliation issue very difficult. This beast is too strong to tame without the sincere cooperation of the neighboring countries. let's not kid ourselves plz

Godan daginn SOLers Ahem yes that's an Icelandic phrase. The phrase means good morning. Now you know I love y'all right! and I alwys look out for you. That's what being awoowe is all about. Awoowe cares about you Now as my friend the SOL big shot likes to say we oughta share resources fellaz. Aight I cut to the chase and give you BEFORE YOU KNOW IT LIGHT program. This program is designed to facilitate learning foreign languages for hard headed folks like me. It is awesome program and I'm sure you will like it if you are interested in learning new languages (not mastering but enough to get by). It is a flash-card system and you can use it to learn the lingo of ur choice at your own pace. Try it...here it is Check it out