Honestly speaking, in the beginning, I had slight misgivings about Mr. Faroole's leadership abilities, but fortunately for us, he has shown us that he possesses the courageous tenacity and steady nerves required to manage a place like Puntland, especially in these difficult times in Somalia. So kudos to the President for a job well done thus far. And may Allah(SWT) help him to do an even better job in the future.

^ Why is a "strong" PL any concern of yours, Mr.Resources ibn Atam bin Maakhir? President Faroole, VP Cabdisamad and honorable Minister Ilka-Jir were chosen by the people of Puntland, and they will continue the remainder of their tenure in their offices, until the people, through their representatives, rescind their mandates.

Originally posted by Polanyi: “The Somalia job was fantastic,” That's because it gave HIM an opportunity to use his Al Shabab proxy to beat back the Americans and their Ethiopian foot soldiers. What you Somalis fail to understand is that both the west and the Arabs play Somalis like ponies on a chess board. Unfortunately for us though, their little game is causing the death of thousands and the continued devastation of our country. :mad:

Originally posted by NGONGE: It has been a while since I felt the need to write on any subject or expect my words to be received objectively. However, lately, the subject of clans and clannishness has been repeated on this forum several times and some people challenged (albeit half-heartedly) my belief that Clan Is Everything. The discussion concerning Somali clans and the perceived view people have about the clan system itself is, in my opinion, well overdue. But how should one begin to tackle this vast institution and the multitude of contradictions those opposing it display? Though I am still unsure of the path I am going to take here, I believe a start of any kind is better than no start at all. So, let us begin. Now, I may come across as a tad philosophical when discussing clans but I truly cannot see any other way to approach this subject, more so when the charge laid at its door is that it is bad for Somali society. This is why I begin by asking the question, why is it bad and in what way? Those that argue against the clan system claim that it fosters hatred, spreads division and (for some) it is against the faith. Looking at it from a certain angle, all these charges have an element of truth in them. If my clan is at war with a neighbouring clan it is only natural that I would hate that clan (after all, they are killing my kin). If my clan is in dispute with other clans it is also natural that it would choose to distance itself from them and the consequence of that will be clear division. Finally, if my clan goes about killing, maiming and subjugating others for no reason other than its own gratification, it would also be in clear breach of the faith. Yet, none of the above has anything to do with the clan system or clannishness itself. In fact, all these charges can be equally directed at nation states, groups or even a single family. In other words, if my own brother gets killed by my next door neighbour it really is not likely that I will harbour love for that neighbour. And if my own brother kills and maims it will mean that my parents have given birth to a murderer but (surely) it does not mean that my parents are in breach of the faith or that my family should not exist. Better still, if my entire family were a bunch of infidels that kill and maim, it does not mean that we should get rid of the concept of families altogether! In his Muqadimmah , Ibn Khaldun spoke extensively about the clan system and its importance to building a viable state. In fact, he used the term ‘ casabiyah ’ when speaking about the positive contributions clannism offers to society. Similarly, the prophet of Islam spoke about such casabiyah when he advised that one should supports one’s brother in both right and wrong (the hadeeth of course goes on to explain what right or wrong means but, more importantly, it acknowledges clan existence and allegiance). This also is apparent in the history of the Umayyad Khilafa where the residing Khalifa would gather the best poets in his Majlis (or throne) and ask them to recite poetry praising their own clans, disparaging other clans or comparing the histories of clans in general. The poetic battles were immense and no kind of insult was held back (see the duels between Jareer and Al Farazdaq). However, despite such blatant clannisim the Umayyad dynasty did not suffer and the state were functioning as well as it should. So, and this is to reply to the second charge against the topic of our discussion, clannisim does not destroy states! Some people find the empty boasts about someone’s nasab highly vulgar and consider the idea of clan loyalty a backward trait. However, these same people are also extreme in their support for the Somali nation state and view it as something different, distinct and far removed from clannism. They would fill up with empty pride when they hear Yum-Yum’s Somali ban ahay yet miss the obvious point that this poem is no different to any that exalt certain tribes or clans. The only difference being that the clan here is Somalia rather than reer so and so or reer so and so. This is where the idea of group dynamics, group belonging and group loyalty comes into play. Ibn Khaldun believed (as I am sure most of us do) that without peace and justice no group could survive. The Somali State was made of such groups (and despite the late president’s symbolic ceremony of burying clannisim) it all came down to a lack of peace and justice. The clans themselves were there before the state and, like burning embers under the dust, returned to the fore after the collapse of the state. Now many are again calling for the resurrection of the state whilst (surprisingly) insisting that clannism has no part to play in this equation. They expect people, in a land that is ravaged by war and mistrust, to wander around as individuals and trust words and sentiments rather than a clan that protects, helps and supports! What is even more amazing than the contradictory nationalists are the confused Islamists. They in their part want to completely wipe the clan of the face of the earth and replace it with faith. It is not as if the prophet himself came with the message to an extremely clannish Arab society with the words “Ana Al Nabiyo La Kathib, Ana Ibnu Cabd El Mottalib” ! It is not as if he told them that he was sent to complete the best of manners (I paraphrase of course). But were these the manners of the Roman Empire he was talking about or simple Bedouins of Qureesh? And how do they differ from the manners of any of the Muslim clans of today? Is generosity not encouraged, is tightfistedness not frowned upon? Is doing “good” and avoiding “evil” not included? What do the clannish poets mock each other with? Surely not looks alone? Surely they do it by referring to the other clans’ veering from the correct path (of goodness; good faith and good manners). Yet our Shababi preachers disagree. They act as if they are the first group to stumble upon the idea of Islam/Jihad and Ummah. They expect everyone to forget the past and follow them blindly into an uncertain future (but unlike the former president they don’t burry, they dig). What is even more confusing with them is that they too talk of a Somali state run along the lines of Islam. But if that is the case, why not put their guns down and work towards making the clans more Islamic (they are nation states on their own as it is)? Why bother with this whole notion of a SOMALIA? Then again, there are some amongst them that are looking at a bigger picture, one of a far reaching Islamic Ummah that begins in Mogadishu, Kabul and Baghdad and ends in the Canary Islands and Moscow. Ironically, theirs is also a clan. They too follow the same formula of boasting about their good traits and disparaging the bad traits of their enemy. They accept no outside advice and mistrust the intentions of anyone not connected to their ‘group’ . They provide no peace and their justice is arbitrary and selective. But because they sing the song of Islam (like the nationalists sing the one about Somalnimo) they expect people to abandon the safety of the clan and come running to them with open arms. In fact, they believe that they have eliminated clannism in the areas they control but if they know their history, they will know such a thing could never happen. Under the ashes of Naxnu Al Shababu Lana Al Ghado , the clan sentiments still burns brightly. Some people accept the existence of clans but argue that such an institution should only exist for reasons of identification. They (rightly) quote the Quranic description of clans and nations where there is an explicit explanation for clans/nations (which is recognition). But could you really have one without the other? Could one belong to a group without venerating it and believing it to be good, is there actually a point in belonging? Surely human nature dictates that one would hold one’s group (family, clan, nation) in high regard and believe that it is as good as others (if not better). This is the logical worldly view. It is one that says “know me, for I am from such and such clan and we are morally good in all we do” . I mean, when was the last time you saw clans boasting about their bad birth (zina), their expertise in thievery or their historic treachery? Was it not Qoom Loot ? But the clans of Somalia today are all Muslim and follow the Islamic principles of generosity and respect (even if some amongst them would err from time to time). Is the conflict in Somalia today about belonging to deep rooted clans as opposed to noxious mushrooms , or is it one about mistrust and interests? And, more importantly, is it new? Many on this site actually argue that clans cannot dominate each other. But how do they know that? Has there been a real, concerted and open attempt for one clan to dominate another? Is it not the case that most clans regressed back to their own lands, areas and historical dwellings and most of the disputes took place in unresolved areas? The only time the issue of “domination” raises its ugly head is when clans get together to form states. A case in point being the Galgala dispute (where some from the clan residing there are complaining of a Farole domination). Another is in the SSC conflict where they allege an SL plan to oppress, subjugate and dominate them. But, in the case of Galgala it is not an actual clan trying to control another but a so-called president with a dictatorial streak who is fanning the flames of division there. In not allowing the customary clan apparatus to solve this dispute for him, he stands to weaken that state, plant seeds of mistrust and repeat the mistakes of the former Republic of Somalia. The SSC case is different (and here, I speak with the blinkers fully on). In this one, SL fully understands the clan psychology and is gently approaching the problem with a “hands off” approach. SL realises that it cannot claim its own borders without having the clans residing in those areas fully, happily and consentingly accepting such a state. It also knows that such an outcome could not materialise through the power of the gun but rather through negotiation, diplomatic seduction and clan discourse. Being a “Somali” country, it recognises that without clan consent (even amongst the mischievously named triangle ) there will be no State. This is seen through the occasional clan grumbles of not having their correct number of ministers in the cabinet (as happened recently in both SL and the TFG) or when looking at some of the turncoats that are questioning the state now that their preferred government is not in power any more. Lobbies and pressure groups do not exist in Somali politics, only clans do. So, for any government to survive (be it that of Somalia, the 'federal' regional State of Puntland or the recognition-seeking republic of Somaliland) the clans have to be appeased. Clans are everything and will remain so until Somalis accept (understand) this fact and go about creating acceptable clan coalitions, even if that means that the 4.5 system is replaced with a 19.6 one. This is a good read, and I for one do appreciate it. Now, if I'm to add my $0.02 here, I strongly believe that our clans in Somalia are not the root cause of our collective misfortunes as a people. In fact, I believe the opposite--I believe in the first place, if we Somalis genuinely adhered to our shared "clan" values of justice, mutual community aid, along with a care for the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters, we could have avoided this predicament. But alas, it was not to be had. The primary cause for conflict in Somalia was and is, competition over declining resources. Our problems begun with and end with, resource scarcity and poverty. We all know that our clans in Somalia, have historically fought over water and pasture for ions. Now, couple this with environmental deterioration and population pressures, we've got ourselves the resultant influx of rural communities, which the majority of Somalis belong to, to cities. In the case of Somalia, this quickly brought about the complete breakdown of traditional values and created scarce opportunities to erect new and modern values which would help mitigate the newly weakened clan authority structures and kinship networks, which in the miyyi were often useful in promoting peace and justice, albeit within defined tribal boundaries. In the colonial and immediate post-colonial period, it fast became obvious that Somalis were unwilling to yield to laws set by a central government, in lieu of their traditional laws, which they felt were far more superior and natural, in managing their disputes. And in turn, the power hungry governments of the day were quick to usurp the customary role of elders as peacemakers in Somalia through political manipulation and repression. In the absence of this vital effectuation of resolving disputes, coupled with the unscrupulous venality and dictatorship of the reigning authorities of the day, the transfer of power from the politically weak to the politically strong and the subsequent conflicts which ensued from this became inevitable. However, that the clan system in Somalia has routinely been used as a leverage by conflicting parties and that often, the leaders of such conflicting parties continually emphasize the differences rather than similarities among clans, solely to exploit their immediate kinfolk, is irrefutable.

Wacade Puntland waa soo dhigatey! Good Job!

^ Walaaley, habaarkoodii mar hore ayuu Alle(Subxaanu Qaadir) ku celiyey, oo waa taas Ceesaantii ey dhihi jiriin wey duushey Marfashyadooda dhaafi weydey.

^ Well...your drivel would have made more sense, had you bothered to support your bravado with rational arguments, but it seems you're just another brainless secessionist suffering from the usual spastic mental paralysis which is common to your lot. Now, have another go at it, kiddo!

^ It seems you are scared sh!tless, JB! Taleexi, peace is always optimal but I believe the time has come to remind the habro their position in reference to the Darawiish. I believe it will be painful, which is why they cry out loud about all this talk about "nabadiiids".

LOL @ Nabadiids. JB, if your clan wants nabad and the darawiish clan does not--methinks, a clan war is inevitable. Marka is adkee ninyahow!

Originally posted by 'Liibaan': quote: Originally posted by Gheelle.T: Shacabka SSC qaarna waa ka soo horjeedaan qaarna waa la jiraan, taas yaa diiday Liibaanoow! Dhamaan shacabka SSC iyo Maakhir waa kasoo horjeedaan SSC Warlord Liibaan, walaale, bal sentence-kaas ku noqo! I think you wanted to say..."Dhamaan shacabka SSC iyo Maakhir waa kasoo horjeedaan FAROOLE"--Inkastoo been cad ey tahay.

^ JB, suunka dhuuqso...the Daraawiish are out to drink your blood, and this time around yaa la idinka maqlin, "waa nala xasuuqey!".

Originally posted by NASSIR: If this is true, it will save his good old reputation... Nassir, in your perspective--when did Mudane Ilka Jir ever have a "good old reputation"? Was he not one of the Puntland officials who oversaw the a$$ kicking of the Galgala miscreants?

Originally posted by Jacaylbaro: I would choose the pat down if it is a female who is doing it ... but will the two of us be in a private room ?? ,, that is even better JB, men will be screened by men, whilst women will get female screeners--- so be carefully!

Originally posted by sheherazade: ^meel walba as far as I can tell. Adigu, i dhaaf. You will derail this already dodgy thread. Hey Scheherazade, you have nothing to worry about, as long as the screener giving the pat-down does not say, "now, its your turn to do me!"

"He looked up at the approaching cheetah and new it would kill him. But somehow he wasn't afraid. He had faced death many times before. He took a deep breath and begun to study the snarling big cat. Ten times faster than a man and twice as heavy, it would be impossible to stop, he thought. Though he was Somalia's most famous hunter, he knew he could not handle this animal's blinding speed. Rivulets of sweat begun to drip down Xaaji sanco badane's face, like a fountain of fat beads and he put a strong grip on his labo geesley. Though short, it was a fine blade that he had inherited from his father. The cheetah watched with eyes that looked like smoldering fire when suddenly it attacked.Xaaji sanco badane quickly stepped aside and then backed for five successive strides and stood with his blade pointed straight at the animal, ready to thrust. His heart hammered in his chest and he felt heavy footed and gawky in comparison to this fast beast that appeared suddenly from no where in the bush. The cheetah lunged again. This time when it came, it was with such an explosion of speed that Xaaji sanco badane was almost caught transfixed. In two short steps, it went from stationary to explosive power and leaped straight at him. Xaaji sanco badane did not have enough time to use his blade, so he threw himself to one side and even so he was still too slow. The torso of the beast caught him and sent him crushing down hard on the ground. He got a glance of the cheetah landing and turning at such an astounding speed before it was on him again. Two strong jaws bit down on his left elbow and he cried out in pain as skin, flesh, bone and blood vessels were torn into. He brought his right arm forward, thrusting the blade into the striped chest as he went over backwards. They rolled back together and Xaaji sanco badane felt thumping blows as the cat's lower paws cut into his lower body. He felt the bones and ligaments in his arms grind and the rear limbs of the cheetah kept up their devastation, hammering him on the ground. The animals breath was pungent as he shoved his blade again and again. Xaaji sanco badane hung on, as his arm got gnawed, tears of excruciating pain filling his eyes. The sharp blade kept on stabbing and stabbing, lost in the short and dense fur. He felt new pain in his legs as the beast clawed his legs to tatters. He pulled his blade out of the animal's chest and plunged it hard into its throat. Xaaji sanco badane screamed as fetid blood whooshed into his face, blinding him instantly. He felt death creeping in, but he kept working the blade even deeper, poking hard and back and forth, when suddenly the creature slumped dead, its weight impaling him to the ground. Xaaji sanco badane was lost in a world of hurt, and he begun to think about his wives and ten children, and then he fainted. Several hours had passed that day, when Xaaji sanco badane was finally found in the bush looking like a half eaten piece of carrion by a traveling family..."

Hey guys, let's just all make sure we go through those scanners with a huge hard-on to show what we really think of them. I was reading somewhere that the former head of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff first ordered these machines when he was in charge back in the Bush era, and he is now, in fact, working for the company that sells them. Talk about impenitent egoism, eh? It is said that the TSA employees are gonna make these so-called "enhance pat-downs" as invasive as humanly possible--which some say are tantamount to sexual molestation-- in order to drive a majority of passengers through those cancer machines that MR Chertoff is selling. I call them "cancer machines" because of all the radiation they've been proven to emit. Funny how a blatantly profit driven project such as this, is being shoved down the throats of Americans in the name of security, when everyone knows that it will not stop a truly ambitious terrorist. Remember that guy in the news in Saudi Arabia who hid a bomb up his rectum and then blew himself up? And because of that, what's gonna be next? Random body cavity searches done by postmortem examination doctors? When is enough, enough?

^ Alla, muxuu kalluun soo feentey! Nuune, my favorite fish is Tilapia. Af Soomaliga magac maku leeyahay? And for that matter, the other popular fishes like Tuna and Salmon?( Though I doubt Salmon is found in Somali waters because it is mainly a cold water fish.)

Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed: Mr. Somalia, seriously sxb, ha ku walan SSC. what you need to understand is this, the puntland confederacy was a security pact between brethren whose interest coincided. Clearly it has failed. At the end of the day, if SSC and Maakhir and Galdagob and God knows where decided to go their own, what is expected of you is to wish them luck. What animosity can there be between people of the nugaal vally, Sanaag, cayn, Bari and mudhug? None really, its small minded people like you and faroole who stoke this animosity. I understand faroole, his a nut case but what your beef with SSC? No beef here, bro! I have always held the position that the SSC folks are free to go wherever their true interests lie. But, as we have witnessed these last couple of years-- the SSC folks are all over the place. Do they want to go their own way? Do they want to stay within the Puntland framework? Or do they wanna be part of the Marfashland project? I believe these guys, like a bunch of decapitated cockroaches, do not know which way to go, and in the process, to make matters worse, they have ended up creating unnecessary animosity betwixt their kinsmen, who for the most part have always been sympathetic to the plight of their slavery to avarice. Naxar, these guys need to get their act together. They must work towards the political and social unity of their family. They shouldn't blame Faroole for not wanting to take sides in a their local familial beef. After-all, if he did, he will have to choose one brother over another, and thanks to the total failure of the elders and politicians of this community-- who have failed to understand that it is no longer politically feasible to milk both Garowe and Hargaysa, simultaneous(...and you can now add to that list, Villa Somalia)--he has no choice but to watch from the sidelines like everyone else. Liibaan& Co must work out what it is that they want. If going your own separate way, is what y'all want, then by all means do so and prevent your elders and politicians from seeking political office and financial favors from Garowe and Hargaysa. It is futile to blame Faroole or the marfash admin, for these failures of theirs.

^ Bilan, I love you too sweetie... Now let the Atheist have a go at it!

Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed: ^ what does SSC have to do with this? SSC ayay rer hargeisa and garowe ku waasheen ayaamahan. This is to do with burco's attempt at dhulboob. When the land grabbing burcowis were told to dismantle the corrals they have built illegally, they refused and ambushed a driver from buhoodle, now they have been ignominiously kicked out and the corrals destroyed. Naxar-- YOU LIE! The real ignominy and shame is the current fate of Las Canood. Now tell us,oh ye brave warrior and destroyer of Marfash corrals, when will that "kicking out" begin?

^ Horta, nin SSC la baxey, habar inuu qof kale ku sheego umaba furnaba! Waayo xarafyada SSC-du, baryaahaan suuqa waxaa kujirta, iney u taagan yihiin S****ii Saado Cali, oo meesha iidan waxbana kuheynba. Garowe iyo Hargaysa inaad ka caada qaadataan ayuu daqankiinu ahaan jirey, maantana xoogaagi Sheikh Shariif dalalka shisheeyuhu ey ku deeqeen inuu kula diriro Al Shabab, ayaad tuugsasho ugu daqaaqdeen-- Ballaayo iimaanka idin jartey!

Originally posted by 'Liibaan': Thanks to the Federal Somali Government, all expenses of SSC officials are paid the private chartered plane, hotels etc Once a mukulaal, always a bloody mukulaal, eh? Meel walba oo cad hilib-ah loogu sheego, saff ayee usoo wada galayaan...war nimanku iimaan darranaa oo karaama xumaa?

Xaabsade, the grand mukulaal is on the move... again. Tolow gunnadii marfashland ey siin jirtey miyaa laga joojiye?

^ Walaale, taasi waa runtaa, laakin miyuusan ogeyn maanta ragga ka amriya TFG-da, ineysan Puntland iyo dhulalka Soomaalida kaleba, eysan kala jecleen hormarkooda iyo faa'iidadooda? Anigu waxaan leeyahay, Puntland yeesan wakhti dambe iskaga luminin iney ka daba or-orodo dad aanba kala jecleen hormarka Soomaliya. Aniga waxaa ila quman, Puntland iney aayaheyda kaliya ku dadaasho oo hormarka dadkeeda kaliya ey ka shaqeeso. Waayo maanta TFG-da ayaa u baahan Puntland... Puntland uma baahna TFG-da. Hala sugo wagii TFG-du ey is qabato oo ey fahmaan midnimida iyo wadashaqeenta ummada Soomaaliyeed oo dhan iney muqadas tahay, markaas anaa kuu huba iyagaa Puntland soo raadin doona.

^ Malika, Bas bas bas! Hadaaba tiri carrigaan Ngonge ayaa libaax ka ah, General section-ku ha isku diyaariyo inaan iska biyo biyeesto...waayo Ngonge wuxuu noqonayaa Libaax gabalkiisi u dhacay, and I'm obviously an African Lion still in his prime. And as for Che: I don't think inuu iga diidiyo inaan meesha wax kula cunno, maadaama aanu nahay ilma Adeero-- aint that so, Che? ...Laakin, Malika, waxaas oo dhan waa la iiga daranyahaye...ee bal ii sheeg mowjada laga heli karo The Golden City, 'cuz I'm eagerly willing to fulfill all the subscription requirements, even if it means I have to falsify some official documents.