LIBAAX SANKATAABTE - Great article. I don't think Islan Maxamad Islan Muse was ever a fan of Abdullahi Yusuf or his murderous tactics. He's simply saying if we (and he's referring to the people of Puntland) have done the people of Somaliland wrong, then we're willing to fix it peacefully. That's the message I got. This is the best part: "Waaxaan ogahay oo waliba shakhisiyan ogahay in ay jiraan oo ay nala joogaan halkaan dad nabada ku xajiimooda aamin sana in ay kur siga ka dhacayaan ama ay waayayaan darajadooda hadaan dhiig ladaadin." As for your comment about the fate of Islan Maxamad Islan Muse: Neither Abdullahi Yusuf nor his crones have the BALLS necessary to endanger in any way the life of the true leader of Puntland. Case in point: When Abdullahi Yusuf's forces invaded Garoowe and captured it from forces loyal to Jama Ali Jama, there's was no bloodshed. When they went on to capture Qardho, we all know the fate of the innocents who were slaughtered at the hands of the occupation force. This Laas Caanood dilemma is causing more problems on both sides of the border than anything else. Abdullahi Yusuf's tactic, much similar to his predecessor, the late General Mohamed Siyad Barre (alaha u naxariisto), is the idea of distraction; by which I mean, as long as the public is facing the 'other' direction and not focusing on internal issues such as poverty, illiteracy, health and so forth, they can't see reality and therein rebel against the corrupted regime. The ultimate error in this idealogy, however, is that you can't ALWAYS buy loyalty. Sometimes, things just don't turn out the way you want them to.

UNDOUBTEDLY, Islam is the THE solution. However, speaking realistically on the current socio-political status of the Somali peninsula, an Islamic state is improbable. On the point of DEMOCRACY - I suppose it depends on what one considers 'democracy.' If we take the fundamentals of democracy and implement them in Somalia, we'd find that such a system has been in place for a long time. Somali clans have managed to incorporate democractic means in settling disputes, regulating commerce, providing for well-being and security of members, etc. So that type of Somali-ized democracy might function but that remains to be seen. HOWEVER, there's one thing for CERTAIN: democracy based on WESTERN models DOES NOT work in Somalia or any other African nation for that matter.

THINK TANK - SXB they deal with outbreaks of cholera and malaria in Somalia more often than cases of cancer. It would be interesting to find the statistics but I bet you, at least proportionally, there's more Somali females abroad effected by the illness than Somali females in Somalia! And I'm simply basing my conjecture on the foods we consume out here in the Western Hemisphere.

ADMIN said: "We might as well bring back our old "delete" policy... As far as insults and personal attacks, that will not be tolerated and anyone who is a victim of that should let us know." LOL Now you guys sound like the Nazi SS (secret police)! ANYWAYS, I have to agree with all 3 of you! Peace

It must suck to be in that situation!

^^^ If those accusations on the somaliland.org/opinions page are true, then the self-declared Republic of Somaliland is in deep trouble. EXCERPT: "Maxaa UDUB ka dhigay ragii shalayto u ololaynaayey Somaliweyn. Maxaa Cismaan Kalluun soo ceshay, maxuu ula kulmay Qaybe. Maxaa maxkamadda sare u dhiibay ninka shallayto ka tirsanaa maamulka Cabdillahi Yuusuf. Maxaa taliyaha biliiska ka dhigay nin ka tirsanaa Kooxda Carta. Maxaa dilalka dalka ka dhacay cid uun loogu xukumi waayey." Whether we like to admit it or not, there's deeper conspiracies that are circulating through the regions of Northern Somalia, including the Northeast! As the war drums beat, the question arises: Are the SOMALI people going to THINK LOGICALLY for once and stop this nonsense dispute in the North or are WE once again going to be victims of OUTSIDE powers? In 1875, the Abyssinian (Ethiopia) Empire was divided into two large parts: the North (Tigray areas) led by Yohannes IV (formerly Ras Kassa - Tigray provincial governor) and ruler of Shoa (southern Abyssinia province), Sahle Mariam (future Menelik II who follows Yohannes IV's reign as Emperor of Abbyssinia). The Italians, in a 'brilliant' attempt to take control of all Abyssinia armed and trained forces loyal to Sahle Mariam of Shoa province in the hope of creating an intra-Abyssinian civil war. However, when the Italians attacked the Abyssinia Empire from the northern region of Tigray (i.e. attacked Yohannes IV), Sahle Mariam was quick to renounce his deal with the Italians and defend the independence and integrity of his nation. Why? Because he was an Abyssinian nationalist. I see the same kind of deal here. Are any of our so-called leaders NATIONALIST enough to stand up for Somalis and Somalia or are they going to continue on their selfish path that no doubt leads to doom? Remains to be seen... Wake up and smell the coffee! In the long run, whether you're Somalilander or Puntlander or Mogadishu-lander, it's the Somali people that'll end up loosing on all ends while our neighbors continue to benefit from our loss! Allah bless!

LANDER - Great piece to remind us all EXACTLY where we stand!

SOOYAAL - Thanks for the article. To every story, there's two sides. The prevailing notion of Mogadishu is that it has turned into a city of rubbish, looting and eternal violence. This wonderful article contradicts that view and showcases the humanity that still lingers in the city where some called home a time long ago, and some still call home today.

LANDER - In all of honesty, when the Autonomous Puntland State of Somalia was created in the August of 1998, all it really did was unite all the brotherly Somali people in the regions of the Northeast. The idea was to have a functioning government that provided for the wellbeing of the governed. To that end, the Puntland administration did take a few measures to in the name of public works. I've seen a tape sent directly from Garoowe showing the operations of the government offices (this was in 1999 or 2000) and the different schools, hospitals, roads and other projects undercarried by the Nugaal Regional government. And the same can be said for Bari Region, Mudug Region, etc. However, in the post-2001 era, the image of Puntland has been greatly challenged by the sole leader, Col Abdullahi Yusuf, who seeks to dictate what's right and what's wrong in the area under his control. As far as your reference to websites that continue to propagate false news, such as AllPuntland.com, you have to recognize they're funded by interest. Same can be said for websites that support the defunct Arta TNG based out of 2 hotels in a Mogadishu neighborhood or any other kind of politically-driven site on the Net (there's plenty!). If it pleases you, start your own website which will dissiminate news AS YOU SEE IT! That's the power of the Information Age. P.S. I really don't see the need to bring up Somaliland issues and compare/contrast when the question simply asks the origins and goals of Puntland State! ~Sidaa iyo Nabadgelyo~

loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool and they say women ain't evil?

Lick up shots for Boosaaso!

Whoa. An insightful article. Two of my highlights: "Hence, in the same country, a person can pay the visa fee five times, depending on the zones being visited." This is the only thing I have against dividing Somalia. I don't want to have to pay visa taxes just to visit Burco. "This brings into sharp focus the question, Should self-determination be used by the Somali people as a way of solving conflicts? In Sudan, the Sudan People's Liberation Army led by John Garang prefers the same model. Conflict experts argue that if self-determination can bring lasting peace on the continent, then why not think about it in any political parleys?" I say nothing is wrong with self-determination. And who the hell are 'conflict experts'? Anyways, wonderful article. Long live Puntland, Somaliland, Jubbaland, Riverland, Wind Talker land, and so on. Peace.

^^^ Funny, that's the ONLY PART I actually related to. The rest is garbage. Makes being TWENTY-SOMETHING sound so grim. One more thing: Middle Finger in the air 2 all fake a$$ friends! Peace.

Yeh yeh. Good post. Happy New Years to e'erybody on SOL. My resolution: don't be broke no more! Peace.

Fo ma SeaTOWN peeps, y'all what I'm talkin' bout when I say hella Somali folk in King County Detention Center..I bailed a homie out a couple of days ago only to see five otha cats lock'd inside, facin' felony charges.. Is sad but dats reality lately..jus' wonderin' if it's tha same across tha states..WuN..

I don't get this smear campaign between Somalis on SOL! One day, southern Somalia is gettin' dissed. Next day, it's Somaliland. REALITY CHECK: All y'all is OUTSIDE of Somalia, so why bother propagating for matters that are FAR from your reach? No names but some people need to get on with they lives!

Abstinence. I bet you in a few years that word will DISSAPPEAR from the English language. Anyways, all I can say is a little bit of HIV/AIDS awareness ain't hurt nobody. No reason to 'ban' condoms. I see the point the Ulema is making but peeps is under tha covers REGARDLESS! We jus gotta recognize reality. aka wind.talker

So what I'm reading is: You PAID money to enter the spot and then you COMPLAIN? Talk about a critic. Apparently you've done it quite a few times. ME? I never go there for the performers cause I got no idea what song they singing. I'm looking to chill with the homies and "the" shorty of the night. WesT CoasT bLue'D uP

looooooooool@Libax That's a good question. Be married to a chick that chews plants like a freaken goat! Yuck!

I'm sorry. I must be lost. Since when do the opinions of a Canadian journalist of East Indian ancestry warrant a response? Pathetic.

Enlightening article. I learned something new. Peace.

I jus seen it dawg. I liked it. BUt I thought the Matrix Reloaded had more special effects, esp that freeway chase that lasted like 25 min. That was off the hook. As for REVOLUTIONS, the ending didn't satisfy my apetite for a good story. But thats what the Wachowski brothers wanted I guess. Good trilogy tho. Better than the LORD OF THE RINGS, with its long azz movies. Peace

lol Hey man, I'ma inform you that Salaama used to be the hotspot and I liked their cleanliness but not their food. However, nowadays its become Cab-Driver Central, especially since there is a little coffee shop opened right next to it. So, next time you come to the Emerald City, you gotta find a new spot! Me? I hit up Ethiopian restaurants. Burn my brains out with bisbaas.

LAKKAD - lol I'm still laughing at the quote: "Siyaasadaan waa Bolitical" - Siciid Faarax Anyways, I think it's mostly XIN. Here in Seattle, we have this big highway, Pacific Highway. And there's Maqaayad after Maqaayad, all within blocks of each other. They offer the same menu, same slow service, and want you to pay $8 for a half-full stomach! And about the new musicians, that's clear: NO CREATIVITY! They make their money from one Aroos to the next, and chew khat whatever little $$$ they make! <--- Ferry ferry angry at those folks!

Originally posted by salafi: salaam caleykom waraxma secondly islam is not all about quran sis Originally posted by Opinionated: That's sad, sistah. . That you should say Islam is not about the Koran. CLARIFICATION: Salafiyah clearly stated that "Islam is not ALL about the Qur'an.." Opinionated twisted the words to "That's sad...That you should say Islam is not about the Koran..." What happened to the word "all"? It's true that the religion of Islam is based on the Qur'an, first and foremost, then the Hadith, and then the Culuma-u-diin. My advice: Look before you leap. Little words, once overlooked, can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Peace!