Maskiin, you may be right about the year it was created.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL Ma waxaan aqoonsanaa anagaba aqoonsi u baahane!

I must admit that for the last 12 years HOL was my source of information on issues relating to Somalia. During the last 2 years something has changed; a) HOL has so called editorials which is short in substance and long on nacnac. To be honest it is difficult to distil the thesis in many of the editorials. I recall one such editorial where they claimed that their editor (who started working for the BBC) will turn the fortune of the BBC around b) It is seems that they will allow any topic to be posted (check the link by this FFFF). This kind of sentiment should not be given a venue. http://www.hiiraan.com/op2/2008/oct/why_kenya_and_ethiopia_ought_to_annex_and_divide_somalia.aspx

At the end of the day it is not what the world thinks about Bush's policies but the american voters that matter. It is not our alternatives that matter, is it? Furthermore, the liberal states (with an intellectia that is rational) don't matter. Ca, NY, vote democratic anyway. It is what happens in Florida, Pen state, Ohio (rustbelts), NC/SC and most of the southern states that matter. And history teaches us that those states have racists, bigots and maybe a few qabilists ala somali style. There is a large percentage of undecided voters; besides it is proven in statistically based research that people say one thing and do another thing. God forbid but come the 4th of november I think Mcain will be the president. By the way do you know the meaning of "lad"? It doesn't fit in with the "adeer" word.

Did you guys know anything about the "Brady/Bradely" effect? Years ago, there was a black dude who led in the polls in Carlifornia. He lost when it came to the voting. People say one thing to the pollsters and do something else on polling day. Obama's lead should be double digits before one can say with certainity that he is going to win. America is not ready for a man of colour to lead them. Specially in those states that matter. I hope I will be proven wrong.

True, I had to book a hotel 5 months in advance. The cost/night was almost 290 dollars. I went to a small village and there were hardly any africans. It seems the chinese brought with them their own cooks, prostitutes, clerks, doctors, small shopkeepers and every other profession. The price of homes/sq/meter is one of the highest in the world. They are building the infrastructure. Central Luanda looks like the NYSE. Inflation threatens the economy; it seems the africans got what they wanted; money to buy expensive cars, dahab, etc In the short term this development might be good but in the long run the country risks the dutch disease (contemporary gulf disease): innovation inertia, bonanza climate, false hope and the pinning of the economy on one source etc. The angolan civil war is not comparable to our plight. Theirs was based on ideologies. Ours on a culture of moryaanism, qabilistans and inability to work for a living.

Dabshid, I am convinced that you don't know anything about the past and present of the NFD. You are insulting many somalis with your claims. Health care, security, education ku lahaa!!!! The situation of the NFD is spelled as marginalisation and colonialisation.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah's constant press releases and voicing of opinions on various somali websites will not change a thing. He would help the somali cause if he liasons with international courts of justice in the Hague. He is doing what kofi Annan did in Rwanda. The so called "leaders" are actually thugs. He should make that clear. The AK-loaded lads in Muqdisho have no leaders. They are the result of an ethiopian occupation and the human rights abuses of the TFG and years of wars. Abdullahi yusuf, Nuur Cade and the opposition who are holed up in several overseas hotels don't represent the somali people. Nin daar ku jira daruur ma arko. Will he release that in part reads " Following a thorough analysis of the situation, the UN have come to the conclusion of issuing a warrant of arrest to....xxxxx."?

Asc, think again guys, agriculture is a source of competition. Of course there should be some efficiency, technological proliferation and entrepreneurship involved. Self sufficiency in food production is the ultimate goal of many governments in the west. Nearly 50% of the EUs budget goes to agriculture. The united states too. There would have been no industrial revolution if there was no agriculture. By the way I met a camel herder recently and he informed me "AAkhiro nimaan geel laheeyn lama amaaneeynin". That is food for thought.

Occupation brings with it human rights abuses, rapes, murder etc. Only the TFG lovers don't realize the gravity of the situation. It is not unusual for the Baqdad bobs to downplay the murder and rape of innocent somalis! As to this warlord, he is probably saying this because he is realising the end of the TFG.

Dabshid, dhiigeeyga ka kicin xsaaxib. Could you please give the reasons why the NFD is better off under Kenya? I would understand if you would have written "given the current situation the NFD cannot be part of Somalia". The NFD should opt for self determination! It is not part of Kenya!!!!!!!!!

Yaabka Yaabkiisa, do you sincerely blv that it is educated persons that build a nation? Brain drain will never stop as long as there is an economic disparity between nations. To me Adna just sounds like another african politician. She should instead have advocated for the consumtion of home-grown food, maro or dirac, used a donkey to her job etc. Inta kale waa dhereg dhacsi maandhow.

The whole notion of aid is based on the belief that some people would remain at the lower end of the economic ladder. AID is what keeping many african dictators in power. It is the main reason why Somaliland wants recognition and probably the only reason why somalia is still in shambles. When aid floods into a nation, the people become passive and corruption rises. There are numerous studies on the positive relationship between under development and aid. The philosphical underpinnings for aid as a tool of development is one that is purely based on evolution. It is assumed that there is a natural selection that has taken place.

"Asante Oil" Something fishy about the name- don't you think? Somaliland needs water and not oil. Don't go for champagne when you can't quinch your thirst.

Yes I did. The warlords whose families are supported by my tax money.

I hope not but it seems Kismayo is the begining of the old vicious circle that has engulfed our failed nation. Baydhabo, Muqdisho and the rest of the towns might follow suit. This could be the dawn of a new breed of destruction. Let us hope for peace

Another Xaawaley like Buraanbur! What we are witnessing is the mother of all tribalism based hypocricy on SOL. I have never thought SOL members will fall this low. These tribalists are condoning the murder of innocent people in Muqdisho which in their eyes is the fight against Alshabaab. These same tribalists are day in and day out flooding this site with news of Al-shabaab taking Kismayo and now Bardhere. They have become the cheerleaders of Al-shabaab. It does not take a person with an IQ of a rat to know that these die-hard tribalists don't care about Somalia or the thousands of people killed. The only thing they care about is elevating the warlord of warlords, the amxaaro lackey, so called president, who they have been fooled to blv is from the same clan. Shame on SOL for giving these tribalists a venue. Reading what these tribalists write on SOL erases the dream for a cohesive state called Somalia. Does it F-cking matter who takes Kismayo? or any other town in Somalia? I guess most of these tribalists are enjoying safety in some western countries. Huraale is another warlord and memory serves us that the days of warlords are numbered. At least a warlord who the TFG thugs could negotiate with. What you have now is probably the end of the TFG. Will you celebrate that too?

You never know HURAALE might be replaced by Baaraale (dooro). Stop beating your drums.

Ibtisam, I have been to North American and I heard alot of people say "Somalien". What is funny is that even older people (although their command of the english language is not that good) say " I am SUMEELIYEEN". This connotation is spreading like wild fire and my guess is that in due time even somalis elsewhere will follow suit. It wouldn't surprise me if Muuse Suudi Yalaxow says " Anigaba Sumeeliyeen ayaan ahay" since it was reported that he thought the word Diaspora means ASBORO (Aspro).

President? Government? legitimacy? Progress? Governor? constitutionalism? disciplined? procedures? Ileen wax waliba waa la qoraa? Sounds like Baqdad Bob on Somalia

Sayid, ficnaan lahaydaa haddii aan magac keli ah isku haaysano. We have more than a name issue at stake saaxib. I don't mind if they are called Janno, jinni, jaahil, jahwareer or jeeni-land. My anger boils when I hear/read someone use "somalian/en)" instead of somali. A bonafide citizen or national of the nation known as Somalia is SOMALI. Somalien(sounds like an alien) is mostly used by newly arrived imigrants to the USA/Canada.

Don't throw stones while sheltering in a glass(zed) house!

I am impressed at the metamorphises the character known as HornAfrik has gone through; from a warlord support, a TFG d-aba****** (he may deny this but when the injirleeys and their lackeys were murdering kids, women and the old in Muqdisho- he was dancing to the tunes of their barrels singing KILL THEM, BURN THEM and create A HURAALE state in the south. This is a long awaited article- in particular ´the nfd issue- This is a noble aspiration. Thank you for the article! Waa suaale se, do you have multiple names (you thanked yourself). There are no reasons legal or otherwise why somalis in the NFD should not vow for self determination. However, as the situation is today, nobody in his/her right mind want to join a failed state run by warlords; a nation whose people worship tribalism; a nation of slaves and masters. My hope is that the NFD will be an independent somali state. Greater somalia is a dream and should as such stay so. But as things stand today, somalia risks the fragmentation of the incumbent somali state.

HOL is trying hard to imitate Wardherenews and Awdal newsnetwork . This so called editorial actually carries no message. It is like "look at us(HOL) we can write". About Ahmadou Ould; my opinion is that he is another UN official who is concerned with creating a name for himself- making a career/earning a living. Remember the KOFI Annan debacle in Rwanda? I met him (KOFI) in May this year and Rwanda still haunts him. I don't know how HOL could come to the conclusion that he is a "genuine peace architect". Did he stop the bloodshed in somalia? what peace? The only accomplishment-if any- is to participate in one of the hundreds of peace conference (this would have happened anyway- somalis love to attend conferences). For the poor mother in Somalia, the HOL is irrelevant; she is under attack from TFG-tribal militia, warlords, injirleeys, wadaad ku sheeg: and she hardly has access to read HOL.

Child soldiers Looks like a bad copy of M-Oryaan generation 1 Is that all they could parade?? Now that their tribal chief Maxamed Dheere has been sacked it wouldn't surprise me if they defect to his new brigade to fight the TFG. ****** edition II