^^^It's nothing you don't do. :rolleyes:

Hezbollah, Hamas denounce beheading Saudi Arabia, UAE also weigh in with condemnationsThe Associated Press Updated: 2:58 p.m. ET May 13, 2004BEIRUT, Lebanon - Two Islamic militant groups, Hezbollah and Hamas, issued strongly worded condemnations Thursday of the videotaped beheading of an American civilian in Iraq. advertisement Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab governments to criticize the slaying of Nicholas Berg, and newspapers in the region, which initially gave little coverage to the gruesome video, began to excoriate the killers. Berg was beheaded Saturday by men claiming to act on behalf of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an affiliate of Osama bin Laden, as revenge for the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers. The videotape, posted on an al-Qaida-linked Web site Tuesday, drew revulsion around the world. A CIA official said Thursday an analysis of the voice on the video had concluded the masked man who severed Berg’s head was al-Zarqawi. Arab governments and Islamic militant groups, most of which have spoken out repeatedly about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, initially kept silent about the videotaped slaying. Hezbollah condemns ‘brutal, cruel’ action On Thursday, however, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, both labeled terrorist organizations by the United States, said the beheading was appalling and un-Islamic. In a statement faxed to The Associated Press, Hezbollah called the 26-year-old Berg’s killing an “extremely brutal and cruel” act. “Hezbollah condemns this grisly act which has caused great harm to Islam and to Muslims by this group which falsely claims to belong to the religion of mercy, compassion and genuine human values,” the statement said. “By its suspicious actions and links, this group belongs to the Pentagon school — the school of killings, occupation, crime, torture and immoral practices as exposed by the big scandal in the occupation prisons.” Osama Hamdan, Hamas’ representative in Lebanon, denounced both Berg’s killers and President Bush. “I condemn this brutal act and sympathize with the family of the slain American man, who I consider a victim of the wrong U.S. policies in the region,” Hamdan told The Associated Press. “U.S. President George Bush and [berg’s] killers are equally responsible.” Both Hezbollah and Hamas said the beheading hurt Arab causes, and predicted the United States would use it to turn attention away from the prisoner abuse scandal. Both groups have condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and Hezbollah has denounced a few other major terrorist attacks that targeted civilians, but the language they used Thursday was unusually tough. The other Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, declined to comment on the beheading. The group’s Lebanese representative, Abu Imad Rifai, said he couldn’t be sure Berg was dead. “I cannot comment on the report because I am not sure of its authenticity. I didn’t see the man’s body,” Rifai told AP. First Arab governments speak Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia became the first Arab governments to denounce the beheading. The Emirates’ information minister, Sheik Abdullah, issued a statement Wednesday night during a visit to Washington. “We are ashamed, because these terrorists carried out this attack in the name of our religion and our culture,” he said. “This brutal act has nothing to do with Islam or our Arab values.” Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States called the decapitation “criminal and inhuman.” “It is not out of character for them (al-Qaida affiliated groups) to commit acts that violate the teachings of Islam, a noble religion that deplores such acts,” Prince Bandar told reporters in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. News of the videotape broke too late for Wednesday newspaper editions in the Middle East. But on Thursday, the papers spoke out against the killing in columns and editorials. “We have to be ashamed as Arabs and cover our eyes,” wrote Saleh Qalab, Jordan’s former information minister who now writes a column in the newspaper al-Ra’i. “He who does not yet realize how much those organizations (militant groups) have harmed Islam and its civilized message, must look again at those shameful and hideous pictures.” Jordanian press decries ‘horrific’ act The English-language Jordan Times condemned the beheading in an editorial, calling it “a horrific act of the greatest magnitude.” Dubai’s English daily, Gulf News, called it “a truly barbaric act that served no cause except the brutish bloodlust of his executioners.” The paper said that although there was “justifiable anger” over the U.S. treatment of Iraqi prisoners, “one brutality does not forgive another.” Saudi Arabia’s popular Al-Watan said in an editorial the killing “was nothing but an offense to the image of Muslims and their behavior. The perpetrator could hardly belong to our nation.” Some newspapers defended the killing. Al-Wafd, an Egyptian opposition paper, said the abuse of prisoners drove the killers to act. “The brutal violations practiced by the American and British occupying forces against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison led to retaliating responses against Americans in Iraq,” it said. “The pictures of rape and torture ... forced Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s group to execute an American citizen by the sword.” © 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Hezbollah, Hamas denounce beheading Saudi Arabia, UAE also weigh in with condemnationsThe Associated Press Updated: 2:58 p.m. ET May 13, 2004BEIRUT, Lebanon - Two Islamic militant groups, Hezbollah and Hamas, issued strongly worded condemnations Thursday of the videotaped beheading of an American civilian in Iraq. advertisement Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab governments to criticize the slaying of Nicholas Berg, and newspapers in the region, which initially gave little coverage to the gruesome video, began to excoriate the killers. Berg was beheaded Saturday by men claiming to act on behalf of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an affiliate of Osama bin Laden, as revenge for the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers. The videotape, posted on an al-Qaida-linked Web site Tuesday, drew revulsion around the world. A CIA official said Thursday an analysis of the voice on the video had concluded the masked man who severed Berg’s head was al-Zarqawi. Arab governments and Islamic militant groups, most of which have spoken out repeatedly about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, initially kept silent about the videotaped slaying. Hezbollah condemns ‘brutal, cruel’ action On Thursday, however, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, both labeled terrorist organizations by the United States, said the beheading was appalling and un-Islamic. In a statement faxed to The Associated Press, Hezbollah called the 26-year-old Berg’s killing an “extremely brutal and cruel” act. “Hezbollah condemns this grisly act which has caused great harm to Islam and to Muslims by this group which falsely claims to belong to the religion of mercy, compassion and genuine human values,” the statement said. “By its suspicious actions and links, this group belongs to the Pentagon school — the school of killings, occupation, crime, torture and immoral practices as exposed by the big scandal in the occupation prisons.” Osama Hamdan, Hamas’ representative in Lebanon, denounced both Berg’s killers and President Bush. “I condemn this brutal act and sympathize with the family of the slain American man, who I consider a victim of the wrong U.S. policies in the region,” Hamdan told The Associated Press. “U.S. President George Bush and [berg’s] killers are equally responsible.” Both Hezbollah and Hamas said the beheading hurt Arab causes, and predicted the United States would use it to turn attention away from the prisoner abuse scandal. Both groups have condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and Hezbollah has denounced a few other major terrorist attacks that targeted civilians, but the language they used Thursday was unusually tough. The other Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, declined to comment on the beheading. The group’s Lebanese representative, Abu Imad Rifai, said he couldn’t be sure Berg was dead. “I cannot comment on the report because I am not sure of its authenticity. I didn’t see the man’s body,” Rifai told AP. First Arab governments speak Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia became the first Arab governments to denounce the beheading. The Emirates’ information minister, Sheik Abdullah, issued a statement Wednesday night during a visit to Washington. “We are ashamed, because these terrorists carried out this attack in the name of our religion and our culture,” he said. “This brutal act has nothing to do with Islam or our Arab values.” Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States called the decapitation “criminal and inhuman.” “It is not out of character for them (al-Qaida affiliated groups) to commit acts that violate the teachings of Islam, a noble religion that deplores such acts,” Prince Bandar told reporters in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. News of the videotape broke too late for Wednesday newspaper editions in the Middle East. But on Thursday, the papers spoke out against the killing in columns and editorials. “We have to be ashamed as Arabs and cover our eyes,” wrote Saleh Qalab, Jordan’s former information minister who now writes a column in the newspaper al-Ra’i. “He who does not yet realize how much those organizations (militant groups) have harmed Islam and its civilized message, must look again at those shameful and hideous pictures.” Jordanian press decries ‘horrific’ act The English-language Jordan Times condemned the beheading in an editorial, calling it “a horrific act of the greatest magnitude.” Dubai’s English daily, Gulf News, called it “a truly barbaric act that served no cause except the brutish bloodlust of his executioners.” The paper said that although there was “justifiable anger” over the U.S. treatment of Iraqi prisoners, “one brutality does not forgive another.” Saudi Arabia’s popular Al-Watan said in an editorial the killing “was nothing but an offense to the image of Muslims and their behavior. The perpetrator could hardly belong to our nation.” Some newspapers defended the killing. Al-Wafd, an Egyptian opposition paper, said the abuse of prisoners drove the killers to act. “The brutal violations practiced by the American and British occupying forces against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison led to retaliating responses against Americans in Iraq,” it said. “The pictures of rape and torture ... forced Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s group to execute an American citizen by the sword.” © 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

10. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. Atleast my city made the top ten. I heard it was also chosen as the Most Smartest City. Seattle is on a roll.

Puntland State Of Puntland. What happened to Puntland State of Somalia?

Walal stop wasting server space with your nonsense blabbering. While Abudwaq, Dhabat, Balanbale, Gelinsoor, and others might be reer Mudug from a cultural stance, adminstratively as they are part of Galgaduud, which can never be part of "Puntland" seeing as how it's multi-clan.

Peace seems to allude us all the time.

Sorry double post.

I dont see cabudwaq joining PL Atleast not while Abdulahi Yusuf is in power :eek: The people of Abudwaq are part and parcel of the Somali Republic and no one else. They've already shown so and will continue to show so.

Lol@MsWord. Not your roach story again.

Both my mother and only sister were diagnosed with Thyroid disease (i'm told it can become cancerous if not treated), and a younger sister of my mother's died of cancer a decade ago.

As you can see we have extremists from all corners.

I agree Rayaana, but I think the producer had his own reasons for doing to. I think it was to really wake us up from the usual position as the third person seeing the situation from afar, and brings us headlong into the probelm itself. I think he ment us to take the intiative, by amking us already involved (inwhich we already are).

War yaa ileen balaayo arkay! Sadeboi yea and i was forced to leave my villa thnx to adeer cideed Is that called for bro?

Og_Girl Sis you are right, t the name of the region does not matter. Whether its Ogadeenya or Somali Galbeed, at the end of the day it's our people that are being massacred and abused and killed and harrassed and oppressed. We should be taking about action, instead of thinking about how the name points to a certain qabiil or not. Fact: The region is internationally known as Ogadeenya or the Ogadan. Fact: The Ogadani qabiil are the majority of inhabitants as well as most of the victims. Fact: WE ARE ALL SOMALI. The Habesha will always divide and rule if we do not get our mentality straight and far from qabiil politics and ideology. Their main intent will be and has always been to find a route to the Indian ocean. Today it is the Ogadan, tomorrow it is Berbera or Bosaso or Marka or Kismaayo. Who knows?

Flash Movie

^^^How he said it could use some presentation, but there aren't any people in the world who talk more then Somalis. As Ken Menkhaus said "there are no secrets in Somalia".

Nairobi Preparations for the third and final phase of the Somali peace talks were proceeding smoothly on Friday, according to an Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) source involved in the proceedings. He told IRIN that the organisers of the talks, which are being held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, under the auspices of IGAD, were pleased with "the way things were moving". "We have already started bringing in traditional elders from Somalia," he said. The organisers, the source added, were confident that Somali political leaders who were in Somalia "will be here before the [iGAD foreign] ministers' meeting on 6 May". "We are putting all the pieces together, so we don't have any hitches," he told IRIN. The source predicted that the process would go ahead despite a boycott threat by some faction leaders. "Those who matter on the ground will be here. We cannot afford to allow a few selfish individuals to hold the process hostage," he said. A group of faction leaders who abandoned the current peace talks in Kenya have been holding separate talks in Jowhar, 90 km north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. They said they would not return to Nairobi as requested by the IGAD mediators, but would rather hold the final phase inside the country, one the leaders told IRIN this week. The IGAD source told IRIN that the charge brought by some delegates that IGAD was selecting delegates for the final phase was mistaken. "Unfortunately, in this process there will always be lamentations," he said. "In this final phase delegates must come through their respective clans. Nobody comes automatically. Those who are complaining should prevail upon their clans to select them. It [selection] has nothing to do with IGAD." He added that as the final phase involved the contentious issue of power-sharing: "We should not rush it, but take as much time as we need to ensure that the outcome is acceptable to both the Somalis and the international community, but we are hopeful that we will meet all of our deadlines," he added. The IGAD-sponsored talks began in October 2002 in the western Kenyan town of Eldoret, but were moved to Nairobi in February 2003. They have been dogged by wrangles over issues such as an interim charter, the number of participants and the selection of future parliamentarians.

Gediid for your sake I retook the test and this is what I came up with; I scored a 92% on the "How Somalian are you?" Quizie! What about you? [/b] You scored a 92% on the "How Somalian are you?" Quizie! 231 people had a score lower than yours 12 people had a score higher than yours 18 people had a score the same as yours

HornAfrique I know we exchaned few conversation , I learned a lot from u, thanks wallalo Thanx sis. You are one of the easiest people to talk to.

NAIROBI - New evidence of possible oil reserves in East Africa, stretching from Madagascar to the tip of Somalia, has prompted several major oil exploration companies to begin drilling in the region. East African governments are eagerly cooperating with the companies, expecting to share in future oil revenues that could significantly boost their impoverished economies. But critics say there is also much potential for the oil money to add to corruption in the region, and make the countries even poorer. Reviewing data recently taken from rock samples off the coast of Pemba Island in Tanzania, British geologist Chris Matchette-Downes says East Africa has the potential to become what he termed the world's hottest oil exploration frontier in the next few years. "I took samples from the Pemba oil seep and extracted samples from a number of wells in Tanzania and one well in Kenya," he said. "There are indications that [there] is an active petroleum system somewhere that hasn't been found yet. That leads me to think there is a massive soft rock system that runs all the way along the coastal strip of East Africa, probably into Somalia and maybe all the way up to Yemen. We now need to find the traps and hope the oil hasn't leaked out or has been lost in another way. But I'm convinced we will find significant finds." That enormous optimism is shared among more than half-a-dozen oil companies currently surveying and drilling along East Africa's coast. At least three companies, including oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, are searching off the coast of Tanzania. Other companies from the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia, and Denmark are exploring offshore in Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique. The interest is new to a region that was long thought to have little potential for an oil boom. Previous explorations in the 1970s and ྌs showed some oil and natural gas deposits but they were not considered to have any commercial value. Further oil explorations were put on hold while international companies flocked to discoveries made in West African countries like Nigeria and Angola. While West African fields are helping to meet U.S. and European demand, energy companies say they are hoping oil from East Africa will meet the ever-increasing demand from across the Indian Ocean in China, India, Japan and other parts of Asia. In Kenya, the renewed search for oil has hopes soaring that the country could soon join the ranks of Africa's major oil producers and reap enormous financial rewards. Kenya relies mainly on tourism and commodities exports for revenue and has long been looking for new ways to emerge from decades of poverty. A senior geologist at Kenya's National Oil Corporation, Eunice Kilonzo, says the government believes that if oil is found here, it could single-handedly transform the economy. "For example, in Sudan, they are producing about 280,000 barrels of oil on a daily basis," said Eunice Kilonzo. "This translates to about $800,000 daily for Sudan. Imagine that being reflected in the Kenyan budget, imagine what impact it will have on our economy if we were to find oil." But critics of oil exploration in Africa say Sudan, along with Nigeria and Angola, are also examples of how promised billions of dollars in oil revenue have failed to alleviate poverty and have only deepened government corruption and internal conflicts. The Africa policy adviser for the U.S.-based Catholic Relief Services, Ian Gary, has been monitoring what effect oil is having on Africa's newest petro-state, Chad. Late last year, a nearly $4 billion, 1,080-kilometer underground pipeline, built by a consortium of oil companies and backed by the World Bank, began carrying crude from Chad to the Atlantic coast. The huge Western investment in Chad came with strict rules. The flow of the estimated $2 to $6 billion in oil revenues that Chad could earn over the next 30 years must be open to public scrutiny. And the government must use the wealth to improve the lives of its people people, most of whom earn less than $200 per year. But Mr. Gary says the Chadian government, which has a history of being corrupt and repressive, has so far shown few signs it will change its ways. "I think one of the lessons of the Chad experience is that you can put safeguards in place," he said. "But if these safeguards are put in place in a country with severe governance problems, severe human rights problems, then there are going to be problems along the way. What happens is that oil revenues go directly to the government in many cases in countries where power and resources are already very centralized. Even in countries that have some democratic tradition, oil production tends to erode opportunities for accountability. So, it's really a mixed blessing to have oil revenue coming in." Experts say it is still too early to say just how much potential East Africa has for long-term oil production. But hopes and concerns are already rising about how petro-dollars will affect a region with millions of people desperate for a better life.

The port town of Bossaso in north-east Somalia is a sea of humanity, but not all in this town are original inhabitants. Thousands of people stay here because it has become a key site for a massive people smuggling operation. This Red Sea port has always been the gateway to the Yemeni coast but of late people smugglers have started taking migrants to Italy, making Bossaso a popular spot for those wishing to get to Europe. The people smuggling business is booming for those who run it but it is dangerous and at times tragic for the migrants themselves. Because of the lack of a meaningful authority in this part of war-torn Somalia, this business undertaken by networks of smugglers and their counterparts all over Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Italy is getting bigger and more lucrative by the day. Sri Lankans for Italy Those coming to Bossaso to migrate come from far and near. The majority are from inside Somalia and neighbouring Ethiopia. But there are those from far off places such as Tanzania and even Sri Lanka. There are more than 470 Sri Lankans in Bossaso. Some of whom have been holed up in this town for as long as one and a half years. Some of those I spoke to said they had never heard of this town until they were brought over by the smugglers from Sri Lanka by plane through the United Arab Emirates. The Sri Lankans are on their way to Italy and remain confident that the smugglers will keep their word. "I do wonder why our agents brought us here in the first place, when they told us that they will take us directly to Italy," Sri Lankan Inda Kumar said. Each of them has paid $5,000 for the trip. Yemen bound The main destination for most Somalis, Ethiopians and Tanzanians is the Yemeni coast which is about 20 hours ride by boat from Bossaso. They then strive to get through to Saudi Arabia, where they hope to find work. They are usually packed onto small and dilapidated fishing boats. The Somali migrants say they have no alternative but to flee the hopelessness and insecurity at home. They are charged a fee of between $30 and $50. These sea expeditions often end in tragedy and relatives are called to the beaches of Bossaso a few days after their departure to be shown the bodies. Ordeals Survivors, who either return voluntarily or are deported by the Saudi authorities, narrate harrowing tales of inhumanity that migrants face at the hands of the smugglers. They speak of incidents where sailors off-load people in the middle of the sea when the risk of capsizing due to overloading becomes too great. Those who refuse to jump are shot and their bodies heaved off the boats. But the most common way in which many migrants meet their death is when the smugglers, fearing being caught by Yemeni coastguards, abandon their passengers far from the shore. Those who can't swim, especially women and children, often meet their death this way. Said Hirsi Mohammed survived such an incident in which more than 200 people died. He says the smugglers prefer to take people from other parts of Somalia and other countries to those from Puntland as they do not want to be held liable for the crimes at sea. Somalia has been without a central government since 1991, and the authorities in the breakaway Somali republic of Puntland, who control Bossaso, say they have been overwhelmed by the large numbers of migrants, and do not have the resources to guard their 1,700km coastline. Puntland Police Commissioner Abdirizak Mohamed Afgudud told me that though they have arrested many of the smugglers and migrants, a lack of proper jails and finances prevents them holding the culprits for long. And this, he says, enables the illicit trade to flourish.

I scored an 86% and I was still surprised, cuz I thought i would atleast get a 100.

'A fool lies here who tried to hustle the East.' The man knows how to end his work :cool:

A more appropriate piece is. What Leader?? What Leader?? What Leader?? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: In all respects, "Somalilanders" had better realize that trampling of on the situation in the rest of Somalia will get them NO WHERE. What year of "oh wait and see if we get recogniton this time" are we in?