Bari Nomad I've already stated my case and I will do it again. I am against Abdulahi Yusuf and those that support, but never against "Puntland", so long as it is part of Somalia. It seems to me like a lot of Nomads who come from Bari, seem to equate Abdulahi Yusuf with Puntland. That is unfortunate, as I know a lot of people have lost hope in that peace process in Garowe. The reason? Your murderer of a leader. But you are sounding very desperate and anti-PuntLand lately. Secondly I wanted to address this point. Because I questioned the motives of an individual who blatantly supports the hostile takeover of the whole northeast, I am sounding desperate? That's the biggest hypocritical stance I have seen in a while. Come of it, dear boy. I very much support the peace, prosperity and development of "Somaliland", whether it sounds treacherous to you, Smith, or whomever. As I support the peace, prosperity, and development of "Puntland". And to be honest with you, there is no need for a demonstration as recognition of any seccessionst region in Somalia is not coming. the protest will be adding to the hype and giving it more spotlight.

Those nomads are Barre Hiiraale, Abdiqasim Saladboy, Muuse Suudi Yalahow, and Cisman Cato.

All peace loving Somali's How can you be peace-loving and still support Abdulahi Yusuf? In all fairness, Riyaale got to the seat in Hargeisa democratically, can you explain to the rest of the people what happened to Jamac Cali Jamac, the rightfully elected leader of "Puntland"?

My father was a colonel and worked as a secret agent for the NSS (National Security Service), that's why he left. He didn't want to work for people who hate Puntlanders . Probably if you work for the NSS you get paid very good money $$$$. That ment only one thing to me Booteeni. Tell me was your father living rich off of the murders and torture of other innocent folks who were not "Puntlanders"?

My father was a colonel and worked as a secret agent for the NSS (National Security Service), that's why he left. He didn't want to work for people who hate Puntlanders. So your father would've been very satisfied to work for the NSS had they not been after "Puntlanders", your clan, also? Amazing! He murdered and tortured people when they were not from his clan, and yet we have the odacity to cry foul.

Or to put the fire out on Dean's anti-war campaign.

Explain to me Lander how two wrongs make a right?

I thought I might contribute some of my 2 cents here. Dugsiga Hoose Dhexe ee Cabudwaaq Xafladda xiritaanka Sanad-dugsiyeedka 2002-2003

Manshallah, beautiful pix bro. I'm glad more places are represented.

So Somalia--do you still have doubts that we are trully on our course???????????????? Time will tell sis.

Main cities Somalia: Mogadishu (capital, estimated population 1.2 million in 2003), Kismayu (209,300) , Merca (179,700). link Bari Nomad I'm not agreeing with those "estimates" about what is the population of whatnot, I posted them not to contradict with anything you had to say, but to show you how different estimates can actually be. Estimate = A judgment based on one's impressions; an opinion. Those estimates you see can differ night and day, so don't bet your life on it Or are you going to start fighting with me about how the standard of living in Bosaso is two cents higher then those of Kismayo, or vice versa? :rolleyes:

A note worthy news. Now we will really see the beauty, peace, and development that Puntland stands for, without being clouded by Beer-laawa's rep.

War yaa cashadooda ka soo cararay! :eek: I don't need "waan umaleenaa". Do you have prove? Kismaayo has always been and will always be, atleast in the near forseeable future, the third largest city in the Somali Republic.

Sxb Bootaan Kismaayo is the third largest city in the Somali Republic, after Hargeisa and Muqdisho. So if Kismaayo was part of Puntland, then it would be the largest city then wouldn't it be?

Wlc Booteeni. Or are you going to run to the Admin now? :rolleyes:

Blaah.Blaah.Blaah I see you still haven't found that hobby, that I stressed you were in need of huh, grandfather? Let me tell that not here and not ever would I get into that little qabilistic debate of words you are so eager to engage me in. To think a man who "was instrumental in the break-up of the Somali Republic since before independence" [ :rolleyes: ] is so interested to have a qabilistic tate-tate with me inorder to relive some of his over-prolonged anger and frusteration at the clan that I was born into just goes to show you how pathetic you really are. For someone of your age, I would greatly advise you to save face. Or has your obsession with "you know what" got hold of you to the point you lost Somali social etiquette and are making you to fabricate any and all documents so it could seem as your wish for a non-existent state is coming true? Mark Twain once said: "Wisdom is the reward you get from a lifetime of listening when you would rather have talked." I'm guessing you've never listened in your long life have you Oodweyn?

forces of secession and anti-Somalism You had me laughing for hours on that one Guraad.

Manshallah. My dream neighborhood. I hope the City of Hargeisa makes that neighborhood come true.

I think the Latin script was the right choice for our orthography.

Somalis Wait Anxiously for New Government Alisha Ryu Mogadishu, Somalia 20 Feb 2004 Late last month, a group of powerful Somali warlords and clan leaders reached a landmark agreement on forming a unified government in the Horn of Africa country. For many people in Somalia, the deal has raised hope that peace and order, which has eluded the country for more than a decade, could soon be restored. However, not everyone believes that creating a government run by warlords will end the suffering and bloodshed. One of the best examples of how people in Somalia have learned to cope in a country without a government is the way Somalis obtain passports for travel. They go to the market and simply buy one. In Mogadishu, anyone, including foreigners, can walk into one of several so-called immigration offices at the main Barakaat market and buy a passport. The passports, which were printed overseas and shipped here, can cost anywhere from $20 to $50, depending on demand. But passport merchant Omar Ali Sheik said there is little demand for passports that only a handful of countries accept as valid travel documents, and which most Somalis, who earn less than a dollar a day, cannot afford to buy. He said before Somalia's last government was overthrown in 1991, he was studying to be an immigration official. Mr. Sheik said he had a bright future in Mogadishu when there was a functioning government, and the Americans and Europeans had their embassies here. He said the war has destroyed society, driven out the foreigners and left the Somali people destitute. Shaking his fist in the air in frustration, Mr. Sheik said, "We need a government, and we need the help of the international community, now." Most, if not all, Somalis say they want a new government that can restore order and bring back much-needed international aid and investments. But there is little agreement on just who should lead that government. Privately run Mogadishu University was founded five years ago by Somali intellectuals who were educated abroad, mostly in the United States and Canada. They say they firmly oppose a plan, endorsed by the United States and other countries, that calls for a government formed along clan lines that would include the leadership of about 25 armed groups in Somalia. Details of that proposal are being hammered out among the warlords and clan leaders at a peace conference in Nairobi, Kenya. AP Abdurahman Abdullah One of the founders of Mogadishu University, Abdurahman Abdullahi, said he believes the plan would only legitimize the power of the warlords who have destroyed the country. "The warlords do not represent the Somali people. They were not elected by the Somalis," he said. "I think Somalis feel America should come forward on a different avenue other than the warlords because [somalis] do not like the warlords and they do not like anybody who comes through the warlords." Mr. Abdullahi's colleague, Hussein Iman, agreed. "Why are the Somalis in this weak situation and destruction?" he asked. "Because of the warlords! They have demolished everything." The educators argue the international community should make an urgent effort to help Somalis find their next leader among the many successful Somali businessmen and intellectuals living in exile. Mr. Abdullahi and his colleagues said they do not believe a stable government can be formed in Somalia without a well-educated leader with a clear vision for the country's future. But other Somalis in Mogadishu, like Abdullah Haji Diab, reject the idea of searching for a new leader, saying this would take too long. Mr. Diab is leading a grassroots campaign in Mogadishu to pressure the warlords at the Nairobi talks to quickly finalize an overall agreement for governing Somalia. Mr. Diab said, while a government of warlords may not be the best option for the country, their talks in Nairobi offer the best hope. "We are tired," he said. "And you can see, all these young people who do not have a future, they are only [waiting for] the outcome of Nairobi." There are signs the talks in Nairobi may drag on longer than many people had hoped. Several powerful warlords have threatened to withdraw because of a dispute in the wording of an agreement to form a government signed just three weeks ago. Somalis who support the peace process say, if the talks unravel, they fear the country may plunge again into violence from which it may never recover.

Kool Kat 1st...Tiger = Pride 2nd...Sheep = Love 3rd...Horse = Family 4th...Cow = Career 5th...Pig = Money We almost got the same thing, except horse was my second and sheep my third.

ANTHONY MITCHELL, Associated Press Writer (02-16) 08:50 PST ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- A clear terrorist threat still exists in East Africa, and greater military cooperation is needed to defeat it, a top U.S. general warned on Monday during a visit to Ethiopia. Gen. John Abizaid, whose Central Command is responsible for Afghanistan, Iraq and East Africa, said closer "military and intelligence cooperation" was needed between East African governments to prevent extremist groups like al-Qaida from gaining an "ideological foothold" in the region. "The threat is clear, but the threat can be deterred and can be defeated," he told journalists in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. "This terrorist threat knows no boundary, and when we operate only on a nation-state basis we will be unable to really get at the heart of the terrorist problem which is transnational." Abizaid pointed out Somalia -- which has had no central government since 1990 -- as a potential trouble spot in the region. "We know the terrorists gravitate toward ungoverned spaces, and these are areas where they look for the opportunities to gain recruits, establish safe-havens and move money," he said. "We certainly have indications to believe that people associated with these groups operate in and around areas such as Somalia." Abizaid, who met with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, said his visit aimed to assess the capabilities of the region's forces for combating terrorism. East Africa has already suffered four terrorist attacks, all either claimed by or blamed on Osama bin Laden's terror network. In August 1998, car bombs destroyed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; in October 2000, suicide bombers attacked the USS Cole while it was refueling in Yemen; and in November 2002, attackers tried to shoot down an Israeli airliner minutes before a car bomb destroyed a hotel on Kenya's coast. Abizaid said the military situation in Iraq was "still difficult," especially in the Iraqi town of Fallujah. But he added that most of the country was stable enough for political activity to take place. He said more time was needed to find weapons of mass destruction. "It is clear that the hunt must continue," Abizaid said. "We all know this is a tough and a long fight in Iraq, it won't be over tomorrow and we intend to cooperate fully with Iraqi security institutions and help them help themselves."

By Lornet Turnbull Seattle Times staff reporter A name is circulating within the Seattle Somali community of a man many within it believe may have shot and killed taxi driver Hassan Farah two weeks ago. And Somali community leaders admit they are trying to restrain an outraged and frustrated population eager to see justice done. Farah, a Somali immigrant who drove a Yellow taxicab on weekends, was found slain in his cab early Jan. 31 at 23rd Avenue South and South Graham Street. Yesterday, Farah's friends and family gathered outside police headquarters in downtown Seattle and accused homicide detectives on the case of being "lethargic in following leads." "We urge Mayor Nickels to open his door to the family and the Muslim community and demonstrate the value of our lives as contributing members of the Seattle community," said Ali- Salaam Mahmoud, whom the Farah family has named as its representative. The Muslim Community Murder Task Force, formed to seek answers in the 39-year-old immigrant's death, spelled out its concerns in letters to the mayor and Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. Kerlikowske, coming outside to talk to the community members at the end of their news conference, told them he's sorry for their loss. "We're going to put every effort into finding out who did this," the chief said. He later invited family members and members of the task force into a closed-door meeting. Last night, following that meeting, Kerlikowske said the department is making a "full-court press" to find Farah's killer. "We want the Somali community to feel protected and that we are working hard to solve the case." Farah had been shot several times while still inside his taxi cab. He had picked up a customer from a McDonald's restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. A manager at that restaurant yesterday said police confiscated videotape from a surveillance camera near a telephone booth across from the restaurant. Farah's fare apparently called for a cab from that booth. A police incident report shows the engine of Farah's cab was running and the vehicle was still in gear when an officer arrived at the site of the shooting around 4:30 a.m. Police discovered a "large amount of shattered glass and other evidence."

Civil wars, says the World Bank, is "development in reverse", immature societies riven by tribal passions, are doomed to fight for years to come. Stateless for more than a decade, Somalia just fits that definition. Surely, there isn't any incentive for me in explaining why this might be the case not just because its so obvious for everybody to see it, but also to alleviate any chances of hurting our hearts by reminding ourselves the current state of my little Somalia. As a young Somali student surviving in the harsh realities of a foreign land, a place where all our settings are uprooted, where there is neither an ex-neighbour nor a former classmate, indeed, it should have been a case of "home is where the heart is" . Unfortunately, it turns out to be, " home is where the hurt is". The state of my nation's condition is beyond believe and the logics behind it defy the basics of human conscience. Officially, Somalia is now the world's poorest and the least developed country with the lowest literacy to mention just a few in order to conform to my earlier promises of not spilling the bean and not breaking any more hearts. To come out of the dark and make my point clear, today, I am in a mission to deliver an ultimatum, a clear and concise message on behalf of, (the orphaned, the widowed, the crippled, the dead, the old, the lost, the wounded, the displaced, the unemployed, the poor, the unschooled, the raped, the malnourished, the humiliated and the degraded Somalis in and out of the country ) to the so called leaders in Nairobi. It is now time to tell the warlords, who they really are in the eyes of the Somali society and the international community? What they can do or what ordinary Somalis want from them? It is now time that warlords look themselves in the mirror and assess their position and role in the Somali community and the wider world. A closer look of Somalia 's political direction and the underlying causes of its endless plight and sufferance reveals sinister and a rather sad trend. This trend shows that, only the unfortunate bloody conflicts of 1991 to 1993 might be classified as a civil war. Since then, everything that is happening in Somalia falls into a more evil and rather brutal category. Civilian Somalis are no longer fighting for tribal passions to wipe out other fellow Muslim Somalis. In contrast, the trend shows that the sustained lawlessness in Somalia is neither an accident nor temporary but rather permanent intentions of professional groups. Unfortunately, these groups are the very same people locking their horns in Nairobi whose our nation's destiny is in their hands. No wonder they fly in and out of the meetings in protest and don't even remember what they signed the previous day. Warlords have successfully managed to bring our entire nation on its knees and hold its fate on ransom. They constantly manipulate poor citizens for means to their own ends. They want to solve a quadratic simultaneous equation with too many unknowns and no one dares to explain exactly what the buried treasure they are missing is, simply because it irrelevant to my fellow Somalis and is merely about a battle of who gets the most associates into prominent positions for future exploitation and corruption. Most warlords are hardly there to end their country's plight but to pursue their own interests that include the opportunity to gain a superior status as the result of being invited into a high profile meeting. It is when most Somalis are displaced, starving to death and no access to basic health and education that these men are most successful. It is the sheer amount of misery and pain they inflict on vulnerable defenceless civilians that give them the ultimate recognition, higher status and automatic right to dictate the future of Somalia and puts them the position they are now. Without any doubt, warlords and those so called leaders led Somalia to the road to hell. Somalia is now described as "the nearest place to hell on earth" an impressive record that only a warlord or a Somali leader would be proud of but puzzles the world. Since they strive on war and instability, asking a warlord to accept a peace may be little like asking a champion swimmer to empty the pool. They will undoubtedly find themselves in an unfamiliar territory. In the last ten years or so when the world had seen the greatest developments and breakthroughs in technology, research, medicine and prosperity, warlords have led Somalia to the road to ruin. Insecurity, negative economic growth, zero employment, fostering poverty, rocketing inflation together with lack of schools, healthcare and clean water provided the perfect breading ground for warlords. A classical example of how the dynamics of warlordism works and the reasons behind their reluctance to end our problems is there to be seen. They (warlords) create war and fear to societies, recruit young people with little or no alternatives, ready to fight and die for a mere bread. They create opportunities for each other, how? Well, one attacks and the other defends to maintain the momentum of insecurity whenever there is a chance of normality and once war gathers pace, the vicious circle is hard to break. However, it is important to mention at this stage that almost all conflicts in Somalia are between permanent militiamen loyal to certain warlords and rarely occur between ordinary Somali civilians. It is therefore impracticable to call them (militia) civilians or their actions civil war just because they have no military uniform or are unsalaried. The art of warlordism is indeed an emerging trend that its boundaries and foundations are beyond the scope of this article and a phenomenon that frequently wrong foots the international community and those interested in finding solutions to Somalia 's dilemma. Another scenario that keeps Somalia in its current situation and helps its warlords realise their objectives is the fact that war makes it harder for the peaceful people and those with portable skills flee, the ones with money stash it offshore. All that is left are loosely dispersed around the country and fall under the hammer of different warlords in a confined world beyond which many believe there isn't any life beyond it let alone weight their choices and choose the best option. It is absolutely perfect to describe the living conditions of Somalis as a person on a journey stranded in a desert. Life is temporary and most Somalis find themselves the wrong place at the wrong time. As regards to the wishes and the expectations of all the Somalis the article represents ( all groups mentioned earlier now minus the dead ), the only and the most beautiful thing that the warlords or the other leaders could do for my little Somalia, is to abandon their illusive ambitions and create an environment where the world can help Somalia and Somalis can rebuild their shattered lives. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier warlords have an incredible power and influence in ceasing hostilities and opening up Somalia . All that is needed and all that these men can do is, to make sure that security and stability prevails and people can move freely within the country. These leaders have the biggest opportunity of their lives in turning the corner around and giving my little Somalia the chance it so deserves. It is better for them to do something now if they are really serous about Somalia 's future when the onus is with them and the far future of Somalia is beyond their comprehension at least for now. To sum it up, there is more to development, building international relations and trade than just travelling to Ethiopia and Egypt and printing money from India . Nobody expects most of these men to have a substantial input into a possible future Somalia , simply because they are ill-equipped to that kind of environment due to lack of experience and relevant knowledge. Few are also too arrogant in thinking that they can do whatever they want with little respect to human lives and the well-being of other fellow Somalis. It's wonderful and rather unlucky that my little Somalia harbours such so many strange men that even one would have been terrible enough for any nation in the world. Honestly, most of these men are deadly and surely wouldn't want to be your next door neighbour let alone run your beloved motherland. To be absolutely frank, at least ten are deadly and totally unreliable. It is however, a relieve to mention that there some decent people in there and even though my knowledge of the individuals involved is very limited, there are those that took their own initiatives and made great sacrifices with no hidden motives but touched buy the pain of Somalia. In the light of the recent developments in the world economics and politics, it is more important now than ever before that Somalis sort out themselves sooner than later. In fact, no one can help people that are not helping themselves. Unknown to most of our politicians in Nairobi is the grim reality that awaits Somalia 's future reconstruction. Reconciliation is a term they are quite familiar with and is a paramount importance at present, a mission they repeatedly failed to achieve. But reconstruction is however more important and a one that yields a tangible benefit in the longer term but also equally painful to achieve and might call for skills that are beyond the scope of all warlords and some of the other leaders. It is the later that everyone should have been striving towards achieving but before that, lies an obstacle, simply our leaders. My little Somalia has its own problems and needs an urgent attention, an attention that has long been deprived of by its leaders in the name of reconsolidation. In other words, precious time and effort has been wasted on reconciling warlords that would have been much easier and worthwhile had it been spent on reconstructing the country. It is surely there for everybody to see that warlords are a burden on Somalia . Time is another thing that is surely against Somalia as fourteen years of destruction opened up a gap too big to bridge. It is far too easier to destroy than to build as the Americans in Iraq with the world's biggest resources and finest experts will tell you. So, my little Somalia , a 100% Muslim state, with neither immediate strategic significance nor economic return to the west, and Ethiopia trying to rule through proxy militias, needs a miracle to return to any kind of normality. The gravy train of the pre-soviet union is now a thing of the past. Things have changed since Somalia was a recognised stable state. International relations are non-existent and the days are gone when the west bankrolled failing dictators to stay ahead of the Soviet Union during the cold war. The World Bank and the other donors have now decided to give aid to only the most efficiently run countries. My little Somalia surely not one of them at the moment and long before it becomes efficient under the guidance of the men in Nairobi . At last, a failure in Nairobi to end hostilities will be a terrible blow to all Somalis but a spectacular success for the men there. The world has had enough of Somalia and our future looks doomed in the hands of warlords. For them, it is just a beginning of a peculiar career but for us its endless devastation. I pray to the mighty Allah to save us and our land from these evil men. I pray to the Rabi of Mekah and Medina to make Somalis understand their future lies beyond warlords. And I pray to the Rabi of the Kacba to make my little Somali peace and prosperous and free from warlords. Take care all Abu.amiin Osman London, United Kingdom

Born in Muqdisho, hospitaal Banaadir, and lived in Suuqa xoolaha. I left Muqdisho at the start the war and now I'm in the United States.