This Somali article gives us a lucid analysis and review of how the killing of the young boys were seen as covered by the American press---which all were in accord in the ferocity of their demonization of Somalis and with racist overtones. Dalka Maraykanka oo Si laablakac ah Uga Hadlay Markabkii Laga badBaadiyay Kooxaha Burcad badeedka Burcad badeedka Soomaaliyeed oo daruuf ay u geysay in ay isbaaro dhigtaan gudaha badda ayaa waxaa dhowaan laga dilay 3-kamid ah halka mid kale isaga oo nool laga qabtay xilli Mareykanka ay badbaadinayeen Kabtan ay Burcaddaasi heysteen. Hadaba wargeysyada kasoo baxa wadanka Mareykanka ayaa si aad ah uga hadlay arrintani iyaga oo dhammaantood kawada sinnaa sida jees jeeska leh ee maqaallada ay ugu qoreen wargeysyadooda. Sidoo kale waxaa ay tilmaameen in Burcad badeeda ay daan daansi ku sameeyeen awood aysan tabar u heynin oo ay ula jeedaan dowladda Mareykanka. Wariyeyaasha qoraya Maqaalladaasi oo ah kuwa Mareykan ayaa kula taliyay in Kooxaha Burcad badeedka Soomaalida haddiiba fursad lagu helo in aanan loo hakan oo durba lagu fuliyo toogashada haddii kale noloshooda ay halis kuyihiin. Inkastoo ay sidaasi u jees jeeseen ayaa hadana waxaa ay tilmaameen in Maamulka Obama ay guul u tahay arrintaasi, lakin Burcad badeeda ayaa dhankooda iyaguna ku hanjabay in hadda kadib ameerikaankii ay gacanta kudhigeen xittaa haddii ay heystaan sakiin ay ku gawraci doonaan. Waxaa wax aad loola yaabo ah Warbaahinta Soomaalida in illaa iyo hadda ay u suurageli weysay in ay wax ka weydiiyaan Maraakiibta iyaga oo ka kalluumeysanaya Xeebaha Soomaaliya lasoo afduubto sababta keentay in ay ka kalluumeystaan waliba si xaalifin ah xeebaha wadanka Soomaaliya taasina ay tahay nasiib darro heysata Warbaahinta Soomaalida. Maxamed Cali Jaaked Muqdisho, Somalia

Well said Centurion. I believe that we can't do it on our own. The current international nation-state system did not simply rise on its own. It was created and helped to a great extent. Mogadisho in the 50s was much more advanced than it's right now. Once peace is made possible through reconciliation and strong national defence, then the brain drain will stop and investments, trade and productoon would pick up pretty fast. Duke, you wlc saxib. Eraserhead, those who do good will be rewarded with awards, medals, international recognition and the opposite dark forces will be punished to effect a latent and explicit consequences of their actions. This is a social control mechanism and it's an effective way of regulating society's disorderly and unpredictable behavior.

Shocking development. Last year, locals reported that many people in the areas around the northeastern towns of Laasqoray and Durduri, on the Red Sea coast, are suffering from far higher than normal cases of respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, abdominal haemorrhages and unusual skin infections

Belial, the idea that we can make it happen has hastened the degeneration of our social conditions. Nation building is costly and very difficult and the process towards that end can easily be disrupted and killed anytime it makes little tangible progress. When the Iraqi Government was overthrown and dismantled from outside, they didn't let the country slide into an anarchy, because doing so sparks an intractable civil war. And it's almost impossible to repair the interdependent parts that previously made the system whole and functioning, once they are forced to disintegrate. . Somalia therefore needs massive intervention in terms of financial assistance similar to the Martial plan in Europe after WWII. Piracy is not only what makes our conflict internationalized, the refugees in Malta, Yemen and other places demand critical recovery plan at home . I believe the Somali capital must first be stabilized by doing the following: 1.Deploy multinational UN forces as echoed by the UN Secretary General 2. Help the Somali government build a strong army and police force through a decent payout policy plan, conflict resolution mechanism, and training administered directly by the UN. 3. Build the Somali navy by adopting the same procedure of payment mechanism and training and work with regional administrations like Puntland and Somaliland. 4. Criminally indict the profiteers and warlords and other peace spoilers and bring them to justice by at least freezing their assets and imposing travel restrictions. 5. Keep this mandate of two years for the transitional government in effect and hold elected Somali leaders accountable by setting up an independent judiciary and Accounting Office. You can add more..

I was quite gladdened by the remarks of the Defense Secretary. Piracy might be, after all, a blessing in disguise. Somalia's political and economic catastrophe is definately manageable as its population is small compared to Afghanistan and Iraq, yet more strategic than Afghanistan. http://www.hiiraan.c om/news2/2009/Apr/ga tes_says_somalia_gov ernment_is_key_to_pr oblem.aspx

Originally posted by Allamagan: ^how can small seven or eight million somalis can claim ownership to such a vast land and huge territorial waters? sxb, justice has to be done and whats better time than now when Somalia is beyond salvage. Sorry to say but quite frankly we are under the hammer (auction)...sooon to be gone (history) lets face the reality. I hope it doesn't happen. The Obama admin seems to be taking a different strategy from the Clinton's ---- Monday, April 13, 2009 WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is considering attacks on pirate bases on land and aid for Somalis to help stem ship hijackings off Africa’s east coast, defense officials said. The military is also drawing up proposals to aid the fledgling Somalia government to train security forces and develop its own coast guard, said the officials, who requested anonymity. The head of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said the successful rescue of an American captain held by Somali pirates could lead to more violent acts by pirates, and people familiar with them agreed. "This could escalate violence in this part of the world," Navy Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said Sunday. Pirates are holding about a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau. While piracy is common off Somalia, crews have seldom been harmed. Source: Star-Telegram, April 13, 2009

I hope there's other version of how they were killed. One of them, sustaining injury, earlier surrendered. They didn't capture him, contrary to how the news was relayed in the beginning by news agencies like AP and AFP. Also agreeing to Accept a 200 feet tow made them easy to be killed since the US Navy shortened the towline within 100 feet for the snipers to have a good chance. Very sad!! ----- On one trip, one of the four pirates - whose hand had been gashed during the capture of Captain Phillips - asked for medical treatment and, in effect surrendering, was taken in the small boat to the Bainbridge. Justice Department officials were studying options for his case, including criminal charges in the United States or turning him over to Kenya, where dozens of pirates have faced prosecution. Three pirates were left on board with Captain Phillips. Meanwhile, members of the Navy Seals were flown in by fixed-wing aircraft. They parachuted into the sea with inflatable boats and were picked up by the Bainbridge. On Sunday, the pirates, their fuel gone, were drifting toward the Somali coast. They agreed to accept a tow from the Bainbridge, the senior officials said. At first, the towline was 200 feet long, but as darkness gathered and seas became rough, the towline was shortened to 100 feet, the officials said. It was unclear if this was done with the pirates' knowledge. At dusk, a single tracer bullet was seen fired from the lifeboat. The intent was unclear, but it ratcheted up the tension and Seal snipers at the stern rail of the Bainbridge fixed night-vision scopes to their high-powered rifles, getting ready for action.

Xiin, you should read Robert Kaplan's essay at Foreign Affairs mag, latest edition, March/April 2009. "Center Stage for the Twenty-first Century: Rivalry in the Indian Ocean" Here's the theme of this great article: "Already the world's preeminent energy and trade interstate seaway, the Indian Ocean will matter even more in the future. One reason is that India and China, major trading partners locked in an uncomfortable embrace, are entering into a dynamic great-power rivalry in these waters---a competition that the United States, although now a declining hegemon, can keep in check by using its navy to act as a sea-based balance....as the Pirate activity off the coast of Somalia and the terrorist carnage in Mumbai last fall suggest, the Indian Ocean--the world's third largest body of water---already forms center stage for the challenges of the twenty-first century"

They knew the risk, but killing them will set a severe backlash for future hostage crisis situation. The pirates had been noble in three primary places compared to the old Carribean pirates and New York when it came a haven for pirates in 1720s. Despite the pro-pirate justifications by some of our people due to the illegal fishing and toxic dumpings widely reported by the international media, these young boys need to be preached of the consequences of their actions, stop them inland by any means possible and rehab them. Of the three (3) distinctions, 1. The Somali pirates treat their hostages in a humane manner, often with great hospitality - a cultural trait common to the Arab Bedouins. 2. They never used to loot or expropriate valuable carriages and products at raw and finished stage. 3. And they hardly attempted to change the ownership and flag of these merchant ships. If force is applied as a solution by the European powers, will it be sustainable to work or must there be an alternative solution, that's creating a viable government in Somalia?

The truth is that America's foreign policy in Somalia is for the anarchic choas to continue unabated. It's a policy outlined by the Clinton admintration after their humiliation of the Restore Hope program.You can easily see the context by which this policy comes into a full view for all to see and read by their actions.For instance, they support and acknowledge the TFG's legitimacy, yet they are reluctant to helping it build its Navy, trust its capacity or even assist local admins' security apparatuses. . Instead, the money is forwaded to a special mission program known as ATLANTIC, which clearly violate Somalia's Sovereignty.

^good suggestions. The bottom-up approach is the model to take.

Pax Americana must learn from the old British Empire. Sit down with the elders, respect their dominion and power, ask for their collaboration in stopping piracy, force the local administration in Puntland to thoroughly investigate and identify suspected politicians and their affiliation with pirates, and last but not least, call for a grand conference in which elders take a center stage in resolving this issue. Eedo Lazie girl, si fiican baad ugu jawaabtey Meiji. Keep us informed.

Somalipride, I won't put on the same level drug dealers in Mexico and Somali pirates. The latter don't kill and mutilate ruthlessly the bodies of their victims. They are running their business and executing it well. They conceived a very shrewd network formed out of clan allegiance. They are well trained, well armed and highly desciplined in carrying out their duties. They also seem to have a chain of command, public relations, technical experts, and doubtedlessly, safe havens in places where their respective clans' traditional settlement are dominant. I read two western journalists saying that for the first time in history, you have pirates treating their hostages in a humane manner, concluding that the pirates from the North east have democraticized the system. Hillarious! I also watched Gettleman, the NY times' East African correspondent, speak to a KPBS news anchor yesterday, on this subject. He described the pirates as people who are "pretty intelligent and found a way to survive in an anarchic and forgotten land and exploit it to enrich themselves." Pirates will prove to be harmful and ungovernable, but I find it hypocritical to locate this seemingly prevalent sea choas outside the conditions that created it. In other words, the media is dancing on the symptom.

The context of which Somali-pirate's argument is set is not about the days of Siyad Barre and his dictatorial regime but having a functioning government is better than anarchy, secessionism and radicalism. A glimpse of what Somali is talking about. SOMALIA: somaliland youth risking death in search of better life The Ministry of Planning estimates remittances account for US$50 million - or about 80 percent of Somaliland's economy. Every Somali site has articles underscoring this glaring fact of us being a society of failed state for all self-respecting persons to see and admit. Even "Somaliland's" local, clan-based administration has become a dictatorship.

You will be surprised! http://www.cbc.ca/mr l3/23745/thenational /archive/pirates-040 609.wmv

The admin must ban Kashafa. His insults, inflammatory slangs and inuendos against anyone who disagrees with him is beyond the limits. I don't know why the admin has to be so tolerant of extremely insulting and inflammable slangs, insults hurled in an indirect means, extremely backward and intolerant views that would even give a bad image of the site and might even stifle constructive debate. His writings clearly violate the golden rules of the site repeatedly.

Meiji, I think the pirate problem has developed into an epidemic scale. Poor people from rural areas are flocking to the coastal cities in the hope of joining or helping this intricate network of gangs comprised of the unemployed youth, corrupt officials, former fishermen, and local and foreign businessmen based in Dubai with the aim of enriching themselves from Somalia's status of lawlessness. Though it's hard to deny the external factor, we spawned the problem and it all started when local officials in the region contracted commercial fishing companies and their vessels to fish freely off the coast of Somalia, the cumulative effect of which led to the rise of fishermen. This revolution by the coastal communities against pirate-fishing could have been addressed and kept on the lid, but its brief forays on the high seas were successful, thereby inspiring more and more attacks until the whole thing became a vicious cycle. I also think the genesis of the Security Council resolution on Somali pirates is born out of serious concerns by several countries' top leaders who suspected initially that America had a direct hand in the piracy off our coast. Therefore, every country was given a green light to escort and protect their commercial vessels, and the occasion afforded an opportune time for countries like China and Japan to make a historic naval expansion. I think the pirate plague is on shore/domestic issue and I am really afraid for the Puntland administration's effectiveness to deal with it. The top brass has been accused of working with this pirate network. See, Biyokulule Special Report. Piratestan Series

Duke, that is good to know. 'You should be a Man well-read and well-travelled. Life is itself a University'-- an old suggestion offered by an uncle of mine. The best books I read are the following, most of them classic: Masterpieces of literature! From African authors Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka Things fall apart, by Achebe Link by Nurrudin Farah Ignorance is the enemy of love by Faarax M.J. Cawl. I was like Hayem, reading this book in the end. It has tragic end. From American Authors Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949) This is a modern tragedy of an ordinary man, Willie. Faced with the loss of his livelihood and the failure of his sons, whom he has inculcated with his values of achieving success. Willie commits suicide in a final, pathetic effort to rescue his family through his insurance money. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad. An English seaman who impulsively abandons his sinking ship carrying Muslim pilgrims Moby Dick by Herman Melville. This novel is considered by many to be the finest novel ever written. And many more I don't remember.

Gabbal, Libaax is giving our beloved country a good image contrary to the popular beliefs in the media. We have the most beautiful country in the world. Calmadow is another stunning place in the North East. Keep it coming!

Originally posted by Emperor: This can not be done quickly, not as easy and straight forward as you think XamarGalle, it needs at some time, depends on what you need it for. If you want to do a write up or make a report on it then I advice you to seek and do proper translation... Thanks Emperor. Yes I need its proper translation from multiple sources. I gathered SOL has sophisticated Arabic writers and speakers, so I thought I would be helped. I trust you guys and My Arabic is very basic. Ngonge, saxibow, skip what ever that violates the golden rules and translate this document for me.

Pacifist, I saw that one in the book store, flipped a couple of pages and then returned to its shelf.

Duke, good thread. I will check Baashi's one. I am now reading this one: "Intelligence and How to get it" by Richard E. Nizzbet. It's a new one. He argues that culture matters the most in shaping our potential. Intellect is not primarily genetic but is determined principally by societal influences. An excerpt: "Even within Europe, the swings of intellectual prominence have been extraordinarily wide. Spain was at the height of intellectual achievement under the Moors, but sank rapidly thereafter, never achieving much of great note even in the heady days of New World gold and silver. Northern Italy was a powerhouse in all the arts and sciences in the fifteenth century, a time England was a cultural backwater. Since 1800, England has been a leader in almost all realms of endeavor and a lion in science, philosophy amd literature. Italy since 1800 has been a shadow of its Roman and Renaissance self."

Please help me translate this Arabic manuscript letter.

A non-Somali businessman wants to open a private boarding school in "Somaliland". I know of a colleague from Kenya who opened a similar one in Nairobi, modeled after the American University system--a private school. " By Michelle Ye Hee Lee The village of Abaarso, located about 12 miles outside of Somaliland’s capital of Hargeisa, will house a revolutionary boarding school founded by an Emory alum where the next generation of Somali leaders will be educated and trained. Unsatisfied with his job as a hedge fund manager, Jonathan Starr (’98C) left his lucrative job to pursue his long-time interest in helping talented yet underprivileged children. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after a gruesome civil war, is still undergoing post-war recovery and rebuilding its infrastructure. Because the region, located in the Horn of Africa, remains an unrecognized state, it is unable to borrow money from the World Bank to supplement its low annual government budget estimated at $40 million. Abaarso Tech, slated to launch this July, is the second school in Somaliland to be established by a non-Somali. Because the government can’t provide enough funding or resources to run its public schools efficiently, the educational system — from elementary to the university level — is mainly run by private sectors. Abaarso Tech will recruit Somali students who place in the top 1 percent of the eighth grade exit exams in order to train the “absolute intellectual elite,” Starr said. “We want these kids to go to Harvard. We want these kids to go to universities in the U.S. and come back and be leaders of this country,” Starr said. Abaarso Tech is structured similarly to the American educational system; the four-year boarding school will house students from ninth to 12th grade. The school year will begin in the fall like the American system, with a Ramadan break rather than Christmas vacation as most Somalis are Muslims. First-year students will undergo an intensive “English boot camp,” then all the classes will be taught in English except for the Somali and Arabic language classes. The curriculum will focus on math, science and logical thinking with a focus on skills such as entrepreneurship and engineering. The school will also provide an apprenticeship system for Somali university graduates who will co-teach with fluent English-speaking teachers. This system is designed for the Somali apprentices to take the teaching skills they learn at Abaarso Tech and apply them to their future careers. For now, the enrollment system remains open for all qualified students, even those who can’t afford the tuition. Some students will be able to participate in work-study-like jobs at local businesses in order to gain hands-on experience while paying their way through school. Currently, the board of trustees — comprised of local businessmen, leaders and Starr — is working to build a donor base to sponsor students and to receive grants in order to guarantee long-term survival of Abaarso Tech. “I’m not worried about the funding for the first couple of years. My hope is that there’s a number of different avenues that we can go down to help both on the revenue generation and also on the donors,” Starr said, adding that Abaarso Tech has the potential to generate interest from donors from various different groups of people, including supporters of the advancement of education in Africa and Somali diaspora activists. Somali officials and residents of the Abaarso village are supportive of the school’s establishment, Starr said. The 150,000 square-meter land — approximately 1,615 square feet — was donated by an Abaarso elder, and the Somaliland president offered to provide any non-financial assistance. “Schools are very important for the Somali community. Even during wars, ... you have these schools being run, and you have universities,” said Yusuf Osman, a Somali-born retired United Nations official and Starr’s uncle, who suggested that Starr actualize his passion in Somaliland. “[The founders of Abaarso Tech] have such good intentions, and they’re quite courageous. ... Everybody thinks of Somalia, and they think of war and they think of pirates. But [starr] is not afraid of any of those things.” In a relatively homogeneous ethnic society, Starr has experienced the inevitable culture shock. The strong clan ties are “incredible,” he said, adding: “We can use a little bit of it here [in America], the degree to which you go out of your way for your 20th cousin.” Starr said he also stands out as a foreigner, attracting attention from locals. When he visited a school in Hargeisa, a large group of students swarmed Starr as if he were a spectacle. One child, Starr recalled, asked him in English: “White man, what are you doing here?” “I got a kick out of it,” Starr said. But Starr said the warm hospitality he received from the Somali community encouraged him to carry out his plans without second thoughts. When Starr greeted a local man with the Somali phrase for “good afternoon,” the man spoke back to him in Somali, welcoming him and treating him as if he were a fellow Somali. “I say one word in Somali, and suddenly they think you’re Somali,” Starr said. “The people were so accepting.” To apply to be a teacher at Abaarso Tech this summer, visit http://www.abaarsote ch.org/ — Contact Michelle Ye Hee Lee. Source: emorywheel.com April 07, 2009

Where's Xaabo located at?