^^^^ You keep predicting this shit and they'll haul your *** to Guantanamo.

Here's what I think of this post.

So Somali men are handsome, wiry and tall, as fit as marathon runners, full of pride, quite self-contained, having no need of you. They are tall because of natural selection; tall people see trouble in the bush coming sooner. Their beautiful maiden sisters, crowned with tonsures of black ringlets, are the infibulated property of their fathers. Talk, dark, lovely and stup!d.

Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) NEWS 31 May 2007 Posted to the web 31 May 2007 By Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu Somalia's interim cabinet ministers issued statements Thursday preventing a group of Somali women who were supposed to fly to Italy after they were invited by the Italian government, according to Somalia ministers. Hassan Abshir Afrah, the minister of marine resources, who chaired the cabinet meeting in Mogadishu on Thursday, said the government was not notified that 100 Somali women have been invited by the Italian government. "The Somali ministers unanimously agreed to intercept these women from traveling to Italy because we have not been informed," he said. The minister alleged that the Somali transitional government should have been consulted with over the trip. The ministers have, on the other hand, discussed the government budget for the next month. Afrah said the government would need to spend around 85 Billion Somalia Shillings worth $5 million USD. The Somali government might postpone the reconciliation conference which is supposed to take place in the capital on 16 June due to lack of sufficient funding, according to Somalia interior minister, Gamo Dheere. The ministers finally focused on the media and how it would operate freely in the country. The transitional government has been famous for pressing the local media. Several prominent FM stations have been closed down in the past. Most of them have been permitted to go on air again. All Africa

01 Jun 2007 11:27:56 GMT Source: UNHCR Our office in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and a network of partners have continued to monitor population movements inside Somalia and now estimate that up to 90,000 Somalis may have returned to Mogadishu mainly from the Shabelle and Bay regions of south and central Somalia. This figure represents just over 23 percent of the 391,000 Somalis estimated to have fled from Mogadishu since February this year. Many of those returning to Mogadishu have gone back to areas such as Waberi, Xamar, Jab-Jab and Medina districts which were not affected by the various rounds of fighting between the Transitional Federal Government forces backed by Ethiopian troops and insurgents. Partners describe the return movements as a trickle. Living conditions in Mogadishu however remain difficult for returnees as well as for those who stayed in the capital throughout the conflict. Mogadishu remains without electricity and running water. Sanitation is a major concern as garbage remains uncollected in many neighbourhoods in the city. People complain that they have lost their means of livelihood. Former roadside traders, for example, complain that their business structures have been demolished by authorities who say these structures are a security threat. In many areas, schools have remained closed. On Tuesday, UNHCR joined a UN team consisting of OCHA, UNICEF, WHO and UN Security on a two-day visit to Mogadishu to look at possibilities of bringing more aid to needy populations in Mogadishu. The team held meetings with the Transitional Federal Government as well as with civil society and implementing partners to agree on ways of reaching the needy. The assistance targetting some 300,000 people in Mogadishu would be part of a one-time aid package to help people settle back into the war-torn capital. In April, UNHCR distributed aid supplies to some 50,000 displaced Somalis living in Afgoye and surrounding areas. Together with aid delivered by other organisations, the short-term needs for shelter and basic household supplies for nearly 70 percent of those displaced outside Mogadishu were met. Even as small numbers of people trickle back to Mogadishu, hundreds of thousands of others remain in various regions of Somalia such as Bay, Galgaduud, Mudug and Hiran. There are reports of further displacement of people living along the Shabelle river which has overflowed destroying shelters and crops. Many displaced people remain reluctant to return to Mogadishu. Among them are people who were previously displaced inside Mogadishu and lived for nearly 16 years in public buildings that have now been re-possessed by the government. Some of those displaced earlier from Mogadishu now say they have nowhere to return to in the capital, others are fearful for their safety and prefer to wait and see how the situation unfolds. Some of the displaced say they would like to return but they do not have money for transport back to Mogadishu. In some cases, returnees have had to wait for up to three days for transport. Reuters

But their most famous hit is "Collaborators", which was released right after the Ethiopian invasion and berates the interim government. "Don't be a collaborator ... Don't sell your country… Don't help the colonizers… Don't betray your conscience." I'd pay good money for a recording of that song. Also, probably the most accurate translation for 'Collaborator' in the Somali language is 'Geedi'. "We support any Somali who resists the Ethiopian invasion and colonization." What is the primary difference between the person who said the quote above and the one who calls resisters terrorists?

Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed: what you hyperbolically call an invasion or occupation , i see for what it is: assistance and cooperation between two neighbors You know, Xiin is a better man than I am. He dismissed your utter rubbish and asked you to do better. I, on the other hand, feel like sticking my hand in my monitor and through the wires to slap you upside the head on the other side. Do you have any sense, son?

by Deborah Charles WASHINGTON- The United States is among the least peaceful nations in the world, ranking 96th between Yemen and Iran, according to a new index released on Wednesday that evaluates 121 nations based on their peacefulness.According to the Global Peace Index, created by The Economist Intelligence Unit, Norway is the most peaceful nation in the world and Iraq is the least, just after Russia, Israel and Sudan. “The objective of the Global Peace Index was to go beyond a crude measure of wars by systemically exploring the texture of peace,” said Global Peace Index President Clyde McConaghy. He said the inaugural effort proves “peace can and has and will continue to be measured.” The index was compiled based on 24 indicators measuring peace inside and outside of a country. They included the number of wars a country was involved in the past five years, how many soldiers were killed overseas and how much money was made in arms sales. Domestic indicators included the level of violent crimes, relations with neighboring countries and level of distrust in other citizens. The results were then reviewed by a panel of international experts. “We were trying to find out what positive qualities lead to peace,” said Leo Abruzzese, the North American editorial director of the intelligence unit that is part of The Economist Group that publishes the well known magazine. He said they found in general the most peaceful countries were the smallest, the most politically stable and democratic. “Democracy didn’t actually correlate with peace, but a well-functioning democracy did. Efficient, accountable government seems to be the leading determinant of peace. Beyond that, income helps.” Fifteen of the top 20 most peaceful nations are in Western Europe, and countries with higher income appeared to lead to higher levels of peace, he said. The United States ranked 96th out of 121 nations, just worse than Yemen and just better than Iran, Honduras and South Africa. Abruzzese said the United States’ score was pulled down by the number of wars it is involved in, large numbers of soldiers killed on the battlefield and high defense spending. He said the fact the United States has the world’s largest prison population per share of overall population also pulled down the score. “It also has relatively high levels of violent crime,” he added. McConaghy said the index would be revised each year and increase the number of countries included. Some countries like Afghanistan and North Korea were not included in the first index because reliable data for all 24 indicators was not available. 121 GPI rankings Countries most at peace ranked first Rank/Country/Score 1 Norway 1.357 2 New Zealand 1.363 3 Denmark 1.377 4 Ireland 1.396 5 Japan 1.413 6 Finland 1.447 7 Sweden 1.478 8 Canada 1.481 9 Portugal 1.481 10 Austria 1.483 11 Belgium 1.498 12 Germany 1.523 13 Czech Republic 1.524 14 Switzerland 1.526 15 Slovenia 1.539 16 Chile 1.568 17 Slovakia 1.571 18 Hungary 1.575 19 Bhutan 1.611 20 Netherlands 1.620 21 Spain 1.633 22 Oman 1.641 23 Hong Kong 1.657 24 Uruguay 1.661 25 Australia 1.664 26 Romania 1.682 27 Poland 1.683 28 Estonia 1.684 29 Singapore 1.692 30 Qatar 1.702 31 Costa Rica 1.702 32 South Korea 1.719 33 Italy 1.724 34 France 1.729 35 Vietnam 1.729 36 Taiwan 1.731 37 Malaysia 1.744 38 United Arab Emirates 1.747 39 Tunisia 1.762 40 Ghana 1.765 41 Madagascar 1.766 42 Botswana 1.786 43 Lithuania 1.788 44 Greece 1.791 45 Panama 1.798 46 Kuwait 1.818 47 Latvia 1.848 48 Morocco 1.893 49 United Kingdom 1.898 50 Mozambique 1.909 51 Cyprus 1.915 52 Argentina 1.923 53 Zambia 1.930 54 Bulgaria 1.936 55 Paraguay 1.946 56 Gabon 1.952 57 Tanzania 1.966 58 Libya 1.967 59 Cuba 1.968 60 China 1.980 61 Kazakhstan 1.995 62 Bahrain 1.995 63 Jordan 1.997 64 Namibia 2.003 65 Senegal 2.017 66 Nicaragua 2.020 67 Croatia 2.030 68 Malawi 2.038 69 Bolivia 2.052 70 Peru 2.056 71 Equatorial Guinea 2.059 72 Moldova 2.059 73 Egypt 2.068 74 Dominican Republic 2.071 75 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.089 76 Cameroon 2.093 77 Syria 2.106 78 Indonesia 2.111 79 Mexico 2.125 80 Ukraine 2.150 81 Jamaica 2.164 82 Macedonia 2.170 83 Brazil 2.173 84 Serbia 2.181 85 Cambodia 2.197 86 Bangladesh 2.219 87 Ecuador 2.219 88 Papua New Guinea 2.223 89 El Salvador 2.244 90 Saudi Arabia 2.246 91 Kenya 2.258 92 Turkey 2.272 93 Guatemala 2.285 94 Trinidad andTobago 2.286 95 Yemen 2.309 96 United States of America 2.317 97 Iran 2.320 98 Honduras 2.390 99 South Africa 2.399 100 Philippines 2.428 101 Azerbaijan 2.448 102 Venezuela 2.453 103 Ethiopia 2.479 104 Uganda 2.489 105 Thailand 2.491 106 Zimbabwe 2.495 107 Algeria 2.503 108 Myanmar 2.524 109 India 2.530 110 Uzbekistan 2.542 111 Sri Lanka 2.575 112 Angola 2.587 113 Cote d’Ivoire 2.638 114 Lebanon 2.662 115 Pakistan 2.697 116 Colombia 2.770 117 Nigeria 2.898 118 Russia 2.903 119 Israel 3.033 120 Sudan 3.182 121 Iraq 3.437 © Reuters 2007 Common Dreams

^^^ NN must first learn to walk before he learns to run yaa Xiin. Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed: etopiya ayey ethen kaga degtey! 1: Puntland does not need a reason if it wants the assistance of ethiopia. 2: Puntland does not need the help of anyone to defend its cities! I have a feeling you strongly condemn the actions (and speech) of secessionists but just read what you wrote up there, out loud. Tell me then, what makes you any different than the secessionist you so despise? Are you not the proverbial dameer and they, the labada dhagood or vice versa?

Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) NEWS 30 May 2007 Posted to the web 30 May 2007 By Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu In a news conference in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, Mohammed Omar Habeb, Mogadishu mayor, said that the Somali military forces in the capital would be pulled put of the city in 48 hours. Mohammed Dheer pointed that the remnants of the Islamic Courts fighters began wearing the army uniform and target government officials. "The people in the army uniform who kill and rob innocent people are not the real government forces. They are the Islamists that are still active in Mogadishu," he said. He said the Somali police forces would be fully operational in Mogadishu. "When the police takeover the security situation, anyone who is in the army uniform and roaming the capital would be regarded as a criminal," he said. Dheere met today the chairmen of the 16 districts in the capital discussing the widespread insecurity in Mogadishu. A short while before the press conference was held, Ahmed Wasuge Dhigo Adde, the chief security officer in Hamar Weyne neighborhood, was shot dead by unknown gunmen. The deceased was on his way to his office when unidentified armed men shot him in the chest. Also a former Somalia CID officer was shot dead at Huriwa neighborhood, north of Mogadishu around 6:30 pm local time on Tuesday, according to witnesses. Mohammed Mohamoud Sheik was reportedly killed by two men wearing the government army uniform, while the victim was getting out of a mosque in the neighborhood. Four people were killed and dozens were wounded after an Ethiopian military convoy hit a landmine in Baled Weyn, 330 km north of the Somalia capital Mogadishu on Wednesday. Witnesses said the victims were killed after the Ethiopian troops randomly opened fire at a densely populated area while the explosion destroyed the first military pickup truck.

Faarax-Brown, do you not see the secessionist movement as a tool of the enemy to divide and conquer? What do the leaderships of the TFG, Puntland and Somaliland have in common? Who benefits the most from the secession of some regions, the autonomy of others and the outright occupation of the rest? When you have found satisfactory answers to these questions, you'll understand where I'm coming from. I don't know about Xiin though. He just seems obsessed.

^^^ I wondered about that too and realized it is very close to a signature except, depending on who originated the article, the "facts" change a little. It's hard to notice but if you pay close attention next time, you'll see it.

^^^ Actually, ... Somaliland Forum calls for the immediate recognition of Somaliland as the first step towards a courageous and honest resolution to the Somali problem. First step? LOL. Are these people on crack? Accept the colonial borders as the solid and tangible basis of two sisterly nations emerging from the death of the Somali Republic, and accept the sanctity of borders of neighboring countries of Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Any dreams of a greater Somali Republic has come and gone. When Somaliland has extricated her self from Ethiopia and stopped this embarrassing nostalgia for colonial times, may be then will it have any moral standing to advise others. Tribalism has never built a nation. Come again? Be ware of Einstein’s definition of Insanity: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Each one of the previous 14 conferences-cum-schemes has multiplied the intensity of misery of the Somali population. Perhaps the Somaliland forum should follow its own advice when it comes to seeking recognition. It has been trying for fifteen years with the same abysmal results.

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN The Associated Press Wednesday, May 30, 2007; 10:52 AM MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Ethiopian troops shot and killed five bystanders Wednesday after a land mine exploded as their convoy passed through the center of a western Somali town, police said. A remote-controlled land mine detonated in the town of Belet Weyne as the last vehicle in the convoy, a water tanker, passed. "Then the Ethiopians opened fire on civilians," police Col. Yusuf Aden told The Associated Press by telephone from Belet Weyne, 180 miles north of the capital, Mogadishu. "Five people, all of them passers-by, were killed and three others were wounded." It was the first time an Ethiopian army convoy has been attacked outside the capital, where Ethiopian trucks have been frequently targeted. The Ethiopian troops are backing Somalia's fragile government against radical Islamic insurgents. The explosion rocked the town center, and huge plumes of smoke rose into the sky, said Ali Iid, a witness. The Ethiopian soldiers fired in all directions, then controlled movement at the site for 10 minutes before driving off, Iid told the AP by telephone. "I saw five people lying in the street, including a woman," he said. Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government was sidelined by a radical Islamic group until Ethiopia's military intervened in December and turned the tide. Insurgents linked to the Islamic group have vowed to wage an Iraq-style guerrilla war, saying the government is allowing Ethiopia to occupy the country. The government claimed victory over the insurgents last month after battles in Mogadishu that killed at least 1,670 people and drove a fifth of the city's 2 million residents to flee. Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991, when warlords ousted longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another. Washington Post

You hit the nail on the head. Only when master Meles is ready will this conference proceed. May be he's waiting on Yeey to die of old age and Dheere to be killed so he can have Geedi all to himself. LOL.

Blame it on lack of funding or lack of attendants the fact remains no decent Somali wants to be associated with this pariah of a puppet regime. Let's see how the propaganda peddlers of this site will spin this.

Because of the Ethiopian occupation, not only is international scrutiny preventing Ethiopia from arming us inorder to carry out clan warfare but it also gives us, Somalis, an opportunity to reflect and reevaluate our present circumstances and try to find lasting solutions to the divisive problems that have plagued us and will continue to be a hindrance in our development as a nation-state. I don't know where you've undergone your indoctrination but nothing is preventing Ethiopia from doing what it wants. As we speak it is arming and training a "national army" to use Somalis to kill other Somalis. Compare this to the 1990's and the only difference would be one group wearing a uniform. Furthermore, the "international scrutiny" will not lift the occupation but a resistance will. Occupiers sooner or later realize the value gained by the occupation is not worth its costs. It works the same in every case. The "legitimacy" Ethiopia has is bestowed upon it by the United States' war of terror and its rubber stamp, the UN. Neither Ethiopia nor its stooges have any other legitimacy in Somalia. The failure of the past umpteen attempts of forming a national government can all be traced back to Ethiopia. Couple that with the secessionist and autonomous movements it breast feeds and you had only the South of Somalia that it didn't fully control. Now, even that has been invaded and occupied. Three regions and three mini-colonies in addition to the other colonized lands of Somalis and you want us to praise the Ethiopians for bringing peace? Perhaps you mistook appease for peace. It forces us to talk, as is the objective of the upcoming reconciliation conference, although I personally have not an ounce of confidence in that particular conference simply because it is being ran by the Ethiopians. Saaxib, now you're talking from both sides of your mouth. The whole bloody country, not just this conference, is run by Ethiopia: from Saylac to Ras Kamboni and everywhere in between. If you can understand this simple fact, you will have little problem seeing Ethiopia's invasion and occupation not as an "opportunity" but for what they really are. Habeen Wanaagsan

As an invader and occupier (and an illegal one at that), Ethiopia has no right to stay. Now, they may use their power to do so but they have no rights what so ever. What they do have are responsibilities. Ethiopia has a responsibility to ensure the safety of civilians which we all (should) know by now it has shamelessly violated by bombing heavily populated civilian areas. The callousness with which it did so shows in what little regard it holds the very civilians it purports to defend. And from whom, the Islamic Courts? If the Ethiopians' repeated utterances of "terrorism" weren't so pathetic, they would be laughable. Just who wants the Ethiopians to stay? The people of Muqdishu in particular and the rest of Somalis in general? You will be hard pressed to convince anyone that that is the case. So if the people of Somalia are opposed to this illegal occupation and the puppet regime it is protecting, is it not natural then a resistance (wearing whatever hat) would arise to fight this occupation? Is it not also expected the occupier and its sympathizers would use any means available to them (including the cheap propaganda you're helping them spread) in order to maintain this occupation? Now, you claimed the power vacuum created by the departure of the occupier would be immense and consequently, you implied, Somalis would see chaos and war never seen in their history. I begged to differ. Anyone who understands and follows Somali politics would know the civil war in Somalia for 16 years was fueled by our clannish ignorance and Ethiopia's manipulation of this backwardness. If they were not arming one clan/fiefdom, they were arming the other. If they were not puppeteering one warlord, they were manipulating another. This happened so much and for so long that the political whoredom we witness today of many Somali politicians is simply a nefarious manifestation of the competition to please Ethiopia. How could you then argue the departure of Ethiopia would cause an unprecedented calamity (in the form of a civil war, I presume) when Ethiopia itself sponsored our long running uncivil war. You would argue so because you falsely believe our civil war was solely a product of internal power struggle. You fail to realize that in addition to the internal feuds, a persistent and often blatant interference has maintained it. That interference finally culminated in the outright illegal invasion you wish to sugar coat at the moment. For centuries, Ethiopia has shown its ill intentions towards Somalis and to argue that their invasion is what brought peace and stability is the height of naivete. For you to suggest this absurdity either highlights your gullibility or shows your willful desire to deceive the gallery. When, not if, the Ethiopians do leave, there will be a struggle to control and bring peace to Somalia. That struggle, as the Islamic Courts have shown, does not have to be the bloody or catastrophic disaster you and other occupation sympathizers would like us to believe. To be sure, there will be a period of instability and chaos but no more than Somalis have endured in the past and certainly nothing of the order you suggest. What will come out of the dust will be something Somalis, even if they disagree with, may tolerate for it is infinitely better than their worst enemy Ethiopia and its stooges calling the shots. Originally posted by N/AA: I thought as much. Ye of little faith.

Originally posted by N/AA: Now you tell me what would happen. I don't have a crystal ball but I will try to show you later how Somalis will be no worse off when the Ethiopians leave. In fact, I will argue they will be better off.

^^^^ Unfortunately, Xiinow, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

^^^^ I was hoping good Horn would put a positive spin on the tired line and show us how he understood the statement. Alas, I was wishing upon a star only to find a failed crop.

^^^^ Well if you understand where I'm coming from, why would you say "if the Ethiopians were to leave, a power vacuum of immense proportions would occur" and fail to back up that assertion? You've neither shown the immensity of the power vacuum nor explained its consequences and when I called you on it, you turned all personal talking about horses and stuff. Come on old man.

Originally posted by N/AA: It is my belief that the only thing keeping the ocean waves calm are the presence of armed, somewhat impartial, foreign troops . Because of their presence, there are not any possibilities of clan wars ensuing and because of an inability of one group to dictate the affairs of others through the barrel of the group, dialogue and communication are paramount as forms of problem solving. It is my sincere hope Somalis take advantage of the situation presented to them to reconcile and explore the reasons that led to this point and which has kept their nation lawless and anarchic for more then a decade. Only then, I believe , we should unite towards our historical common enemy and demand, and even fight, to have total control over our destiny again. Good try saaxib but this falls woefully short of providing any convincing argument of what terrible disasters would befall Somalis if Ethiopian troops were to withdraw tomorrow. Moreover, your hopes and beliefs are well and good but evidence they make not. Finally, there are no impartial foreign troops in Somalia. Both the occupying force and the so called peace keepers have a clear mandate to protect the puppet regime. Impartiality, therefore, may be stated but is simply a ruse and a veteran of politics like you ought to be the last person to fall for such elementary propaganda. The risk of fratricide you mentioned is real but, as you said, "because of an inability of one group to dictate the affairs of others through the barrel", it is highly unlikely any terrible disasters such as the killing of thousands or the displacement of hundreds of thousands would follow an Ethiopian withdrawal. In other words, the calamity you predict upon Ethiopian withdrawal is simply a fallacy.

Originally posted by N/AA: If you are looking for evidence of what would be the most likely outcome on the eve of immediate Ethiopian withdrawal, then you should not be in the clan politics as a contributor but as an observer sxb. I do not say that to be disrespectful good Castro, but in genuine honesty. Why dodge the question saaxib and turn personal. Give it a try. We might actually make this a decent discussion.

Originally posted by N/AA: Well if the Americans do leave quit likely Iraq will be come more of a disaster then it already is and will probably see an ethnic cleansing of the Sunnis. N/AA, aside from the Fox News talking point, what evidence, argument or even similar historical precedence do you have that a power vacuum left after Ethiopians leave would be detrimental to the population?