^ Ain't that the truth. Originally posted by General Duke: ^^^Hussain made a major gaffe, a political suicide If you had any analytical acuity, you'd realize summoning Ethiopia to invade your homeland is the political suicide not talking out of your rear end. Alas, if you did, you'd be a half-decent spinmeister. Now you're no better than Caydeed, talking out of your rear end.

Originally posted by General Duke: No one fought for this or agrees with this. You, foolishly, fought for it. Here. Its a national outrage LOL. National? Far from it. Almost all Somalis, except the door knobs, knew he was a moron working in a moronic "government". Won't you take some spin classes? This is embarrassing. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by HornAfrique: Ethiopian Helicopters Miss Somali Target, Bomb Kenyan Border Post 2 January 2007 | 21:09 | FOCUS News Agency Nairobi. Ethiopian helicopters pursuing Somali Islamists missed their target and bombed a Kenyan border post, prompting Kenyan fighter planes to rush to the area on Tuesday, officials said cited by AFP. A top Kenyan police official, who requested to remain unnamed, told AFP that the four helicopters targeted the Somali town of Dhobley, about three kilometers from the frontier line, only to end up dropping bombs on Kenya's Har Har border post. LOOOOOOL. Tigray door knobs supporting TFG door knobs. This is too much. LOOOOOOL.

At one designated weapons drop-off point in the Somali capital, bored-looking Ethiopian soldiers mulled about with little to do. A second collection site, nestled atop a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean, closed early because "no one showed up," according to a Somali government soldier . The first test for the "government"? Grade: F. LOOOOOL. Last June, the Islamic courts became the first local authority to sharply reduce the number of arms in the Mogadishu in nearly 16 years. Rather than collecting the weapons themselves, the courts set up regional, clan-based authorities to collect guns from their fellow clansmen. You never know how good you have it until you don't have it anymore. The current disarmament campaign is sparking familiar clan distrust. Most residents in Mogadishu are members of the ****** clan, considered Somalia's largest. But many ****** subclans, including the subclans of several warlords and Islamist leaders, are deeply skeptical of the transitional government. They say it's unfair to disarm Mogadishu without also collecting the guns from the rest of Somalia. ****** fear they will become vulnerable to attacks by other clans. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, .....

Somali disarmament begins slowly By Edmund Sanders Times Staff Writer 4:19 PM PST, January 2, 2007 MOGADISHU, Somalia — A government-mandated disarmament program here got under way Tuesday without much of a bang. At one designated weapons drop-off point in the Somali capital, bored-looking Ethiopian soldiers mulled about with little to do. A second collection site, nestled atop a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean, closed early because "no one showed up," according to a Somali government soldier. The disarmament program is the first major test of Somalia's transitional government since its troops and Ethiopian allies defeated Islamic fighters and seized control of this capital, a city so awash with guns that most government officials were previously afraid to even visit. Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi on Monday set a three-day deadline for gun collection, threatening to use force after that to pacify the city. But if Tuesday's turnout was any indication, the government is facing a steep challenge in convincing Mogadishu residents to part with their weapons. The campaign is also reigniting long-standing clan rivalries and distrust, which are certain to play a big part in the nation's turnaround. Ever since the government announced the disarmament program, the streets have been abuzz with debate over whether it will succeed. Though most support disarmament in theory, those with guns call it a Catch-22 situation: The government wants to round up weapons before dispatching more soldiers in the capital, while residents don't want to give up their guns until they're assured that troops can keep the peace. The presence of Ethiopian soldiers, who helped chase off the Islamists, only complicate the issue. The two nations have a history of warfare and many Somalis fear that the Ethiopians are attempting to occupy their country. "I will never give my gun to the Ethiopians," said one young man, who like many did not want to be identified for fear that the government might come and take his gun. "They are the enemy." Others cited financial considerations. Assault rifles and machine guns in Mogadishu range from several hundred dollars to several thousand, representing the largest single asset many families own. For thousands of young men, carrying a gun and working as a militia member or security guard are the only job prospects available. But the government is not offering cash in exchange for the guns. As a result, prices for weapons at Mogadishu's gun market plummeted in recent days as gun owners rush to sell their weapons rather than give them away to the government. AK-47 assault rifles dropped from $300 to $120. Last June, the Islamic courts became the first local authority to sharply reduce the number of arms in the Mogadishu in nearly 16 years. Rather than collecting the weapons themselves, the courts set up regional, clan-based authorities to collect guns from their fellow clansmen. But when Islamists fled Mogadishu a week ago, they opened their weapons stockpiles to the public, once again flooding the city with guns. The current disarmament campaign is sparking familiar clan distrust. Most residents in Mogadishu are members of the ****** clan, considered Somalia's largest. But many ****** subclans, including the subclans of several warlords and Islamist leaders, are deeply skeptical of the transitional government. They say it's unfair to disarm Mogadishu without also collecting the guns from the rest of Somalia. ****** fear they will become vulnerable to attacks by other clans. "I'm keeping my gun," said a 33-year-old former Islamic court official. "They should disarm the entire country at the same time." He and other ****** also complained that President Abdullahi Yusuf is a member of the *****, another major clan based originally in the north. ***** and ****** began fighting over control of Mogadishu after the 1991 fall of military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. In the end, many ***** were killed or driven out of their homes. Now ****** in Mogadishu fear Yusuf, who has spoken disparagingly about their clan in the past, will use the disarmament program to take retribution. "He's trying to favor his own people," said the former Islamic court official. Clan experts say the government must first demonstrate that it is neutral before clan rivals will trust it. "The only language the government can use to unite the clans of Somalia is to restore peace and order through justice and equality," said Sharif Mohamed Ali, an elder with the small Ashraf clan, which in the past has avoided the clan wars. LA Times

Originally posted by Didi Kong: This is not another barrage of mindless I'm right and you are wrong type debate mind you. I could tell you about my sources but I'm afraid the serious people who would utilize this vital information to reach enlightenement are not to be found in these spheres. Excuse me while I exit this discussion. That's unfortunate. I was looking forward to these sources and hoping to expand my repertoire of unedited information sources, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Are you sure no one here could make use of those primary sources you want to keep a secret? You're excused.

Someone should start an Ethiopian Body Count thread.

Originally posted by AYOUB_SHEIKH: If - as you claim - Caydiid is full of dumb ideas, why is he a minister? He was hired by someone who has a boatload of even dumber ideas.

Originally posted by General Duke: The Hussain Aydeed gaff is no more than what happened when Geedi made. What are you saying? That Geedi and Caydiid are but two of the many buffoons making up the TFG? What a buffoon attempt at spinning this buffoonery. Dude, I understand this whole spin business doesn't come naturally to you but come on. What do you take us for? Buffoons? This is too much.. LOOOOOOL.

War laga helay nin sare oo ka tirsan maamulka Dowladda Itoobiya laga maamulo ee uu hor kacayo Cali Maxamed Geedo ayaa qiray in Dowladda Somaliya iyo Shecebka Somaliyeedba aysan talo faraha ugu jirin. No! I'm stunned. LOL.

Originally posted by xiinfaniin: 1- Ethiopia reduces it military presence in the south (concentrates on the access points, i.e. harbors and main airports), establishes Geedi as a strong man in the Mogadishu, reconciles Geedi’s clan with their main rival clan in the city and gets a permanent foothold in the south. I say this the most likely outcome. 2- Ethiopia wises up, withdraws its troops, and the world comes in with cash and rebuilds Somalia and puts it back on its feet. Unlikely outcome. 3- Ethiopia stays on and other African troops send troops to disarm Somalis as the old man wants and clannish mistrust deepens and the era of warlords commences afresh! There's no withdrawing Ethiopian troops, Xiinow. Invasions (then occupations) are not weekend outings and this one is financed by the great uncle Sam. Have you not read what Gaildon said in the quote below? I'll go with number 3 in your list.

Originally posted by General Duke: The priority should be to bring Somaliland, Djibouti back into the union Let me boil your blood a bit: Not even your uncle can dream that big. LOL.

Originally posted by Didi Kong: I just directed him to seek more primary sources of information. If I may continue my unauthorized interjection, what recent primary sources of information have you read on the US involvement in the latest fighting in Somalia? What about similar sources on the US helping Afweyne "put down the Northern rebellion"?

Somewhere a village is missing its id!ot. It's even official when your cheerleader-in-chief says this: Originally posted by General Duke: Minister Xuseen Aydeed is talking out of his *** [rear-end]. This is too much. LOOOOOL.

Originally posted by Didi Kong: The reality is that 2 or 3 years before the invasion of Northern Somalia there was the presence of huge American oil conglomerates on Somali soil. There was the promise of oil and there was much effort dedicated to locating it and making preparations to drill out. Siad was the man who pimped his whole country to the them and as such he was a useful ally. There were acquainted with the plight of Northern Somalis and their struggles more than the average layman Somali like you and I. They helped put down the Northern rebellion and aided him in that. The civil war interjected itself in the efforts of the oil companies and they all pulled out prematurely. Apart from your Freudian slip (in bold above), you've talked a lot but haven't said much. All huff but little puff, basically. And I recall you asking LANDER where he gets his information from, where do you get yours? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Originally posted by Ana_Juwa2: The mujahids that fought braverly against superior fire power and treason still lie dead across the battlefields slyain, and many depraved and shameless individuals like this one above me continue to resort to calling the terrorists, or clan court etc etc, without reprimand or challange. SHAME ON YOU SOL, SHAME ON YOU. I asked the same thing a few days ago and after thinking about it further, I realized censorship is futile, even counterproductive. Opinions vary on the state of Somalia today and I'd rather read and know about those whom I fondly label 'door knobs'. They're out there and silencing them won't make them go away. Whether it is for the love of the qabiil, financial gain, brainwashing or what have you, putting a lid on such mentality is ineffective. The lack of eloquence and logic in their arguments is here for the whole world to see. Perhaps when others point out their distorted view of reality can they have a chance of seeing the light. Some will never see the light, however.

Originally posted by NGONGE: So the Ethiopians are leaving within two weeks? Wouldn’t that confuse matters a little! I mean how could we go on about the government being Ethiopian puppets when there will be no Ethiopians to speak of in Somali soil? The Somali TFG is an Ethiopian puppet whether the Ethiopian army leaves in two weeks (bwahahahahaha) or not.

^ The irony, which I'm sure has eluded you, is that you and Oodweyne have more in common than you appreciate.

Mission Accomplished: Somalia’s prime minister says major fighting likely over MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia’s prime minister said Tuesday that rival Islamic fighters have been scattered and that he does not expect any more major fighting for control of the country. Government forces, backed by Ethiopian troops, were pursuing the remnants of an Islamic militia that until two weeks ago controlled most of southern Somalia and threatened to drive out the internationally-backed government. But Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said his rivals were scattered and that a group of them offered to surrender on Tuesday. "We asked out troops to collect them and bring them back home," he said, refusing to provide any details about how many fighters were involved or where they were. The rest of "Islamists are scattered in the bush," he said. "Maybe small fights can take place, but we are trying to destroy them." Meanwhile, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told parliament Tuesday that Ethiopia may withdraw its troops in Somalia within weeks. He told lawmakers said his troops were not peacekeepers and it would be too costly to keep them in Somalia, calling on the international community to act quickly to send in peacekeepers to avoid a vacuum when Ethiopian troops withdraw. "We have accomplished our mission. After this our area of focus will be withdrawing of our defense forces and continuing the ongoing anti-poverty struggle (in Ethiopia)," Zenawi said. "Of course when we do this it does not mean that we will abandon ... the Somali government and its people’s ongoing effort to stabilize peace in the country," the prime minister said. "We will stay in Somalia for a few weeks, maybe for two weeks." Diplomats from the region were working to arrange the speedy deployment of African peacekeepers to help the interim government establish its authority in the country, which has known only anarchy for 15 years. A three-day period also began Tuesday for Somalis to voluntarily surrender their arms to government-designated points. Ethiopian troops reported that at one such point in the capital, Mogadishu, no one had handed in any weapons in the morning. As the last remaining stronghold of the Islamic group - the port of Kismayo - was overrun by government troops backed by Ethiopian tanks and MiG fighter jets, the net began closing on suspected al-Qaida fighters believed to be sheltered by the hard-line group. Defense Minister Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, speaking in Kismayo Tuesday, said young men who fought with the Islamic militants are "pardoned" and could join Somalia’s national army. "You have heard a lot of times that the transitional government is weak," Shire told thousands of Kismayo residents gathered at Freedom Park in the town’s center. "But I will confirm you that the national army are in control of all regions in the country - east, center and south." Neighboring Kenya vowed to seal its frontier to prevent any extremists, now wedged between the sea and the border, from escaping following the 13-day military offensive. Sea routes from southern Somalia were also being patrolled by the U.S. navy, hunting three al-Qaida suspects believed to be among the Islamic group and wanted for the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa. Anthony Kibuchi, the Kenyan provincial police commander on the border, said Monday that 10 foreigners were arrested Saturday when they tried to cross into Kenya. "We are interrogating them and we will give more details about them as soon as possible," he said. Kibuchi refused to provide further details, but local media reported the eight of the men said they were from Eritrea, while two said they were Canadian. According to a U.N. report, Eritrea sent 2,000 troops to support the Islamic movement, while there have been reports of Somalis with Canadian citizenship joining the Islamic militia. The military advance was a stunning turnaround for Somalia’s government, which just weeks ago could barely control one town - its base of Baidoa - while the Council of Islamic Courts controlled the capital and much of southern Somalia. But with the intervention of Ethiopia, which has one of Africa’s largest armies, the Islamic group has been forced from Mogadishu and other key towns in the past 10 days. Its casualties run into the thousands, Ethiopia said. Diplomats want the international peacekeeping force to replace the muscle of Ethiopia, a largely Christian country long despised in Muslim Somalia. Both countries have fought two wars, the last in 1977, and Somalia lays claim to territories in Ethiopia. Uganda said it has a battalion of 1,000 troops ready to deploy in a few days. Nigeria has also promised troops, Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said. Somalia’s interim government and its Ethiopian allies have long accused Islamic militias of harboring al-Qaida, and the U.S. government has said the 1998 bombers have become leaders in the Islamic movement in Africa. Islamic movement leaders deny having any links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network. AP

Originally posted by Sky: Empty cries by the defeated lot and bogus claims of Ethiopia occupying us/annexing us need to be ignored.

NAIROBI, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Six months ago, Somalis gave Islamists fighters a jubilant welcome as they chased warlords out of Mogadishu and across the south vowing to restore stability through strict sharia law. Now many have come out of their homes again, this time to cheer the arrival of government troops and Ethiopian tanks who kicked out their short-lived rulers calling them terrorists. So the government cannot take too much comfort from its welcome in a city where power seems to swap hands all too often and it has become safest to applaud that day's victory. Nor can President Abdullahi Yusuf or Prime Minister Ali Gedi rest on their laurels for one second, despite the surprising speed with which the Islamists were routed from Mogadishu, then fled their last stronghold Kismayu overnight on Monday. They remain, to many Somalis, a foreign-imposed government relying on Ethiopia's military muscle for their sudden rise to national pre-eminence. They must also contend with the re-emergence of Somali warlords, who slunk into the background after their militias were thrashed by the Islamists earlier in the year. And they may find the Islamists have a sting in their tail with an Iraq-style guerrilla war drawing in foreign jihadists eager to defeat "Christian invaders". Somalia expert Matt Bryden said the government urgently needed to reach out to the ****** clan, which includes the Islamists' top commanders and felt excluded from the Western-backed process that forged the administration in 2004. "The top priority is reconciliation, not pacification ... The issue now is to engage the ****** and cut a deal that brings credible ****** leadership into the government," Bryden said. "If that is not done, the government risks seeing an insurgency beginning in ****** areas which would then create space for radical Islamists and jihadists." The Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) returned a semblance of normality to much of one of the world's most chaotic countries, and it is now up to the administration to prove it can do the same. COMING DAYS CRITICAL The idea of re-constituting the government along broader lines has won tentative support from Washington and Addis Ababa. The United States has urged the government to engage all Somalia's political actors, including defeated SICC members who want to cooperate. Whatever Yusuf and Gedi decide, they will have to act fast to dispel the impression among many of their countrymen that they are merely puppets with Addis Ababa pulling their strings. That will be hard until their Ethiopian protectors withdraw, and triumphalist talk in recent days has not helped their case. "After controlling just a few blocks of the country, their Big Brother across the border with one of Africa's biggest armies has swept in," said analyst John Prendergast. "So crowing about their right to lead is deeply insulting to the Somali people and one of the biggest impediments to peace." Another huge challenge will be to muzzle a host of venal warlords who tore the nation apart during 15 years of chaos -- and whose militia resumed their posts at Mogadishu checkpoints within hours of the Islamists fleeing the city on Thursday. But the government may have to look to them for help, analysts say, stoking resentment among the war-weary population. "The government will encounter such hostility in Mogadishu and elsewhere that it will have to turn to the warlords and give them Ethiopian arms to maintain control," Prendergast said. A big fear is that the religious movement will now launch a campaign of guerrilla attacks that could range from hit-and-run assaults on Ethiopian and government troops inside Somalia to suicide bombs targeting civilians in east African capitals. Washington says at least three of the plotters behind the 1998 truck bombings of its embassies in Tanzania and Kenya are in Somalia, and says the SICC is controlled by an al Qaeda cell. But the rapid gains by the joint Ethiopian-Somali government force has brought a measure of international relief, and largely laid to rest fears the fighting could expand into a regional war sucking in Eritrea, accused of backing the SICC. The government offered on Monday to pardon any Islamist fighters who laid down arms after abandoning Kismayu. However, Bryden said the fall of Kismayu would not spell the end of the Islamists' most radical wing, the Shabab, which largely groups young militants. "The Shabab will probably go underground and across borders," he said. Unless the government can muster truly national support and silence the guns, Somalis may not cheer them for long. Reuters

Ethiopian forces are to remain in Somalia to ensure stability after the defeat of Islamist militias, but splits have emerged over when they may leave. The prime minister of Somalia's fragile interim government, Ali Mohamed Ghedi, says that heavily-armed soldiers from Ethiopia would be needed for months. But Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told MPs that he hoped his forces could withdraw within two weeks. The two-week advance ended a six-month Islamist occupation of south Somalia. Kenyan forces are on the Somali border, to intercept fleeing Islamist militias, following the fall of Kismayo, their last stronghold, on Monday. But two top Islamist leaders are reported to have been seen some 100km north of Kismayo with dozens of armed pick-up trucks. Ethiopian forces are said to be in pursuit. Somalia's weak interim government wants Ethiopian forces to remain in the country until peacekeepers deploy, as they have few well-trained troops and are poorly placed to maintain law and order without help. But the presence of Ethiopian troops on Somali soil could also damage the government's attempts to win widespread support, the BBC's Karen Allen says. Stay Mr Ghedi said Uganda and Nigeria have offered to send contingents of troops, but details about who would fund such a force still need to be thrashed out. He told the BBC that Somali troops were ready to take on more responsibility for security, but at first they would need help from the Ethiopians. "It depends how the stabilisation and pacification takes place. It can be weeks, it can be months - but not more," he said. He appealed for humanitarian aid and urged the AU to send peacekeepers soon. On Monday, Mr Ghedi set a deadline of Thursday for all Somalis to hand in their weapons, but this has reportedly borne little fruit so far in the capital, Mogadishu. He has also offered an amnesty to fleeing Islamists if they give themselves up. Leave Mr Meles said the Ethiopian operation in Somalia had achieved most of its objectives and that his troops would withdraw at the earliest opportunity. "We will go out as soon as possible. It could be in two weeks in order to achieve stability," he told MPs. But speaking in parliament, Mr Meles said there was still a need to mop up Islamic fighters and to ensure that Somalia does not return to the chaotic rule of the warlords who ran the country after the fall of the last effective government 16 years ago. "It is up to the international community to deploy a peacekeeping force in Somalia without delay to avoid a vacuum and the resurgence of extremists and terrorists," he told MPs. He also warned that the UIC may now engage in an insurgency. The BBC's Amber Henshaw in Addis Ababa says many analysts fear the situation could mirror that in Iraq or Afghanistan - a quick victory followed by protracted fighting by insurgents. Ethiopia accuses the UIC of harbouring al-Qaeda militants. This is denied by the militia. Arrests Kenya police are questioning 10 people believed to be senior UIC members who fled across the border at the weekend. They are currently being held at the Garrissa police division in northern Kenya. Garrissa District Commissioner Joseph Imbwaga confirmed to the BBC News website that the individuals are being questioned. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki is chairing an emergency cabinet meeting in Mombasa to discuss developments with key security chiefs also in attendance. He has also called for a summit of East African countries to discuss the situation. Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa has told the BBC that his country was ready to commit 1,000 troops as part of an African regional peacekeeping force. The UN estimates that about 30,000 people have been displaced during the fighting, and casualties have been high. BBC

Originally posted by LANDER: I would have never guessed, other africans maybe but somalis too? That is great. Is it me or does it always seem like MN has an abundance of jobs as compared to say toronto or other places in Canada. Even newly arrived somalis in MN seem to be living well after only a brief stay meanwhile here in canada ppl who've been living here for decades are still living the same way as when they first arrived. Perhaps we need to all move to that FOB camp known as the great state of MN It's actually an America thing and not just MN. It's harder to get welfare here. And if you can get it, it's hellish, from what I hear. The job opportunities are far more abundant as the economy is larger and more dynamic. Canada, on the other hand, is quite happy leaving all the immigrant talent and raw human resources it has rot away on welfare. Besides being economically catastrophic in the long run, it ruins the morale and lives of these people who came there hoping for a better life. If you can, leave. In fact, you should.

Those same fools "dancing" for the occupier will be the first ones the Ethiopians mow down. Originally posted by Sheikh Fiqqikhayre: Children dancing to the TFG tune, it goes along this 'Da di da, la li la, ha hi ha, boom-bastic, boo boo, ICU jew jew, fantastic you you, TFG bite ICU, hoo haa hoorey, Somalia is back, Bye bye desperdos and adios! I really do feel terrible now of all that I said about you. I wish you good health brother. I honestly do.

Originally posted by HornAfrique: At this point in time, how is it possible some can root for a pre-ICU like Mogadishu :confused: Or is the whole objective just not to see the TFG succeed :confused: You're a off by at least a mile and a half. The idea is not to oppose the TFG to the point of supporting criminals like Qanyare (that may be your modus operandi, it ain't mine) but to show that the entire foundation of the TFG is one of criminals. This criminal house of cards that has led to a foreign invasion is bound to collapse upon itself. The question is how many innocent lives will it take down with it.