Originally posted by mantra: I'm lost, who are they and why was their wedding covered in the news? They are the TFG's publicity stunt for the world. The aim? To show the world the TFG is based on secularism (secular wedding), and to show there's a sense of normality and safety where the TFG rules.

These are scouts who come to assess if they can survive. If their assessment is negative, no troops will come; count on that.

Originally posted by General Duke: one man fought till the end the others ran for safety, tricking the young boys to die for a cause the leaders did not think worthy of death. You got it wrong; Saddam didn't fight till the end. You are confusing defiance with fighting; Saddam was defiant till the end. The ICU didn't trick "young boys to die for a cause the leaders did not think worthy of death"; that's a TFG allegation. The ICU made a strategic retreat and a correct decision to fight as an insurgency. The struggle is far from over; jihad will continue until the occupiers and collaborators are driven out of Somalia. The ICU has the support of most Somalis. Allahu Akbar.

Originally posted by General Duke: Somalia has a new government that has been supported to reclaim its national territoy.. To reclaim its national territoy from whom?

Originally posted by General Duke: Its near enough a complete defeat as we have ever seen in our history. That reminds me of Cheney's famous quote: "I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."

Originally posted by General Duke: My information is solid, the AU will not stay in the country for that long.. The neocons said the same thing about Iraq; the 5th year of occupation is about to begin.

Originally posted by raadamiir: The TFG is targetting terrorist and Dowladiid which ever qabil they may be from!!! The question is, can the TFG defeat the "terrorist and Dowladiid"? Unlikely.

IRAQ: Ugandan Guards in Iraq Face Abuse Sources said two Ugandans slipped into a coma due to brutal assaults at the hands of foreign officers at Alasad Airbase after they queried terms of the contract. by Grace Matsiko, AllAfrica.com May 10th, 2006 Amid allegations that Ugandans working with the United States forces in Iraq are sexually abused and their contracts changed arbitrarily by the recruiting agencies, a compassionate senior US officer has been working hard to restore the morale of 600 or so guards, most of them serving abroad for the first time. Some of the Ugandan recruits at Alasad Airbase, North West of Iraq, one of the biggest US fortresses, were allegedly sodomised by foreign soldiers and admitted at the Gettysburg health facility inside the fortress, sources in Iraq and Uganda told Daily Monitor this week. It is said that some Ugandan women employed there were used as sex objects by members of one of the foreign armies in Iraq. Sources said two Ugandans, Mr Enock Bashaija and Mr Geoffrey Kawuka slipped into a coma due to brutal assaults at the hands of foreign officers at Alasad Airbase after they queried terms of the contract. Had it not been the intervention of Lt. Col (rtd), Fred Lynch, the Commanding Officer of the US army at the airbase and Mr. Paul Hegue, the executive officer of SOC-SMG, a private security management firm that manages the airbase, Ugandans would have gone on strike to protest the beatings of Bashaija and Kawuka, sources said. But the Kampala embassy of the United States, the lead country of the foreign military intervention in Iraq, could not confirm or deny the allegations emerging out of Iraq involving Ugandans. "We cannot comment; only the Defence Department (in Washington) can answer those questions," Ms Alyson Grunder, the US embassy spokesperson said on Tuesday. But documents obtained from sources in Iraq and Kampala said all is not rosy between Ugandans and the private firms contracted by the US government to recruit them. Ugandans are unhappy that after leaving Uganda they are forced to change from one contractor to another, some reported to be middlemen. Ugandans guard US military bases, oil fields, airports, highways, towns, water and electricity installations among others under multinational forces to pacify the volatile Iraq. For this work, they earn US$1000 (about shs1.8m) with US$100 deducted at source as out of pocket allowance, leaving US$900 (about shs 1.6m) which is wired to their accounts back home. On the other side, the other nationals doing similar work get US$4000 (about shs7.2m) with allowances. Col. Lynch after getting reports of sodomy at Alasad, directed one of the US forces medical doctor identified by sources as Dr. Eddie Claig to investigate the matter. But before he could eradicate the abuses, the sympathetic Col. Lynch was removed and posted to Faruja Airbase. Col. Paul Eggie, according to a source, replaced Lynch and is the new commanding officer at the Alasad Base. As a result of grumbling and unrest in camp, authorities have so far deported 15 Ugandans from Camp Victory and Camp Gettysburg, all in Alasad Airbase, accusing them of being the ringleaders of the uneasiness at the base. The list of deportees include Grace Bukenya, Eddie Kapere, John Bosco Byamugsiha, Paul Mugisha Agaba, Derrick Muwonge, Alice Mugabekazi, Bashaija and Kawuka. American guards have in the past engaged in sadistic abuses against Iraqi detainees but these only came to light after their upright compatriots exposed them. Iraqi detainees, coming from traditions of male dominance, would not admit or complain publicly that they were being subjected to massive physical and sexual abuses that sometimes ended in death. But the discontent among Ugandans in Iraq is not only the alleged physical mistreatment but the employment contracts. Whereas in some of the contracts they signed with Dreshak International L. L. C, a United Arab Emirates based company as "Foreign Security Specialists" in subsequent contracts, they were addressed as "Third Country Nationals". Dreshak recruited the Ugandans from Uganda. Mr Mumtaz Muslim, Dreshak International Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in undated letter addressed to Ugandans in Iraq directed them to hand over copies of the earlier contacts they signed with him to SOC-SMG for "destruction". "In order to be in compliance with the contract between the US Marine Corps and SOC-SMG, we hereby release you from the contract signed between you and Dreshak international" Mr Mumtaz wrote in the letter seen by Daily Monitor. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13572 The Ugandans shouldn't expect better treatment or payment in Somalia.

Originally posted by Captain Xalane: The one that exists in Somalia now is not an insurgency,in that its not organized. So, it has to be organized? For it to be organized, it has to have a hierarchy, central command, known leaders, telecommunications command, financial resources, iwm. What you have in Iraq is hundreds (or a few thousands) of self-sustaining small groups of fighters that carry out guerilla attacks with little coordination between each other. Among them are the Islamists, jihadists, nationalists, ordinary citizens, and even criminals who get paid to carry out attacks. Financing comes from concerned Muslims (the wealthy, the well-to-do and even the poor) across the Muslim world. We can safely conclude the ICU has the blueprint. So, my thinking is, only Western (Americans, Europeans) military experts and analysts can convince you there's an ICU insurgency. Guess what? They know and have already stated there's such Somali insurgency.

Originally posted by Mujaahid: Red Sea: This is the result of occupation. Indeed. It's the work of the occupiers because Iraq didn't experience sectarian conflicts between the Sunnis and Shias during Saddam's rule.

Originally posted by Captain Xalane: An insurgency can be used as a term only when there is an organized rebellion. Incorrect; you are confusing insurgency with resistance. As the Iraqi insurgency has proven, it doesn't need to be an organized rebellion. One of the primary reasons why the US failed to destroy or quell the Iraqi insurgency is because it's not an organized rebellion. The Iraqi insurgency (also the Afghani insurgency) has defied all logic, conventional and unconventional modern warfare.

Originally posted by General Duke: There is no insurgency Well, that's what Bush, Cheney and the neocons were initially saying. It appears the TFG is the new neocons or wannabe neocons.

Originally posted by General Duke: Garbage, the man is already in Yemen. You mean it's garbage because the TFG failed to get its hand on him? I agree it was a terrible mistake on part of the TFG's allies (Kenya & the US) to let the man get away; they should have handed him to the TFG. Now, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is free to meet many worldwide Muslim sympathizers and donors; that translates to millions of $$$ for the ICU insurgency.

Originally posted by Abu_Geeljire: Look around the Muslim world and you will see the most prevelant; racism, xenophobia,oppression of women, poverty, warfare and many other ills. What made possible racism, xenophobia,oppression of women, poverty, warfare and many other ills? Secularism. Who supports, maintains, finances, makes survival possible for secularism and our despotic secular leaders? The West.

Guddoomiyaha Golaha Maxaakimta Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed oo Berito oo Isniin ah ku wajahan Wadanka Yeman. Muqdisho,04,February-07 ( Qaadisiya.com) Guddoomiyaha Golaha Maxaakimta Islaamiga Soomaaliyeed Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed oo weli kusugan Magaalada Nairobi ee xarunta Wadanka Kenya ayaa lafilayaa in maalinta berito oo Isniin ah uu u ambaboxo Dalka Yeman. Sheekh Shariif ayaa safarkiisii Yeman waxa ay qeyb ka tahay xal u helidda Xaaladda Dalka ka taagan iyo sidoo uu wada tashiyo ugula soo yeelan lahaa halkaasi qaar katirsan Mas’uuliyiinta Golaha Maxaakimta ee iyagu kusugan Dalka Yeman. Dhanka kale Wasiirka Arrimaha Dibadda Dalka Yeman Dr.Abuubakar Alqirbi ayaa u sheegay wakaaladda Wararka Yeman in ay soo dhaweynayaan Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed si loo ogaado in Yeman ay qeyb ka tahay wadamada doonaya in Soomaalidu ay heshiiyaan. Mr.Alqirbi oo aanan u sheegin wakaaladda Wararka Yeman ee SABA xilliga uu sheekh shariif imaanayo ayaa hadana wakaaladdo ilo muhim ah oo ay kasoo xigatay Dowladda Yeman waxa ay u xaqiijiyeen in Maalinimada Isniinta ay sugayaan Sheekha. Sheekh shariif Sheekh Axmed oo ah Hoggaamiye Islaami ah isla markaana kuleh Shacbiyad aad u weyn Dunida Muslimka ayaa la aaminsan yahay in uu qeyb ka qaadan karo dib u xalisilinta Dalka marka laga saaro Xabashida Dalka kusoo duushay. http://qaadisiya.com/view_contents.php?articleid=332

Originally posted by Dabshid: I was also watching the show LIVE, for what i understood the guy was bit angry with Al Jazeera reporter from the beginning, he thought they were impartial, and were with ICU. And when this incident happen, it was the last few minutes of the show, he was boiling,assuming they cut on him. Good analysis. Al Jazeera is indeed impartial (fair and balanced) as it airs the views of each side; that's why it irks the despotic secular governments of the Middle East and the US. Dubya was once tempted to level it. It's no wonder it has been banned in some countries.

Originally posted by Violet: So he's an infidel because some sheikhs said so? I thought that decision was up to god. My bad. Are you saying a sheikh identifying and informing us about an infidel, munaafiq or traitor equals God judging people? Are you saying if (hypothetically, factually) Abdullahi Yusuf is an infidel, we Somali Muslims can do nothing about it because only Allah can judge him?

Originally posted by Bokero: I am sorry but it has to be said; uneducated, reactionary, medieval, anti-science, shieks do not have answers to long-term Somali problem... I am strong believer of the separation of religion and state.. Imposing uniform religious laws is not answer... I am not into going back to 7th century banning TV, football games etc Are you saying our sheikhs are uneducated, reactionary and anti-science just like the sheikhs of the medieval era? And did they really ban TV, football games etc in the 7th century?

Originally posted by Xoogsade: Can you explain a PHD holder supporting a warlord who can't write? The explanation is simple; it has to do with secularism. And yes, tribalism or clanism is a form of secularism. The cure is within grasp. In fact, Somalis have recently enjoyed the cure for a period of about six months.

Originally posted by Ameen: I'll vote for you next month inshallah. Muchos gracias.

Originally posted by Jacaylbaro: As far as the vista is bad for the environment ,,,, isn't it Haram to buy it ?? Islam teaches to respect/protect the environment and buy environmentally-friendly products. Vista isn't such a product. As for your question, I gather you are alluding that I bought or own a Vista; I do not own a Vista nor did I buy one. However, I did evaluate or test-drived a Vista. As to whether it's haram to buy it, please consult your local sheikh or mufti, or ask it on Islamic sites.

Originally posted by bilan: i didn't hear somali part so Taliban if you want you can say what 'M' stands for. Perhaps you have never heard of the "M" word. In that case, I can't risk becoming the person who taught you that word, thus corrupting your mind. Sorry, no can do.

Originally posted by bilan: you guys are talking about someone you do not even know,if any of you ever went to cairo then you'd have known how helpful he was to students, and somalis in general. So, we have to personally know him in order to talk about or criticize what he said? How does his helpfulness to students absolve him from employing the "M" word?

Originally posted by Sharif_seylaci: long live the adal empire Correction; it was Sultanate.

A well researched paper by Said Alinuri. It's long but worth reading.