Originally posted by me: My 2 cents? To hell with A/Y, IGADSOM will be a failure. The federalism that A/Y is supporting is going to weaken Somalia. This war is gonna get ugly. Only those that stick to principles will win, those who fight for qabiil will loose. me, Little information if it helps. Your exact words were used in ethiopia by those against federalism and autonomy of states/killils. Ethiopia has never had this much peace in its history with 80 different languages and peoples and for the first time it has started building infrastructure. It had 27% education coverage now is close to 80 and in some states in the 90s already. Ethiopia had only one university now has 8 and soon will be 13(next year). regions like Afar and to an extent somali never had a high school now they are close to 20 and more highschools and a university in jijiga construction and college in Afar(already opened). every regional state takes care of its problems. Through all this ethiopia only has 120,000 strong army instead of the half million up to million that she had in the past. Ethiopia spends 3% of GDP on defence Eritrea spends 18%. Federalism can go a long way to make peace. a Citizen in Baydhoa doen't need to complain about someone from Mugadishu or Kismayo. They each have their own local government. The example in the rest of the world is of course very obvious. Even UK is now fast moving to decentralized governments like the one in Scotland. Imagine India without the states/provinces. It would have been mayhem already long ago. Imagine Canada with the French and English without federalism.

Count Eritrea out. The Eritreans know very well that its easier for Ethiopia to capture Asmara than Mugadishu any day. Eritrea has 1000Km border with Ethiopia. The Eritreans will not a fly cross to ethiopia from their border, in fear of ethiopian action. Eritrea also very clearly knows that Sudan will not allow it to play shenanigan against ethiopia from their land. On the contrary Sudan has allowed and will allow anyday for Ethiopia to clean some Eritrean shenangian from Sudan. Djibuti will only do with Eritrea to get them in trouble with Ethiopia, so that Assab stays unused for the longest time, until its turned into pile of rust in the desert. Yemen also seems to have sent some message to Eritrea. Eritrean dictator seems on the retreat and looking for exit. Gaddafi who is the real master of eritrea must have warned Isayas that president Abdullahi Yusuf can make him pay unannounced and undeclared way. People living in glas houses should not play with stone throwing.

I don't think anything has hurt the SICU and their supreme leader as much as the "Jihad" call. It showed the fakery even to their arab friends, who were banking on them. Why is it that I have never seen a blonde, blue eyed white supermacist. Those KKK red necks are all with the darkest hair, at best brown eyes otherwise dark eyes, never taller than 5 feet five inches lol (the criterion of white supermacists I am using), the missing tooth or scarface can be poverty lol. In Uganda Koney says he is a prophet to kidnap young girls for sex slavery, cut lips and hands or nose after he and his "christian" soldiers are done with them and his eritrean help and training is not enough so he can'f fight in a territory, but jump to his arab masters enclave in sudan or disappear to congo jungle at the slightest possibility of confrontation. History has shown a lot of imposters that claimed they are the Mahdi. "colonel" Aweye will not be the last doing it in some corner of the world. The fakery has been exposed and rightly challenged. Religious leaders have called him the imposter and followers now have nick named him the Mugadishu fake Mahdi.

The egyptians are very cruel merchants by human suffering in the arab world. Egypt which run a one man voting democracy (except the last election) calls for democracy in somalia. Egypt, knowing full well that the supreme islamic leader, hassan tahir has declared democracy to be against Islam, calls for democracy. I can see Egypt getting another cheque from America for this, as they get 2.2 billion cheque every year for calling arabs for peace with Israel. How low does one has to go to be a pawn to egypt, which itself is the pawn with no self respect, but only for money. Why Egypt doesn't apply to itself what she wants Somalia to apply, Be it politics, democracy, religion...etc.? The egyptians have learned something very well from the west, hipocrisy and they are using it for what it is worth in Sudan and Somalia.

Originally posted by Sheikh Yusuf: Thanks alot Lieutenant Xalane, On the issue I've seen so many folks that know Hassan Dahir Aweys from his days in Puntland and after the civil war and they tell me, that this man although very well versed in the religion, nonetheless that he's a qabilist at heart, who always goes at length to strengthen his clans position and grip over Somalia's bread basket going even further by giving them religious justification for their occupation of the lower Shabbelle! This man often puts clan before religion, and this comes not from me but many people, who used to spend days and hours with him. It's the same guy, who used to be Aydid Seniors advisor, who used to follow him everywhere, earlier in the civil war he was an willing saboteur of the USC, that's why he was in the first place dispatched to Puntland! But the people, know him and haven't forgotten him and I'm sure they know how to deal with such dismoral characters like him! I would certainly hope so! By Sheikh Yusuf Sakhar! If you want to know about colonel hassan tahir, check comments from officials in the somali regional state of ethiopia or the somali officials in the ethiopian federal government and some members of parliament. Most of them were in WSLF and they know a thing or two. His 9hassan Tahir)attempt to assassinate the late Dr. Abdelmajid who was minister of Transport and communications in the early days of the current government of ethiopia was not a run of the mill conflict. One religious leader in the somali state region called Hassan Tahir an imposter.

This Egyptians are very cruel. As if the games they play with Palestinians and use them as source of income, is not enough, they want to use the same tactics everywhere. They have a resolution now to coincide with US efforts, but still want to show that egypt is on both sides, the arab and the african ways. Thats cruelty and arrogance. _________________________________________ Somalia’s lawmaker visits Yemen as Egypt calls for fresh democratic election Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu 05, Dec.06 ( Sh.M.Network) – Somalia’s parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden has set on a visiting trip to Sana, the capital city of Yemen. According to Yemen news agency, Aden said he reached Yemen to talk with president Ali Abdlla Salah over the developments in the war ravaged country, Somalia, indicating that president Salah had to take grate role in mediating Somalia’s challenging parties, Union of Islamic Courts and the transitional government based in Baidoa, southern Somalia. Sharif Hassan He praised Yemen for its role in trying to resolve Somalia’s internal conflicts. The news comes as Egyptian parliament has called on Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts to halt expansion and negotiate with the federal government to prevent bloodshed in Somalia. The Egyptian parliament suggested that there should be fresh free democratic election, which international community and the African regional organizations should supervise to give the Somali population the chance to have their choice of government. Egypt recommends that the clan-based government should be transformed to a democratic government. Egypt called on the Arab League to fulfill their promise of solving the political crisis in Somalia, a country considered member of Arab states. It also urged the African Union to maintain the peace initiative in Somalia. Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts took control of the capital early June this year after deadly battles with warlords who controlled the country in the past 15 years. The Islamists also seized most central and southern provinces of the country, while the transitional federal government only administers the small town of Baidoa with the help of thousands of Ethiopian military forces also based in Baidoa. Somalia has had no central government since 1991 when tribal warlords ousted President Siad Barre.

Originally posted by Oromia: Also, who gave the so-called United Nations a mandate to decide on any Muslim worth the name? The United Nations ceased to exist when it failed to prevent the invasion of Iraq by the fundamental pentcoastal-neocon fascists. The ICU brothers have the support of thier Muslim brothers across the world to help them in their legitimate struggle to install an Islamic Republic in the Horn. I don't know which planet you have been, but east african moslems have said that hassan tahir is not a mahdi and the negash have said IndaCade is not going to be their Immam. That much has been clearly said now by sheria court authorities, teachers, community leaders and educated highly regarded individuals. Some political parties from ethiopia have consulted with religious leaders in a number of countries and the conclusion is that whats stated above. Thats why the resolution was delayed by a week. Wether in saudi arabia, yemen, iran, jordan, egypt, morroco or take your pick, you will not find any islamic institution sunni or shiiia that will agree with "colonel" aweye on this one. I think you have no understanding of who moslems in east africa are. They may be poor in material wealth, but they didn't keep their heritage for 1500 years, by jumping up and down with every imposter like colonel aweye or IndaCadde. You call yourself Oromia, but you should have known ethiopian moslems.

Taliban says FOXNews . Go figure! Only the interenet and satellite TVs have the power to bring Taliban, Fox, a goat herder, president putin...etc all on the same page regardless of the order.

Another brilliant move by Djibuti. It gave ICU their goodbye. It satisfied and assured Ethiopia, they are on the same side. And above all it repaired its relations with TFG within 2 days. Thats work well done. Everybody is happy and knows clearly about the other side. A small country of Djibuti did give the US to go ahead at the UN. EU was told to just forget it, the ICU road is a dead end.

who vowed to fight against all foreign peacekeepers Alongside all foreign trouble makers. Its beleived that Djibuti told the UN security council to go ahead. The ICU is just a bunch of warlords under an Islamic garb that is not welcomed by moslems in east Africa. The ICU also has no vision for somalia except more war.

Originally posted by General Duke: you sound like Yusuf indaCade..

Originally posted by peacenow: Dear Somalis, What vision of Somalia, do they have, will they share with us. Their leader-Aweys, talks of returning, Somalia back to 7th century Arabia. I ask why? Why must we Somalis, have to suffer under a system and culture that is so Arab, and is foreign to us. Look at Somali women, nearly all now, are covered head to toe, i dont see any Arabs today, even dressed like this. In Dubai, you can see their face, but our women, today are not educated, because they have been denied their rights and today they are at the mercy of men, and the consequences of that. Instead, we worship at the feet of Arabs, who hates us, and use us. I forwarded your posting link to a Sudanese friend who is from the Northern part. His comment was "this is no arab, have you seen this in sudan, egypt" (examples that we both have seen)? Pretty soon the imposter Hassan Tahir will declare himself the next Mahdi. Supreme Islamic leader or Ayatollah is too small for him. The imposter accusation is not from a follower, but from a teacher. Just compare the independence day celebration in somalia in the 60s and the gatherings in Mugadishu these days and there is in plain site what the ICU confuses Islam with clothing thats from other lands that adds discomfort, but none to the decent clothing, which is required. It makes one wonder that for 1500 years horn of africa moslems were waiting for Al-Ithad under hassan tahir to make them moslems in a new mint.

Originally posted by bambo: what force is geedi talking about , TFG is sourounded in Baydhawa and its being portect by Tigrey troops and they too will be leaving soon . bambo, The whole SICU camp has got the wrong advice. I don't know where it came from, but it must be from the menelik or mengistu boys. What a terrible advice they have got. The more you and ICU keep repeating Tigray, the more the fakery gets exposed. Let me give you two examples: 1. In the debate in the ethiopian parliament, one of the leaders of the opposition raised a question that the prime minister meles zenawi and his Tigray organization were on the side of somalia. The whole house was so quiet, because its the gossip of the opposition that the Tigray sides with Somalia and most friendly to somali. You will not look bigger by puting yourself opposite to Tigray, than puting yourself opposite to your own brother. You will not make Puntland, Djibuti, Somali state, Somaliland, Bay and Bakool...look small by accusing them for having good neighborly and in somali state case good place in federal system and autonomy. 2. The menelik and mengistu boys were the first ones that accused the what you are calling the Tigray of being too islam friendly. They were accusing and still do accuse the current government of having moslems as justices and if that was not enough chief justices, military commanders, secret service chiefs, more moslem ministers than christians...the accusation is endless, but the bottom line is that there is absolutely nothing the government does that can be considered against Islam. If there are problems, its obvious to all they are problems of poverty and backwardness of the country. ICU came out swinging with Jihad on somalis, but made it look like its doing it against christian ethiopia. That has failed flat and its only ICU that got egg on their face in the islamic world. Some moslems were simply shocked to hear the words Jihad and Negash together. Only an imposter can do that. There is an imposter in Mugadishu and if left alone will declare he is next Mahdi. Be it ethiopia or somali moslems have the primary responsibility in stopping this shenanigan. Sheik Hassan Tahir has every right to fight ethiopia or anyone else if he feels agrieved or his clan business interest is in jopardy, but he cannot be allowed to make Blasphemy of Islam. This is not coming from ordinary followers, but teachers, leaders, sheria courts chairmen..etc.

Originally posted by Ridwaan: "Iftin" lol. okay wlc enlightenment. The founder of the paper is from Jijiga if you are laughing at the name of the newspaper.

This is an Amharic newspaper that has given headache to all politicians in Addis Ababa. It even gets real inside information from some high level meetings. It always proved to be a very professional paper and credible by its detractors and supporters. Here is news that it printed about 60 soldiers from ICU that surrendered to TFG and it mentions some TFG operations around Mugadishu. _____________________________________________ Somalia: 60 UIC Soldiers Surrender to TFG of Somalia Some 60 soldiers of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in Somalia surrendered to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia based in Baidoa last Tuesday in protest against the aims of the extremist leadership of the Union, the weekly Amharic newspaper Iftin reported. According to the report, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has also captured five vehicles loaded with weapons along with the soldiers. Iftin reported citing its sources that the soldiers were operating around Mogadishu. Meanwhile, three more suspects have been arrested in connection with Thursday's Explosion in Baidoa, BBC reported Friday. A police search over houses and hotels in the town made the total number of people so far held six including a female, Baidoa's Chief of Police Edian Beid told BBC. Sources close to the government told BBC on condition of anonymity that one of the suspects was a man who lost a leg in the explosion, the report said.

Originally posted by bambo: sooon Baydhawa will be liberated inshallah ...!!!!!! TFG is dead the fight is between Tigrey family and Maxkmadah bambo, You have to step on some other big toes (somali, oromo, Afar) before you get to Tigray. Eritreans are there 500 meters from Tigray and Afar over a thousand km, but they have chosen instead "to fight to the last somali from mugadishu" (prime minister meles zenawi).

Ridwaan, Was it the intention when you started the thread to make it political against President Yusuf or Puntland or just happened that you got carried away? How do Somalilanders want to deliver the help? Through international agencies, through Djibuti, through Somali state, through Kenya, Yemen or what is the relationship between ICU and Somaliland in this? I think Somaliland help would be welcomed in Somali state ethiopia or the TFG areas, thats what I wuld assume, but how are they going to work in ICU held areas?

Originally posted by HornAfrique: It is the TFG that will do any major comprising and I do not see how that is particularly possible with the number and weight of foreign hands in the mix. Before you go to foreign hands, do you think the majority of somalia is ready to throw away the federal arrangement and accept ICU as the supreme ruler and have government as the supreme leader who is now shiek hassan tahir wants it and allows it? To my knowledge foreigners in any country have never invented something that is not already there. Ethiopia is a poor third world country to create something in Somalia out of thin air. On the contrary Somalia has a lot of levers on Ethiopia. If Somalia wants ports are the best lever If Somalia wants peace is the best lever The arrangement and recognition by both somalia and ethiopia that they both live in glass houses and both should take care of the glass walls is best arrangement some seems to have worked with Sudan for 10 years now and going strong. Both Sudan and Ethiopia share people, water, border, religion, cultures..etc. It can be used for steering trouble or for peace and friendship. They both used it in the past to create trouble on each other, and now they are using it to establish good neighborly relations, friendship and trade. My point is that, its better to look in Somalia first and then look what the foreigners will or are doing with somalia. Otherwise it will be one sided and never get a solution. For example: Eritreans are 500 meters away from Ethiopians in the North with both Afar and Tigray states that the Eritreans seem to hate the most. Why would they come all the way to Mugadishu? And if Mugadishu allows its house to be used for hosting terrorists against ethiopia or its dignitaries (attempted assasination of Hosni Mubarek in Addis Ababa) then it should not complain with the response in kind. Its simple. One will be treated the way he/she treats others. Only Somalis can determine and choose how others treat Somalia, but if they say Arabs are welcome to destroy ethiopia, well then ethiopians will also say somebody is welcome to at least prevent this.

Originally posted by HornAfrique: (highlighted of course by our esteemed and quite blunt Hassan Turki), but unlike the majority of you, I believe an agreement on those differences has no relevence! Horn, But sometimes even Shiek Hassan Tahir seemed to contradict Hassan Turki. The one problem for them is they do not seem to define who they are, except Hassan Turki, no body has spoken that they are the government for Somalia or they want to be one. They really have fallen into a trap. In the beginning they were afraid of other states, so they recognized the federal government. Once they did that its all finished, that means they are government of a region, state or province. Thats all. In regards to Ethiopia and the resolution. about 7 political parties have consulted religious authorities and Immams including from other countries if there is anything the government of ethiopia has done that can be considered remotely against Islam. The answer was a resounding NO. Thus the Jihad from SICU becomes illegal, illegitimate and unislamic. Actually one of the Shieks called it Blasphemous and the SICU (shiek hassan tahir) an imposter.

Baashi, Few questions: 1. Do you think there is someone in SICU who wants to be the next imposter Mahdi like it has happened in almost all countries at different times? The rea son for my question is that Shiek Hassan Tahir has stated elections by the people, democracy, charter...is all unislamic and democracy is anti-islam. Any system where the people tell the government how to run things is unislamic. I have never heard this from Iranians or Saudis to take the two sides that are very far apart. The saudis just started municipal and they are going to raise it to provincial soon. Iranians have elections to the top of the government. 2. Is there someone in SICU who believes that the majority of somali states or provinces will accept them as government of all somalia? Reason is that, they seem to want to negotiate as equals to TFG sometimes, especially after they announce that they have captured a village there a town here. Other times they come back and declare that they have accepted the TFG as government for all somalia, but they don't spell out what their place is. Are they state government just like Puntland or Bay and Bakool or they are 2 state government all in one? 3. Do they accept that somalia will be ruled by a Federal system? Reason is that there is at least one state, Puntland, which will not accept to lose its autonomy. That means all other states will want the same. If somalis have anything to offer Somaliland even for negotiation, autonomy will be the minimum everything else is a non-starter. Ethiopia was in the exact same situation in 1991-94/95. For many, especially the somali (as mentioned in the debate about resolution vs. ICU in the parliament) autonomy was the minimum to start talking about federal system. If the federal system was not successful somali region would have had automatic autonomy.

Adow denied meeting with Ethiopian minister but said they met with Ethiopia officers in Djibouti. This has to be the joke of the day. Is it because the Ethiopians did not consider it appropriate for a deputy minister to meet a foreign "minister" of a somali organization? Was there a protocol snug there? What was the official name or rank of these ethiopian officers? President Abdullahi Yusuf, Please switch the lights that show Exit door this way for these ICU folks. They are lost and confused. The exit they thought of fighting their way to control all of somalia has been stuck in quicksand. The diplomatic support they wanted as exit with Arabs, sand shifted and is no where to be seen. Sudan is itself working with Ethiopia to fix whatever may have been broken by the Arab league. Please show them the exit doors to safety, peace and reconstitution of somalia.

This is good development. The SOL nomads now have started to realize that the TFG is the best way (and for majority of somalis the only way) to put the country back together and reconstruct it. Mr. Geedi is now Somali and not Tigray. Thats one major improvement by the ICU crowd that needs to be commended. The ICU crowd also realizes now that US (the folks with the biggest stick) has realized that their attempt at hanging around Mugadishu by warlords or appeasing imposters will not lead to the Somalia thats an important country in east africa. US has now come to TFG and US is doing everything it can to satisfy TFG demands and plan for Somalia. ICU crowd, You are close, very close to home now. Ask yourself this question. If the US, Egypt, Djibuti (rumuor has it even Libya) are reconciling with TFG and towing the line; what could possibly make Ethiopia not tow the line of TFG? Ethiopia is a poor country. It will not be long before you nomads here accept the fact that its the TFG that controls the diplomatic or security of Somalia and not the other way around. Not a single warlord from Mugadishu went or worked with Ethiopia bypasing or around the TFG. Whoever may have contacted ethiopia, has to first go to Baydhoa and exactly get permission what he can and cannot do or say to any foreign counry.

Originally posted by bambo: Game over for Abdulahi yusuf and Melez , once geedi and shariif meet , thats the end of yaye the coward , once those to brothers that are being kept apart meet the game is over i tell you , how long can abdulahi yusuf and senawi hold geedi hostage from his brothers, Shouldn't your question be for Shiek Ahmed, who is being used only for public relations? So now Geedi is being held hostage, I thought he was from Tigray according to some nomads here?

Caamir, Thank you for the information. When one sees Egypt scrumbling to rescue itself and in doing so, has to depend on Yemen and Djibuti, its a clear indication that something has gone terribly wrong for the supreme leaders in Mugadishu. Now there is news that Shiek Ahmed wants to meet Prime minister Ghedi and is hoping to do this through some embassies that are not Arab. Its very telling of strange developments. Some ICU media in the past were against Sudan and were spreading rumour that Sudan is only sending the flag and emblem pined on a Tigray soldier. (eritreans were main peddlers of this inuendo, when at the time they didn't even have diplomatic relations with Sudan) Expect more of it to come. They might even say that, this is Puntland state militia flying a Ghanian or South African flag. Actually all the peacekeeping forces are destined to the places the ambassador mentioned. They will assist states in establishing themselves according to the TFG plan.

Originally posted by duuliyesare: We must teach our children and other clueless Somalis to note Ethiopia as our real enemy that is after our resources, territories and wants to leech our blood and national resources. Those Somalis who allied with Ethiopia must be seen as the other face of the coin of Ethiopian. Any society be it Palestinians, Arabs in general that teaches hate to children, that are below the age they can be held responsible for their actions, is doomed. You teach children hate and war instead of science and social, economic, literature..and cultural aspects you are wasting valuable time. It only takes 6 months to teach someone the most sophisticated methods of war and killing. It takes 20 years to learn how to help someone with heart problems or operations. Ever heard of HizbAllah teaching children to hate Jewish? Never. Ever heard Iranians teaching children math by subtraction of Jewish Killed,like arabs do, never. Ethiopian moslems know which one they belong to, but its never thought to create suspicion and mistrust between sunni and shiiia. Only arabs do this.