http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/27/1359254 The Most Lawless War of Our Generation" - Fmr. UN Spokesperson on Somalia Listen to Segment || Download Show mp3 Watch 128k stream Watch 256k stream Read Transcript Help Printer-friendly version Email to a friend Purchase Video/CD In Somali, fierce clashes in Mogadishu are being described as some of the heaviest fighting in the city's history. Some 329 people have been killed over the past ten days. This comes just three weeks after another series of battles claimed at least 1,000 lives. The United Nations says more people - over 350,000 - have been displaced in Somalia in the past three months than anywhere else in the world. [includes rush transcript] In Somalia, clashes between U.S. backed-Ethiopian forces and fighters aligned with the Islamic Courts Union in the capital Mogadishu are being described as some of the heaviest fighting in the city's history. Local human rights workers report at least 329 people have been killed over the past ten days. This comes just three weeks after another series of battles claimed at least 1,000 lives. The fighting began in December when US-backed Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia. Four months ago today, Islamic fighters abandoned the capital, marking the official fall of the Islamic Courts Union, which had controlled Mogadishu for six months last year. A humanitarian catastrophe now looms over Somalia. The United Nations says more people have been displaced in Somalia in the past three months than anywhere else in the world. Some 350,000 have fled fighting in Mogadishu since February, more than one-third of its population. That makes the rate of displacement in Somalia over the past three months worse than Iraq. Many of the those displaced are camped on the outskirts of Mogadishu and lack food, medicine and clean water. There is also concern for those trapped inside the capital where more than 600 people have died from acute diarrhea and cholera. John Holmes, United Nations emergency relief coordinator: "There are stocks available in the area. If we can sort out the access problems, if we can step up our presence, in particular if we could achieve a ceasefire in Mogadishu and the surrounding area, then I think we will be able to cope with the problem, with some difficulty. But if the fighting continues at its present intensity, if there is no halt in that, if there is no political progress made, then we could indeed be facing a very serious situation indeed. I think already this is one of the biggest movement of population, displacement of population we've seen this year, in terms of numbers, particularly in terms of comparative numbers, compared to the populations of Mogadishu or indeed of Somalia as a whole, greater in that sense than Darfur or eastern Chad, and the problems there are serious enough." Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi said on Thursday his forces were now in control of Mogadishu and the BBC reports for the first time in nine days, gunfire has stopped. Ethiopians and government troops are patrolling the city conducting house-to-house searches as residents collect rotting bodies that had been abandoned in the streets. The escalating war in Somalia has received little attention in the U.S. media especially on broadcast television. Using the Lexis database, Democracy Now examined ABC, NBC and CBS's coverage of Somalia in the evening newscasts over the past three months. The result may surprise you: ABC and NBC has not mentioned the war at all. CBS mentioned the war once. The network dedicated a total of three sentences to the story. Salim Lone, a columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya and a former spokesperson for the UN mission in Iraq. RUSH TRANSCRIPT This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution. Donate - $25, $50, $100, more... AMY GOODMAN: In Somalia, fierce fighting has killed over 320 people over the past ten days. This comes just three weeks after another series of battles claimed at least a thousand lives. Agence France-Presse described Thursday’s clashes in Mogadishu as some of the heaviest fighting in the city’s history. The fighting began in December when US-backed Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia. Four months ago today, Islamic fighters abandoned the capital, marking the official fall of the Council of Islamic Courts, which had controlled Mogadishu for six months last year. A humanitarian catastrophe now looms over Somalia. The United Nations says more people have been displaced in Somalia in the past three months than anywhere else in the world. Some 350,000 people have fled fighting in Mogadishu since February, more than a third of its population. That makes the rate of displacement in Somalia over the past three months worse than Iraq. Many of the those displaced are camped on the outskirts of Mogadishu and lack food, medicine and clean water. There is also concern for those trapped inside the capital where more than 600 people have died from acute diarrhea and cholera. This is UN relief coordinator John Holmes. JOHN HOLMES: There are stocks available in the area. If we can sort out the access problems, if we can step up our presence, in particular if we could achieve a ceasefire in Mogadishu and the surrounding area, then I think we will be able to cope with the problem, with some difficulty. But if the fighting continues at its present intensity, if there is no halt in that, if there is no political progress made, then we could indeed be facing a very serious situation indeed. I think already this is one of the -- the biggest movement of population, displacement of population we've seen this year, in terms of numbers, particularly in terms of comparative numbers, compared to the populations of Mogadishu or indeed of Somalia as a whole, greater in that sense than Darfur or eastern Chad, and the problems there are serious enough. AMY GOODMAN: Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi said Thursday his forces were now in control of Mogadishu. The BBC reports, for the first time in nine days, gunfire has stopped. Ethiopians and government troops are patrolling the city conducting house-to-house searches, as residents collect rotting bodies that have been abandoned in the streets. The escalating war in Somalia has received little attention in the US media especially on broadcast television. Using the Lexis database, Democracy Now! examined ABC, NBC and CBS's coverage of Somalia in the evening newscasts over the past three months. The result may surprise you: ABC and NBC has not mentioned the war at all. CBS mentioned the war once on a Sunday night news broadcast. The network dedicated a total of three sentences to the story. Salim Lone is a columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya and a former spokesperson for the UN mission in Iraq. He joins us today from London. Welcome to Democracy Now!, Salim. SALIM LONE: Thank you for covering Somalia, Amy. As you said, the coverage is absolutely shameless. AMY GOODMAN: Well, first, Salim, can you describe who the fighting forces are and who's behind them? SALIM LONE: Well, I mean, the key country there is Ethiopia. Their occupation forces have been there, in fact, long before the actual war began. They came in around September, October. But at the moment, those fighting the Ethiopians and the nominal transitional central government, which is really an absolutely puppet -- it’s quite hapless. In fact, the Ethiopians don't even deal with Somalis that their fighting through the transitional government. They go directly to the elders of the clans to try to negotiate ceasefires. But those fighting them are obviously the ****** Clan fighters who dominate Mogadishu. I mean, historically, they're the largest clan in there. But there are also many others, not just Islamists, which is a codeword for terrorists, but there are many Somalis. In fact, most Somalis will not abide this occupation. I mean, this is what is most distressing about this fighting. All fighting is terrible, but you hope in the end something good comes out of it. But in this particular case, it is clear Somalis will not abide the Ethiopian occupation or the government they put in place there. So it is not going to be a successful war for the Somali government, for Ethiopia and, of course, for the US, which is the orchestrator of the whole adventure this time. AMY GOODMAN: Salim Lone, you're now in London. The British think tank Chatham House criticized the US role in the war. The authors of the report write, “In an uncomfortably familiar pattern, general multilateral concern to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Somalia has been hijacked by unilateral actors, especially Ethiopia and the United States.” SALIM LONE: Well, you know, this is par for the course these days. What they also should have mentioned -- but it’s an excellent report, by the way. I really enjoyed reading it, and I’m so glad they were so candid. But one of the big issues here is not merely the unilateralism of the United States, but the inability of the international community and particularly the United Nations Security Council to try to play, if not an independent role, at least a moderating role. It is quite astonishing that for now three months, there has been terrible violence in Somalia, and yet we have not heard anything from the security council about how this carnage must stop. There is no interest whatsoever. You know the death toll. I mean, you've given all the details. I don't want to go into it. But let me add that women are being raped, that hospitals are being bombed. This is clearly a huge effort to intimidate and terrorize all those who come from clans who are fighting the government. They want to intimidate the civilians, because most of the death toll is of civilians. So this has been going on, and there has been no call whatsoever for this to stop. You had Sir John Holmes there. He's a Brit, who -- I don't know him personally, so I cannot speak for him. But clearly, he has been appointed, in fact, by the British to his crucial position as chief of humanitarian affairs. So we are seeing the Security Council completely silent while these atrocities are going on. We are seeing Western governments completely silent. Nothing has come out of Washington. Nothing has come out of London. We now see, for the first time on Wednesday, the ambassador of Germany -- and Germany holds the EU presidency now -- the ambassador released a letter, which he had sent to Abdullah Yusuf, the president of the transitional government. It is a very candid and a very strong letter, and that's wonderful. However, where was Germany? Where was the EU for all this period? Their silence has really given the green light for the Ethiopians to do the terrible things they've been doing. The death toll now in Somalia is greater than it was in Lebanon. And you will recall, of course, that even then, the big powers -- the US, UK, even initially the UN -- did not demand a ceasefire. But the world media was full of that story, and there were condemnations around the world for what the Israelis were doing. But, of course, Somalis and Africans don't count as nearly much, because there has just been no international outcry at all. It’s not just the media. So we really have a problem there. AMY GOODMAN: Salim Lone, we're going to break and come back to this discussion. We'll also play a comment or interaction in the State Department on what is happening right now in Somalia. Salim Lone, columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya, joining us from Britain. Stay with us. [break] AMY GOODMAN: We're talking to Salim Lone. He is the former spokesperson for the UN mission in Iraq. He’s a columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya and is joining us right now from London. Salim, I wanted to talk to you about the US role in all of this. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with the Ethiopian foreign minister on April 23. At a news conference the next day, State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said the two had discussed the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia. McCormack said the troops had “no desire to stay there any longer than they are needed,” but that they didn't want to withdraw to, quote, open up a -- “vacuum open up in Somalia.” A reporter questioned him about his comments. This is an excerpt. REPORTER: Does it concern you at all that your little -- your opening readout, your opening statements, with the exception of some of the proper names, could have applied exactly to the situation in Iraq right now? Does that bother -- does that concern you at all? SEAN McCORMACK: I'm not sure I see your point, Matt. REPORTER: That the Ethiopians say that they don't want to stay there any longer than they're needed, but they don't want to leave a vacuum. It just sounds -- SEAN McCORMACK: Right. REPORTER: -- an awful lot like they're taking a page from the administration's thoughts on what to do in Iraq. SEAN McCORMACK: No. I mean, they're -- REPORTER: But I guess -- so my question is, are you concerned that they might be seeing the beginning or the -- in fact, the middle of an Iraq-style insurgency going on, obviously not directed at US soldiers -- SEAN McCORMACK: Right. Right, right, right. REPORTER: -- but the same kind of thing. Are you concerned about that? SEAN McCORMACK: The situations are completely separate. They are -- you know, each are sui generis, but you are in each case concerned about leaving the field to a group of violent extremists who do not have an interest in building up the institutions of a democratic state, so in that sense, in that sense, there are similarities. I think certainly the specifics of each situation are quite different, and the histories are quite different. And I think the level of intensity of fighting in Iraq is quite different than you're seeing in Somalia, and the scale of it is a lot smaller. AMY GOODMAN: State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack. The reporter went on to ask him whether the United States is calling for a ceasefire. REPORTER: Are you calling for a ceasefire in Somalia, or are you urging the Ethiopians to go for these insurgents with as much intensity as they could? SEAN McCORMACK: You don't want to see any more violence in Somalia. Everybody would like that to be the case, but there are clearly people there, individuals who are intent upon using violence in order to further a so-called political cause. And we have seen that in other areas around the world. And what can't be allowed to happen is for those forces to gain a foothold to develop a safe haven, from which they could possibly launch attacks against other states in the region and further. REPORTER: So you're not calling for a ceasefire? SEAN McCORMACK: We want to see an end to the violence. But the real way to get an end to the violence is (a) stabilize the security situation, and (b) find a political situation that is workable for the major political factions in Somali life that have an interest in actually building a different kind of Somalia, as opposed to the one we've seen for the past few decades. AMY GOODMAN: State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack. Salim Lone, columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya, your response? SALIM LONE: Well, I mean, I’m very interested in the Iraq analogy, and it is really multiple, apart from what was already said there. The contrasts are striking, as well. But let me add to the analogy, actually, that May 1 is approaching. That was the day when on the -- right after the war, President Bush said that his mission had been accomplished. We have the same statement coming out of the prime minister of Somalia yesterday, that the mission has been accomplished and the insurgents have been wiped out. But let's look at the other contrasts, which are very fascinating. In Iraq, the world body, the Security Council, for the first time in many years since the Soviet Union collapsed, stood up to the United States and refused, despite enormous pressure, to authorize a UN war in Iraq. In Somalia's case, it is precisely the opposite. To begin with, the lawlessness of this particular war is astounding. I mean, this is the most lawless war of our generation. You know, all aggressive wars are illegal. But in this particular one, there have been violations of the Charter and gross violations of international human rights, but these are commonplace. But, in addition, there have been very concrete violations by the United States, to begin with, of two Security Council resolutions. The first one was the arms embargo imposed on Somalia, which the United States has been routinely flaunting for many years now. But then the US decided that that resolution was no longer useful, and they pushed through an appalling resolution in December, which basically gave the green light to Ethiopia to invade. They pushed through a resolution which said that the situation in Somalia was a threat to international peace and security, at a time when every independent report indicated, and Chatham House’s report on Wednesday also indicated, that the Islamic Courts Union had brought a high level of peace and stability that Somalia had not enjoyed in sixteen years. So here was the UN Security Council going along with the American demand to pass a blatantly falsified UN resolution. And that resolution actually was a violation. It contravened the UN Charter. You know, the UN Charter is like the American Constitution. Legislators pass laws, but they have to be in conformity with the Constitution. In this particular case, the Charter is the UN’s constitution, and the Security Council cannot -- it's not allowed to really pass laws or rules that violate the Charter. And yet, who is going to correct them? So this -- AMY GOODMAN: Salim Lone, on April 8, the New York Times reported that the Bush administration recently allowed Ethiopia to complete a secret arms purchase from North Korea, in violation of international sanctions. The US allowed the arms delivery to go through in January, shortly after Ethiopia invaded Somalia, from North Korea. Salim? SALIM LONE: Well, I mean, this just, you know, shows the lawlessness, the complete lack of pretense, even, to try to honor these resolutions. The big powers decide what resolutions are passed. But now what we see is the big powers then decide, are we actually going to honor the resolution that we just passed? I mean, I want to give you an incredible example of how the Security Council has become a plaything almost. There was a time when Security Council resolutions had gravitas. For example, everybody knew Resolution 242, asking Israel to vacate the Occupied Territories in exchange for peace. But now, it’s a plaything. And I want to give the example of the bombings in Spain in the year 2004. Just before the Spanish election, there was this terrible atrocity, as you know. About 200 people, Spaniards, were killed in the terrorist attacks on the trains. Because it was on the eve of the election, the Aznar government, afraid that if it was known that this attack was by terrorists, might lose the election, got the US to support a Security Council resolution which condemned the Basque separatists for the attack. And the Security Council went along with that. I mean, a day later, it became clear that it was a total lie. So the Security Council resolutions really have no meaning now, because they can be passed and violated at will, especially by the United States. AMY GOODMAN: Salim Lone, the Dow Jones newswire has recently reported that the US-backed Somali prime minister wants to pass a new oil law to encourage foreign oil companies to return to Somalia. Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Chevron Corporation once had exploration contracts in Somalia, but the companies left the country in 1991. How significant is this in the US involvement in Somalia today? SALIM LONE: Well, you know, as you’ve discussed before, Somalia itself and the region, the Horn of Africa, is newly oil-rich. Kenya has some oil. Oil is the key to domination for the United States -- global domination, I mean. But it is going about, you know, the wrong way to get that oil. The US is also worried that its welcome in the Middle East is diminishing, and they need to make sure -- both they want to encircle the Middle East with the oil field, and they want to make sure they have Somalia and other countries handy for the oil. But this -- you know, the prime minister’s attempt to lure Western oil companies is on a par with his crying wolf about al-Qaeda at every turn. Every time you interview a Somalia official, the first thing you hear is al-Qaeda and terrorists. They’re using that. No one believes it. No one believes it at all, because all independent reports say the contrary. But they are using that to try to develop support. And, you know, this is why it is so important. Europe has now been coming into the forefront with its concern. It had this report about major human rights violations had occurred a month ago in Mogadishu. And the Europeans are afraid that they might be complicit in those, because they were supporting the warring -- the groups that were committing those atrocities. Germany, as I said, released that letter on Wednesday. Even the American ambassador has written to Abdullah Yusuf, the president. I mean, they are really writing letters to the Somali president. They will not raise this issue in the Security Council. They will not raise this issue in Washington or London. They want to keep this as a small African issue. And it is so important for all of us to put pressure on the governments in Europe, in particular, and on Africa, too. I mean, Africa is weak. It cannot really take strong stands. In my own country, Kenya, we have played a terrible role in these extraordinary renditions and Guantanamo Bay that are going on. But, of course, one leading opposition, the candidate in Kenya, said that the US has promised to support the government in the elections at the end of this year in exchange for the terrible things it has been doing. So Africa is weak -- AMY GOODMAN: Salim Lone, I want to ask you quickly, as you talk about Guantanamo, this secret prison in Ethiopia -- not clear how many people are being held there, if this is one of the black sites, one of the prisons that are not very well known about in the world that the US is involved with. But we do know that Amir Mohamed Meshal is there. He is a New Jersey young man from Tinton Falls. Jonathan Landay of the McClatchy Newspapers reported April 24th, Ethiopia has changed its mind and decided for the time being not to free the American Muslim who was captured trying to flee war-torn Somalia and was held without charge in Kenya and Ethiopia for more than four months. Can you talk about this secret prison? SALIM LONE: Well, you know, there are -- did you say “secret prison”? AMY GOODMAN: Yes. SALIM LONE: Yes, yes, yes. You know, I mean, this whole enterprise -- the kidnappings on Kenyan streets, the grabbing refugees coming across the border -- has a “Made in America” stamp on it, because you’ve seen it all happen before. And these secret prisons, the US denies any responsibility in this whole operation. And yet, we know that CIA and FBI officials are in those prisons interviewing the inmates. We also know, by the way, that many of the people who have disappeared are not in those secret prisons. Where are those people? Have they be killed? Are they being tortured somewhere else? This is, you know, utter lawlessness. And we must try to get the Europeans, in particular -- I keep appealing to the Europeans, because I know -- I speak to many European ambassadors in Kenya -- I know that they're privately very concerned about what is going on. And we must get them to do more. It is fine to indicate there are war crimes to be committed. It's fine to say this must stop, and hospitals shouldn’t be bombed, and you can’t keep relief away from suffering people. But they must go beyond that. They must take an initiative, or talk privately to the United States and say, “Look, this is a lost cause. We are only creating suffering, and we're creating problems for ourselves, because there will be blowback on this. There will be animosities and angers, which will affect Europe, America, Africa, everywhere.” So they must [inaudible]. AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General’s call for a coalition of the willing to go into Somalia? You’re a former UN official. SALIM LONE: You know, it is so disgraceful. For him to try to get the Security Council -- that's what he proposes, the Security Council, in case there is no peace in Somalia in the meeting in June, in mid-June, to discuss it in the Security Council -- for him to propose that the UN should now go in to do what the US and Ethiopia have been unable to do, which is basically to impose a client regime on Somalia, it's just absolutely disgraceful. I mean, I read that report to the Security Council, and it is hard to believe that Mr. Ban Ki-moon is the Secretary-General of the United Nations. It is so blatantly and comprehensively one-sided. There is not a word about the fact that the Ethiopians are there without any international legitimacy. They're occupiers. They violated the UN Charter. They were not in any danger of being attacked, and they invaded. So this notion must also -- this notion that a coalition of the willing must be formed -- as you know, that was how the first Gulf War was fought. And if this coalition comes into place, which I hope will not, it will merely internationalize the crisis and make things even worse. But I hope the Europeans, in particular, and the Africans who are on the Security Council will not allow that to happen. AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you very much for joining us, Salim Lone, columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya, former spokesperson for the UN mission in Iraq when it was bombed there, attacked there, several years ago, now living in Kenya, speaking to us, though, from London.

This post is not about me. There is a time to debate certain civil rights laws, certainly not now. Terrible things have happend in the last 5 months. What do you mean I said ''"Gay law enofrcement" law, you should be quite careful. I would support also many other civil right protection laws! You have clearly misconstrued my meaning. Im a liberal, I want a state where it is ruled by the rule of the law, one which is not a taliban state and certainly not a client state of ethiopia. Which is what the 'moderate' Sheikh wants. You said the tfg is 'recognized by the entire world' Now, the important thing is that a government is accpeted by the people. Now how on earth, will this tfg be ever accepted. The recognition for this 'group' is not set in stone. It's actions has made people realise, what kind of a group it is. What I'm saying why doesn't the asmara group, declare itself

I'm talking of the group led by the former speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, and the executive chairman of Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) Sheikh, Sharif Sheikh Ahmad. The two men are honorable Somalis and they have the best interest of Somalia in mind. I support them. They have with them, numerous people, former parliamentarians. So why don't they create a 'government' in exile? - a clear cut alternative to the tfg. For it is as clear as day into night, this group will never now be accepted. The EU is exasperated by the TFG and the rest of it's backers are now quite frankly embarrassed in backing them in the first place. So why doesn't the 'asmara' group step forward. Perhaps basing themselves in somewhere more high profile like London; step forward? http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article21443

Me, Positive point, is that I have never seen Somalis as angry as they are right now. We can all agree that, that it has somewhat unified us. I would like to see traction by the Asmara group, the idea of a government in exile. If you really want to do something right now, then message every journalist that you can. If you leave in the west, get in touch with your MP. Better yet, visit them, hound them with information, that is clear, coherent and biting. Visit the thread by Paragon on the PR Campaign. Lots you can do.

I'm dismayed. Just how further can these tfg group sink. He was a complete shambles, so embrassing. I have never seen people like this, on televison in my life. Just where do these people come from, how are they created? How terrible to show these clowns to the world. Well done to Addow, who was coherent and sounded professional and respectable.

Originally posted by Paragon: ^^Peacenow, I really don't know how to thank you. You and Xanthus are really doing superb job. I think we also need to find away to influence think-tanks to carry out research on this on-going catastrophe. Anti-war coalition and student bodies (such as the socialist students) also need to be informed so as to help in organizing a massive demo. Most importantly, the MCB and other Islamic orgs can play a great role. I have some contacts with some Islamic bodies and University ISOCs. I will try to contact them. If you know anyone in this orgs please arrange to meet them and explain what is happening to them. Then we can meet up all at once, all of us plus the contacts of these organisations and bodies to discuss further plans for a massive demo. I am sure my former Uni's Somali society would be able to arrange a meeting place, other university Somali societies have enough resource also. Lastly- do you know any contacts of Somali or Islamic student association in a university or college? If you do- please try to contact them. I will do that myself. Thanks a bunch. Good idea, Paragon. Approaching, Think tanks and influence makers is a excellent start. We need to identify them next. Who is the most influential, has the most clout, who is connected to whom. It's like a matrix. I will create a database of these bodies and the the members of the media, whom we can sway. If for example, we can link it via location, we can prehaps create a network of members and groups in those cities, who can articulate the message we have to this people. If the 'target' is in London. London members will need to gather and meet this person and present the case. I say that, as I would presume, the large part of these people to be influenced will be in London, USA. Best guess. I will create a XLS file of these contacts, we can feed on.

http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article1712030.ece Fantastic effort. The Times of London has placed Somalia in the lead news. Martin Flethcer has written about it today and he wrote another article yesterday. http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa//article1706367.ece?Submitted=true Guys, the effort to tell the world about the TFG and get the message across to the world, what kind of people these are. Is paying off. It proves that if you send and send, call these people, that the work will pay off. More and more people are being notified of the TFG. Don't forget to post your comments in the section below, to get your input in.

Telegraph Newspaper If you call their switchboard, and ask for the journalist by name, they will connect you through directly with them. Mike Pflanz - Africa Correspondent, Nairobi miike_pflanz@yahoo.co.uk David Blair- Diplomatic Correspondent david.blair@telegraph.co.uk Michael Smith - News Editor michael.smith@telegraph.co.uk George Jones - Political Editor george.jones@telegraph.co.uk Simon Heffer - Acting Comment Editor Simon.Heffer@telegraph.co.uk Ian MacGregor - Deputy Editor ian.macgregor@telegraph.co.uk

Foreign Affairs Magazine Propbably the most important journal for international affairs Gideon Rose Managing Editor grose@cfr.org Stéphanie Giry Senior Editor sgiry@cfr.org Daniel Kurtz-Phelan Senior Editor d.kurtz-phelan@cfr.org Sasha Polakow-Suransky Associate Editor spolakow@cfr.org Kamal Sidhu- Assistant Editor ksidhu@cfr.org Tel. +1 212 434 9503 Ann Tappert - Copy Editor atappert@cfr.org Lorenz Skeeter - Production Manager lskeeter@cfr.org Ib Ohlsson - Contributing Artist iohlsson@cfr.org Rosemary Hartman - Assistant to the Editor rhartman@cfr.org Mary Davis - Editorial Assistant mdavis@cfr.org

Again, keep it short, well written and hard hitting. Short and sweet. Independent Newspaper News Desk - newseditor@ independent.co.uk Foreign Desk - foreigneditor@ independent.co.uk Editorial Martin King - m.king@ independent.co.uk Africa Steve Bloomfield, Africa Correspondent- s.bloomfield@independent.co.uk Currently in Sudan-His number is +882 165 201 8897 Anne Penketh - a.penketh@independent.co.uk Writers Robert Fisk - r.fisk@independent.co.uk Johan Hari - j.hari@ independent.co.uk

Good effort Jacaylbaro But the topic has been handled on this post http://www.somaliaonline.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=010597 Suggest, that this topic be deleted

I swear, if i could get my hands on this ugly person, he wouldn't have a chance.

Here in Milan, where i work. The horn of afrca community is concetrated in a small area, very close to the central station. Around the Viale Tunisia, you can see eritrean and ethiopian cafes and restuarants, old shops, where their paintings and symbols are displayed. They just linger, mostly. Their young men, just milling about in the streets, looking poor. I see some ethiopian women in the morning work rush, working as cleaner in the offices. But apart from that, they are not very economically active. The chinese have recently arrived, you see them everywhere. They are starting shops and business. Now, if you order a pizza, the people in the shop, will be chinese. I never go into the ethiopian places, but where I have been two eritran cafe places. Inside one of them for lunch, the place was empty, just the owner and the indian cook inside. The first thing he asked me, was where I was from. I said Somalia. He was then very friendly to me. Their food is very different to Somali. You eat with a pancake and scoop the little meat sauces and vegetables. I didn't like the food much, i much prefer Somali. But the are always friendly to Somali, i do enjoy it. The only thing is that, I can't tell the difference between them, just by looking at them, you can't see, who is from where. I assume they are ethiopians, unless, i know otherwise, which means i dont get involved with them.

Originally posted by Faarax-Brown: quote:Originally posted by Wisdom_Seeker: How to be an obedient puppet......... I was of the notion that they were summoned to be briefed on the message from Meles. Ilaahow muu hoobiyo duulayo kudhaco dhamantood. (Its a prayer) :mad: I confirm that. ''Dear master, what can I do for you, today?''

The article has already been blasted and comprehensively rebutted. No need to go into further debate on the merits of it. Quite frankly, I'm disappointed with the NYT. It has been against what is happening in Iraq, consistently. What little very precious column inches they devote to Somalia. They have used lazy assumptions that toes the Bush line. My original post, still stands, this post, serves no purpose other than to misinform the people and should be deleted.

Unbelievble interview and transcript. I have never seen in my life, a 'president' talk like this. Like a thug. Not even Saddam Hussein speaks like this man. The person interviewing him, was clearly shocked by this man. There are a number of videos in the aritcle, make sure you click on them and see them. http:http://www.innercitypress.com/somalia042407.html// Transcript of TFG President Yusuf Q&A, March 21, 2007, see esp. Q&A 5 and 6 1. Q. It is been reported that the government instigated the current fighting. A. The man who made that accusation who claims he is speaking on behalf of a clan and that his house was attacked is well known and he works directly with the Islamic Courts. Since he collaborates with the courts and the courts are the ones who are killing the people and conducting terrorism amongst the people and who are destructive, it does not matter how educated he is, it doesn't matter how famous he is, it does not matter from what clan he is: Society should be protected from that kind of man (arrested/eliminated?) because he will not contribute anything to the community except trouble and destruction. 2. Q. But Mr. President he is saying we were a clan that was meeting just like the other clans meet? A: Son, he is lying! We know the names of the guys he was meeting with at that time. They are one family (sub-clan). They cannot even speak on behalf of a sub-clan. They are individuals and we know the one he is having the meeting with. The name ****** is being used as a cover but it does not exist. I believe you have asked the Prime Minister about this ( i.e. ******) and you know from which clan the Prime Minister comes from (i.e. he is ******). 3. Q: One can ask, can the president draw people closer to each other now that there is on going fighting everywhere and the people are fleeing, many are wounded so how will they come (to Mogadishu for the peace conference)? A: The facts are well known. It is the guys I have named who are causing the instability and we are working to ensure they can never again cause instability (threat?). This city should be secure when the conference (reconciliation conference scheduled for April 16 in Mogadishu) is to be held. That is the transitional government's responsibility. 4. Q: So have you been overpowered? Reports say that it is the government troops and the peacekeepers that are being dragged. Were you overpowered? A: First of all have you ever fought in a war? 5. Q: Then who is fighting? Isn't it reported that two sides are fighting? A: First, I have asked you a question. If there is a battle there will be casualties (deaths), It is possible that every now and then one or the other side looses ground, but we have not been defeated, we will not be defeated God willing and we will eliminate these guys. 6. Q: The government is using artillery to shell civilian areas according to reports, therefore why are you using these artillery? A: Why shouldn't we use it? They are within the civilian areas. The public should make them (rebels) leave the civilian areas. When those guys leave the civilian areas no harm will come to the civilians. We want the civilians to remove them (rebels) telling them to go away from our midst. It is you (rebels) that are causing us all these troubles. It is the rebels who are the cause of all the troubles and not the government because any place from which a bullet is fired (at us) we will bombard it regardless of whoever is there. 7. Q: Even if civilians are there you are going to bombard it? A: Yes we will bombard it! Because the civilians should not be used as Human shields. The civilians should get out of there and we have warned the civilians. We said there is fighting going on in those neighborhoods get out of there while the fighting is going on because one of the sides will be made to give up. The civilians have that warning. 8. Q: Mr. President since you have announced that yours is a government of peace, and that you will save the public, if you now say we are going to burn everyone (who opposes us) what do you think of that? A: It is one side that is initiating the fighting. The instigators will be confronted with fighting. If they hide amongst the civilians there will be collateral damage to the civilians. You need to ask them (rebels) those kinds of questions like why don't you leave the civilian areas and fight the government somewhere else? It is they that you should ask such questions and goodbye!

It's not from the IHT its from the NYT! Agreed, this article is pure diversion. It serves no purpose. The guy who wrote it, is not even a proper NYT reporter. He is not constrained to check his facts and sources high enough. Rotten tricks. Would nominate this post to be deleted. It serves no purpose, other to misinform.

Castro, very good points from you. Again. You made a good point yesterday, about a creating a government in exile. This idea needs to be looked at very closely. People are united against the TFG, but ideas are not joined together, behind one voice. A framework for a exile group is already there in Asmara. But Asmara is not the best base, They need to move to Europe.

Castro, Good source. Yes on this occasion the NYT is flat out of line. They are usually very good on Somalia. Apart from the MN newspapers, they write often on Somalia. Not everyone of their 'people' will toe the line though. The blogs are already reacting to it. Another diversion, we have to overcome. I will post soon, email address of the NYT journalists, people can write to. Make no doubt about, they read ALL their mail.

Just had a response, from Open Democracy and Polly Toynbee. Just emailed them 1 hour ago. Guys it really works. ____________________ Dear Sahardid, Thank you for your note You may be aware that we have published many articles on the situation in Somalia by (among others) Harun Hassan and Paul Rogers; some of them are here - http://www.opendemocracy.net/author/Harun_Hassan.jsp We do our best to present careful, detailed, objective analysis as far as possible on the basis of slender resources and many demands on our time. We will continue to do this to the best of our ability. Yours sincerely David Hayes Deputy Editor www.openDemocracy.net ____________- polly.toynbee@guardian.co.uk to me More options 16:37 (9 minutes ago) Where is your information from? Which aid agencies are trying to get through? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Visit Guardian Unlimited - the UK's most popular newspaper website http://guardian.co.uk http://observer.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Newspaper Marketing Agency Opening Up Newspapers http://www.nmauk.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------ This e-mail and all attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the named recipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and all attachments immediately. Do not disclose the contents to another person. You may not use the information for any purpose, or store, or copy, it in any way. Guardian News & Media Limited is not liable for any computer viruses or other material transmitted with or as part of this e-mail. You should employ virus checking software. Guardian News & Media Limited A member of Guardian Media Group PLC Registered Office Number 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG Registered in England Number 908396

The Guardian Write a well written and coherent letter. Don't make long. Simple and effective and very hard-hitting is the best. If you want to send the mail in just one shot, a idea from a previous poster is very good. Simply write the addresses in the BCC field, and leave the top fields empty. Write your subject title and send it. Jonathan Freedland - freedland@guardian.co.uk Martin Keetle- martin.kettle@guardian.co.uk Gary Younge- g.younge@guardian.co.uk Polly Toynbee - polly.toynbee@guardian.co.uk Madeleine Bunting - m.bunting@guardian.co.uk OpenDemocracy Isabel Hilton, Editor-in-chief isabel.hilton@opendemocracy.net David Hayes, Deputy Editor david.hayes@opendemocracy.net Grace Davies, Managing Editor grace.davies@opendemocracy.net Tan Copsey, Editorial Assistant tan.copsey@opendemocracy.net Danny Postel, Senior Editor danny.postel@opendemocracy.net Solana Larsen, Commissioning Editor solana.larsen@opendemocracy.net

The Guardian is very responsive. You can email any journalist there via this method. firstname.lastname@guardian.co.uk Recently, Cameron Diadou, Simon Tisdall (deputy editor), and their East Africa man Xan Rice. Have written on Somalia. Cameron Diadou and Simon Tisdall are very clued up on Somalia. I'm writing to Gary Younge today. He is high profile. Sad to see the The Independent not taking Somalia very seriously It mainly covers enverionment and iraq, very prominently. People, word up, you need the media very seriously. The campaign needs to be relentless and clever. It has done wonders for the Jews, now it is time for Somalia.

Originally posted by Xanthus: ^look dear haa naa warririn, progressive, Gay, non Muslim, whatever you want to be or campaign for is up to you, just don't expect for people to accept it, support it or convince anyone of a new way of thinking concerning these issues. So you might as well give up, they don't like your ideas and you don't like their views (by the way where do you get off calling people backward and regressive just because they do not want to agree with you regarding gay people) < is that it self not a brownie point against you for suppressing their freedom of opinion and calling them names as a result of their opinion? I thought the progressive thing to do is say "do you know what Mate, you have your views, I will have mine, now do you want a cuppa" :rolleyes: Xanthus, I'm aware they don't like my views. I never called anyone names. The issue is that, there are many gay Somalis, out there. Now what are you going to do about it.

Originally posted by Crystal_Clear: Acuudi-bilahi minaa shaydani rajiim! PEACENOW are you muslim? What the **** is wrong with you ,nacaalaa tuulaah! God made them gay? where the hell you get this? explain Crystal_Clear. Faith is a private thing. You don't go to someone you don't know and discuss this with them. It is between, me and god. Also, just because a person is progressive, doesn't make them any more less Somali. I live here in Milan. Just yesterday, a Moroccan man was attacked, I mean physically attacked, by his community here, because he decided to renounce his faith, become a christian and marry his Italian girlfriend. They see it as somekind of rejection of them. Somalis should be happy that a Somali who is gay is living their life and happy with it too. Anyway, this debate is for another time. There is a far greater tradegy facing Somalis, than dealing with gay Somalis, right now.

Originally posted by nuune: ^^^^^ quote: God has made him gay. He didn't choose to be gay Piisanoow, And how did you know he didn't choose to be gay, you sound very expert on this subject, tell us more about how God made him gay, you made very striking two points, and you left them blank! Of course, God made him gay. Then why else would someone choose it. As a muslim, you believe that, your entire life has been mapped out for you, right? So isn't having gay thoughts part of it. a gay friend of mine explained to me, that he sees this as a test. That if he doesn't indulge that he would be rewarded for it. Either way, who would choose something like that. If god made uis who we are, then why sacriface us in hell for it. Think about it. ''Having said that Peacenow as long as Somalia is a run as a Muslim country it will never Insha'Allah become a place accepting to such practices. To promote gay rights is detrimental to your deen. I strongly advise you to reassess your stand on this issue. Did you forget the wrath upon the people of Luut? Intuition, you said it yourself 'gay rights', I accept their right to live as they are. There is rampant and I mean, rampant homosexuality in muslim countries. It happens there far more than in western countries. I lived in Dubai and Bahrain, believe me, I know. Now ask yourself, why does it happen.