OLOL Posted June 4, 2005 Personal Note: He is my Abti but I totally oppose and despise his alliance with Yeey. I also dislike him for the role he took in destroying Al-Barakaat. We will deal with him. How he could ever come back to Xamar? The Birth of a Nation: Aideed has an offspring of his own By Faris Al-Sanabani Jun 4, 2005 - Vol.VIII Issue 22 Hussein Aideed, long known for his famous, US-defying father, now has an offspring of his own: the new nation of Somalia When Hussein Aideed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, a central figure in the reconstruction of Somalia and one time presidential candidate, arrived at the offices of the Yemen Observer last week, he was escorted by a motorcade, a train of lesser officials, a military guard, and a few friends. The former American marine smiled broadly. He is used to traveling in large entourages. Mr. Aideed is a passionate, articulate, and friendly advocate for his country. When he speaks about Somalia, it’s clear he’s speaking from the depths of his heart. His eyes twinkle, he smiles, and long lists of the far-flung Somali tribes cascade from his lips. This is the territory he loves. As Somalia tumbled into chaos in the early 90s, Mr. Aideed, the son of the powerful Mogadishu General, Mohamed Farah Aideed, was living in Los Angeles. He was an engineer, a former US Marine, an American citizen, and a member of the Republican Party. Much has changed in the 17 years since the fall of the last stable Somali government. Hussein Aideed has returned to his native land. His father has been killed. His country has lived through an agonizing period of strife, factionalization, and downright anarchy. The US has come to the land and left it. It has left in its wake some helicopter carcasses and a hit movie, “Black Hawk Down,†in which Mr. Aideed’s father played a crucial, though off-screen role. Now in Mogadishu, Mr. Aideed and his colleagues are busy building a new nation, more or less from scratch. Factional leaders are being appeased, parliament members are being elected, laws are being drafted, and the head of a national police force has been appointed. “Somalia is a wealthy, wealthy nation,†says Mr. Aideed, “and we must put this wealth, once again, to work for us.†It is a nation of entrepreneurs and technical competence, he says. It had one of the first cell phone systems in Africa. It has bustling sea ports and a thriving inter-city trade in foodstuffs and building materials. But how to transform its natural resources—coffee, minerals, fish—into market-ready products? This has ever been a vexing dilemma. Who will control what? How will resources be distributed equitably? In his Observer interview, Mr. Aideed described the current political landscape in Somalia this way: there are four major tribes. Each one has elected a slate of 61 candidates to serve as members of Parliament. A national police force is in the works, though the devil here is in the details. Additionally, an ancient system of arbitration is being revived to settle disputes, and the still more ancient system of guidance via tribal elders is also being re-constituted. All of this is occurring as former militiamen, who were behind so much of the strife in recent years are being retrained as farmers and fishermen. What’s needed at the moment, says Mr. Aideed, is an influx of cash. Mr. Aideed is confident that the upcoming international donor conference in Rome, scheduled for later this year, will help. Finland, the US, Italy, and Somalia’s regional neighbors will attend the conference. Each nation, says Mr. Aideed, can offer something vital in the construction of the new Somalia: Finland aid with cell phones, Italy aid with construction equipment, America military assistance, and so on. Yemen, said Mr. Aideed, has been particularly helpful in offering aid. The interior minister here, he said, Rashid al-Alimi, has been beyond forthcoming. Mr. Aideed was also outspoken on the issue of terrorism. He is working with officials in France to bring Interpol to Somalia, with all of its sophisticated suspect-tracking equipment. Terrorists who venture to Somalia now will be walking into a the same dragnet that envelops airports and civil society in the developed world. During his visit to Yemen this week, Mr. Aideed had two missions: to thank the Yemeni people for their support over these last difficult years, and to re-introduce his own people to the world. “To the Yemeni people,†Mr. Aideed proclaimed in an exclusive interview with the Yemen Observer last week, “and to President Ali Abdallah. Saleh, I say we are grateful for their hard work in helping us resolve our internal problems. We, the Somali people, are on the verge of achieving something great, and we are grateful to them for all of this. Now that we have a government we want our refugees back. There are two million of them spread across the world. We will bring them back, and with their help, we will revive the economy and revive the nation.†About the Somali people, Mr. Aideed declared in his interview: “We are very proud but also very stubborn. No different from American people or anyone else, to tell the truth. We are very close to land and to life. We believe in using our strength, just like other proud peoples. Somalis have always refused foreign invasions and foreign control, whether it’s the Americans, the Italians, the British. Now, however, we are on the verge of domestic control,†said Mr. Aideed. “This is good for the region and a long-sought consummation for us.†Above all, Mr. Aideed is concerned to address his own people. He took special time in his Observer interview last week to talk directly to Somalis: “To my people, I say: We must solve our differences and we must achieve consensus. This is our survival. Nothing less than that and it [nation-building] will take time. But do not be discouraged. Slowly we will achieve what we want, and we will bring back to Somalia the two million refugees who are now abroad.†Copyright © 2004 - 2005 Yemen Observer Newspaper Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
contraflow Posted June 4, 2005 You oppose him because he is allied with the 'enemy' and thats about it. However you love Yalahow and co. because they sti ll have the road blocks around our capital. Nice mentality! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rokko Posted June 4, 2005 Originally posted by OLOL: Aideed is my Abti Do you still consider yourself 5% somali? What a joke. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gabbal Posted June 4, 2005 Personal Note: He is my Abti but I totally oppose and despise his alliance with Yeey. I also dislike him for the role he took in destroying Al-Barakaat. We will deal with him. How he could ever come back to Xamar? Right or maybe you just wanted to us to read about him in good in good light. :rolleyes: Ina Caydiid is the weakest link in Somali politics and I think he should just marry and stop being a poster boy for various warlords and qab-qablayaal. Talk about living off after your father's legacy. I can say that about him, not because of being a qabiil "abti" to me but the real thing. Caydiid Sr and my grandmother are first cousins, and the younger Caydiid is her nephew. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumatatu Posted June 4, 2005 What is this thread then, find a link to Aideed or what? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nuune Posted June 4, 2005 ^^^ juma lool ur signature, testing lool, very nice, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ole farah Posted June 7, 2005 Hussein Aideed represents a group of leaders from the new generation, who are not intoxicated with the old dictatorship mentality of our forefthers. We as young men of somalia should support him as he is the only prominent leader we can identify with in a government dominated by grey-haired military men. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gabbal Posted June 7, 2005 ^^I feel sorry for Somalia if Hussein Caydiid is their best hope. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rudy-Diiriye Posted June 8, 2005 so what college did he graduated from? the only warlord (x-postal employee)i personally know!! uncle jose!! lol...! long live bro, and u still owe me 50 bucks + interest!! and dont go postal!! i know u had to go by default!! it wasnt your choice!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rokko Posted June 8, 2005 Originally posted by ole farah: [QB a government dominated by grey-haired military men. [/QB] I like Caydiid. He is one cool politician. This dude might outlast many of the "grey-haired" men na'mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OLOL Posted June 8, 2005 Aideed Jr never graduated from College and has no engineering degree at all. He was a failing drop out and was working as gas station attendant before he went to Somalia. True that he was a marine and that he worked in the civil engineering department in some california city. Now he is your deputy prime minister and they call him the engineer! what a blasphemy! But as I heard, one-third of Somali parliamentarians are illiterate clannish nomads. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wind.talker Posted June 8, 2005 But as I heard , one-third of Somali parliamentarians are illiterate clannish nomads. Walee...? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
