Down memory lane: Yusuf in Seattle?

[Castro]

Somali Warlord Heads to Seattle

 

Fundraiser with Slade Gorton Angers Refugees

 

By SANDEEP KAUSHIK

 

 

Every day Miriam Ali Ahmed cries in her small, darkened Tukwila apartment. A refugee for the last five years, she has much to mourn; all three sons and four of her nephews have been murdered during Somalia's decade-long civil war, the most recent shot point-blank in the head less than one month ago. All seven were killed, she says, on the orders of Somali warlord Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, the self-styled president of Puntland, a breakaway region of the war-torn country.

 

"He's killed all my children, and his are living in luxury," she exclaims in her native Somali.

 

Col. Yusuf will visit Seattle later this month, where he is to be feted before 500 attendees at the Sea-Tac Double Tree Hotel as the co-guest of honor, along with former Washington Senator Slade Gorton, at the "2002 Somalia Celebration," a $75-a-plate fundraiser for Yusuf, who talks of ruling over the rest of Somalia.

 

Miriam Ahmed is not alone in thinking a warlord like Yusuf ought to be arrested rather than honored. The upcoming event has angered many local Somalis. Indeed, another man whose brother was murdered by Yusuf's forces declined an interview with The Stranger, expressing fear of retaliation against still-living relatives. "Yusuf's record speaks for itself," says Awale Farah, an electrical engineer who is leading the local effort to expose Yusuf's violent history.

 

Somalis such as Farah see Yusuf as an exemplar of all that has gone wrong with Somalia since its decline, into the anarchy and civil war in the 1990s. Since the collapse of a flawed U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mogadishu, the capital, in 1993, in which 18 American soldiers died--enshrined in Black Hawk Down--Somalia was divided among about a dozen warlords.

 

"We need to bring a spotlight on [Yusuf], and not only him, but on all the warlords," explains Farah. Seattle is home to an estimated 20,000 Somalis, third most in the U.S. behind Minneapolis (50,000) and Columbus, Ohio (30,000).

 

A July 17 press release by Puntland's government stated Yusuf intends to use his U.S. visit "to strengthen diplomatic ties between Puntland and the U.S." and to explain to American officials his "plan to unify Somalia under a democratic regime."

[Zenawi must have been on conference call in that meeting.

]

 

Yusuf had been waiting for weeks in Ethiopia for a visa to visit the U.S. But on Monday, September 16,

Koshin Mohammed, a local Somali and Yusuf's designated "U.S. Representative of Puntland," [

] revealed that Yusuf's visa had finally been approved. According to Mohammed, he was scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., on the 17th to meet with CIA and State Department officials, and would appear with Gorton on Sunday, September 22. Busy preparing for Yusuf's arrival, he declined further comment.

 

Gorton defends his decision to appear with Yusuf. "The question is, is he a good warlord or a bad warlord?" Gorton asks. Though he is "in no position to provide any warranty" of the Somali's good intentions, Gorton says Yusuf's "part of the country seems more peaceful and secure than the part in Black Hawk Down." Therefore, he will "attend, meet Mr. Yusuf, and see where we go from there."

 

Other politicians are less sanguine. Jane Sanders, head of U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott's Seattle district office, says the congressman originally agreed to meet Yusuf but changed his mind after learning more about him during a meeting with the anti-Yusuf group.

 

Human-rights reports and other documents paint an ugly portrait of the warlord. Somaliawatch.com says he was "responsible for the killing of hundreds of his own clansmen" in 1992--when most of Miriam Ahmed's relatives were killed--and condemns his "penchant for assassinations." Though elected president of Puntland in 1998, Yusuf refused to step down at the end of his term in 2001, and his successful effort to topple his elected successor killed dozens, BBC stories and U.N. sources reveal.

 

The State Department's human-rights report acknowledges "the use of torture" by Yusuf's administration, and this year he evicted two BBC reporters and shut down independent radio and television stations in his domain. Moreover, on August 17, Sultan Hurreh, Miriam Ahmed's nephew and an outspoken traditional clan leader, was gunned down by Yusuf's personal bodyguards in front of journalists, a killing Yusuf's government has labeled as "accidental."

 

In short,

Yusuf is "a classic Somali warlord," argues Omar Jamal, head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. Expatriate Somalis have been unsuccessful in pushing the U.N. to create an international criminal court for Somalia, but at least one preliminary effort to form such a tribunal has included Yusuf's name on a list of potential war criminals.

 

Part of Yusuf's intention in visiting the U.S. is to build an image as an ally of the post-9/11 war on terrorism, his opponents say. Given Somalia's fractured politics--similar to Afghanistan--even the hint of American support will cow other warlords into recognizing his supremacy. Sources report that American officials, including FBI agents, have been spotted in Puntland recently, and they say Yusuf has turned over two men, a Syrian and Palestinian, to the U.S. Yusuf's opponents contend, however, that neither man was actually a member of al Qaeda, and Yusuf is manipulating American officials' ignorance for political gain.

 

"All of these warlords are pointing fingers at one another," Jamal explains. "They all claim to be fighting for democracy, and against al Qaeda. It's just a way of getting the Bush administration's support." [Xataa cala haaman yaa fircown?

]

Published in The Stranger September 25, 2002.

[Castro]

Four and a half years after this article came to light, Yeey is the puppet president by way of US AC-130 and Ethiopian tanks. Koshin Mohamed (who must have been in diapers then) is now ambassador of Somalia to US and Omar Jamal, who now wears his TFG pompoms with pride, was calling Yeey a "classic warlord" then.

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

How old was Kooshin at that time again? Probably was as he is now a '28-year-old' man, I guess.

 

By the way, Kaastaro, he never arrived. His visa was cancelled, if my memory serves me right reading those articles back then.

[Castro]

^ Even if he didn't make it, this coward is a CIA agent and has always been Zenawi's b!tch.

 

Warlord's Liver All Aquiver

 

Somali warlord Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, slated to appear with former Senator Slade Gorton at a September banquet in Seattle [somali Warlord Heads to Seattle, Sandeep Kaushik, Sept 19],

has instead surfaced in Great Britain, where he is undergoing medical treatment for liver problems, according to reliable sources. Sources say a sudden deterioration of his medical condition prompted him to risk visiting Britain, where commentators speculated that Yusuf might be arrested for the recent slaying of a British citizen by his forces in Somalia. So far he has not faced legal consequences there, despite the fact that opponents of the warlord rallied in London on September 26 and presented a petition at the prime minister's residence appealing for Yusuf's arrest. Yusuf's American supporters insist the warlord will still visit the U.S. and meet with officials; the State Department declined comment.

The Stranger October 9, 2002.

[Gabbal]

It never took place and the invincible Gorton was defeated by the newcomer Maria Cantwell.

[Wisdom_Seeker]

As if someone with a clean record the man had decided to put himself on the spotlight, thinking that he has the support of America and that for that mere reason he could get away with crime. Soon will he learn his lesson like Saddam.

 

Abdullahi Yusuf will sooner or later pay for his crimes against humanity.

[Xargaga]

all in all odeyga hadda villa somalia uu kadagay. He is a ligitimate president of Somalia as far as the international community is concerned.

 

If my memories serves me well since the begining of mbagathi conference ppl have been underestimating and smeering the old man with little imagination that he would overunn and outdo all regardless the invincible forcess and tactics. c,moon guys lets call spade a spade the oldman have suvived logic and who knows maybe he will pacify this nation dont ask me how because if you could tell me he will take over mogadishu two years ago i would have asked you same question.All in all lets not waste our time in showering curses and empty speculation and deal on how to reconcile the ppl i believe that death and destruction matters most to those at scene than we of the cyber kudirir.

[RedSea]

^Nabadshe eh?

 

laakin malaa halka Somaliland marka lagaa maro ayey arintu is rogi doontaa?

 

so,maxaad ka tidhi taas bal yaa nabadshe?

[Peacenow]

Legitimacy comes from the people not from international 'community'. This traitor is useful only for them.

[RedSea]

^Well said.

 

let them see how far foreign powers will keep him under their wing.

[ansaar17]

where are YEEY supporters now ?????????

[Lake]

Here or the hereafter he will get what he deserves inshallaha.

[raadamiir]

Back to the Topic.

 

His Excellency Yusuf would have arrived in Seattle but there was more important events that was taking place in Puntland and in Somlaia in general at that time. So he couldn't make it.

 

But as a Reer Seattle I and thousands of Puntlanders and Somalians in general were waiting for his arrival and were very disappointed he couldn't make it.

[Xargaga]

Quote.

 

Nabadshe eh?

 

laakin malaa halka Somaliland marka lagaa maro ayey arintu is rogi doontaa?

 

brother red sea this are two different things. The somaliland Issue would be dealt with at its apropriate time and would be Determined by The so Defacto power broker MELES. The reason being that he is the one calling the shot in the for now . I dont know how the people of somaliland whose sons and men of courage died in their sense of duty of reclaiming the once lost chance of independent Somaliland would react but Isha aan arko Dr. Riyaale and his Gang are up to no good.

[General Duke]

Desperate measures, an article from a wetsern media is the proof you people have? If thats the case then how many articles have been written which have defamed many from our corner of the world?

 

MMA, President Yusuf's visa was never in question and as you know he has visited the US, New York in particular not long ago.

 

As for legitimacy, he has that from the people, the man was the leader of 1/3 of Somalia for a decade, and has been elected in an open election. He has a large support base.

 

Keep talking people..