(Nairobi, Kenya) As the fundamentalist Islamic Courts Union destabilizes the country of Somalia, fearful refugees are flocking to Kenya for safety. According to Emmanuel Nyabera, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a massive relief operation may be required since the camps in Kenya have reached capacity.

From The East African:

Since September 13, more than 3,400 Somali have escaped fighting in their country to find refuge in Kenya, bringing the tally to almost 25,000 since the beginning of the year. There are more than 227,000 refugees already in Kenya, mainly from Somalia and Sudan.

Mr Nyabera said that, from interviews with UNHCR officials, it had emerged that the refugees, who are mostly women and children, were mainly from Mogadishu, Kismayu, and Lower Juba province.

Incidentally, these regions are not so far in the hands of the Islamic Courts Union.

Outside Mogadishu, the Islamic Courts are in control in the provinces of Lower Shabelle, Benadir, Middle Shabelle, Hiran, Gelgedut and parts of Mudug region.

Refugees from Baidoa -- the seat of Somalia's interim government -- have also started trickling into Kenya.

So far, the UN has only talked about East African strife and the African Union's attempt at keeping peace in Sudan failed. Unlike 1991 when Somalia was a media darling, the current situation is getting considerably less emphasis. Consequently, the march of Islamic belligerence in Africa continues.

East Africa is not a teapot yet but give it time. Sooner or later, it will whistle.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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The Religion of Free Speech and Freedom of Religion in Africa. Blasphemy against the 'Prophet' Mohammed is a capital offense under Islamic law.

Reuters:

Nigerian authorities have imposed a night curfew on the northern town of Dutse after Muslim mobs burned 11 churches over what they said was blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammad by a Christian woman, police said on Thursday.

Scores of houses and shops owned by Christians were also torched in the capital of remote Jigawa state during a riot on Wednesday sparked by a disagreement between a Muslim man and a Christian woman, police spokesman Haz Iwendi said.

No one was killed in the riot but up to seven people were injured, Iwendi said.

"Eleven churches and so many houses and shops were burned. The house of the Anglican bishop was also ransacked," he said, adding that hundreds of Christians fled their homes to military and police barracks fearing further attacks.

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Appeasement gets you everywhere:

PARIS - Al-Qaida has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests.

They should look on the bright side. When the Eiffel Tower falls like the WTC did, the Palestinians will weep in sorrow, rather than dance with joy.

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And so it continues. The world welcomes the "stability" brought by the African Taliban to Somalia even as terror training camps become more apparent.

You may have heard about the Marines about to call up thousands in the inactive reserves? While the media focuses on these troops being needed for ongoing operations in Iraq, a good number of them will be sent to The Horn of Africa. I'm afraid that many many more will be needed.

CT blog is on a roll today.

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The African Taliban are gearing up to spread their jihad to neighboring states. Like the Afghan Taliban before them, the Somali version--known as the Union of Islamic Courts--first goal is to establish its authority in Mogadishu, and then spread the Islamic state to areas still not under its control.

The group is already receiving the aid of Arab and other non-Somali mujahadin--including al Qaeda linked fighters. Already a safe-haven for international terrorists and funded by Gulf and Sudanese oil money, it will not be long before news reports pick up the fact that training camps are being established and the flow of arms to the Islamists is increasing.

Above: AP photo of suspected arms being flown in to Mogadishu. The airplane is a Soviet Ilyushin Il-76 with Kazakhstani national airline markings. The Il-76 is one of the world's largest airplanes

Like the Afghan Taliban before them, the Islamists in Somalia deny any link or support of terrorism. And just like Afghanistan, the evidence is overwhelming to the contrary. Again, the U.N. and world community takes the word of terrorists that they are not, in fact, terrorists.

The interim Somali government--which has no authority anyway--is about to fall based on its failure to officially back the Islamist militias who are now imposing sharia law on most of the country.

War now looms between Somalia and its Islamist allies in Eretrea, and Christian Ethiopia. Ethiopian troops are already said to be inside Somalia.

And the U.N.? As usual, the main concern of the U.N. is peace at all costs. Even if that cost is the freedom of Somalis and the establishment of a new safe-haven where the jihad can be exported across the Horn of Africa and beyond.

The holy warriors receiving support in Somalia today will be the mujahadin fighting in Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, & Djibouti tomorrow. From there it will move across Africa, probably first to Nigeria where sharia is already imposed in the north.

Then, before the world is even aware of the conflict, New York City.

Israel can defeat Hezbollah without our help, but if Ethiopia does not begin to receive MASSIVE amounts of U.S. military aid IMMEDIATELY, then a far larger problem looms on the horizon.

The U.S. already has troops stationed in Djibouti.

The fifth column at the Council of Islamic Relations, predictably, calls the takeover of Somalia by the Islamists a positive change (via Charles Johnson). Let me repeat that, CAIR calls the takeover of a country by an al Qaeda linked grouped a positive change.

Let that sink in for a moment.

This is VERY bad news. Eritrea may be the conduit for which arms are beginning to flow--with the help of Kazakhstan, but the real problem is in Sudan and in Saudi Arabia. VOA:

For the second time this week, a large plane arrived in the Islamists-controlled Somali capital of Mogadishu Friday, carrying an unknown cargo. But many people believe it contains weapons from Eritrea, which the Islamist leadership in Somalia denies. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu in Mogadishu says, reports of military activity by rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia in Somalia are fueling fears of a proxy war.

A Russian-made Illuyshin-76 cargo plane touched down early Friday morning at the recently reopened Mogadishu airport. It had the same Kazakhstan Airways markings as a plane that landed Wednesday.

In both cases, there was extraordinary security. Islamic militiamen sealed off all roads and prevented curious on-lookers from gathering near the facility. But some eyewitnesses said that they saw several large trucks leaving the airport in a convoy a short while after the plane landed.

The arrival of the two planes this week is fueling speculation among Somalis that neighboring Eritrea is helping to arm Somali Islamists, who are facing a possible showdown with Ethiopian troops, believed to be protecting the country's secular and highly vulnerable interim government, which has its headquarters 250 kilometers away in the town of Baidoa.

Below: AFP reporters captured this picture of the arms transfer. more...

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Claims Ethiopia is violating their "sovereignty."

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somalia's powerful Islamic council has vowed a "holy war" against neighbouring Ethiopia, which has moved troops into its lawless neighbouring state to protect its weak transitional government from a feared Islamist advance.

Ethiopa denies:

Despite numerous eyewitness accounts of uniformed Ethiopian soldiers in Baidoa, however, Somali government officials and Ethiopia continued to deny their presence in the town -- or anywhere else in Somalia.

"This is absolute propaganda from the Islamists," Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Mohamed Nur Dinari said. "There are no Ethiopian troops in Baidoa. Anybody with the evidence should come forward."

Well, whatever the case is, at least it seems Ethiopa is making moves to stop the spread of these pests.

stein hoist: The Blogosphere Jumping Bean.

More here.

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From The People's Daily:

Somalian Islamic militiamen arrested some 60 people for watching videos in several overnight raids in the capital Mogadishu, an Islamic court official and residents said yesterday.

Tuesday's arrests follow several cases of the Islamic militiamen who are the new rulers of the Somali capital forcefully applying their strict interpretation of Islamic law. Some worry they want to remake Somalia into a nation resembling Afghanistan under the Taliban including offering a haven to terrorists.

Militiamen, armed with assault rifles, raided five halls in the northern Sinay neighbourhood late on Tuesday and arrested women and men who had paid to watch videos, said Dahir Ali Wehliye, a resident in the area.

In one incident, 20 militiamen in a pickup mounted with a machine-gun raided a video hall in the neighbourhood and detained those found watching a video, said Yusuf Ali, who witnessed the raid.

"They will be rehabilitated and then we will release them after they are told the disadvantages of watching such films and what Islam says about watching such films," said Moalin Shire, an official of the Islamic court whose jurisdiction includes the video hall that was raided.

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Remember, the Washington Post and some in the State Department are saying that the Somalian Taliban might be just what the Horn of Arfica needs to bring 'stability'.

Somalian Taliban Break up Wedding, Flog Party Goers. Newsday:

The Islamic militiamen controlling the Somali capital broke up a wedding celebration because a band was playing and women and men were socializing together, witnesses said Saturday, describing the latest crackdown by a group feared to be installing Taliban-style rule in this African nation.

The Islamic fighters beat band members with electric cables and confiscated their equipment, said Asha Ilmi Hashi, a singer with the group Mogadishu Stars.

We had warned the family not to include in their ceremony what is not allowed by the sharia law. This includes the mixing of men and women and playing music"

A recruiting video issued by militia members and obtained by The Associated Press this week shows Arab radicals fighting alongside the local extremists in Mogadishu, provided the first hard evidence that non-Somalis have joined with Islamic extremists in Somalia.

The Islamic court in Jowhar town 90km (55miles) north of Somalia capital Mogadishu has carried out an Islamic verdict, whipping 11 young men with 40 lashes each in public square on Saturday – a move that frightens more residents.

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Ride the rug or die.

Somali Muslims who fail to perform daily prayers will be killed in accordance with Qur'anic law under a new edict issued by a leading cleric in the Islamic courts union African Taliban [edited according to the wishes of Father - Vinnie] that controls Mogadishu.

The requirement for Muslims to observe the five-times daily ritual under penalty of death was announced late on Wednesday and appears to confirm the hard-line nature of the increasingly powerful Sharia courts in the capital.

Leave the faith? Die.

Be a homosexual? Die.

Pre-marital sex, or even get raped? Die.

Show an image of the Prophet? Die.

Insult the Koran, real or perceived? Die.

You get the picture. ROPMA.

stein hoist: the blog grandfather.

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Via the Counterterrorism Blog:

In 2002, a confidential report indicated Somalia contained 17 known operational terrorist training camps (see attached map). The environment in Somalia is said to compare to that of Afghanistan during the heyday of the Taliban. Terrorists from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Chechnya, Iraq and the Arabian peninsula are said to be flocking into Somalia to staff the camps or enter training. Camps are said to be training recruits to employ improvised explosive devices (roadside bombs or IEDs) to counter the expected Ethiopian armor. The Islamic Courts are also scouring the Communist-era weapons caches for anti-aircraft weapons, small arms, and explosives. . . .

While the U.S. formulates policy on dealing with the rise of the al-Qaeda backed Islamist Courts, the allies of al-Qaeda consolidate power and continue to churn out terrorists from the multitude of training camps. Like the border provinces of western Pakistan, Somalia is now a de facto safe haven for al-Qaeda and its allies to indoctrinate, train, arm, and deploy terrorists. Four years after the existence of the terror camps were made known, they still remain in operation.

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In September of 1996 Taliban forces captured the city of Kabul. I remember the optimism of many in the West that the group of young 'scholars' would unify and bring stability to the country. Today, history is repeating itself as Somalia's Taliban practices taqiya and lies to the Western press about it's radical goals.

And just like Afghanistan, many in the West express optimism that the 'Union of Islamic Courts' will at least bring stability to the war-torn country. Stability yes, but at what price? Only fools can believe post-9/11 that stability is a foreign policy goal worthy of pursuit.

Oh, and as the Islamists who now rule much of Southern Somalia disclaim any ties to al Qaeda and Osamna bin Laden, it would be good to look closely at the above photo showing a placard being carried by supporters of the Somali Taliban. And who can forget their public support of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi?

BBC News:

The powerful Islamist movement in Somalia has distanced itself from comments about Somalia attributed to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden....

An internet audio recording warned the West not to send troops to Somalia.

But a leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, which has taken control of the capital, Mogadishu, said they did not rely on any outside group. ..

Speaking to reporters in Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, also a figurehead of the Islamic Courts, said Bin Laden was expressing his personal opinion in the audio recording, which has not been verified.

Somalia's Islamists have regularly denied harbouring al-Qaeda fighters in their ranks....

But Mogadishu's new rulers have been at pains to convince Washington and regional African governments that they pose no threat, despite their Islamic leanings, and want to bring stability to Somalia, our correspondent adds.

Diplomats have suggested there is a new window of opportunity to secure peace in Somalia, after 15 years without a functioning central government.

In her version, the whole Somalia conflict is just a big mistake. The Islamists pose no real threat. America became alarmed only after they thought they were being fired upon--which they weren't. We backed some bad guys in Somalia as a result--not like the 'good guys' who set up Sharia courts in Mogadishu and are summarily executing people suspected of committing crimes against Islam.

It only gets worse from there. Here's a short excerpt:

The U.S. effort failed, Somalis said, because it focused only on seizing terrorism suspects, not attempting to improve living conditions in one of the world's poorest countries.

"It will radicalize the people," said Ali, a naturalized U.S. citizen. "Unless I am also safe, you are not going to be safe. That's the message the Americans must learn. They cannot fight this alone."

She also overlooks the fact that the U.S. has long--years before the violence this year--suspected a working relationship (or much more) between the Islamist militias in Somalia and al Qaeda.

Related: Osama bin Laden is in Africa

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1 In September of 2006 Taliban forces captured the city . . .

9/06 is two months away . . .isn't it?

Posted by: whuptdue at July 02, 2006 05:25 PM (MAPKL)

2 We're experiencing another DDoS from the ROP. Tried to fix that seconds after publication, but couldn't. Should be fixed now.

Posted by: Rusty at July 02, 2006 05:35 PM (BXC/2)

3 Hate to toot my own horn, but I said right here a few months ago that the next big push from the Islamists would be in Africa. It's going to get a lot worse if we don't do something quick. Africa will be easy pickings for the Islamists.

Posted by: jesusland joe at July 02, 2006 07:36 PM (rUyw4)

4 Rusty, Karen DeYoung was not the author of that article. The author of the article was Craig Timberg. Karen DeYoung contributed to the article. As for who who knows better what is happening in Somalia our local intelligence officers or anyone else, I'd say that was a coin flip. Proper intelligence analysis can only be done with an absence of emotion: otherwise chosen facts will only tend to support one's prejudices. As for 9/11 causing only fools to believe that stability is a foreign policy goal worthy of pursuit the chaos of failed states can easily harbor those who wish to do us harm. Saudi Arabia, Jordan. Sudan Yemen, we have learned to coexist with these Islamic countries even going so far as to embrace them as allies in the war on terror, maybe we can do the same for Somalia and probably at a much cheaper cost.

Posted by: JOHN RYAN DHIMMI EXTRAORDINAIRE at July 02, 2006 08:00 PM (TcoRJ)

5 Sorry John...

...I...

...just couldn't help myself.

Posted by: Vinnie at July 02, 2006 08:29 PM (/qy9A)

6 John ryan must be a 5 year old sissy to believe that crap.

Posted by: greyrooster at July 02, 2006 09:17 PM (ofp0L)

7 No rooster that is incorrect I was born in 1947. Again I remind you rooster your ,what I am now believing to be your "imaginary," friends from the Bronx never appeared. My comments were made really to show how emotion can cloud perception. People are always free to believe what is most comforting to themselves. As for paying the dhimmi tax I bet I pay a lot less of that to Mecca than others who post or comment here. How much of your gas money goes to Mecca ? And quite frankly I am too idealistic to believe that it serves our long term interests to try to be friends with any islamofacist country simply for the sake of the "war on terror". I live in New York City. I fear terorists about as much as I do roosters friends from the Bronx.

Posted by: JOHN RYAN at July 02, 2006 09:41 PM (TcoRJ)

8 Because you are a stupid idealist. No need to fear the terrorists? Fucking idiot. 3000 people dead and this low life has nothing to fear in NYC. Probably true in your case. Why would they attack a supporter.
And by the way. You lied about your address. Punk.

Posted by: greyrooster at July 02, 2006 10:06 PM (ofp0L)

9 Bin laden in Africa. My god. That would make Rusty right and me wrong. Naw. He's in Iran.

Posted by: greyrooster at July 02, 2006 10:08 PM (ofp0L)

10 And Vinnie here is another "dhimmi" tax for you lol. The power station that the Israelis blew up in the Gaza; that was built by Kenny Boy's ENRON and insured by the good ole USofA. So guess who is going to be paying for that..... again. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/733394.html

Posted by: JOHN RYAN at July 02, 2006 10:14 PM (TcoRJ)

11 Hey Johnny - read the article idiot. Enron did NOT build this plant and the US never paid for it the first time around.

Where do you come up with this shit???

Posted by: John Ryan's last brain cell at July 02, 2006 10:37 PM (2BOvC)

12 Well said, JR. It amazes me that anyone would automatically trust US intel over journalists after the catastrophic failures of our intel agencies. Granted, they were under extraordinary pressure to produce grounds for a war with Iraq, but even so...

And you are absolutely right that the greatest danger comes from terrorism emanating from failed states. At least, that's how it has been so far. I'd put rogue states a close second, and I'd put corrupt authoritarian allies (Saudi, Pakistan, Egypt...Afghanistan? Iraq? Coming soon?) as third, although it's a tough call, since many of the terrorists striking from failed states got their start, their emotional hatred of us, while in corrupt authoritarian regimes allied to us.

Kudos to those who gave you the prize of school boy mockery as a sign of being unable to address your points.

Posted by: jd at July 02, 2006 10:41 PM (DQYHA)

13 Umm Okkk who did pay for the power plant the first time ? Any one ? This is the part of the article that speaks of Enron The power station in Gaza was built over a period of five years, at a cost of $150 million. In 1999, the Enron Corporation, along with Palestinian businessman Said Khoury, began working on the project. In 2000, Khoury's Morganti Group purchased Enron's share of the project. So let's see we have American airplanes bombing an American government insured power plant Of course that makes sense. except for the catch CATCH 22

Posted by: JOHN RYAN at July 02, 2006 11:22 PM (TcoRJ)

14 Here is an older story on Enrons building the power plant. Of course "suspect" because it was in the Washington Posthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26217-2002Mar1?language=printer

Posted by: JOHN RYAN at July 02, 2006 11:31 PM (TcoRJ)

15 As for the part about my fearing terrorists about 18000 Americans are killed each year within the USA. You are much more likely to be killed by one of our fellow citizens than by some muslim fanatic. The people who kill Americans here often are the ones who are isolated, embittered, and afraid.

Posted by: JOHN RYAN at July 02, 2006 11:48 PM (TcoRJ)

16 No, John, you're more likely to be killed by one of our fellow citizens.

Most of the rest of us are heavily armed.

Posted by: Vinnie at July 03, 2006 12:11 AM (/qy9A)

17 John - you ignorant slut, The plant was built the first time by foreign investors. It will NOT be rebuilt with any US taxpayer money. And your point is???

Posted by: John Ryan's last brain cell at July 03, 2006 12:31 AM (2BOvC)

18 John Ryan actually makes a good point, but I still think it is wrong. We have learned to co-exist with the Saudis, etc. What real choice do we have? It's a realistic approach. It's also one of the contributing factors of global Islamism and jihadism. These governments are only "allies" in the broadest sense that their interests and our interests coincide when it comes to al Qaeda and retaining their own power.

I'm willing to let Islamist thugs & corrupt dictators stay in power if that is the least bad choice available. Hopefully, though, there are better alternatives.

Posted by: Rusty at July 03, 2006 12:40 PM (BXC/2)

19 WHY DO YOU BASTARDS GO ON ABOUT 911 ALL THE TIME. 3000 DEAD! WHAT ABOUT THE 100,000S OF CIVILIANS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN THAT YOUR FUCKIN SOLDIERS ARE KILLING RIGHT NOW.
"HUNTING ALQAEDA" - DOGS BOLLOCKS

Posted by: MAJ at July 03, 2006 01:52 PM (l2G5o)

20 LONG LIVE THE TALIBAN!!!!!!
LONG LIVE THE JIHAD!!!!!!!!

Posted by: BUSHISACOCKSUCKER at July 03, 2006 01:58 PM (l2G5o)

21 LONG LIVE THE TALIBAN!!!!!!
LONG LIVE THE JIHAD!!!!!!!!

Posted by: BUSHISACOCKSUCKER at July 03, 2006 02:00 PM (l2G5o)

22 LONG LIVE THE TALIBAN!!!!!!
LONG LIVE THE JIHAD!!!!!!!!

Posted by: BUSHISACOCKSUCKER at July 03, 2006 02:00 PM (l2G5o)

23 "WHAT ABOUT THE 100,000S OF CIVILIANS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN"

Too Funny!!!

Where do these turdburglers come from???

Posted by: Bernard Campbell at July 03, 2006 03:12 PM (2BOvC)

24 Maj: So if they Taliban would stop hiding behind old ladies we might get a clear shot. Maybe you'll think twice before you go calling for bombing the US again. Remember we have been very gentle with you so far compared to what we should have been.

Posted by: Howie at July 03, 2006 03:38 PM (D3+20)

25 FUCK OSAMA BIN LADEN! FUCK THE U.S.A, FUCK ANYBODY FUCKIN WITH SOMALIA AND ITS PROCESS FOR FINDING PEICE! LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE, WE HAVE LOST ENOUGH BLOOD, ENOUGH CHILDREN AND ENOUGH LIVES OVER SIMPLE SHIT ALLREADY! JUST WHEN SHIT IS LOOKING UP YOU MUUTHAFUCKERS GOTTA PUT YOUR BIG ASS HEAD IN IT! GODAMN YOU, ISN'T 15 YEARS OF BLOODSHED ENOUGH FOR YOU?!! YOU WENT THERE ONCE, IT DID NOT WORK, WHY TRY AGAIN?! LEAVE US BE!!!!

Posted by: Axmed Muxamad at July 03, 2006 03:57 PM (utJ4A)

26 A bit late for that leave us alone crap.

Posted by: Howie at July 03, 2006 03:59 PM (Gy/Pc)

27 Howie: you stupid piece of shit! "Remember we have been very gentle with you so far compared to what we should have been."? It is becoming very evident to me that the U.S is using this word "Terrorist" to classify the powerless muslim. You sat on the side and watched the blood shed when the civil war was tearing somalia apart, and just when the public decided that it was enough and is doing something about it, You raise your Finger and motion NO! This simply cannot be, why? Somalia is a fully islamic country, and America will not sleep so long as it has peace. So you dream up a plan. HEY WE STILL HAVENT COUGHT OSAMA. Heres an idea, lets use him to get into somalia and destroy what little peace they've found! OSAMA BIN LADEN IN NOTHING BUT A FRAGMENT OF AMERICA'S IMAGINATION DREAMED UP TO OPPRESS MUSLIMS.

Posted by: AXMED MUXAMAD at July 03, 2006 04:25 PM (utJ4A)

28 Peace what peace? Peace by murder and genocide. By the way as I understand you all are killing each other right now. Not one American soldier is there right now. If Clinton wansn't such a puss we would have mopped the floor with you. We got 500 Islamotards that day.

Is this the Peace that Islam brings?

Oh and thanks for the insult

Posted by: Howie at July 03, 2006 04:36 PM (D3+20)

29 you are welcome by all means, you deserve it. and you will so long as you keep your head up your ass. The swede photographer went into a place of battle, he knew what he was getting into and the risk comes with the job. He wasn't shot apon intently. And while we're on the subject, what was the battle about? oh yea, it was US FUNDED. The warlords hired by the US to "fight terrorist" in the neighborhoods and murder women and childrean were being fought off by the public. Yes, that is what i call the process of finging peace. IT IS SIMPLE AND CLEAR, NO TERRORIST IN SOMALIA, NO "AL-QAEDA" NO "OSAMA", JUST SOMLAI'S. AMERICA STAY OUT!!!

Posted by: Axmed Muxamad at July 03, 2006 04:51 PM (utJ4A)

30 Oh I see just an innocent caught up in war when you kill civilians but if it happens to us we're evil. The old double standard. Place of battle my ass.

Posted by: Howie at July 03, 2006 04:59 PM (D3+20)

31 if thats your entire argument then i rest.

Posted by: Axmed Muxamad at July 03, 2006 05:10 PM (utJ4A)

32 Must be a full moon somewhere - bringing out all the ... whatever.

I have been reading john ryan for some time - rather indifferent to him. However, for reasons of my own, I suspect that this JOHN RYAN is not the john ryan we all know and love (well, acknowledge anyhow). just a gut feeling that someone is using his nick.

Posted by: hondo at July 03, 2006 06:36 PM (MVgHp)

33 As I understand it Somalia has stopped existing, the country has broken off in two halves. One democratic and peaceful half called the Republic of Somaliland which is friendly towards the west and then the other anti-Western half which is the one Axmed Muxamad is from, the Mogadishu part. Here is a link to a map of Somaliland:

http://somaliland.org/somaliland.asp

Charles R. Snyder
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
Somalia in 2004.

He said: Somalia virtually ceased to operate as a coherent state after the overthrow of Somali dictator Siad Barre in 1991.

"I made a joke and it's a bad joke but there is an element of truth in it, that the last Somali was Siad Barre, just like the last Yugoslav was Tito," Snyder said. He added that if there was not some better showing from the Somalis in Somalia that Washington would consider recognizing the breakaway regime in the north, which resumed the old British name of Somaliland in 1991. "Let's reach out to that group that's functioning and start treating them as a real government. The link for this statement is found below:

http://www.somaliland.org/ns.asp?ID=04010100

Posted by: Sam Smith at July 03, 2006 06:57 PM (gXO3J)

34 Accident huh look at the wound hardly from shooting in the air. Religion of Peace? If so how come your nations are awash in violence. If you had the approval of God would he not bless you with peace? One thing we an America believe is self responsibility. We were blessed with a fresh continent. Look what we built from nothing. Yes God is blessing us every day. If your nations are hellholes it's your own damn fault. You live there. Fix it.

Posted by: Howie at July 03, 2006 07:35 PM (D3+20)

35 Howie let me ask you: who do we blame for Martin Adlers death? I mean here we are funding the same warlords that killed 18 deltas(our elite troops) in the early 90's. Well I shouldn't say "We" but the Bush admin which represents our country.

In other words the Bush administration was funding local Somali terrorists(warlords). Doesn't that somehow make us responsible for Martin's death?

To make this whole Somalia debacle even worse, after a couple of hours research I found out even more bizarre facts. It turns out that the Breakaway Republic of Somaliland is peaceful, has held local, state and presidential elections attended by the US election observers and yet we havn't supported the goverment there, instead the Bush admin decided to support the warlords. Now is this official policy to support every fuckhead group in the world when there are clearly alternatives that are better for the US in the long run?

I tell you one thing Bush ain't got my vote next elections, I voted for the GOP last election, but seeing how these fake-republicans are wasting our hardearned taxpayer moneys on warlords when clearly there was an alternative option which was to support the democratic Republic of Somaliland, has made me not want to vote republican again. Fiscal responsibility and supporting democracy: 2 things republicans used to care about, No more!

I say vote Independent!

Posted by: Sam Smith at July 03, 2006 08:07 PM (gXO3J)

36 Hey Sam - get your facts straight. It wasn't "18 deltas" killed in Somalia.

It was:

5 - 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne)

3 - 160th SOAR

8 - 75th Rangers

2 - 10th Mountain Division

Posted by: John Ryan's last brain cell at July 03, 2006 10:51 PM (2BOvC)

37 AXMED: Everything about you is a lie. The muslim dogs are killing blacks everyday. Just shooting them in cold blood. Your stinking muslim government is arming nomadic muslims and sending them to slaughter people. Soon you Somali animals will be at war with Chad. GUESS WHAT. Personally, I don't give a shit how many you muslim pigs kill in Africa. Kill them all. I could give a shit. The main thing is keep your Islamic bullshit out of my country.

MAJ: You fucking idiot. 9/11 was why we went to Afghanistan and Iraq. It's obvious that the backward assholes in the middle east need control by the civilized world. You are a member of a silly little people. Cruel, stupid, ignorant, filthy and without honor or morals. It is your stinking religion that makes you so backward and you cowardly people are to stupid to know it.

Sam Smith. You need to do more research. For sure. Believe everything to read on the internet. Ha, Ha.

Posted by: greyrooster at July 03, 2006 11:53 PM (ofp0L)

38 Axmed can't amke up his mind if he's in Nepal or Somalia. Which is it?

Posted by: Howie at July 04, 2006 09:17 AM (g7Xg2)

39 JC: Muslims taking over Africa. Hmmm. Does that mean they have to feed them? This could be a blessing. Naw, our liberals would feed them anyway. Feed them and they multiply and you pass the problem on to our children.

Posted by: greyrooster at July 07, 2006 08:27 PM (BjPXu)

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Speaking of Africa, The Volokh Conspiracy highlights "Human Rights Atrocities: The Consequences of United Nations Gun Confiscation in East Africa.":

The monograph details how U.N.-backed gun confiscation programs in Kenya and Uganda have led to murder, torture, and arson, and have turned tens of thousands of pastoral tribespeople into starving refugees. The paper is available in PDF and in HTML.

Posted by: Ragnar at 04:21 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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A warning from bin Laden? Well, that should shake us up. We certainly wouldn't want to hack off bin Laden. Very important to make sure he doesn't get riled up. I mean, taking out his boys in Afghanistan was one thing. Then there's that $25 million dollar bounty on his head. I'm sure taking out his boy Zarqawi with a 500-pounder was yet another irritant. Relationships between the U.S. and al-Qaeda are certainly not what they were back in the salad days of the 1980s. Some have even described them as "strained." If we keep this up, bin Laden might start thinking of the U.S. as his enemy or something. Nope, can't have that.

Reuters has it straight from the horse's mouth: . . . more...

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The BBC has an update on the Darfur Jihad:

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says he has documented evidence of thousands of killings of civilians in Sudan's Darfur region.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, investigating alleged crimes against humanity, says the killings include large-scale massacres and hundreds of rapes.
. . .

Posted by: Ragnar at 11:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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What am I saying. They're all bad guys. It's just that some of the bad guys are slightly better than the worse bad guys.

The 1400 year old jihad machine chugs on:

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Islamic militants captured the last strategic town held by their warlord rivals Wednesday, consolidating their hold over a large swath of Somalia even as the country's parliament called for help from foreign peacekeepers.

The brave troops of the U.S. backed warlords show us how they earned our hard-earned tax dollars:

Hours after the Islamic force attacked the town of Jowhar from three directions Wednesday, the last of the warlords' remaining fighters fled east, some in pickup trucks with rooftop-mounted machine guns. Militiamen seized the airport, just outside town. Residents were fleeing and witnesses reported as many as 19 dead.

Talk about take the money and run.

So the country's ineffectual and worthless parliament is calling for international peacekeepers. Sorry chums, we've been down that road and we've seen what happens.

It may not be realpolitik, it will never be given the Official Government Seal of Approval, but it's plausible that the only thing now to keep Somalia from being the new base of operations for Osama and Co. is a nice carpet bombing.

It's either that, or wait until Somalia is used as a base to launch another 9/11.

And, since you didn't ask, but were thinking it, yes, nearly 13 years on, I'm still bitter. If you were doing word association, and said "Somalia," the first thing that would pop into my head would be "fuc* 'em."

Posted by: Vinnie at 05:01 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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As reported by Vinnie yesterday at The Jawa Report, Islamist militias with ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network have succeeded in taking over the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu. It should never be forgotten that al Qaeda's first sucess was in fighting American troops in Mogadishu during the famous "Black Hawk down" incident.

Although not mentioned in the movie by the same name, Osama bin Laden later admitted that he had sent fighters into Somalia to help warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. Bin Laden, it is said, had had a mystic "vision" in which U.S. was revealed as a paper tiger & that American forces would withdraw from Somalia, defeated. When his "vision" came true, many came to think of bin Laden as a man with supernatural powers.

Thousands of U.S. troops are currently stationed in Djibouti, which borders Somalia to the north. Strategy Page (via Glenn) has the Somalia timeline.

We cannot afford to lose the Horn of Africa to Islamists.

Reuters:

The Islamic side, which supports sharia courts in Mogadishu, announced they controlled the city in radio broadcasts and public meetings. Both residents and some members of the warlords' own militia said the city was in Islamic hands.

"The era of warlords in Somalia is over," resident Mohamed Asser said. "This morning Mogadishu is under only one hand, the Islamic courts."

Today, protests erupted in the Somali capital over the new Islamist masters of the city. The protests, though, seem to be along tribal lines. Times:

Hundreds protested today against the Islamist takeover of the capital of Somalia....

At least 1,000 protesters, from the Abgal clan, a faction of the Hawiye tribe that used to control much of northern Mogadishu, rallied in a football stadium and on the streets.

"We want to establish an Abgal sub-clan defence line, politically and militarily," said Hussein Sheikh Ahmed, an Abgal leader. "Advances into Abgal territory should be halted immediately."

Today's protests, which were left unhindered by Islamist militias, came as the interim Somali Prime Minister, Mohamed Ali Gedi, congratulated the Muslim forces on taking control of the city.

Mr Gedi called the Islamist victory, which the US fears could lead to the development of a Taleban-style African state, "an excellent step forward" today, telling Radio France Internationale that the fallen warlords had been "hurting the reconciliation, stabilisation and pacification of Somalia".

More on why we should worry from All Africa:

Al Qaeda elements responsible for the 1998 US embassy bombings in Nairobi and Tanzania and the 2002 attack on the Paradise Hotel in Kikambala near Mombasa have been moving in and out of Somalia with the aid of local sympathisers, according to US officials.

Preventing Somalia from becoming a second safe haven for al Qaeda has been a primary objective of American policy in the Horn of Africa ever since US forces ousted Afghanistan's Taliban regime in 2001. The Afghan Islamist group had provided al Qaeda with the protection and resources needed to plot the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

The theory goes that we should stabilize first, and then worry about al Qaeda sympathies later. Which, of course, is the same arguement I heard when Kabul was "liberated" by the Taliban. That "stability" was more important than the radical political philosophy of the group--which at the time no one really understood very well.

So, our covert proxy war in Somalia seems not to be working. But is the alternative the installatioin of another Taliban-like government in the Horn of Africa in the name of stability? Insanity!

Related: Kim at Wizbang: "As far as the Islamists are concerned, there is no Transitional Federal Charter of Somalia."

John at Op-For: "Another collapsed state that has the potential to turn into a big-time breeding ground. Somalia is starting to look alot like pre-Enduring Freedom Afghanistan." Indeed.

Malkin: Not Good.

Rule 308: "You want sharia? Have it, be my guests. But I bet you won't like it."

Sandbox: "True democracy cannot coexist with Sharia law."

If the Onion were half as funny as this, I'd subscribe.

This Boston Globe article reports on the covert operations the U.S. has been engaged in: more...

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Eight Westerners, including one American, working in Nigeria's oil fields have been taken hostage. Unlike other attacks which are usually claimed by the separatist MEND group within hours, this one was not. Whoever is behind the hostage-taking, we demand their immediate and unconditional release.

Reuters:

Gunmen abducted eight foreign workers in a night-time raid on an oil rig off the coast of Nigeria on Friday, raising new security fears after a series of militant attacks that cut output from Africa's top oil producer...

"Some unknown persons boarded the rig at 3 a.m. (0200 GMT) and took eight workers. They are six from the UK, one Canadian and one from the U.S.," said an executive from one of the companies that operate the Bulford Dolphin rig. He denied reports that eight Nigerians were also abducted in the attack.

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There is a reason the U.S. is supporting a coalition of warlords fighting in Mogadishu. There is little doubt that the Islamist militias fighting for control of Somalia are associated with al Qaeda. This would not be the first time al Qaeda linked forces battled the U.S. in Mogadishu.

As the U.N. begins to fret over the growing violence in Somalia, do not let their equivocations fool you--while both sides may be filled with people who do bad things, at least one side is filled with our SOBs. The other side is led by bin Laden's SOBs (if not bin Laden himself).

Keep your eyes open, this one is getting hot. [Image right: Somalians carry pictures of Osama bin Laden during a 2002 protest against the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan] more...

Posted by: Rusty at 04:14 PM | Comments (44) | Add Comment
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(Kinshasa, Congo) In the run up to the July 30 national elections, the Democratic Republic of Congo has arrested 32 foreigners, including 10 Nigerians, three Americans and 12 South Africans, in a suspected coup plot. No names have been disclosed.

From Reuters.co.uk:

"About 30 people claiming to work for a security company have been arrested. They say they were working for the company but our information suggests they had other intentions," government spokesman Henri Mova Sakanyi told Reuters.

"They wanted to destabilise the institutions of the country, that means a coup attempt."

Sakanyi said the group had been arrested a few days ago but did not give any details other than that they worked for security firm.

From another source, ANDNetwork.com:

According to the South African diplomatic mission in the DRC, 19 of the 32 mercenary suspects arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo hold South African passports. Sixteen of the suspects work for the Omega Security Company, while three work for a mining company as interpreters.

From WaPo:

The United Nations said it could not confirm Congo's allegations.

"We are not concerned about this, it appears to be a case of political manipulation by Congo's government," said Jean-Tobias Okala, U.N. spokesman in Kinshasa. "We have almost 18,000 troops here to achieve our goal of peaceful and transparent elections."

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 06:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(Mogadishu, Somalia) After 15 years without a national government, Somalia is a battlefield. Tribal militias and Islamic fundamentalists, allegedly tied to al-Qaeda, are struggling for control and many people are dying.

From KhaleejTimes.com:

Islamic militiamen and secular fighters battled Wednesday for control of Somalia's capital despite promises of a cease-fire, as the death toll rose to at least 90, with nearly 200 others wounded.

The sounds of heavy weapons echoed through the city, but the fighting was not as intense as it had been in the previous three days. The battle between the Islamic Court Union and the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism has centered on the northern neighborhood of Sii-Sii, with neither side gaining an advantage.

It's worth noting that every time I read of Somalia, I recall Blackhawk Down. I think of how the media plastered breaking news images of starving Somalians in front of the public, day after day, until the politicians were forced to send help. Food was sent and U.S. military units were there to distribute the food in the lawless country. Fighting started and the American forces soon were overwhelmed. Reinforcements were requested, but too little came, too late.

Some of the finest American fighting men ever to have lived died in Mogadishu. Needlessly, I think. And it all began with media reports of starving Somalians.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 08:57 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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(Algiers, Algeria) Sources indicate that a convoy of Algerian customs officials was attacked by Islamist militants in the southern part of the country.

From Middle-East-Online.com:

Thirteen Algerian customs officials were killed (pic) and eight others injured Friday when their convoy was ambushed south of Algiers, security sources and the Algerian news agency APS reported.

A security source said the convoy of about 12 four-wheel-drive vehicles came under rocket attack by Islamist militants around 8:00 am (0700 GMT) at Ouardhia on a Saharan road to In Salah.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 01:31 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Yes he's a war-criminal, but here is the final word on Charles Taylor:

Yes, certain do-gooding goo-goos can cheer that "justice is being served," but if this becomes common proactice, how many hundreds of thousands will die needlessly because dictators understand that the deals they are being offered aren't worth the spit they will be signed with?

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How can I ever thank da Oyster enough for pointing out this article. Every single article I've seen about the Ijaw rebels who have recently begun attacking oil platforms in the Niger delta is careful to make the point that the Ijaw people are generally Christians or animists. It's true. They are.

So, when Ijaw rebels begin to take hostages, we are to draw the conclusion that since most Ijaw are Christians or animists then the group responsible for the kidnappings must also be composed of Christians and animists. Except that mostly doesn't count in this case:

If the rising cost of the world's oil can be blamed on any one man, a portly African militia leader with a poster of Osama bin Laden glowering from his wall is the most likely culprit.

Al-Haji Mujahid Dokubo Asari, the leader of a motley collection of gunmen styling themselves the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, managed to push the world oil price above $50 a barrel last year....

"Our struggle is like those in Chechnya, Kosovo, Palestine and South Africa. That is how we are going to fight. We are not going to just sit down. We are capable of defending ourselves."

Mr Asari, 40, who shuns military fatigues and sports a trilby and a silver-topped cane, is an unabashed admirer of bin Laden. Songs praising his "gallantry" echo from a stereo in his spacious home in Port Harcourt, the Delta's largest city.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:27 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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I'm *shocked*, *shocked* I tells ya! Al Qaeda warns UN not to send peacekeepers into Darfur.

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Be on the lookout for creeping facscism in Africa. Two questions: How is it that the traditional interpretation of Islamic law is now somehow 'fanatical'? Why is it that so few seem to realize that 'freedom of religion' in Islam means its Orwellian opposite?

Incidentally, if a 'moderate' Islamists wishes only to impose a lesser penalty on apostates--say, a fine--it's still religious fascism.

CBN News:

"It is our duty to spread Islam, and to especially try to convince the Christians to change their faith,” Hamdan said. “A man has the right to choose his religion, but once he is a Muslim, then he has lost that right. If he changes, under the laws of Sharia, he should be put to death.”

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