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Somalia News, Somali News, Somalia capital: Mogadishu

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20080624

McCain

Charles R Black Jr

Foreign

Money

Politics

Human Rights

2008 Election

Arizona

Pakistan

Angola

Philippines

Zaire now: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nigeria

Somalia

Kenya

"Terror Strike Would Help McCain, Top Adviser Says." ... "A top adviser to [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain said that a terrorist attack in the United States would be a political benefit to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, a comment that was immediately disputed by the candidate and denounced by his Democratic rival." ... "Charles R. Black Jr., one of McCain's most senior political advisers, said in an interview with Fortune magazine that a fresh terrorist attack "certainly would be a big advantage to him." He also said that the December assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, while "unfortunate," helped McCain win the Republican primary by focusing attention on national security." ... "The comment reinjected the fear of terrorism into the campaign as both candidates had been shifting their conversation to the economy and $4-per-gallon gasoline." ... "The comments also returned the political spotlight to McCain's advisers and, in particular, to Black, who has drawn criticism for his long lobbying career and his representation of controversial foreign governments. McCain has been criticized for surrounding himself with top advisers who were lobbyists." ... "Black and his lobbying partners were at times registered foreign agents for a collection of U.S.-backed foreign leaders whose human rights records were sometimes harshly criticized, even as American conservatives embraced their opposition to communism. They included Angolan guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Nigerian [General] Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre, and the countries of Kenya and Equatorial Guinea, among others." (1, 2) -By Michael D. Shear with contributions by Karl Vick and Alice Crites

-WashingtonPost

20070618

Analysis - Countries - People - Law - Money - Environment - Religion - Terrorism - Nuclear - Military - Politics - "The Failed States Index 2007." ... "The world’s weakest states aren’t just a danger to themselves. They can threaten the progress and stability of countries half a world away." ... "The problems that plague failing states are generally all too similar: rampant corruption, predatory elites who have long monopolized power, an absence of the rule of law, and severe ethnic or religious divisions." ... "For the second year in a row, Sudan tops the rankings as the state most at risk of failure. The primary cause of its instability, violence in the country’s western region of Darfur, is as well known as it is tragic. At least 200,000 people—and perhaps as many as 400,000—have been killed in the past four years by janjaweed militias armed by the government, and 2 to 3 million people have fled their torched villages for squalid camps as the violence has spilled into the Central African Republic and Chad. These countries were hardly pictures of stability prior to the influx of refugees and rebels across their borders; the Central African Republic plays host to a modern-day slave trade, and rebels attacked Chad’s capital in April 2006 in a failed coup attempt. But the spillover effects from Sudan have a great deal to do with the countries’ tumble in the rankings, demonstrating that the dangers of failing states often bleed across borders. That is especially worrying for a few select regions. This year, eight of the world’s 10 most vulnerable states are in sub-Saharan Africa, up from six last year and seven in 2005." ... "That is not to say that all failing states suffer from international neglect. Iraq and Afghanistan, the two main fronts in the global war on terror, both suffered over the past year. Their experiences show that billions of dollars in development and security aid may be futile unless accompanied by a functioning government, trustworthy leaders, and realistic plans to keep the peace and develop the economy." ... "Today, two countries among the world’s 15 most vulnerable, North Korea and Pakistan, are members of the nuclear club. Their profiles could hardly be less similar: The former faces the very real prospect of economic collapse, followed by massive human flight, while the latter presides over a lawless frontier country and a disenchanted Islamist opposition whose ranks grow by the day." (1 of 9)

2 "The world’s weakest states are also the most religiously intolerant",

3 "several vulnerable states took a step back from the brink",

4 "Three of the five worst performing states—Chad, Sudan, and Zimbabwe—have leaders who have been in power for more than 15 years",

5 "correlation between stability and environmental sustainability",

6 "world’s failing states tend to cluster together",

7 "A dozen countries among the 60 most vulnerable contain “virtual states”",

8 Failed State Rankings,

9 "FAQ and Methodology"

-FundForPeace.org/fsi -ForeignPolicy.com

[Below are the 20 most vulnerable countries out of 60 countries listed out of 177 countries examined and ranked by the Fund for Peace's Conflict Assessment System Tool (CAST) that uses 12 indicators of country vulnerability for it's country stability analysis.]

"[Failed State] The Rankings."

-FundForPeace.org/fsi -ForeignPolicy.com

1 Sudan

2 Iraq

3 Somalia

4 Zimbabwe

5 Chad

6 Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)

7 Democratic Republic of the Congo

8 Afghanistan

9 Guinea

10 Central African Republic

11 Haiti

12 Pakistan

13 North Korea

14 Burma (Myanmar)

15 Uganda

16 Bangladesh

17 Nigeria

18 Ethiopia

19 Burundi

20 Timor-Leste (East Timor)

20060611

Somalia - Religion - Military - Law - Entertainment - Sports - TV - "Somali anger over World Cup ban." ... "People in Mogadishu say an Islamist militia which has taken control of most of the city is preventing them from watching the football World Cup on TV." ... "Residents are angry at apparent moves by the militiamen now patrolling the streets to close down cinemas whose proprietors had arranged to show satellite television pictures of World Cup matches taking place in Germany." ... "It is not clear whether the new Islamist rulers in the city have a problem with people watching football." ... "Their spokesman, Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar, indicated to the BBC it was the cinemas that were being targeted because they also showed Western and Indian films that the Islamists say are corrupting to the young." ... "But all this comes just a few days after the head of the Islamic courts militia, Sharif Shaikh Ahmed, said the Islamists had no plans to impose Islamic law in Mogadishu, and wanted the Somali people to decide their own future." -By David Bamford -BBC /News

20060606

US - Somalia - Religious - Terrorism - "Muslim militias claim control in Somali capital: Blow dealt to U.S. efforts to halt violence." ... "Muslim militias claimed Monday to have routed warlords allegedly backed by the United States after weeks of fighting for control of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to contain the spread of militant Islam." ... "U.S. officials and other experts warned that if the militias consolidated their victory, they would establish an Islamist state where Al-Qaida could secure bases from which it could spread its violent ideology to other East African and Horn of Africa nations." ... "The Islamists' claim of victory in Mogadishu comes as the United States and its allies struggle to contain growing Islamist violence in Iraq and some of the fiercest attacks in Afghanistan by the Taliban since that Islamist militia was driven from power in 2001." -By Jonathan S. Landay -KnightRidder via -MercuryNews

20060605

Somalia - Religion - Terrorism - "Islamic Militants Declare Victory in Mogadishu." ... "Islamic militias declared victory today over Somalia's traditional warlords in the battle for control of Mogadishu, quelling months of fierce fighting in the lawless capital but raising new questions about whether this regime, which American officials have accused of sheltering terrorists, will steer the country down an extremist path." ... "Some of the warlords who have ruled over Mogadishu for the last 15 years were on the run today. One was holed up in a hospital north of the city. Others were on the outskirts of the capital, their forces having been pushed from the strategic center." ... "They had been defeated by militia fighters allied with the Islamic courts that have grown in influence throughout Somalia in recent years, filling a void left by the lack of a central government. The Islamists are a loose coalition of leaders who have put forward Islam, the universal religion in Somalia, as the way out of anarchy." -By Marc Lacey with contributions by Christine Hauser -NYTimes

20060601

Somalia - Religion - "Civilians Flee Somalia Battles." ... "Islamic militiamen clashed with their secular rivals Thursday, and civilians fled the battleground near Mogadishu's livestock market." ... "The fundamentalist Islamic militiamen have steadily expanded their control of parts of Mogadishu since February and their military supremacy is growing." ... "Somalia has had no effective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. They then turned on each other, carving this nation of an estimated 8 million people into rival fiefdoms." -AP via -Forbes

20051106

Water - "Cruise ship attack highlights threat from Somalia." ... "A pirate attack on a ship full of Western holidaymakers has jolted East Africa's bomb-scarred tourist industry and reminded the world of the threat posed by Somalia, an anarchic state awash with weapons." ... "Woken by machinegun fire and a rocket-propelled grenade crashing into their cruise ship at dawn on Saturday, the tourists gazed in disbelief as attackers in two small boats tried, but eventually failed, to seize their vessel." -By Daniel Wallis -Reuters via -AlertNet.org/Newsdesk

200211117

- "U.S. Turns Horn of Africa Into a Military Hub." ... "For the first time since American troops withdrew from Somalia after a bloody firefight in the streets of Mogadishu, the United States military is rebuilding its combat power in the Horn of Africa." ... "The main goal this time is to put American forces in position to strike cells of Al Qaeda in Yemen or East Africa. But the Pentagon has also begun to use Djibouti to train its forces in desert warfare — skills that could be applied in Washington's campaign against terrorist groups or on the battlefields of Iraq." ... "France, which had colonized Djibouti (pronounced ji-BOOT-e) before it became independent in 1977, still maintains a force of 2,800 strong here. Djibouti, in fact, is France's largest foreign military base." ... "The Central Intelligence Agency is flying classified missions from an airfield in Djibouti using the Predator, an pilotless drone equipped with Hellfire missiles, according to Western officers." (1, 2, 3) -By Michael R. Gordon -NYTimes via -AltaVista-News

Somalia Websites

CIA World Factbook:

"Somalia."

Travel-State.gov:

"Consular Information Sheet"

"Somalia Maps" -UTLOL / PCL Map Collection

"Somalia Map." -Lonely Planet

<Somalia> in:

<Answers.com>

<Bartleby.com>

<Britannica.com>

<Encyclopedia.com>

<Infoplease.com>

"Languages of Somalia" -Ethnologue

"Somalia." -Lonely Planet

Somalia News Sources:

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Somalia
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SOMALIA Facts:

From the World Factbook:

Country name:

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia
local long form: Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
local short form: Soomaaliya
former: Somali Republic; Somali Democratic Republic

Government type: no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government
Capital: Mogadishu
Background: (2007) "Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that managed to impose a degree of stability in the country for a couple of decades. After the regime's overthrow early in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In May 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998 but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides toward reconstructing a legitimate, representative government but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. A two-year peace process, led by the Government of Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the formation of a transitional government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). The Somalia TFIs include a 275-member parliamentary body, known as the Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA), a transitional Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed GEDI, and a 90-member cabinet. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has been deeply divided since just after its creation and until late December 2006 controlled only the town of Baidoa. In June 2006, a loose coalition of clerics, business leaders, and Islamic court militias ¿ known as the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) ¿ defeated powerful Mogadishu warlords and took control of the capital. The Courts continued to expand, spreading their influence throughout much of southern Somalia and threatening to overthrow the TFG in Baidoa. Ethiopian and TFG forces ¿ concerned over suspected links between some SCIC factions and al-Qa¿ida ¿ in late December 2006 drove the SCIC from power, but the joint forces continue to fight remnants of SCIC militia in the southwestern corner of Somalia near the Kenyan border. The TFG, backed by Ethiopian forces, in late December 2006 moved into Mogadishu, but continues to struggle to exert control over the capital and to prevent the reemergence of warlord rule that typified Mogadishu before the rise of the SCIC."

Background: (2005) "The regime of Mohamed SIAD Barre was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy have followed in the years since. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides towards reconstructing a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. New Somali President Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed has formed a new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) consisting of a 275-member parliament. It was established in October 2004 to replace the TNG but has not yet moved to Mogadishu. Discussions regarding the establishment of a new government in Mogadishu are ongoing in Kenya. Numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of the capital city as well as for other southern regions. Suspicion of Somali links with global terrorism further complicates the picture."
Background: (2000) "Intermittent civil war has been a fact of life in Somalia since 1977. In 1991, the northern portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it has not been recognized by any foreign government. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored."

Economy - overview: (2007) "Somalia's economic fortunes are driven by its deep political divisions. The northwestern area has declared its independence as the "Republic of Somaliland"; the northeastern region of Puntland is a semi-autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is riddled with the struggles of rival factions. Economic life continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's ban on Somali livestock, due to Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. The Somali Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) opened Mogadishu's main port and airport - closed for 15 years - as well as most of the ports and airfields in southern Somalia. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements. Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to grow in 2006. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically. In late December 2004, a major tsunami caused an estimated 150 deaths and resulted in destruction of property in coastal areas."

Somalia News, Somali News, Somalia, News, Somali, capital, Mogadishu, Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed, Soomaaliya, Soomaaliyeed, Reference, Facts, formerly, Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic,
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