|
Somali Islamists accuse US of sowing divisions
Somalias powerful Islamists accused the United States on Friday of seeking to divide their movement by claiming it had been taken over by Al Qaeda militants. The Islamists, who are girding for all-out war with the weak Ethiopian-backed Somali government, said Washington was carrying out a smear campaign to split the movement and hurt its popularity. I confess. It was me. I dunnit an' I'm glad! America wants to divide us by saying some of us are Al Qaeda operatives, said Sheikh Abdurahim Ali Muddey, the spokesman for the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia (SICS). We have no hardliners ... and America is just intending to derail stability in Somalia, Muddey said. We have only one motive and that is we want our country safe and at peace. "No matter how many people we have to bump off..." His comments came a day after the United States blamed the Islamists for undermining efforts to avert a major conflict in Somalia and suggested that an east Africa cell of Osama bin Ladens terror network had seized control of the movement. US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said the development had dimmed hopes of clinching a negotiated settlement to the current crisis. Posted by: Fred 2006-12-16 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=175248 |