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| Africa Horn |
| Somalia: Islamists disappearing in the capital |
| 2006-12-28 |
| (SomaliNet) Here in Mogadishu, it is within hours of mess and disorder, and no one rules the capital right now as the people began to worry about what is next. Once powerful Islamic CourtsÂ’ men but just weak seem to be disappearing. Scurrying off to live in the shadows and dream of Dire Revenge™... It is now the end of eight months rule by the Islamic Courts Union in central and southern Somalia, despite the ICU hardliners vowed to launch hit and run attack in Somalia. The traffic in the city is much smaller than days before, what the ordinary people eager to hear is an immediate change with stability and security but feel more anxiety that the advancing Ethiopian backed interim government forces clash with the remnants of the ICU fighters who retreated to the capital, their last stronghold besides southern port city of Kismayo. Ethiopian forces are now advancing toward Kismayo and it is feared to fall out of hand in the coming hours. Now Mogadishu is the main target of the Ethiopian forces along with the government troops led by some of the former warlords. The powerful forces are coming into two directions heading to the capital in the next hours, notably the capital will be under the control of the government tomorrow, said Mohamed Dhere, a former warlord in northern Jowhar city some 90 km to the capital of Mogadishu. Some of the residents in the capital already began fleeing their home heading to near by regions in southern Somalia. “I would suggest the Islamic Courts officials not to order their fighters to fight inside the capital if they are doing favor for the civilians because we donÂ’t want any more blood shed,” Abdirisak Bakistan, a local teacher in the capital said. “The Islamist officials have still chance to flee and seek refuge in the Arab world if not they should surrender to the interim government. Despite people in Mogadishu now fear of air raids by the Ethiopian forces, Somalia Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said that there is no intension to bomb the capital. “We donÂ’t absolutely intend to attack Mogadishu but my government is confident that it will be welcomed by the its people in the capital,” said Gedi. “what we are hunting down is the foreign insurgents in Somalia and will crush them until their end, the Islamists made the country base for international terrorists,” The capital is now in anarchy condition amid Islamist soldiers changing their uniform after facing sizable defeat in the clashes with the Ethiopian backed interim government forces in central and southern Somalia. In north Mogadishu, self arranged local militia took the control of the area with the Islamic fighters handed their weapons to their clans to get safety and refuge. When I visited the north of the capital just half an hour ago, I could see that the Khat leafy, which was already banned by the Islamists, is being sold publicly. Cinemas also began to open for viewing. All the khat dealers and consumers seem to feel relief. Some are happy to get back to their normal life. “I am very happy that Islamists go away and the government came in because the Islamists made the life difficulty and blocked me to get access for my daily life and feed my children as they banned the sale of Khat leafs,” Amina Haji, one of female khat dealer told SomaliNet. Here in Mogadishu, no one knows whereabouts of the leaders of ICU including Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and others. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 Notice the significant lack of MSM? Just like Darfur. When no one is around, stuff gets done, one way or another. Hint, hint about allowing MSM to operate independent in a war zone. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2006-12-28 13:47 |
| #10 Plan. Careful, quiet preparation. Mask intentions. More preparation. Train and drill. Gather intel. More training. More preparation. And then unleash hell. To this non-mil person, the Ethiops seem to have planned and executed a very well-done invasion, and did so the old-fashioned way. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-12-28 13:17 |
| #9 I think it's funny that less than a week ago Reuters, et. al, were talking about the ISC capturing the last government/Ethiopian stronghold? |
| Posted by: anymouse 2006-12-28 12:39 |
| #8 Forget the Ethiopian chicken - the fastest thing in the world seems to be the Ethiopian 1st Armored Brigade. Golly! |
| Posted by: WhitecollarRedneck 2006-12-28 12:14 |
| #7 Unfortunately, the Ethiopians - as with the Nigerians - have an increasing Muslim minority that is breeding like flies. And they are vulnerable to Eritrean guerillas. Face it: bloody-border states have few or no allies against the Muslim menace. Ethiopia is in the same position as it was during the League of Nations folly Muslims are taught to breed like rabbits so they can take over the world.Thats why they come to the West where we foolishly pay for these scroungers!!!! |
| Posted by: Ebboluque Omogum5153 2006-12-28 11:11 |
| #6 ...as they banned the sale of Khat leafs I think that was the ICUs "jump the shark" episode. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-12-28 08:24 |
| #5 Here in Mogadishu, no one knows whereabouts of the leaders of ICU including Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and others. Try Mecca |
| Posted by: john 2006-12-28 07:49 |
| #4 Unfortunately, the Ethiopians - as with the Nigerians - have an increasing Muslim minority that is breeding like flies. And they are vulnerable to Eritrean guerillas. Face it: bloody-border states have few or no allies against the Muslim menace. Ethiopia is in the same position as it was during the League of Nations folly. |
| Posted by: Sneaze Shaiting3550 2006-12-28 03:13 |
| #3 The Ethiopians have been on the frontline of the worldwide war against Islamic terrorism for 1400 years. Believe me, they know how to deal with terrorists and are not restrained by the seeming congenital stupidity of the American Left when it comes to exterminate threats to their national security. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-12-28 02:53 |
| #2 I hope the Ethiopians do what we are unwilling to do: do whatever it takes to kill the islamo-cockroaches. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2006-12-28 02:08 |
| #1 Frankly, there will be a dirty war once the Islamonazis try to replay the same IED/RPG/sniper trick of the Iraq Nazis. I was in Chile when authorities were using extra-legal means to suppress communist revolution. I also saw it in Central America. Sorry but: sometimes the end justifies the means used. As I write the President is at his Texas ranch, in deep consideration of various new tactics for the Iraq theater. What would happen if he pleaded, "Disproportion in response to terror, will be the center-piece of US counter-terror strategy in Iraq"? |
| Posted by: Sneaze Shaiting3550 2006-12-28 00:46 |