Johnnie Carson, at 1:18:43 into the webcast:
Mr. Chairman, with respect to the TFG ... The United States has been over the last year-and-a-half the largest single contributor to the AMISOM presence, uh, in, uh, in, uh, in Somalia. We have contributed probably in excess of 150 million dollars for that AMISOM presence. We have also been a very strong supporter of the TFG. We have provided assistance which we have reported both to the congress and to the United Nations sanctions committee. We have provided assistance that has helped train their troops, provision their troops with non-lethal equipment, and to provide them with communications equipment.
As one can read in the UN Monitoring Group's latest report, it's through outsourcing where the less transparent support comes into play:
Non-State and intergovernmental actors mentioned in this section fall beyond the scope of the Monitoring Group’s mandate: namely, regional and international organizations, aid agencies and private security companies.
...
Another feature of Somalia’s war economy is the increasing activity of private security companies. ... A small but growing number, however, are prepared to tackle the challenges of onshore security services, including support to AMISOM, support to the Transitional Federal Government, and protection for private enterprises.
Few private security companies are aware of the arms embargo, and may therefore be operating in violation of its provisions. As mentioned above, resolution 1772 (2007) is silent on whether non-State actors providing support to Somali security sector institutions or private militias might be eligible for waivers or exemptions.
Bancroft Global Development
221. Bancroft provides technical expertise to AMISOM, principally related to counter-improvised explosive device capabilities, and operates under the auspices of AMISOM.
Dyncorp International
222. Dyncorp provides logistical support to AMISOM. Its facilities and personnel were specifically targeted during the suicide attack on 17 September 2009 at AMISOM force headquarters.
CSS Global Inc.
223. According to media reports, a United States-based company named CSS Global, an affiliate of CSS Alliance, has secured a contract with the Transitional Federal Government for services relating to counter-piracy and counter-terrorism. These reports were corroborated by an official of the Transitional Federal Government, Ali Hassan Gulaid, on 14 October 2009.
224. The Monitoring Group is unaware of any authorization of this activity by the Committee and sent a letter on 16 December 2009 to CSS Global seeking clarification. CSS has provided no response to date.
Back to the subcommittee testimony,
Earl Gast, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa, starting at 1:22:00 into the webcast:
..Let me just go back to our support to the TFG. The Ambassador mentioned our assistance on the security side. We also support them in building their capacity to deliver services which are vitally important to the people, um, primarily right now in Mogadishu. And we've actually, uh, supported the Djibouti process through a large grant through UNDP and UNDP is also on track ... to provide direct capacity-building support services to, uh, the TFG.
What we have recognized is that we needed new instruments, additional instruments to support the TFG, and in the last six months we have initiated two new instruments supporting the TFG in carrying out services to people in Mogadishu. Building capacity at the same time that people get services.
Huh? Talk about not really saying anything... IOW, food & medicine as a weapon - a traditional counterinsurgency tactic.
Also, recall that the March 6th NYT article on U.S. involvement in Somalia stated,
Washington is also using its heft as the biggest supplier of humanitarian aid to Somalia to encourage private aid agencies to move quickly into "newly liberated areas" and deliver services like food and medicine to the beleaguered Somali people in an effort to make the government more popular.
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Laugh of the week:
From yet another asinine "analysis" at Strategy Page,
But the West is unwilling to commit peacekeepers to Somalia, and pacify the country. The Somalis are considered too ruthless and unruly. Moreover, the Somalis know how to spin the media, which is a scary proposition for any Western politician considering sending in troops.
That one ranks up there with Kurt Nimmo's line that "The ICU is a classic intelligence fabrication" last December.
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Garowe Online: Al-Shabaab prepares fighters for war in central Somalia
Somali militant factions are preparing for heavy confrontation over control of towns in central Somalia where the groups have strong presence.
The two, Islamist militant group of Al-Shabaab and local clan based Ahlul-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa for the last few weeks have been building up armies in central Somali region of Galgadud, causing panic among residents in the region.
Al-Shabaab has reportedly warned that it will recapture the strategic towns in central Somalia which it lost to Ahlul-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa over the past years, by use of force.
On Monday Al-Shabaab has reportedly sent at least 2000 fighters with armory vehicles to the central towns including Dhusamareb which is currently under the control of Ahlul-Sunnah Wal-jamaa.
“Our aim this time round is to either capture Galgadud or forget about it. We sent more than 2000 well trained fighters,” said an Al-Shabaab official who requested anonymity.
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AP: Kenya vetoes Somali wish for troops in Mogadishu
Somalia's president wants thousands of troops trained in Kenya to be deployed to Mogadishu for an upcoming offensive against Islamist militants, but Kenya has denied the request - yet another complication for a military campaign that has already been delayed several times, officials said Tuesday.
...
In a March 21 letter that The Associated Press obtained a copy of, Somali President Sharif Sheik Ahmed asked Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki for Kenya's support for a plan to transfer control of 2,500 Somali troops trained in Kenya over the last several months to the current defense minister.
That would mean the troops would be moved from the Somali-Kenya border to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, large parts of which are controlled by al-Shabab, a militant group linked to al-Qaida.
Kenya's president rejected the plan based on fears that if the troops are sent to Mogadishu, Kenya's porous frontier with Somalia would be vulnerable to cross-border incursions, said a Somali government official who spoke on condition he not be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua declined to comment.
...
For more than five months, Kenya has been training more than 2,500 Somali troops on its soil. The initial plan was for them to be deployed to the border to eliminate threats posed by al-Shabab, said clan elder Sheik Ali Gure, who helped recruit the troops from three Somali regions near Kenya.
...
Gure warned that if the Kenyan-trained troops were transferred to Mogadishu, Somali clans along the border could withdraw their support for the Somali government. The clans want the troops to stay in their regions to take on al-Shabab there.
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(Skipping over the disinfo components of this article that create the impression that the TFG is solely responsible for originating the attempt to impose a military solution in the country or is capable of providing any services to Somalis)
AP: Pentagon eyeing drone shift to aid Somalia
The Pentagon is considering dispatching surveillance drones and other limited military support for a Somali government offensive against al-Qaida-linked insurgents, U.S. officials said, part of a cautious move to increase U.S. assistance to the anarchic African nation.
...
Determined to avoid a visible American footprint on the ground or fingerprints on Somalia's shaky government, U.S. officials are struggling to find the right balance between seizing the opportunity to take out al-Qaida insurgents there and avoiding the appearance of a U.S. occupation.
...
While American diplomats are huddling with the Somalis in the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Pentagon leaders are preparing a range of options to help boost Somalia's weak security forces.
One proposal would move surveillance drones to the Horn of Africa from an island in the Seychelles, where several unarmed Reaper systems were sent last fall for counter-piracy operations in the western Indian Ocean. The move would represent a more enduring U.S. commitment, which also would be largely invisible to the population.
Armed versions of the pilotless aircraft have been used to tail and fire missiles at militants in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, but the U.S. has also used them in Yemen to monitor insurgents from the air.
U.S. defense and Western diplomatic officials spoke about the deliberations on condition of anonymity because final decisions have not been made.
While administration officials said that sending U.S. troops into the embattled country is not seen as a viable option, they say they are not ruling out the use of small numbers of U.S. commandos when necessary for specific operations — much as they have done in the past.
...
Officials are concerned that any taint of U.S. interference or direct military support will only fuel the Somali insurgency.
This is not a new development. Back in mid-October I posted a number of links at the time of the military's introduction of hunter-killer drones into the region, which was also picked up and fleshed out a bit more by blogger Crossed Crocodiles in his post Political Assassin Robots Flying In African Skies. The serious push for training Somali forces for offensive campaigns began around the same period.
Official USG insistence that any coming military operations under the banner of the TFG / AU are entirely African initiatives are not credible, instead intended to deceive and misdirect attention from who is really pulling the strings here. It will backfire, of course, as, despite whatever plausible denial falls off the tongue of Carson et al, there are fingerprints and more all over the place. And it grossly, all-too-condescendingly, underestimates the intelligence of their adversaries & the general public.
-- -- --
Final moments from the Senate Appropriations Committee March 25, 2010 Hearing on the FY10 Supplemental
Chairman Inouye (starting 139:45 into webcast):
This afternoon we have focused our attention on Afghanistan and Iraq, and I believe we focus our resources there also. However, we have been receiving disturbing news of the deteriorating conditions in Somalia and that Somalia is now becoming a safe haven for al-Qa'idah. Uh, my concern, my question is, uh, do we have sufficient resources to counter the Somali al-Shabaab? Is that becoming a threat to us? Somalia's situation?
Secretary Gates: Uh, we probably both ought to answer on this one uh [crosstalk] ... go ahead
Secretary Clinton [very carefully, w/ a number of pauses, coaxing out words w/ exaggerated gesticulation]: Uh, Senator, we are, um, working very hard again in our civilian-military cooperation, uh, with, um, uh, the aim of trying to bolster the transitional federal government, uh, in Somalia, which doesn't have a lot of, um, scope of authority. It's basically confined to a part of Mogadishu. Uh, our main, uh, source of support is the, uh, AMISOM, the, um, African Union troops, primarily from Uganda, uh, that are, uh, providing a lot of the logistical and, uh, backup support that the Somali's need.
[Nodding affirmatively, repeatedly] Al-Shabaab is a threat. I mean al-shabaab, uh, is a very clear threat, and, uh, we see unfortunately, uh, it's morphing into, uh, a kind of al-Qa'idah, uh, junior partner, uh, over the last, uh, year. Uh.
But there is a growing sense that, uh, many Somali's themselves are no longer willing to, uh, be intimidated by or just give in to al-Shabaab. They've been extremely brutal in their treatment of people. Alot of, uh, amputations and other kinds of, uh, you know, very barbaric, uh, punishments. They have, uh, you know, stolen and, uh, diverted food aid, and prevented it from getting to the people, so there's a, a gradual growth of opposition internally in, uh, Somalia.
But clearly, our support, our support for the African Union mission, um, and then the additional, uh, help that, uh, our military is providing in terms of training, uh, is critical, uh, to the survival of the, uh, nascent government there and our hope that we can, uh, gain more ground by supporting it.
After that non-answer to the direct question regarding resources, Gates thus realized he could remain silent so the hearing ended. Clearly neither witness wanted to talk too specifically about this, nor did the other side want to press for more than they felt they needed to know.
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SMC: Al-Shabab claims to have damaged a drone
The administration of Al-Shabab in the town of Marko the headquarters of the lower shabelle region in southern Somalia has claimed to have damaged one of number of drones which were flying over the town of Marko on Tuesday morning.
In the last couple of days the Al-Shabab was keeping eagle eye on the coasts of Baravo and Marko towns, after the number of the unmanned planes have rapidly increased in the atmospheres of these two towns.
...
“in the last couple of days we have been closely monitoring the maneuvers of these unmanned planes, and today they were flaying in low altitude and we have used antiaircraft missiles to attack them, and we have succeeded in damaging one of these planes’ said an officer in Al-Shabab who has avoided his name to be used.
Despite the claims made by Al-Shabab there is no other independent body which has supported the claims made by them.
The talk of the day in the town of Marko was the attacks on the unmanned planes by the Al-Shababs.
SMC: Al-Shabab sends strong warning signal to warships
The administration of Al-Shabab in the coastal town of Marko the capital of the lower shabelle region in southern Somalia has sent strong warning signal to the warship and the warplanes on the Somali waters especially those on the horizon of Marko town.
In the past couple of days there have been drones which were hovering over the town, and these drones were taking from the warships on the Somali waters according the local fishermen in the coastal town of Marka.
In a press conference Sheikh Mohammed Abdala the commanding officer of Al-Shabab in the town of Marka, has strongly warned these drones and the warships on the surface of the Somali waters
“We are strongly and seriously warning these so called drones to stop scaring away the inhabitants of the region and to stop victimizing the local fishermen in the region, we have several means to bring down these planes” said Sheikh Mohammed Abdala the commanding officer of Al-Shaba in the lower shabelle region.
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SMC: Kenyan troops go into brief skirmish with Al-Shabab
The Kenyan troops who were recently deployed in the boarders between Kenya and Somalia for security purposes have gone head to head with Al-Shabab an armed rival Islamist faction in Somalia.
The skirmish between the Kenyan troops and the Al-Shabab took place in a location called Xar-xaar which is geographically located in the boarders between the two countries.
An unverified report which Somaliweyn Website has received from the ground says that 3 of the Kenyan troops were wounded in the skirmish.
The Kenyan troops have received auxiliary troops from the towns of Liboy and Diif, and in this case the Kenyan troops have at wide length advance in the interior of Somalia.
The update reports which are coming from the ground say that there are no exchanges of fire heard in the area.
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Any tie-in to the claims out of Merka on Tuesday morning? Some reports insisted that it was a drone which was shot at, others that it was instead a helicopter.
From a press release NATO Helicopter Lands Safely After Shooting [pdf]
Earlier today, a NATO helicopter from Italian warship Scirocco landed safety back onboard after reporting that it had been fired upon by two men from the Somali coast. The Italian warship is operating in the Somali Basin and Gulf of Aden as part of NATO’s counter piracy mission, codenamed Operation Ocean Shield.
As part of NATO’s mission to deter and disrupt acts of piracy, Scirocco’s two helicopters were conducting aerial searches near to the coast of Somalia, when one of the pilots spotted two men aiming weapons at his helicopter. Shortly after, the helicopter crew saw smoke and heard rocket firing close by.
After completing their flying mission, the two helicopters returned safely to the ship. A full inspection back on board Scirocco confirmed there was no damage to either helicopter and both crews were unharmed.
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AP: Germany to send trainers for Somali forces
Germany will contribute up to 20 soldiers to an EU mission to train Somali government forces in East Africa.
Government spokesman Christoph Steegmans said the Cabinet approved Germany's participation Wednesday. The German soldiers will be deployed in May and remain in East Africa for a year.
The mission _ made up of around 100 European military experts _ will train around 2,000 Somali soldiers in nearby Uganda.
Reuters: EU governments approve Somalia training mission
European Union governments said Wednesday they had given the go-ahead for a military mission to start on April 7 to train Somali forces battling an Islamist insurgency. The mission will be led by Spain and involve around 100 troops plus several dozens of additional staff.
Germany said it would contribute 20 soldiers for the mission, which will take place mainly in Uganda, where some Somali forces are already being trained. France has also committed troops and Britain is expected to participate.
The goal of the mission is to strengthen the Western-backed transitional government in Somalia.
But some EU member states have expressed concern that training its troops and providing them with guns could cause more problems than it solves without long-term commitments in place to pay them and give them institutional support.
...
The EU mission is expected to train around 2,000 Somali troops and complement other missions, bringing the total of better-trained Somali soldiers to around 6,000.
The EU said in a statement its mission would be conducted in coordination with Somalia's transitional government, the African Union, the United Nations and the United States.
PM Sharmarke on Wednesday:
AP: No big offensive in Somalia, fight to be 'gradual'
Despite months of pronouncements by officials that a big offensive is imminent, Somalia's prime minister told The Associated Press the government will only gradually try to expand its control of the capital, most of which is held by al-Qaida-linked Islamist rebels.
Officials familiar with the offensive's planning said it was repeatedly delayed because the Somali army lacks equipment, training and a reliable system to pay its soldiers — problems that the EU hopes to address by training 2,000 troops under a plan it approved Wednesday.
Any offensive action will be more of a gradual expansion of the area under the government's control, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said, claiming the media had misunderstood the government's plans.
"It is not a big push. It will be gradual and well-planned," Sharmarke said in an interview Wednesday.
...
Somali Interior Minister of State Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig said there is already "strong collaboration" between the U.S. and Somalia on security, humanitarian and development issues and that U.S. surveillance planes already fly over Somalia's skies, something Somalia encourages.
"The U.S. has the full permission to carry out any security operations against international and local terrorists in Somalia. It had already targeted some terrorist elements," Hidig said.
And this, wrt the EU announcement today that it will work closely w/ the US.
U.S. officials were not immediately available for comment on the form their support might take in the training. Somali State Minister for Defense Yusuf Mohamed Siyad said it is hoped the U.S. would help guarantee pay for the soldiers.
Without a guaranteed salary, soldiers might simply desert to the Islamists after training. Siyad said this has happened several times before. The U.S. already pays the salaries of about 1,800 Somali soldiers, he said.
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VOA: Kenya Reportedly Rejects Somali Request to Deploy Troops
A disagreement between Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and the Kenyan government about where to deploy 2,500 Kenyan-trained Somali troops is raising questions about why Kenya agreed to train the troops.
Political analysts in Nairobi are expressing concern about reports of a letter written 10 days ago by Somali President Sharif Sheik Ahmed to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.
...
Analyst Harun Ndubi says if the letter is genuine, it confirms what the Kenyan government has long denied - that Kenya has been actively involved in recruiting and training soldiers for Somalia's beleaguered U.N.-backed government in violation of African Union rules.
But Ndubi says it also raises questions about whether Kenya may have taken part in the effort so that it could use the troops to protect its border with Somalia.
"If Kenya trained Somalis to protect itself, then there are effectively Somali people in the employ of the [Kenyan] government and that would be breaching international relations, said the analyst. "If they are Kenyan Somalis, we might want to look at their recruitment procedures. In my view, there must have been an understanding between the TFG [Transitional Federal Government] and the Kenyan government that there will be training of people for the purposes of Somali security and I think it was terribly wrong of Kenya to do that."
...
Reports from Somalia say President Sharif is eager to move the newly-trained troops to the capital to take part in an offensive aimed at weakening al-Shabab, which currently controls most of Mogadishu and other key towns in southern Somalia.
But a clan elder involved in the recruiting in Juba Valley tells VOA the plan has always been to deploy the troops near the Kenyan-Somali border to counter threats posed by al-Shabab militants there. He said the Ogadenis would not support any move to have the youths deployed in Mogadishu.
Mareeg Online: Kenya deploys troops to its border with Somalia
Kenya has deployed more troops to its border with Somalia on Thursday, witnesses say.
Residents in the area say helicopters brought more in Libio, a town near Dhobley, a Somali border town controlled by al Shabaab.
Witnesses say they could see helicopters and soldiers in the area. The reason behind the troop movement is not known, but there have been threats from al Shabaab recently.
There has been tense situation in border between Kenya and Somalia recently where the Islamist rebels control.
Al Shabaab militants and Kenyan military exchanged gun fire on Wednesday in the area. No casualties have been reported.
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Shabelle Media: Presidents of TFG, Puntland sign agreement in Adis Ababa
The president of the transitional government of Somalia Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and Abdirahman Mohamed Farole of Puntland’s semi-autonomous region have unanimously signed agreement in the Ethiopian capital Adis Ababa, official said on Wednesday.
Reports say that both heads met in the Addis Ababa today and discussed more on issues they disagreed earlier as they were in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and lastly agreed to solve their disputes and reached solution.
Ali Abdi Aware, the consultant of the transitional government Prime Minister told reports and said that both presidents Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and Abdirahman Farole ended their conflicts during their meeting in Addis Ababa adding that they promised to tighten their relation.
ENA: Ethiopian foreign minister in talks with Somali president
Foreign Affairs Minister Seyoum Mesfin and President Shaykh Sharif of TFG of Somalia here on Wednesday held talks on issues related to further strengthening bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Minister Seyoum and President Shaykh Sharif discussed on the current situation in Somalia.
President Shaykh Sharif told journalists after the discussion that the discussion focused on ways enabling Ethiopia to further strengthen its contributions to maintain peace and stability in Somalia.
He said Ethiopia's support is significant to further strengthen the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and stability in Somalia.
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CounterPunch: The Israel Lobby's Curious Defense of an Alleged Somali War Criminal
The suit was dismissed by a federal district court and then reinstated by the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. It is now pending before the Supreme Court, where a peculiar coalition of defenders is urging reversal. Among them, to the confusion of some observers, are five prominent pro-Israel organizations, each with a professed interest in keeping Samantar out of court. In joint amicus briefs, the groups insist that as a former government official, Samantar should be immune from suit. To hold otherwise, they warn, would violate international law and set an inviting precedent for Israel’s enemies and their supporters in the human rights community.
The arrival of the Israel lobby adds geopolitical intrigue to a case that already read like a Ludlum thriller. And because it speaks to real and immediate consequences, it lends concreteness to a discussion that would have otherwise carried on in the abstract. It is one thing for a lawyer to appeal to legal authority for the proposition that the courts of one nation ought not sit in judgment of the acts of another; it is quite another for five groups purporting to represent the interests of the Israeli government to advise that doing so in this case would be to declare open season on Israeli officials in US courts.
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Garowe Online: Somali PM raises concern over up-coming offensive
Somalia’s Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharma'arke says he [doesn't] think that the military offensive against the powerful insurgents would be successful if it does not have the backing of the people.
“I don’t think that the military offensive against Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam would a successful one, I think the idea to instigate civilians against them will work better,” said Sharma’arke.
...
The PM said the up-coming reshuffle of the cabinet will change perception of the civilians against the government to the positive side.
Daily Monitor: Uganda to train 2,000 Somali troops
The French government, in a bid to restore calm in Somalia will set up a military mission to train security forces in Uganda.
According to Rear Admiral Christopher Prazuck, the French defence forces spokesperson, Uganda will train about 2,000 Somali soldiers as one of the long-term solutions to stabilise Somalia and bring an end to piracy in the India Ocean.
While addressing visiting journalists on March 28 at his office, Mr Prazuck revealed that Uganda’s military mission will be conducted in partnership with African Union, United Nations, USA and Uganda which is a major troop contributor to African Union Mission Peace Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
“EU will contribute to the training of 2,000 Somali soldiers on human rights, international humanitarian law,” he said.
He revealed that the next intake of Somali soldiers will begin this month and last for six months.
Mr Prazuck revealed that EU is determined to help stablise Somalia by providing support to vital and priority areas such as security development, assistance to the population and capacity building support “because this is the only way to end piracy and insecurity”.
The army spokesman Lt. Col. Felix Kulaigye said: “EU will open up its military mission here to train about 2,000 Somali security forces to help build institutional capacity of Somalia and to strengthen the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to take over the proper management of their country,” said Lt Col Kulaigye.
He said Uganda under AMISON has already trained about 1,200 Somali soldiers to help pacify the area and set it on the journey to stability.
AP: Somali recruits use sticks to train for war
Somali army recruits are using sticks instead of guns as they train for combat against battle-hardened Islamist rebels. Lacking equipment and training, Somalia's prime minister said a planned army offensive will be gradual instead of a blitzkrieg.
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Shabelle Media: Al-shabab spokesman:’ Mogadishu will be in our hands before training soldiers return home’
Sheik Ali Mohamud Raghe (Sheik Ali Dere), the spokesman of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen has Thursday held press conference in the Somali capital Mogadishu and said that they would take over the control of the capital before the training TFG soldiers returned home.
The spokesman talked more issues during his press conference and prolonged about the plans of the European Union for training many government troops in Uganda pointing out the proposal supposed to be trained troops for the TFG meant to massacre and commit genocide to the Somali people.
“The European Union used to support the African Union troops AMISOM and TFG. Now they are redoubling their support to those who were killing the people of Somalia. But our aim is to seize who control of the Somali capital Mogadishu so as those who are being trained to miss where to come back and we request to be supported on that,” said Sheik Ali Mohamud.
During his press conference, Sheik Ali Dere talked the piracy actions saying that the activities of the Somali pirates were totally illegal and banditry actions against the boats and ships carrying goods for the Somali people and was unacceptable thing.
Lastly, the spokesman called for the Somali pirates to refrain from intervening the Somali ships or boats carrying properties for the Somali people if their aim was to protect the foreign ships hunting illegally from the coasts of Somalia.
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Garowe Online: Fighting in Mogadishu kills 20, injures over 30
At least 20 people are killed and more than 30 others injured on Friday in fresh fierce fighting that rocked parts of Somalia ’s restive capital Mogadishu , medics and witnesses said.
Witnesses said clashes erupted on the evening in Mogadishu ’s northern districts of Karan, Shibbis and Hodan neighborhood where several mortar shells exchanged by the warring forces landed in residential areas.
Ali Muse of Mogadishu Ambulance Service says the death toll may rise as most of the wounded are in critical condition. He added that those killed are most of them civilians.
Markacadeey cites a figure more than double the wounded
The fighting in several parts of the capital Friday left 62 people injured, according to Madina hospital officials.
In the northern Mogadishu neighborhood of Manbolyo, seven people believed to be from the same family were killed, hospital officials said.
Four people were killed in the southern neighborhood of Bakara, where the city's biggest market is located. Nine more people died on their way to the hospital, said Dr. Duniyo Ali, deputy director of Madina hospital.
AFP adds that
members of the moderate Sufi Ahlusuna sect said they had fought alongside government troops.
Their fighters had given "unforgettable lessons to the enemy who characterized to harm our society," Nur Sheik Ali, spokesman for the group said.
Although the group has previously fought the hardline Shebab militia in the central Galgudud region, if confirmed, this would be the first time they had cooperated directly with government forces.
Several Somali government officials reached by AFP, while confirming the fighting, would not confirm the participation of the Ahlusuna.
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Disinformation practitioner Bill Roggio at the Long War Journal continues to ply his craft in the piece Hizbul Islam spokesman invites bin Laden to Somalia
The leader of an Islamist terror group widely considered to be a nationalist insurgent organization has invited al Qaeda's top leader to Somalia.
During a press conference held in Mogadishu today, Moallim Hashi Mohamed Farah, the top leader for Hizbul Islam in Banadir province, welcomed Osama bin Laden and other foreign fighters to visit Somalia, Mareeg reported. While inviting bin Laden and jihadists from around the globe to fight alongside his forces against the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government, Farah also said the media was wrong to refer to jihadists as foreign fighters, and that the term should be used instead for African Union forces fighting alongside the Somali government.
Here's Garowe Online's report on Hashi's press conference:
Ma’alin Hashi also issued a strong warning to all stations to cease from calling foreign fighters in Somalia as jihadists, saying foreigners are with the UN-backed government.
“We have Muhajirins not foreigners, you know that foreigners are with the government. They are Ugandans and Burundians called AMISOM. The station that describes Muhajirins as foreigners will be dealt with in accordance with the Islamic Sharia Law,” he warned.
He said the foreigners (sic) are in the country under their invitation and would even invite Al-Qaeda’s most wanted leader Osama Bin Laden.
“If we have chance we will invite Osama bin laden in Somalia. Everyone is free to come to Somalia,” he said.
"if we have the chance"
Not quite as formal an invite as the LWJ would have their readers believe, but also not as blatant a charge this time as uncritically channeling earlier efforts to convince people that Fazul had been sworn in as the leader of H.S.M. last fall. Many news sources carried the counterinsurgency propaganda version of Hashi's words this time, given the better organized momentum to discredit opposition to the transitonal govt. Still, such biased "intel" gathering & propagation on the part of the LWJ is extremely dubious - but then w/o 'islamic terrorists' there'd be no 'long war' nor a need for the LWJ...
Lamadage is back commenting at HOL and writes:
The background of this story is clear but reporters like to do cheap misleading. Unless you understand in the context was said such statement you will be confused like [another commentator] missed the intention of the spoken words of Macallin Xaash, the governer. Thank Allah I'm here and heard the full context of what was said and the background of this statement.
Background.
Local Media was trying hard recently to legitimize African merceneries with different low pretex while they (AMISON) kill and maim our innocent people at will. On the other hand, same media was giving different low hints to delegitimize the presence of few muslim migrants who came to help Somali muslim fighters.
Having cleared up the air I must say,
1) The clarity of the man must be commended not condemed unless you lack objectivity or live under uncle sam realm etc
2) Media group put his words out of proportion or context. What he was talking was AMISOM forces that occupy the main hubs of Mogadishu in the name of peace mission. More precise he was refuting people who call few immigrant muslims among the mujahideen as foriegners. He was saying how dare you call African mercerneries African brothers while you delegitmize the presence of few muslim muhajireen among Somali Islamist. If Sharif call for non muslims to help him then Somali XI and Shabaab has every right to ask their fellow muslims including Osama any help they can offer. And that stand sanction real Islam.
3)The governor of XI didn't represent the full policy stand of XI. Why? XI leader has stated before loud and clear that Osama has no right to tell or dictate on Somali Islamist what to do in Somalia.
With that the policy adopted is what XI shura stated and their leader said on record.
But we live a world where demons pictured as angles and muslims as T people. We live a world where non muslims has full right to express their views without consequences where muslims are deprived to express their feeling in proper way.
We live a world what is right and what is wrong is not measured up on Quran and sunnah but what American Congress or EU caucus define and condone.
In such world, muslims should seek guidamce only from Quran and correct sunnah not otherwise.
With that clarity our souls survive.
