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     | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 12:37 am Sorry I can't speak Somali. At least not much. Wish I could, but I know most of you are masters of the English language. I have this vision of Somalia. As the new government takes hold, it is critical that it remain free of corruption. Corrupt leaders must be punished in the harshest possible terms. A minimalist government, i.e. that which provides minimal services for minimal expense (education, security, infrastructure and basic health services - with emphasis on the word basic) and encourages business and foreign investment. There are three critical elements here. First, education. An educated Somali worker is an empliyable Somali worker. Basic reading and writing skills as well as a working knowledge of English (international business language) make Somali workers employable. Next, security. The environment has to be secure. Contrary to popular opinion Somalia need not fear foreign aggression, Ethiopian or otherwise. As long as it desist on irredentist claims, Ethiopia is not going to launch any military forays into Somalia. Lastly, infrastructure development is also critical. The port and airport must operate inexpensively and there must be a reliable power grid. Preferably something decentralized, with perhaps a seperate power supply for heavy industry. The one thing Somalia has going for it is location. The same thing that real estate agents so value. It sits astride major trade routes. Because of this, it can import and export very conveniently. The port that needss to be built up in Boosaso since it is litterally astride major trading locations (like Aden). A rail line running from Hargeisa to Addis is also critical to enhance trade with Ethiopia. Another line running from Kismayu to Ethiopia would also facillitate the development of the Juba river region - a potential bread basket. Tourism also could flourish, particularly along the beautiful ocean front between Jasira and Barawe. Each success would feed on another. As Somalis become more educated and as industry grows, the standard of living will grow with it. A horn of Africa free trade agreement (HAFTA) could facillitate trading between Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, Djibouti, Tanzania and Kenya. These states all have historical and economic links and all suffer from under-developed economies. Down the road, Somali could explore (politically vice militarily) a plebescite which would return some, if not all, of the Ogaden and NFD to Somalia. Somalia is on the cusp of emerging from the blood-bath of the civil war and becoming one of the most prosperous states in Africa, if it just steers a steady and consistent course that adheres to these basic rules. InshaAllah I will see it in my lifetime.
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| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 07:48 pm Wow, Mad Mac, what are you a closet Somali; a potential consultant for the 'so called' government or a secret service agent? How about sharing a vision for America with us? America, that curbs the political action commitees (PAC) self serving influence on American politics; the grip of oligarchy on the american presidency; the corruption of drug traffciking and how the US government uses laundered money to inistigate "democracies" in 3rd world countries; the overrepesentation of minoroties in the criminal justice system (you, of course know that of the 20 death row inmates in federal prisons, 16 are minorites). America's tendency to always side with Israel, to the point of labeling anything Islamic as a potential for terrorism acts". The number of Americans who don't have access to health insurance; the homeless and the hungry in this land of plenty. Do share some vision for America, not all of us are going back to Somalia. For some of us, the concerns are the here and now. One thing though, I give you credit for presevering at this forum. I have often seen the backlash against the solider-gaal, but you, you have proven to be as head-strong as the nomads. All that army training huh!
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| | Wednesday, December 06, 2000 - 12:27 am Ruun What are you, a closet American, or potential terrorist for Al-Itihad? Sorry, I couldn't resist that. Look, I have spent three, count 'em three, years in America in the last 16. I am not paying all that much attention to what is going on there. I retire from the Army in 3.5 years. And then I'm heading to Somalia. So let's make a deal, I'll work on Somali problems and you can work on American problems (all of your comments above were valid - you have my total support) and we'll both be happier for it. Let's start with overhaul of our electoral system. New law I recommend, no individual may hold the same office for more than one term. This should cut down on career politicians who are a scum-bag influence and allow us to end up like choices of Bush or Gore for president (dumb and dumber). Revision of the penal code that: a. Prisoners need to work - grow their own food, run their own prisons (minus the guarding part of course). b. Juries must be "of their peers". This should, by law, include racial representation. c. Cut the middle east (minus the oil producing gulf states) off at the knees. No aid, military or otherwise. Screw 'em all. Maybe when they learn to act like humans we will decide to help them. Until then, they're on their own. If the American Jews don't like it, they can move to Israel and see how much fun it is to fight there. d. Develop a competing government insurance policy that does not operate at a profit. This will ensure that affordable health insurance is available for everyone, but it's not a give-away (give-aways are bad and encourage lethargy). e. Increase homeless shelters but make use of them contingent upon taking part in job training and placement programs made available by the shelter. Recognize that some people are going to be homeless because they want to be, or don't want to participate in society enough to be otherwise. Yeah, that soldier thing has definately made me a stubborn motherfucker. That doesn't mean that I'm wrong though. And concerning Somalia I seldom am. Haven't had any discourse with you previously, at least not that I remember. Did you work under a different user-name before?
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| | Wednesday, December 06, 2000 - 01:13 am MAD MAC Good idea ,That is our target, we will not fight agianst Ethopia any more, . We have to think our children,s future.
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| | Wednesday, December 06, 2000 - 07:10 am if ithiopians accept your idea soamalis will welcome with open hands,and peace will prevail horn of africa ones and for all. lets pray for that. amen
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| | Wednesday, December 06, 2000 - 01:41 pm MM I think the KMG should employ you as the token "white" consultant. These stupid African regimes always seem to have one. Siyad Barre had one. So did Idi Amin, Jean-bedel Bokassa and Mobutu sese-seko. (I hated their policies but I just lurve their names!) Seriously. I think Somalia should decentralize. It should break up into at least three mini-states. Somalis hate this, because after Clanism, their second loyalty is with the "nation", although they have no qualms about destroying it in pursuit of their clan interests. Somaliland should be left as it is. Puntland should unite with the central region upto beletwein, and the rest of the riverine and coastal areas in the south and the southwest should become one country. This concept has a number of advantages. One is simply for practical and administrative purposes. The country's map is odd. Transport and telecommunication systems are virtually non-existant. Also African regimes tend to concentrate everything in the capital. So if you wish to apply for, say, a driving licence or an import/export permission, you have to physically go all the way to the capital. Decentralization will minimise this problem. Also mini-states will encourage competition. When Somalia recently joined the Internet world, companies in seperatist Somaliland created cheaper Internet access facilities within a week!. The bastards already had the means to do this, but it took them a nudge from `big brother' to spur them into action. Mini-states will minimize Somali Nationalist agression against its neighbors. Strong Somalia will always be a threat to the stability of the region. It has already conducted two unsuccesful wars against Ethiopia and Kenya since its independence. This has been one of the factors that led to the current dire situation in both Somalia and Ethiopia. In the long term the country can become one, once people are educated and prosperous enough to make pragmatic decisions based on cold economic calculations. They may decide to become cantons like Switzerland or a federal state like Germany. As it stands now, the northern Isaaqs will never join a government which they believe includes war criminals. The Northeast Daroods will always be wary of Hawiye dominance. And the Hawiye will never forget that Daaroods, much smaller than them in numbers, have been their masters and rulers in their own land for centuries. This will create a persistent atmosphere of distrust and suspicion. Your `western' calculations, well intentioned as they are, miss the true nuances of the Somali character and socio-political experience. And as the US already found out once, these are ignored at our(Somali) peril. But hey, thanks for trying.
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| | Wednesday, December 06, 2000 - 10:58 pm Actually my "western calculations" led me to a very similar conclusion which I posted in the general section about 6 months ago. My big difference was I did not recommend building three mini-states, but rather have a confederacy. The central government would be in charge of defense, infrastructure, monetary and postal administrations, and international relations and run the University. The Regional governments, consisting of the 17 regions that made up the previous Somali State, would be in charge of taxation, primary education, police, local law (national law would only apply to cross regional or state border activities). All government offices would have term limits of one term (thus avoiding presidents for life, etc). Changes in the constitution would have to have unanimous support from all 17 regional government - thus making it very hard to change the constitution and allow presidents for life, etc. This would allow each part of the country to have enough autonomy that it could establish laws and rules that fit in with local customs and took into consideration the desire to avoid rule by one major clan over another. The president and central government would have minimal impact over their constituents. The bulk of the power would rest with the regional governments. That's a good idea, I could be the White Consultant. And I would work free of charge.
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| | Thursday, December 07, 2000 - 12:01 am Very nice debate. But brothers how can we foget our land given by the colonial powers to our neighbour states. Is that what you (Mr. MadMac) called as an irredentist claim. I think you're not talking for Somalis, but rather for Ethiopians . Even you need know that the region is currently called Somali Region. This is showing you that it's a Region belongs to Somalis. Tnanks.
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| | Thursday, December 07, 2000 - 10:37 am Somali It doesn't "belong" to Somalia. Maybe it should, but it doesn't. The Ogaden and the NFD both bbelong to other states. I haven't forgotten about them, but as I said, these irredentist claims (an irredentist claim can be legitimate) need to be put on the back burner for now. First and foremost Somalia needs peace and stability coupled with economic growth. You can't have that if your constantly engaging in gunfights with your neighbors at the OK Corral. The key for a return of these territories to Somali jurisdiction is a policy of detente. Get closer to your opponents to win them to your way of thinking. This takes time and patience - the latter unfortunately not a trait the Somalis are famous for.
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| | Friday, December 08, 2000 - 05:39 am Civics listen # 1 It is amazing how we (Somalis) love to put each other down, and how difficult it is for us to exchange ideas. I think, its time for us to grow up and start listening each other, if you don't like what some one has said, state your objections without resorting to name calling.
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| | Saturday, January 20, 2001 - 02:26 pm MAD MAC ===MUKHTAAR A. D. You have been known being against Islam, but I didn't know that you are also with the enemies of your home and your people of Somalia. NO religion No nation No country ===== No self-respect == nothing No people
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| | Sunday, January 21, 2001 - 06:01 am Galool lool that was funny when you said "the bastards got cheaper internet in a week"  ! I did not know we Somalilanders were all bastards looool!!! Mad Mac I do not believe you are white I believe you are Somali, I believe you are Majeerten at that since you want to develop Bossaso port, this is a typical Majerteen quest for power but all Somalis know Berbera rules, until Mogadishu opens that is lool!!! But your visions are not bad at all, keep up the visions and try to implement them!!
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| | Sunday, January 21, 2001 - 10:40 am dad jira matihiin koligiin jaaaaaaaaaaw
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| | Sunday, January 21, 2001 - 10:50 am RPG7, isaaq gormu ka kor haya cuqdaada ku jirta? Too bad that you suffer from inferiority complex assuming Mad Mac is MJ because he mentions rehabilitating a port in Somalia. What a distroted and sick deductive reasoning you use. Go heal yourself first.
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| | Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 07:38 pm RPG7 F*CK YOU this gaal is not ours(majerten). Contrary to the isaaq, we never let gaal speak for our people. So shut your dirty mouth.
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| | Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 07:38 pm RPG7 F*CK YOU this gaal is not ours(majerten). Contrary to the isaaq, we never let gaal speak for our people. So shut your dirty mouth.
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| | Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 03:23 am Mad Mac, ,,,,read to this ridiculous statement of your milatery white men,,,, ----------------------------------- Intelligence failures and the death of the 18 Rangers Friday, 26 January 2001 21:12 (ET) Intelligence failures and the death of the 18 Rangers By Richard Sale, Terrorism Correspondent WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born Islamic terrorist suspect sought by the United States in connection with the August 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, had months earlier been linked to the 1993 deaths of 18 U.S. Rangers in Somalia. A Justice Department indictment of those responsible, however, was suppressed and no action taken, U.S. intelligence sources revealed Friday. The Rangers were part of an abortive U.S. attempt on Oct. 3, 1993, to kidnap two top lieutenants of Somalia's strongman Gen. Mohammed Farrah Aidid. The original CIA plan had been to use a 10-man force, but this was put off by the U.S. military leadership, and the next day a larger force of 160 Delta operators and Rangers was sent in its place. The task force was ambushed and 18 Rangers killed by militia trained by bin Laden, according to former U.S. military and intelligence sources with close knowledge of the incident. Postponement of the "snatch" of the two aides was a "major blunder," according to a U.S. participant in the incident who asked not to be named. According to former U.S. intelligence officials, bin Laden was secretly indicted for the Ranger killings in 1997. "I personally discussed the indictment with the FBI," one former U.S. government source said. But the indictment was later "torn up" and then made part of a public indictment of bin Laden and 17 co-defendants filed in 1998 by the Justice Department following the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in which 224 people died. The Ranger murders are mentioned specifically on pages 18 and19 of that indictment. According to former U.S. military sources, the U.S. military leadership, led by Adm. Jonathan Howe, senior officer of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Somalia, believed that Aidid's Somalia National Alliance forces were behind the July 12 murder of Pakistani troops in the U.N. force, and that the warlord should be captured and tried as a war criminal. Howe requested a Ranger force to hunt Aidid down. By the early summer of 1993, Aidid began an escalation. There were attacks by Islamic detachments operating out of Aidid-held areas of Mogadishu on U.N. forces, and on June 5, 24 Pakistani soldiers were ambushed and killed. The U.N. promptly declared the SNA "an outlaw faction," according to one U.S. official. On June 12, Aidid and several of his aides left Mogadishu for Khartoum where they attended a People's Arab and Islamic Conference chaired by Hassan Abdallah al-Turabi, a Sudanese leader who sponsored terrorism against the United States and backed the spread of Islam throughout the Horn of Africa, according to U.S. official who spoke to United Press International on condition of not being named. This source said that Turabi had ties to Abdul-Rahman Ahmad Ahmad Ali Tour who had proclaimed the Islamic code or Sharia as the law of Somalia and had henceforth received financial and military aid from Iran and Sudan. "Certainly Gen. Aidid was receiving some technical and logistical aid from Sudan as part of a fledgling military alliance in 1992," this source said. The decision to fight U.S. forces in Somalia was a direct result of Sudan's strategy, according to a U.S. government analyst. Robert Oakley, former U.S. ambassador to Somalia, disagrees, but he concedes that Sudan was very nervous about U.S. intervention: "The Sudanese thought that they were next, that after we were finished in Somalia we would strike at Sudan." The Hezbollah -- the fundamentalist Islamic militia -- for example, published documents at the time alerting factions that Sudan was really the next U.S. target. "It was a totally mistaken idea," he said. But whatever the reason, Aidid began amassing his assets, with Turabi supplying weapons, men and military supplies, according to U.S. officials. According to U.S. government sources there is general agreement that bin Laden was not the master mind or the grand strategist but rather the logistical officer. He had hidden Arab Afghans -- the Islamic volunteer fighters from all over the Middle East who had fought against the Russians during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan -- on his "farms' in Sudan, and he had also smuggled large amounts of money into Ethiopia and Eritrea for purchases of supplies for "Afghan" forces. These sources said that bin Laden led a clandestine effort to move militant "Afghans" into Somalia through third countries like Ethiopia and Eritrea, providing lodging, trucks, fuel water, weapons, ammunition, explosives and medical kits, and establishing resupply points. According to current and former U.S. intelligence sources, the on-site commander and field coordinator in Mogadishu, working with Aidid, was Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian militant who is currently in hiding with bin Laden in the Afghanistan mountains. Zawahiri, who is also mentioned in the bin Laden indictment, worked with the "Afghan" forces and with Aidid's senior military aides. Throughout the summer of 1993, the escalations continued. Aidid forces soon began to mortar U.S. and U.N. troops, and by early August, bin Laden-trained groups of the Habar Gidir tribe began to engage the Americans, said one U.S. intelligence source. "It's clear they were well-trained. I mean, they were smart, did some really sophisticated stuff," said the source. On Aug. 11, a Hezbollah-style remotely controlled bomb killed four Americans. On Sept. 5, Aidid's augmented forces ambushed a Nigerian U.N. contingent, killing seven soldiers. It took a massive intervention by U.S.-U.N. forces to relieve the hard-pressed Nigerians, according to U.S. government officials. On Sept. 13, fierce fighting took place between U.S. and Aidid forces in which a Cobra gunship attacked a hospital being used as a Somali headquarters and storage facility. Aidid charged that the U.S. had killed civilians, and on Sept. 15, Aidid launched mortar attacks against the U.N. compound, and when women and children stoned U.N. patrols, the U.N. patrols opened fire, U.S. officials said. According to Oakley, the fight on Oct. 3 was "a spontaneous response" fueled by the previous U.S. killing of Somalis. "It was primarily a Somali operation. They had the motives and the tactical knowledge," he said. But this is disputed by former U.S. govermment officials. A former U.S. military source with close knowledge of the incident said that the continuing growth of Aidid's forces was "by design, (not) something anyone missed." He added that the CIA was reporting that 150 to 200 fighters a day were arriving in Mogadishu. "To most people that would indicate a massing of troops," he said. Not to the U.S. military, he said, who saw the attacks as individual incidents, not the probing of a larger and well-organized force. When the United States could not capture Aidid, it decided to kidnap two of Aidid's top leaders, what one former U.S. military source called "tier-one personalities" -- of top importance -- Omar Salad, Aidid's top political advisor, and his ostensible minister of interior Abdi "Qeybdid" Hassan Awale. They are described as "hard-liners," men with blood on their hands," by a U.S. source. On Saturday, Oct. 2, CIA operatives reported that they had "eyes on" surveillance of the top Aidid aides who were in a teahouse only 400 yards away from the U.N. compound. "It was perfect for a snatch job. We could have had them both and it would have only taken ten men," said a former U.S. military source. He said that the intelligence was passed on to the military leadership, including Maj. Gen. William F. Garrison, whose reaction was to wait until the next day and send a big, high-profile force in to seize the men, this source said. The force was called Task Force Ranger, an assault force made up of Delta's C Squadron, a top Army commando unit, and Rangers from Company B, 3rd Battalion of the Army's 75th Infantry, backed up three surveillance helicopters, a spy plane, four MH-6 Little Bird helicopters and eight Black Hawk troop-carrying helicopters. The force was supported on the ground by eight Humvees carrying Rangers, Delta operators and four members of the Navy's SEAL Team Six, the Sea, Air, Land group of the Navy's special forces. Together this force totaled 160 men. The force easily seized the two Aidid aides when they walked into a trap. However, in the fight, two high-tech MH-660 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and two more crash-landed. Eighteen Americans were dead and dozens more were wounded. Aidid's forces suffered at least 500 dead and a thousand more wounded. But to some U.S. intelligence people the frustration remains. Commenting on the two Aidid aides in the teahouse, a former U.S. military source said: "The CIA could have captured them with 10 men. On Saturday afternoon at four o'clock, they had eyes on contact." The U.S. military leadership "bears responsibility for the loss of those lives," he said. -- Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved. --
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| | Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 05:00 am To the man with no name! We are talking about SOMALIA not bin laden. We cann't have decent coversation without been labelled or call names. Once we resolved our current problems, can we be in state to help other muslims. Right now it doesn't seem that anyone else eccept allah can help us. The solution to the somali predicment is in our hands, its just matter of sitting down and discusssing it. I believe that somalis, region by region should settle down and creat a piece. then should we be in a situation to UNITE the ENTIRE somalia. We should all follow the EXAMPLE set by our northen brothers, who are enjoying their success. in my opnion we should divide somalia into three main parts. the north, the central and the south. we should establish CENTRAL gov'ment who is in charge of defence,monatery and foreign affairs. each state should have thier own rules and regulations. that the go'ment should have no power to interven with this rules. Also they should be in charge of their own taxation, policies. and finaly i stress encourage ecomomic and business development betweeen the states, also healthy compition between the states. regions.
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| | Monday, January 29, 2001 - 03:23 am RPG--7 You will notice that THE VERY NEXT LINE I mention estabilshing a rialway between Hargeisa and Addis to facillitate the use of that port right??? I'm not Majertain and I'm not Somali. You want proof here it is. E-Mail me at: iikorpsg2of@hq.c5.army.mil Anonymous I already adressed your article on the general page. Suffice to say it's a bunch of innaccurate B.S. and it was not written by "Military white men." It was written by some dumb ass who forgot to talk with da masta (that's me) when writing an article about Somalia. Federalist I could not have said it better myself.
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| | Saturday, February 03, 2001 - 09:12 am MAD-MAC. You are a pure Dhulbahante. I have met you in Boston the other day, come off it will you. Wiil Warsengeli.
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| | Monday, February 05, 2001 - 12:27 am Now I'm Dulbahante. Holy Cow!!!! Seems to be focused on Darood, don't know why, I spent a lot more time with the Hawiye. Oh well, whatever. The important thing is what did you think of my ideas?
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| | Monday, February 05, 2001 - 08:30 am ur ideas are not that bad BUT u have forgotten to say that the only reliable somalis who can govern are the isaaq.
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| | Tuesday, February 06, 2001 - 01:01 pm Hey, cut the crap people. I think MAD MAC's ideas deserve more respect than your b.s. I'm really glad there's atleast one honest, positive, constructive Somalian outthere expressing the way things should be. Infact, i respect your ideas MAD MAC. I salute you fella MAD MAC. WAY TO GO MY BOUY!!!
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| | Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 01:44 pm WOOW I did not know people would get this mad lol! I as a humanbeing and as a member of the internet community have the right to believe Mad Mac is majerteen so why are you all getting upset??? Freedom of speech is crucial to the success of the debate in this forum, Afweynes time is over, this is the information era where ideas and views flow freely in cyberspace!! By the way what is MJ???lool, Is this the new thing using just the initials for the clan one hails from, i tried this with my own clan and EUUREKA A GOT THE INITIALS IQ LOOL ISAAQ=IQ LOOL!! Peace and love on earth!!!
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| | Monday, February 12, 2001 - 08:54 am Asaalumu claykum Well I must say, this is the most stupidest forum i have ever read, First of all it was started by some unknown stupid Mad MAc, who claims to want to help the Somalis, yet openly declares that he is soldier for the biggest enemy of Islam, let alone Somali, so brothers and sisters, while he may have reasonable solutions to our common problem, he is still an enemy and therefore should be ignored no matter what he says, so i will all encourage you to stop writing in this forum and close the matter altogether. You can already see the hatred he created between brothers who started calling each other names as a result of what the mad mac has said. wa calykumu salaam
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| | Saturday, February 17, 2001 - 05:58 pm To: Mad-Mac: I would say that it would be better if Somalia, Eithopia, D'jibuiti and kinya united so we would became a gread East African Nation, one Country, Waxaa qoray; kaafi
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| | Monday, February 19, 2001 - 10:41 am Reading this I think there is nothing wrong what the guy said. I am not sure about Galools approach especially when he says that '' mini-states will minmize nationalist aggresions against its neaghbour'' Mohamed abukar, Bro you need to realise that Somalis hate eacth other for no reason. A persaon can be any race to be a human. Somalis will talk to each other at anyway they want without anyforieng presence. They are themselves their enemies. MadMac, are you the same person that I saw on the other page. The non-muslim guy?
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 08:04 am Mad ,mac If things were as simple as you have said, many intelligent opportunist men who are deeply involved in the somali affair would have long accomplished what u are saying now. In any case, you started from the general rather than the particular thus basing all your well-prepered argument on theoritical possibility rather than practicality. Before you delve iinto these aspects, you should have to recognize the fact that who is going to supprt your strange views about a future somali government when in fact none of the somali ppl need a government run by men who arent members of their own tribe. You are being naive in the sense that none of your suggestions is workable and applicable in real somalia. Before you go deep into the political, social, economic issues that are yet to come, you should need to devise a way of uniting somalia in general and its people in particular who have been divided along tribale lines. Be realistic and stop your your philosophical murmuring about what is yet to be seen. The other thing is, you seem to be rooted into the tribal system, just like anyone in somalia. So examine yourself and ask yourself why you are biassed against certain tribes before you pop in with the proud feeling of saying i am dhulbahante. You have just demonstrated that you are another bottleneck in the system that needs to be removed. You have such a strong tribal attachment, no wonder then you took it civilly by hiding behind mask------transparent one,,lol You have really deviated from the topic you posted, so get yourself on track and keep babbling on and on and on about the impossibility.
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 08:21 pm y faith in Somalia is; indeed, based on my faith in the people. Throughout the years of war, that faith proved not justified over and over again, whenever the going was tough - which is still tough!!!!. I invariably found that if our cause was right, all we had to do to win peace was talk to the heads of our warlords (bloodlords) directly to the people of our land. To me, therefore, every will of having federation result augurs very well for the future, if Somalians retain the determination and the confidence to insist that it must be the broad public will, not anyone's narrower political/tribal agenda that shapes our future. For that future to be successful and prosperous, I believe we will have to pursue two difficult complementary objectives that are equally essential to our country's harmonious existence and development. First, we will have to maintain a central government strong enough and sensitive enough to Somalia's diversity to reflect our desire to live as one people, to settle conflicts of interest between regions and tribes with unquestioned political authority, and to speak on behalf of all Somalians, both at home and abroad. And, second; we will have to develop the means for coordinating the efforts of all our regions/tribes and for ensuring that the involvement of every region of the country in the affairs of our nation is substantial enough to make them full-fledged members of the federation. This, I hope, will encourage them more and more to plan their development within a broadly Somalian perspective. After all is said and done, the Somalian federation presupposes that over and above our respective towns, cities, regions/tribes and neighbourhoods, Somalia must be considered to be the only homeland of all Somalians. But, i must say this to avoid making a clear choice as Somalians (rather than as members of this or that region or tribe) by choosing to have feeble federal institutions would be to condemn ourselves to collective weakness in a world that will not be kind to nations such as Somalia divided against themselves. As a matter of fact, a country; after all, is not something you build as the pharaohs built the pyramids and then leave standing there to defy eternity. A country is and has to be something that is built every day out of certain basic shared values. Maybe, we need to re-evaluate once for all our values, believes, humanity, etc.... And so it is in the hands of every Somalian whether you're a warlord = bloodlord or a simple refugee living outside the country to determine how well and wisely we shall build " the African country of the future" . To be honest, we don't need that any government from anysides (bloodlords including TNG, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND, ETC....) to tilt the playing field in favour of the regions/tribes. Sometimes it shocks me when someparts of the country suchas Somaliland tries to advocate wherever they went atleast last ten years that their right of self-determination as a region "country" to be treated as a constitutional right. I find that position absolutely incompatible with my view as a Somalian: I hold that Somalia is more than the sum of its parts; it is not a nation/country merely because the regions or the tribes permit it to be. But, IT IS A NATION BECAUSE THE SOMALIAN PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE. If, on the contrary, we or you (Somalians) concede that Somalia is no more than a compact between four regions (SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND, BANADIRLAND AND JUBALAND) coming together, then I suppose you can accept that they can also come apart wich i'm not practically advocating for it while i think no country is eternal. Although, it's possible that Somalia will break up one day wether we want it to or not, as it's possible that United States will break up one day or China. Anything it's possible nowadays, but i think that we (Somalians) as a people must not in any way recognize in advance the legitimacy of that process (atleast let us makesure that will not be our ultimate duty no matter what the consequences have been the past). It doesn't mean that we need (ever) to contemplate the need, as Abraham Lincoln did in the United States, to maintain unity by force. But we (Somalians) should remember that even in Lincoln's day, as he himself made clear, the south went to war in order to preserve the Union. Fortunately, so far we haven't had the example of any region/tribe going to war to destroy the country and therefore the question of whether we would go to war to preserve national unity is a hypothetical one and I hope it'll remain that forever and ever!!!! MAY ALLAH KEEP OUR FAITH AND HOPES ALIVE IN SOMALIA ONCE FOR ALL !!!! AMEN!!!
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