Why Are They Avoiding Jaano

[AbdiWahab252]

Somali rebels pull out as Ethiopian troops return


Photo: Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

Monday, November 21, 2011

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Al Shabaab militants have begun pulling out of at least two rebel enclaves in central Somalia after neighbouring Ethiopia sent hundreds of troops across the border, residents said on Monday.

Addis Ababa denied on Sunday that its forces had entered yet Somalia, but local residents and elders said scores of Ethiopian vehicles ferrying troops and weapons moved at least 80 km (50 miles) into the Horn of Africa country over the weekend.

Local people in Beledweyne and Ceelbuur, both close to the Ethiopian frontier and under insurgent control, said the Islamist fighters had abandoned checkpoints where they used to extort taxes and left their battle stations.

"I saw a convoy of al Shabaab troops vacating the front lines," said a resident of Ceelbuur, who identified himself only as Ahmed. "I don't know where (the fighters) are headed, but they aren't in the town any longer."

An Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman said a decision on whether to join the assault against al Shabaab in some form would be taken on Friday at a meeting of east African heads of state.

However, the residents said the Ethiopian military had already arrived, five weeks after Kenya launched an operation to crush the al Qaeda-linked militants.

The disappearance of al Shabaab fighters from zones close to where Ethiopian troops were stationed does not necessarily signify an all-out retreat.

MELTING AWAY?

Many rebels appeared to melt away into the local population when Kenya sent hundreds of ground troops into southern Somalia last month and began an early wave of air strikes against the militants it blames for a wave of kidnappings on its soil.

Since then they appear to have re-grouped, engaging Kenyan troops in hit-and-run attacks that, together with heavy rains, have hampered the Kenyan advance on rebel bases.

The last time Ethiopia entered Somalia was in December, 2006, with tacit U.S. backing and at the invitation of a Somali government that had lost control of large swathes of the country, including the capital, to another Islamist group.

They left in early 2009 after ousting that group, winning backing in some corners of the country, but inspiring considerable support among others for its offshoot, al Shabaab.

In Ceelbuur, the Ethiopians are widely seen as liberators. "Al Shabaab call for holy war, but they start running when they hear Ethiopia," resident Ahmed said.

"Now we don't see a lot of al Shabaab fighters in the town. I am sure they are preparing to run away when the Ethiopian troops close in on the town," said Faduma Hassan, a resident in Beledweyne, about 30 km from the border.

Al Shabaab, which is fighting to impose a harsh interpretation of sharia law on the nation, welcomed on Sunday Ethiopia's apparent incursion as a sign that the Kenyan military campaign was failing to dismantle the rebel network.

In Baidoa, about 250 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu, al Shabaab issued a rallying cry for holy war.

"Al Shabaab took to the streets with loud speakers and urged us to prepare for Jihad," said Ali, a Baidoa resident. "They have been warning us not to spy for the Ethiopians or for the government." (Additional reporting by Abdi Sheikh; editing by Richard Lough and David Stamp).

Source: Reuters

[galia]

Because Al-shabaab are f-king pussies

[ToughGong]

@ the title

Dib u gurasho xaal dagaal weeyi

[AbdiWahab252]

Seemeyer,

Adeer, We all want to go to jaano. Why not these guys ? La xowla


Galia,


They don't want jaano is my conclusion.

[quark]

Their so called jihad is against fellow somalis only thats why

[Kukri]

Like screwface above said in the movie Marked For Death...Everybody wanna go heavan, but nobody wanna die..

[AbdiWahab252]

Kukri is quoting bantuisms

[Shift]

War is deceit, nabigaa yiri csw,I remember some asking the same Q till 100 brundians bit the dust.Make sure you dont blink awoow.

[Kukri]

[AbdiWahab252]

Shift,

Today, your crew is rejecting outright express passes to Jaano.

[Shift]

I roll solo awoow no crew,am just reminding grown men not to ceeb hop.Thats no way to come at ragi kaa dul qaaday woyaanaha.

[AbdiWahab252]

Shift,

How is ODeey Turki ? I was told how he insisted to the ICU that he deserved dhaxasha Hubka Sacad when we were disarmed by the ICU.

[arabmtu]

AbdiWahab252, clearly, you know it isn't about cowardice. If this was just between them and the Xabashi, it would be fair, but you know the latter are aided by a superpower and its drones, satellites, gunships, submarines, etc. So, as Shift elaborated, they have to strategize, melt away to eventually come back. If you were their commander, I'm sure you wouldn't resort to what you're suggesting in this topic.

[AbdiWahab252]

Arabmtu,

If I was there commander, I wouldn't oppress the public. Unlike in 2007, the public support for AS is not strong. The AS went into excesses and are hated. You never torment the same public whom you will need and want to hide amongst.

[arabmtu]

AbdiWahab252,

AS are doing today what they were doing in 2007 with regard to "oppressing" the public. I don't get how they were like in 2007.