Saudi King Abdullah is reported to have suggested during a March 19 meeting with U.S. counterterrorism advisor John Brennan that surgically implanted chips could help monitor released Guantanamo detainees.

The release of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables revealing backroom war negotiations — where truth sometimes becomes collateral damage — could become fodder for Al Qaeda propagandists, analysts warn.
Take for instance the blunt admission contained in the thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables that states Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh concealed U.S. missile strikes against a local branch of Al Qaeda.
“We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours,” Saleh is quoted as telling U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, then the American commander in the Middle East, in a January meeting.
The cable notes that Saleh’s comment prompted Yemen’s deputy prime minister to light-heartedly add that he had just ‘lied’ to parliament, telling them that Yemeni forces had carried out the strike.
The detailed cable goes on to quote Saleh’s concerns about drugs and weapons smuggled from nearby Djibouti — then joking that he is not concerned about whiskey being brought into the Islamic republic, “provided it’s good whiskey.”
It is a poorly kept secret that the U.S. has been heavily involved in Yemeni security since Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed credit for last year’s failed Christmas Day plot to down a Detroit-bound flight, among other attacks.
But some warn that Saleh’s candid admission in a country where foreign intervention is despised will be a boon for groups like AQAP.
“President Saleh’s comments will be translated and used over and over again by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as a recruiting and propaganda tool,” says Princeton scholar and noted Yemen analyst Gregory Johnsen.
“His statements regarding lying about U.S. air strikes and ‘whiskey’ fit seamlessly into a narrative that AQAP has been peddling in Yemen for years.”
Sunday’s disclosure of nearly a quarter-million cables from website whistle-blower WikiLeaks touches on some of the most sensitive and pressing national security concerns, including U.S. fears about the rise of Islamic militant organizations in Somalia, Yemen and Pakistan.
But the cables also provide bizarre details of candid conversations that were sure to make foreign leaders squirm Sunday night and dread the continued release this week of thousands of more cables.
Saudi King Abdullah is reported to have suggested during a March 19 meeting with U.S. counterterrorism advisor John Brennan that surgically implanted chips could help monitor released Guantanamo detainees.
“ ‘I’ve just thought of something,’ the King added, and proposed implanting detainees with an electronic chip containing information about them and allowing their movements to be tracked with Bluetooth,” the cable states.
“ ‘This was done with horses and falcons,’ the King said,” according to the released document.
To which, Brennan reportedly replied, “horses don’t have good lawyers.”
The issue of closing Guantanamo appears often in the cables, although the anticipated disclosure of documents concerning Canadian detainee Omar Khadr was not released Sunday.
Negotiating placement for the Guantanamo detainees became a diplomatic version of “Let’s Make a Deal,” with State Department officials promising lucrative financial and political payoffs to personal meetings with President Barack Obama if allied countries would take a detainee off their hands.
One cable notes that accepting Guantanamo prisoners would be a “low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe.”

Swiss voters approve harsher deportation plan

 

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Foreigners make up more than a fifth of the Swiss population

Switzerland has approved a plan to automatically deport foreigners convicted of serious crimes. The proposal, put forth by the nationalist Swiss People’s Party, has been criticized by human rights groups.

 

Swiss voters have approved a far-right initiative to automatically expel foreign residents convicted of serious crimes, according to poll results.
Swiss national broadcaster SF1 said 52.9 percent of voters backed the initiative in Sunday's referendum, a plan proposed by the nationalist Swiss People's Party (SVP).
A counter-proposal put forth by the Swiss government, which would make expulsion dependent on the length of a prison term rather on an arbitrary list of offenses, appears to have been rejected by most voters, according to preliminary results. Currently, decisions to expel foreigners convicted of serious crimes are made on a case-by-case basis.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Posters for the Swiss People's Party have been controversial
The initiative, which would apply to foreigners convicted of crimes like murder, rape or trafficking in drugs or people, has been criticized by human rights groups and legal experts, who said it could disregard international anti-discrimination treaties and the free movement of peoples under European Union law.
Switzerland, while not an EU member, does allow EU citizens to take residence without special permission.
Foreigners make up more than a fifth of Switzerland's population of 7.7 million, and according to official figures are disproportionately charged with crimes.
Growing support for SVP
The SVP has become one of Switzerland's biggest political movements in recent years, garnering support by playing on the rising fear about immigration.
Posters for the SVP proposal showed a group of white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag, a move criticized by anti-racism groups.
Sunday's referendum comes a year after Switzerland approved a ban on the construction of minarets, a decision that drew international criticism.
Author: Martin Kuebler (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Editor: Ben Knight

Revenge and clan based anger cannot build a nation

Revenge and clan based anger cannot build a nation  

by Hashim Goth
Monday, November 22, 2010

President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud "siilaanyo"

When Kulmiye political party was in the election campaign, we have seen President Silanyo playing the tribal card a number of times by evoking the memories of the Somali National Movement (SNM) and his role as the leader of the movement.

Despite his divisive political line, many of us gave him the benefit of the doubt and thought that he was using these issues to win the election but will not use them in government. Many of us entertained the hope that he would form a national government that would maintain the harmony and the unity of the people of Somaliland.

We had faith in him due to his long service as minister with Siad Barre government and also due to his political experience as head of the SNM.

However, his true color became more apparent when he formed his first cabinet. The new government was a mixed bag consisting of clan chauvinists, Islamists, In-laws of his sub-clan and a few individuals from Diaspora with high degrees who campaigned for him and who were away from the country over twenty years and have no experience or connection with the realty of the country.

What is worse than that is the key ministers in Silanyo’s cabinet such us: - The Ministers of Interior, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Planning, Public –works, Mining and Mineral Resource, Education and Health are all from one clan. In addition to that important positions such as : President of the supreme court country, The Governor of the central Bank, Commander of the Army  force and the Spy Chief, were all given to SNM supporting clans and none of them came from Awdal, Sool and Sanag regions .

This is in violation of The Borama accord of 1993. The new government of Silanyo is in a nutshell a clan based administration and has left out the none middle regions of the country. This action has triggered a fierce feeling of anger in a number of regions such as Awdal-. The minor positions allocated to Awdalites would not persuade us to believe that we have a share of the pie because the information and the advice Mr. Silanyo is getting from little men in the Awdal region is misleading and to depend on the opinion of these people will not be helpful to maintain the peace and the Unity of the country.

Secondly, let me add to this, Awdal region is Somaliland historically, politically, and Socially and the Awdalite people are not divided on that issue. Mr. Silanyo may also be reminded that his dagger wielding advisor in the Presidency is unwelcome to that the vast majority of Somaliland people and particularly those of the Awdal region.  The people are obviously watching how your lopsided Government is running the affairs of their country.

The ball is in your court and the situation needs to be rectified.

---

Hashim Goth.
hashimgoth@hotmail.comEditorial AwdalpressSomaliland           

Video of Kidnapped British Couple’s Journey to Freedom After a Year With Somali Pirates

Foreign Companies Loot $350m From Somalia

Foreign companies loot and dump toxic wastes in Somali seas in the full glare of the EU and NATO naval forces that patrol the Somali coastal lines, a Somali professor at the University of Minnesota has said.
Abdi Ismail Samater, a professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota claims foreign companies poach and dump toxic waste in Somali waters.
He said foreign interests seized the opportunity to begin looting the country's seafood after the collapse of the Somali government in 1991.
"Between 700 up to 800 illegal fishing ships directly steal Somali seafood. They took any kind of fish including nest eggs in the deep waters", he told AfricaNews in an exclusive interview. He added that foreign ships use prohibited fishing equipment, including nets with very small mesh sizes and sophisticated underwater lighting systems, to lure fish to their traps.
Somalia waters have huge numbers of commercial fish species, including the prized yellow fin tuna.
The illegal fishing ships come from Italy, Egypt, India, South Korea, Kenya, Tanzania, and Spain, according to a research that is yet to be published by Prof. Abdi Ismail Samater and his colleagues at University of Minnesota.
The research also indicates that illegal fishing companies from Japan, China, Denmark and Holland are also part of the lootings process in Somalia.
"The illegal fishing companies poach an estimated between $250 up to$350 million in seafood from Somali waters annually", Prof. Samater said.
The foreign companies steal an invaluable protein source from one of the world's poorest nations, where half of its population needs food aids.
One in six Somali children is acutely malnourished - a total of some 240,000 children - the highest acute malnutrition rates anywhere in the world. In south and central Somalia these rates are even higher, reaching one in every five children, According to WFP.
The UN estimates it will need $689 million to provide aid in 2010 to the Somali population, of which 43 per cent live on less than a dollar a day.
Professor Abdi accused foreign companies for ruin the livelihoods of legitimate fishermen. He claimed NATO and EU force in Somali waters don not stop or even speak out illegal fishing in the coast.
"NATO and EU forces are aware of the ongoing poaching in Somali sea but they are focusing on pursuing only their economic and security interest", he said.
But Lieutenant Colonel Per Klingvall, spokesperson for EU NAVFOR said his force is contributing in monitoring fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.
"We are mandated to monitor and report illegal activities off the coast of Somalia. We have no information about illegal fishing in Somalia", Per Klingvall said.
"European fishing vessels pass their location to us daily, they have not been in Somali waters since they started passing EU NAV FOR their details. As far as we can monitor the European fishing fleets are outside the, by Somali, declared 200 NM Economic exclusive zone."
Prof Abdi Ismail Samater said foreign warships came to the Gulf of Aden to protect only their interests and the increasing insurance costs.
But the spokesperson for EU NAVFOR said that their main objective is to escort World Food Programme (WFP) ships so they can deliver humanitarian aid to the Somali people. "Since we started Dec 2008 we have escorted more than 80 ships who have delivered more than 410 000 metric tons. That feeds 1 300 000 people every day", he told AfricaNews.
'Other missions are to escort AMISOM logistic ships and other vulnerable ships. We are also mandated to disrupt and deter acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast".
Somali pirates are causing havoc in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping routes connecting Europe to Asia and the Middle East.
"There are stories that piracy probably started as a reaction to foreign illegal fishing over 10 years ago.
However, the pirates are no longer motivated by good causes - all of the recent attacks off the East coast of Somalia have been hundreds of miles from Somali waters and have been for financial gain only", said Per Klingvall.
In sharp contrast to the EU Naval force for Somalia, Professor Samatar says a number of pirate are out to make money, some are patriots who are out to defend the waters against looting. "All power full states are just pushing only their interests. Somali pirates took only $35 million each year while foreign companies loot $350 m seafood annually.
No-one is addressing looting but world bodies are busy discussing pirates", he said.
Prof Samater says western nations are only focused to fight pirates since it is a threat to their economy.
"No one is listening to a weak person who is crying and saying "please don't take my fish". No nation is serious for Somali issue. They are all busy for their interests".
Warships from the United States, Britain, Japan, France and other countries have been trying to stop Somali pirates, but have been unable to uproot the problem of piracy.
The international community has been focused on training Somali ground forces-military and police-to defend Somali government from Islamist rebels but EUNAVFOR spokesperson said they have no mandate to train Somali Naval Force.
By Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya

Feds Break Up Somali Sex Trafficking Ring in Minnesota, Tennessee

Nearly 30 Somali immigrants named in indictment

John Morton says the US authorities will bring sex traffickers to justice

 

Updated: Monday, 08 Nov 2010, 10:44 PM EST
Published : Monday, 08 Nov 2010, 10:06 AM EST

by Tom Lyden / FOX 9 News

MINNEAPOLIS - In a series of arrests carried out Monday morning in the Twin Cities and Nashville, Tennessee, federal and local authorities broke up a human trafficking ring that provided underage prostitutes.
A federal indictment unsealed Monday morning in Nashville details the sex trafficking operations of 29 Somali men and women tied to the Somali Outlaws, Somali Mafia and Lady Outlaws gangs, which are all connected and based in Minneapolis. Of the 29 indicted, 12 were arrested Monday morning in the Twin Cities, eight in Nashville and six were already in jail in various locations. Three remain at-large and wanted.
Word of the activities of the ring first became public in September, when investigators sought the phone records of a 15-year-old girl who was a prostitute for the ring.

According to the indictment, one of the intentions of the three groups is to “identify, recruit and obtain” girls under 14 and girls under 18 for prostitution. The sex ring operated between 2000 and 2010 in Minneapolis, Nashville, and Columbus, Ohio.

“Trafficking children for sex is intolerable and the Department of Justice will aggressively enforce trafficking and other laws to eliminate these types of deplorable acts,” said U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin. “As shown here today, law enforcement agencies at every level will come together to bring the full force of justice to bear on individuals who choose to profit by victimizing innocent children.”

The indictment details the trafficking and sexual assault of four girls – two under the age of 18 and two aged 13 and under at the time of their recruitment. The girls were allegedly taken between Minneapolis and Nashville, where they were sold for sex and forced to have sex with gang members. One of the victims was also taken to an apartment in Seattle and to Columbus with other girls.
One of the victims detailed in the indictment was picked up from her high school several times and raped in a bathroom at Northtown Mall in Blaine, Minn. and inside an abandoned garage.

During a trip to Nashville, one of the gang members allegedly shot a cell phone video of a victim engaging in sex acts with someone else in the car. He then sent that video to other people.
Most of the prostitution transactions took place in apartments, homes and hotel room in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities metro or Nashville.
The sex trafficking offenses carry a penalty of 15 years to life in prison.
“Human traffickers abuse innocent people, undermine our public safety, and often use their illicit proceeds to fund sophisticated criminal organizations,” said ICE Director John Morton. “ICE is committed to bringing these criminals to justice and rescuing their victims from a life in the shadows. We will continue to fight the battle to end human trafficking both here in the United States and around the globe.”
Those charged in the indictment are identified as:

• Abdifitah Jama Adan, aka “Shorty” aka “Faleebo” aka “Kuzzo,” 28;
• Abdullahi Sade Afyare aka “Forehead,”19;
• Ahmad Abnulnasir Ahmad aka “Fabulous,”23;
• Yahya Jamal Ahmed, 23;
• Abdikarim Osman Ali, aka “Homer” aka “Big Abdi,” 22;
• Musse Ahmed Ali aka “Fat Boy,” 23;
• Hassan Ahmed Dahir aka “Mohamed Ali Hussein,” 21;
• Fadumo Mohamed Farah aka “Naana Naana” aka “Gangster Boo” aka “Barnie,” 25;
• Idris Ibrahim Fahra aka “Chi Town,” 22;
• Yasin Ahmed Farah, 19;
• Abdullahi Hashi aka “Kamal,” 24;
• Fatah Haji Hashi aka “Jerry” aka “Jr,” 23;
• Abdirahman Abdirazak Hersi aka “Biggie,” 20;
• Muhiyadin Hassan Hussein aka “CD,” 22;
• Dahir Nor Ibrahim aka “Dahir Lucky,” 38;
• Abdifatah Bashir Jama aka “Cash Money” aka “Ohio,” 23;
• Andrew Kayachith aka “AK,” 20;
• Abdigadir Ahmed Khalif aka “Awali,” 24;
• Bashir Yasin Mohamud aka “Br,” 26;
• Mustafa Ahmed Mohamed, 22;
• Fuad Faisal Nur aka “Hanjule,” 24;
• Abdifatah Sharif Omar aka “British” aka “Pinky,” 25;
• Liban Sharif Omar aka “Sunderra,” 21;
• Mohamed Sharif Omar aka “Moe D” aka “Mojo,” 26;
• Hamdi Ali Osman aka “Big Hamdi” aka “Boss Lady,” 22;
• Haji Osman Salad aka “Hollywood,” 20;
• Bibi Ahmed Said, 19;
• Ahmed Aweys Sheik aka “Rear Hammer” aka “Abdul,” 24; and
• Yassin Abdirahman Yusuf aka “Junior” aka “Black Cat Junior,” 21.

Hay'adda Camuud Foundation oo Xaflad lagu qabtay London Ugu baaqay Somalida in ay gacan ka Gaystaan Arimahan caawimada ah ee ay Wadaan