Somalia online

Saturday, 7 April 2012

Avalanche buries 100 Pakistani troops in Kashmir

A Pakistani general says more than 100 troops have been buried by an avalanche in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told the BBC some bodies had been recovered but could not say how many had survived.
The avalanche hit a military camp near the Siachen glacier in the Karakoram branch of the Himalaya mountains. A rescue operation is underway.
India and Pakistan both claim the area and have deployed thousands of troops.
Long rescue mission
The avalanche struck the base in the Gayari district at about 06:00 local time (01:00 GMT).
The soldiers are from the Northern Light Infantry regiment, trained in mountain operations, including avalanche rescue.
The military says its "priority is to save lives", and helicopters, sniffer dogs and troops have been sent to the area to help with the rescue.
The BBC's Orla Guerin, in Islamabad, says the remote region is a particularly difficult place to launch a rescue mission, but improving weather conditions are expected to help the operation.
Maj Gen Abbas said the avalanche that hit the military camp had been "very massive" and it could take several days to complete the rescue operation, which was unprecedented in scale for such a location.

The Siachen glacier is in a remote mountain area claimed by both Pakistan and India

He said there had been no communication with any of the missing soldiers.
"It's too early to say how many survived and how many bodies have been recovered," he said.
Although the region is prone to avalanches, the general said, they tend to occur in "forward bases" at higher altitude, where only 10 or 20 troops are located.
The numbers involved in this incident were so high, he said, because avalanches were not expected in the immediate area of the camp that was struck.
An avalanche killed 24 Pakistani troops in 2010 - this is believed to be the heaviest loss of life in a previous such incident until now.
Kashmir has been partitioned between India and Pakistan since 1947.
Failure to agree on the status of the territory by diplomatic means has twice brought India and Pakistan to war.
The Siachen glacier is known as the world's highest battlefield, and soldiers have been deployed at elevations of up to 6,700m (22,000 feet).
However, more soldiers have died from the harsh weather conditions there than in combat.

Bahrain hunger-striker al-Khawaja moved to hospital

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja in hospital (3 April 2012)

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja's lawyer released this picture of his client in hospital on 3 April

Bahrain Protests

A leading human rights activist in Bahrain has been moved to a hospital clinic and is being fed intravenously after 58 days on hunger strike.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is protesting against a life sentence for his role in anti-government protests last year.
Mr Khawaja was convicted by a special security court of trying to overthrow Bahrain's royal family.
Human rights organisations have called for him to be freed. His lawyer says his condition is worsening.
Mohammed al-Jishi told Reuters that Mr Khawaja was moved to the clinic after losing 10 kg (22lb).
"His condition has worsened... his blood pressure is down, and he is getting an IV (intravenous) drip," he said.
His daughter Zainab has also been detained during a protest for her father on Thursday.
Meanwhile security forces fired teargas and water cannon at thousands of protesters who rallied in support of Mr Khawaja on Friday. Many were carrying posters of him as they called for his release.
Other protests have also been held in recent weeks against the Grand Prix which is due to be held in the country later this month.
'Forced confession'
Mr Khawaja was arrested last April following the uprising centred on the Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama.
The gulf island kingdom was wracked by unrest after activists who had peacefully occupied the roundabout were forcibly driven out in confrontations with police and security forces.
The human rights group Amnesty International says Mr Khawaja's conviction in June was based on a confession made under duress, and no evidence was presented showing he had used or advocated violence during the mass protests.
According to testimony Mr Khawaja gave to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry - a panel of human rights experts asked to look into the unrest by King Hamad following the international outcry over his handling of the protests - Mr Khawaja suffered prolonged torture while in detention.

Syria fighting 'kills 100' ahead of ceasefire

7 April 2012 Last updated at 16:21 GMT

A picture released on April 6, 2012, by the opposition Local coordination Committees in Syria (LCC) purportedly shows people standing around a mass grave in the town of Taftnaz, Syria, 5 April 2012

Activists and witnesses say there has been an intensification of violence in recent days

Syria Crisis

At least 100 people have died on one of the bloodiest days in the Syrian uprising, according to unverified reports, days ahead of a ceasefire.

Clandestine monitors inside Syria say more than 30 died in Latamneh, a suburb of the city of Hama, as a result of government shelling.
Video said to be from Homs showed 13 victims of an apparent mass execution.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned the government not to use the impending truce as an "excuse for killing".
Turkey says refugee arrivals from Syria have doubled since President Bashar al-Assad agreed to implement a peace plan from the UN and Arab League.
The six-point plan, mediated by former UN chief Kofi Annan, envisages a cessation of armed violence by all parties from 10 April, with a full ceasefire on 12 April.
However, the Syrian opposition, the US and many countries in the region have expressed scepticism that Syria is committed to the plan.
In the capital, Damascus, thousands of supporters of Mr Assad attended a rally to mark the 65th anniversary of the ruling Baath Party.
'Dead toddler'
A death toll of 107 was reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said it included 74 civilians.
Another monitoring group, the Local Co-ordination Committees, gave a figure of 133, not including members of the Syrian security forces.
In Latamneh, dead bodies were piled in flatbed vehicles and driven away as distraught townspeople looked on, activists' videos showed.

Ceasefire timetable

10 April: Government must withdraw troops and heavy weapons such as tanks from towns, cities and villages
Following 48 hours: Ceasefire to be implemented on the ground with the onus on the opposition to follow the government's lead
06:00 local time on 12 April: All forms of violence must be stopped on all sides
Next step: All parties to hold talks on a political solution

Footage posted on the internet showed emotional scenes as the bodies were buried, with a dead toddler being held aloft and the bodies of adults laid out on the ground in shrouds.

Further to the south, the Deir al-Baalba quarter of Homs, Syria's third-biggest city, was among several districts which monitors said were being pounded relentlessly by government tanks and artillery.
Unverifiable video footage from the same quarter showed a pile of 13 dead bodies at the foot of a bloodstained and bullet-pocked wall, suggesting a mass summary execution.
In other incidents reported by monitors

Militants killed three members of the security forces in Aleppo province

At least two people died when a rocket hit a bus carrying Syrians after it entered neighbouring Lebanon at Jousa

The photos published by the US show some withdrawals of tanks from populated areas

Satellite photos published by the US Ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, show Syrian artillery and tanks were still close to populated areas this week, despite some withdrawals.
"This is not the reduction in offensive Syrian government security operations that all agree must be the first step for the Annan initiative to succeed," Mr Ford said in Washington.
"The regime and the Syrian people should know that we are watching. The regime cannot hide the truth."
The latest violence strengthens the impression that, as the Tuesday truce deadline approaches, the government has decided to continue battering centres of resistance whatever the cost, the BBC's Jim Muir reports from Beirut.
Damascus appears to be ignoring strong words from the UN head, who warned it would be held accountable, our correspondent says.

Assad supporters attend a rally in Damascus, 7 April

Damascus held a rally to mark the 65th anniversary of the ruling Baath Party

The Syrian government has sent letters to the UN blaming what it calls "armed terrorist groups" for the violence, saying they have escalated their attacks since the Annan peace plan was accepted.
A UN team is currently in Damascus to negotiate the possibility of deploying UN monitors to oversee any ceasefire.
Mr Annan has said that if the truce is successful, a small mobile UN monitoring mission of some 200-250 observers could be brought into Syria.
The UN estimates more than 9,000 people have died in the year-long uprising against the rule of President Assad.
Turkey said that if the influx of refugees continued at the current rate, it would need international assistance. More than 2,800 Syrians have crossed the border in 36 hours, with the total now near 24,000.

Joyce Banda sworn in as new Malawi president

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Joyce Banda: "I call upon all Malawians to remain calm"

Malawi's Vice-President Joyce Banda has been sworn in as president following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika.

She becomes southern Africa's first female head of state after taking the oath before parliament in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe.
Ms Banda, who had been vice-president since 2009, was cheered and applauded before, during and after the ceremony.
Mr Mutharika, 78, went into cardiac arrest on Thursday, although his death was not confirmed until Saturday.
The delay in announcing his death had prompted fears of a power struggle.
There had been speculation that the late president's inner circle was trying to circumvent Malawi's constitution to prevent Ms Banda from taking over and instead install his brother, Foreign Minister Peter Mutharika.

Who is Joyce Banda?

1950: Born
2009: Elected vice-president
2011: Fell out with President Bingu wa Mutharika but he failed to have her removed from her post
2012: Sworn in as president after Mr Mutharika's death
Southern Africa's first female head of state
Has large charity to help educate and empower women
Her father was a well-known musician; her sister was hired to work in pop star Madonna's school

Ms Banda had fallen out with Mr Mutharika in 2010 and became one of his fiercest critics. She was expelled from the ruling Democratic People's Party (DPP) and formed the People's Party.

She was elected as vice-president in 2009 and Mr Mutharika had failed in his attempts to have her removed from her post.
In taking the oath of office, Ms Banda pledged to "defend and preserve the constitution" and to do right to all manner of people, according to law.
She then asked parliament to stand for two minutes' silence as a tribute to Mr Mutharika.
Asking Malawians to "focus on mourning our father," Ms Banda added: "It is with a great sense of humility and honour that I accept the huge responsibility of that the people of Malawi have entrusted me with."
At present, there are just a handful of MPs in her party but the BBC's Raphael Tenthani in Blantyre says many more are likely to join now that she is president.
On Friday, Information Minister Patricia Kaliati had said Ms Banda could not take over as head of state because she had gone into opposition. The UK, the US and the EU all called on Malawi to respect its constitution.
Appeal for calm

Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika - 18 July 2011

There have been growing protests against Mr Mutharika over the last year

Shortly after Mr Mutharika's death was confirmed, Ms Banda addressed journalists, flanked by the heads of the army and police, the attorney general and other officials.
She said funeral arrangements would soon be discussed and that 10 days of national mourning would be held.
She also said preparations were being made to bring Mr Mutharika's body back from South Africa, where he was taken after his cardiac arrest.
Mr Mutharika governed Malawi for eight years, but was recently accused of mismanaging the economy and becoming increasingly autocratic.
He fell out last year with Britain, the former colonial power, which withdrew its direct aid, accusing the Malawian government of mishandling the economy and of failing to uphold human rights.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 (60p) a day.
The country has suffered shortages of fuel and foreign currency since the UK and other donors cancelled aid.

Guddiga Qabanqaabada Doorashada Madaxtinimada Soomaaliya oo Maanta Bilaabay Qaabilaada Musharixiinta

Muqdisho (RBC) Guddiga baarlamaanka KMG Soomaaliya u qaabilsan diyaarinta doorashada madaxtinimada ee ay ku baaqeen mudanayaasha ka horimaadsan Shariif Xasan ayaa maanta shaaca ka qaaday inay bilaabeen qaabilaada musharixiinta u tartamaysa doorashada madaxweynaha ayna socon doonto illaa 21-ka bishan April.
Guddomiyaha guddiga doorashada madaxtinimada ee baarlamaanka Xildhibaan Maxamed Dhaqane Cilmi Aar oo wariyaasha kula hadlay Muqdisho ayaa sheegay in laga bilaabo maanta oo ay taariikhdu tahay 07, April 2012 ay si rasmi ah u bilaabatay qabashada dukumintiyada musharixiinta dooneysa inay u tartamaan kursiga madaxtinimada.
“Laga bilaabo maanta oo ay taariikhdu tahay 07/04/2012 waxaan bilaabeynaa qabashada dukumintiyada musharixiinta iyo qaabilaadooda waxayna ku eg tahay 21/04/2012, haddii Alle idmana 30/04/2012 waxaa dhacaysa doorashada madaxweynaha oo lagu dooran doono magaalada Muqdisho” ayuu yiri Xildhibnaan Aar.
Sidoo kale waxaa shirka jaraa’id isaguna ka hadlay afhayeenka guddiga qabanqaabada doorashada Xildhibaan Suleymaan Maxamed Ibraahim oo sheegay in jadwalkii loogu talagalay doorashada aysan waxba iskabedeli doonin, isagoona markale ku celiyey in baarlamaanka xaqu leeyahay qabashada madaxweynaha.
“Waa sharciyad baarlamaanka xaq u leeyahay inuu doorto madaxweyne dalka iyo dadka badbaadin kara” ayuu yiri xildhibaan Suleymaan.
Mudanayaasha baarlamaanka ee 13-kii Disembar xilka ka tuuray Shariif Xasan kadibna doortay Madoobe Nuuow ayaa bishii Febraayo shaaciyey inay qabanayaan doorasho madaxweynanimo oo waqtigeeda laga soo hormariyo iyagoo ku dooday in madaxweynaha KMG Shariif Sheekh Axmed uusan heysan sharciyad uu xafiiska ku joogo. Laakiin illaa hadda ma cadda sida doorashadu u dhici doonto marka la gaaro April 30-keeda.

RBC Radio
Xafiiska wararka Muqdisho

XOG: Boosaska Odayaasha Dhaqanka ee Soo Xuli Doona Golaha Dastuuriga oo Muqdisho Lagu Kala Iibsanayo

Muqdisho (RBC) Qaar ka mid ah xafiisyada wasiiro ka tirsan xukuumadda KMG Soomaaliya ayaa ku mashquulsan kala iibsiga boosaska odayaal dhaqameedka loogu talagalay inay soo xulaan golaha cusub ee dastuuriga ee lagu cadeeyey heshiisyadii Garowe iyo qorshaha ‘Roadmap-ka’ iyadoo ay bilaabatay in lacago laga sii qaato odayaasha qabaa’ilada ee rabta in loo magacaabo boosaska.
Wasaaradaha arimaha sida weyn ugu lug leh ayaa waxaa ka mid ah wasaarada arimaha gudaha iyo xafiiska wasiiru dawlaha dhalinyarada iyo ciyaaraha, sida Shabakada Raxanreeb ay u xaqiijiyeen odayaal dhaqameed iyo xubno dawlada ku jira oo aan rabin in la magacaabo kuwaasi oo noo sheegay inay iyagu iibsadeen kuraasta loogu talagalay odayaasha beelaha Hawiye iyo Dir.
Kuraasta oday dhaqameedyada ayaa haatan la kala siisanayaa lacag u dhexeysa $4,000 illaa $5,000 oo uu laaluush ahaan u bixinayo qofkii raba inuu ka mid noqdo 135 xubnood ee odayaal dhaqameedka ee soo dooran doona golaha dastuuriga. Waxaana lacagahan lagu kala qaadanayaa hab suuq madow ah oo akoono gaar u ah wasiirada loogu shubayo iyadoo ay soo bexeen dulaaliin u dhexeysa wasiirada shaqadan cusub furtay iyo odayaaasha raba inay kuraasta helaan.
Sida ku cad heshiisyadii lagu gaaray Garowe bilihii Disembar iyo Febraayo iyo kulankii u dambeeyey ee bishii Maarso ka dhacay magaalada Gaalkacyo waxaa beelaha Soomaalida oo wax loogu qeybiyey 4.5 loo qoondeeyey 135 xubnood oo ah odayal dhaqameed ka qeybqaadanaya soo xulista golaha dastuuriga oo ka kooban 825 xubnood kuwaasoo iyaguna ansixinaya dastuurka cusub ee aan la isku raacsaneyn iyo baarlamaanka cusub ee imaanaya waqtiga kala guurka. Awood qeybsigaasi lagu saleeyey qabyaalada ayaa sheegaya in afarta beelood [ee waaweyn siday u yaqaanaan kuwa sameeyey] ayaa yeelanaya min 30-xubnood halka beesha shanaadna ay qaadaneyso 15 xubnood oo kaliya.
Mid ka mid wasiirada shaqadan faraha kula jira oo aan la hadalnay ayaa sheegay inuu maqlay warkaasi hase yeeshee wuxuu ku tilmaamay war been abuur ah oo aan waxba ka jirin, Laakiin fadeexada ugu darneyd ayaa dhacday markii Khamiistii iyo Sabtida [maanta] xafiisyada wasiirada shaqadan ku lugta leh ay tageen odayaal isku jufo ah oo mid kasta gooni ahaantiis lacag looga qaatay loona sheegay inuu isagu geli doono booska “jufadiisa”.
Mudanayaasha cusub ee baarlamaanka oo la sii xulanayo
Dhanka kale waxaa xafiisyada raysul wasaaraha iyo kan madaxweynaha DKMG ah ka bilawday diyaarinta liisaska xildhibaanada cusub ee baarlamaanka soo socda soo geli doona kuwaasoo raysul wasaaraha iyo madaxweynaha ay ka buuxiyeen saaxiibadooda gaarka ah iyagoo ku saleynaya hab qabiil.
Sida ilaha warkan na siiyey ay xaqiijiyeen, waxaa arintan looga gol leeyahay si madaxda DKMG ah ee hadda joogta ay ugu guuleysan lahaayeen doorashada dambe ee madaxtinimada dalka, waxaana taas loo aaneynayaa maadaama baarlamaanka cusub ee ka koobnaan doona 275 xubnood uu dooran doono madaxweynaha.
Saaxiibo aad ugu dhow Villa Soomaaliya ayaa sheegaya in Sheekh Shariif uu heysto kalsooni weyn inuu mar labaad noqon karo madaxweynaha Soomaaliya halka C/weli Gaas uu loolan ugu jiro kursiga raysul wasaaraha taasoo dhanka kale ka dhigan “isu dheelitirka awooda qabiilka” ee kuraasta sarsare ee dawlada. Waxaa loo badinayaa in Madaxweyne Faroole uu markan raali ka yahay sida C/weli Gaas kubbada u ciyaarayo, maadaama C/weli uusan Faarole ku faragelin xulida odayaasha beelaha Harti ee ka mid noqon doona 135 xubnood.
Lama oga in dooda iyo dacwada ka dhalatay sheekadan ay gaari doonto xafiiska Ambassador Augustine Mahiga oo dhowaan si kulul u canaantay kooxda Aala Sheekh. Diblomaasiyiin ku dhow xafiisyada UN-ka waxay Raxanreeb u xaqiijiyeen in cannaanta Mahiga ee Aala Sheekh uu u jeediyey ay ahayd arin dhab ah ayna ka dambeysay amar beesha caalamka ka soo baxay kaasoo awood loogu siiyey Mr Mahiga inuu si aan ka leexad lahayn uga hadlo musuqmaasuqa iyo isdabarinta hareysay xafiisyada madaxda sare ee DKMG ah.
Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan oo isagu u muuqda inay neef weyn ka fuqday wixii ka dambeeyey shirkii Garowe 2 ayaa isaguna si deganaan leh u wata kala baandheynta xubnaha beelaha Digil iyo Mirifle oo sida cad isaga looga dambeeyo. Wararku waxay sheegayaan in liiska 30-ka xubnood ee dhanka Shariif Xasan ay haddaba diyaar yihiin.

RBC Radio
Xafiiska wararka Muqdisho

Garaad Abshir Garaad Saalax iyo Wafti Uu Hogaaminayo Ayaa Lagu Soo Dhaweeyey Degmada Taleex Oo Ka tirsan G/Sool

Laascaanood (RBC Radio) Garaad Abshir Garaad Saalax oo kamida isimada ugu caan san deegaanada khaatumo iyo wafti uu hogaaminayo ayaa manta si balaadhan loogu soo dhaweeyey degmada taariikhigaa ee taleex oo ka tirsan gobolka sool.
Waftigan uu hogaaminayo Garaad Abshir Garaad Saalax ayaa waxaa si diiran usoo dhaweeyey qaar kamida madaxda maamul goboleedka khaatumo, golaha dhaqan ee khaatumo iyo dad weyne aad utira badan, iyadoona waftiga uu hogaaminayo Garaad Abshir Garaad Saalax lagaga hor tagay meel qiyaas ahaan ujirta degmada taleex 10 km.
Waftigan uu hogaaminayey garaad Abshir garaad Saalax ayaa waxa lagu soo dhaweeyey gawaadhi aad utira badan, iyadoona hareeraha wadooyinka degmada taleex ay dad weyne aad utira badani tunaayeen kuwaas oo watay caleema qoyan kuna dhawaaqayey erayo soo dhaweyn ah.
Waftigan uu hogaaminayey garaad Abshir ayaa waxa ay kasoo kici tameen magaala madaxda Maamul Goboleedka Puntland ee Garoowe.
Soo dhaweynta kadib ayaa garaad Abshir waxa uu kulamo la yeeshay madaxda maamulka khaatumo iyo qaar ka tirsan golaha dhaqan ee khaatumo oo uu kamid yahay garaad Jaamac garaad Ismaaciil Ducaale.
Dhanka kale magaalada Laascaanood ee xarunta Gobolka Sool ayaa maanta waxaa jeelka loo taxaabay arday wax ka barata dugsiga sare ee ileys, kadib markii ay diideen in ay galaan imtixaanka fasalka afraad ee dugsiga sare kaas oo ay soo diyaarisay wasaarada waxbarashada ee maamulka Somaliland.
Is qab qabsi iyo muran badan kadib ayaa waxa ay ciidamada Maamulka Somaliland si khabas ah jeelka ugu taxaabeen in ka badan 20 arday oo dugsigaasi dhigata.
Sidoo kale dugsiga sare ee muuse yuusuf ayaa isna ku gacan saydhay imtixaanka ay soo diyaarisay wasaarada wax barashada ee maamulka Somaliland.
Xafiiska Wararka Ee Raxanreeb.com
Laascaanood Soomaaliya

Wednesday, 4 April 2012

The Losing Formula: Hate as a Political Strategy

By Muktar M. Omer
April 02, 2012

Lettered fools?

So, Ogaden intellectuals now think it is more important to check Isaaq ‘expansionism’ than to fight Ethiopian colonial occupation? Securing the borders of Aware and Dannood are more sacred than achieving freedom and justice? Subduing the Sheikhash is a victory to be celebrated with merriment? And we still wonder why we continue to be sub-humans whose purpose in life has shrunk to be mere hewers of wood and fetchers of water for cruel Tigrayan rulers? We still moan that we are Galeano’s “no-bodys”, owners of nothing, “running like rabbits, dying through life, screwed every which way?” We still do not know why rest, for us, is in our footloose feet, in trekking eternally? We still have no idea why we cannot own land; we cannot own state; we cannot administer; we cannot dream ambition? Or perhaps we feel warmed and relish the only houses we own today- the putrid refugee camps and dusty IDP settlements in the neighborhoods! What are we? W.E.B Dubois’s “lettered fools”? When and where does this appalling scholastic self-abasement end?

If John Ralston Saul, in “Voltaire’s Bastards”, thinks western civilization is in crisis because it is based on the concept of reason, he should know our society suffers from the opposite of reason, which is irrationality. We still haven’t enjoyed the virtues of reason, so we cannot see its limits and deficits - an indulgence, western philosophers can afford to ponder on. Clearly, the utterances of Ogaden intellectuals in the past months, of course as always with the exception of a silent minority, demonstrated that rationality is a scare commodity in our midst.

Children of a deficient culture

We, Somalis, are a strange race; a kinship nation. The religion of our cultural system is patronage, tribalism and cronyism and the political constructs we identify with are mere temples of this cult. We worship this religion of kinship. We acclaim injustice; we glamourize ignorance. We even beatify the devil, if the devil happens to be of the same lineage. We perfume the ugly political behind of criminals simply because they belong to our clan. We submit to the whims of puppet political witchdoctors, simply because we think their helping hand would advance our careers or bulge our pockets.

Dadkaaga dhinac ka raac, we say. It was a fad in the Revolution days, allegedly the favourite dictum of Jaalle Siyaad. It is an adage which expiates stupidity, sycophancy and cowardice, comfortably locating all these within the human urge for self-preservation. As a proverb, it could only have come from a deficient and miscalculating culture with an ingrained misunderstanding of the true drivers of human transformation. As a society, we are a relic of this culture, and embody and dramatize herd mentality, servility and disguise as the better part of wisdom, even explaining to comic levels the virtues in not challenging, explaining, and discussing dissenting ideas or simply narrating uncomfortable socio-political realities.

Hate as a rallying political agenda

Ogaden clan intellectuals who think the short-cut for the prized Ogaden hegemony in Somali Regional State of Ethiopia is to rally behind Abdil Iley’s stinking clan wars against fellow Somalis are ardent followers of this religion of servility and sinful orthodoxy. They are what Dr. Syed Hussien Atlas, the impressive Malay Sociologist, classifies as “badly functioning intellectuals” who “give bad diagnoses of perceived problems” and “are not capable of forming an opinion beyond what is obvious to most people.” Tolkaaga dhinac ka raac is the younger sibling of this domineering and deficient dadkaaga dhinac ka raac injunction.

Few weeks ago, Abdi Iley’s Liyu Police attacked the people of Gaashaamo. Gaashamo was merely a new killing field for the depraved militia, who in the past have attacked Dhulbahante in Buuhoodle, Aba-Yonis in Garloogube, Abaskul in Jigjiga, the Geri and Hawiye in Babile, Mareexaan in Lasa Ano, Sheikhash in Rasso, to name but few. But the biggest recipient of Liyu Police brutality, by far, remains to be the Ogaden clan. This community is killed every day. Gunagado was awash with the blood of innocent civilians just a month ago. In fact, what makes their killing different than the rest is that it is considered to be normal. People seem to have normalized to the notion that, because the enemy is so powerful, victims who resist oppression have only themselves to blame for the punishments they suffer. Read More

Man charged after toddler carjacking in Birmingham

Cedric Brown has been charged with two counts of kidnap

A man has been charged with kidnap after a vehicle with two toddlers inside was carjacked in Birmingham.

Cedric Brown, 44, of no fixed address, has also been charged with one count of robbery and possession of a knife.
He faces accusations that he dragged a woman from her vehicle and then drove away with her two young children still strapped in the back seats.
He has been remanded in police custody ahead of an appearance at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
The two children - a one-year-old boy and his sister, aged two - were unhurt and later reunited with their mother by police officers.
Two Birmingham men arrested nearby - a 19-year-old from Perry Common and an 18-year-old from Bromford - have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Lashkar-e-Taiba founder decries 'ridiculous' US bounty

Mr Saeed says that if he was a terrorist he would be hiding in the hills

The founder of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has described a $10m (£6.2m) bounty on his head - announced by the US on Tuesday - as "ridiculous and misguided".

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Hafiz Saeed said that he was neither a fugitive from American law nor a saboteur hiding in the mountains.
Mr Saeed travels widely in Pakistan from his base in the city of Lahore.
He now heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) group, widely seen as a LeT front.
LeT is blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India. The three-day rampage by 10 gunmen in November 2008 left 165 people dead. Nine of the attackers were also killed.
Local media on Wednesday quoted Pakistan interior ministry sources as saying that the government cannot proceed against Mr Saeed without "hard and undeniable evidence that can withstand judicial scrutiny".
He has consistently denied any suggestion that either he or JuD - which he says is a charity - played any role in militant violence.
Pakistan arrested LeT's senior leaders after the Mumbai attacks. But most of them, including Mr Saeed, were later freed on appeal.
"I am here, I am visible," Mr Saeed said, suggesting he should be entitled to the reward money because his whereabouts were not a mystery.
"I will be in Lahore tomorrow. America can contact me whenever it wants to."
The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad - who attended the news conference given by Mr Saeed on Wednesday - says that he has been at the centre of an alliance of religious forces in Pakistan that is presently campaigning for an end to all ties between his home country and India and the US.
Our correspondent says that the American decision to place a bounty on Mr Saeed has come at a time when its talks with the Afghan Taliban have faltered.
'Regrettable'
In an earlier interview with the Associated Press news agency, Mr Saeed said that the US only announced the reward because of his demonstrations against reopening supply lines through Pakistan to Nato troops in Afghanistan.

Hafiz Saeed at a rally in Lahore, Pakistan, on 9 March 2012

The US says that Mr Saeed continues to spread ideology advocating terrorism

The supply routes were closed down in November when 24 Pakistani soldiers on the border with Afghanistan were accidentally killed in a US air strike.
"We are organising massive public meetings to inform the nation about all the threats which Pakistan will face after the restoration of the supplies," he told AP in a mosque in Islamabad on Tuesday.
"With the grace of God, we are doing our work in Pakistan openly. It is regrettable that America has no information about me. Such rewards are usually for those who live in caves and mountains."
The US has designated both LeT and JuD as foreign terrorist organisations. Intelligence officials say LeT has extended its focus beyond India in recent years - plotting attacks in Europe and Australia.
Some US officials are also reported to be concerned that Pakistan may be dragging its feet over reopening the supply routes.
Correspondents say that the US bounty offer represents a change in American thinking - previously it was thought that pursuing the JuD leadership would cause too much friction with the Pakistani government.
The US state department says that Mr Saeed continues "to spread ideology advocating terrorism, as well as virulent rhetoric condemning the United States, India, Israel and other perceived enemies".
The sole surviving Mumbai gunman, Pakistani national Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, was captured and sentenced to death by a court in India. His appeal is pending.
India has welcomed the bounty offer, saying it sent a strong signal to LeT members that "the international community remains united in combating terrorism" and bringing to justice those behind the Mumbai attacks.

'9/11 planners' set for Guantanamo Bay trial

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, photographed at Guantanamo Bay in 2009

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has claimed responsibility for planning the 9/11 attacks

The US has formally sent to trial five suspected al-Qaeda militants believed to have planned the 9/11 terror attacks.

The five Guantanamo Bay inmates, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be tried by a military commission.
They will face charges including terrorism, hijacking, conspiracy, murder and destruction of property.
They could face the death penalty if found guilty, the Pentagon confirmed.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four others - Waleed bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi - are expected to be tried together, the Pentagon added.
They are accused of planning and executing the terror attacks of 11 September 2001, which saw hijacked planes strike New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
A total of 2,976 people died in the attacks.
Legal wrangle
The five suspects are to hear their charges read out before a military court within 30 days, and are expected to be asked to enter a plea.

Undated file picture of Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi

Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi is suspected of setting the 9/11 hijackers up with money, clothes and credit cards

The decision to refer the charges to a military commission comes after a lengthy legal wrangle over where the five men would face justice.
In 2009 the Obama administration tried to move their trial into US civilian courts, but reversed its decision in April 2011 after widespread opposition.
The five were eventually charged in June 2011 with offences similar to those they were accused of by the Bush administration.
US President Barack Obama came into office in 2009 pledging to close Guantanamo Bay and try high-value terror suspects in US civilian courts.
But he was forced to abandon the closure plans as it became apparent that the issue of where to imprison and try al-Qaeda suspects had no easy resolution.
Accused
The Pentagon has previously said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted he was responsible "from A to Z" for the 9/11 attacks.
In a previous court hearing he has said that he intended to plead guilty and would welcome martyrdom.
He was captured in Pakistan in March 2003 and has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2006.
US prosecutors allege that he was involved with a host of other terrorist activities.
These include the 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl and a failed 2001 attempt to blow up an airliner using a shoe bomb.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has alleged that he was repeatedly tortured during his detention in Cuba. CIA documents confirm that he was subjected to simulated drowning, known as waterboarding, 183 times.
Also facing trial are: Waleed bin Attash, a Yemeni; Ramzi Binalshibh, a Yemeni who allegedly helped find flight schools for the hijackers; Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, accused of helping nine of the hijackers travel to the US; and Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, a Saudi, accused of helping set up the hijackers with money, clothes and credit cards.