Somalia: Wanted Taiwanese Fishing Vessel FV WIN FAR 161 (ecoterra)

ILLEGAL IRANIAN FISHING VESSELS CHAINED IN SEYCHELLES (ecoterra)

Four Iranian fishing boats are held at the Seychelles port of Victoria in detention for illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean waters of the Seychelles, depriving the poor island nation of a key revenue source.
The boats, seized by Seychelles coastguards, committed “illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing” offences, an official with the Directorate of Fishing in the Seychelles confirmed to AFP.

With no licence to fish in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and not even licensed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s to fish in the international waters, they were – according to the Seychelles fishing authority - caught with forbidden drift nets on board in one of the nine marine zones reserved for Seychelles fishermen.

FVs AL-ZAID, AL-FAHAD and AL-NAVEED were arrested on the 13th of January 2010 and FV AL-ASAD was arrested on the 15th of January 2010. All four fish-poaching vessels are now on the chain at Victoria port.

Pakistan is still holding many Indian fishermen imprisoned in the Malir District Jail, which were arrested for illegal fishing, while India also holds some Pakistani fishermen on charges of similar offences. India and Pakistan frequently arrest each other’s fishermen over violation of maritime and fisheries laws. Hundreds of them are swapped regularly. According to statistics, over 100 Pakistani fishermen are languishing in the moment in Indian jails while over 600 Indian fishermen are in Pakistani prisons. Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency (MSA) through their spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Shakeel Ahmed Khan said that it is the rare and expensive fish like ‘Lal Pari’, which lures Indian fishermen to sail near Pakistani waters. The fish is found near Sir Creek, at the mouth of the Indus River and the “Lal Pari” offers handsome profits to those fishermen violating the EEZ of Pakistan. Large quantities of this species are exported to European countries.

—-  news from sea-jackings, abductions, newly attacked ships as well as seafarers and vessels in distress  —-    

With the latest captures and releases now still at least 9 seized foreign vessels (10 sea-related hostage cases since yacht SY LYNN RIVAL was abandoned and taken by the British Navy) with a total of not less than 189 crew members (incl. 23 Filipinos onboard three vessels: two onboard the Thai Union 3, three onboard the MV St. James Park and 18 onboard the MV Navios Apollon; as well as the British sailing couple) are accounted for. The cases are monitored on our actual case-list, while several other cases of ships, which were observed off the coast of Somalia and have been reported or had reportedly disappeared without trace or information, are still being followed too. Over 134 incidences (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful sea-jackings) had been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases for Somalia and the mistaken sinking of one sea-jacked fishing vessel and killing of her crew by the Indian naval force. For 2009 the account closed with 228 incidences (incl. averted or abandoned attacks) with 68 vessels seized for different reasons on the Somali/Yemeni captor side as well as at least TWELVE wrongful attacks (incl. one friendly fire incident) on the side of the naval forces. 
For 2010 the recorded account stands at 13 attacks and 3 sea-jackings. 

The naval alliances had since August 2008 and until January 2010 apprehended 666 suspected pirates, detained and kept or transferred for prosecution 367,  killed 47 and wounded 22 Somalis. (New independent update see: http://bruxelles2.over-blog.com/pages/_Bilan_antipiraterie_Atalanta_CTF_Otan_Russie_Exclusif-1169128.html). 
Not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the sea-jack count until clarification. Several other vessels with unclear fate (although not in the actual count), who were reported missing over the last ten years in this area, are still kept on our watch-list, though in some cases it is presumed that they sunk due to bad weather or being unfit to sail – like the S/Y Serenity, MV Indian Ocean Explorer.Present multi-factorial risk assessment code: GoA: YELLOW / IO: ORANGE  (Red = Very much likely, high season; Orange = Reduced risk, but very likely, Yellow = significantly reduced risk, but still likely, Blue = possible, Green = unlikely). Piracy incidents usually degrade during the monsoon season and rise gradually by the end of the monsoon. Starting from mid February until early April every year an increase in piracy cases can be expected.
Actual status of abducted crews and vessels in Somalia (scroll down and look at right hand side section)


—————- directly piracy, abduction, mariner or naval upsurge related reports ——————–

Amanda Lindhout to speak publicly for first time (ctv) 
Alberta’s Somali-Canadian community is holding a dinner in honour of Alberta journalist Amanda Lindhout on Sunday night at Pineridge Community Associaton in Calgary.
Lindhout was kidnapped while on a freelance assignment in Somali on August 23, 2008. 
She was ambushed and taken hostage along with Nigel Brennan, a freelance Australian photojournalist, and Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi, a Somali journalist, as the trio made their way to a refugee camp near Mogadishu. 
Elmi was released in January 2008 after spending 146 days in captivity. 
Lindhout and Brennan were released on November 25, 2009 after their families were forced to pay ransom to their kidnappers that reportedly was around the half million dollar mark. 
Sunday’s dinner is being held to allow members of Alberta’s Somali-Canadian community to celebrate Lindhout’s safe return and to highlight the humanitarian issues in Somalia that Lindhout wanted to expose which they say still remain largely unattended. 
Lindhout is expected to address those in attendance by making a brief statement. 
Lindhout has not spoken publicly since her kidnapping.

Pirate Activity Remains High In The Gulf Of Aden (mschoa)
Recent photographic evidence from anti piracy coalition forces show that pirates continue to roam the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in search of prey. 
A coalition helicopter photographed suspicious skiff activity in the Gulf of Aden in the middle of the IRTC and other suspicious activity has been witnessed by EU NAVFOR units.
An alert has been issued to all ships in the area [see SMCM No.329] and Masters of merchant vessels have been warned to keep a good lookout and adopt best management practice (BMP) when transiting through the area

Pirates, Militants, Pak Army Men Make a Molotov Cocktail Off Somali Coast by Rama Rao Malladi (NewsBlaze)
Off the Somali coast, pirates, terrorists and Pakistan army mercenaries make a Molotov cocktail. The toll – 43 ships hijacked, over $ 80 million ransom in just under nine months. There are clear indications that sea piracy targeted at ships of some specific countries has become a new strategic depth doctrine for the Pakistani military establishment, says Policy Research Group (poreg)in a report posted on its website, www.poreg.com. 
Majority of the pirates are Somalis with an occasional exception. Terrorists are mostly Islamists from Pakistan’s hinterland and lawless tribal lands with their affiliation to al Qaeda and Muridke (near Lahore) based Lashkar-e- Taiba (LeT). The trend of army officers and soldiers joining the pirates is a new phenomenon. So is the shifting of base of some militant groups from Pakistan as a part of what appears as a deliberate strategy in view of heightened US pressure, Poreg report adds. 
Pakistan’s angle came to light for the first time in April last year. Subsequent investigations have confirmed the nexus of Pakistanis with pirates. A Russian naval ship ‘Admiral Panteleyev’, during anti-piracy operations off the Somalia coast, apprehended ‘Shaheen-I’, which attacked a tanker, Buwai Bank, heading for Singapore. 
Iran – registered Shaheen-I was the mother vessel of pirates. A large number of weapons, ammunition and equipment were reportedly recovered from it. 
Investigations show that Shaheen -I was captured by Pakistani nationals in an operation akin to the way Pakistani navy seized an Indian fishing trawler (and anchored it in the Karachi harbour) for transporting militants and their weapons for the 26/11 attack on Mumbai in 2008. 
Iranian crew – six in all, were held hostage on their own vessel by the pirates and their Pakistani friends who boarded it during night and commandeered it. 12 Pakistanis and 11 Somalis were involved in the ‘operation’. Luck ran out for them when Admiral Panteleyev entered the scene to rescue Buwai Bank, according to the website. 
Security experts don’t rule out collaboration of Pakistani military mercenary-militant combine with the notorious underworld Don, Dawood Ibrahim, who is into smuggling on the high seas in a big way. The don’s gang still has considerable presence on the coastal belt. 
A quick analysis of the development shows that the trend of Pak army officers and the militant groups joining the piracy is a dangerous prospect with far reaching implications. Firstly it poses a great threat to shipping particularly bulk cargo carriers and tankers. Secondly, it points to emergence of a ‘new targeted’ piracy to undermine and even disrupt the economic development of countries seen as ‘enemies’. 
A close study of piracy off Somali coast highlights the dangers of the second threat in particular. Crude oil tankers and bulk carriers are the favourite targets of pirates and they have collected highest ransom from these relatively slow moving vessels with ‘expensive’ cargo. 
Owners of a Philipino tanker, ‘Stolt Strenght’, had paid by far the highest ransom of US$ 25 million; the initial demand was for a modest US $ 5 million but as negotiations dragged on to 174 days ( 10 October 2008 to 25 April 2009) the ransom amount peaked. 
Turkish tanker, ‘Karagol’, paid US$ 16 million following a 61- day seizure although the initial demand was only US $ 6 million. Chinese ships, ‘Di Xinghai’, ‘Tian U’ and ‘Delight’ (Hong Kong), paid US$ 4 million, US$ 1.2 million and US$ 2 million respectively. 
With the induction of ‘Pak military-militant combine, the negotiating skills of pirates have exponentially improved, going by field reports. Till then, there was no set pattern or bench marks for ransom; it all depended on the negotiating skills of the parties concerned. The Somali pirates are not that highly educated and sophisticated; their approach had been to make a quick buck and ‘disappear’ into darkness. Not for them protracted negotiations are of any interest, the website points out. 
The new ‘breed’ of Somali coast pirates have improved their techniques, upgraded their equipment and honed up negotiation skills. They are game for prolonged negotiations which attract media attention and thus place the ship owners and their governments under tremendous pressure to end the ordeal of the ‘hostages’. 
Easy money syndrome appears to be luring more Pakistanis, who are accustomed to ‘high risk’ life style. 
The year 2009 saw a phenomenal upswing in number of ships hijacked off Somalian coast. A total of 43 ships were hijacked; as many as eight of them were flying Panamanian flag, followed by three each with the flags of Bahama, Male and Antigua. Two carriers were with the Chinese flag and one of Hong Kong. Negotiations for their ‘release’ averaged from one day to 304-days. 
While one of the container ships, flying American flag, freed itself after being seized on April 8, 2009, a French cargo ship was rescued by French Navy after a swift and surprise attack in the sea off Somalia. 
EMERGING SCENARIO 
The emerging security scene off Somalia coast with nexus between pirates, militants and trained Pakistan army men is of considerable concern to India which depends on energy imports. It is not possible to provide a ‘fool proof’ security on high seas even without the Pakistani angle to piracy. 
India is in a unique position to take the initiative to checkmate the ‘sea villains’. As of now, ships of many countries are deployed off the Somali coast on anti-piracy operations but all of them work in isolation notwithstanding joint discussions. Mutual suspicion is what hinders coordination. 
A command structure will bridge the gulf of suspicion and pave the way for coordinated drive against pirates. East African countries which are friendly with India, have invited deployment of Indian ships closer to their coast to thwart piracy. India has been positively responding to calls of African countries and also South-east Asian countries to police the sea lanes. 
It is not clear whether the Indian leadership is fully ‘ready’ to lead the ‘command’. Also unclear is whether India can deploy enough funds and ships to make an effective contribution. There are occasions when New Delhi dithered in taking timely action and thus gifted precious lead time to the pirates. Whenever India acted decisively, results were quite encouraging. 
So, an Indian initiative for a maritime conference on anti-piracy operations will be in order. The effort should be to work out a road-map for command structure and to put in place a legal framework for putting on trial the pirates caught in action. Also welcome will be a capability to pursue pirates into their own harbors and defeat them like the French did, Policy Research Group (Poreg) notes in its analysis. 
(*) Rama Rao Malladi is a distinguished commentator and columnist on South Asian affairs, based in Delhi. 

“I nearly became a Somali pirate”: Dji (Xinhua)
“I nearly became a pirate,” 28- year-old Dji told Xinhua correspondents Saturday at a clinic run by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), in the capital city of a country which has not seen an effective central government since 1991. 
Dji is the name this young man invented for safety reasons. He came to the AMISOM’s medical services to get medicine for his family members. Being a journalist, Dji is among the very few Mogadishu residents that can speak English. 
Dji told Xinhua he likes his profession. “I like this job, if the militants stop me I can tell them I am a journalist.” 
However, this young guy could have become a pirate, a profession that this Horn of Africa nation is internationally famous for these days. 
“I know some people who are in this trade, some are even my relatives,” Dji said. He mentioned that one of his uncles is with the pirate network and has actually offered Dji a job in the condemnable but sometimes highly lucrative business. 
“Two years ago, my uncle came to Mogadishu and asked me to join them. I was totally astonished then. I had no idea what a pirate is like but by instinct I trust my uncle,” he said. 
Dji also heard rumors that this uncle is very rich, with big house, servants, and even some property in neighboring Kenya. What amazed this young man the most was that Uncle Rich only have to work for once in months. 
“That is attractive, and the job could be so easy for me. They need somebody to negotiate in English, I can speak English,” he said. Further more, his uncle provided for him a “trusted link”, without which it would be very hard to step into the network. 
After serious consideration, Dji gave up this offer. “I am badly in need of money, but I know money should not be earned in that way.” 
He explained that the pirates initially operated under the banner of “driving off foreign fishing ships”, but gradually they did whatever they could to grab money. 
“Now what they care about is money, they can even kill people for that,” he said. 
Instead of falling into the ditch of notorious piracy, Dji now becomes a journalist, a job that enables him to tell the true happenings of this war-ravaged city and a country deeply submerged in crisis. 
Somalia, the Horn of Africa nation, has been plagued by civil strife since the overthrow of military strongman Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Islamist rebels run much of south and center of the country while the Somali government control small parts of the restive capital Mogadishu. 
Some less than 5,000 AU peacekeepers, mainly contributed by Uganda and Burundi, are being based here to help Somalia’s transitional government to control key sites as the airport and sea ports, as well as important government buildings. 
The lack of a strong central government and long-lasting conflicts have provided breeding ground for pirates, who have made the Somali waters one of the world’s most dangerous sea routes for commercial ships.

The visits are aimed at fulfilling one of the priority tasks of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 2010, which are to promote Ukraine’s economic interests, orient the country’s foreign policy toward economics, and create conditions for attracting foreign investments into the country.
The visits are also aimed at further developing high-level political dialogue between Ukraine and these countries; broadening the trade, economic, scientific, technical, and humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and the countries, expanding the agreements and the legal basis for bilateral cooperation with them, particularly in the areas of liberalization of visa procedures.
Poroshenko plans to meet with representatives of the local business communities during the visit. This is expected to facilitate attraction of capital from, both countries to Ukraine for financing implementation of promising economic and investment projects, including projects involving preparation to host the 2012 European football championships, as well as to consolidate the efforts aimed at diversifying Ukraine’s energy sources.
According to the press service of the ministry, Oman and Qatar are influential countries with huge strategic reserves of crude oil and natural gas, significant investment potentials in the public and private sectors.
The press service said that deepening cooperation with them is a priority for Ukraine, considering the geographical locations of Oman and Qatar and the presence of key sea and air corridors on their territories.
Particular attention will also be focused on cooperation in fighting piracy during Poroshenko’s visits to Oman and Qatar.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, outgoing President Viktor Yuschenko has thanked Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said for doing everything possible to facilitate the return of 24 Ukrainian sailors from the Ariana vessel, which was seized by Somali pirates. [N.B.: However, neither the outgoing Ukrainian president nor his Foreign Minister have clarified why his government did nothing to facilitate a negotiated medical evacuation of a female crew-member with a life-threatening medical condition or answered the many open questions raised by the crew of Spanish fishing vessel ALAKRANA in this context.]
Ukraine and Qatar have reached an agreement on cooperation in investment in the oil, gas, and construction industries.

——– ecology, ecosystems, marine environment, IUU fishing and dumping, UNCLOS ———— 

Foreign Helicopters Hunt Wildlife in Somalia (Mareeg) 
Residents and elders in the Somali Coastal town of Gara’ad in Mudug region in central Somalia have expressed concern over helicopters hunting various species of wildlife, residents said on Saturday. 
According to the residents the helicopters flying in low level are hunting wildlife including gazelles and ostrich in the area. 
The clan elders in the area said they have agreed to preserve the wildlife ten years ago and imposed fines on anybody found hunting the wildlife of the area, which was close to extinction. 
It is not known which country the helicopters are from but foreign powers Including NATO have deployed warships to the waters off Somalia over the past years to protect merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden and the coast off Somalia  from the Somali pirates hijacking them. 
The elders called on the Puntland government to protect the wildlife which the foreign helicopters are hunting. 
It was August last year when the elders and the residents in the same village have voiced concern over helicopters hunting their wildlife.
[N.B.: This is the forth such report and already since last year ECOTERRA Intl. has set out an award for anybody who provides tangible proof, which could lead to the prosecution of pilot and crew of such helicopter as well as their military commander.]


Australia to Japan – Stop Whaling Now
Australia sets Japan Nov deadline to halt whaling by Rob Taylor (Reuters)
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has set Japan a November deadline to stop Southern Ocean whaling or face an international legal challenge to its yearly cull, launched by his government.
Australia preferred to find a diplomatic solution to its standoff with Tokyo over the annual whale cull near Antarctica, Rudd said, but was serious about a threat made two years ago to challenge the hunt in an international court.
“If that fails, then we will initiate court action before the commencement of the whaling season in November 2010. That’s the bottom line and we’re very clear to the Japanese, that’s what we intend to do,” he told Australian television Friday.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada arrives in Australia this weekend for talks with his Australian counterpart, Stephen Smith, on whaling, security and stalled free trade pact negotiations with Canberra.
Environmentalists have accused Rudd of backpedalling on threats of an International Court of Justice whaling challenge to avoid damaging Australia’s $58 billion trade relationship with Japan and so-far glacial progress on the free trade deal.
Some legal experts believe the cull is in breach of international laws including the Antarctic Treaty System and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. A court challenge would lead to so-called provisional orders for Japan to immediately halt whaling ahead of a full hearing.
Japan is reportedly considering a compromise which would allow it to drastically scale back or abandon its yearly Antarctic hunt provided it is allowed to whale commercially in Japanese coastal waters.
Tokyo will present the proposal before the 85-nation International Whaling Commission at its annual meeting in Morocco in June, despite a similar plan being rejected last year, a Japanese fisheries official said this week.
Japan’s government-backed whaling fleet aims to harpoon up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales, classified as endangered, in the Southern Ocean during the current Southern Hemisphere summer.
Commercial whaling was banned under a 1986 moratorium, but Japan still culls whales saying it is for research purposes.
Tokyo has lodged a protest with New Zealand’s government over a collision last month between an anti-whaling protest boat and a Japanese whaler which caused the activist vessel to sink.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society skipper is being held on board a whaling ship and may face charges in Japan after boarding it at sea to lodge a protest on February 15.
Japan’s government-backed Institute of Cetacean Research posted a video on its website this week showing more clashes between activists and the Japanese fleet, with paint and butyric acid bombs seen being thrown at the whaling ship Nisshin Maru.

With Biodiversity Loss Accelerating, ‘We Are Bankrupting Our Natural Economy’, Says UN Secretary-General (*)
I am pleased to be here in this spectacular monument to some of Earth’s most magnificent species.
Sadly many ‑‑ such as the blue whale which dominates this hall ‑‑ are endangered to the point of extinction.
The reason is simple:  human activities.  Yours, mine, everyone’s.
We have all heard of the web of life.  My worry is that the way we live has enmeshed us in a web of death.
Science tells us that our actions have pushed extinctions to 1,000 times the natural background rate.
Too many people still fail to grasp the implications.  They fail to see why we need to preserve an obscure amphibian here, an endangered owl there.
Many still think the Earth is ours to use as we like.
This argument betrays a woeful ignorance of ecosystems ‑‑ the importance of life on Earth ‑‑ and its complex interactions ‑‑ to our well-being as a species.
Consider why we have museums, zoos and natural parks ‑‑ why documentaries such as Life, which we will see previewed tonight, are so popular.
We have a cultural and spiritual connection to the natural world.
Some may scoff at philosophical arguments for protecting biodiversity.
I don’t.  Such feelings lie at the heart of human experience.
But, in any case, the economic case should be reason enough.
Ecosystem services are directly linked to the bottom line.  They are our natural capital.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, people woke up ‑‑ too late ‑‑ to the role that wetlands can play in minimizing the impact of storm surges.
Yet we often take ecosystem services for granted, and regard them as free.  As a result, we fail to give them a value, and fail to protect them.
When environmentalists try to prevent habitat destruction ‑‑ often in the name of an endangered species ‑‑ they are held up for ridicule or branded as extremists.
Too often environmental protection is seen as conflicting with economic protection.  In fact they are two sides of the same coin.
For example, here in New York City water is cheap and clean because the city chose to invest in protecting the Catskills watershed, saving several billions of dollars in the process.
All over the world, ecosystem services are a massive undervalued subsidy provided by the environment.
When we lose these services through mismanagement, crops fail, profits drop, people become poorer, economies suffer.
Think of the human cost of deforestation in countries such as Haiti and Ethiopia, or the dustbowl in this country in the 1930s.
A UN-backed study estimates that loss of natural capital due to deforestation and land degradation alone stands at between $2 trillion and $4.5 trillion each year.
Last year’s financial crisis was a wake-up call to Governments on the perils of failing to oversee and regulate complex relationships that affect us all.
The biodiversity crisis is no different.  We are bankrupting our natural economy.  We need to fashion a rescue package before it is too late.
This year is not only the International Year of Biodiversity ‑‑ it is the deadline by which the world had pledged to substantially reduce the rate of biodiversity loss.
The 2010 target will not be met.  The global decline in biodiversity is accelerating.
In fact, last week’s Trondheim Biodiversity Conference ‑‑ organized by the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN and the Government of Norway ‑‑ showed that biodiversity loss and ecosystem decline are much worse than expected.
The main causes include deforestation, changes in habitat and land degradation.  The growing impact of climate change is compounding the problem.
As with most emergencies, those hardest hit are the poor.
In this International Year, we need to show the link between biodiversity and human well-being.
We must demonstrate the concrete benefits of investing in our natural capital.
We need to show that protecting ecosystems can help us achieve the Millennium Development Goals and build resilience to climate change.
We are helped in such work by programmes such as the UNDP Equator Initiative, and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme.
Today’s event marks the first public call for nominations for the 2010 Equator Prize.
I urge you to draw inspiration from earlier prize-winners:  the Indonesian communities who have restored fish stocks; the Brazilian women who are sustainably using rare forest species for natural medicines and cosmetics; the African farmers who have seen crop yields jump five-fold.
They are showing how protecting nature benefits people.
Later this year, the UN General Assembly will hold a high-level segment on biodiversity.  We will also have an MDG Summit.
We must use these events and this International Year to send a clear message to the Nagoya meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in October.
The biodiversity crisis is worsening.  We need a new strategy that better links climate change, biodiversity and the Millennium Development Goals ‑‑ concrete targets and a new vision for conserving Earth’s biological diversity for the benefit of all.
(*) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s remarks at an event to launch the International Biodiversity Year at the American Museum of Natural History, delivered by Olav Kjorven, Assistant Secretary-General and Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bureau for Development Policy, in New York.

“WFP will not be allowed into southern Somalia once again” by: Hassan Osman Abdi (Mareeg)
Officials of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen said on Saturday that the World Food Program will not operate in the areas under the control of their administration in Somalia until it takes commandments ordered earlier.  
Sheik Moktar Robow Ali – better known as “Abu Mansour”, a high profile leader of Harakat Al-Shabab Mujahideen told reporters a night before at a mosque in Baidoa town, which is 250 kilometers south-west of the Somali capital Mogadishu, that WFP will never operate in southern Somalia and also in any other place under the control of Harakat Al-Shabab Mujahdeen unless the World Food Program abides by the conditions given earlier by the movement of Al-Shabab. 
Abu Mansour said that the conditions suggested to the agency were among others that WFP must buy the relief food from Somali farmers – asserting that the movement will not accept from the agency the provision of any food from the United States of America to Somalis and pointing out that the U.S. puts pressure and sanctions on the Somali people. 
“The economic situation of Somali farmers has improved since WFP left the zones under their control and that clarifies also that the Somali people can be without WFP. As known, WFP buys food from American farmers. It buys each sack $50 dollar and it does not like to buy the food of the Somali people,” said Sheik Moktar. We know that the food of WFP was suspended at Las Anod in Sol region in northern Somalia recently,” he added. 
The dispute between the World Food Program (WFP) and officials of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahdieen is based on conditions suggesting to WFP to buy the food from the Somali farmers while the WFP ignores that and its officials said that these were tough conditions, which caused to halt the operation, including the payment of large amounts of money to assure the security.
[N.B.: So far WFP is also not prepared to sign a moratorium, demanded by independent international NGOs, which would guarantee that WFP does not bring GMO-contaminated food-grain or seeds into Somalia.]

Somaliland’s Deepest Gratitude to King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz by Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi (Somalilandpress)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took a productive step by allowing the livestock exports from Somaliland and Somalia. The livestock exports are economy backbone for both the countries, and 90% of daily income of Somali families is from livestock revenue. The Somali people at the horn of Africa cheered the decision of the kingdom to end the nine years old ban. 
Historically, the Arabian Peninsula unveiled the importance and commercial quantity of Somali livestock during 19th century, after British Empire supplied meat to its military at Aden, Yemen, from the horn of African region, which caught the attention of the Yemeni traders, who later started exporting the meat and livestock from Somaliland to Saudi Arabia. The export of livestock by Yemeni traders was from the horn of Africa, Yemen and to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 
In 1956, the first Somali businessman called Sufi Hassan exported from Berbera to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia directly and without Yemeni traders. The livestock business continued between Saudi Arabia and Somaliland without health certificates and laboratory checkups, until recently after Rift Valley Fever was discovered in the region, and Saudi authorities banned the livestock from the region. 
Somaliland and regional health authorities announced that animals of the region are not sick and there was no Rift Valley Fever, instead there is political propaganda to disable some of the fast-growing economies like Somaliland. However, Saudi Arabia continued listening to such propaganda and ban lasted for nine years.
Late 2008, Somaliland authorities and Saudi businessman Al-Jabiri joined hands to restore this traditional livestock trade between Somaliland and Saudi Arabia, and Quarantine Center at Berbera City was construction in coordination with Al-Jabiri. The center won international quality and standard accreditation. The nine year long ban on Somali livestock exports to Saudi Arabia damaged the income of the average Somali families across the region. 
After the Saudi government led by his highness the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz restored the trade link and lifted the ban, the entire Somali people in the region welcomed the decision because for them it was between death and life. The people of Somaliland thanks to the King Abdullah and Ministry of Livestock of Saudi Arabia for the humanitarian and courageous decision. 
The Saudi government realized that lifting the ban from Somali livestock exports will be more valuable to the Somali people than the millions of dollars in aid. The people of Somaliland praised Saudi authorities for distinguishing between the trade and politics in Somalia. 
The Saudi authorities should know that Berbera port is the major export center for Somali livestock, and newly constructed quarantine center is to ensure the safety of the animals according to international standards. Bosaso Port of Puntland comes to second inline in export business. 
Again, the people of Somaliland and Somalia are thanking to his highness the King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz for lifting the ban.

————————— anti-piracy measures ———————————

Somali FM calls for powerful gov’t to tackle piracy (FocusIA)
Somali Foreign Minister Ali Jama Ahmed Jengeli said on Sunday that the Horn of Africa nation needs a powerful government to deal with piracy, Xinhua informs.
“The way how to solve this problem of piracy is not attack them in the sea but on the homeland. We need a powerful government, ” Jengeli told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
Jengeli was tasked with the mediation among various factions of Somalia and seeking international assistance. The foreign minister has always been bombed by questions about Somali piracy at international conferences or on other occasions since he took office one year ago. The issue has become a headache of Somalia, drawing increasing international attention.
He admitted that the piracy has become more rampant and well- concealed after many countries have sent warships to escort business vessels. “The problem is still there, that’s why we need a comprehensive solution,” said Jengeli.

Experts call for holistic war against piracy by Bernard Sanga (TheEastAfrican)
International maritime experts are rooting for a multi-pronged approach to eradicate piracy off the Somali coast.

EAC seeks joint piracy patrol by Wilfed Edwin (TheEastAfrican)
Following a long time of Somali pirates’ attacks along the eastern African coast and the Gulf of Aden, the East African Community member states are seeking cooperation to suppress and prevent the attacks.

Kenya lauded for trying pirates by Kevin Kelly (Nation)

Pressure mounts on Uganda to pass law against ‘dirty’ money by Julius Barigaba (TheEastAfrican)
Leading financial institutions in Uganda plus the World Bank and International Monetary Fund want the government to enact anti-money laundering laws, which other countries in the region have passed.

————– no real peace in sight yet —————–

Senior advisor to Somalia president resigns (garoweonline)
Senior Somali presidential advisor, Professor Ahmed M. Warfa, a distinguished scientist who had received his doctorate from a Swedish University and was the first democratically elected rector and president of the Somali National University in 1991, on Saturday resigned from his position. 
In the resignation, he cited personal reasons and working with an uncooperative president. 
“I advised Sheikh Sharif on the 4.5 clan system that forms the basis of the government, he did nothing about it. I also advised him on the 39 ministers that make up the cabinet and his many other advisors, he ignored,” said the professor. 
Professor Warfa added that President Sheikh Sharif turned down his advise over the handling of regional-based states, saying that to pin-point its leaders from Villa Somalia would not help. 
“I am not opposed to the rejections of my advises, however, I am opposed to advises he received behind my back, which counter mine,” he noted, adding that Sheikh Sharif has so many ‘advisors’ who advise him on increasing the number of ministers and lawmakers. 
Professor Warfa became the presidential advisor in August 2009. 
The resignation of the senior advisor unearths the political squabbling behind the scenes that has crippled the already fragile government, which was formed just over one year ago in neighbouring Djibouti.

AMISOM field hospital in urgent need of humanitarian aid (Xinhua News Agency)

Temporal tent wards are over-occupied with patients and their family members, especially child wards, making the small hot tents choky. About 40 percent of children in the hospital need operations after being wounded by guns, nurses said. Others are malnourished or have congenital diseases caused by wretched circumstances.
“China has given us a lot of medical equipment, we are very grateful, but to know that in places like Somalia, an ordinary three-year equipment can be used may not be able to work half a year, which is the biggest difficulty we now face,” said Dr. Kiyenlw.
According to Dr. Kiyenlw, the United Nations, China, Japan and the U.S. have provided many medical aid. But more and more injured civilians need treatment as the security situation in Somalia has been deteriorated.
Long-lasting wars have destroyed the health system in the restive country, forcing civilians to appeal for free treatments provided by the AMISOM.
Clashes between government troops and rebel militia in central Somalia caused a casualty of more than 500 civilians and 80,000 displaced last month, the UNHCR said on Feb. 2.
Since the AMISOM peacekeepers entered Somalia in 2007, the field hospital which opened at the same time have treated locals more than 20,000 person-times.

Mogadishu, a city haunted by fear (Xinhua News Agency)
Ali and his brother, residents of the Somali capital Mogadishu, got up early on Saturday and walked a long way to the main camp of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to get their gunshot wounds treated by the peacekeepers’ medical services.
Saturday is usually the busiest day for AMISOM’s clinic, with many Somali civilians, mostly wounded during fightings between the government forces and insurgents, waiting in long queues for hours just to see the doctor.
Ali told Xinhua that he and his brother were the only two people left in their family, as the other members were all killed in the fightings between government forces and the rebels.
Last year, Ali was shot in the back during the violence while this year, a bullet went through his brother’s leg.
“We have no job, no food. They provide free treatment here, so we came,” said Ali.
The brothers were among some 400 civilians who came to the clinic in its “opening day” on every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Before getting to see the doctor, they must first go through extremely strict security checks, under the gunpoint of a soldier lurking from the roof of the clinic.
“Everything should be controlled,” AMISOM soldiers told Xinhua correspondents who arrived in the war-ravaged city Thursday in an embedded interview with the AU peacekeeping forces there.
AMISOM’s wariness was an echo of the deteriorating security situation in Somalia, where the transitional government and Islamic insurgents have been engaged in bloody fightings almost on a daily basis. The AMISOM barracks are among the main targets of attacks.
On Sept. 17 last year, a suicide bomb attack by Islamist rebels on the headquarters of AU forces in Mogadishu left 17 peacekeepers dead while 29 others were wounded.
AMISOM deputy commander Maj. Gen. Juvenal Niyonguruza, from Burundi, was among those killed while former AMISOM commander Gen. Nathan Mugisha, from Uganda, was wounded in the blast.
At the gate of the clinic, patients were eagerly waiting to see the doctor.
“Don’t shoot me, I will be killed.” Xinhua correspondents were immediately refused by one of the patients when trying to record the scene with a camera.
“If they are found to have come to AMISOM, the Al Shabaab will kill them,” AMISOM’s public information officer Maj. Barigye Ba- Hoku told Xinhua.
Inside the clinic, a three-year-old boy was getting his bleeding arm binded up. He suddenly burst into funk and began to cry when the correspondents approached and waved to him.
“He is afraid of your camera, he thought it’s a gun,” a nurse told Xinhua.
The little boy witnessed the death of his parents last month, when they were shot dead by armed rebels. The militants then beated the boy with a gun and broke his arm. Since then he has been easily frightened with anything that looks like a gun, the nurse explained.
Fear is not only haunting the three-year-old orphan, but also many civilians of the war-ravaged Somali capital.
In Somalia, which has been plagued by civil strife since 1991, civilians have become victims of the endless fightings and the escalating violence.
Over the past two decades, some 1.3 million people have been displaced by the conflicts, as the Horn of Africa nation was thrown into shambles.
In the first month of 2010, clashes between government troops and Islamic rebels in central Somalia have caused a casualty of more than 500 civilians and 80,000 displaced, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Sparing civilians key to Somali offensive (AFP)
Somalia’s government and African Union troops face a difficult balancing act as they prepare for an unprecedented offensive: eradicating Al Shabaab insurgents while sparing the civilians in their midst.
Many observers agree that, should the AU-government tandem succeed in wresting Somalia back from the rebels in the operation thought to be imminent, its ability to show more concern for civilians will be key to its credibility.
The fighting in Mogadishu follows a well-known script repeated almost daily.
Al Shabaab fighters, whose leadership recently proclaimed allegiance to Al-Qaeda, shell positions held by government troops or AU forces (AMISOM) from their bastions in densely-populated areas.
Retaliatory fire soon flies back across the city and smashes into the estimated location from which the attack originated, with fluctuating accuracy and devastating consequences for local residents.
Hundreds of Somali civilians are believed to have died, many of them in Mogadishu’s daily mortar ping-pong, over the past three years of almost uninterrupted civil conflict.
Awareness of the plight of civilians in Somalia, routinely described as one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies, and of shortcomings in efforts to protect them appears to be growing however.
“Civilians are the main victims of what is happening now in Somalia, indiscriminate shelling has a disproportionate impact on civilians,” UN humnitarian coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden said earlier this week.
“There is a general concern on the way this war is being fought,” he said.
Earlier this month, Doctors Without Borders said the Mogadishu hospital it helps run had received alarming numbers of women and children wounded in shelling.
“The numbers of injured women and children that we received in just over 72 hours is not ‘collateral damage,’ it’s a total lack of regard for the safety of civilians,” the statement said.
In January, the UN Security Council voiced concern that “the urban nature of the conflict and the frequent failure of all parties to restrict the fighting to clearly identified military targets (places) civilians at great risk.”
When he was elected a year ago, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed enjoyed wide popularity and was seen as Somalia’s best chance for peace in years.
But he has since failed to assert his authority on the country and retain his credit. Moreover, shelling by the TFG and its AMISOM backers has earned him much criticism at home.
“AMISOM and the Somali government… are failing their responsibility to protect the lives of civilians,” a Mogadishu-based Somali human rights activist told AFP on condition of anonymity.
In one of the most dangerous cities of the world, there are few independent watchdogs and many threats to journalists, making it difficult to untangle facts from propaganda and clearly establish responsibilities.
“The Al Shabaab’s contempt for civilians is evident,” stressed a western source in Mogadishu.
“They have no qualms about shelling from the vicinity of hospitals, firing mortar rounds from mounted vehicles with the aim of attracting a deadly response,” the source said.
AMISOM insists it is doing its utmost to spare civilians.
“Our soldiers exercise maximum restraint to fire back even when they are in imminent danger,” said a high-ranking officer in the force.
“Our primary mission and concern is to protect and assist the people, not to compound their already serious security situation”.
“AMISOM troops have never fired the first bullet…. But surely we reserve the right to self defense,” he added, promising investigations and even punishments “in case of mistakes or accidents”.
Aware of the high price paid by civilians and the PR implications of such incidents, AMISOM appears to be altering its communications strategy.
“From now on, if we accidentally kill civilians, we will say so,” said one AU official.
This could entail another problem: the issue of compensation to the victims’ families at a time when the AU is already struggling to pay its own soldiers.

Somalia’s transitional government and a recently-armed Sufi group will sign an agreement in March to join hands in “fighting extremism”, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sherif Hassan Sheik Aden and Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa’s spiritual leader Sheikh Mahamoud Sheikh Ahmed met in Addis Ababa for more than a week to thrash out a deal in response to the rise of the militant Islamic Shebab.
“Both parties have agreed to mobilise Somalis inside and outside the country to fight jointly against the onslaught of extremism, to preserve Somali tradition and custom,” the Ethiopian ministry said in a statement.
“Both sides will now take the agreement back to their respective constituencies and carry out extensive discussions. The final agreement will be signed during the first week of March,” it added.
Under the agreement, a national panel of ulemas, or Muslim scholars, will be formed to come up with a framework to “protect and preserve the traditional Somali Islamic faith”, the statement said.
Sufism emphasises the mystical dimension of Islam and includes practices considered as idolatry by the strict Wahhabi sect followed by the Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab.
Sufism is still dominant in clannish Somalia, where clan founders were often also Muslim saints, but its leading clerics have voiced concern that hardline Islamist groups such as Shebab were slowly eradicating it.
Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa (‘The Companions of the Prophet’) took up arms in 2008 after Shebab started hunting down Sufi faithful and desecrating their holy sites, notably in and around the southern Somali city of Kismayo.
The usually quiet group held its inaugural “war council” in Nairobi in November.
Shebab controls around 80 percent of southern and central Somalia, and since his election a year ago President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and his administration have been pinned down in a small area of the capital.
The conflict-wracked country’s shaky government is planning a nationwide offensive against insurgents, which Shebab says will be met with all-out war.

Tension mounts between allied Islamists (Mareeg)
Tension between al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam is mounting after the information secretary of Hizbul Islam, Sheikh Mohamed Moallim declared Sunday war against al Shabaab. 
Sheikh Mohamed accused al Shabaab of not willing negotiations and declared fighting against them.
“We were behind the fighting in Dhobley which we cleared the Shabaab from the town” said Sheikh Mohamed, who held a press conference in the capital. 
“The fighting was led by Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, an official of Hizbul Islam in lower Jubba region” he added. 
The leader of Hizbul Islam Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys criticized the Shabaab last month saying they broke agreement between the two groups. 
Sheikh Ahmed Madobe is fighting against the Shabaab in towns in lower Jubba region in southern Somalia, notably Dhobley, Afmadow and Kismayo. 

,Al-Shabab says they will forgive Bay and Bakool administrations (somaliweyn)
The most powerful armed Islamist group in Somalia, (Al-shabab) has announced that they will forgive the former administrations of Bay and Bakool regions who are currently in a guerilla war against them in some parts of Bakool region in the northwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu.    
In a meeting attended by some members of Bay council of intellectuals, Elders and high ranking officers of Al-Shabab, they have deeply discussed about the current security situation in Bay and Bakool regions.
Among the high ranking officers of Al-Shabab was the most famous figure in Al-Shabab Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Abuu Mansoor, the former spokesman of Al-Shabab. 
Sheikh Mukhtar Robow addressed the press instantly after the meeting was wrapped up. 
“From today henceforth we (Al-Shabab) have forgiven those fugitives who are in some parts of Gedo and Bakool regions, we have been closely following their recent movement they have been organizing for battles against us in the region, I am telling them to know this is not the time to fight, we don’t want to create more problems to our people who are already anguish and are fed up of fighting over them” said Sheikh Mukhtar Robwo Abu Mansoor the former spokesman of Al-Shabab. 
The Somali government regional administrations of Bay, Bakool and Gedo regions are holding positions in some parts of Bakool and Gedo regions, and have been lately preparing for an all out fight against Al-Shabab. 
Ahl-Suunnah Waljama which is the second strongest armed moderate Islamist group in Somalia which controls most of the central regions in Somalia has recently signed a concrete agreement with the Somali transitional federal government, and this can be a blow to Al-Shabab which itself controls most of the southern regions in Somalia.

Militants ban commemoration of Prophet (Mareeg)
Al Shabaab militants have banned commemoration of Prophet Muhammed (Peace of Allah Be Upon Him) in towns under their control as officials declared on Sunday. 
Ahlu-Sunna Wal-Jama’a adherents make celebrations marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammed in areas under their control in the third month of the Islamic calendar, but al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam groups call this an un-Islamic ritual. 
Officials from al Shabaab in Jowhar, the regional capital of middle Shabelle region said they banned the towns under their control of the commemoration of the prophet. 
In Luuq town in Gedo region, Sheikh Hassan al Iraqi from Hizbul Islam group said they informed the people that they were not allowed of any celebrations marking the birth of the Prophet as “it was un-Islamic”. 

Al Shabaab kills a clan chief in southern town (Mareeg)
A fighter from al Shabaab militants has shot dead a clan chief in Warmahan Village in Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, witnesses said on Sunday.
A witness in the Village, who requested not to be named, said the militia man opened gun fire on the clan elder after he argued with him. The clan chief died instantly on the spot. 
The murderer has not escaped after the killing but he stayed in the Village and is normally doing his own business in the area. 
There is no word from the Shabaab group and the bereaved family has expressed concern and shock about the incident. 
Al Shabaab militants assassinate and deliberately kill anybody who speaks against them and label the people who do not believe their ideology as “apostates”.

Iran, Israel’s Naval Bases, Somaliland’s Recognition: Port Berbera—Bargaining Chip by Dalmar Kaahin (Somalilandpress)
Somali warrior poet once said, “Rag hadaad colaad leedihiin, ciidanse uwaydo, waxkastood ku ciil bixi kartaa kuu cawo aduune…or if you are embroiled in a hostile war with other men but don’t have a counter attack force, anything that could alleviate your pain serves as luck on your side.” 
Taking the advice of the poet, if Somaliland cannot escape from its isolation and mobilize the resources needed to break through the formidable concrete walls encompassing it, engaging with any nation that could alleviate Somaliland’s ordeal is a fair game: be it Israel or Iran, or an alien republic in Mars. 
Form 1991 to present, Somaliland remains an independent but unrecognized state, alienated by none other than the Arabs who Somalilanders consider brothers and sisters. Worse still, as if alienation and economic holocaust towards Somaliland could not deliver the final blow, among others, Somaliland remains in the midst of a turbulence sea, yet no end to its miseries. To top it, never before has Somaliland faced a relentless terrorist attacks from none other than Southern Somalia’s extremist groups, namely: Al-Shabaab. See terrorist attacks details: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/137149 
Now, despite building an impressive democratic system (a dream in many parts of Africa; unthinkable in the Arab world), despite establishing a peaceful state, and despite combating piracy, terrorism, and human trafficking in Horn of Africa, Somaliland is awarded with sanctions including livestock ban, using its passport, and barring its leaders from attending Arab, African, as well as International conferences. 
Traditionally, chocking the lifeline of a country is something reserved for a rogue regime which supports terrorisms and bent to spur mayhem in the International community. But ironically, self-destructive autocratic regimes receive better treatment than the democratic state of Somaliland does. Why? 
Much of the hostilities and isolations towards Somaliland stems from its refusal to budge on Arab demands. That is, coercing Somaliland to accept another gunshot marriage with Somalia. Now, the Arab world instead of first providing Somaliland an economic incentive to mediate Somalia’s warring factions, and then convincing Somaliland to have a dialogue with Somalia, Arab rulers opted to suffocate Somaliland first; and then rebuild Somalia. Without a doubt, at times, as its mouth fell open, Somaliland desperately grasped for a breath of air but because of its determination it remains defiant. 
However, recently the Arab rulers’ attitude towards Somaliland has softened up; for instance the livestock ban has been lifted. Now, the rulers changed their hearts not because they finally have mercy for Somaliland but because of other factors: for one thing, Somalia’s remains drowned in a sea of blood and its Oceans infested with pirates. Also, its leaders have gone from tribal warlords to religious warmongers. They just changed shirts. Surprise!
For another, two of the most powerful countries in the Middle East: Israel and Iran are now flexing their muscles over East Africa, specifically, Somaliland’s strategic port Berbera. They both want to use the port as a naval base. But the problem is Arab leaders perceive Iran and Israel as archenemies of Arab states, a threat to the Middle East monarchies. Now for the Arab states to have either of their natural adversaries in port Berbera, which has strategic importance, is unthinkable. 
During the cold war, port Berbera served as a naval base for the Soviet forces first and later for the U.S. marines. The city also has one of the longest runways in Africa; that is, in the event of emergency landing, the Space Shuttle Discovery could descend on the city’s airport. But more important, its airport could be used as the springboard to stamp out terrorism in East Africa and piracy in the Golf of Aden. 
But for the Iranians and Israelis, their mission has little to do with curbing terrorism or eradicating piracy and has more to do with: out competing against each other as well as edging out the Arab countries. 
Now, the U.S. which has its forces in Djibouti will resolutely oppose establishing an Iranian naval base in Berbera. But the U.S. may not necessarily oppose Israelis. Arab rulers, on the other hand, consider both Iran and Israel’s presence in Berbera as undesirable. 
Meanwhile, port Berbera is evidently the bargaining chip for Somaliland to achieve its goal. Currently, Somalilanders couldn’t care less whether it is Iranians or Israelis, or aliens from Mars that establish a naval base in port Berbera as long as they recognize Somaliland. Will Iran and Israel’s competition for East Africa trigger Somaliland’s recognition? 
Depending who offers the bigger economic and military incentives, both Israel and Iran are welcomed in Somaliland. Doubtlessly, if executed properly, Somaliland has two Ace cards to play with. 
• Arabs and Iran: if Israelis gains the competitive edge, Arab countries and Iran need to wake up and smell the coffee. They should iron out their differences with Somaliland to avert an Israel influence in East Africa. 
• U.S., Israel, and Arab countries: if, however, Iran puts all its eggs in one basked as to win the hearts and minds of Somaliland people which could be achieved easily since Somalilanders view Iran as a Muslim nation, U.S., Israel, and Arab countries will have no choice but give Somaliland what it wants so that Iran doesn’t base its naval forces in port Berbera. U.S. should offer huge economic incentives to Somaliland while Arabs end isolating it economically and politically. This is not too much to ask, is it? 
Ultimately, no matter how the dice is rolled, one thing is clear: Somaliland will look after its interest. Be it with Iran or Israel, Somaliland is open for business—first come, first served.

————–  reports, news and views from the global village with an impact on Somalia ——————- 

AMISOM inducts police trainers in Kenya (Mareeg)
Thirty four police officers who are expected to start training and mentoring members African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have embarked on an induction course of the Somali Police Force, a press release said on Sunday.
The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi, officially opened the course on Friday 19th February at the Kenya Wildlife Training Centre. 
“The course has attracted police trainers from Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria and Sierra Leone” said a press release of which a copy of it was received by Mareeg Online on Sunday. 
“I have no doubts in my mind that the officers assembled here today have the professional competence to deliver on our mandate in Somalia. “ Said Mr. Wamunyinyi. 
The police trainers were selected last year following an AU/UN Selection team that travelled to the four countries to conduct an assessment of the officers to serve in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). During this exercise, a little over 600 candidates were selected and put on a database for deployment. 
The Deputy Special Representative for Somalia said the induction course for the police trainers is part of the African Union’s responsibility to support the people of Somalia who for the past 21years or so have not seen any peace or development in their country. 
Mr. Wamunyinyi thanked the Government of Kenya for offering its Wildlife Training Centre to the African Union for use by AMISOM to train the Somali Police Force.

African Union Commission Chairperson on recent achievments by the commission (*)
Responding to a question on the situation in Madagascar, Chairperson Ping referred to the Agreement arrived at in Maputo on 9 August 2009 and the additional Addis Ababa Act that was adopted by consensus by the four main Madagascar groups, which was not the case with the Second and Third Maputo Agreements. He said the authorities took a unilateral decision that was contrary to the previous agreements. It is in this context that the African Union had to intervene as a mediator. The Chairperson of the Commission visited the Big Island, in January 2010, alongside the International Contact mediation Group for Madagascar in a bid to submit written proposals to the four main groups concerned. These groups were requested to reply to the proposal in writing within the space of fifteen days. Upon receipt of the responses, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, travelled to Maputo to meet with President Chissano so that together they can consider the different responses or feedback of the groups. Chairperson Ping further announced that the results of that consultation will be made available as soon as possible. 
On Somalia, Chairperson Ping reiterated his concern with regard to the outbreak and violence in the country which he said has been deprived from having a well established government for the past 19 years. He said the deployment of the AU military personnel in Somalia (AMISOM) is still insufficient. The AMISOM is currently made of 5500 military personnel, out of the agreed number of 8,000. The Chairperson of the Commission in this regard, reiterated the call to AU Member States to put more military personnel at AMISOM’s disposal. He also urged donor countries to honor their commitments taken during the Brussels Conference. 
Concerning piracy, Chairperson Ping underlined the need to consider the Somali problem seriously, calling on the donor countries and African countries that have promised to contribute troops or logistical support to honor their commitments. On the other hand, the Chairperson indicated that the phenomenon of piracy has extended to the West African coast due to the development of drug trafficking. He called on the drug-producing countries and recipient countries alongside the United Nations competent Agencies to work together to combat trafficking. The recent crisis in Guinea Bissau was quoted as an example. 
On the relations between Chad and Sudan, Chairperson Ping welcomed the recent agreement sealed by the visit of President Idriss Déby Itno of the Republic of Chad to President Omar Hassan Al Bashir of the Republic of Sudan. This normalization of relations between the two countries, he explained is a prerequisite to resolving the conflict in Darfur. 
With regard to the joint force AU-UN, UNAMID; Mr. Ping recalled that Darfur does not need a military solution, but a political will. He reiterated the need to consider dialogue for the facilitation of peace in the area. “We have appointed a joint AU-UN mediator, Mr. Djibril Bassolé, and a joint head of UNAMID, Mr. Ibrahim Gambari to work hand in hand for an inclusive solution that takes into account all other initiatives aimed at maintaining peace because we thought he must unite the efforts” he explained. 
On the issue of the 2011 Southern Sudan referendum, Mr. Ping noted that the AU has done everything to ensure that unity prevails in this part of the region. “The unity of Sudan is the most attractive option”, he said. However, the Chairperson said that it is imperative to anticipate a post-referendum plan. Regarding the April 2010 election, Mr. Ping said that the international community has worked hard to ensure that elections are held. “They will take place in April 2010 and we hope they take place in a peaceful climate,” he mentioned. 
Chairperson Ping also hoped that the next Afro-Arab Summit scheduled to take place in Libya in the last quarter of 2010 will have a positive impact on solving the problems of Sudan and Somalia. “Both countries belong to the AU and the Arab League”, he noted. 
On the impact of climate change in Africa, Mr. Ping stressed that Africa does not contribute much in the pollution but she is a victim of the effects climate change, with no adaptation means to this new situation. He noted that at the Copenhagen conference, African countries have expressed their readiness to reduce their energy consumption alongside countries with high pollution. He acknowledged that even though the Copenhagen Declaration was not very binding, Africa as a group came up with a common position on climate change which will serve a basis for future negotiations.
(*)  Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission,  presided on Friday 12 February 2010, over a press conference held at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

AFRICAN UNION TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH NATO (NamNewsNetwork) 
A group of high level officials from the African Union (AU) led by Sivuyile Thandikhaya Bam, head of the Peace Support Operations Division of the AU, visited NATO’s Headquarters and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium on Thursday and Friday. 
“Our visit here is to take forward some discussions that we had with NATO on how to improve the African Unions ability to provide better management support to peace missions,” Bam told the NATO TV channel. 
On its part, the 28-member Alliance said in a statement Friday night that the visit provided a good opportunity for an open and constructive dialogue on a variety of issues, particularly NATO’s role in the new security environment and the further development of practical cooperation between NATO and the AU.NATO and the AU have developed an increasingly fruitful practical cooperation since 2005. NATO supported the AU Mission in Sudan and is currently assisting the AU mission in Somalia in terms of air- and sea-lift, but also planning support. 
NATO is also providing training opportunities and capacity building support to the AU’s long term peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force. 
This reflects the shared objective of bringing security and stability to Africa, added the statement. 

Security Tighten Measures against African Inflators; 
Yemen Arrests 46 Somali Refugees (YemenPost) 

Yemen remains committed to refugee accords, helping, Africans, mostly Somalis, through enabling them to live in good conditions, the ministry assured.

Eritrea: More Reactions to Sanctions
 - Part III – Q & A with Eritrean Lawyer Simon W. Haimanot by Michael Abraha  (Media and Human Rights Project)
The Eritrean Government initiated anti-sanction protest marches being staged in some Western cities on Monday, Feb 22, represent nothing but a shaky state of mind of a repressive regime that has long failed its heroic, freedom-loving people. The greater the number of misinformed marchers on the streets, the larger that perception will be magnified in the eyes of observers. Today we are talking with lawyer Simon Mebrahtu Weldehaimanot, now studying for his PhD in jurisprudence at the Notre Dame University in the United States. He is active member of two exiled associations – the Eritrean Law Society (ELS) and the London based CDRiE (Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea). Simon will give his own legal interpretation of the sanctions later in this discussion, but first his thoughts on Monday´s demonstrations: 
SIMON MEBRAHTU WELDEHAIMANOT: I feel very sorry for those who are preparing to demonstrate because they genuinely feel that our country is wronged by the United Nations. To the extent that what they believe is best to their mind, they should be respected. They just need to be reached out. They could be good people of strong nationalist sentiments. To their mind, the State is above everything else. 
But Eritreans are being polarised along different cleavages; opponents and supporters of the government being one. In this affair, many of us are no longer using our ability to reason and rationalize. Hence, some are committed to support the government no matter what it does because they hate the opposition. They have left the reasoning to officials of the government. They need to be provided with executable instructions, and the more detailed the latter are the better: no room is left for some reasoning. They complain, for example, about substantive and/or procedural injustices the State is allegedly subjected to. Yet, they say little with regard to denial of justice to citizens. 
In this increasingly shrinking herd there are, of course, opportunists who are good at twisting facts and logic. If these folks have some level of decency, they should have called the government to comply with and thus have the sanctions lifted even before they become effective. If you are accused of smoking and ordered to quite, compliance is easier for you if you have never smoked. These folks should have cared for Eritrea´s interest first and Somalia´s second. Despite their conviction that the government´s role in Somalia is right, for the sake of Eritrea´s interests, a reasonable person expects them to call the government they love to change path. 
Q: The sanctions are aimed at punishing Eritrean leaders mainly for their role in destabilizing Somalia. Will the UN measures help Eritrea move in the right direction? 
SMW: If these are not leading to the desired direction, they need to be redirected to what the Eritrean public needs. For so long, the government in Eritrea has been escaping international condemnation for its repressive governance with the exception of the various reports from different quarters pertaining to human rights violations in Eritrea. It is indeed very sad that norms of democracy and human rights are not strictly enforced. Even those who claim to be champions of these norms are less inclined to step over when dictators make transgressions. The government in Eritrea made transgressions in Somalia. At least that is what it is accused of and eventually “convicted”, if I may use the term for lack of a better one. In this transgression other interests are affected for which reason the government is sanctioned. I am not close to the situation in Somalia and I will spare you a layperson´s opinion. However, I do firmly believe that some of the terms of the sanction are what the government should have got as a result of its repressive and illegitimate nature which current legal framework of the African Union prohibits. This is one area of law I follow closely. 
I think one regular contributor to asmarino.com (is it Yosief Ghebrehiwet?) has explained the situation in a very impressive analogy. Consider a man who comes drunk every night and abuses his family. The family has been praying to see the man terminated even in a very ruthless manner. Now, let´s assume that the man is spotted in a bar and is arrested and eventually wrongly convicted for disturbing peace. Now, place yourself in the situation of the family. Would you thank God for finding a place for your abuser? Or would you feel bad because you think the conviction is wrong? In my scale of morality, even if in the unlikely assumption that the Eritrean government is innocent of what it is convicted of, I do welcome some of the terms of the sanction. For different crimes, the government deserves them.
As to the effectiveness of the sanction, there are various important factors. To begin with, the purpose of the sanction is worth noting. Is it punitive or/and disabling? If the UNSC intended the sanctions to have broader effect, which I think it is, the sanction could be effective. In addition, if member States of the UN take the sanction seriously, the latter could be effective. In this case, given that the government has rendered Eritrea a pariah State with little international support, it appears that the sanction could have notable effect. The role of Eritreans in having the sanction enforced is important factor too. Yet, we should realize that the sanction could be lifted if the government complies with what the interested quarters are demanding. However, this is a government that continuously follows the path of destruction and which cherishes controversies. As I have alluded to in reply to your other questions, the government is probably happy about the sanction. 
Q: The sanctions are not directed at foreign investors such as Western gold mining companies operating in the country. The regime will probably soon end up making hundreds of millions of US dollars from its mining fields and the money is likely to be used for the purchase of weapons instead of improving the living condition of Eritreans. What should be done?
SMW: I do differ from your understanding that the sanction does not apply to “foreign investors such as Western gold mining companies”. To me and several colleagues with whom I have exchanged ideas, the sanction covers any foreign based income. Indeed, pertinent part of the Resolution reads: 
The Security Council … Decides that all Member States shall … ensure that no funds, financial assets or economic resources are made available by their nationals or by any individuals or entities within their territories to or for the benefit of such individuals or entities [which means] … entities, including but not limited to Eritrean political and military leadership, governmental, and parastatal entities, and entities privately owned by Eritrean nationals living within or outside of Eritrean territory.
My understanding of the aim of the sanction is not only punitive but also disabling. Thus, all foreign based income may fall under the ban. This is a Chapter VII resolution and thus binding upon all UN member States. I think this affects NEVSUN and all other companies doing business with the government. I think this also affects the 2% taxes paid by nationals abroad. I realize that the resolution contains exceptions under which the 2%, for example, may fall. The opposition needs to run a coordinated campaign to convince important countries to stop their citizens/residents from violating the resolution. It should have been a morality issue for Eritreans to stop supporting such a repressive and unaccountable government. But, law or morality is not enough unless you have a police. 
Q: Why hasn´t the UN made public the evidence used to justify the sanctions?
SMW: The passing of the resolution is alleged to be defective procedure and/or evidence wise. On the scale of morality, this is high time to ask the government if it has been following due process of law with regard to the thousands of Eritreans rotting in prisons. In the correct answer to this question lies the chilling hypocrisy of the government and its supporters. But this may not justify substantive and procedural errors at the UN Security Council. I am not familiar with the practices and rules of procedure and evidence of the UNSC. I do know the UNSC is a political body. I also realize that political decisions often get a perfect legal dress. Having known the government in Eritrea, however, I am less inclined to suspect that there were defects in passing the resolution. If there were, why don´t the opponents of the sanction who have made the allegation prove it to us. If there are rules of procedure and evidence which have not been followed in passing the Resolution 1907, the protesters should demonstrate them to us. 
Some of the arguments they have offered to us are, however, laughable. Some of them have submitted that the burden of proof at the UNSC is beyond a reasonable doubt but we are not provided with a footnote. A decent lawyer knows that there are different levels of proof used in different circumstances: beyond a reasonable doubt, preponderance, mere indicative, reasonable suspicion … etc. We also have offenses of strict liability where no defence is entertained. In law, there are also presumptions which exclude the showing of evidence. I don´t need evidence to show me that the sun rises in the east or water runs down the slope in a normal circumstance. What do you make of the fact that almost all AU member states agreed to impose the sanctions. The level of support at the UNSC was also very high. 
Q: Are the opposition forces doing enough to take advantage of the UN sanctions? What should they be doing at the moment? 

SMW: Some of the opposition forces have military wings. It has been reported that these forces are planning to intensify their military actions calculating that the sanction which includes embargo on weapons will put the government at a disadvantaged position. In this regard you may say that something is being planned. I do not support peaceful or non-violent means of struggle religiously. In addition, I do think that oppressed sides can, in exceptional situation and as a last option, resort to force to end oppression. However, I do not think that it will be these minor military actions that bring the regime down. In fact, they may simply offer justification to the hapless National Service conscripts to need their guns, at least for self defence. They may simply turn considerable Eritreans to re-embrace the government as a lesser evil. In addition, military actions coming from Ethiopia´s side may turn the point of the protesters more credible. Considering the current configuration of the military wings, I do not support, nor call for more military actions in the context of the sanction. In addition, embargo on weapons is not a sanction that the current legal framework of the African Union provides for unconstitutional government like the one in Eritrea. 
The other terms of the sanction can be executed peacefully. With regard to these, I don´t think that a satisfactory work is being done. Admittedly, our recourses are very limited. Yet, unfortunately, the few able people are spending their time to show us who writes better English. Our activists are indulged in hair splitting arguments and attacking each other in an attempt to win arguments. We are in our own fight which is increasingly polarizing the activists. In fact, what the writers, you may call them bloggers, often do is to write their opinion from the comfort of their home. You have a draft on Saturday, polish it on Sunday and have it posted in the afternoon. On matters that require going to libraries, on matters that demand submitting serious memos and knocking diplomatic doors, we are very poor.
Here is what I would like the opposition to do. First, we need to demonstrate the fact that the sanction is a deserved one for transgression of the government over Eritreans. The current legal framework of the African Union is one of the areas that I follow closely. Unconstitutional governments such as the one in Eritrea (not the established semi-monarchs) are prohibited in the continent. Some of the sanctions due for such a government are the ones the UNSC has imposed. Two years ago, a memorandum was submitted to the Peace and Security Council of the African Union calling for almost identical sanctions on the government for its delinquency on fundamental principles of democracy. 
The following were what the signatories demanded:
1. Immediate suspension of the transitional ´Government of Eritrea´ from participating in any of the African Union´s organs; and,
2. Withholding of recognition of the transitional Government of Eritrea which must be enforced by visa denials for its officials, restrictions of government-to-government contacts and trade.
Around 1000 Eritrean activists signed the memorandum. This was a very serious submission contained in a background paper to the memorandum which is now being published by the Journal of African Law. Thus, what the UNSC imposed is what we demanded, of course as a sanction for a different crime or wrongful act. No matter the dynamics in Somalia, the government deserves these sanctions.
Second, I would like the opposition to adopt a broader interpretation of the sanction. Let me clarify this in reply to your following question.
Q: Why are anti-sanction protests not allowed in Eritrea? 
SMW: You can also see the aims of the protests from the fact that no similar actions are being taking place inside Eritrea. As you put it, demonstration is not a respected right in Eritrea. It is something disallowed. Eritreans in Eritrea have no business in supporting the transgressions of the government in Somalia. Having being at the receiving end of the abuses of the government, I don´t think Eritreans in Eritrea have any desire to support the government even in its righteous stand. It is humanly very difficult. Dictators can force people to streets using the gun; they can force the crowd to carry banners but you they cannot make the crowd look passionate. And impassionate folks are not good for the TV station: they don´t help you to claim that you have popularity. The government must have learned from the forced rallies of the Derg. In addition, the government is so insecure that even rallies in support of its actions carry some risk. Better to avoid them at all. 
I do agree that the main objective of the anti-sanction campaign is to collect money from Diaspora Eritreans and to refresh that appearance of poor Eritrea standing against the unjust world. It is designed to show the world that the government has popular support. As I have explained with regard to the other questions, yes, collecting money for the government without any reliable check on the destination of the money is an activity banned under the sanctions?
Q: Some say the government could easily have avoided the sanctions by making some concessions, for instance, recognizing the UN backed interim Somali government and denouncing Al-Shabab´s terrorism. Others think the government wanted the sanctions so that Eritreans will continue not to pay attention to injustices at home. Do you agree with such view? 
SMW: I agree the sanctions were avoidable. Remember, they are also non-permanent: something which could be lifted. The government may not like the terms of the sanction which tends to affect its resources base. Yet, I do agree that the government cherishes controversy and situations that with some twisting of logic and facts would create an appearance of the “tiny, principled and just Eritrea, under the leadership of PFDJ, facing the unjust world.” Of course this is cooked merely for the consumption of the folks who are now organizing to protest. 
Let me give you a few examples. Towards the end of the 1980s, the US threatened the Derg regime with sanctions but also offered possibilities for re-consideration upon improvement on the human rights front. Pretentiously, the Derg sent a delegate but the delegate (Dawit Welde Giorgis), unaware of the intricacies with the highest echelon of the Derg, worked and succeeded in aborting the sanction. To his dismay, he found out that the sanction was wanted by the Derg government. What was needed from the delegation was a false gesture. 
To give you another similar example, the PFDJ government could have settled the boarder issue in accordance with the EEBC´s ruling. At the very least, it could have got Eritrea a strong international diplomatic support. But this does not serve the government. Eritrea should face the whole planet in an antagonistic relationship. When the Ethiopian government turned 180 degree and rejected the EEBC´s ruling, tacitly Asmara was pleased. Now you have a controversy for which the other side is to be blamed and which serves as a justification to all the ills you do. 
Again, consider this question. What would be the reaction of the government if Addis Ababa were to accept the EEBC´s ruling and be ready to give further concession in favour of Eritrea? For the government, this move would eliminate, again only in the eyes of the protesters, a good justification for the miserable situation the country finds itself in. The top excuse being eliminated, another one needs to be discovered. 
Q: The Eritrean government says it is in Somalia in order to weaken Ethiopia which it says might be mulling to take over the post city of Assab by force. Is that a good enough reason to side with terrorists? 
SMW: Some may say that the government is in Somalia to secure Eritrea´s interests. Having seen how little this government cares for its people, this argument does not resonate with me. A year ago, at a conference organized by CDRiE, I heard two Eritrean scholars agreeing that the government is indeed putting at risk the sovereignty of the State: an argument which I also buy. Let us consider this scenario. If South Korea were to invade North Korea in an impressive zero cost operation and declare to the world that there will be one Korea as democratic and as prosperous as the South was, do you think the international community would prefer sovereignty of a State at the expense of the wellbeing of millions of North Koreans? 
For enforcement, international law partly depends on international diplomacy and relations. In addition, State sovereignty is just one principle of international law as the recently reinforced right of peoples to democratic governance is. The more the government keeps Eritrea in a messed situation, the more appealing the argument that Eritrea cannot be a viable State becomes, the more Ethiopia feels emboldened to push that argument forward, the less likely opposition from the international community and even from Eritreans will be. Remember, tens of thousands of Eritrean youths have defected to Ethiopia. Political boundaries matter less than the well-being of the citizen. On the other hand, Eritrea that treats its citizens in a dignified manner and Eritrea that looks attractive to the international community has all the means to repel external aggression at a little cost. Just put in place a supreme court whose reasoning fires international imagination, a university that towers in the region, a parliament that fights. 

ERITEA’S President Isaias Afwerki ANSWERS – DOES HE?
He dismissed every single question posed to him as pack of lies and accused the journalist as a liar. Asked about the defection of the Eritrean National Football Team in Kenya, he told Al Jazeera that, it was news to him. He was defensive the entire 23 minute of the interview.
Twenty years after the liberation from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Africa’s youngest nation, has emerged as strategically vital to the stability of the region and the wider global agenda. 
Eritrea is struggling to balance the needs of its people with the perceived threats to the nation.
Al Jazeera’s Jane Dutton conducts a rare interview with Isaisas Afwerki, the president of Eritrea.
Al Jazeera confronted him with the allegations about Eritrea’s ties with Iran, Hamas, al Shabab in Somalia and rebel groups in Sudan and Houthis in Yemen.
“This is a deliberate distortion of facts, where is the evidence, these are fabrications, where is your evidence?”, he said.
“How possibly could one blame Eritrea for sympathising or supporting one group over another in Somalia we have never done that.” he said. 
When asked about Eritrea’s relation with Ethiopia today and the border dispute he said: “This border issue war was a senseless conflict instigated by the US.
“It is a cover up for the failures of the misguided policies of the United States in the horn of Africa for the last 20 years.
“It is not a problem with Ethiopia we have worked with these people for almost two decades to remove a government in Ethiopia, and we want to see a relationship between Eritrea and Ethiopia based on mutual respect and common interest,” he said.
“There is no presence for Iran in this region, Eritrea is not for sale, not for Iran, Israel, the United States or anybody,” he said.
See on Al-Jazeeara
Watch on YOUTUBE

U.S. Middle East Policy – A Road to Disaster by Dan Lieberman (OpEdNews) 
Isn’t it time for the United States’ State department to prevent additional United States foreign policy debacles? Look at the record. From Vietnam to Angola to Nicaragua, Somalia and on to Iraq and Afghanistan, United States foreign policies degraded into military interventions and proved counterproductive; accomplishing the very results the policies were formulated to prevent. Regimes, which the U.S. intended to replace either became strengthened (Vietnam, Angola), returned in almost equal form (Nicaragua), evolved to a more antagonistic form (Somalia), or remained unresolved (Afghanistan, Iraq). With a trajectory similar to previous, U.S. policies towards the larger Middle East will achieve similar counterproductive results. U.S. policies are on a road to disaster for Middle East nations and the American people. A new road, which averts disaster, can be conveniently chosen. 
Although President Barack Obama did not consider Middle East policies in his remarks, he bravely spoke of the reason for U.S. policy makers to act improperly; “Every day is election day in Washington, D.C.” Congressmen approve policies that enable them to be elected by the American people rather than approving policies that advance the American agenda. Representatives support the special interests and lobby groups who furnish them with the funds and publicity that guarantee elections. Similar to fans who overrate film stars, many citizens associate publicity with accomplishment and carelessly re-elect legislators who satisfy their subjective wants but blind them to their objective needs. 
Zero in on U.S. interests in the Middle East and we find them primarily confined to assuring sufficient oil supply and combating terrorism from extreme Islamic groups. Research the status of the policies for protecting these interests and we learn of growing failure, misaligned perspectives, and more foreign policy debacles that will prove counterproductive. The U.S. was the largest importer of Iraqi oil under the UN Oil-for-Food program and the principal recipient of Saudi oil for decades. From having almost a monopoly on Middle East oil production, the U.S. oil industry now receives a diminishing percentage. Reuters, BAGHDAD, Dec 13, 2009 reports there has been no boon for U.S. firms in Iraq oil deal auction. 
“Critics said the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq was driven by oil, but United States oil majors were largely absent from an Iraqi auction of oil deals snapped up instead by Russian, Chinese and other firms.” 
FX Street.com reports that China has probably taken over the US’ status as the world’s largest oil consumer. 
“Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, said it is exporting about 1M bpd of crude to China, more than to the US. The CEO, Khalid al-Faith, said the company will focus on China in coming years.” 
Failure to reduce dependence on Middle East oil has propelled the U.S. into interference in Middle East nations. Misadventures have caused conflagrations, destruction, armed conflicts and immense numbers of local casualties. The same misadventures and its immense number of local casualties have generated terrorism. How else can the terrorism be explained? After all, China, Japan and a host of other nations who have dealings with Middle East oil producers have not encountered international terrorism. U.S. unwarranted support for the Mujahideen during the Soviet/Afghan war led to Taliban control of Afghanistan and installation of al-Qaeda training camps within the extremist Islamic nation. The severe confrontations between the Sunni civilian population and U.S. troops after the invasion of Iraq propelled foreign militants to Iraq. 
If combating terrorism and Radical Islam are the principal objectives of U.S. foreign policy then modifying the nature of nations who incite terrorism will be helpful. Until now, the U.S. has refused to properly engage Saudi Arabia and Israel (two antagonists), both of whom suffer from terrorism, but have internal policies that promote international terrorism and Radical Islam. 
U.S. support for the repressive Saudi regime has assisted Saudi’s royal family to exerecise rigid political control and self-serving economic policies. The latter has aroused severe resentment from radicalized Muslims who suspect the U.S. support maintains Saudi power. All American administrations have ignored that Saudi Wahabbism and Sharia law, the most fundamentalist aspects of the Muslim religion, have developed an extreme ideology in Muslim youth. Let us recall that most of the 9/11 conspirators were Saudi and many of the al-Qaeda in Iraq militants proceeded from Saudi Arabia. Imagine if they originated from Syria? Would Syria even exist today? 
U.S. support for Israel’s expansionist policies and its oppression of the Palestinian people has provoked Radical Islamic groups. Intention to incorporate all of Jerusalem into its territory has added fuel to fire. Although Israel receives funds, weapons and political support from the U.S., the generosity is rarely returned. Israel proceeds with disputed settlements, seizing of Palestinian lands, constant violent actions across its borders and provocative policies regardless of the wants and effects on its benefactor. 
Despite years of a war on terrorism, terrorist actions and elements around the globe have grown. 
On the other hand, for no decisive reason, the U.S. has strained relations with several nations who can be helpful in pacifying the Middle East. In these situations, the U.S. should re-evaluate its policies. 
U.S. administrations consider Syria as an enemy, but why? The Syrians must answer to its repressive attitude, and its relations with states and groups which the U.S. determines undesirable. Nevertheless, these negative characteristics are not unique. China, Egypt and several other nations with whom the U.S. has close relations share similar attributes. 
The U.S. can resolve its differences and clarifying its relations with Syria by understanding Syria’s position. Isn’t it natural for Syria to act hesitatingly with a nation who defends Israel, which has apprehended the Golan Heights? Why would Syria welcome U.S. troops at its borders after the invasion of Iraq? The U.S. exaggerates Syria’s obstinate policies and does not credit Syria with its helpful policies. 
After Syrian President Bashar al-Asad denounced the 9/11 attacks, FBI agents traveled to Syria in 2002 and investigated al-Qaeda activists who had been in Syria or had maintained ties with Syrian citizens. Senior American officials were quoted as saying that the information provided by Syria helped prevent attacks on American targets in the Gulf and saved many American lives. 
Syria’s most meaningful assistance to the world community and to the United States is its operation as a safety valve for refugee displacements. Syria has housed several hundreds of thousand Palestinian refugees for decades and granted them almost full rights. It has hosted two million Iraq refugees. What would have happened if Syria refused entry to these refugees?
Responding to U.S. and UN demands, Syria has removed its troops and authorities from Lebanon. Has Israel responded to UN requests to leave the West Bank? Unlike Israel, who bombed the U.S. ship USS liberty during the 1967 war, has denied entry to and imprisoned many U.S. citizens, and been complicit in the deaths of several Americans, the Syrian regime has never harmed any American. Doesn’t responsive to UN dictates and behavior to American citizens count in the formulation of foreign policy? 
The U.S. regards Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist and radical. However, Hezbollah has played a significant role in stabilizing Lebanon and has been responsible in its parliamentary duties. Its acceptance as a legitimate expression of a constituency has been echoed in a recent declaration by Lebanese Sunni Prime Minister Hariri, who complained about Israel flights over Lebanese territory and vowed, “There will be no division in Lebanon. We will stand against Israel. We will stand with our own people.” 
Hamas was criticized from refraining entering Palestinian politics. After it won the national election, it has been vilified for” for winning the election. 
Hamas and Hezbollah are more dedicated to an Islam of social services and political representation rather than to a Radical Islam. They both represent major constituencies. Since their formal formations, neither of these two Islamic organizations engaged in any violent acts against the U.S. government, its citizens, and institutions. Positive interaction with Syria, Lebanon, Hezbollah and Hamas can diminish terrorism, including in Israel, and can deny support for Radical Islam. This does not imply that the U.S. approves these governments or the Islamic organizations. It signifies the U.S. recognizes it owes a duty to its own citizens to follow all avenues that can assist in the wars against terrorism and Radical Islam. 
Then there is the Islamic Republic of Iran. U.S. and the entire world community have issues with Iran especially its failure to meet the aspirations of its own people and its abysmal human rights record. However, these are internal issues that cooperation could resolve and are not issues to be used to undermine a nations’ authority. U.S. strident propaganda against Iran belittles state department efforts to resolve its differences with the Islamic state. After the intervention in Afghanistan, this U.S. adversary was helpful to the NATO action. Iran contributed funds and materials and was instrumental in forming the present Afghanistan government and in combating the Taliban. 
U.S. administration rhetoric portrays the Islamic Republic as being responsible for destabilizing Iraq, preparing to attack U.S., being a principal organizer of international terrorism and a nation led by the deranged. Note that antagonistic U.S. troops now border western Iran from Iraq and are also present in the eastern bordering country of Afghanistan. There are no Revolutionary Guards in Mexico or Canada. Iran has legitimate interests in Iraq and the Middle East, which includes a natural relationship with Shia clerics and populations in neighboring nations. Is it possible that Iran senses it must defend itself and the best defense is an offense, and the best offense for a nation that has a weak army, navy and air force is the nuclear bomb? Has a U.S. militant attitude provoked the Ayatollahs to seek the nuclear alternative? Has the U.S. militant attitude achieved anything it desires from Iran? One achievement is lowering Iran’s potential oil and gas production, two scarce resources, which need increased production to lower gasoline costs at the pump and heating costs in the home. . 
No definitive proof of any major involvement of Iran with the instability and militancy in Iraq has been provided. No definitive proof of any major involvement of Iran in the last decade of international terrorism has been disclosed. Iran has not harmed any Americans beyond its borders. And while “stable” U.S. leaders attack nations throughout the world, causing massive death and destruction, the U.S. accuses Iran’s leaders of being deranged 
Despite its quirky and dismal character, The Islamic Republic can play a decisive role in stabilizing Iraq and pacifying much of the Middle East – an opportunity which awaits U.S. policy makers and an opportunity they will undoubtedly neglect. 
The turnaround for a successful Middle East policy starts with the State Department re-evaluating relations with its self-made enemies, removing the blinders that guide its relations with its dubious friends, and proceeding with a foreign policy that guides all and is not driven by the needs of a few. 
U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is linked to Israel’s policies, which are guided by an “all or nothing” solution. Israel no longer indicates it wants peace. It wants surrender. Since Israel’s expansion only leads to collisions with enemies, how will the confrontations end? Will a “push come to shove” propel Israel to use its most powerful weapon, the nuclear alternative? If so, the U.S. will be the godfather to massive destruction of the Middle East. the most severely destructive of all counterproductive U.S. foreign policies. 
Quote Lincoln: “I rid myself of enemies by making friends with them.” 
(*) Dan Lieberman is editor of Alternative Insight, a monthly web based newsletter. 

Niger Coup Leader Served on UN Missions, France, UN and Council Shrug By Matthew Russell Lee (InnerCityPress)
The leader of the coup in Niger, Major Salou Djibo, learned while on UN Peacekeeping Missions in Cote d’Ivoire and the Congo, it is reported. Inner City Press asked the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy whether working and ostensibly receiving training with DPKO makes a soldier more or less likely to join or launch a coup. Video here. 
Le Roy and his fellow UN Under Secretary General John Holmes both laughed. Le Roy responded that the UN cannot answer for what peacekeepers do after their service, then countered with the example of former Nigerian President Obansanjo. Some found it a weak defense, given charges charges of irregularities in large infrastructure deals reached in Obansanjo’s days in power. 
The two USG spoke in front of the UN Security Council, after a meeting about Haiti. Inner City Press was told by a Permanent Five member’s political advisor that France was being “hesitant to raise Niger” in the Council, despite the fact that it forces the Council to consider attempts to overthrew Idriss Deby the strongman in Chad, another French ex colony. 
Inner City Press asked France’s representative at the meeting, is anyone raising the Niger coup? “You are,” he replied.
On camera, the French representative said that neither Niger nor the delay of elections and increase of violence in Cote d’Ivoire had been discussed in the Council on Friday. 
Also unaddressed by France, the Council and Secretariat is the inclusion in Guinea’s interim government of Major Claude Pivi, a military officer named in the UN’s own report as likely being responsible for the massacre of civilians last September 28. Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe about it on February 17, and she referred to a previous Ban Ki-moon statement lauding the interim government. 
A French senior official on February 18 said he wasn’t aware of it, and nothing was said on Friday either. “Maybe Monday,” a fleeing diplomat said. And so it goes at the UN.
Footnote: it is impossible to discuss Niger and the UN without recalling the UN’s stealth envoy to the country, Canadian Robert Fowler, who was kidnapped while visiting a Canadian owned mine in the country. When he was released, he said someone in the UN in New York might have leaked his location and how to grab him. Then the UN tried to sweep the whole thing back under the rug. Now, a coup. Might the rug become unfurled?
 

The grand master of the National Grand Lodge of France (GLNF) installed Ali Bongo as the head of Gabonese Freemasonry, a couple of weeks ago. The title was, until June this year, held by the former President Omar Bongo. About one thousand influential politicians practice freemasonry in Gabon. Just like his father, Ali Bongo is expected to mobilize the Masonic network in order to establish his legitimacy and authority in Gabon and the world.

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We do not send pictures with these reports, because of the volume, but picture this emetic scene with your inner eye:
A dying Somali child in the macerated arms of her mother besides their bombed shelter with Islamic graffiti looks at a fat trader, who discusses with a local militia chief and a UN representative at a harbour while USAID provided GM food from subsidised production is off-loaded by WFP into the hands of local “distributors” and dealers – and in the background a western warship and a foreign fishing trawler ply the waters of a once sovereign, prosper and proud nation, which was a role model for honesty and development in the Horn of Africa. (If you feel that this is overdrawn – talk to people who lived in Somalia in the 70s and 80s and come with us into Somalia and see the even more cruel reality today for yourself!) 
- and if you need lively stills or video material on Somalia, please do contact us.   

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