Some in Somalia Fear Ex-Warlord Is Back (washongtonpost.com, 12/31/06) "MOGADISHU, Somalia -- For more than 10 years, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah was one of the handful of warlords who ruled this city. He had thousands of militiamen under his control and ran the southern part of Somalia's seaside capital as his personal fiefdom. With no effective Somali government, warlords such as Afrah were Mogadishu's political leaders, judges, jailers and executioners until they were driven from the capital by Islamic militants six months ago." RELATED ARTICLE: Ethiopia Whips Islamists, Bites Off More Than it Can Chew... by Charles Onyango-Obbo (nationmedia.com, 12/31/06)

Eritrea Says Ethiopia Faking ID Cards in Somalia (alertnet.org -reuters- 12/31/06) "ASMARA, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Eritrea accused arch-foe Ethiopia on Sunday of fabricating identity cards to support claims that Eritrea sent troops to back the Islamist movement in Somalia. Ethiopia says hundreds of Eritreans have been killed during nearly two weeks of war between the Somalia Islamic Courts Council and Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian tanks, soldiers and jet fighters.Asmara denies the Ethiopian accusations."

Meles Zenawi Offers Hobson's Choice to Somalia for Christmas (ohmynews.com, 12/30/06) Predominantly Christian Ethiopia gave its Muslim Somali neighbors perhaps the worst Christmas present of all: the reinstatement of full-blown war to replace the weeks of sporadic artillery fire and months of socially restrictive calm brought by the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) sweeping to power in June. 
Ethiopia entering the conflict proper by launching air-strikes on UIC towns and positions on Dec. 24, brought report after report of Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces taking towns and of the courts in retreat. Reports on Dec. 27 put the advancing forces at 50 kilometers from Mogadishu, having taken control of all major towns en route to the capital."

Ethiopian Troops Head Southwards (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/30/06) "Ethiopian and Somali troops are reported to be heading south towards the stronghold of Islamist fighters driven from the capital on Thursday. Ethiopian tanks are advancing to the port city of Kismayo, 500km (300 miles) south of Mogadishu. A senior figure in the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) has vowed that the group is still alive and ready to fight." RELATED STORY: Somali Troops Close on Militants

Somali Islamists Vow to Fight on as Government Holds Talks With Clans (guardian.co.uk, 12/30/06) "Somali Islamist leaders vowed yesterday to continue fighting against pro-government forces yesterday even as Ethiopian MiG fighter jets buzzed over Kismayo, their last stronghold. The Islamists fled from Mogadishu, 260 miles north of Kismayo, on Thursday after being surrounded by Ethiopian troops and fighters loyal to the Somali government. Hassan Dahir Aweys and Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the top two Islamist leaders, were joined in the southern port city by several thousand militiamen and scores of "technicals" - pick-up trucks with machine guns mounted on the back." RELATED STORIES: Islamists Lose … For Now  A hard-line Muslim government has fallen in Somalia, but the country's troubles show no sign of abating soon. (msnbc.msn.com, 12/29/06) Somali Speaker Urges Withdrawal of Ethiopian Troops (sudantribune.com, 12/30/06) Somali Prime Minister Promises Peace Soon (washingtonpost.com, 12/30/06)

Martial Law For Somalia After Islamists Flee (reuters.co.uk, 12/29/06) "MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamad Gedi said parliament will declare a period of martial law to maintain control of the country after Ethiopian and government troops wrested the capital from rival Islamists. The fall of Mogadishu came after a 10-day offensive by government and allied forces to reclaim much of the territory seized by the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) since June." RELATED STORIES: Ethiopian Army Accomplished 75% of Mission in Somalia - Zenawi (sudantribune.com, 12/29/06) Ethiopians Help Seize Somali Capital (washingtonpost.com, 12/29/06)

Meles Zenawi: A Terrorist Fighting War on Terror??? (Editorial- Anuak Justice Council, 12/27/06) "Who is Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia? Is he the free world’s partner in the War on Terror or is he a terrorist? The answer might depend upon whom you ask. To his own people of Ethiopia, you might hear stories of human rights abuses, political prisoners, Internet censorship and suppression of freedom, but he is representing himself quite differently to outsiders, especially now that he has diverted the attention of the international community from his own serious political problems to his new war with Somalia, assisted by the United States."

Ethiopians and Somali Government Forces at Gates of Mogadishu (news.yahoo.com -1fp- 12/28/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Islamist forces have abandoned Somalia's capital Mogadishu as Ethiopian-backed government troops surrounded the coastal city, where residents reported looting, gunfire and preparations for guerrilla warfare. The government said the Islamists, who set up their stronghold in Mogadishu after routing warlords in June, had distributed weapons to civilians and vowed that its own forces would enter the capital "in the coming hours"." RELATED STORIES Somali Troops Close in on Capital (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/28/06)  Analysis: A Military Victory But Somalia Vacuum Looms (timesonline.co.uk, 12/28/06) Islamist Forces Desert Somali Capital (guardian.co.uk, 12.28.06) Somali Troops Enter Mogadishu Outskirts (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/28/06)

Somalia Peace Hopes Stalled at UN (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/28/06) "The UN Security Council has failed for a second time to agree on a statement calling for the withdrawal of Ethiopian and other foreign forces from Somalia. The council had met to seek a ceasefire and get peace talks back on track. Ethiopia has intervened to support Somalia's interim government and captured ground previously held by Islamist militias." RELATED STORY: Somali Clan Leaders May Help fFght Islamists (cnn.com, 12/27/06) WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL:  War in Somalia - Another Front in the Fight Against Terrorism Has Exploded (washingtonpost.com, 12/27/06)

Ethiopia Urged African Union (AU) to Leave Somalia (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/27/06) "The African Union has called on Ethiopia to withdraw thousands of troops from Somalia immediately. The call, supported by the Arab League and the east African grouping IGAD, comes after Ethiopia intervened to support Somalia's interim government. In recent days, Ethiopian and Somali government forces have captured ground previously held by Islamic militias. They are reported to be 30km (19 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu, after seizing the towns of Jowhar and Balad." RELATED STORIES: Government Official: Ethiopia Not Planning to Take Control of Mogadishu (voanews.co, 12/27/06) Ethiopian Forces Advance on Mogadishu (guardian.co.uk, 12/27/06)

UN Fails to Agree Withdrawal of Foreign Troops From Somalia (news.yahoo.com-afp- 12/27/06) "UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council failed to agree on calling for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Somalia as key powers said the priority was a ceasefire and a resumed dialogue between warring Somali parties. The 15-member council met in emergency session for more than three hours as Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi announced that more than 1,000 people had died in the fighting since his troops backing Somalia's government forces went on the offensive against powerful Islamists." RELATED STORIES: Islamic Forces Defend Road to Somalia Capital (cnn.com, 12/26.06) Retreat Fails to Quell Fears of Long War in Horn of Africa (guardian.co.uk, 12/27/06) Ethiopia Predicts Victory Against Somali Islamists (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/27/06) 

Meles Zenawi Says More Than 1,000 Killed as Somali Islamists Retreat (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/26/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said more than 1,000 people have died in fighting since his troops backing Somalia's government forces took the offensive against powerful Islamists. "We got reports of more than 3,000 wounded in a Mogadishu hospital. Those who died are well over 1,000," Meles told a press conference in Addis Ababa, two days after Ethiopia acknowledged military intervention in the neighbouring and lawless Horn of Africa nation." RELATED STORIES: Islamic Forces Retreat in Somalia (cnn.com, 12/26/06) Ethiopia 'Repels Somali Militia' (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/26/06) Ethiopian Forces Near Somali Capital (guardian.co.uk, 12/26/06) Ethiopia Sees Victory Over Somali Islamists (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/26/06) UN Security Council Sets Emergency Meeting on Somalia (voanews.com, 12/26/06)

Peace on Earth Happy New Year

aMerry Christmas in 350+ languages!  (Courtesy FLW.com)

AP Photo -Somali Children Seeking Shelter. Meles Zenawi, the authoritarian Tigrian feudo-Marxist is a psychopath whose thirst for blood in unquenchable. Look who he is after  We pray on this Holy Day that God will protect them from a God-less terrorist. (fettan.com, 12/25/06)

Ethiopian Jets Strike Somali Airports (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/25/06) "MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Ethiopian warplanes attacked two Islamist-held airfields in Somalia on Monday, witnesses said, in the most dramatic strikes yet of a war threatening to engulf the Horn of Africa. The attacks -- one on the capital Mogadishu -- came hours after neighbouring Ethiopia formally declared war, saying it was protecting its sovereignty against a movement run by terrorists." RELATED STORIES: Ethiopian Jets Bomb Mogadishu Airport (news.yahoo.com -ap- 12/25/06)   Ethiopia to Use 'Any Appropriate Means' Against Somali Islamists (news.yahoo.com afp- 12/25/06) Ethiopian Aircraft Bomb Somali Towns In Escalating Conflict (washingtonpost.com, 12/25/06) Ethiopia Attacks Somalia Airports (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/25/06)  Ethiopia Warplanes Bomb Somalia's Islamic Council by Jacki Lyden and Gwen Thompkins (npr.org, 12/24/06)

Somalian Conflict Escalates  (euronews.net, 12/24/06) "Ethiopian tanks have attacked Islamist fighters in Somalia in an escalation of a conflict that raises fears of full scale war in the Horn of Africa. The Ethiopian government confirmed that it had intervened, saying it was acting in self-defence. The tank movements were in support of Somalia's interim government, whose base in Baidoa is under attack from Islamist fighters from the Somalia Islamic Courts Council."   Click on  Video  to Watch

Ethiopia Confirms Counterattack on Somali Islamists (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/24/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - The Ethiopian government has said its troops have launched a counter attack against Islamist forces in Somalia as fighting in the lawless nation entered a fifth day. "The Ethiopian defense forces have started attacking anti-Ethiopian forces which have been massed in Beledweyne, Bandiradley, Bur Hakaba and Dinsoor," the defence ministry in Addis Ababa said in a statement, referring to Islamist strongholds." RELATED STORIES: Ethiopia Fights Rival Somali Islamists (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/24/06) Ethiopia Admits Somalia Offensive (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/24/06) Ethiopian Jets Bomb Somalia Areas (cnn.com, 12/24/06) Ethiopia Attacks Somalia Islamic Council (news.yahoo.com -ap- 12/24/06)

Somali Islamists Claim Capture of Government Outpost (news.yahoo,com afp- 12/23/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somali Islamists claimed to have captured a frontline position from Ethiopian-backed government forces while the embattled Somali prime minister warned that foreign "terrorists" had joined the ranks of the Islamic forces. As fighting raged between the country's rival powers for a fourth straight day, Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said that 4,000 "foreign fighters" had taken advantage of the conflict to infiltrate the lawless country." RELATED STORIES: Somalia Islamists Call for Help (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/23/06) Somali Islamists Seek Global Jihad Aid (theage.com.au, 12/24/06) Somali Islamists Urge Muslims Worlwide to Join Jihad (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/23/06)

Ethiopia Edges Closer to Somalia Invasion (news.independent.co.uk, 12/23/06) "The growing conflict between Ethiopia and Somali Islamists escalated further yesterday as Ethiopian tanks rolled towards the front line and the Islamists announced that ground troops would begin attacks today. Ethiopia, which has always rejected claims that it has combat troops operating in Somalia, last night hinted that it would be prepared to launch an official invasion. In a statement released by its Foreign Ministry, Ethiopia claimed it "has been patient so far". But, the statement warned, "there is a limit to this". Fighting in Somalia continued for a fourth consecutive day with each side hammering the other with heavy artillery and rockets. Two fronts have opened up near the town of Baidoa in central Somalia, where the weak transitional government is based."

UNHCR Issues Clarification on Somali Refugees in Ethiopia (reliefweb.int, 2/22/06) "ADDIS ABABA, Dec 22, 2006 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday it would like to clarify that the16,387 Somali refugees currently in Ethiopia are people who have been in Ethiopia since early 1990's and are in no way related to the present situation in Somalia."

Ethiopian Tanks Move Into Battle With Somalia Islamists (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/22/06) "BAIDOA, Somalia (AFP) - Ethiopia moved tanks and other reinforcements into the battle zone for a third day of fighting against Islamist forces in southern Somalia, witnesses said, while the Islamists vowed an all-out war. As the clashes intensified on twin fronts, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that fighting had left "dozens" dead and left many homeless." RELATED STORIES: Ethiopian Tanks Heading to Somalia Battle (cnn.com, 12/22/06) Somalia on the Brink of War as Clashes Escalate (guardian.co.uk, 12/23/06) Ethiopia Warns it Losing Patience as Somalis Clash (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/22/06)

Thousands Flee Fighting in Somalia (newsday.co -ap- 12/22/06) "MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Ethiopian attack helicopters and tanks headed for battle Friday as fighting raged for a fourth day between Somalia's Islamic militia and the country's secular government, witnesses and a government official said. Thousands of Somalis fled their homes as the Ethiopian-backed government used artillery to push back Islamic fighters who had advanced on the regime's only stronghold, Baidoa. Islamic forces who have declared they want to bring the whole country under Quranic rule said the latest fighting had been started by the government but now they would launch their own attacks." RELATED STORIES: Somali Fighters in Fresh Battles (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/22/06) Thousands Flee as War Escalates in Somalia (cnn.com, 12/22/06) Watch CNN Video(12/21/06) SOMALIA: Dozens Killed as Fighting Continues in the South (irinnews.org, 12/22/06)

Fierce Fighting Convulses Southern Somalia Despite Truce Pledge (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/21/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somalia's Ethiopia-backed forces and Islamic fighters have clashed near the seat of government in Baidoa for a second day with both sides claiming inflicting massive casualities. A day after European Commission humanitarian chief Louis Michel said he had secured both sides' commitment to observe a truce and resume peace talks, the Islamic movement chief called on Somalis to join the war against Ethiopian forces." RELATED STORIES: Somalis 'At War' With Ethiopia (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/21/06) Insecurity Hinders Flood Relief in Somalia (voanews.com, 12/21/06)

Somali Islamists Clash With Government Troops (news.yahoo.com, 12/19/06) "BAIDOA, Somalia (AFP) - Forces loyal to Somalia's powerful Islamists clashed with government troops backed by Ethiopian forces, hours after a deadline expired for Addis Ababa to withdraw its troops or face major attacks. The Islamists, who control swathes of southern and central Somalia and are accused of links to Al-Qaeda, have declared a holy war to drive Ethiopian troops from the lawless Horn of Africa country." 

Clashes in Somalia Spark Worries About Horn of Africa War (voanews.com, 12/19/06) "A little more than six months after seizing control of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, Somalia's Islamic Courts Union is enforcing its form of law and order across a wide swath of the east African nation, home to a large majority of the population.  But the hard-line Islamist leaders' alleged ties to terrorism, and their expansionist policies, have brought Somalia to the brink of war with neighboring Ethiopia." RELATED STORIES:  Guns Silent as Somali Islamists' Deadline Passes (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/19/06) Somali Govt Lines Up Peacekeepers, Islamist Deadline Looms (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/18/06) 

Person of The Year  Time.com, 12/13/06) "The "Great Man" theory of history is usually attributed to the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who wrote that "the history of the world is but the biography of great men." He believed that it is the few, the powerful and the famous who shape our collective destiny as a species. That theory took a serious beating this year. To be sure, there are individuals we could blame for the many painful and disturbing things that happened in 2006. The conflict in Iraq only got bloodier and more entrenched. A vicious skirmish erupted between Israel and Lebanon. A war dragged on in Sudan. A tin-pot dictator in North Korea got the Bomb, and the President of Iran wants to go nuclear too. Meanwhile nobody fixed global warming, and Sony didn't make enough PlayStation3s." RELATED STORY:   It’s All About “You” (cbcnews.com, 12/18/06) "

Somali Islamists Hint at Delay in Attacking Ethiopian Troops (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/19/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somalia's powerful Islamists said they were finalising plans to fight Ethiopian forces deployed in the lawless country, on the day a deadline expires for Addis Ababa to withdraw troops or face major attacks. As rival forces prepared for an all-out war, the Islamists said they might not attack immediately and Ethiopia said it favoured "a peaceful resolution" to the conflict that threatens to destabilize the whole region."

U.S. Sees Growing Threats In Somalia: Al-Qaeda's Influence, Possible War With Ethiopia Are Concerns (washingtonpost.com, 12/18/06) "Six months ago, the Bush administration launched a new policy in war-torn Somalia, putting the State Department in charge after secret CIA efforts failed to prevent Islamic fundamentalists from seizing power in Mogadishu. It hoped that diplomacy would draw the Islamists into partnership with more palatable, U.S.-backed Somali leaders. Today, that goal seems more distant than ever. Since coming to power in June, the Islamists have expanded their hold on the south. A largely powerless, U.S.-backed rump government remains divided and isolated in the southern town of Baidoa. U.S.-sponsored talks, and a separate Arab League effort, seem to be going nowhere."

Somali Islamist Deadline Looms (news.alertnet.org -reuters- 12/18/06) "BAIDOA, Somalia, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Somalia's government on Monday said it was lining up peacekeeping forces as the interim administration and Islamist rivals sought a diplomatic way to avert a war that many fear could engulf the region. The Somali Islamic Courts Council (SICC), which took Mogadishu in June and controls most of the south, has threatened to fight Ethiopian troops protecting the government in Baidoa if they do not leave by Tuesday, raising war fears to a new high. Both sides said over the weekend they were still open to dialogue but on the ground the military standoff remained tense as Islamist fighters continued to dig in at positions on three sides of Baidoa, witnesses said." RELATED STORIES: War Stalks Somalia's 'City of Death'  (news.yahoo.com, 12/18/06) Fears of Attack Recede in Somalia (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/18/06) 

An Eritrean Journalist Safely Escapes to Ethiopia (news9.asmarino.com, 12/17/06) "Further exposing the severity of the Eritrean government’s crisis, informed sources in Ethiopia and Eritrea; have confirmed that the Voice of Americas stringer from Asmara Mr. Aklilu Solomon has managed to safely escape to Ethiopia. This news comes with the background that recently the Eritrean government has arrested most of its own journalists to further discourage the flight of government journalists to neighboring countries as well as to Europe. It is obvious that the measure has not stamped out the determined effort by Eritrean journalists to flee from the grip of the authoritarian regime."

Somali Islamists, Parliament Reach Deal in Yemen (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/16/06) "ADEN, Yemen (AFP) - A leader of Somalia's Islamic Courts militia and the influential parliament speaker said they had agreed at talks in Yemen to turn to dialogue between the Islamists and the government to resolve differences. "The Islamic Courts are committed to dialogue with the interim federal Somali government as a way of resolving differences ... and stopping any moves conducive to military confrontations by any side," speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said in a joint statement Saturday." RELATED STORY: Somali Lawmaker Inks Pact With Islamists (news.yahoo.com -ap- 12/16/06)

Somali Legislators Say Ethiopia Was Never Invited (garoweonline.com, 12/15/06) "MOGADISHU, Somalia Dec 15 (Garowe Online) - Somali lawmakers in the nation's capital Mogadishu said on Friday that Ethiopian troops were never "invited" to enter the country by the interim Somali government. MP Omar Hashi said that top officials in the Somali government unilaterally invited Ethiopia to deploy ground troops into the country. "The Somali Parliament did not vote for neighboring countries to enter Somalia," said MP Hashi, who is among more than 60 legislators who are currently in Mogadishu to oppose the presence of Ethiopian troops in Baidoa, where the interim government is based."

Somali Government Seat on Tense War Footing as Conflict Looms (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/15/06) "BAIDOA, Somalia (AFP) - Tension ran high in the seat of Somalia's weak transitional government as residents braced for war with powerful Islamists who have vowed to attack Ethiopian troops there. With conflict looming amid reports of new movements of Ethiopian troops and tanks across the border, Baidoa residents hunkered down, anticipating the worst after a night punctuated by heavy gunfire, the origin of which was disputed." RELATED STORIES: Somali Peace 'No Longer Possible' (news.bb.co.uk, 12/15/06) Somali Islamists Vow Not to Strike Government (cnn.com -reuters- 12/15/06) Somali Militants Target Ethiopian Troops (guardian.co.uk, 12/15/06)

Coming Storm in Somalia Threatens Regional War (guardian.co.uk, 12/14/06) "Watching Somalia right now is like standing on a beach, waiting for a category five hurricane to hit. The storm is approaching fast, there seems little that can be done, and the ensuing destruction will be terrible - and far-reaching. The looming Somali cataclysm threatens to spark a regional war, suck in east African and Arab actors, and create a dangerous new theatre in the polarising, global contest between western power and Islamist jihadism. Somalia has the potential to make Darfur look like a little local difficulty." RELATED STORIES: Regional War May Loom in Africa (washingtonpost.com, 12/14/06) " PHOTOS: Ethiopian Incursion (pay attention to photo #13)  -  PHOTOS:'Warlords of Water' - Interview: Ethiopian P.M (Meles says he has had enough blood and wants a break to sober up!)

Somalia Fears Islamist Attack (news24.com, 12/14/06) "Nairobi - Somalia's prime minister said on Thursday that powerful Islamists plan to attack his weak government before the arrival of peacekeepers as the United States warned against such aggression. Amid fears of an imminent all-out conflict that many fear could engulf the Horn of Africa region, Eritrea called for an emergency east African meeting on Somalia, where it and arch-foe Ethiopia are already accused of waging a proxy war."

TERROR IN ETHIOPIA: ANUAK MINORITIES FACING INSECURITY AND TERROR (allthingspass.com, 12/13/06) "13 DEC 2006: PRESS RELEASE ON ANUAK SITUATION : This Press Release Accompanies the Release of the United Nations Report On the third anniversary of the state-orchestrated massacres in Gambella Ethiopia, indigenous Anuak people are again under threat of massive violence. (Please Read the Press Release. download pdf read the html page" Also Read : Ethiopia: Military Commits Atrocities Against Anuak Civilians (garoweonline.com, 12/13/06)

Circumcisions Found to Slow Spread of HIV (washingtonpost.com, 12/13/06) "JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 13 -- Two major studies released Wednesday confirmed that circumcision can dramatically slow the spread of HIV among African men, suggesting that widely offering the procedure could prevent millions of deaths in countries most seriously affected by AIDS, researchers said."

Somali PM Says 'War May Become Inevitable' (csmonitor.com, 12/13/06) "With tensions mounting between Somali's transitional government forces and Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) militants, Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi admitted Wednesday that "war may become inevitable." Reuters reports that Mr. Gedi said Islamist forces were moving to surround Baidoa, the only town the Western-backed Somali administration currently controls, and have made threats of an imminent attack."

Ethiopia Plays Down Somali Threat (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/13/06) "Ethiopia's prime minister has played down a seven-day deadline from powerful Islamists to withdraw his troops from Somalia or face a "major attack". Ethiopia has denied having any soldiers fighting in Somalia but admits sending hundreds of military trainers to help the weak transitional government."

Somali Factions Gird for War (cnn.com, 12/13/06) "BUUR HAKABA, Somalia (Reuters) -- Somali Islamist forces and pro-government troops dug in on Wednesday on either side of a frontline in the divided Horn of Africa nation which has this week slid closer to all-out war. Regional power Ethiopia, however, scoffed at an Islamist vow to attack Somali government lines unless Addis Ababa withdraws within a week troops backing the interim administration at Baidoa, the only town it holds on its own turf. And Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, in Nairobi to lobby for support for an African peacekeeping force, said he feared war may now be inevitable."

Islamists Warn Ethiopia to Leave Somalia (cnn.com -reuters-12/12/06) "MOGADISHU, Somalia (Reuters) -- Somalia's Islamist movement warned arch-foe Ethiopia on Tuesday to withdraw troops from the Horn of Africa nation within a week or face war. The Islamists, who dominate most of the south, say Ethiopia has at least 30,000 troops in Somalia near the provincial town of Baidoa, where an internationally recognized interim government is based. Ethiopia, the West and the United Nations back the government, but its power does not extend beyond that town."  RELATED STORY:  Ethiopia Deadline to Quit Somalia (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/12/06)  

Islamists Target Ethiopia Border (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/11/06) "Somali Islamist fighters are heading for a town near the border with Ethiopia, aiming to cut off the government base in Baidoa, they say. The Islamists accuse Ethiopia of fighting with the forces of the government in Baidoa - charges denied by Ethiopia. The military build-up in the town of Tiyeglow follows fierce fighting on Friday and Saturday." RELATED STORY: Islamic Militia Pushing Toward Somali Border Town (cnn.com, 12/11/06)

Ethiopians 'Warn' Villagers (news24.com, 12/10/06) "Mogadishu - An unknown number of Ethiopian troops crossed into Somalia with 24 armoured military vehicles on Sunday and went to two border villages, asking the villagers to move to the Ethiopian side for security reasons, said a resident. "The troops apparently... arrived here at 10:00 and immediately asked the local residents of Sariirale and Baragaha villages to move away for security reasons," said Mumin Moalin Yusuf, a radio operator in one of the villages. The reason for the Ethiopian troops' request was unknown."

Clashes Ffuel Fears of War in Horn of Africa observer.guardian.co.uk, 12/10/06) "Heavy clashes between Islamist militiamen and forces loyal to Somalia's government continued for a second day yesterday, as fears of an imminent war in the Horn of Africa mounted. The fighting centred around Maddoy, 25 miles south of Baidoa, the temporary capital and the only town that the weak transitional federal government controls. Witnesses who reported heavy shelling said Ethiopian troops formed part of the government contingent."

Second Day of Clashes in Somalia (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/09/06) "Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops have clashed with Islamists for a second day in western Somalia, officials and witnesses say. The fighting took place in villages about 80km (50 miles) south-west of the government base in Baidoa, they say. Witnesses have reported artillery exchanges, but so far there have been no confirmed reports of casualties." RELATED STORY: Fighting Resumes in Somalia (voanews.com, 12/09/06)

Annan Says UN Has Often Failed to Deliver on Protecting and Promoting Human Rights (un.org, 12/08/06) "8 December 2006 – The United Nations has often failed to live up to its responsibility to promote human rights, with the ongoing killing and displacement of civilians in Darfur only the latest example of how the world has not improved its act, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today as he urged Member States, organizations and individuals to make the protection of rights a reality in every country. In an address at the Time Warner Centre in New York to mark International Human Rights Day, which is being staged on Sunday, the outgoing Secretary-General said he had tried to make human rights central to all of the world body’s work during his 10 years at the helm."

U.N. Sees Major Health Risks From African Floods (today.reuters.co.uk, 12/08/06) "GENEVA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Up to 1.8 million people are at risk from cholera, measles, malaria and other killer diseases following major floods across the Horn of Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. The United Nations agency said it was deeply concerned about health conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia after heavy rains in October and November damaged water and sanitation systems there and forced people into crowded living spaces. At least 150 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced by the worst floods for years across the region."

Zambia's 2006 Squad. BBC Photo

Match-Fixing Claims as Meles Zenawi Demands Re-Play at CECAFA Tourney (angolapress-angop.ao, 12/08/06) "Nairobi, Kenya, 12/08 - Tension ran high in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Wednesday night after top Confederation of Eastern and Central African Football Association (CECAFA) officials clashed over a move by some of them to sneak a defeated Ethiopian side back into the tourney. The future of the 80-year-old organisation hanged in the balance for the better part of the day as CECAFA secretary-general, Nicholas Musonye, battled some of his senior colleagues who had ordered a replay between Ethiopia and Zambia, according to Cecafa press division. Drama started on Tuesday when a 10-man Zambia beat hosts and defending champions Ethiopia in the second quarter-final match." RELATED STORY: Sudan, Zambia in CECAFA Cup Final (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/08/06) EDITORIAL NOTE: Meles Zenawi stole the May 2005 parliamentary elections in Ethiopia, and he is once again caught with his bloody hands staining African Football! Shame on Meles Zenawi for smearing Ethiopia's name!!

Somali Islamists Report Heavy Fighting With Ethiopians (voanews.com, 12/08/06) "Heavy fighting has erupted in southern Somalia between the country's powerful Islamist movement and forces allied to the weak interim government. Witnesses say the fighting around the town of Dinsoor Friday was fierce and led to casualties. The Islamists' foreign affairs minister, Ibrahim Hassan Adou, tells VOA that Islamist fighters defeated a force of 1,800 Ethiopians. However, the French news agency, AFP, quotes the interim government's defense minister, Salat Ali Jelle, as saying the Islamists were defeated." RELATED STORIES: Somali Islamists Threaten to Attack Government Seat (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/08/06) 'Heavy Fighting' in Somali Town (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/08/06) Top Sheik: Somalia Militia Fighting Ethiopian Troops (cnn.com, 12/08/06)

PRESS RELEASE by The Ethiopian National United Front (ENUF): Meles Zenawi's Plot to Destabilize Ethiopia by Dragging Her Into Ethno-Religious Conflicts in East Africa (12/02/06) " Meles Zenawi , with the blessing of British Prime Mister Tony Blair, a few other European leaders, and the United States government has installed a "constitutional order" in Ethiopia, an order based on 19th century dogma that preaches "proletarian supremacy." This version of superman however was concocted to desecrate the human spirit and turn the individual into a 'biological element' disposable at the whim of the master or used as a robotic weapon of mass destruction.  Those who carefully read Meles Zenawi's manifesto of the Marxist Leninist League of Tigray (MLLT) along with his 1979 training manual on the need for the liberation of Eritrea and other "oppressed nationalities" in Ethiopia and elsewhere, would be able to ascertain why the submissive cadres that Zenawi trained as Aagazi assassins would readily snuff out the life of a mother and child, at a snap of a finger by Meles Zenawi and Bereket Simion. There is ample undisputed testimony that can not be wished away with equivocation, that the two comrades ordered the daylight slaughter of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators in Ethiopia in June and November 2005 and continue to do so today. "

High Risk of Epidemics in Flood-Stricken Horn of Africa (voanews.com, 12/08/06) "U.N. aid agencies are stepping up humanitarian assistance to three flood-stricken countries in the Horn of Africa. The agencies are warning the risk of epidemics breaking out in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia is very high. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva."

US Backing Ethiopia's Somalia Intervention? (ww4report.com, 12/06/06) "Thousands of Somalis chanted anti-US slogans at an Islamist protest against a Washington-backed plan to send foreign peacekeepers to prop up the country's weak interim government Dec. 4. In a decrepit Mogadishu football stadium, Somalis shouted "Down with the USA!" as speakers accused the US and Ethiopia of planning to invade Somalia. (Reuters, Dec. 4) Meanwhile, an overview of reports from the region's press picked up by BBC Monitoring indicates this intervention may already be in the works. Ethiopian TV reported on the widely-overlooked visit to Addis Ababa by Gen. John Abizaid, chief of the US Central Command, on the same day as the anti-US rally in Mogadishu. Abizaid met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and discussed "further strengthening cooperation" between the two governments on regional stability in the Horn of Africa." RELATED STORIES: Somalia on Edge as Islamists Warn of Wider Conflict After UN Vote (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/07/06) Somalia's Peackeeping Conundrum (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/07/06) Ethiopian Troops Moving on Somali Supply Route: Witnesses (today.reuters.com, 12/06/06) Meles Zenawi: Mistaking Mogadishu for Mekele (garoweonline.com, 12/06/06)

U.N. Security Council OKs Somalia Forces (news.yahoo.co -ap- 12/06/6) "UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday authorized an African force to protect Somalia's government against an increasingly powerful Islamic militia, hoping to avert a broader regional conflict that could draw in neighboring countries. It also lifted an arms embargo against the country to allow the force to be equipped. The U.S.-sponsored resolution urges the Islamic movement that has taken control of the capital and most of southern Somalia in recent months to stop any further military expansion and join the government in peace talks." "The ban would prohibit participation in the force by troops from Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya — but not Uganda, which is the only country thus far to volunteer troops." RELATED STORY: Security Council Approves African Protection Force in Somalia (un.org, 12/06/06)

Pioneering Study Shows Richest Two Percent Own Half World Wealth (wider.unu.edu, 12/05/06) "The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of global household wealth according to a path-breaking study released today by the Helsinki-based World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER). The most comprehensive study of personal wealth ever undertaken also reports that the richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and that the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. In contrast, the bottom half of the world adult population owned barely 1% of global wealth." RELATED STORY: World Bank Reports Poverty Programs Ineffective (washingtonpost.com, 12/07/06)

Somali Government Appeals for Help to Fight Islamist 'Terror' (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/06/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somalia's weak government has pleaded for international help to fight alleged Islamist terrorism that it warned would have dire global consequences. With fears rising for all-out war between the transitional administration and Somalia's powerful Islamist movement a day after new fighting was reported near the government seat, the cabinet urged the world not to ignore its call." RELATED STORIES: Somalia Official Issues Beheading Threat (newsday.com -ap- 12/06/06) Kenya's Muslim Leaders Deny Somali Islamists Recruitment in Northeast (voanews.com, 12/06/06)

Ethiopia: Military Conscription Campaign in Ogaden (garoweonline.com, 12/05/06) "Ethiopian colonial forces stationed in many parts of Ogaden are reported to have started conscripting civilians into the army and its affiliated militias. There is a twin operation organized to unify those civilians who have been tasked to campaign for the colonial forces' missions inside Ogaden.  The campaign to conscript civilians into the army came after a failed attempt to get civilians voluntarily for what was called at the time the Ethiopian federal military. The failed plan was meant to enlist, for the army, up to one hundred civilian members from each district throughout Ogaden. The conscription campaign is rumored to have the same target and objective."

Somalia War, a Cover for Genocide Against Oromos (sudantribune.com, 12/04/06) "Dec 4, 2006 — The current development in the Horn seems to be eclipsing the Oromo people’s quest for freedom, justice, democracy and self determination. This is exactly what the Zenawi minority regime has been planning for years. It is an open secret that Oromos have been the major victims of this regime. Oromo political forces, haven been the main opponents and challengers of the Tigrain People Liberation Front (TPLF) misrule. The rise of Oromo nationalism combined with awareness about the increasing human rights abuses and lootings of the Oromian resources by TPLF-managed companies are posing serious challenges to the dictatorial regime of Meles Zenawi. At a time when the Oromo plight and their struggle for justice are gaining international recognition, the regime is seeking various methods to continue unleashing its anti-Oromo policies by diverting the attention of the international community."

Fresh Clashes in Somalia After Government Rules Out Talks (news.yahoo.com-afp- 12/05/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somalia's weak government claimed to have retaken a key southern town in heavy fighting with the country's powerful Islamist movement. Just hours after Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said war with the Islamists may be "inevitable," a government commander said his forces had seized Dinsoor, about 110 kilometers (69 miles) south of the administration's base of Baidoa."

Ethiopia Says It Is at War With Somalia (voanews.com, 12/05/06) "Ethiopia said its involvement in Somalia is part of self-defense because of what the government called a repeated declaration of jihad on Ethiopia by the Islamists in Somalia.  Bereket Simon is advisor to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. For the first time, he said Ethiopia has declared war on Somalia. “Technically, we are war with Somalia. Everybody knows it is them who declared jihad on Ethiopia. So technically speaking, we are at war with them based on their declaration of war. Now, we have asserted our rights to defend ourselves,” he said."

Somali Government Rules Out Talks, Says War May be "Inevitable" (news.yahoo.com-afp- 12/05/06) "Three days after the Islamists seized Dinsoor township, about 270 kilometres (170 miles) west of the capital Mogadishu, the government said it would not attend the next round of talks in Khartoum aimed at averting a full-scale war. "This group is expanding its territory by force and violating the truce agreement, there is no point for peace talks if it cannot respect what it has already signed," Information Minister Ali Jama told AFP." RELATED STORY: Somalia PM Prepares For War Against Islamists (cnn.com -ap- 12/05/06) Watch Video Report by Barbara Starr of CNN

UN Refugee Agency Concerned at Detention of Ethiopian Boat People in Yemen (un.org, 12/04/06) "4 December 2006 – The United Nations refugee agency has voiced concern at the detention in Yemen of 126 Ethiopians now threatened with deportation after crossing by boat from Somalia. The Ethiopians made the two-day crossing smuggled in three boats from the Somali port of Bosaso together with more than 225 Somalis, but Yemeni officials told UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff yesterday that all non-Somali new arrivals should be detained and deported to their home countries."

Some Substance But Little Diplomatic Style by Bush’s Man (ft.com, 12/04/06) "In September 2005, US President George W Bush walked up to United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan and famously asked regarding John Bolton: “Has the place blown up since he’s been here?” Many felt the appropriate answer was a resounding yes. In the run-up to the summit, billed as a make-or-break moment for UN reform, Mr Bolton demanded a line-by-line renegotiation of its final declaration." RELATED STORIES: Bolton to End Tenure at UN (news.yahoo.com -afp- 12/04/06) US Ambassador to UN John Bolton Resigns (guardian.co.uk, 12/04/06) Rumsfeld Left Secret 'Cut and Run' Memo (guardian.co.uk, 12/04/06)

Jittery Meles on War Footing With Somalia's Islamists (monistercandcritics.com, 12/03/06) "Addis Ababa - Ambulances scurried through the streets of Addis Ababa this week, while helicopters buzzed overhead and sirens wailed. It was simply an emergency drill, the Ethiopian government reassured its citizens on state-run radio. It gave no explanation for the large-scale exercise. For many Ethiopians the reason is clear: The government is preparing the population for possible war with Islamists in neighbouring Somalia."

Somalia's Interim Government Welcomes UN Draft on Peacekeepers (voanews.com, 12/02/06) "Somalia's interim government has welcomed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorize a regional force to protect the fragile government. A Somali official, Information Minister Ali Ahmed Jama Jangali, said Saturday the U.S.-led proposal is a step in the right direction to stabilize his country. He said he hopes the draft will be adopted quickly." "...However, the powerful Islamist faction that has seized control of most of the country rejected the proposal today."

Meles Zenawi Slams Opposition’s Rejection of Resolution on Somalia (sudantribune.com, 12/02/06) "Nov 30, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has criticized the stand of opposition political parties against the terms of the authorization given by the parliament to attack Somali Islamists. “No citizen with a clear conscience should stand a passive observer in the face of a strategy put up from Asmara to Mogadishu to create mayhem in Ethiopia”, Meles said during a Parliamentary session held here on Thursday to endorse the resolution on the danger posed against Ethiopia by extremists in Somalia. “Is it right to not find anything wrong until attacks reach Addis Ababa,” questioned the Prime Minister. “Some oppositions may not feel being attacked until the attackers make their way to Addis. Having been enduring absence of peace from attacks by the encroaching assailants, the victims – the Ethiopian Somalis – could not agree to refuse to see.”"

Islamists Seize Key Somali Township, Mounting Fears of Full-Scale War (news.yahoo.com, 12/02/06) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - A powerful Islamic movement has seized control of a key Somali township, pushing the Horn of Africa nation closer to an all-out war. As the international community scrambled to avoid fresh clashes, Islamic forces said they had taken control of Dinsoor, about 270 kilometres (170 miles) west of the capital Mogadishu, after pro-government militia pulled out."

World AIDS Day 2006: Ideology Trumps Action as Epidemic Worsens (hrw.org, 12/01/06) "(New York, November 29, 2006) – Twenty-five years after AIDS was first identified, programs to fight the disease continue to be undermined by conservative ideologies and moralistic approaches, Human Rights Watch said ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1." ".... Governments are refusing to adopt evidence-based programs that respect individual rights, and are instead promoting ideological campaigns that make people more vulnerable to infection. says Joe Amon, Director, HIV/AIDS Program, Human Rights Watch"

U.S. Calls for Regional Somalia Force (news.yahoo.com -ap- 12/01/06) "UNITED NATIONS - The United States circulated a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Friday that would authorize a regional force to protect Somalia's weak government and threaten Security Council action against those who block peace efforts and attempt to overthrow it. The draft, obtained by The Associated Press, would lift a 1992 arms embargo against Somalia so that troops in the "protection and training mission" could be militarily equipped." RELATED STORY: U.S. Peacekeeping Plan for Somalia Criticized (washingtonpost.com, 11/29/06)

World AIDS Day: Renewed Calls for Strategies (cnn.com, 12/01/06) "LONDON, England (AP) - Circumcision, microbicides and microfinance. These are some of the most promising options being examined as potential ways to prevent AIDS. As World AIDS Day is marked Friday, some public health experts are saying the current focus on universal access to lifesaving antiretroviral drugs has had an unintended effect: sidelining prevention. Without a vaccine, preventing HIV infections is key to controlling the pandemic. New strategies that attempt to change the very environment of AIDS transmission are now being considered. A study published online Thursday in the British medical journal The Lancet describes how a microfinance project in South Africa cut women's chances of domestic violence by more than half." RELATED STORIES: Annan Urges Wider Anti-Aids Battle Aljazeera.net, 12/01/06) Making AIDS Drugs Available to Kids in the Developing World (time.com, 12/01/06) Empowering Women Reduces Domestic Violence and AIDS Risk (voanews.com, 12/01/06)

US Visitors Face Terror Profiling (guardian.co.uk, 12/01/06) "As bargain hunters flock to the US to take advantage of the weak dollar they will probably be unaware that computers will assign them a terrorism risk profile. Details of the scheme to harvest data on virtually everyone entering and leaving the US emerged last month, when the US government administration published a notice in the federal register, a tome of federal rules, that received little attention. The US began collecting data on people entering the country after the September 11 2001 attacks, but the scale of the effort is only beginning to emerge." RELATED STORY: US Updates Citizenship Test (guardian.co.uk, 12/01/06)

Islamists Deny Somali Bomb Claims (news.bbc.co.uk, 12/01/06) "The Islamist group which controls much of southern Somalia has rejected accusations that it was behind the car bomb on the government base, Baidoa. Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) leader Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys has condemned the attack, in which at least nine people died. Government officials have accused the UIC of organising Thursday's blast." RELATED STORY: UN's Top Somalia Envoy Hopeful Peace Talks Will Resume (voanews.com, 12/01/06)

Ethiopia Parliament Authorizes Action Against Somali Islamists (voanews.com, 11/30/06) "Ethiopia's parliament voted Thursday to give Prime Minister Meles Zenawi the authority to take any legal action necessary to combat what the Meles government has described as a "clear and present danger" from Islamist forces in neighboring Somalia.   VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has more from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.  Ethiopia's parliament adopted the motion by a 311-99 vote, with 16 members abstaining."

Meles Zenawi and Starbucks Fight Over Ethiopia's Coffee :Both Want the Lion's share of the Loot (news.bbc.co.uk, 11/30/06) "Talks between Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Starbucks boss Jim Donald have failed to end a dispute on trademarks, Ethiopian officials say. Mr Donald had flown to Ethiopia after it and charity Oxfam said Starbucks was blocking the country's efforts to trademark three types of coffee beans."

Commission Sets Deadline for Demarcation of Eritrean, Ethiopian Border (voanews.com, 11/29/06) "An independent boundary commission has given Ethiopia and Eritrea one year to physically demarcate their border or have it marked for them. In a statement Wednesday, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission said the two nations should begin erecting border-marking pillars by November 2007.  It said if the parties cannot reach agreement by then, the border as drawn by the commission will automatically stand." RELATED STORY: Horn Border Foes Given One Year (news.bbc.co.uk, 11/29/06)

US Announces Green Card Lottery (Immigration News Weekly Updated (May 18, 2007 ) "DATELINE Dec. 03, 2006 The US Department of State has announced that registration for the Green Card Lottery, or Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. The  Green Card Lottery makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The Immigration Lottery makes permanent residence visas available to persons meeting simple, but strict, eligibility requirements. You can check your eligibility at any time by going to the US Green Card Lottery Do I Qualify page. Please contact usagreencardcenter.com  if you would like assistance in applying for the Green Card Lottery."

Somali Parliament Backs Plan for Peacekeepers (today.reuters.co.uk, 11/29/06) "MOGADISHU, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Somalia's interim government voted on Wednesday to support a U.S. proposal that would let east African peacekeepers deploy in the violent state, but the rival Islamist movement said that would trigger a war. 
Diplomats say Washington will soon unveil a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that would lift an arms embargo to let regional troops legally enter Somalia with their weapons. Somali lawmakers, confined to provincial Baidoa town because of rapid territorial gains by the militarily superior Islamists, voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to support the plan."

Judge Upholds Detention of Man Charged With Cash Smuggling (mlive.com, 11/28/06) "DETROIT (AP) — A judge on Tuesday denied a request to free a man ordered held on cash smuggling charges, saying that while she found some of the defendant's arguments compelling, they weren't significant enough to overrule her colleague on the federal bench. U.S. District Judge Marianne O. Battani said that an ominous note and materials detailing nuclear power and how to commit suicide found on Sisaye Dinssa earlier this month at Detroit Metropolitan Airport raised "red flags" in a post-Sept. 11 era and warranted his continued detention. A final pretrial hearing was scheduled for Feb. 5, with trial set to begin Feb. 20."

Somali Islamists Stage Anti-U.S., Ethiopia Protest alertnet.org -reuters- 11/28/06) "MOGADISHU, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Somalia's Islamists said on Tuesday their forces had exchanged artillery fire with troops from neighbouring Ethiopia in the latest sign of tension in the violent Horn of Africa state. There was no immediate confirmation of the clash in Bandiradley, 700 km (435 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu, where thousands of Somalis demonstrated against what they called meddling in their country by Ethiopia and the United States. "The Ethiopians have fired 12 artillery pieces on Bandiradley," senior Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told a crowd of 10,000 protesters gathered in a city square." RELATED STORY: Somali Islamists Claim Clash With Ethiopian Troops, Warn of Importing Jihadists (news.yahoo.com-afp- 11/28/06)

Meles Zenawi's Troops Clash With Islamists (news.bbc.co.uk, 11/28/06) "Ethiopian forces have exchanged fire with Islamists in a strategic town north of Somalia's capital, officials of the powerful Islamic movement say. The Union of Islamic Courts chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told a rally in Mogadishu that Ethiopian forces began shelling Bandiradley at 0300 GMT."

Close Adviser to Rice Plans to Resign (washingtonpost.com, 11/28/06) "One of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's closest advisers said yesterday that he will resign at the end of the year, depriving her of a key sounding board at a time when she is still searching for a new deputy and faces difficult challenges in the Middle East." "....Once he leaves the government, Zelikow will be able to supplement his salary with consulting projects and by writing books. He said he wants to write scholarly books, not a tell-all