Somalia's High Road To Self-Destruction

It was sometime in 1988, somewhere in Southern California, when I met a young undergraduate student from the Middle East. At the time, I was a graduate Teaching Assistant. The student told me he was an Iranian Jew and that his family had fled Iran for fear of persecution. “Have you seen the movie Rambo II?” he asked me. I told him that I didn’t. “Well, John J. Rambo, played by Sylvester Stallone, is quoted saying in the movie, ‘what you call hell, I call home’ “the student said, with a chuckle.

Somehow, that quote stuck in my mind. I never thought that one day my own country, Somalia, will degenerate into chaos and become the playground for international terrorists.

The year 2009 was a tragic one for many Somalis because the country went through a hellish period. There was a change of government, piracy piqued, thousands of people were killed or left the country for failed states like Yemen. Thousands of people were also displaced. Moreover, there is an ongoing Talibanization of the country in the hands of al-Shabaab terrorists.
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has changed its leadership. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected by a gerrymandered parliament assembled in Djibouti. The former Geography teacher and Shari’ah court cleric was the last person who expected that, one day, he would be crowned the president of Somalia. He was content in issuing edicts until the Union of Islamic Courts propelled him into the forefront of the country’s political landscape. That is when his scheming and double-talk became in play. He was a colleague of Hassan Dahir Aweys, a radical who never minces words. Sheikh Sharif had no trouble cavorting with Aweys and Ayro (the founder of al-Shabaab) when it suited him. He even fled, with some wanted militants, according to Jon Lee Anderson of the New Yorker (December 14, 2009) when Ethiopia invaded Somalia. But the powers that be had another plan for this pedantic and unassuming cleric. He was installed as the president of the TFG. Abdullahi Yusuf, his predecessor, became expendable. Sheikh Sharif, meanwhile, has been trying to defeat al-Shabaab terrorists, on one hand, while at the same time trying to lure his one-time compatriot Aweys from the militants on the other. Aweys, interestingly, is vying for Sharif’s own seat, and would not accept anything else. He is having difficulty accepting the idea that Sharif can be the president of Somalia and not him. Sharif could have been a ‘wanted terrorist’, like Aweys, if he had not, according to the New Yorker article, accepted to cooperate with the powers that be. He was threatened; Cooperate or go to Guantanamo. He instead chose the latter. Now, the former Chairman of the Union of Islamic Courts is castigating his former colleagues as ‘terrorists’ and ‘foreign-inspired’. His handshake with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sealed the deal, literally and figuratively. Many of his former allies were dismayed that the president not only deviated from the ‘right path’ but had also aligned himself with infidels.

The enemies of Sheikh Sharif, notably al-Shabaab, have proven their commitment and dedication to imposing radical, misguided, and draconian religious rule in the vast areas they control. Like the Taliban of Afghanistan, al-Shabaab banned movies, music, television, pictures, videos, etc. There was even the story of the Koran competition organized by al-Shabaab (Foxnews.com, 10/19/2009) in which the winner was awarded, “an AK-47, two hand grenades, and anti-tank mine, and a computer.” Oddly, I was surprised that the Shabaab terrorists, unlike their brethren in Afghanistan, did not ban lobsters and crab. Afghanistan, a land-locked country, apparently puts no premium on sea food. But al-Shabaab controls Marka, a coastal city 90 kilometers south of Mogadishu. It is Marka where newly-arriving Jihadists are received and, perhaps, trained. Moreover, all men are expected to grow beard. Have you ever heard of the Prophet-Peace be Upon Him- going around Mecca and Medina, with a sword, ordering men not to trim their beards or else. These al-Shabaab terrorists must know something about Islam that no one else does.

Then, there are the pirates who have been, unfortunately, lionized by even some intellectuals as modern-day Robin Hoods. I have heard many smart commentators defending the pirates as the shield against illegal fishing and dumping of chemical waste in the shores of Somalia. There were two periods in our most recent and shameful history when the country became awash with hundred-dollar bills. First, it was when the CIA funded Somali warlords and gangsters, under the umbrella of what was comically dubbed as ‘The Alliance for Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism’. Second, it was when pirates started getting paid handsomely by insurance companies and timid states for their criminal enterprise. Do you think a Qaat-chewing, gun-wielding pirate, somewhere in Puntland, cares about the protection and the welfare of Somalia’s national resources? It is very unfortunate that some Somali youngsters in the West have fallen into the trap of justifying the illegal and heinous acts of pirates. There are no doubts that some countries have exploited Somalia’s resources due to the lack of a strong and viable government in Mogadishu. But there are of course other strategically important considerations when countries like Iran place their naval ships in the Red Sea ‘to fight pirates’. The Iranians are also probably there to counter the new Saudi naval presence in the Red Sea.

Overall, the year 2009 was a sad year for some Somali youth who were recruited to leave America and Canada and wage violent jihad in Somalia. Al-Shabaab might have liquidated some of these youngsters when they attempted to return to North America. It is a vicious world! Although the number of Somali jihadists from the USA is dismal, al-Shabaab has used the recruitment of these young militants as a resume-enhancement. The mantra of al-Shabaab being, “we are an international group that we even have jihadists from the USA and Canada”. Finally, there is a glimmer of hope. A Somali man claiming to be 112 years old wed a 17-year old girl in Guriceel, a small town in Galguduud region. Ahmed Mohamed Dhore, the groom, though elderly, does not appear like an octogenarian. The good news is that he is already the father of 114 children and grandchildren. The bad news is that he is not likely to withstand the physical rigors and demands of marriage. This will be the first time, since the beginning of Somalia’s bloody civil war, a Somali man might be accused of possessing a DEAD weapon!

Security Lapses in Washington and Mogadishu: A Tale of Two Capitals

Charles Dickens, the author of the literary classic, A Tale of two Cities, based his historical novel in both Paris -facing the turmoil and upheavals of the French revolution- and in the serene and tranquil London. Dickens begun his novel with this intriguing and capturing paragraph; “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

In our modest case here, we have the tale of two capitals. One –Washington D.C- represents the most powerful nation in the world, and the other –Mogadishu, Somalia- perhaps the most failed state in the planet.

I will not indulge in comparing these two cities in a rather comprehensive manner because that will be an exercise of futility. I am only interested in one aspect that caught my attention. In a span of ten days, these two odd capitals had one thing in common; each experienced an egregious security breach. One security breach created a buzz and a great deal of mockery whereas the other resulted in bloody carnage.

A couple named Tareq and Michaele Salahi crashed President Obama’s first State Dinner honoring the visiting Prime Minister of India. This married couple had no invitation to attend the dinner in the White House; ostensibly the most secure residence in the world. They were properly introduced, shook hands with both Obama and his honorable guest, hugged and took pictures with Vice president Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel and other dignitaries.

Fortunately, to the relief of the U.S Secret Service, no one got hurt. No shoes were thrown. The dinner guests, about 300, had a sumptuous meal and afterwards returned safely back to their homes. The White House Social Office and the Secret Service were obviously embarrassed but, alas, no one has lost his/her job because of this glaring security breach. Then again, no one was ever fired due to the debacle that led to the 9/11 tragedy! There will be, of course, official reviews and Congressional investigations. Some Republican and Democratic elected officials were boisterous and demanded for answers.

How could a security breach like this happen in the country that had experienced the 9/11 tragedy?

Representative Peter King, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, was appalled. According to the New York Times, he lashed at the United States Secret Service after its spokesman claimed that Obama was never in danger. “The fact that they [the Salahis] went through the magnometer is incidental. They could have had anthrax on them. They could have grabbed a knife from the dining room table,” King scoffed.

But the Salahis were less sinister. Michaele Salahi was hoping to land a part in an upcoming reality show called “The Real Housewives of Washington, D.C”. They were interested in making news to promote their profiles and brag about their bold and daring adventure. They were there to show off, kiss and tell. Now that they are likely to face indictments, the world will see how charming they are in court.

Then, there is the case of the security breach in Mogadishu on December 3rd, when a deranged al-Shabaab suicide bomber from Denmark, dressed in a woman’s attire, killed himself and 26 other people. Most of the people who died were medical student graduates, but there were also three government ministers (and later another) who also perished.

The concept of suicide bombing is something alien to Somalia. Somalis have a long history of internecine feuds among themselves, but this phenomenon of suicide killing has brought a new dimension to the current conflict. The terrorist bomber had no regard to the lives of the young graduates who had shown perseverance and determination in attending college in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. These graduates were in school long before Sheikh Sharif and his TFG ministers were installed. They were hoping that their education would be the key to a better future. They were neither politicians nor soldiers, and yet they paid with their lives. The terrorist, an abject coward so cavalier about human life, was a paragon of a dysfunctional personality who left a path of destruction.

Meanwhile, al-Shabaab terrorists have shown the world what have been their hallmark; shallowness, cruelty, and utter disregard of the welfare and well-being of Somali youngsters. These thugs and Khmer Rouge look-alikes want to destroy and not build Somalia. Radicalism and militancy in the name of religion has never succeeded in Somalia and, inevitably, al-Shabaab will be doomed.

The TFG has also shown its own inadequacy. The suicide bombing at Hotel Shaamow was an example of the state of affairs in Somalia where violence seems as natural as gravity. The government failed to protect its own four ministers who, in all fairness, were capable individuals. I was never confident that the TFG, pockmarked with a long list of failures and limited control of Mogadishu, will be in a position to protect Mogadishu residents, in general, and the young graduates, in particular.

The White House fiasco was perhaps an incident that provided comic relief because the security breach there showed limitations in the concept of ‘absolute security’. It was tantalizingly surreal because ineptness does not discriminate based on sex, color, religion, or national origin.

The Mogadishu incident, meanwhile, was the essence of tragedy. It was an apocalypse now. It was the tragedy of the loss of young people who were destined to be the future leaders of their country. It was the tragedy of a government that could not even protect the less-than one hundred people who were sequestered in a small section of a hotel to attend the graduation. It was the tragedy of a disturbed, cold-blooded loser who was given the platform to wreck havoc.

One security breach can be mocked while the other brings a mood of sadness. In retrospect, I hope this suicide bombing will unite many Somalis in opposition to these two-legged beasts called al-Shabaab.

Final Thoughts On the Case of Missing Youth

Ladies and Gentleman, the insanely elongated investigation of the case of missing Somali youth has almost come to an end.

The indictments are in; a total of 14. Some of the indicted are believed to be dead while at least two not-so-young fellows managed to slip out of America.

No need to worry about these fugitives because, like Bin Laden, the Feds will hunt them down.
The question that stumps the enquiring mind is; how did these fugitives manage to vanish under the watchful eyes of the ‘vigilant’ American law enforcement agents?

Perhaps, I am geographically-challenged. I thought Tora Bora was located in Afghanistan and not between San Ysidro (California) and Tijuana (Mexico).

Unfortunately, both the FBI and the U.S Border Patrol agencies are not talking.

“No Comment, please”.

But the investigation rattled some nerves and has exposed the government and the Somali community, as like an x-ray; not beautified but stripped down to the core.

All Terror Is Local

Contrary to the wide belief, the case of missing youth was distinctly Minnesotan. To be more specific, it was mainly limited to the Twin Cities.

The Feds and the Congress initially made us believe that Somali pockets in Minneapolis, Columbus, San Diego, Seattle, Portland (Maine) and Atlanta were incubators of terrorism. Somalis, it was hinted, are fanatic Muslims that pose a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.

Well, the threat is still there but the main problem, so far, is Minneapolis.

Seattle had a case or two of the missing youth, but even that originated, sorry folks, from Minneapolis.

Leadership Crisis

Will the real Somali leaders in the Twin Cities stand up?

No, no, not you self-appointed microphone-huggers! You have a near-clinical need to be around microphones. I bet you never met a microphone you did not like, and when you are behind one, you are an impulsive loudmouth, a certified mediocre, fuzzy on the facts, and, above-all, you spew venom. You are long on complaints but short on prescriptions. I see you more as meddlesome rather than helpful. Sadly to say, you are unaware of the contempt and derision you provoke in others.

Sit down.

I am looking for true leaders.

Sadly, if there is Somali leadership in Twin Cities, it remained resolutely silent during the course of the investigation.

Minneapolis may have the largest Somali population in America, but one may confidently say it also has a lethargic leadership.

Demonizing the Wrong People

Some of the relatives of missing youth rightfully raised their voices and brought attention to the tragedy. We know that no one can efface the pain and the anguish these parents went through.

But the parents, in the heat of the moment, wrongfully accused the people of Abubakar as-Sadiiq mosque in Minneapolis for recruiting, funding, and sending the youth to Somalia.

Imam Abdirahman Sheikh Omar became a piñata for some of the aggrieved relatives and was portrayed as being the quintessence of evil.

He was yelled at, shoved, and gouged.

Yes, I know he was not physically attacked. Maybe I am slightly exaggerating.

But, seriously, Imam Abdirahman was barked at and even threatened. He was accused of leading the youth astray (Somalis aptly call this ‘duufsasho’) and turning them into cold-blooded jihadists bent on killing and maiming innocent Somalis.

Sheikh Abdirahman must have a very amiable personality and a magnificence of spirit. To the surprise of no one, he never lost aplomb in the midst of the tumult.

The Imam was being buffeted on all sides.

The Feds were sharpening their swords to put him away.

Any ‘Black Sites’ left in Romania or Poland?

This poor man was even taken off from a flight, for security reasons, at the height of the investigation.

Sorry Imam, you can drive, within the confines of the U.S, but you can’t fly!

The Sheikh must have asked himself; “You mean, I can drive through Minnesota’s strong and sturdy bridges but I do not even have the privilege of flying and landing in the waters of New York’s Hudson River?”

I love this country!

Fortunately, I am told, the Sheikh’s name has been removed from the “No Fly” list.

So does this mean he had nothing to do with the missing youth?

Well, no one from Masjid Abubakar as-Sadiiq mosque has been indicted.

Do I hear murmurs and titters?

I think an apology is in order.

Now, what?

Ladies and Gentleman, the further investigation of Somali immigrants will, of course, continue, and the missing youth, if they ever return to the States, will be prosecuted.

Hopefully, they will come to their senses and extricate themselves from Al-Shabaab terrorists.

I do not expect President Obama to issue a pardon to the missing youth.

Wouldn’t that be a gesture of good will?

He has already pardoned “Courage” the day before Thanksgiving.

‘Courage’ who?

Oh, it is a turkey whose life has been spared.

The community in Twin Cities needs to have a smart, poignant, and unvarnished look at what has transpired in the case and should engage in a grueling self-examination.

It is mind-boggling.

The very young people who were rescued from Somalia’s tortuous civil war are returning back to that same hell.

No doubt, they may have come to this country as children, but when they embarked on the journey to Somalia, they were adults.

Alas, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, the first ever American suicide bomber, was a man.

But most of the youth were still impressionable.

Those who helped their recruitment and financed their trip must be brought to justice.

The parents and the relatives of the missing youth have the right to ask the U.S Congress to hold a hearing regarding the flight of alleged terror suspects like Mohamud Said Omar (now in custody in the Netherlands), Abdullahi Farah and Abdiweli Isse.

The latter two men are the ones that had crossed the U.S Mexican border.

Where are the microphone-huggers when you need them?

Oops, I forgot that they were banished.

At any rate, it is a wild world.

But then, the sagacious people of Benadir were right; “If you live long enough, you will even see a she-camel give birth.”

Hassan M. Abukar

Somali Youth, Violence, and Misplaced Priorities

Recently, I have been shocked by the increase of violence among Somali youngsters from Toronto to Alberta; Minneapolis to Seattle. Every week, a Somali youngster is found dead due to gang related crimes. These killings have not generated the same outcry, intense scrutiny, and speculation seen in the cases of disappearing Somali youth in Minnesota and now Canada. Among the Somali populace, gang-related killings have become an issue of non importance.

The American government has spent a great deal of resources in investigating the disappearance of Somali youth in major urban areas populated by Somali immigrants. While the authorities have the jurisdiction to investigate those who train, fight, or provide material support to designated terrorist entities, there has been a negative side effect that has been impacting mosques and Islamic centers. There is a prevailing fear among many parents who are hesitant to allow their teenage boys to go to mosques or become active there. Parents are taking the “safe-side” of not letting the youth get involved. Some have naively stashed away their children’s passports hoping these measures will prevent the youngsters from joining subversive groups. Some of the mosques, though under investigation, have been in the forefront for saving many youth from drugs, chemical dependency, and gangs. There are no statistical figures, of course, that show the number of youth saved by religious institutions. But one thing that is glaringly apparent is the number of youth killed in the streets of London, Toronto, Edmonton, Minneapolis, or Seattle due to gang wars is much higher than the number that has joined terrorist organizations like Al-Shabaab. Currently, in many Somali mosques, there are a large number of youth who are committed to studying their religion and not interested in going back to Somalia to fight in an unjust war. I wonder if all the negative campaigning waged against some of these Islamic centers can be partially blamed for the increase of juvenile delinquency. Of course, there are other variables that might explain the rise of Somali youth killings.

No one can expect the Department of Justice or the FBI to help in tackling the Somali youth killings in the streets of America’s finest cities. The American and Canadian governments are interested in ensuring that the youth do not pose a security threat to their respective governments, first, and to Somalia, second. This is an understandable and legitimate national security concern. What is not understandable is what happens when the pursuit of this goal leads to the weakening of the very institutions that are designed to serve the youth and their parents. A climate generating ‘fear of mosques’ and a veritable barrage of calumny directed against some Imams have gained currency in various Somali communities. Unfortunately, these have inadvertently led to some of the youth to eschew, perhaps, in places where they could have gotten guidance and counseling. The Somali mosques have been somewhat successful in communicating with the youth when their parents were unable to do so. Of course, a mosque cannot be a substitute for a caring and engaging parent. But the fact of the matter is, many of the Somali parents are absent, figuratively, and sometimes, literally.

The American federal government, perhaps, can take a ‘Marshall Plan’ type approach in assisting the Somali youth. Agencies like the Health and Human Services, the Labor and Education departments can undertake various projects to assess this phenomenon of gang killings and find viable solutions. Of course, these will likely never happen because, to the American authorities, the Somali youth are only seen through the prism of ‘terrorism’. The Feds will always claim that the killings are local matters. Unfortunately, more killings will happen if Somali youth have no access to all the resources that they need (parents, schools, mosques, community based-organizations, etc). I must add here that there are some elements in some mosques that are, in the simplest terms, “bad news”. I have no qualms whatsoever seeing these dangerous elements rooted out from the Somali communities. Fortunately, these individuals are numbered and insignificant. So far, the federal indictments, in the Somali Youth cases of disappearance, have only produced a few convictions.

It is tragic that the Somali young men are dying violently while so many of the resource are spent on matters that are of no value to the safety, well-being, and future advancement of our children. It is the most opportune time for all Somalis in the West to start speaking against this new phenomenon that is leading to the gradual attrition of our youth. Parents, community organizations, local and federal governments all need to address this important matter before it is too late. Most of all, it is time that we listen to the youth themselves and see them as part of the solution. The process may be daunting but we should remain undaunted until there is a way out of these tragic events.

An Open Letter to Sheikh Sharif: It's Time to Go Home

An Open Letter to Sheikh Sharif
It is Time to Go Home,

Dear Sheikh Sharif,

Before I start my letter, I have a confession to make. I have never supported you before nor did I attend any of your speeches in America. In fact, I have been suspicious of the way you became president, or even the way you escaped from Somalia after the collapse of the Union of Islamic Courts. I do not subscribe to conspiracy theories, but let me just say that your meteoric rise to ‘power’ will be an intriguing subject matter for Students of Somali history and politics. In political parlance, I see you a politician who is two notches better than those who oppose your rule.

Many Somalis in the big cities like Minneapolis and Columbus came and heard your stomp speeches. Some were motivated while others were curious. Of course, there are many who paid no attention to your visit. I think you have been gone from Somalia since September. You went to Saudi Arabia, then New York to participate the U.N General Assembly meeting. Then, you went to Washington D.C where you spoke at Georgetown University’s Center for Strategic Studies. Many Somalis honored you, in a reception that was held on your behalf, in the Washington area. From there, you went to Minneapolis, and then Columbus.

Sheikh Sharif, it was helpful that you came to the States and met many of our people. Your speeches, though reassuring, were meaningless. Your position in Mogadishu is tenuous and your popularity among many leaves a lot to be desired. The fact that you control a few blocks in Mogadishu is palpable. You have the recognition and the support of the international community yet you have failed to capitalize on it. It has been said that you have a young talented and educated staff. There is a great deal of disorganization in your ranks, like defections to the radical groups and mismanagement of the tons of arms that the Americans have given you. Your record of saying what people want to hear is legendary. It started when you were the face of the Union of Islamic Courts. I was always puzzled by the double-talk you used to engage when your colleagues at the time were making radical pronouncements.

In spite of all these foibles, you are the best hope Somalia has now. Your rivals are two extremist groups that are bent on destroying whatever is left of the country and more. Al-Shabaab is a radical group that, if it succeeds, will introduce a new brand of Islam that is intolerant, pervasive, intrusive, and draconic. The fact that they have allowed foreigner fighters to join their ranks is ominous. Foreigners should be welcomed to Somalia if they want to help the reconstruction of the country, but they should not be part of the further dismantling of the country. Hizbul islam is no better. Hassan Dahir Aweys is the epitome of power-hungry, myopic, and self-righteous individual. He reminds me of Abdullahi Yusuf whose long and arduous quest of becoming Somali president, by any means necessary, wrecked havoc in the country. Aweys will not stop until he erects a tent in Villa Somalia. I would humbly advise you the following;

First, go back to Mogadishu because that is where you are needed now. It is good to meet Somalis in the Diaspora and hobnob with some of the American officials. Your job is to be in Mogadishu and start building coalitions instead of pleading for more AMISOM troops. Do you think 10,000 African troops will annihilate the Shabaab and Hizbul Islam? I believe more African troops will weaken you even further. Like Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, you are seen as a leader beholden to foreign powers. It is time that you take the risky path of incrementally extricating yourself from these foreign entities. It is your life-line now but the longer you cling to them the more you alienate many Somalis.

Second, you need to build a coalition of clans rather than a coalition of warlords. I am amazed at how you and your Prime Minister have assembled a mind-boggling cabinet. Apparently, whoever owned a sizable number of ‘technicals’ (with the title of ‘Shaikh’ before his name) ended up in the cabinet? It is ludicrous that a leader like you, who has some of the brilliant minds as advisers, will have war-criminals like “indhacadde” as Defense Minister. In all fairness, you do have some capable ministers in the government. I know that you will say that it’s Omar A. Sharmarke’s job to appoint the cabinet. But, Sheikh Sharif, the current structure of power is that of a strong president. The collection of these dubious Ministers and their technicals has not produced good results. In fact, there are still issues of loyalties with the very people who are serving in your government. Some are patiently waiting to see where the wind will blow. It is time that you start thinking of broadening your coalition. I will start with clan elders. Somalia's elders, though weak militarily, can play a decisive role in preventing the spread of this pernicious disease of religious fanaticism. Somali people have no taste for the type of radicalism that Al-Shabaab espouses.

Third, the current fighting between Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabaab in Kismayo, though tragic to many innocent civilians, is a short term opportunity to exploit in your favor. The skirmishes have exposed the fact that these so-called “Mujahiddin” are primarily engaged in a new type of Jihad. It is “business jihad”. It is the pursuit of profits and revenues. This is the time your charm and power politicking must come to play. Dividing these two evil forces, when they are engaged in bloody confrontation, is necessary and commendable. I give you some credit for initiating talks with some of the leaders of Hizbul Islam. Of course, more is needed to draw a wedge between these two groups.

In a nutshell, Sheikh Sharif, there is a lot to be done. The bulk of your work is waiting for you in Mogadishu. Hurry up and head home. Every day that passes, while you are touring in America or elsewhere, is a day wasted. The people who need your leadership and service are in Mogadishu and its vicinities; not in Columbus or Minneapolis.

Hassan Mohamed Abukar
Abukar60@yahoo.com