One of Somalia's new Islamist leaders has denied US claims that he is linked to terrorism. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, head of the Council of Islamic Courts which has recently taken control of Mogadishu, was speaking during a BBC phone-in. He has been on the US list of people "linked to terrorism" since shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Sheikh Aweys said the case against him was built on false allegations from enemies in Ethiopia. "There was a war with Ethiopia. The Ethiopians infiltrated into Somalia and we fought with them. They interpreted this fighting as terrorism. America took it from them that this was true, but it was not. And we did not fight with Americans - we have never harmed Americans in any way," he said in response to a question from a caller.
Mr Aweys fought in the two countries' war for the region in the 1970s. Ethiopia also played a key role in defeating his Islamist militia al-Itihaad al-Islamiya - described by the US as "terrorist" - in the 1990s. The US and Ethiopia have been concerned by the speed at which the Islamic Courts has taken control of the Somali capital and several other towns in recent weeks. The US fears that a Somalia run by Islamists could be used by Islamic fighters linked to al-Qaeda.