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| Africa Horn |
| Somalia arms embargo lifted, Islamic Courts furious |
| 2006-12-08 |
| (Somalinet) The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a regional force to protect the interim Somali government, which is under increasing pressure from the Union of Islamic Courts, and also lifted an arms embargo to allow the force to be equipped. Security Council's move is aimed at stepping up pressure on the powerful Islamic Courts. The Islamic Courts who control much of southern and central Somalia described the UN approval to the US draft resolution of easing the arms embargo and deploying troops in Somalia on Thursday as partial and damaging. Top Islamist officials who had an urgent and close doors meeting in the capital to give response hours after the United Nations Security Council adopted the long awaited US proposal that authorizes deployment of regional peace keepers to prop up the shaky interim government in Baidoa city 240km southwest of the capital, condemned the US government for supporting one side in Somalia conflict. After the meeting, Sheik Abdirahman Janaqow, the deputy leader of ICU briefed reporters in the capital about their meeting, saying that they have issued a statement against the UN resolution on Somalia. He accused Washington of siding with one of the rival sides in Somalia, the interim government. “The UN resolution on Somalia was aimed to destroy the Islamic movement in the country which stood for rescuing Somalis from the long running civil strife,” said in the statement. The statement also said that the US proposed resolution enables the Ethiopian government to capture and rule Somalia. “The resolution which is giving support to one side is clearly undermining the ongoing negotiation between the Islamic Courts Union and Transitional Federal Government and paves the way of major conflict in the region,” Sheik Janaqow said. The ICU called the UN decision an Ethiopian agenda, worked out by Ethiopian government who wants to occupy Somalia and prevent the Islamic way of life in the country. Sheik Janaqow vowed that Somali society would defend against any outside intervention and has the right to do that. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 He accused Washington of siding with one of the rival sides in Somalia, the interim government. “The UN resolution on Somalia was aimed to destroy the Islamic movement Sh*t! They're reading our mail! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-12-08 16:20 |
| #2 I'd love the US to deliver weapons to the ICU - from 40,000 feet. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-12-08 12:16 |
| #1 This could make things very interesting over there, if it's not too late. Looks like the Islamic Court Jesters think so. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-12-08 08:47 |