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Somalia to issue new passport (al Jazeera)

Somalia's interim government is set to issue new passports in its headquarters in Baidoa for the first time since the civil war erupted in 1991.

Legislators also voted out on Wednesday the influential speaker of the Somali parliament who had tried to negotiate with the Council of Islamic Courts group.

The transitional government says its decision on passports is a response to the forging and selling of existing Somali passports, both inside and outside the country.

Abdullah Mahmud Javo, the immigration chief, said: "The Somali passport was easily available to non-Somalis.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E11F7E23-B9EB-432B-87B6-86C557267291.htm

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[cbclark4]

Ethiopian troops in Somalia ambush (al Jazeera)

A convoy of Ethiopian troops has been ambushed in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, just hours after government troops repelled an attack on the president's palace.

At least one bystander was killed in the fighting that erupted after unknown men attacked the military convoy with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades on Saturday morning.

The Ethiopian troops responded to the ambush by returning fire with heavy weapons. Some accounts said that as many as four people were killed in the ensuing firefight.

The government played down the attack, dismissing speculation that it was part of a broader anti-government offensive.

"Neither government forces nor our Ethiopian friends suffered any casualties in the attack, which was carried out by simple gunmen to show the international community that Mogadishu is still very unsafe," Abdirahman Dinari, a government spokesman, said.
Several people were also wounded in the brief exchange of fire.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/260D3628-1D7E-48A9-BE05-1EC665ED9CDC.htm

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[cbclark4]

Kenya hands over Somalia suspects (al Jazeera)

Kenya has flown 34 suspected Islamic courts fighters to Somalia after arresting them near the countries' border.

Those held include four foreigners - a Canadian and three Eritreans - Harun Ndubi, a Kenyan lawyer told Reuters news agency.

The men were among scores of suspected fighters rounded up by Kenyan forces after interim government troops backed by Ethiopian forces ended the Union of Islamic Courts' six-month rule of much of Somalia.

The men were shackled hand and foot and flown under heavy guard into Mogadishu.

They were then handed over to Ethiopian soldiers backing Somali authorities, Somali government sources said.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A50234EF-9C4B-4BBE-A4C1-12B50AC4235B.htm

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[cbclark4]

Islamic courts leader surrenders (al Jazeera)

A senior leader of the Union of Islamic Courts has surrendered to Kenyan authorities on the border with Somalia, Kenyan officials have said.

Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, chairman of the Executive Council of Islamic Courts, was reportedly detained with three other Somalis on Sunday.

"They captured him in the Liboi area. He's under US protection," the Somali intelligence official told Reuters news agency.

Ahmed is considered a moderate in the movement that was forced out of Mogadishu and southern Somalia by Ethiopian and Somali government forces.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/644895BE-5C48-46FD-8B50-46B9C6BDEF48.htm

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[cbclark4]

Ethiopia begins Somali pullout (al Jazeera)

Ethiopian troops have begun withdrawing from Mogadishu, nearly four weeks after they helped to drive out the Council of Islamic Courts from the Somali capital.

A special ceremony was held on Tuesday for the pullout of about 200 soldiers at the former headquarters of the Somali air force on the southern outskirts of Mogadishu.

A senior Ethiopian military official said: "We always said our aim was to withdraw our troops because we are not forces of occupation."

According to one official, the remainder of troops will stay in Somalia until an African force is put in place.

Gratitude

Abdirahman Dinari, a Somali government spokesman, said: "We are grateful that they played an important role in the restoration of law and order in the country.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/096144C1-84E6-42F7-B7A7-F224822FF7B1.htm

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[bucheon bum]

If the story is accurate and the ethiopians are completely pulling out then:

1. They're smarter and better prepared than the US was when it invaded Iraq
2. I hope the new gov't is able to survive w/out Ethiopia's military might backing it.

[cbclark4]

Mogadishu airport shelled (al Jazeera)

At least one person has been killed after a barrage of mortar shells was fired into Mogadishu's main airport shortly after a United Nations (UN) plane landed there.

The attack in the Somali capital came 15 minutes after a nine-member UN delegation arrived at the airport from Kenya on Wednesday, but there was no indication it was the target.

Ahmed Hersi, who was by the terminal at the time of the attack, said: "Several mortar shells landed at Mogadishu international airport killing one and wounding another one."

He said dozens of people who were in the airport's open grounds fled inside amid fears of more attacks.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8D01E7DA-0E57-4FC5-99F4-194740F1F8A8.htm

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[cbclark4]

US holds talks with Islamic courts (al Jazeera)

The US ambassador to Kenya has held talks with a key leader of Somalia's Islamic courts movement to urge him to have his supporters renounce violence.

US officials said Michael Ranneberger met Sharif Ahmed in Nairobi, where he has been in the protective custody of the Kenyan authorities since turning himself in.

Details of the meeting were not clear, but Jennifer Barnes, a US embassy spokeswoman, said earlier in the week that the envoy would urge Ahmed to ask his supporters to avoid violence and to support the development of an inclusive government in Somalia.

Ahmed is head of the executive wing of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in Somalia.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2FB8B2A3-49F5-4D8C-92F5-5C1BD54C027A.htm

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[cbclark4]

Ethiopian soldier killed in Somalia (al Jazeera)

One Ethiopian soldier has been killed and another wounded when their patrol was attacked in Kismayo, Somalia's main southern port.

The attack by unidentified gunmen on Thursday was the latest of several attacks against Ethiopian forces, allies of Somalia's weak interim government.

"One Ethiopian soldier got killed and another one was wounded when gunmen opened fire at them. We do not know who was behind this act, but we are investigating,"Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig, an MP and who is also the regional government administrator, said.

The attack in Kismayo's market was followed by a brief gunfight as the Ethiopians fought back against their attackers.

Mohamed Abdi, Kismayo's police chief, said 36 people were arrested and were being interrogated.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/89421010-48F3-456F-90E8-3C7D6FB20F3B.htm

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