here is my response to the latest comment on my blog

Hello progressive friends of the People’s Geography!

Since 2007, when I wrote my piece posted here, many more things, too sad and to complex for a single message, has taken place in Somalia.

I will mention a few. The 2006 US sponsored invasion of Somalia is now but a full blown genocide and there has been very little diplomatic progress to end the bloodshed but few brave journalists have done remarkable work on the crime against humanity taking place in Somalia, war crime financed ,primarily, by the United States and Europe and which has the backing of the United Nation under the leadership of Ban Ki-Moon. Ban Ki-Moon’s role in the destruction of Somalia is important because South Korea is one of the chief countries which have been illegally fishing off the Coast of Somalia and North Korea is the main supplier of weapons to the Ethiopian army menacing the people of Somalia. Hence, it can be argued that Ban Ki-Moon has vested interests in the indefinite continuation of Somalia as a failed and occupied state.

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36157

http://www.geocities.com/gabobe/illegalfishing.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/08/news/arms.php

Reflecting the crisis in Somalia is made urgent now not only because of the human tragedy unfolding in front of TV screens, or computer screens or by the graphic documentaries, such as Warlords Next Door, which is circulating the internet in YouTube videos, but also by the possibility of change of US policies with respect to the broader trajectory of US. This potential change depends on the outcome of expected changing of the guard in the of leadership in the White House and because of mounting evidence showing gross human Rights violations, including the use of famine as a political weapon by the Ethiopian regime of Meles Zinawi. Ethiopia’s ruthless dictator, Meles Zinawi and the Somalia warlords backed by the US regime of GWB, are fighting for their lives[literally] and the sole source of their income[money given to them by western donors]. So, they are fighting with everything they have got within their power. They are killing and maiming civilians, community elders inside Somalia.

But Meles Zinawi is step ahead of the game. He has some heavyweight lobbyists with links to both the Republican and the Democratic Party working on his behalf. That means no matter who wins the Presidency of the United States in Nov4, Barack Obama or John McCain, Meles Zinawi will continue to receive millions of dollars of US tax payers money in the name of US war on terror. In fact, contrary to what some believe, Meles Zinawi may do much better of Barack Obaam wins than if John McCain wins the presidency in Nov4, 2008. In fact, evidence show that in the summer of 2006, few months before the ordering of the US sponsored Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, Barack Obama visited the Kenya, Ethiopia and the US troops stationed in D’Jabuti.

It is more than likely that Barack Obama knew that the US was planning to sponsor the Ethiopia’s illegal invasion of Somalia.

http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/2488.cfm

Many people are familiar with Obama’s 2006 trip to Africa, unfortunately for the wrong reasons. Many of us have seen photos of Barack Obama wearing a Somalia traditional garb and not a Muslim turban as has been wrongly reported in the western media. But more pertinent question for me is not Obama’s religion. He is Christian and not Muslim. But What Obama knew US plans to sponsor the invasion of Somalia in 2006.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-518585/Obama-turban-Barack-accuses-Hillary-smear-campaign-circulating-photos-dressed-Muslim.html

Bipartisan Duo of Ex-Congressional Heavyweights Blocking Action Against Ethiopia

http://harpers.org/archive/2007/07/hbc-90000631

http://authoritarianism.blogspot.com/2007/04/horn-of-africa-week-meet-meles-zenawi.html

Canada is also getting involved in making deal with the Somali warlords, two months ago one of the criminal warlords featured in the Channel4 documentary “Warlords Next Door” was a guest of a member of the ruling Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian Parliament. A day later, it has been reported a new oil exploration deal between a Canadian company and Somali warlords!

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/25/business/AF-FIN-Somalia-Oil.php

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/02/usa.humanrights

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3387

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7429594.stm

http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=2226

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=476&Itemid=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/15/world/africa/15ethiopia.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp&oref=slogin

http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2007/03/08/us_hires_firm_for_somalia_mission/

http://blackstarnews.com/?c=122&a=4013

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=104950

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/somalia-the-worlds-forgotten-catastrophe-778225.html

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=44222&sectionid=351020501

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/03/28/world/20080329SOMALIA_index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/29/world/africa/29somalia.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/18/bill-clinton-heading-back_n_113543.html

URL links to additional pieces Amina Mire wrote about the crisis in Somalia since 2006.

http://www.counterpunch.org/mire01022007.html

http://www.counterpunch.org/mire07312006.html

http://www.somalidiasporaalliance.com/articles/jendayi.php

http://www.africaspeaks.com/somalia/130607.html

http://www.sirdoon.com/index.php?itemid=394