Posted on 11/09/2005 5:58:59 PM PST by blam
Envoy: Somalia Could Become Terror Haven
Thursday November 10, 2005 1:16 AM
By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Somalia could become a terrorist haven because it is a failed state where the number of extremist groups is growing, the top U.N. envoy for the country warned Wednesday.
Francois Lonseny Fall said he told a closed meeting of the U.N. Security Council that ``extremist groups were growing not only in Mogadishu (the capital) but in the rest of the territory'' and were sometimes carrying out assassinations.
``This is a real threat not only for Somalia but for all the region,'' he said.
The Horn of Africa nation has not had an effective central government since clan-based warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Warlords then turned on each other, plunging the country of 7 million into chaos.
Somalia has been struggling to re-establish a fully functioning government and end the violent reign of rival warlords. But the transitional government formed last year still can't operate in Mogadishu and only three days ago the prime minister escaped an assassination attempt in the capital.
Lonseny Fall, the secretary-general's special representative for Somalia, said the country posed a threat to international peace and security today because it lacks normal systems of government.
``When you have a failed state like Somalia, when there's no authority, it gives opportunity to all the terrorist groups to grow,'' he said. ``It happened in Afghanistan and the same thing can happen in Somalia.''
Asked which extremist groups were growing, he said ``mainly Islamist groups ... and we have some who are trying to establish the Shariah court (Islamic law) in Somalia - and this is a real threat for Somalia today.''
The Security Council on Wednesday condemned ``in the strongest terms'' Sunday's assassination attempt against Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi.
The transitional government formed after lengthy peace talks in Kenya raised some hope. But its members quickly split over where the government should be based and whether it needs peacekeepers from neighboring countries to help establish order.
The council expressed concern ``over recent reported military activities and hostile rhetoric'' and warned that ``any resort to military force as a means for dealing with the current difference within the Transitional Federal Institutions is unacceptable.''
It also expressed serious concern over increasing incidents of piracy off the coast of Somalia, including the hijacking of ships carrying humanitarian goods.
Pirates armed with grenade launchers and machine guns tried to hijack a luxury cruise liner carrying Americans and other foreign tourists off Somalia's coast Saturday, but the ship outran them by changing course and heading out to sea.
Oh. It is not already a terrorist haven?
"Somalia could become a terrorist haven"
Ya think?
That would be U.N. Envoy Captain Obvious.
Hopefully, the morons at the U.N. will pass another "resolution" and all will be right with the world. What a worthless "organization."
Naaaaah...!
Polluting the indigenous culture of Somalia- oh, the inhumanity.
Too late. It has been for a while. Evidently this guy missed it.
Most likely heroin laced bananas.
That's exacly what I was thinking...I think they pretty much summed up the terrorist image back durring the "blackhawk down" episode....
And least we forget, UBL was planning on setting up a permenant presence in this lovely country.
Thats fine with me. Perfect place for them to all get together. Let them have a great big Islam-0-fest. Just when they give each other a big group hug we can glass over the country with a nuke strike.
Anybody out there going to miss the Place? Come on, raise your hand. Nobody? Didn't think you would.
This news could be a real blow to the Somalia tourist industry.
The term "lady" is subjective. The term female is a fact discerneing the difference between gender. Do you really refer to this female as a "lady"?
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