31/07/08 (B458) MAREEG / Un leader islamiste somalien jure de combattre le Gouvernement de transition, soutenu par l’Ethiopie. / Somalia-Somali Islamists vow to fight Ethiopia-trained government forces (En Anglais – Info lecteur)

By: Abdi Guled

The spokesman of Al-Shabab Islamic movement, Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, aka Abu Mansur, has urged the new Ethiopian-trained Somali government forces not to harm residents in Bay and Bakol regions in southwestern Somalia.

In a telephone interview with Mareeg online the spokesman urged them (soldiers) to return to their respective home districts, adding that the soldiers of the weak government did not have the power to fight Al-Shabab.

He stated that their islamist fighters would target the new soldiers.

Al-Shabab’s statement came after Somali military officers said they had received well-trained servicemen who would restore peace and order in the country.

The newly trained soldiers have conducted security operations in parts of Bay Region, which is one of the strongholds of Al-Shabab fighters.

Mansur has also avowed that the Ethiopian-trained Somali troops are the finishing power of Somali government.

In Tele-conference to the local media Sheikh Robow also said that the new troops are allowed to surrender to the Islamists.

" We will give them protection if they offer in to the Mujahidiin fighters" Robow said.

He also said that Djibouti agreement was subterfuge made by USA saying that USA wantd to break up the alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia.

" This was the aspiration of USA, but they will not be successful" he added.

Robow also said that there were drives led by the Unites States that wants to revive the counter-terrorism alliance that was smashed by the Islamic courts union.

" Those want to Join the anti-islam alliance have to ask Muse Sudi and Qanyare the consequence of the alliance," Robow additionally said.

Up to four CIA officials have arrived in Mogadishu and are being accommodated in a house near Villa Somalia presidential palace islamists website said.

The four agents were accommodated together with Somali officials, whose identities are not known.

The CIA officials are reviving the Counterterrorism Alliance, whose work was suspended after it was found to have detained innocent people who had not been involved in anti-American activities and were routed by the Islamic courts union fighters before them selves were ousted by Ethiopian backed Somali troops.

The website says the first phase of the alliance was headed by the faction leaders that destroyed the country as the second phase of the alliance was led by Muhammad Adan Muhammad (Bidar), who used the services of Darwish, Muhammad Dhere, Nur Daqle, Ahmed Askar, among other men, to round up people for him.

It also added that these men failed to capture individuals sought by the Americans. Instead, they rounded up street beggars and Tabliqis [Muslim missionaries] and detained them in the building bearing the inscription STS, flanking Villa Somalia presidential palace.

Qaadisiya website also says These men had submitted photos and names of [detained] individuals but the American intelligence agency could not find persons they were looking for.

A man named Ali Shimbir, who is currently in Nairobi, has been appointed to head the third phase of the alliance, He son will arrive in Mogadishu to take charge of anti-Oneness of God operations Qaadisiya says.

The CIA agents visiting Mogadishu have held highly sensitive talks with some Ethiopian officials, as numerous Ethiopian troops kept security at the venue of the highly sensitive meeting.

The US officials are soon departing Mogadishu and returning to Nairobi, from where Ali Shimbir, who has been appointed head of the third phase of the counterterrorism alliance, will depart.

The United States has kept a wary eye on Somalia since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, fearing that extremists would take advantage of the country’s anarchy to use it as a base of operations, just as occurred in Afghanistan in the 1990’s.

The Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) was a Somali alliance created by various warlords and businesspeople.

The alliance included Botan Ise Alin, Mohammed Dheere, Mohamed Qanyare, Musa Sudi Yalahow, Nuur Daqle, Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid, Bashir Rage Shirar, Abdirashid ilqeyte, Omar Muhamoud Finnish and others. Some of them were ministers in the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia.

The warlords, who were fighting the Islamists said they were acting out of principle, not pay.

"These terrorists want this country to adopt a Taliban style," said Hussein Gutale Rage, a spokesman for the warlords’ alliance. "The Americans have not given us anything so far. We share their hatred of terrorism."

US says that the UIC members were included in some clerics in the terrorism list including Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Hassan Turkey.

The alliance has been destroyed by the Islamic courts union fighters those dispose of the alliance although after six months they restored peace and security they have been ousted by Ethiopian backed Somali troops.

But the islamists are still waging guerrilla wars against Somali government and the presence of the Ethiopian troops.