18 August 2007
The United States congratulates the participants in the Somalia National Reconciliation Congress on the completion of Phase One of the Congress and the progress achieved thus far. The resolution of long-standing conflicts between all clans, civil society, women’s groups, religious authorities, and business leaders is the first step toward establishing lasting peace and stability in Somalia.
As the second phase of the Congress begins, I urge you to turn your attention toward the key political tasks now in front of you that are outlined in the "Roadmap to Governance, National Reconciliation, and Dialogue" and in the Transitional Federal Charter. They include achieving equitable representation by all key stakeholders in the Transitional Federal Institutions and addressing next steps in the transitional process.
For this Congress to be successful, it is critical that you engage in a genuine political dialogue that will ultimately lead to the formation of permanent, representative governing institutions. The United States renews its call on all Somali stakeholders to participate constructively in the Congress and to establish a roadmap for the remainder of the transitional process leading to national elections in 2009.
2007/700
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
A Week in the Horn of Africa
18 August 2007
ASMARA, Eritrea - Eritrea's information minister on Saturday mocked comments by a senior US adminstration official, who said Washington might add the country to its list of states supporting terrorism.
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said Friday the United States was considering adding Eritrea to its list of rogue states, which includes countries such as Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba.
But Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu dismissed the remarks.
"We would like to thank Mrs Jendayi Frazer for exposing herself and her ill wishes towards the Eritrean people," he told AFP in Asmara.
Frazer said the United States agreed with a recent report by UN experts linking Eritrea -- one of the poorest countries in the world -- to weapons and cash for militants in Somalia.
An Islamist militia, which briefly controlled large parts of Somalia, was defeated earlier this year by Ethiopian troops backing Somali goverment forces.
Insurgents have nevertheless continued to carry out daily guerrilla-style attacks since.
Eritrea also rubbished claims by Addis Ababa that it had been seeking to destabilise its neighbour by plotting attacks against government targets with Ethiopia-based rebels.
A statement issued Friday by Eritrea's foreign ministry dismissed the claims as "ridiculous accusations" and "preposterous allegations".
The statement in turn accused Ethipia and Washington of backing an Islamist insurgency on its soil.
"Ethiopia's open support to an assortment of subversive groups, including the so-called Eritrean Jihadist groups, is a matter of record," it said.
"It is unfortunate that the US administration, which has all along encouraged and supported Ethiopia in its unlawful acts against a sovereign UN member state, has joined the chorus to unleash what is evidently a concerted and synchronized smear campaign against Eritrea."
Eritrea was an "epicentre of peaceful dialogue", said the statement, citing efforts to broker peace deals in Sudan.
For its part, Ethiopia advised the US administration to follow through and include Eritrea on its blacklist.
"Their consideration is long overdue, the Eritrean government has been undertaking terror activities for a long time," said Bereket Simon, senior adviser to President Meles Zenawi.
"They should take measures in order to stop such acts," he told AFP, in reference to Asmara's alleged support of Islamist rebels in Somalia and Ethiopia.
International concern is also growing at an unresolved border dispute with Ethiopia following their 1998 to 2000 frontier war.
Asmara claimed Addis Ababa was alleging Eritrean support to rebels to avoid the implementing a UN-appointed border commission ruling, which grants a key town to Eritrea but has been so far ignored by Ethiopia.
"Ethiopia's real intention is to scuttle the demarcation process by any means," the Eritrean foreign ministry statement added.
ASMARA, Eritrea - Eritrea's information minister on Saturday mocked comments by a senior US adminstration official, who said Washington might add the country to its list of states supporting terrorism.
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said Friday the United States was considering adding Eritrea to its list of rogue states, which includes countries such as Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba.
But Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu dismissed the remarks.
"We would like to thank Mrs Jendayi Frazer for exposing herself and her ill wishes towards the Eritrean people," he told AFP in Asmara.
Frazer said the United States agreed with a recent report by UN experts linking Eritrea -- one of the poorest countries in the world -- to weapons and cash for militants in Somalia.
An Islamist militia, which briefly controlled large parts of Somalia, was defeated earlier this year by Ethiopian troops backing Somali goverment forces.
Insurgents have nevertheless continued to carry out daily guerrilla-style attacks since.
Eritrea also rubbished claims by Addis Ababa that it had been seeking to destabilise its neighbour by plotting attacks against government targets with Ethiopia-based rebels.
A statement issued Friday by Eritrea's foreign ministry dismissed the claims as "ridiculous accusations" and "preposterous allegations".
The statement in turn accused Ethipia and Washington of backing an Islamist insurgency on its soil.
"Ethiopia's open support to an assortment of subversive groups, including the so-called Eritrean Jihadist groups, is a matter of record," it said.
"It is unfortunate that the US administration, which has all along encouraged and supported Ethiopia in its unlawful acts against a sovereign UN member state, has joined the chorus to unleash what is evidently a concerted and synchronized smear campaign against Eritrea."
Eritrea was an "epicentre of peaceful dialogue", said the statement, citing efforts to broker peace deals in Sudan.
For its part, Ethiopia advised the US administration to follow through and include Eritrea on its blacklist.
"Their consideration is long overdue, the Eritrean government has been undertaking terror activities for a long time," said Bereket Simon, senior adviser to President Meles Zenawi.
"They should take measures in order to stop such acts," he told AFP, in reference to Asmara's alleged support of Islamist rebels in Somalia and Ethiopia.
International concern is also growing at an unresolved border dispute with Ethiopia following their 1998 to 2000 frontier war.
Asmara claimed Addis Ababa was alleging Eritrean support to rebels to avoid the implementing a UN-appointed border commission ruling, which grants a key town to Eritrea but has been so far ignored by Ethiopia.
"Ethiopia's real intention is to scuttle the demarcation process by any means," the Eritrean foreign ministry statement added.
As Eritrea gives the US an awkward Choice, a new dynamic is set to unravel Mulugeta Alemu
Mulugeta Alemu
18 August 2007
The US has officially threatened to designate Eritrea as a terrorism sponsoring state. Those who are not accustomed to the world of diplomacy are often mesmerized by the length of time it takes to name countries what they truly are. US threat of calling Eritrea a terror sponsoring state is indeed long overdue. This is a remarkable victory for many of those who have exposed Eritrea’s disregard to peaceful co-existence in the region and its direct involvement in acts that claimed and continue to claim the lives of innumerable number of innocent civilians.
It is interesting that the US announcement follows the press release by Ethiopian officials that they have unravelled a massive plot by local rebel groups supported and sponsored by Eritrea to undertake terrorist activities in the country. But US’s announcement has not made any indication that these possible measures are related to what Eritrea is doing in Ethiopia. The Nazareth plot is not the first time where Eritrea’s involvement was clearly identified. The country’s rougeness knows no bound. Previously it has kidnapped foreign tourists and Ethiopian guides. It has supplied ammunitions and training for groups such as ONLF and OLF promoting their terror infested undertakings. The US and UK are yet to announce these groups as terrorist organisations.
So far Ethiopia’s call for the international community about Eritrea’s actions has largely fallen into deaf ears. There are some sinister assumptions which belie such inertia. Some governments and their so called think thanks consciously promoted the view that after all Eritrea is the victim of Ethiopia’s unwillingness to accept the ruling of Eritrea Ethiopia boundary Commission. This is in fact one massive white lie. Ethiopia has continued to make its announcements that it accepts the decision without any condition. Equally important is also the fact that even the UN Secretary General, in his latest report, has elaborated how Eritrea irreparably damaged and violated the TSZ which was established as a buffer zone between the two countries following the 1998-2000 war which Eritrea has spectacularly lost.
Eritrea’s adventure in Somalia has so far been an embarrassing state of affairs for the international community which wanted to support the TFG. The new government there is being challenged by the daily barrage of attacks by those who are generously sponsored by Eritrea. No one warned Eritrea. The impoverished small state of Eritrea has even declared its plan of calling a conference in September with the aim of establishing a parallel government in Somalia. Eritrea is doing the unknown. For some this is a result of Eritrea’s lack of skill in how to use diplomacy as a tool of promoting its interests. For others it is a height of maximum nervousness. However, there is a darker element to Eritrea’s design. This is a country that has done in the Sudan and even in Darfur what it has now done in Somalia. The reaction of the international community to Eritrea’s involvement in the Sudan never ending crisis was baffling. It continued to invite Eritrea in the high tables regarding the Sudan. We all remember how officials of the EU in Brussels, often immeasurably crude in their diplomacy, declared the president of Eritrea as an important peace maker in the region. Presient Issayas has always been the Horn’s pacemaker for all its woes. He was a good student of how the world is emerging and wanted to copy his moves in the Sudan to Somalia.
US’s threat of measure may never materialize. But it speaks mightily to the view that Eritrea’s unruly character is being checked. It has also brought to an end Eritrea’s game of playing the victim. So many things follow in US designation of terrorism. It makes it illegal for the US and other companies to sell arms. It forces the US Government to axe or terminate economic assistance even through the IMF and World Bank.
So much depends on how Eritrea conducts itself both in the short term and long term. Especially we need to see if it continues to supply arms to Somali terrorist and insurgents, which often happen while the American intelligence community is looking. The US will also focus whether the September meeting in Asmara will take place. But we know very well that Eritrea will publish one of those pitiful and infamous editorials in the website of its Ministry of Information castigating the US. This is very consistent with Eritrea’s patter of behaviour. The Eritrean government always believes that Eritrea’s future is in the hands of its mighty leader who had defined its independence against all odds. Eritrea establishment always believed that it had defeated the USSR in the Eritrean soil during the fight for independence. Another super-power is yet to beat.
In the grand scheme of things, Eritrea will probably play the ball carefully and may even use this to its advantage. The economically pressed regime continues to use its anti-American sentiment to rally support from its Middle East allies. In the global battle against terrorism and fundamental Islam, Eritrea is hesitantly slipping away while its population looks on unaware of what is happening. That should be a concern to all even while small victories are being won.
18 August 2007
The US has officially threatened to designate Eritrea as a terrorism sponsoring state. Those who are not accustomed to the world of diplomacy are often mesmerized by the length of time it takes to name countries what they truly are. US threat of calling Eritrea a terror sponsoring state is indeed long overdue. This is a remarkable victory for many of those who have exposed Eritrea’s disregard to peaceful co-existence in the region and its direct involvement in acts that claimed and continue to claim the lives of innumerable number of innocent civilians.
It is interesting that the US announcement follows the press release by Ethiopian officials that they have unravelled a massive plot by local rebel groups supported and sponsored by Eritrea to undertake terrorist activities in the country. But US’s announcement has not made any indication that these possible measures are related to what Eritrea is doing in Ethiopia. The Nazareth plot is not the first time where Eritrea’s involvement was clearly identified. The country’s rougeness knows no bound. Previously it has kidnapped foreign tourists and Ethiopian guides. It has supplied ammunitions and training for groups such as ONLF and OLF promoting their terror infested undertakings. The US and UK are yet to announce these groups as terrorist organisations.
So far Ethiopia’s call for the international community about Eritrea’s actions has largely fallen into deaf ears. There are some sinister assumptions which belie such inertia. Some governments and their so called think thanks consciously promoted the view that after all Eritrea is the victim of Ethiopia’s unwillingness to accept the ruling of Eritrea Ethiopia boundary Commission. This is in fact one massive white lie. Ethiopia has continued to make its announcements that it accepts the decision without any condition. Equally important is also the fact that even the UN Secretary General, in his latest report, has elaborated how Eritrea irreparably damaged and violated the TSZ which was established as a buffer zone between the two countries following the 1998-2000 war which Eritrea has spectacularly lost.
Eritrea’s adventure in Somalia has so far been an embarrassing state of affairs for the international community which wanted to support the TFG. The new government there is being challenged by the daily barrage of attacks by those who are generously sponsored by Eritrea. No one warned Eritrea. The impoverished small state of Eritrea has even declared its plan of calling a conference in September with the aim of establishing a parallel government in Somalia. Eritrea is doing the unknown. For some this is a result of Eritrea’s lack of skill in how to use diplomacy as a tool of promoting its interests. For others it is a height of maximum nervousness. However, there is a darker element to Eritrea’s design. This is a country that has done in the Sudan and even in Darfur what it has now done in Somalia. The reaction of the international community to Eritrea’s involvement in the Sudan never ending crisis was baffling. It continued to invite Eritrea in the high tables regarding the Sudan. We all remember how officials of the EU in Brussels, often immeasurably crude in their diplomacy, declared the president of Eritrea as an important peace maker in the region. Presient Issayas has always been the Horn’s pacemaker for all its woes. He was a good student of how the world is emerging and wanted to copy his moves in the Sudan to Somalia.
US’s threat of measure may never materialize. But it speaks mightily to the view that Eritrea’s unruly character is being checked. It has also brought to an end Eritrea’s game of playing the victim. So many things follow in US designation of terrorism. It makes it illegal for the US and other companies to sell arms. It forces the US Government to axe or terminate economic assistance even through the IMF and World Bank.
So much depends on how Eritrea conducts itself both in the short term and long term. Especially we need to see if it continues to supply arms to Somali terrorist and insurgents, which often happen while the American intelligence community is looking. The US will also focus whether the September meeting in Asmara will take place. But we know very well that Eritrea will publish one of those pitiful and infamous editorials in the website of its Ministry of Information castigating the US. This is very consistent with Eritrea’s patter of behaviour. The Eritrean government always believes that Eritrea’s future is in the hands of its mighty leader who had defined its independence against all odds. Eritrea establishment always believed that it had defeated the USSR in the Eritrean soil during the fight for independence. Another super-power is yet to beat.
In the grand scheme of things, Eritrea will probably play the ball carefully and may even use this to its advantage. The economically pressed regime continues to use its anti-American sentiment to rally support from its Middle East allies. In the global battle against terrorism and fundamental Islam, Eritrea is hesitantly slipping away while its population looks on unaware of what is happening. That should be a concern to all even while small victories are being won.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Ethio-Yemen bilateral ties said furthered
Addis Ababa, August 16, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - The economic and trade ties between Ethiopia and Yemen has contributed a lot in further stepping up the ever-increasing diplomatic and political relations between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said .
Asia, Australia and the Middle East Directorate with the Ministry, Ambassador Mehadi Ahmed Gedid told Ethiopian News Agency that the countries are enjoying an age old political, social, cultural and economic ties that goes back to Axumite period.
The trade volume among the two countries has reached over 37 USD.
Ambassador Mehadi said Ethiopia has earned 26 million USD from its products exported to Yemen last year.
Various agreements in trade, investment, agriculture, mineral, tourism, transport and security, among others, were signed and being implemented by the two countries.
The two nations have further strengthened their relations by establishing the Ethio-Yemen Joint Commission in April 1999, Ambassador Mehadi recalled.
Head of Foreign Trade Relations Department with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Geremwe Ayalew also said the trade and investment relations between Ethiopia and Yemen have been growing from time to time.
Ethiopia exports meat, spices, natural gum and other agricultural products to Yemen and it imports various manufactured food and sanitation materials from Yemen.
The volume of products Ethiopia exported to Yemen over the past seven years has shown a 31 percent increase.
Some 134 licensed Yemeni investors are now operating in Ethiopia in various sectors, the head said.
The 4th Ethio-Yemen Joint Ministerial Meeting is expected to convene on August 20, 2007 in Addis Ababa
Asia, Australia and the Middle East Directorate with the Ministry, Ambassador Mehadi Ahmed Gedid told Ethiopian News Agency that the countries are enjoying an age old political, social, cultural and economic ties that goes back to Axumite period.
The trade volume among the two countries has reached over 37 USD.
Ambassador Mehadi said Ethiopia has earned 26 million USD from its products exported to Yemen last year.
Various agreements in trade, investment, agriculture, mineral, tourism, transport and security, among others, were signed and being implemented by the two countries.
The two nations have further strengthened their relations by establishing the Ethio-Yemen Joint Commission in April 1999, Ambassador Mehadi recalled.
Head of Foreign Trade Relations Department with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Geremwe Ayalew also said the trade and investment relations between Ethiopia and Yemen have been growing from time to time.
Ethiopia exports meat, spices, natural gum and other agricultural products to Yemen and it imports various manufactured food and sanitation materials from Yemen.
The volume of products Ethiopia exported to Yemen over the past seven years has shown a 31 percent increase.
Some 134 licensed Yemeni investors are now operating in Ethiopia in various sectors, the head said.
The 4th Ethio-Yemen Joint Ministerial Meeting is expected to convene on August 20, 2007 in Addis Ababa
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Ethiopia to market natural low caffeine coffee
15 Reuters 2007
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia plans to start commercial production of a coffee variety with naturally low caffeine that was found growing in the wild, the agricultural minister said on Wednesday.
Decaffeinated coffee accounts for 10 percent of total coffee sales in the world, a multibillion-dollar industry. Natural decaf brews could dominate over the current chemically caffeine-reduced options in today's health-conscious market.
“Coffee research centres are in the process of planting seedlings of natural coffee with low caffeine varieties, to enable Ethiopia to supply the world market within the shortest possible time,” said Abera Deressa, State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In July 2004, a Brazilian scientist, Paulo Mazzafera declared he had discovered a variety of naturally decaffeinated coffee from 6,000 specimens collected in Ethiopia in the 1980s.
The find sparked a dispute with Ethiopian authorities who accused him of taking the bushes without permission.
The Horn of Africa country prides itself as the origin of coffee, said to have originated in the Kafa region, a misty forested highland region in the south west. The nation is also the continent's biggest producer and consumer of the bean.
The decaf coffee could prove a hit with coffee lovers who enjoy the rich aroma and taste but not the caffeine, and generate much-needed income for poor Ethiopian farmers, economists say.
Abera, who spoke at a coffee research conference, also urged researchers to seek coffee varieties with higher yields.
“Although Ethiopia is home to arabica coffee with high generic diversity, the national average yield has not exceeded five to six quintals per hectare, which is lower than in other coffee producing countries,” he said.
He attributed the low yield to poor management and lack of initiative owing to low and fluctuating world coffee prices.
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia plans to start commercial production of a coffee variety with naturally low caffeine that was found growing in the wild, the agricultural minister said on Wednesday.
Decaffeinated coffee accounts for 10 percent of total coffee sales in the world, a multibillion-dollar industry. Natural decaf brews could dominate over the current chemically caffeine-reduced options in today's health-conscious market.
“Coffee research centres are in the process of planting seedlings of natural coffee with low caffeine varieties, to enable Ethiopia to supply the world market within the shortest possible time,” said Abera Deressa, State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In July 2004, a Brazilian scientist, Paulo Mazzafera declared he had discovered a variety of naturally decaffeinated coffee from 6,000 specimens collected in Ethiopia in the 1980s.
The find sparked a dispute with Ethiopian authorities who accused him of taking the bushes without permission.
The Horn of Africa country prides itself as the origin of coffee, said to have originated in the Kafa region, a misty forested highland region in the south west. The nation is also the continent's biggest producer and consumer of the bean.
The decaf coffee could prove a hit with coffee lovers who enjoy the rich aroma and taste but not the caffeine, and generate much-needed income for poor Ethiopian farmers, economists say.
Abera, who spoke at a coffee research conference, also urged researchers to seek coffee varieties with higher yields.
“Although Ethiopia is home to arabica coffee with high generic diversity, the national average yield has not exceeded five to six quintals per hectare, which is lower than in other coffee producing countries,” he said.
He attributed the low yield to poor management and lack of initiative owing to low and fluctuating world coffee prices.
Uganda: Country to Send More Troops to Somalia
New Vision (Kampala) NEWS15 August 2007 Posted to the web 16 August 2007 By Joyce NamutebiKampala
UGANDA is to send an additional 250 soldiers to Mogadishu to train Somali soldiers, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, said yesterday.
"We are in high preparations to send a team of about 250 to undertake the training of Somalis," Aronda told the parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs.
Responding to questions raised by MPs, he said helping Somalia create the capacity of its armed forces was part of the African Union mandate.
In addition, the peacekeeping force is charged with protecting the Transitional Federal Government and helping distribute relief supplies to the population.
The additional troops leave within a month, defence minister Crispus Kiyonga added later. He said the training might be for one year.
The UPDF mandate in Somalia was extended on July 19 for another six months, the committee, chaired by Nakaseke district MP, Rosemary Namayanja (NRM), heard.
The army boss said the Ugandan contingent had limited itself to protecting the Transitional Federal Government, the president, the prime minister and critical institutions such as the airport and the seaport.
Asked if the AU had secured money for the six additional months, the Joint Chief of Staff, Robert Rusoke, said: "The donors have committed themselves for another six months as they prepare for the UN to take over the mission."
On the allowances of the present Ugandan contingent of 1,500 soldiers, Kiyonga said the money had been slow in coming.
"The soldiers have been paid for two months. We expect that by early next month, they will be paid the balance of three months," he added.
Five Ugandans have been killed in the violence in the lawless Somali capital.
Six months after the arrival of the peacekeepers, consisting of only Ugandans, Mogadishu still remains one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Yesterday, a remote-controlled landmine blew up a government vehicle, killing at least five police officers and wounding three others, according to Reuters.
The blast near a hospital in north Mogadishu - a stronghold of Islamists waging war against the Ethiopian-backed interim government - destroyed an armoured vehicle as it transported officers on duty.
The government usually blames such attacks on Islamist insurgents, who it says are increasingly using Iraq-style remote-controlled bombs to kill government officials and destroy vehicles and buildings.
Hundreds have been killed by mortar and rocket attacks and fire fights in Mogadishu since Somalia's government ousted Islamist fighters in December, sparking an insurgency that has forced hundreds of thousands to flee.
The latest attack on the police officers came a day after heavy fighting between Ethiopian troops and insurgents in Mogadishu killed at least 31 Somalis and wounded 60, according to a local human rights group.
In a separate attack yesterday, an unknown assailant lobbed a grenade at soldiers in a town 30km west of Mogadishu, killing two people and wounding 16.
"Two grenades were thrown at local council soldiers patrolling the livestock market. One soldier and a civilian died. They wounded 16 civilians," shopkeeper Said Nur told Reuters.
A national reconciliation conference started almost a month ago, assembling hundreds of clan leaders, but the Islamic Courts, the main armed opposition group, have refused to attend, demanding the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops first.
UGANDA is to send an additional 250 soldiers to Mogadishu to train Somali soldiers, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, said yesterday.
"We are in high preparations to send a team of about 250 to undertake the training of Somalis," Aronda told the parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs.
Responding to questions raised by MPs, he said helping Somalia create the capacity of its armed forces was part of the African Union mandate.
In addition, the peacekeeping force is charged with protecting the Transitional Federal Government and helping distribute relief supplies to the population.
The additional troops leave within a month, defence minister Crispus Kiyonga added later. He said the training might be for one year.
The UPDF mandate in Somalia was extended on July 19 for another six months, the committee, chaired by Nakaseke district MP, Rosemary Namayanja (NRM), heard.
The army boss said the Ugandan contingent had limited itself to protecting the Transitional Federal Government, the president, the prime minister and critical institutions such as the airport and the seaport.
Asked if the AU had secured money for the six additional months, the Joint Chief of Staff, Robert Rusoke, said: "The donors have committed themselves for another six months as they prepare for the UN to take over the mission."
On the allowances of the present Ugandan contingent of 1,500 soldiers, Kiyonga said the money had been slow in coming.
"The soldiers have been paid for two months. We expect that by early next month, they will be paid the balance of three months," he added.
Five Ugandans have been killed in the violence in the lawless Somali capital.
Six months after the arrival of the peacekeepers, consisting of only Ugandans, Mogadishu still remains one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Yesterday, a remote-controlled landmine blew up a government vehicle, killing at least five police officers and wounding three others, according to Reuters.
The blast near a hospital in north Mogadishu - a stronghold of Islamists waging war against the Ethiopian-backed interim government - destroyed an armoured vehicle as it transported officers on duty.
The government usually blames such attacks on Islamist insurgents, who it says are increasingly using Iraq-style remote-controlled bombs to kill government officials and destroy vehicles and buildings.
Hundreds have been killed by mortar and rocket attacks and fire fights in Mogadishu since Somalia's government ousted Islamist fighters in December, sparking an insurgency that has forced hundreds of thousands to flee.
The latest attack on the police officers came a day after heavy fighting between Ethiopian troops and insurgents in Mogadishu killed at least 31 Somalis and wounded 60, according to a local human rights group.
In a separate attack yesterday, an unknown assailant lobbed a grenade at soldiers in a town 30km west of Mogadishu, killing two people and wounding 16.
"Two grenades were thrown at local council soldiers patrolling the livestock market. One soldier and a civilian died. They wounded 16 civilians," shopkeeper Said Nur told Reuters.
A national reconciliation conference started almost a month ago, assembling hundreds of clan leaders, but the Islamic Courts, the main armed opposition group, have refused to attend, demanding the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops first.
Iranian Unit to Be Labeled 'Terrorist'
By Robin WrightWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, August 15, 2007; A01
The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances.
The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.
The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identify individuals, businesses, charities and extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization.
The order allows the United States to block the assets of terrorists and to disrupt operations by foreign businesses that "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists."
The move reflects escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over issues including Iraq and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran has been on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1984, but in May the two countries began their first formal one-on-one dialogue in 28 years with a meeting of diplomats in Baghdad.
The main goal of the new designation is to clamp down on the Revolutionary Guard's vast business network, as well as on foreign companies conducting business linked to the military unit and its personnel. The administration plans to list many of the Revolutionary Guard's financial operations.
"Anyone doing business with these people will have to reevaluate their actions immediately," said a U.S. official familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced. "It increases the risks of people who have until now ignored the growing list of sanctions against the Iranians. It makes clear to everyone who the IRGC and their related businesses really are. It removes the excuses for doing business with these people."
For weeks, the Bush administration has been debating whether to target the Revolutionary Guard Corps in full, or only its Quds Force wing, which U.S. officials have linked to the growing flow of explosives, roadside bombs, rockets and other arms to Shiite militias in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Quds Force also lends support to Shiite allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and to Sunni movements such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Although administration discussions continue, the initial decision is to target the entire Guard Corps, U.S. officials said. The administration has not yet decided when to announce the new measure, but officials said they would prefer to do so before the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly next month, when the United States intends to increase international pressure against Iran.
Formed in 1979 and originally tasked with protecting the world's only modern theocracy, the Revolutionary Guard took the lead in battling Iraq during the bloody Iran-Iraq war waged from 1980 to 1988. The Guard, also known as the Pasdaran, has since become a powerful political and economic force in Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rose through the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard and came to power with support from its network of veterans. Its leaders are linked to many mainstream businesses in Iran.
"They are heavily involved in everything from pharmaceuticals to telecommunications and pipelines -- even the new Imam Khomeini Airport and a great deal of smuggling," said Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations. "Many of the front companies engaged in procuring nuclear technology are owned and run by the Revolutionary Guards. They're developing along the lines of the Chinese military, which is involved in many business enterprises. It's a huge business conglomeration."
The Revolutionary Guard Corps -- with its own navy, air force, ground forces and special forces units -- is a rival to Iran's conventional troops. Its naval forces abducted 15 British sailors and marines this spring, sparking an international crisis, and its special forces armed Lebanon's Hezbollah with missiles used against Israel in the 2006 war. The corps also plays a key role in Iran's military industries, including the attempted acquisition of nuclear weapons and surface-to-surface missiles, according to Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The United States took punitive action against Iran after the November 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, including the breaking of diplomatic ties and the freezing of Iranian assets in the United States. More recently, dozens of international banks and financial institutions reduced or eliminated their business with Iran after a quiet campaign by the Treasury Department and State Department aimed at limiting Tehran's access to the international financial system. Over the past year, two U.N. resolutions have targeted the assets and movements of 28 people -- including some Revolutionary Guard members -- linked to Iran's nuclear program.
The key obstacle to stronger international pressure against Tehran has been China, Iran's largest trading partner. After the Iranian government refused to comply with two U.N. Security Council resolutions dealing with its nuclear program, Beijing balked at a U.S. proposal for a resolution that would have sanctioned the Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said.
China's actions reverse a cycle during which Russia was the most reluctant among the veto-wielding members of the Security Council. "China used to hide behind Russia, but Russia is now hiding behind China," said a U.S. official familiar with negotiations.
The administration's move comes amid growing support in Congress for the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and in the House by Tom Lantos (D-Calif.). The bill already has the support of 323 House members.
The administration's move could hurt diplomatic efforts, some analysts said. "It would greatly complicate our efforts to solve the nuclear issue," said Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Center for American Progress. "It would tie an end to Iran's nuclear program to an end to its support of allies in Hezbollah and Hamas. The only way you could get a nuclear deal is as part of a grand bargain, which at this point is completely out of reach."
Such sanctions can work only alongside diplomatic efforts, Cirincione added.
"Sanctions can serve as a prod, but they have very rarely forced a country to capitulate or collapse," he said. "All of us want to back Iran into a corner, but we want to give them a way out, too. [The designation] will convince many in Iran's elite that there's no point in talking with us and that the only thing that will satisfy us is regime change."
Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.
The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances.
The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.
The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identify individuals, businesses, charities and extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization.
The order allows the United States to block the assets of terrorists and to disrupt operations by foreign businesses that "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists."
The move reflects escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over issues including Iraq and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran has been on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1984, but in May the two countries began their first formal one-on-one dialogue in 28 years with a meeting of diplomats in Baghdad.
The main goal of the new designation is to clamp down on the Revolutionary Guard's vast business network, as well as on foreign companies conducting business linked to the military unit and its personnel. The administration plans to list many of the Revolutionary Guard's financial operations.
"Anyone doing business with these people will have to reevaluate their actions immediately," said a U.S. official familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced. "It increases the risks of people who have until now ignored the growing list of sanctions against the Iranians. It makes clear to everyone who the IRGC and their related businesses really are. It removes the excuses for doing business with these people."
For weeks, the Bush administration has been debating whether to target the Revolutionary Guard Corps in full, or only its Quds Force wing, which U.S. officials have linked to the growing flow of explosives, roadside bombs, rockets and other arms to Shiite militias in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Quds Force also lends support to Shiite allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and to Sunni movements such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Although administration discussions continue, the initial decision is to target the entire Guard Corps, U.S. officials said. The administration has not yet decided when to announce the new measure, but officials said they would prefer to do so before the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly next month, when the United States intends to increase international pressure against Iran.
Formed in 1979 and originally tasked with protecting the world's only modern theocracy, the Revolutionary Guard took the lead in battling Iraq during the bloody Iran-Iraq war waged from 1980 to 1988. The Guard, also known as the Pasdaran, has since become a powerful political and economic force in Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rose through the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard and came to power with support from its network of veterans. Its leaders are linked to many mainstream businesses in Iran.
"They are heavily involved in everything from pharmaceuticals to telecommunications and pipelines -- even the new Imam Khomeini Airport and a great deal of smuggling," said Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations. "Many of the front companies engaged in procuring nuclear technology are owned and run by the Revolutionary Guards. They're developing along the lines of the Chinese military, which is involved in many business enterprises. It's a huge business conglomeration."
The Revolutionary Guard Corps -- with its own navy, air force, ground forces and special forces units -- is a rival to Iran's conventional troops. Its naval forces abducted 15 British sailors and marines this spring, sparking an international crisis, and its special forces armed Lebanon's Hezbollah with missiles used against Israel in the 2006 war. The corps also plays a key role in Iran's military industries, including the attempted acquisition of nuclear weapons and surface-to-surface missiles, according to Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The United States took punitive action against Iran after the November 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, including the breaking of diplomatic ties and the freezing of Iranian assets in the United States. More recently, dozens of international banks and financial institutions reduced or eliminated their business with Iran after a quiet campaign by the Treasury Department and State Department aimed at limiting Tehran's access to the international financial system. Over the past year, two U.N. resolutions have targeted the assets and movements of 28 people -- including some Revolutionary Guard members -- linked to Iran's nuclear program.
The key obstacle to stronger international pressure against Tehran has been China, Iran's largest trading partner. After the Iranian government refused to comply with two U.N. Security Council resolutions dealing with its nuclear program, Beijing balked at a U.S. proposal for a resolution that would have sanctioned the Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said.
China's actions reverse a cycle during which Russia was the most reluctant among the veto-wielding members of the Security Council. "China used to hide behind Russia, but Russia is now hiding behind China," said a U.S. official familiar with negotiations.
The administration's move comes amid growing support in Congress for the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and in the House by Tom Lantos (D-Calif.). The bill already has the support of 323 House members.
The administration's move could hurt diplomatic efforts, some analysts said. "It would greatly complicate our efforts to solve the nuclear issue," said Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Center for American Progress. "It would tie an end to Iran's nuclear program to an end to its support of allies in Hezbollah and Hamas. The only way you could get a nuclear deal is as part of a grand bargain, which at this point is completely out of reach."
Such sanctions can work only alongside diplomatic efforts, Cirincione added.
"Sanctions can serve as a prod, but they have very rarely forced a country to capitulate or collapse," he said. "All of us want to back Iran into a corner, but we want to give them a way out, too. [The designation] will convince many in Iran's elite that there's no point in talking with us and that the only thing that will satisfy us is regime change."
Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.
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