In December of 2006 Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, currently only-in-name president of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, was on the run from the Ethiopian army, the CIA, and the U.S. Rangers. He was hiding in the muddy swamps of Ras Kamboni at the southernmost tip of Somalia, recently kicked out from Moqadisho by Ethiopia. He and his Islamic Union Courts were considered to be terrorist by the Bush Administration and were hunted down by the U.S. and its allies. How time changes!
This week Sheikh Sharif is in Minneapolis, MN (and the home of this crazy congresswoman) meeting with Congressmen, Governor, and city councilmen/mayor. Couple of months ago he had a meeting with Secretary Clinton in Nairobi during her Africa trip. From terrorist to president for Sheikh Sharif in just two years. That, friends, must be a first.
To me this says a lot about the U.S.’s awful foreign policy than anything else.
The East African Philosopher 
It sure is an interesting transition. I heard that a lot people were invited to go and meet with him in Washington I think. Do you know anything about that?
Oh really? I haven’t heard anything about that; not that I would remotely be interested in going there. International politics is indeed strange these days…
Yes they did. I just watched an interview with him yesterday on Aljazeera English by Riz Khan and they talked about how he met with Somali people from around the United States. He also said that Somalia’s future is on the hand of those on “Diaspora” and he encourage you to to send Aid.
That’s quite interesting to say the least. Too bad I’m in need of aid myself.
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What is your solution for Somalia bro? The Sharif of 2006 was correct and the Sharif of today is also correct. There is no contradiction in this. In 2006, Sharif battled warlords who held Somalia hostage and today he is fighting against anarchists who want to liberate “Alaska, Japan and the Solomon Islands.” There is no decent way of saying that Sharif or any sensible person should choose the Shababists. Their agenda is an Arab agenda and their continuous burning of the Somali flag should give you an idea.
About “Minnesota’s crazy congresswoman” no Sharif didn’t meet with her. Most Somalis live outside the district she represents and the Congressmen and women who came were mostly DFLers.
There is no reason to believe on Wednesday same thing we believed on Monday, no matter what happened on Monday.
America and the civilized world have a right of making sure the Al Qaida ideology doesn’t take form in failed states, because Afghanistan have shown us the reach and aims of these anarchists san borders. There is no reason to cling onto conspiracy theories and deny the reality Somalia and the world face
I think Mr. Sharif should go back to doing what he is good at; that is, grassroot organizing (militarily and socially) to counter the Shababist movement. He should get out of Xamar and stop spending so much time traveling around the world. The Shababist have been successful because they never abandoned their original Union of Islamic Courts’ strategy (super extreme this time, obviously), whereas Sheikh Sharif just replaced Abdullahi Yusuf in name.
EP, you didn’t notice my sarcastic tone about that crazy congresswoman? It strikes me as very ironic that the Sheikh Sharif terrorist of few years ago is hanging out the home state of this insane woman.
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