July 1, 2015 | Morning Headlines
Security Tightened In Kismaayo Amid Fears Of Attacks
30 June – Source: Radio Danaan- 164 Words
Security was tightened at the port city of Kismaayo, and authorities ordered security forces to be on “full alert” for attacks by the al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabab group in Somalia during the holy month of Ramadan. The development comes one day after Al-Shabab fighters attacked army barracks in the town, killing at least five soldiers. Al-Shabab usually steps up attacks during Ramadan, a month the group’s leaders believe would amplify their rewards from Allah.
Soldiers have been deployed across Kismayo, inspecting cars and frisking the pedestrians in and around the town to prevent more attacks by Al-Shabab.Kismaayo is currently under the control of Jubbaland forces backed by Kenyan defence forces who are parts of the African Union forces in Somalia. KDF invaded Somalia after spate of attacks and kidnappings, mostly on tourists of which it blamed for Al-Shabab. Al-Shabab has since denied the attacks, and carried out numerous attacks inside Kenya, killing hundreds.Al-Shabab lost hundreds of fighters to airstrikes by Kenyan forces as well
Key Headlines
- Federal Speaker Prof. Jawari Under Fire For Throwing His Weight Behind Galmudug State (Wacaal Media)
- Agricultural Official Gunned Down In Afgoye(Goobjoog News)
- Jubbaland And Puntland To Enhance Economic Integration (RBC Radio)
- Somali President Gives Briefings To The National Lawmakers (Radio Muqdisho)
- DPP Obtains Order Stopping Release Of Man In Terror Case (Daily Nation)
- President Greets Somalia On National Day (Zee News)
- Al-Shabaab Ramadan 2015 Threat: Militants Pledge To Kill ‘Non-Believers’ During Holy Month(International Business Times)
- Misguided Bank Lawsuits Deepen Remittance Crisis(American Banker)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Federal Speaker Prof. Jawari Under Fire For Throwing His Weight Behind Galmudug State
30 June – Source: Wacaal Media – 173 Words
The speaker of the Federal Parliament Prof. Osman Jawari has been asked to withdraw his support for the upcoming state of Galmudug or face mass protests. Speaking in Garowe, headquarters of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, Abdi Barre Yussuf, who is a Federal MP said that Jawari endorsement of Galmudug state was insult to the people of Puntland and gave the speaker an ultimatum to either apologize or face the wrath of the masses. Yussuf vowed to rally the masses behind his call should the Federal speaker not give in to his demands. The move came after Jawari spoke at the Adaado conference on Sunday saying he fully supported the initiative that seeks to form a regional state bringing together Mudug and Galgaduud regions. Yussuf said that residents of Western Mudug region would continue with their protests against the upcoming state and the Federal speaker. He accused Jawari of taking sides in the country’s politics saying that was the reason why he did not visit any settlement in Puntland since he came to office.
Agricultural Official Gunned Down In Afgoye
30 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 87 Words
A civil servant from the Federal Agricultural Ministry has been killed in Afogoye by unidentified assailants who escaped the scene immediately after committing the murder.The deceased Officer called Mohammad Gurfow was working as agricultural advisor at the Federal Agricultural Ministry.Somali Police and AMISOM are reported to have arrived the scene and started searches in nearby areas. No one has claimed the responsibility of the assault but Alshabab Amniyat branch is notorious of carrying out systematic spate of killings against Federal government officers in the district.
Jubbaland And Puntland To Enhance Economic Integration
30 June – Source: RBC Radio – 105 Words
Jubbaland and Puntland states are set to enhance economic ties, sources told Raxanreeb Online. The two states had being talks with the past couple of months over stepping up economic integration in a bid to enhance the slowly recovering economy of the war-torn Somalia.Daily flights connecting Garowe and Kismayo and Vice versa is expected to begin soon as two sides aim at increasing business relations. The two Somali Federal members states also expected to exchange expertise on governance to help improve quality.Puntland, North Eastern State in Somalia has taken significant role in building Jubbaland state which now celebrates its three years of anniversary.
Somali President Gives Briefings To The National Lawmakers
30 June – Source : Radio Muqdisho – 164 Words
President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sh. Mohamud has given briefings on the current situation of the country to the members of the Federal Parliament on their session at the house of people todayon Tuesday.The President spoke on Kenyan government’s plan to erect a wall at the border it has with Somalia, the maritime border dispute with Kenya and security situation in the country at moment.
President Hassan said, “Our government is strongly against Kenya’s wall construction at the border, we set ministerial level committee discussing this issue with Kenya and We don’t believe the separation wall could lead to a better security to our neighbor, but have a joint cooperation”.Speaking on the maritime border dispute, he said that they took that case on the Indian Ocean Sea to the United Nations’s top court last year.The president stated the security situation in the country is improving and national forces are protecting any plot attempt by Al-Shabab.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
DPP Obtains Order Stopping Release Of Man In Terror Case
30 June – Source: Daily Nation – 378 Words
The Director of Public Prosecutions on Tuesday obtained temporary orders against the acquittal of a man who had been charged with terrorism-related offences.Justice Martin Muya issued the orders stopping the release of Mr Isaak Noor Ibrahim, who was acquitted by a magistrate’s court.Mr Ibrahim had been charged together with Mr Abdiaziz Abdullahi Abdi, whom Principal Magistrate Justus Kituku put on his defence.
Senior Principal Prosecution Counsel Brian Ayodo argued before Justice Muya that unless the temporary orders were issued, their intended appeal against the acquittal of Mr Ibrahim would be rendered nugatory.“The prosecution has a right of appeal within 14 days against the ruling and therefore pray for an order of stay against the release of the respondent since we are apprehensive that he might leave the jurisdiction and flee to Somalia,” said Mr Ayodo. Mr Ayodo said given the public interest in the matter, the ruling by Mr Kituku was a major drawback to the fight against terrorism and had the potential to erode public confidence in criminal justice.“The ruling of the magistrate effectively renders any effort by the State to combat terrorism laughable and the same should not be allowed to stand,” said Mr Ayodo.
President Greets Somalia On National Day
30 June – Source:Zee News – 119 Words
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday greeted the government and people of Somalia on the eve of its National Day.In his message to Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Mukherjee said: “It gives me great pleasure to extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and to the people of the Republic of Somalia on the occasion of your National Day.” The president said: “India and Somalia enjoy warm and friendly relations. I am confident that Somalia will continue to make sustained progress towards peace, institution building and socio-economic development in the days to come. I look forward to working with you in strengthening and diversifying our bilateral co-operation to our mutual benefit.”
Al-Shabaab Ramadan 2015 Threat: Militants Pledge To Kill ‘Non-Believers’ During Holy Month
30 June – Source: International Business Times – 306 Words
Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based jihadi terrorist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, threatened to attack “non-believers” in Kenya during Ramadan, continuing what has become an annual offensive during the Islamic holy month. Amid constant clashes between Somali forces and al-Shabaab, jihadist leaders have continued to push for greater violence against non-Muslims, echoing earlier rhetoric from the Islamic State group.”We are planning to give Kenyan non-believers a true taste of Jihad [the holy war] in the next few days and weeks,” a senior al-Shabaab commander said according to Christian Post, adding that they will keep “targeting and destroying Kenya’s education sector and business sector.”
Kenya has been under attack by Al-Shabaab since 2011 after Kenyam troops entered Somalia to fight the terrorist group, reports the Nigerian Vanguard. In April, Al-Shabaab attacked Garissa University College in Kenya and killed 152 people, sparking international outrage. Al-Shabaab’s attacks have come during an international surge of jihadist attacks during Ramadan as terrorist groups have appropriated the holy month for military jihad. On the first day of Ramadan on June 17, the United Arab Emirates ambassador survived a suicide car bomb by Al-Shabaab on his convoy in Mogadishu, which killed at twelve people according to Al Jazeera. Earlier this month an ISIS spokesman said “Aspire to battle in this noble month … make Ramadan a month of disasters for the unbelievers,” according to the Atlantic.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Ironically, the law that plaintiffs have been citing to sue banks was intended to be used only against actual terrorists. Since its enactment in 1990, the Anti-Terrorism Act has evolved from a means of punishing terrorists and terrorist groups into a vehicle that punishes banks within and outside the U.S. with large civil judgments.
The Anti-Terrorism Act defined the “intentional terrorism” which it was designed to punish as “violent acts or acts dangerous to human life.” This definition does not and should not apply to banking services. However, due to the judicial overreach of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in the Boim v. Holy Land Foundation case, decided in 2008, banks are now “on the hook” if they participate, knowingly or not, in transactions that benefit parties found to be terrorists.”
Misguided Bank Lawsuits Deepen Remittance Crisis
30 June- Source :American Banker – 688 Words
Banks have been dealing with stringent anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules for more than a decade. These regulations have heavily impacted people in countries like Somalia, where many family members of U.S. immigrants rely remittances to pay for food, housing and other essentials. On June 22, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, led by the mayors of Minneapolis and Seattle, called on the government to relent in its overly aggressive enforcement of AML rules. Seattle mayor Ed Murray argued, “Like many immigrants, Somali-American families want to send financial support to their loved ones back home … the federal government must find a path to allow these remittances to continue.”
The pleas of Mayor Murray and his colleagues may find support in the Departments of Treasury and State. Indeed, Murray urged Secretary of State John Kerry to resolve this issue last month. However, even if the U.S. government eases its enforcement against banks processing wire transfers to developing countries, banks may remain reluctant to continue or restart these banking services. The plaintiffs’ bar, supported by the courts, has sued so many banks under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1990 that many banks may feel it is not financially worth it to provide services to these needy communities. Should U.S. regulators moderate their approach towards fund transfers to risky regions, banks would still face an increasingly aggressive U.S. plaintiffs’ bar that tries to blame banks for any transfers that directly or indirectly reach any organization linked to terrorism. The problem is that it is simply not possible or reasonable for a U.S.-based bank to take on the role of investigating terrorism cells in locations like Somalia, Syria or the Palestinian territories. If banks are going to be sued for failing to spot terrorist cells faster than national intelligence agencies, the response for most banks will be to pull out of troubled regions.