Sharia imposed at Somali MPs base

[Abu_Salamah]

Islamist rebels have declared sharia law in Baidoa, a day after seizing the central Somali city, a stronghold of the country's transitional government.

Al-Shabab militants took over hours after Ethiopian troops pulled out.
The African Union said Ethiopia may send troops back into Somalia if the Islamist fighters grow too powerful.

Somali lawmakers, in neighbouring Djibouti due to the insecurity at home, meanwhile extended by five days the time needed to elect a new president.

Sheikh Muktar Robow Mansoor, of al-Shabab, told a rally in Baidoa on Tuesday how the movement, which means The Youth, intended to govern.

'Fight anyone'
"We are informing all Somalis we want to rule with justice, and the almighty Allah's sharia law," he said.

"We are informing Somalis we will not accept any man-made constitution. We will not accept it. We shall fight with anyone who opposes it."

On Monday, al-Shabab took over the airport, parliament building and president's home in Baidoa.

They moved in as the last Ethiopian troops pulled out, two years after intervening in an effort to stamp out the Islamist insurgents.

The BBC's Yusuf Hassan, in Djibouti, says it is not clear if the Somali lawmakers will be able to return to their base in Baidoa.

The African Union's top diplomat, Jean Ping, said events in the city would have little impact on the political process, adding that Ethiopian troops might return to Somalia.

"The Ethiopians told us that they are going to secure that border," he said. "They are going back and to secure the borders."

On Tuesday, MPs agreed to delay by five days an MPs' vote to choose the next president.

The deadline for picking a successor to Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who quit last month, was to expire on Wednesday.

Somali legislators have already expanded parliament to bring in some 200 moderate Islamists, as part of a UN-backed peace process.

But the al-Shabab, which is on Washington's list of terrorist groups, has refused to take part in the peace talks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7854527.stm

[Abu Sabaya]

But the al-Shabab, which is on Washington's list of terrorist groups

The irony of it all...America knocks out the Islamic Courts - who wanted to be friends - only to end up ushering in an official 'terrorist organization' to rule the country in its place.

Someone in the Department of Defense is probably smacking himself on the forehead right now.

I wonder what they will try to do about this, considering that their Ethiopian lackeys are still licking their wounds and won't touch Somalia with a ten foot pole.

[Abu Khuzaymah]

Robert Gates (also served under Bush) also said the policy remained that the US would "go after al-Qaeda wherever al-Qaeda is".

[Traveler]

Al Qaeda is everywhere. Al Qaeda is you, me and every Muslim in the whole world. They are out to get every single Muslim. Don't believe it? Well, you'll know from those who are imprisoned. It could be you next. Either convert to Sufism/secularism, or be wiped out. The more they try, the more closer the time comes for Imam Mehdi, and the sequence that follows, bi-idhnillah.

La Hawla wa laa Quwwata Illah Billah!

[Naseer08]

The irony of it all...America knocks out the Islamic Courts - who wanted to be friends - only to end up ushering in an official 'terrorist organization' to rule the country in its place.

Someone in the Department of Defense is probably smacking himself on the forehead right now.

I wonder what they will try to do about this, considering that their Ethiopian lackeys are still licking their wounds and won't touch Somalia with a ten foot pole.

My thoughts exactly.

I've heard members of Congress say what really concerns them most is that Somalia is only a 5 minute boat ride from Yemen.

The US took actions to overthrow the Islamic Courts who only wanted to be left alone and rule their country. Only for them to be replaced by a more militant group with an expansionist agenda and ambitions that are best stated by their leader ""We will establish Islamic rule from Alaska and Chile to South Africa, Japan, Russia, the Solomon Islands and all the way to Iceland, be warned, we are coming.""

US foreign policy at its best what more can I say!

[Abul Hasan]

May Allah strengthen ash-Shabaab with more victories over the kufaar and their apostate lackeys, and make them amongst the best of the Mujahideen. After the pain of Gaza, the news that's coming from Somalia is some of the best to heal our hearts and soothe our anger.

Alhamdulillah, wa laa ilaha illalaah.

Somalia now, the world next, inshallah.