In all the media brouhaha about Somalia, I haven't seen a single word anywhere alluding to--let alone actually mentioning--the existence of the country called Somaliland. That implies they must be doing really well up there, doesn't it?
Shane Mage "Thunderbolt steers all things...It consents and does not consent to be called Zeus." Herakleitos of Ephesos
I've been digging into the Somali situation a bit. Here's another item of interest beside the CIA funding warlords against the Islamic Court insurgency. It appears the Australians are doing some funding of their own. Australian firm funding private militia in Somalia By News Report May 13, 2006, 01:00 Note: Range Resources Limited is an exploration based company currently focused on oil, gas and most minerals with it's principal areas of interest in Puntland ... http://www.rangeresources.com.au/copyright.cfm GAROWE, Somalia - The Puntland State government is actively recruiting militias for a "special unit" with questionable agendas. Hundreds of militias are being camped, armed and trained in a former Somali military base near Qardho, the capital city of Karkar region of Puntland. According to reliable informants, the objective of this "special unit" is to provide private security for a foreign company that signed a controversial natural resource exploration deal with the Puntland administration last year. The "special unit" militias will come directly under the Office of the Presidency and are independent of both the Puntland police and Darawish (Frontier) military forces. Range Resources, Ltd. <, the Australian company that signed the controversial "Puntland Agreement" in 2005, is reportedly funding this "special unit." Range wants its scientists and researchers protected as they engage in their duties of collecting data and advancing to the production phase. Range teams, shepherded by Puntland security forces, met heavy armed resistance from local populations in Majihaan and Qandala districts of Puntland in March. The administration of Puntland president Mohamud "Adde" Muse has been actively building this private security force for a while, especially since the Administration's policy of forceful mineral exploration was defied by Puntland police and Darawish forces who didn't want to see Puntland citizens murdered for money. Since the onset of the Majihaan conflict, in which tens of people lost their lives, local clans and sub-clans in Puntland have began arming themselves in preparation for an eventual violent confrontation with a Puntland leadership that seems intent that the use of violent force will quell resistance to its unpopular, unilateral policies. http://www.garoweonline.com/2004pro/index.php?id=3538
