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Another connection surfaces between Iran and Somalia's jihadists. By David Blair for the Telegraph:
Iran tried to obtain uranium from Somalia in return for supplying weapons to the anarchic country's Islamist movement, the United Nations said yesterday.
A report compiled for the Security Council found that Iran is one of seven countries breaking a UN arms embargo by providing weapons to the Islamic radicals who control most of southern Somalia, including the capital, Mogadishu.
This influx of weapons increases the chances of a new regional war in the Horn of Africa. It also underlines the close ties which Somalia's Islamists, who style themselves the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts, have forged with radical regimes across the Muslim world, notably Syria and Iran.
[...]
The flow of weapons into Somalia has "dramatically increased in terms of numbers of arms, frequency of delivery and weapons' sophistication", reads the 86-page report.
While most of the shipments consist of small arms, it adds: "Ominously, new and more sophisticated types of weapons are also coming into Somalia including portable surface-to-air missiles, multiple rocket launchers and second generation, infrared-guided anti-tank weapons."
Three illegal shipments from Teheran are detailed. On July 25, an aircraft carrying Iranian arms landed at Baledogle airport near Mogadishu. This consignment included 1,000 machineguns, 45 surface-to-air missiles, M-79 rocket launchers and land mines.
After its arrival, the UN says that Iran promised the Islamists further weapons, but only in return for uranium, presumably for use in Teheran's nuclear programme.
Two Iranians were sent to the Somali town of Dhusa Mareb to negotiate this deal. "At the time of the writing, there were two Iranians in Dhusa Mareb engaged in matters linked to uranium in exchange for arms," it said.
Somalia's recoverable uranium deposits, totalling about 6,600 tonnes, are among the smallest in Africa, but the country collapsed into anarchy 15 years ago when its central government was destroyed. The Islamists, who captured Mogadishu from a coalition of secular warlords in June, are now believed to control the area where uranium is present.
Teheran appears to have sought the right to exploit these deposits, which could be shipped to Iran through Mogadishu's large port.
Six other countries have aided the Islamists. Iran's main ally, Syria, trained 200 Somali fighters in guerrilla warfare. Libya provided £600,000 for training and salaries. Other support came from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.
But most of the weapons have come from Eritrea ... [which] hopes to place pressure on its larger neighbour by building Somalia's Islamists into a major regional power and ally. Accordingly, it has sent about 2,500 troops into Somalia.
All this breaches a UN embargo placed on Somalia. The report was compiled by four experts charged with monitoring breaches of this embargo. Their conclusion is that the flow of weapons favours the Islamists and has succeeded in turning them into the "most powerful force in Somalia".
Posted by Marisol at November 16, 2006 7:25 AM
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I think Iran should complain to the UN about Iran spreading weapons all over the place. Maybe the UN will be amused about Iran being even more loony than usual.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 16, 2006 7:56 AM
Why can't the UN just exclude Iran? Obviously, Iran isn't responsible enough for eligible membership in the UN.
Posted by: EliasAlucard at November 16, 2006 7:59 AM
Why does the UN bother setting embargos? The people they are worried about are the ones that pay them absolutely NO attention. If you want to set embargos, fine, but have the guts & teeth to back it up!! Old kindergarten lesson - "Put up or shut up."
Posted by: Cait at November 16, 2006 8:11 AM
Note to West: send aid to Ethiopia already. Arm them to the teeth. Quit wasting time aiding the palestinian losers already because now they want your blood too.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at November 16, 2006 8:15 AM
have you noticed every country where islam has been used is nothing but a corrupt country, where every human rights is non existent. iran needs to be ejected now, and if the UN does nothing as usual, it will be armed to the teeth with nuclear bombs headed by a madman.
Posted by: ZenaWarriorPrincess at November 16, 2006 8:25 AM
"have you noticed every country where islam has been used is nothing but a corrupt country"
Yup. With very few exceptions only basket case losers are Islamic. The day an Islamic country leaves the third world and becomes a first world country is the day I'll convert.
Guess I won't be buying a Koran anytime soon.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at November 16, 2006 8:31 AM
Time for a good ole fashion Cowboy round-up!
Instead of cattle, it's members of "the sect of hate." Time to install a global "Islam Free Zone"
Expel Muslims from non-native lands and shun them in and from the Free and Open society. They can't grasp "Love thy neighbor."
Corral this hatred before it expands.
Nuf said
KnightHawk
at November 16, 2006 8:42 AM
No doubt Iran is the victim here. Somalia told them "give us weapons or else no uranium". Iran, as always, meekly complied.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at November 16, 2006 9:15 AM
Marisol, fine choice for a posting, keep up the good work.
Posted by: longtime lurker at November 16, 2006 11:31 AM
The Italian press, which is well informed - Italy is the former colonial power of Eritrea, Ethiopia and most of Somalia - states that Ethiopian troops are advancing and that tension is at an all-time high. The war is about to begin; and let us hope that the jihadis, who have so far only fought raggle-taggle warlord gangs, may find tanks and regular soldiers a swift and generous path to the 72 virgins.
Posted by: Paolo at November 16, 2006 12:39 PM
Iran in the present is the dirty asshole of the world which needs to be wiped clean by the toilet papers in hand.
Iran has a bad case of the imams and will continue to smell up the rest of the world and damage its plumbing until it gets the medicine it needs.
at November 16, 2006 12:43 PM
Well, I am so ashamed of our government and the supposed UN security council. Who are they protecting? How long do they plan to wait to stop Iran. The president of Iran is clearly unstable and I am not a US radical or anything but things have really got to change. With Iran being forced to make the unbelievable decision between selling weapons illegally to islamic radicals or recieving no more urainuim to be used for nuclear terror!! I can't believe this is really happening. And people are standing around with their hands in their pockets, scared to make the move first and risk being blamed for failure. Well I hope I speak for all of mankind when I say that the only failure would be failure to react. These people are not playing battleship. They are lunatics with a serious mindset and a following the grows enormously with every terrorist act that they commit and our people die and fighting in a land that never should have been an issue for us. Let Iraq deal with Iraq. It was not our threat! Iran, North Korea, Afghan., possibly Saudi Arabia. They look like real threats to me. Maybe I should be on the council. Atleast there would be more than bumbling and stumbling. Just giving us something to really download.
Posted by: Stopdamadness at November 16, 2006 12:55 PM
OT but I've got to know ...
Could some American poster please tell me what it means to go 'over the shark?
What does it mean and where does this term originate ?
It was used recently in a blog referring to a recent Simpsons episode disrespecting the US military - on Veterans Day , too - and I am lost as to what it means .
I'm British and therefore clueless !
Thank You in advance !
at November 16, 2006 5:38 PM
-WeatherPermitting,
While it is not advisable to trust Wikipedia for anything potentially controversial, I think it's safe to assume this entry might answer your question.
Posted by: Eisenhund at November 16, 2006 5:57 PM
Perhaps it is now time to bring forward the new resolution, calling for the U.N. to disband. Afterwards, the world can set a course, to where it would like to go.
Posted by: Islofob IS-1 at November 16, 2006 11:50 PM
Eisenhund ,
All is now clear . Thank You .
On this evidece , it is true that The Simpsons 'jumped the shark' a long time ago , particularly to me with Lisa's increasingly irritating vegetarian propaganda .
The show where she trashes Homer's barbecue gets my vote . The Veteran's day episode , then , is merely a symptom of the malaise that already existed , although a new low has certainly been dredged .
Thanks again .
at November 17, 2006 3:13 AM
Israel will be the first to receive the real fruits of Irans' labors...when the mushroom clouds rise over their land.
How long can they watch this threat without acting as stories like this one continue to grow in number?
Is the political climate today so different than when Israel last disabled nuclear facilities in their enemies lands?
Advisors to President Bush are urging dialog with Iran and Syria as though it would lead to progress in the free worlds' favor.
Meanwhile, plans of nuclear armament continue virtually unabated.
Why are so many afraid to take action?
This war has already been declared, so let's get on with it.
at November 17, 2006 3:22 AM
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