British PM Gordon Brown with Somali President Sharif Ahmed in London 

By William Maclean
Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Speaking on a visit to Britain, Sheikh Sharif added that international aid for reconstruction would be needed to secure any areas gained in the push, expected in coming weeks in a test of attempts to restore stability in the Horn of Africa nation.

The New York Times reported on March 5 U.S. forces could get involved by providing airstrikes and Special forces Operations if the offensive succeeded in dislodging al Qaeda fighters.

Asked to comment, Ahmed said: "If the U.S. government provides us with the air support, it will help the situation."

"If that is true, as written in the New York Times, then we would welcome it," he told a news conference through an interpreter.

It was not immediately clear whether Ahmed was referring to the possibility of air strikes or of supporting aerial surveillance. U.S. forces are believed to have conducted aerial reconnaissance of parts of Somalia for several years.

FOREIGN FIGHTERS "ROAMING"

Asked whether he also saw a role for U.S. ground forces in the push, Ahmed said: "I cannot answer that."

Any direct use of U.S. military power would be sensitive. American troops who were part of a U.N. humanitarian mission to Somalia in 1992 and 1993 were forced to pull out after Somali militia killed several marines in an attack on a U.S. helicopter.

Ahmed's U.N.-backed administration intends to oust the rebels from the capital and possibly other areas of the country, which has had no effective central government for 19 years.

His government has struggled to establish its influence, something that has been whittled down by a three-year-old revolt against his administration, which only controls parts of the capital.

Asked how he planned to hold any areas gained in the offensive, a critical task to establish authority, he said: "Our strategy is to mobilise the people, to secure the environment, to return the services and to start reconstruction."

"Our forces have prepared well," he said, but added: "We will need international assistance in the form of humanitarian aid and reconstruction after the liberation of these areas."

The offensive did not close off reconciliation efforts, he said, but he described al Shabaab as having a direct tie to al Qaeda and said both groups cooperated with Somalia's pirates.

The government says hundreds of foreign fighters have joined the revolt from countries in south Asia and the Gulf region and Western nations such as the United States and Britain.

Ahmed said it was hard to tell put a number on al Qaeda fighters in Somalia. "But it's also hard to exaggerate the presence of al Qaeda. It can be seen openly by people inside Somalia -- foreign fighters who are roaming," he said.

"The announcements by al Shabaab and al Qaeda make clear their presence in force. Recent events in Yemen are also a clear indication of the presence of al Qaeda in the area".

He denied reports that Somalis in nearby countries were being recruited to join the offensive, explaining there were plenty of Somalis in Somalia who wanted to serve in the army.

Source: Reuters

simbe @ 3/10/2010 2:05 AM EST  Diinow Mudulood hay dad yihiin, Alxaram ayey iska qaban lahaayeen oo maamul samaysan lahaayeen, oo wax qabsan la hayeen, maalin kasta ayaa sida arigii loo qalqalaa, marna LB lugu qarxinayaa, wiilashoodii ayaana loo diraa- wax ma tarayaal iga dheh

diinow @ 3/9/2010 6:23 PM EST  Arrey adoo mudullooda maad mareykan tuugee? Mise walax maran oo megeg jawa oon maara loo helinaa yimid?

momo519 @ 3/9/2010 2:33 PM EST   Baadiyoow, Yaa salaam! Ilaahey ajar ha kaa siiyo sidaa ugu jawaabtay khawaarijtaan diinta ku qaraabanaya oo Rasuulkeenii CSW ku caadiyay oo caleenkeenii buluuga ahaa gubay oo doonaya inay Soomaalinimada iyo dhaqankeena tirtiraan! Ilaahayoow jabkooda soo dedeji! Islaam badan oo Soomaali ah way gowraceen. Iyagana mar aan dheerayn baa sidii bakhtigooda loo waray Guricell loo wari doonaa koonfurtoo dhan.

fiqicigaal @ 3/9/2010 2:12 PM EST  Somalia is reaping fruits from h*ll which are from the seeds they sew when they ousted marxuum Siyad Barre many decades ago. Most likely it was the enemy within, the warlords, the secessionists, the madmen of religion and sellouts who had unkowingly planned the slow and painful death of Somalia. Most people fall forward and rise, but Somalis fall backward and do not bother to rise up.

fiqicigaal @ 3/9/2010 1:06 PM EST  Never mind America because we know they are there for their own interests and they will do anything to maintain economic supremacy in the region where it is challenged by other greedy powerful countries like China and to me that is understandable. But what I don't understand is why alshaydan only: .Create fear and mayhem in Somalia .Wants us to blame others while they are the ones who wreak havoc and who disrupt the follow of humanitarian aid to the needy and the displaced .Accuse and punish starving Somalis for siding the kufaar when all they did is accept food and shelter from UN agencies who may or may not have hiden agenda for caring those people. . Force people to their wrong scriptures and claim rightousness but legitimize the killing of a muslim brother or sister or any human being in the name of religion or in the name of a cult as in their case. War Somaliyey hadey arintu tahay aniga umba ku dilikara ee hadaan cidkale o kuu soo gurmata aan miha ku arko adiga ayaa u qolan, Sheikhow warkaagu ma cada.