US Secretary of States John Kerry paid visit to Somalia on Tuesday 5th May 2015. On Wednesday, the day later Kerry made his trip to Djibouti and met with President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Foreign Minister Mahmud Ali Yusuf. He then met with top US military officials at Camp Lemonnier.

This is the highest-ranking figure from Washington to visit the Country that has witnessed calamities since the early 1990s. While in Mogadishu, Kerry met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud and Prime Minister Omar Abdi Rashid Ali Sharmake. Kerry stated that his visit to Somalia was to acknowledge the progress made in that country. "Great progress has been made and you have all contributed to that progress," Kerry told the regional leaders. He further congratulated them for their ‘effort' to build Somalia. He said, "I visited Somalia today because your country is turning around. Three years have passed since a provisional constitution was adopted and a parliament sworn in." (VOA)

With regard to Amisom presence in Somalia, Kerry noted that it has helped the Somali Forces to fight against Alshabab Fighters and push them out of major population centers.

From the above statements, it is clear that the America has succeeded in shaping the situation in Somalia towards its interests. It is also clear that the US is strongly backing the current Somali Regime. His visit comes after President Obama had already nominated Katherine S. Dhanani as the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia since the early 1990s.

Since the fall of Union of Islamic Courts which brought some calm in Somalia in 2006, the situation in Somalia now is moving towards the direction of America.

For many years, the US has been yearning for Somalia and has been intervening in Somalia using many pretexts.

In the late 1992, President George HW Bush ordered thousands of U.S. troops into Somalia under the pretext of humanitarian aid. However things did not turn good after the two US Black Hawk Helicopters were shot down in which 18 US soldiers were killed.

In 2006, US backed Ethiopia in fighting Islamic Courts deemed as ‘terrorists' and defeated them.

Currently the US is funding the AMISOM to fight the Alshababu.

It is clear from the above backdrop that the US has been successfully able to put Somalia into this messy theatre of civil war. Indeed the US and its agents have not left their desire to put Somalia under its control despite the hurdle of Europe especially Britain who has been also yearning for Somalia.

Somalia like any other Muslim country blessed with an abundance of natural resources has been the desire for America. Somalia is in a strategic position on the Indian Ocean having the longest shore of about 2720 km. So his visit to Somalia is just to mock the Muslims of Somalia who continue to suffer from the military operations of the unbelievers (Kuffar).

With regard to his trip to Djibouti, a former French colony and a mainly Sunni Nation, it is well understood the Djibouti has presently become a critical part of US foreign policy. It is a sleepy coastal nation in the Horn of Africa which has been used by the US for launching military attacks into Somalia. It has a United States Naval Expeditionary base situated at Djibouti's' Airport. The camp called Lemonier is home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa of the US Africa Command. This is the only permanent US military base in Africa.

The Washington Post reported that conditions at the base have become chronically dangerous, citing cases of air-traffic controllers sleeping on the job and making frequent errors. So it becomes clear that Kerry's visit to Djibouti was to account the authorities of the Camp.

Also Djibouti holds some geopolitical significance and China appeared to have highly invested in the country a matter that has raised some concerns to the US.

Apart from all that, there is also an issue for Americans who sought refuge in Djibouti from the fighting in Yemen. This can also indicate that Kerry's visit to Djibouti was to thank the Government of Djibouti for its broad support and assistance to the American interest in the region.

It is hurtful to see how the Western backed Muslim rulers work with the enemies of Muslims in causing atrocities in Muslim Lands. They have openly betrayed Allah, His Messenger and the Believers. We pray to Allah Almighty to open the eyes and the hearts of the Muslim Army to remove all current leaders of the Muslims and replace them with the true and devoted Imam who will protect the interest of the Muslims.

By Shabani Mwalimu

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper Issue No. 25

Headlines

• Kerry Visits Russia

• Seymour Hersh Reveals Pakistan Complicity

Details

Seymour Hersh Reveals Pakistan Complicity

The investigative Journalist Seymour Hersh, famous for revealing US government cover up's such as the 1969 My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War and the 2004 Abu Ghraib scandal has now exposed what really happened in the capture of Osama bin Laden. By conducting countless interviews with Pakistani military, intelligence and US officials he exposed Pakistan's complicity. He confirmed that bin Laden had been a prisoner of the ISI at the Abbottabad compound since 2006; that Kayani and Pasha knew of the raid in advance and had made sure that the two helicopters delivering the Seals to Abbottabad could cross Pakistani airspace without triggering any alarms. He also highlighted that despite their constant public feuding, American and Pakistani military and intelligence services have worked together closely for decades on counterterrorism in South Asia. Both services often find it useful to engage in public feuds ‘to cover their backs, but they continually share intelligence used for drone attacks, and co-operate on covert operations.' Hersh further noted that ‘It didn't take long to get the co-operation the US needed, because the Pakistanis wanted to ensure the continued release of American military aid, a good percentage of which was anti-terrorism funding that finances personal security, such as bullet-proof limousines and security guards and housing for the ISI leadership. Hersh revealed again and again the central role General Kayani and ISI Chief Ahmed Pasha played, they were responsible for ensuring that Pakistan's army and air defence command would not track or engage with the US helicopters used on the mission on the night they would kill bin laden. At the Abbottabad compound ISI guards were posted around the clock to keep watch over bin Laden and his wives and children. They were under orders to leave as soon as they heard the rotors of the US helicopters. The town's electricity supply had been cut off on the orders of the ISI hours before the raid began. In the days that followed the military of Pakistan took the position the US had not informed them, whilst the US put out contradictory messages as they kept changing their story. Hersh has confirmed once and for all it was Pakistan who always had bin laden, and the raid was all orchestrated for electoral purposes in the US.

Kerry Visits Russia

The global media gave much fanfare to US Secretary of State, John Kerry's visit to Russia, the first since the Ukraine conflict began back in late 2013. Kerry said he has held a "frank meeting" with President Vladimir Putin and both sides say that eight hours of talks between them were a welcome development. Kerry also stressed it was necessary to keep the lines of communication open between the US and Russia as they addressed pressing global issues. For America's number two to visit Russia is significant and the timing is very revealing. Even during the height of the Cold War Moscow and Washington would speak directly on critical issues, both countries understood when it came to global issues it was they other that could achieve what was necessary. The current visit take place with Syria at a critical juncture. Khaled Khoja, the head of the National Coalition in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper on May 2nd said, "We have to fill the fault lines which were controlled by the regime and to provide a civilian government by the FSA and the coalition transitional government; because the regime can fall at an unexpected moment is calculated that will be surprise for everyone, a matter which was tried to be avoid by both regional states or the big players in the Syrian issue, such as the United States." Daily reports continue to trickle out of Bashar al-Assad losing control of his army, intelligence officers and the Alawi community no longer willing to support his course. The recent falls of Idlib has only highlighted the precarious situation al-Assad is in. As America's plan to train new rebel groups begins it has no alternative strong enough to replace Bashar or enter into negotiations with him. Every group, faction or individual the US has proposed as an alternative has bene exposed or overthrown by the sincere elements in Syria, it is in this context Kerry visits Russia.

The decision of the Muslim Religious Board of Tatarstan (MRB RT) became known on 8th May 2015, which stipulates a list of unwanted writers in publishing their writings by the Ulema Council of the Muslim Religious Board of Tatarstan on the territory of the Republic. The list consists of 16 names of prominent scholars and intellectuals. Among these scholars were the names of Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani, Abdul Qadeem Zalloom, Ata Bin Abu Al-Rashtah, Nasser Eddin Albanian...