#somaliland foreign minister

[scotianostra]

The pioneering Scottish aviator Bertram Dickson was born in Edinburgh on 21st December 1873.

Dickson was the first British winner of an aviation contest and his skills as a pilot also led indirectly to the foundation of the Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the Royal Air Force. As we shall see, he also notched up an achievement that he certainly did not want.

It is baffling that more is not known about Dickson. Indeed, of his early life, family and schooling, as I have posted before, all that can be reported is that he was born in Edinburgh on this day in 1873, it’s not the only missing period of Bertram’s life though as I will explain, the man is a bit of an enigma.

By the age of 19 Bertram Dickson was assisting the geographer Sir Thomas Holdich in the Andes Mountains in a famous expedition that defined the border between Chile and Argentina. Dickson went to the Royal Military Academy from where he graduated in 1894, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in November, 1894, before gaining promotion to lieutenant and then captain by November 1900. His service until then had taken in British East Africa, South Africa and Somaliland.

The following May there began the great mystery of Dickson’s life, but one which is easily explained.

He was seconded to the Foreign Office and promptly disappeared from the records for seven years.

There’s little doubt that Bertram Dickson became a spy, an early James Bond-type who by 1908 was a military attaché in what is now Eastern Turkey but was then part of the Ottoman Empire. Prior to then he had also written articles for geographical journals – a normal cover story for espionage activities

Early in 1910, Dickson learned to fly at the Henri Farman flying school in France. Having gained his aviator’s certificate, No 71, the first British pilot from the services entered a flying contest and won it with the longest distance flown – believed to have been the first aviation endurance competition.

He repeated his success at air meetings in the UK – he won £400 at Lanark – before he resigned his army commission to work for the British and Colonial Aircraft company. It was while he was working for them that on September 21, 1910, Dickson flew his Bristol Boxkite aircraft in what were reconnaissance try-outs.

Dickson “won” the first sortie and was able to stress the importance of air war readiness to two observers, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener and Home Secretary Winston Churchill who was hugely impressed and would later be Secretary of State for Air.

Dickson then earned an unwanted distinction. On October 3rd, 1910, he was involved in the world’s first mid-air collision between two powered aircraft. He and the French pilot Rene Thomas survived the accident – for which the courts later blamed Dickson – but the Scot was very seriously injured.

Even as he lay in recuperation, Dickson made his greatest achievement, which was to persuade the Government to take war in the skies seriously. Kitchener and Churchill had not forgotten Dickson’s demonstration and as a result of their intervention, in November 1911, the then prime minister Herbert Asquith asked the Imperial Defence Committee to form an investigation into war in the air.

The Technical Sub-Committee for Imperial Defence duly inquired into the subject and it was to that subcommittee that Dickson made this prophetic submission: “In case of a European war, between two countries, both sides would be equipped with large corps of aeroplanes, each trying to obtain information on the other... the efforts which each would exert in order to hinder or prevent the enemy from obtaining information... would lead to the inevitable result of a war in the air, for the supremacy of the air, by armed aeroplanes against each other. This fight for the supremacy of the air in future wars will be of the greatest importance.”

Remember that this was before any country had an independent air force – pilots and planes were attached to army or navy units, and it was an Italian Army Air Corps flying French-built aircraft which first dropped bombs on Libya during the 1911-1912 Italo-Turkish war on October 23rd, 1911.

It may well have been that Dickson, with his connections to Turkey, had information on this first-ever air raid, and drew his conclusions accordingly.

The Imperial Defence Committee recommended the formation of the Royal Flying Corps which was instituted on April 13th, 1912, becoming the RAF six years later when it joined with the Royal Naval Air Service whose founding was largely the work of Dickson’s old contact, Winston Churchill.

Having never really recovered from his injuries sustained in the Milan air accident, Dickson died on September 28th, 1913, at Lochrosque Castle near Achnasheen in Ross-shire. He was buried in the Cnoc na Bhain burial ground in Strath Bran. There is a plaque honouring him nearby.

[beardedmrbean]

A top House Republican called on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) to resign Monday for delivering a speech in which her critics say she placed Somali interests ahead of American ones. 

“Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to the Minnesotans she was elected to serve and a direct violation of her oath of office,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) wrote on X. “She should resign in disgrace.”

Omar, the first Somali American in Congress, appeared to assure her Somali American constituents that she would do everything in her power to prevent the disputed, breakaway Republic of Somaliland from entering into a sea-access deal with landlocked Ethiopia.

A clip of the Minnesota lawmaker went viral with over 2.6 million views after it was posted on X, with a translation saying Omar had said: “As Somalis, one day we will go after our missing territories.”

The congresswoman claims her remarks were lost in translation. 

“It’s not only slanted but completely off,” Omar said of the subtitles in a video of her speech shared by Republic of Somaliland Foreign Minister Rhoda Elmi. “But I wouldn’t expect more from these propagandists.”

Omar claims her remarks were lost in translation.

“While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia’s sea,” Omar said during the Jan. 27 speech, according to a translation she deemed to be more accurate. “The United States will not back others to rob us. So, do not lose sleep over that.”

Elmi urged House leadership and Democrats to “take note of [Omar’s] public conduct,” arguing that the speech was “unbecoming [of] a United States Congresswoman.” 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) slammed Omar for vowing to protect Somalia’s borders while opposing efforts to shore up the US-Mexico border.

“Terrorist sympathizer Ilhan Omar in her own words: Somalian first. Muslim second. She never mentions America,” Greene tweeted. 

Omar is facing a Democratic primary challenge for her seat in Congress launched by former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels. AP

“She flaunts using her position as congresswoman to protect Somalia’s border while our border is invaded by MILLIONS of illegals who are a danger to America,” the Georgia Republican added. “These people hate America and they’re so emboldened by the Democrats’ disdain for our country, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”

The Republic of Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, but is not widely recognized internationally, including by the US. Omar wants to keep it that way. 

“No nation-state can survive if its states start to get involved in land lease negotiations with other countries without the consent of the federal government,” she wrote on X. “Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora are united in that effort and I stand in solidarity with them. No amount of harassment and lies will ever change that.”

[somalilandsun1]

Somaliland Major Topic as Somalia and Egypt Discuss Redsea

SLSUN:Egypt’s foreign minister discussed Red Sea and developments in Somaliland with his Somali counterpart on Monday during bilateral talks in Cairo.

[leafatlas]

Egypt troops to join African Union Somalia mission - foreign minister says

CAIRO, Dec 23 (Reuters) – Egypt will send troops to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, its foreign minister said on Monday, as ties between the two countries have grown closer at this time. Tensions with Ethiopia On the recognition of Somaliland. “Egypt decided to participate in the mission upon the request of the Somali government and the welcome of the African Union Peace and…

[companyknowledgenews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210398&_unique_id=66f29f454b887 #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday. His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the … Read More

[bravecompanynews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210397&_unique_id=66f29f446d07b NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[boldcompanynews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210396&_unique_id=66f29f4365183 NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minist... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[technologycompanynews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210395&_unique_id=66f29f4050c19 NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday. His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the … Read More

[onlinecompanynews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210394&_unique_id=66f29e1b8eed4 NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minist... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday. His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the … Read More

[internetcompanynews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210393&_unique_id=66f29e1a2132a NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet - #GLOBAL BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[formidablecompanynews]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210392&_unique_id=66f29e185dd36 #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday. His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the … Read More

[smartcompanynewsweb]

Ethiopia worried over arms shipment to Somalia, state news agency says - Notice Global Internet - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/ethiopia-worried-over-arms-shipment-to-somalia-state-news-agency-says/?feed_id=210391&_unique_id=66f29e1749cee NAIROBI – Ethiopia’s foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could worsen the fragile security situation and end up in the hands of terrorists, Ethiopia’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.His statement comes a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu, the second arms shipment in the space of a month following the inking of a joint security pact by Egypt and Somalia in August.Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in neighbouring Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River.Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Astke Selassie said he was concerned that the supply of ammunition by “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists in Somalia,” Ethiopia News Agency reported.Taye made the comments at a meeting in New York with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under Secretary General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.There was no immediate response from Somalia’s government to Taye’s remarks.In January landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland – a part of Somalia which claims independence and has operated with effective autonomy since 1991 – in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.In response, Somalia threatened to expel by the end of the year Ethiopia’s troops, who are there as part of the peacekeeping mission and under bilateral agreements, if the port deal was not scrapped. REUTERS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/gb5f255e589f949d2645a6cce7ab35dc8b521309a2a8b5235747616d58cef662f484909e5a5ba241fb3eb1c36aeba0c81_64.jpeg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[beardedmrbean]

Conservative calls to deport Representative Ilhan Omar over comments she purportedly made about Somalia have no legal merit, experts tell Newsweek.

The progressive Democrat, a Somali American and Muslim, has been under fire for remarks she allegedly made to Somali American constituents that have been viewed over 7 million times on X. Omar, a Somali American and Muslim, seemed to address a deal struck by Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland with landlocked Ethiopia to give it access to the sea.

Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have openly called for Omar to be deported, with the latter saying: "She flaunts using her position as congresswoman to protect Somalia's border while our border is invaded by MILLIONS of illegals who are a danger to America."

Immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek that since Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen, calls for deportation lack legal ground unless the individual in question gained citizenship through nefarious means such as fraud, misrepresentation or membership in certain organizations—or being dishonorably discharged from the U.S. military if citizenship was based on military service.

The Minnesota representative's statements, whether accurate or taken out of context, are also protected under the First Amendment, which extends not just to U.S. citizens but also to public officials who routinely express opinions on foreign and domestic matters and do so without fear of legal repercussions—especially deportation.

"The Immigration and Nationality Act allows for deportation/removal of individuals due to criminal activities, violations of status or violation of immigration law," Berardi said. "Deportation for expressing political views, particularly those covered by the First Amendment, is not legally supported. Political speech does not constitute a valid basis for deportation.

"In essence, we have a series of sound bites here that are legally baseless. Typical political banter."

Stephen Schnably, a law professor at the University of Miami, told Newsweek that calls for the deportation of a sitting member of Congress for expressing personal views—whether accurate or spun by political adversaries—is "far beyond the realm of any reasonable response to her remarks."

"It's just not in the cards, deportation as punishment for a U.S. citizen," he said. "That is something that just cannot be done."

He said that even if Omar's statements, as attributed by some conservatives, are taken at face value, favoring foreign country interests over U.S. interests "is not a First Amendment violation to do that." Members of Congress can say what they want, and ultimately, voters have their say in elections.

The situation would potentially be different if Omar did not hypothetically register as an agent of a foreign government, comparing Omar's casual remarks to criminal charges against Democratic Senator Bob Menendez. The New Jersey legislator and his wife are accused of accepting bribes, including gold, cash, a luxury vehicle and payments toward a home mortgage, allegedly in exchange for advancing their interests, as well as those of the Egyptian government, in his role as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

But in Omar's case, there is no indication that anything of that sort—of "committing a well-defined crime where conduct or actions are not in accordance with a statute that is not constitutional."

Politicians make similar remarks all the time, Schnably added, saying there is nothing unusual about foreign policy positions that favor one country over another in a dispute.

Omar's alleged statements, backlash

According to one translation of Omar's remarks first shared on X by Ambassador Rhoda J. Elmi, Somaliland's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Omar purportedly said that she was "Somalian first, Muslim second" and "here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system."

Omar is also alleged to have said that "as Somalis, one day we will go after our missing territories."

But Omar has refuted the retelling of her statements, calling the viral clip "not only slanted but completely off," adding that she "wouldn't expect more from these propagandists."

Another translation posted online by Abdirashid Hashi, a researcher and Somalia analyst, states that Omar said that Somalis "are sisters and brothers, supporting each other, people who know they are Somalis and Muslims, coming to each other's aid."

Per that translation, she also said: "While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia's sea. The United States will not back others to rob us. So, do not lose sleep over that, O Minnesotans. The lady you sent to Congress is on this, and she is as cognizant of this interest as you are."

Greene bashed Omar and her comments in an X post, saying: " Patriots, you must show up big in 2024. We have a country to save and people to deport."

"Expel from Congress, denaturalize and deport!" DeSantis wrote on X.

In the past, DeSantis has singled out Omar as allegedly propagating antisemitic movements within Congress. In January 2022, after a group of people wearing Nazi symbols made national headlines for yelling antisemitic slurs on streets and highway overpasses in the Orlando area, DeSantis said he would not let others shame him for his support of Jews.

"I'm not going to have people try to smear me that belong to a political party that has elevated antisemites to the halls of Congress, like (US Rep.) Ilhan Omar, that have played footsie with the (boycott Israel) movement," DeSantis said at the time.

[caalaadd]

Somalia’s difficult options: To support Ethiopia's rebels or embrace diplomacy?

Somalia’s difficult options: To support Ethiopia’s rebels or embrace diplomacy? Somalia’s difficult options: To support Ethiopia’s rebels or embrace diplomacy? Somalia’s foreign minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi says his country has an option to support rebels in Ethiopia in Addis Ababa implements Somaliland MoU. NAIROBI, Kenya – The diplomatic tiff between Somalia and Ethiopia has taken a new twist,…

[somalilandcurrentnews]

Somaliland tells diplomats in Hargeisa MoU with Ethiopia ‘finalized’, ‘formal legal agreement imminent’

Somaliland Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Dr. Essa Kayd, Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed the international diplomatic missions in Hargeisa today, providing updates on significant regional issues. The Ministry said Dr. Essa Kayd informed the diplomats he met with that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Somaliland and Ethiopia “is finalized, and a…

[saxafimedianetwork]

Somaliland Informs Diplomats in Hargeisa MoU with Ethiopia 'Finalized,' Formal Agreement Imminent

Minister of FA @DrEssaKayd briefed foreign diplomats in #Hargeisa on Wednesday. He informed them that #Somaliland-#Ethiopia #MoU is finalized, with a formal agreement imminent. A significant triumph for bilateral relations & regional dev't.

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