Somalia – praag.org

The German Card

Top intelligence officers rarely reveal secret strings, pulling the nation’s political mechanism. Publication of a book like The German card. The obscure game of secret services, authored by Gerd-Helmut Komossa (Gerd-Helmut Komossa. DIE DEUTSCHE KARTE. Das verdeckte Spiel der geheimen Dienste. Ares-Verlag, Graz 2007. – 230 S.), is an exceptional occurrence. Raising very sensitive issues, the author appeals to the core of German identity that had been deliberately suppressed for decades by the United States and its allies.

The book is focused on contradictions between the United States and Germany, sometimes very strong but not supposed to be discussed in public. It was published in Austria, and its distribution in Germany may encounter certain difficulties today. Still, the very fact of its appearance indicates that the German intelligence community is increasingly dissatisfied with the role of a vassal of the United States (the definition applied to Europe by Zbigniew Brzezinski), imposed on Western Germany after World War II.

Gerd-Helmut Komossa reveals the uncomfortable truth about the post-war conditions, dictated by the US and its allies. The state treaty, dated May 21, 1949 and classified by BND as top secret, suggests restrictions of state sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Germany, introduced for a period until 2099. These restrictions include the provision that the winning coalition exercise complete control over Germany’s mass media and communications; that every Federal Chancellor is to sign the so-called Chancellor Act; that the gold reserve of Germany is kept under arrest.

In fact, all the German Chancellors, including the incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel, pay their first foreign visit necessarily to the United States. The whole spectrum of German political parties is supervised by a special Washington-based controlling body, while local US-licensed media serve as a more sophisticated means of brainwashing than the Nazi propagandist machine. Meanwhile, Germany’s territory is still occupied by US troops.

This astonishing picture is not a fancy concoction of a political leftist. It is drawn by a military man whose mind has accumulated the experience of several crucial stages of development of the European civilization and Germany in particular. Gen. (Ret.) Gerd-Helmut Komossa took part in World War II and later in the Cold War. Possessing huge amounts of information, he analyzes the existing mechanisms of global policy with strong criticism.

Joining the Wehrmacht in 1943 as a volunteer, Komossa served at the Eastern front. Between May 1945 and April 1949, he was a prisoner of war. In the USSR, he got acquainted with many Russians who appeared to be quite different from the image imposed by the official Nazi propaganda.

Since 1956, he served in the German Bundeswehr, re-established under certain conditions. The abovementioned secret treaty admitted that the German sovereignty is sufficient for the right to build up military forces. According to the Constitution, the troops of the Federal Republic of Germany are carrying out exceptionally defensive functions. However, the Western coalition was pursuing different goals. It needed an army in new uniforms but with the same skills as the Nazi soldiers, perfectly fighting on land, on sea and in the air, and irrecusably abiding orders. Such a type of soldier was essential not only for the occasion of possible military collision with the Soviet bloc but also for fulfilling global missions. The coalition required at least 500,000 German soldiers. In addition, the newly-built army was supposed to purchase weapons and materiel solely from the United States.

During the last two decades, Washington has been trying to force Germany into military partnership in globalistic control. However, the massive effort to get Germany involved in US operations in Somalia and Bosnia, as well as in campaigns in Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan, has brought about a reverse result, sparking a shift in approach in German strategic circles. The implicit discontent with American policy and essential difference in views on the role of the German people in current history eventually reached a critical dimension.

Since mid-1990s, the attitude of many German military to the United States, and significantly also towards NATO, has essentially changed. Though most of the German officers were not originally inclined against America, a lot of them being educated in the United States, they are now experiencing disappointment and even disgust with Washington’s policies. These officers realize that the hegemonistic policy is destined for destruction of socioeconomic systems of particular nations and whole regions, while the so-called order Washington is trying to impose is just a synonym for chaos.

Gerd-Helmut Komossa, in his former capacity of MAD (Military Counterintelligence) Director, was frequently called “a soldier with political thinking”. Today, he openly denounces the Bundeswehr’s involvement in foreign interventions, referring to the army’s constitutional duties.

Meanwhile, Washington urges Germans to go fighting. Conceding to the pressure, Berlin deployed a contingent of troops to Afghanistan. But even this was not sufficient for NATO bosses. Recently, NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer accused the Bundeswehr of idleness in military operations in the region, and insisted that Germany “increase flexibility” and expand its military mission to the southern regions of Afghanistan.

In his book, Komossa inquires whether the state of affairs when young Germans are recruited in the national army for fulfilling overseas goals for other nations, could be acceptable. The map of operations, supposed to involve German troops, far exceeds the European continent, and has nothing to do with German national interests. “Do Germans expect this from the Bundeswehr? Would they like their soldiers to be called assassins again?” he asks.

However, the United States and its allies don’t care much for moral problems. As the secret treaty is valid until 2099, Germans are supposed to go and fight where they are told to.

The German audience will require certain time to digest the shocking information disclosed by General Komossa. But eventually, the nation with a great cultural and historical tradition will hardly agree to continue tolerating the American loop on its throat for decades more.

The publication of Komossa’s “German Card” is one more proof of the world’s transformation into a multipolar system. It indicates that Germany is likely to achieve complete sovereignty without waiting for eighty years.

Anna Voronova

South African reportedly killed in Somalia

Islamist group Al-Shabaab on Monday claimed responsibility for twin suicide car bomb attacks that killed at least 12 people in Somalia, police sources said.

The sources said that a local government official was injured in the second suicide car explosion.

A second suicide carbomb blast hit a military checkpoint on the outskirts of Mogadishu, injuring two people including a local government official, police and witnesses said.

The attack comes minutes after a first suicide carbomb targeting a convoy of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on a road linking Mogadishu and Afgooye, a small town 20 km west of the capital.

Twelve civilians in a minibus plying the road were killed and 27 were injured after the bus was caught in the blast, local governor Mohamed Sidi said.

Police officer Ali Yare said the second suicide attack that targeted an official of local Mogadishu administration left the official and one of his guards slightly injured.

Al-Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for both attacks, saying five American special forces and a South African trainer were killed in the first suicide attack, which cannot be verified so far.

It was the first attack since the killing of the group’s leader Godane last week in a U.S. drone attack in southern Somalia.

Source: xinhuanet.com

Obama comes out against self-determination

By Paul Craig Roberts.

The White House Fool has repeatedly declared erroneously and foolishly that it is “against international law” for Crimea to exercise self-determination. Self-determination, as used by Washington, is a propaganda term that serves Washington’s empire but is not permissible for real people to exercise.

On March 6 Obama telephoned Putin to tell the Russian President again that only Washington has the right to interfere in Ukraine and to insist against all logic that only the “government” in Kiev installed by the Washington-organized coup is “legitimate” and “democratic.”

In other words, the elected government in Crimea pushed by the people in Crimea to give them a vote on their future is “undemocratic” and “illegitimate,” but a non-elected government in Kiev imposed by Washington is the voice of self-determination and legitimacy.

Washington is so arrogant that it never occurs to the hubris-infected fools what the world thinks of Washington’s blatant hypocrisy.

Since the Clinton regime, Washington has done nothing but violate international law–Serbia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Honduras, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia.

Does Russia have an Africa Command? No, but Washington does.

Is Russia surrounding the US with military bases? No, but Washington has used the NATO organization, whose purpose disappeared 23 years ago, to organize western, eastern, and southern Europe into an empire army with forward bases on Russia’s borders. Washington is determined to extend the boundaries of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization to Georgia in central Asia and to Ukraine on the Black Sea. Both Georgia and Ukraine are former constituent parts of both Russia and the Soviet Union.

Washington is doing the same thing to China and Iran. Washington is working to establish new air and naval bases in Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, with which to block the flow of oil and other resources into China. Iran is surrounded by some 40 US military bases and has US fleets standing off its coastline.

In Washington’s propaganda, this rank militarism is presented as “defending democracy.”

The Russian government continues to act as though Washington’s thrusts at Russia’s independence and strategic interests can be defused with good sense and good will. But Washington has neither.

Since the Clinton regime, Washington has been in the hands of a collection of ideologues who are convinced that the US is “the exceptional indispensable country” with the right to world hegemony. Everything that Washington has done in the 21st century is in pursuit of this goal.

Washington intends to break up the Russian Federation itself. Washington funnels huge sums of money into NGOs inside Russia that serve as Washington Fifth Columns and work hand-in-hand with Washington to discredit Russian free elections, to demonize Putin and the Russian government, to spread anti-Russian propaganda and agitation. It is amazing how many Russians actually believe the Western propaganda.

Washington is also working to isolate China with the Trans-Pacific-Partnership, but at this time is primarily focused on destabilizing and isolating Russia. Washington is desperate to break up the BRICS, the emerging organization of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. With the largest countries and half of the world’s population, the BRICS organization is emerging as a political and economic power, especially with the organization’s plan to cease using the US dollar as reserve currency. Ringing Russia with US missile bases on Russia’s borders impairs Russian sovereignty and independence and, thus, weakens the BRICS as a countervailing power to Washington.

Many have been deceived by Washington’s propaganda. The world is slowly waking up, but is it in time?

The US media and much of Europe’s speak with one voice parroting Washington’s propaganda, demonizing Washington’s targets, and preparing insouciant Western populations for more war. The Western media, like Western governments, is devoid of integrity. Liars and whores rule.

Paul Craig Roberts is an economist and a nationally syndicated columnist for Creators Syndicate. He served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration earning fame as the “Father of Reaganomics”. He is a former editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, among others. He has recently published How the Economy Was Lost: The War of the Worlds and is coauthor with Lawrence Stratton of The New Color Line and The Tyranny of Good Intentions.

Press Ombudsman dismisses complaint from ‘private army’

unsomali — Allegations of torture in Somalia

The Press Ombudsman has dismissed a security company owners’ complaint against Independent Newspapers, regarding two stories published in the Weekend Argus, he said in a finding released on Wednesday.

According to the finding, the first story was published on September 1 last year under the headline: “UN slams SA ‘private army’ Security firm accused of breaking sanctions, torture SA failing in its obligation to clamp down on mercenaries, says report”.

The second story was a follow-up published on page 11 on September 29, headlined “SA-linked military firm loses anti-piracy contract”.

Ombudsman Johan Retief and an adjudication panel said Sterling Corporate Services’ (SCS) owner Lafras Luitingh complained that the first story omitted important facts, that the headline was misleading, and that the newspaper did not try to verify the allegations against him and his company.

He complained that the reporter failed to correct the mistakes in the second story, even though he was provided with information, and that the references to “private army” in both stories wrongly suggested that he was involved in illegal activities.

In the first story, Ivor Powell and Bianca Capazorio reportedly wrote that a United Nations report had “slammed” SCS for mustering a “private army” in defiance of international agreements.

The UN report, authored by the its Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea (SEMG), reportedly condemned SCS for “brazen, large-scale and protracted violation of the Somalia sanctions regime”, and for allegedly torturing local recruits.

The reporters wrote that it accused the South African government of failing to fulfil its international obligations “which include clamping down on mercenary activities”.

They wrote that the SCS operated as the private army of President Abdirahman Mohamud Faroole of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland (a region in northeastern Somalia).

They also reported that SCS had been involved in operations against Faroole’s enemies, “though officially contracted only to train and provide military advice to the Puntland administration”.

The story reportedly added that although SCS was mainly contracted to train an anti-piracy force, the bulk of its operations was directed against villages in the hinterland with little connection to Somali pirates holding shipping routes to ransom.

The story mentioned examples of alleged torture and “murderous corporal punishment”.

The follow-up story, written by Powell, reported that SCS had lost a contract to train a paramilitary Puntland Maritime Police Force against piracy in the Horn of Africa. It elaborated on the first story.

Retief and the panel concluded that the newspaper was justified in calling the SEMG’s Report a “UN report”, as a document “adopted” by the Security Council became an official document of the UN.

It also found that Luitingh had not brought any relevant UN document to the panel’s attention to substantiate his claim that the UN permitted his actions in Somalia.

“The panel finds that the newspaper did contact Luitingh and ask for his comment and that, in addition, they had published comment from a number of other involved parties. Luitingh had it within his power to provide comment and had chosen not to do so.”

While the panel accepted that Luitingh and his counsel were convinced that the second story should have reflected their views, which for them meant a correction, the panel did not believe this would have been appropriate.

It found the newspaper was justified in using the phrase “private army” as the phrase was used in the SEMG’s report.

Both parties have seven working days to appeal the decision. – Sapa

Did Mandela’s friend supply chemical weapons to Syrian rebels?

Prince Bandar bin Sultan and Nelson Mandela

by Terry Crawford-Browne

REPORTS from Syria by Jordanian journalists allege that it was Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia who distributed those chemical weapons to the Syrian rebels.( Here he is shown with that other unrepentant terrorist)

If true, it indicates the chemical attack in Damascus to have been a false-flag operation by the American war business.

This would be entirely in keeping with Prince Bandar’s history of organising the Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s, the Iran-Contra weapons exchanges, Libya in 2011, the suppression of the Shia uprising in Bahrain, Saudi support for the coup d’etat in Egypt and support for Syrian rebels.

Other reports confirm that Prince Bandar also went to see Russian President Vladimir Putin last month and offered to buy $15bn worth of Russian weapons provided Mr Putin abandoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mr Putin gave him short shrift.

Prince Bandar was not only the Saudi ambassador in Washington for 22 years and friends of Ronald Reagan and the Bush family, but he also negotiated the 1985 £43bn Al-Yamamah weapons deal with Margaret Thatcher, which Tony Blair renewed in 2007 with the Al-Salaam weapons deal.

When the British Serious Fraud Office investigated the bribes which BAE Systems paid him, Prince Bandar allegedly threatened blood in the streets of London.

Mr Blair squelched the investigation citing “national security.” The Guardian newspaper revealed a couple of months later how BAE with collusion of the British government had laundered bribes to Prince Bandar of over £1bn through Riggs Bank in Washington DC and other US banks.

Most importantly, Prince Bandar and Ms Thatcher negotiated the Al-Yamamah deal under the British Official Secrets Act, meaning that it cannot be investigated in Britain.

Saudi Arabia ships thousands of barrels per day of oil consigned to the Bank of England, which is then distributed to Shell and BP.

Over the years a surplus has developed, which is guesstimated to be worth over $150bn. Its purpose is a) to guarantee British and US support for the Saudi royal family against domestic insurrection and b) to fund covert destabilisation of resource-rich countries in Asia and Africa under the guise of the war on terror.

Having targeted Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and other countries over the years, Syria and Egypt are Prince Bandar’s current targets. When will SA be targeted by the American and British “war business” given our country’s mineral wealth?

Saudi Arabia made lavish donations to the African National Congress. Prince Bandar was also the only foreigner present at Nelson Mandela’s secret wedding to Graca Machel, and was a frequent visitor to SA when the arms deal was being negotiated.

White South Africans killed in Somalia named

Denel has released the names of two of three employees who were killed after an attack on a United Nations facility in Somalia on Wednesday.

They were Morne Lotter, 42, of Oudtshoorn and Alan Simpson, 35, of Port Elizabeth, spokeswoman Vuyelwa Qinga said on Thursday.

The name of the third employee, a Somali, would be released soon.

On Wednesday morning at around 11am the UN Development Programme camp in Mogadishu came under attack and at least 16 people were killed, Denel said.

Denel group chief executive Riaz Saloojee said the company would do everything possible to help the families of the deceased, and would repatriate their bodies at the earliest opportunity.

“We further extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the UN employees who lost their lives,” he said.

The Denel staff in Somalia belonged to a contingent of personnel in the company’s humanitarian demining operations, Mechem, and were providing camp management services to the UN operations in the region.

These included managing and providing catering, cleaning and logistical support, as well as mine protected vehicles in the region.

The company would continue with its work towards the UN’s peace-keeping efforts.

“This is a very unfortunate incident, but Denel will continue to support all peace-keeping efforts carried out under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union.

“In this instance our employees lost their lives while they were providing services to the UN’s peace-keeping efforts in the region,” said Saloojee.

The remaining Denel employees in Somalia were moved to facilities under the protection of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) where they were reported to be safe.

UNDP administrator Helen Clark strongly condemned the attack.

“We are all appalled and deeply saddened by this cowardly attack.”

She said on Wednesday that among the UN fatalities were one international staff member, three contractors, and four Somali security guards.

A number of Somali civilians were also killed.

“We grieve with the Somali people, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and the entire UN family today,” said Clark.

The security forces arrived at the scene soon after the explosion. The UNDP compound is next to the airport where the AU forces have a base.

Zuma’s speech on Somalia at UN mini-summit

I wish at the outset to congratulate my dear brother, H.E. Hassan Sheik Mohamoud on being elected President of Somalia.

I look forward to working with you President Hassan, in both bilateral and in multilateral settings as we strengthen the South Africa-Somalia relationship and collaborate within the multilateral fora on matters of mutual interest.

I commend the people of Somalia on this historical step of starting a post transition government that shall chart a path towards governance, reconciliation, stability and development.

The Mini-Summit Summit on Somalia comes at an opportune time.

The resolve and desire for peace shown by Somalis from all walks of life must be supported by the international community.

The lessons we have learnt from all governments that emerge from instability is that the population must see benefit in democratic governance lest they be swayed by those who thrive in chaos.

The new Somali government has a challenging task of delivering the fruits of governance in a still violently contested atmosphere.

The crucial support that the international community continues to provide to Somalia, through maintaining AMISOM, supporting social and economic projects will determine the success of this new government.

However, no amount of support can replace the important role of Somali leadership in building their country.

The Somali leadership is expected to play a very critical role in developing a vision that will serve to rally Somali stakeholders and international partners in our efforts at post-transition development.

If we agree on the importance of these foundational elements, it would then be imperative for us all to collaborate in extricating Somalia out of the ashes of desolation to a developmental path.

As we celebrate the dawn of this new beginning for Somalia we remain conscious that there remain those in Somalia, who although they are sons and daughters of Somalia, remain violently opposed to this new government.

To brandish them as terrorists and respond to them consistent with the brand we attach to them, has had persistent costs.

If Somalia is to move forward, its people cannot continue to be at war.

There is therefore a need to consider increasing our effort to encourage and provide incentives to those that remain outside the political spectrum for them to consider peaceful co-existence with the new Somalia government.

In this regard, a strategy for dialogue between all Somali stakeholders is imperative.

This, if managed properly, could help lead to reconciliation and tolerance in Somalia.

South Africa is committed to availing its expertise on the area of national reconciliation.

We had already agreed with the previous Transitional Federal Government that my country would work closely with Somalis in their reconciliation strategy and we renew our commitment to the new Somali government.

Sustainable peace is possible in Somalia.

The adoption of the provisional Constitution has set in place the foundation for building the pillars on which peace will thrive.

We need to direct our focus on providing support as Somalis implement the political and social compact reached by adopting their constitution.

Important work has already been done by Somalis and international partners in this regard.

South Africa believes that it is imperative that Somalia has adequate institutions of governance that will be able to focus on the immediate and long term priorities of the new government.

It is however also necessary that Somali institutions be strengthened to enable them to play their role also in the prevention and prosecution of piracy.

South Africa shall work with Somalia in rendering assistance in capacity building for Somalis to be able to manage the piracy situation.

South Africa will also work closely with local and international partners to ensure that Somalis are equipped to govern themselves.

I commend the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Ban Ki- Moon for convening this Mini-Summit on Somalia.

We applaud the tireless efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Somalia, His Excellency Augustine Mahiga.

This is a new dawn for Somalia. May it usher in peace, development and reconciliation for the benefit of the people of Somalia.

I Thank You.