-Caveat Lector- pull-quote: "Somalian President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan hopes that the United States will lift the sanctions against the two companies, which have been critical to the nation's economy, and added that he would be more than willing to work with America's government to make his country unfriendly to terrorism."
http://dfn.org/focus/somalia/internet-casualty.htm Somalia's Internet is casualty of war on terrorism by John DeSio, Digital Freedom Network (November 29, 2001) As the war against terrorism rolls on, one move against suspected Al Qaeda allies by the United States may have put one country's developing economy in jeopardy. As a part of the war against Osama bin Laden's terror network, two firms suspected by the United States of terrorist connections, the Somalia Internet Company and al-Barakaat, have been shut down. Somalia Internet Company is the nation's only Internet provider, and its closure has effectively shut Somalian citizens out of any Internet connection. In addition, al-Barakaat, which is essentially an informal, unregulated financial network, had been a main source of money transfers to the nation's people from out of country relatives, of which more than 80 percent relied upon to live. Both companies have denied any link to bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network and have asked that the closures, which also severely affect the nation's international telephone capabilities, end immediately. Sixty-two organizations and people in various countries, including Somalia Internet Company and al-Barakaat, have been accused of funneling money to bin Laden and his terrorist network, resulting in their forced closure. Founded by bin Laden? The United States government will not release any information regarding the closings, but has stated that al-Barakaat provides an easy method of transferring money for Al Qaeda operatives. It is also suspected that the agency's founder, Ahmed Noor Ali Jumale, is a business associate of bin Laden's, and may have funded the organization with money from the terrorist leader. Jumale was shocked at the allegations, and has denied any link to bin Laden and Al Qaeda. "We have been hearing a lot of lies about us, but I never thought they would reach to this extent," said Jumale in an interview with U.S.-based daily Newsday. "We're asking for mercy and justice from President George Bush." Jumale states that he founded al-Barakaat, which means "blessing," fifteen years ago while working as a mid-level clerk with Citibank in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While there, Jumale noted that Somali workers were struggling to find a safe and inexpensive way to send money back to their families at home, and founded al-Barakaat as a means for such activity. The company grew to become the country's largest financial lifeline following the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, which threw the nation into a civil war. A system of trust Al-Barakaat functions as a "hawala," a money transfer system based on trust that is practiced in many Muslim countries. A person in New York wishing to send his money home to his family in Mogadishu will give the hawala, such as al-Barakaat, that sum of money, paying a five percent commission. The hawala will then contact an affiliated broker in Mogadishu, who will pay out the sum of money to the man's family, usually within 24 hours. The two brokers will settle the accounts at a later date. Hawalas are completely unregulated, making such transactions between terrorist groups easy and virtually undetectable. Al-Barakaat also provided telephone and postal service for the roughly one million residents of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital city, in addition to its money transfer services. Somalia Internet Company was also a part of the consortium that held al-Barakaat, forcing its closure along with the money transferring firm. The company maintains that it transfers mainly small amounts of money to its various clients, but the United States has noted that the September 11 attacks may have only cost US$200,000 to execute, making such small transfers a vital part of any terrorist organization. insert: [The closure of an Internet and financial firm have had dire effects upon the Somalian economy. ] Economy in ruins While the closure of the two firms may seem insignificant to the United States due to the overall scope of the war on terrorism, they have had drastic effects in Somalia. Before its closure, al-Barakaat, which has 600 stockholders, employed 1,300 people, making it the largest employer in the nation. In addition, millions of Somalis depended on money transfers through the company as their only means of financial stability, and no other banking systems have existed in Somalia since the 1991 government collapse. The closures have also effectively sealed the nation off from the outside world, due to the lack of Internet service. All Internet cafes in Somalia have closed, and international phone lines have failed to handle the extra volume of calls over their phone lines. Additionally, several agencies, such as the United Nations as well as the country's government itself, which all heavily relied on Internet access, have ceased normal function. A Sorrowful Ramadan While such closures would greatly affect Somalia at any time, they are felt even more now, since they have coincided with Ramadan, the Islam holy month. Asha Malak Mahdi, a mother of five living in the Hamar Weyne village of Somalia, told Newsday that Ramadan would be dreary for her and her family, since she is unable to receive the usual US$100 a month from her sister in Los Angeles. "The Americans are hurting us, and we haven't done anything to them," said Mahdi. Somalian President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan hopes that the United States will lift the sanctions against the two companies, which have been critical to the nation's economy, and added that he would be more than willing to work with America's government to make his country unfriendly to terrorism. "If the United States will cooperate with us, they will know the facts," said Hassan to the Associated Press. "Not only will they not attack Somalia, we will join hands to develop Somalia so it does not become a safe haven for any terrorists." This article was written using information from the Nando Times, BBC, and Newsday. ["Courtesy Digital Freedom Network (http://dfn.org). Material may be reproduced or redistributed for online not-for-profit use without prior written consent as long as the Digital Freedom Network is credited.] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
