From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed Apr 14 2010 - 06:42:57 EDT
Obama addresses deteriorating Somalia security
By LOLITA C. BALDOR (AP)
14/04/2010
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Tuesday gave Treasury officials
broader power to deal with a deteriorating security situation in Somalia.
Obama's action would allow the Treasury Department to sanction or freeze the
assets of individuals involved in piracy off Somalia's coast or militants
who have done anything to threaten the shaky nation's stability.
The piracy and eroding security in Somalia, where al-Qaida linked insurgents
are finding sanctuary, "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to
the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Obama said
in an executive order.
The order targets anyone who threatens the peace, interferes with the
delivery of humanitarian assistance or violates the United Nations arms
embargo in the lawless nation.
Earlier Tuesday, Treasury officials imposed new sanctions on nearly a dozen
suspected Islamist militants, including some linked to the al-Shabab
terrorist group in Somalia.
Under the new sanctions, Treasury officials are targeting Somali Islamist
leader Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is on U.S. and U.N. lists of
individuals with links to al-Qaida. Last year Aweys said he was working to
unite his Islamic Party with al-Shabab, a Somali militant faction allied
with al-Qaida.
Al-Shabab is battling to overthrow the weak, U.S.-backed Somali government.
Somalia has not had an effective government for about two decades.
The move by Treasury would freeze any of the Somali militants' assets in
U.S. jurisdictions. U.S. authorities say they are increasingly concerned
that Somalia has become a safe haven for Islamic extremists and a sanctuary
for al-Qaida-linked training camps.
The move to sanction the Somali militants comes as U.S. diplomats and
defense leaders are working with the shaky government in Mogadishu to
determine how to support its offensive against al-Qaida linked insurgents.
The Treasury Department said that it would also freeze the assets of: Abshir
Abdillahi, 44; Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki, 66; Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed,
33; Yasin Ali Baynah, 44; Mohamed Abdi Garaad, 37; Yemane Ghebreab, 59; Fuad
Mohamed Khalaf; Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud, 28; Mohamed Sa'id, 44; and Fares
Mohammed Mana'a, a Yemeni who reportedly holds a diplomatic passport from
Yemen. All of the ages are estimates provided by the department.
Mana'a, one of the biggest arms dealers in Yemen, has been arrested and in
the custody of Yemeni authorities for more than a month.
Copyright C 2010 The Associated Press.
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----