From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sat Jul 25 2009 - 07:49:14 EDT
Somali Intelligence Chief Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat
25/07/2009
By Khalid Muhammad
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- Director of the Somali Intelligence services,
General Muhammad Sheikh Hassan, has said that contacts between the Somali
government and the kidnappers of the French security experts detained by the
Somali Shabab Movement are about to come to a halt.
In a telephone interview with Asharq Al-Awsat; his first since he took
office last April [ 2009], the intelligence chief stressed his objection to
any French military operation to free the hostages, even though the Somali
Prime Minister, Omar Abdul-Rashid Sharmakie said he would not object to a
French commando operation to free the two French hostages. The intelligence
chief revealed that a military operation to free the hostages has been
cancelled because "it was too difficult for us to carryout."
He denied that the Somali intelligence apparatus has been infiltrated by the
Shabab Movement, but he revealed that 12 have been arrested in connection
with this incident; some of them are members of the Islamic Military Court
militias, who are allied with the interim Somali government led by President
Sheikh Sharif.
The intelligence chief, General Muhammad Sheikh Hassan is 55; he joined the
intelligence Academy of Mogadishu in 1975 and was promoted to the rank of
Second Lieutenant. In 1986, he moved to the diplomatic service and worked in
the office of the foreign minister with the rank of Colonel, until the
collapse of the regime of President Muhammad Siad Berri in 1991.
During the civil war in Somalia he lived in Ethiopia and Kenya, and in
September 2005, after the formation of the provisional parliament in the
Kenyan capital Nairobi, he became director of the office of the Speaker of
the Somali Parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adam. After the election of
Sheikh Sharif as president earlier this year, he became director of the
presidential office, and on the 19th April 2009, the Somali Council of
Ministers approved his appointment as director of the Somali intelligence
apparatus.
The following is the text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is the latest information regarding the French
hostages?
[Hassan] There is no news until now. There have been attempts to contact
them, but these are on the brink of being brought to an end as the
kidnappers are clashing [with one another] and there are many conflicting
reports. We do not intend to carry out any military operation as this would
lead to heavy losses.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The Somali Prime Minister said that he would not forbid
French military intervention?
[Hassan] Yes, this is the government position.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you unconvinced of the French military intervention?
[Hassan] I do not think that such intervention will be beneficial, we
prepared a plan to release the hostages by force, but this proved too
difficult and we turned away from implementing this. We do not know the
extent of the possibility of the French intervening and [successfully]
freeing the hostages.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are there any communications [between you and the
hostages]?
[Hassan] The clan that is in control is the al-Hebrjadr tribe, particularly
the Eir and Sulaiman tribes, however all three are members of the al-Shabaab
movement. The first group of kidnappers is affiliated to the [Somali]
pirates who have transferred their operations from the sea to land, however
now the situation is in the hands of the al-Shabaab movement.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you expect the hostages to be released?
[Hassan] The situation is complex and may take a long time to be resolved or
it is possible that they will be released soon; I cannot speculate.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Has the French government sent a delegation to Mogadishu
in order to monitor the situation?
[Hassan] No. No French delegation has come to Somalia. We are in contact
with the international community, particularly the French government, with
regards to this situation.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Who is responsible for the French agents staying at this
hotel posing as journalists?
[Hassan] I assigned officers to this, and they suggested that the two French
[agents] stay at this hotel for safety, and I agreed to this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does this kidnapping mean that security in Somalia is not
at the requisite level, or that the Somali Intelligence agency was betrayed?
[Hassan] The two French [agents] stayed at the "Sahafi hotel" which is one
of the most secure hotels in the capital Mogadishu. Around 10 governmental
ministers were staying at the hotel, as well as around twenty members of
parliament. The hotel is ten meters from the headquarters of the
peacekeeping forces of the African Union.and the headquarters of the
Criminal Investigation unit of the Somali Police Force. The hotel also has
heavy tribal security; [therefore] some kind of conspiracy took place.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Who was involved in this conspiracy?
[Hassan] All of the dimensions of this [conspiracy] have yet to become
clear, but firstly there was a governmental party involved in this, and a
force affiliated to the Islamic Court Union known as the "Daraawish"
movement used a car to carry out this kidnapping. The police did not
question the presence of this car as they believed it had come to the hotel
to transport some ministers or members of parliament who were staying there,
therefore there was no suspicion [over its presence].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] So you believe this was part of the deception?
[Hassan] Yes, this was the initial factor. The second factor is that the
hotel security was in contact with the kidnappers. At the same time we - as
the intelligence agency - searched for this car and impounded it, along with
arresting ten soldiers and two hotel security staff. They are all being held
by the government, and this is how the operation too place. Everything is in
the hands of God, but there was a conspiracy. [However] perhaps you know
that even in America - which has the most powerful intelligence agency in
the world - such events can suddenly take place.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Have any of the detainees confessed?
[Hassan] We have discovered that 4 of them were aware that the kidnapping
was going to take place; the investigation is still ongoing.I believe there
are still hidden parties [involved in this] who have yet to be revealed.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does this kidnapping represent a personal challenge for
you?
[Hassan] Yes, and I know that this is a challenge to the intelligence agency
specifically and the Somali government in general. However international
terrorism has infiltrated some important [governmental] organs, even in
major countries. The judgment and destiny belongs to God. Sometimes events
[like this] occur even in America - which is the most powerful country with
the greatest capabilities- without their intelligence services being aware
of it.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does this mean that the [Somali] Intelligence Service has
been infiltrated by the al-Shabaab movement?
[Hassan] Not so far. The system has not been infiltrated by them, however
when we first came to the capital Mogadishu we entered into confrontation
with the opposition which slowed the process of reconstructing our security
operations.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You mean to say that your [security] apparatus is in need
of resources and support?
[Hassan] Yes, this is a fact. The national security apparatus, as well as
the Somali intelligence service, is in dire need of international support,
especially [in order to] train its cadres, and implement modern means of
information gathering. We have lived under civil war for twenty years, and
we do not have what we need to help us our intelligence operations. The
current mentality present in Somalia is an intolerant tribal mentality that
does not see beyond Somalia's borders. We all now live in one world, in the
sense that security challenges exist everywhere in the world, and we must
cooperate and consult with other agencies and exchange information.
Unfortunately the Somali government is a new one, and cannot provide any
material support to the security apparatus. We hope to take advantage of
what is happening in the world with regards to the fight against terrorism,
and we are now in dire need for every possible support to combat terrorism.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you in contact with any international or Arab
intelligence services?
[Hassan] I, along with my government, now look forward to international,
Arab, and African support.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] If the situation is as dire as this, why did you accept
the position of Chief of Somali Intelligence?
[Hassan] I did not ask for this responsibility. President Sheikh Sharif is
the one who charged me with this responsibility, and I believe that any such
responsibility in Somalia is difficult for those [attempting] to carry it
out; however the most difficult [responsibility] is with regards to security
and intelligence.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Thank you. Do you have anything else you would like to
add?
[Hassan] Yes, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Arab
states, institutes, and individuals that are closely monitoring the
situation in Somalia. I would also like to take this opportunity to request
financial, political, moral, and military support for Somalia's transitional
government, as it is threatened by terrorist elements that are wanted
internally both from the East and the West. I am calling for the Arab
countries to pay attention to what is happening to the people of Somalia,
who are unable to confront these international terrorists.
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