AbdiGeedi
To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
** It is a serious discussion. Please do not devolve into accusing me or others of supporting Al-Shabab. It is a mere attempt to find the way out of Somalia's problems and conflicts.
How can we solve the Al-Shabab issue in Somalia. Al-Shabab acts like they are on their own in Somalia outside the political structures which gives them a cover to act callously like committing terror on the civilians and taxing business people outside the legal venues.
What do you think is the way forward? Is it the fight to end till Al-Shabab is exterminated or finding the way to morph them into a non-violent participant in Somalia's political scene.
I am thinking the solution is somewhere in-between.
As a reference I want to bring up Syria and how this sort of transformations are taking place in that war-torn country.
There is this Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front group known as the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) now. They are in opposition to the Assad regime and control much of the Idlib province in Syria. They are the so-called rebels. Up until recently they were hardcore jıhadists and were involved in multiple terrorist acts. After the Turkish military poured in into the areas under the HTS control, there were tensions with sporadic outbursts of violence against the Turks. However, Turkey managed to the large extend to reign the HTS in since the latter did not have much of a choice. It was gonna be either the extermination by the Russian/Assad forces or the bowing down to Turkey.
After seeing the benefits of being moderate, the HTS has rebranded itself as the Government of National Salvation (GNS) to secure a seat in Syria's political process.
As a result of it the US has stopped considering the HTS as a threat and even praised it of sorts. Though it is still considered as a terrorist group by most countries. But it is winding down its terrorist side. The HTS now says that it no longer has any connection with Al-Qaeda. And the HTS and the ISIS are hostile to each other since long time ago even before the HTS undertook the reformation path.
I am thinking maybe Al-Shabab can be coerced to change its ways and somehow either disband or start participating in Somalia's political scene.
The HTS and Al-Shabab have striking similarities in the way of taxing and levying local businesses.
By the way in the long term I believe Turkey is going to annex the areas it occupies in Syria. The population under the Turkish umbrella is already being taught Turkish language and use the Turkish lira as the currency of choice after the collapse of Syrian economy.
Russia is already silently annexing the Mediterranean coast of Syria, especially around Palmira. They want to turn the land into a resort area for its citizens. There are rumors that land rights are being sold to the Russian rich investors. The area is being controlled by the Russian military. The Assad and Iranian forces were literally kicked out by the Russians from there.
Please read the article below about HTS's transformation.
english.alaraby.co.uk
How can we solve the Al-Shabab issue in Somalia. Al-Shabab acts like they are on their own in Somalia outside the political structures which gives them a cover to act callously like committing terror on the civilians and taxing business people outside the legal venues.
What do you think is the way forward? Is it the fight to end till Al-Shabab is exterminated or finding the way to morph them into a non-violent participant in Somalia's political scene.
I am thinking the solution is somewhere in-between.
As a reference I want to bring up Syria and how this sort of transformations are taking place in that war-torn country.
There is this Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front group known as the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) now. They are in opposition to the Assad regime and control much of the Idlib province in Syria. They are the so-called rebels. Up until recently they were hardcore jıhadists and were involved in multiple terrorist acts. After the Turkish military poured in into the areas under the HTS control, there were tensions with sporadic outbursts of violence against the Turks. However, Turkey managed to the large extend to reign the HTS in since the latter did not have much of a choice. It was gonna be either the extermination by the Russian/Assad forces or the bowing down to Turkey.
After seeing the benefits of being moderate, the HTS has rebranded itself as the Government of National Salvation (GNS) to secure a seat in Syria's political process.
As a result of it the US has stopped considering the HTS as a threat and even praised it of sorts. Though it is still considered as a terrorist group by most countries. But it is winding down its terrorist side. The HTS now says that it no longer has any connection with Al-Qaeda. And the HTS and the ISIS are hostile to each other since long time ago even before the HTS undertook the reformation path.
I am thinking maybe Al-Shabab can be coerced to change its ways and somehow either disband or start participating in Somalia's political scene.
The HTS and Al-Shabab have striking similarities in the way of taxing and levying local businesses.
By the way in the long term I believe Turkey is going to annex the areas it occupies in Syria. The population under the Turkish umbrella is already being taught Turkish language and use the Turkish lira as the currency of choice after the collapse of Syrian economy.
Russia is already silently annexing the Mediterranean coast of Syria, especially around Palmira. They want to turn the land into a resort area for its citizens. There are rumors that land rights are being sold to the Russian rich investors. The area is being controlled by the Russian military. The Assad and Iranian forces were literally kicked out by the Russians from there.
Please read the article below about HTS's transformation.
HTS seeks 'moderate rebrand' to secure seat in negotiations
The secretive leader of the jihadist group HTS has undertaken an intense public relations campaign in Idlib, revealing his true identity and trying to present a more moderate image.
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