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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/2005/10/008514print.html
October 12, 2005
Religious leader wants Islamic Somalia
Despite the recent formation of a transitional government, Somalia remains a quasi-anarchic state. Of course, the only solution for the fundamentalists is the creation of an Islamic state. From the AP:
An influential religious leader and alleged al-Qaida collaborator vowed in an interview Wednesday to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, a lawless Horn of Africa nation the United States fears could grow into a major base for Islamic terrorists.
"The Western world should respect our own ideas in choosing the way we want to govern our country, the way we want to go about our own business. That is our right," said Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, a key figure in a growing religious camp vying with secular factions for control of Somalia.
Apparently, Somalia becoming an Islamic state is already a foregone conclusion for Sheik Aweys. Otherwise he would have considered opposing secular factions residing in his own country before ranting about the West.
Speaking by telephone from a mosque in northern Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, Aweys told The Associated Press Wednesday that his enemies invented allegations he is a terrorist and that non-Muslims too often think that all fundamentalist Muslims are terrorists.
He said he and his followers, who include armed militiamen, would not rest until they had established an Islamic government in Somalia. He said he opposed efforts to install a Western-style democracy and called for the international community to leave Somalis alone to choose their own future.
Aweys said he would wage holy war on any foreign forces that enter Somalia and that he plans to have an important role in the country's future.
"I can influence all of my people with the faith and our religion," Aweys said. "The existing government is not an Islamic one and we will be having our own Islamic faith and we will be very strong in influencing our people."
Sheik Aweys' position is clear: Islam and nothing else.
Posted at October 12, 2005 05:48 PM
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http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/051012houston.htm
News Release
October 12, 2005
ICE AND HONDURAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCE NEW TELECONFERENCING PROGRAM TO SPEED DEPORTATIONS
Honduran Government will be the first to conduct consular interviews by video teleconference
HOUSTON, Texas — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in cooperation with the government of Honduras, today announced the first Video Teleconferencing (VTC) pilot program, which is aimed at expediting interviews of Honduran immigration detainees in order to speed the removal of these detainees.
ICE and the government of Honduras, working with the U.S. State Department, began discussions on VTC capability in February 2005. The pilot program will enable Honduran consular offices to interview detainees via video teleconference to confirm their nationality, rather than through in-person interviews. Confirmation of nationality is required to obtain travel documents and complete the deportation of these detainees. VTC will provide consular offices with an additional tool to conduct detainee interviews more frequently, allowing ICE to complete deportations more quickly.
“The VTC is a great example of the innovative approach ICE is taking to immigration enforcement,” said Marc J. Moore, ICE San Antonio field office director. “Consular officers are able to quickly reach out to Honduran citizens in our custody, while ICE is able to save money by reducing the amount of time detainees stay in detention and completing the deportation more rapidly.”
The Honduran Ambassador to the U.S., Norman Garcia, also commented on the new pilot: "The Government of President Ricardo Maduro has realized the importance of the Honduran Community in the U.S., that is why his administration has recognized the importance of the VTC project — for Hondurans won't have to stay in detention centers longer than they need be, and will be able to go back to their families ASAP."
The government of Honduras officially approved using VTC on April 26, 2005 after careful consideration. This pilot program will soon be expanded to Honduran consular offices in Phoenix, Ariz., and Los Angeles, Calif. The government of Honduras indicated that VTC capability will ultimately be installed in all of its consulate offices across the nation.
This VTC program is the latest of several initiatives launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deter aliens from illegally entering the United States by apprehending and quickly removing them to their countries of origin. Last month, for example, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff expanded Expedited Removal (ER) authority to the entire southwest border.
ER is an administrative process aimed at reducing the number of “Other than Mexicans” (OTMs) who have spent less than 14 days in the United States and who are apprehended within 100 miles of the border. OTMs apprehended under ER are detained and quickly returned to their countries of origin after receiving their travel documents. They are not required to appear before a federal immigration judge. According to DHS statistics, from October 2004 through August 2005, ICE repatriated more than 6,600 Honduran nationals.
# ICE #
ICC-CCS.ORG - THE WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php
SNIPPET - QUOTE:
Weekly Piracy Report
4-10 October 2005
The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 4 to 10 October 2005.
ALERT
Somalia – East and NE coast
Twenty two incidents have been reported since 15.03.05. Heavily armed pirates are now attacking ships further away from the coast. A recent incident took place 120 nm off the eastern coast. Ships are advised to keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast.