November
14, 2006: A UN report asserts that the Islamic Courts have been receiving
money and weapons from several Moslem countries, including Syria, Iran, Libya,
Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the core of the
Islamic Courts fighting force consists of about a thousand Islamic militants,
many of them Al Qaeda members. These gunmen are often Somalis who had
gone off to fight for Islamic terrorism in other countries. But now that the
Islamic Courts has plenty of cash, they were able to hire these experienced
fighters, and get them to return to Somalia. The Transitional Government has
obtained support from neighboring Ethiopia. This caused Ethiopia's enemy, and
neighbor, Eritrea, to offer support to the Islamic Courts. Most of this is in
the form of air transportation, to fly in weapons and ammunition.
November
13, 2006: Another central Somalia town, Galkayo, is being threatened by a
force of Islamic Courts gunmen. Some 300 Ethiopian troops have
reinforced Galkayo, which is held by gunmen loyal to a Transitional
Government warlord.
November
12, 2006: Islamic Courts forces advanced again, and seized another town,
Bandiradley, from gunmen loyal to the Transitional Government. About ten people
were killed in the fighting. The Islamic Courts announced that they were moving
into Puntland (an independent part of Somalia) as well.
