Chinese Commandos Train To Kill Pirates

The Chinese South Sea Fleet recently conducted an anti-terrorism drill in which commandos flew to a merchant ship and then assaulted it by rappelling down from the helicopter and "cleared" the vessel of pirates and "rescued" the crew.

Earlier this month, a Chinese cargo ship, the "Delight", and its 25 man crew, was taken by Somali pirates. About the same time, a Chinese fishing boat, with a crew of 24, was also taken by Somali pirates off the coast of Kenya. China has said it will contribute forces to help deal with the Somali pirates.

For background see China Special Operations Forces

How long till Barack Obama put U.S. Troops in to Kenya ?

Kenya Crumbles
Under Corruption
and Ethnic Strife

On October 16, 2008, a Somali Islamist group claimed that it would start a "jihadi war inside Kenya" if the government decides to help train Somali military forces loyal to the transitional federal government. The Somali Islamists see Kenya as an ally of Ethiopia – which in fact it is.

On October 31, 2008, at least 20 people died in inter-clan fighting between the Murule and Garre clans in the Mandera region (northeast Kenya). The fighting erupted in late October, and a subsequent government security operation in the area ended up injuring at least 200 civilians. (NOTE: A security operation usually indicates an operation by paramilitary police units.) The government denied that "hundreds" of civilians had been injured, and claimed that it had confiscated nearly 50 weapons.

A year ago Kenya was involved in a tumultuous election, with daily reports of ethnic violence. The election, held at the end of December 2007, produced a small scale civil war, with at least 1,300 killed and 300,000 refugees. Most of the displaced were members of a tribe living in an area where another tribe was the dominant ethnic group.

Kenya has done a fairly good job of working through the aftermath of the disputed election and the ethnic violence. Outside mediation proved to be useful. Mediation brought the two key rival leaders, President Mwai Kibaki (who claimed he won the election) and opposition leader Raila Odinga (who claimed Kibaki won by fraud) to the negotiation table.

During the negotiations, cooler heads (many in the business community) pointed out that the violence was damaging Kenya's reputation and would harm the economy – ultimately impoverishing everyone.

Negotiations produced a power-sharing agreement which led to the Grand Coalition Government (national unity government). The Grand Coalition has brought a degree of stability, but Kenya is still struggling with the "ethnic politicization" – code phrase for parties organized on ethnic lines. Corruption still plagues the country, and in an odd way that gives most Kenyans a common interest. Anger at corrupt elites is common complaint from Kenyans of all tribes.

Kenya's Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence (CIPEV), which filed a report in mid-October, noted the anger and suspicion of Kenyans. The CIPEV demanded that perpetrators of violence be prosecuted. It also derided systemic institutional failures in Kenya's "internal security mechanisms."

The CIPEV recommended that Kenya improve its police forces (both regular police and Administration Police) and "stream-line" intelligence gathering. The Administration Police are the government national police force and operates as an internal security force. It has a small Rapid Deployment Unit.

Obama Aunt from Kenya living in US illegally

Barack Obama's Aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been quietly living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago.

Zeituni Onyango, 56, referred to as "Aunti Zeituni" in Obama's memoir, was instructed to leave the United States by a U.S. immigration judge who denied her asylum request, a person familiar with the matter told the AP late Friday. This person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to discuss Onyango's case.

Information about the deportation case was disclosed and confirmed by two separate sources, one of them a federal law enforcment official.

Onyango's refusal to leave the country would represent an administrative, non-criminal violation of U.S. immigration law, meaning such cases are handled outside the criminal court system. Estimates vary, but many experts believe there are more than 10 million such immigrants in the United States.

The AP could not reach Onyango immediately for comment. No one answered the telephone number listed in her name late Friday. It was unclear why her request for asylum was rejected in 2004.

Onyango is not a relative whom Obama has discussed in campaign appearances and, unlike Obama's father and grandmother, is not someone who has been part of the public discussion about his personal life.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Kelly Nantel, said the government does not comment on an individual's citizenship status or immigration case.

Onyango's case — coming to light just days before the presidential election — led to an unusual nationwide directive within Immigrations and Customs Enforcement requiring any deportations prior to Tuesday's election to be approved at least at the level of ICE regional directors, the U.S. law enforcement official told the AP.

The unusual directive suggests that the Bush administration is sensitive to the political implications of Onyango's case coming to light so close to the election.

Kenya is in eastern Africa between Somalia and Tanzania. The country has been fractured in violence in recent years, including a period of two months of bloodshed after December 2007 that killed 1,500 people.
The disclosure about Onyango came just one day after Obama's presidential campaign confirmed to the Times of London that Onyango, who has lived quietly in public housing in South Boston for five years, was Obama's half aunt on his father's side.

It was not immediately clear how Onyango might have qualified for public housing with a standing deportation order.

Barack Obama's Half-Brother, George, Lives in Kenya

Hat Tip to my YouTube friendkeepnolahonestFrom keepnolahonest: Barack Obama's half-brother, George Obama, lives in Kenya. Barack Obama does not have a relationship with or speak to his half-brother. Neighbors feel Barack Obama should visit brother and see how he lives. They feel he should help him improve his way of life.

Obama's brother is a Muslim in the UK

Obama's brother is in Bracknell
By OLIVER HARVEY
Chief Feature Writer

So proud ... Bernard Obama with Oliver Harvey

THE may be living in a Bracknell council house, but soon he could be dining with his brother at the White House.

The Sun was the first newspaper to track down and speak to Bernard Obama, 37.

And he said of Democrat candidate Barack: “I’m very proud of my big brother.

Happy families ... back row from left: Unknown, Barack Obama, half-brother Malik, unknown, half-brother Abo, Bernard. Front: Half-sister Auma, stepmum Kezia, stepgran Sarah, unknown

“It’s quite a funny feeling that he might be the next President of the USA.”

Muslim Bernard — an avid Manchester United fan and Sun reader — is staying with his bingo-loving mum Kezia, 67, who has lived in the Berkshire new town for six years.

He was glued to the TV news in the modest suburban bungalow last night as Barack, 46, was due to arrive in Britain.

Bernard leads a quiet life, running a car parts firm in Nairobi, Kenya.

But he is a regular visitor to the UK to visit Elvis fan Kezia.

She married Barack Obama Snr in Kenya in 1957 when she was a teenager.

He later left for the US and went on to meet Ann Dunham, who gave birth to his now widely acclaimed son.

Obama Snr, a Kenyan goatherd who became a leading economist in his east African homeland’s government, was killed in a car crash in 1982.

Barack Jnr was 21 and Bernard 12. He said: “Our father passed away when I was young and I didn’t get the chance to get to know him very well.

“When you lose your dad at such a young age, that’s when you really miss him.”

Bernard smiled when he spoke of his famous half-brother. He said:

I was around 17 when I first met Barack.

He was visiting Kenya and it was obvious from the way he spoke and his charisma that he was going to be a success.

He is charming, very good company and very charismatic.

I’ve met him since with his wife Michelle in Kenya. She’s very nice, a very strong and intelligent person. I don’t think we will see him on this visit to Britain. It’s official business and he’ll be very busy.

Bernard is remaining with Kezia for the next month as she recuperates from illness.

Barefoot and dressed in cream shorts and red T-shirt, he said: “I love coming to Britain because I love football and I like reading about it in The Sun.

Converted

“I’m a big Manchester United fan but I think Barack’s more into basketball.”

Bernard converted to Islam 18 years ago. The dad of one said: “I’m a Muslim, I don’t deny it. My father was raised a Muslim.

“But it’s not an issue. I don’t know what all the hullabaloo is about.”

Barack is a staunch Christian. A recent cartoon in the New Yorker magazine caused a furore by portraying him as a turban-wearing Muslim and his wife as a terrorist.

In February, photos emerged of Barack in traditional Somali robes during a trip to Kenya in 2006.

But Bernard dismissed jibes about Barack’s religion and said there was no significance to the photos.

He added: “If you go to Japan or Nigeria you put on the traditional dress. People are trying to look for ways to tarnish him.”

In his biography, Dreams From My Father, Barack told of meeting Bernard in Kenya.

He wrote: “That sweetness, the lack of guile, made him seem much younger than his 17 years.

“As we stepped into the street, Bernard draped his arm over my shoulder. ‘It’s good to have a big brother around,’ he said, before waving goodbye and vanishing into the crowd.”

The pair’s dad left Kenya in 1959 when he took up a US scholarship. Kezia, then three months’ pregnant with daughter Auma, already had a year-old son Malik to look after.

Barack Snr met Barack’s mum Ann in Hawaii, and she gave birth to the now presidential hopeful in August 1961.

The Democrat’s dad returned to Kenya in 1965 and Kezia subsequently gave birth to two sons, Abo in 1968 and Bernard in 1970.

Raunchy

Barack’s former brother-in-law Ian Manners, 55 — divorced from Bernard’s and Barack’s sister Auma — is writing a book about his in-laws.

Daughter Akinyi, 11, spent Christmas with Barack in the US. She said: “I asked him if I could meet Beyonce. He smiled and said he’d see what he could do.”

Barack attended Ian’s 1996 wedding to Auma and famously ran out of a pub in Wokingham, Berks, during Ian’s stag bash when a raunchy dancer took to the stage.

Businessman Ian said: “We were having a few drinks, then a stripper dressed as a St Trinian’s schoolgirl appeared.

“She was no Miss World and it was the last thing I wanted. As soon as Barack saw what was about to happen he made a hasty retreat.

“He was in politics already and left the pub immediately.”

Ian added: “I played a couple of rounds of golf with him in 1997.

Bash ... Barack Obama and wife at Ian's wedding

“We had to go to a municipal course because golf clubs wouldn’ t have been keen on a black man playing on their course back then.

“He is very competitive and beat me both times. It was obvious Barack was going to get to the top.”

Bernard agreed, saying: “Barack is going to win the election, definitely, and I want to be in the US for his inauguration.

“He will be a breath of fresh air for the world.”