Boost for Somali, Sudan peace (Nairobi) (News24) (17 Feb, 03) Norway will donate $500 000 to help pay for peace talks in Kenya aimed at ending internal conflicts

Somali talks delegates in Nairobi for third phase (Nairobi) (The Nation) (17 Feb, 03) Hundreds of delegates attending the Somalia peace talks yesterday continued to leave Eldoret for Nai

Wagalla massacre remembered Wajeer, By WAWERU MUGO & ADAN MOHAMED ( 17th February 2003 ) Emotions ran high at the weekend as survivors of the Wagalla massacre of Wajir district commemorated

Situation in Shinille Area Improving Adis Ababa, Save the Children press Release ( 17th February 2003 ) Emergency food distribution in Shinille zone of Somali Region has begun to turn the situation around

Confusion As Talks' Delegates Relocate Nairobi, AllAfrica.com(IRIN) ( 17th February 2003 ) Delegates to the Somali peace talks, arriving at the new venue in Nairobi from the western Kenyan to

Group prepares to welcome more refugees from Somalia GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) (Feb 16, 03) A social services group is preparing to welcome up to 100 Somali refugee families to the area this

Somalia Peace Talks Relocated to Nairobi (VOA) (15 Feb, 03) Talks to end Somalia's conflict will relocate to Kenya's capital, Nairobi, from the western town of

TALKING POINT : GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS - POST MORTEM TALKING POINT (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (Feb 15, 03) If you think you don't want to read any more about Somalia, you are wrong. There are, of course, bad news and commentaries from Somalia in the Western media, with Somali news gatherers and editorial writers (including yours truly), with few exceptions, rallying around the flag or jumping on the bandwagon.

Millions lost on Somali talks (Nairobi, Daily Nation) (By LUCAS BARASA ) (15 Feb, 03) Millions of shillings were lost in financial irregularities unearthed in an audit of the ongoing

Some Food Security Improvements in South Nairobi, IRIN ( 13th February 2003 ) A food security watchdog for Somalia has predicted a good secondary harvest during January-February

Somalia to attend NAM Summit Kuala Lumpur, DAILY EXPRESS NEWS ( 13th February 2003 ) Somalia which is yet to fully recover from years of civil war will nevertheless participate in the

Somali detainee should be deported, government lawyers argue ! St. Paul. Curt Brown of the Star Tribune ( 13th February 2003 ) With about 20 Minnesota Somalis filling the courtroom, government lawyers asked a federal ......

SOMALIA: Measles outbreak in south Saakow, IRIN ( 13th February 2003 ) Three children have died in an outbreak of measles in the Middle Juba region of southern Somalia,

Muqdisho oo laga bilaabay Qashin guris Mogadishu , Farxiya Cali Qaaje (bbc) ( 13th February 2003 ) Shirkad ka shaqeysa Nadaafadda ayaa Muqdisho ka bilowdey hawl ay kaga gureyso qashinka, shirkaddaas

Fishermen Accuse Foreigners of Depleting Coastal Waters (Nairobi) (Allafrika) (Feb 13, 03) Large foreign ships are harassing and intimidating Somali fishermen around the southern coastal town

EU breaks ice on financing Somaliland (Afrol News ) (Feb 12, 03) Somaliland formally doesn't exist, even if the country has had its own government, peace and

SOMALIA: Fishermen accuse foreigners of depleting coastal waters Makka, IRIN ( 12th February 2003 ) Large foreign ships are harassing and intimidating Somali fishermen around the southern coastal town

Factions Violate Ceasefire (Nairobi) (Allafrika) (12 of Feb, 03) SOME FACTION leaders attending the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference in Kenya are

Refugees to move to new camps Nairobi, By Nation Reporter ( 12th February 2003 ) The government plans to transfer refugees from Kakuma and Dadaab camps to better areas.

Somalia peace talks move to Nairobi Nairobi, (EAS) ( 10th October 2003 ) Over 400 delegates currently attending the on-going Somali Peace Talks will be moved from Eldoret to Nairobi this week.

Xajjkii Muslimiinta oo galay maalintii ugu horreysay ! Makka, Cabdiraxman Yabarow,bbc news ( 10th February 2003 ) Dad gaaraya laba malyuun oo Muslimiin ah ayaa todobaadkan iskugu tagey magaalada barakeysan ee Mecca

Georgian men escape Somalia Tblisi , AFP ( 9th February 2003 ) Six Georgian sailors held hostage by pirates in Somalia for more than six months made a daring

Sales drop in cattle markets Sharjah, By Ashfaq Ahmed of Gulf News ( 9/2/2003 ) Traders at the animal markets nationwide have reported low business ahead of Eid Al Adha compared to

TALKING POINT : THE STENCH OF CORRUPTION (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (Feb 09, 03) The stench of corruption, embezzlement and scandal is hovering over the conference hall in Eldoret that should lead the new Kenyan government to call the Auditor General to examine whether or not everything is on the up and up, and NOT a private auditing firm as reported by the media. Members of the civil society

Blair's asylum pledge rubbished London, BBC News ( 8th February 2003 ) Refugee groups and opposition MPs have greeted with scepticism Prime Minister Tony Blair's promise

Teacher charged with groping: Allegedly assaulted two students Brookline by Doug Hanchett ( Boston Herald.com) ( 8th February 2003 ) A veteran Brookline High School teacher was hauled out of school by police yesterday morning and

ERITREA: Isayas says Ethiopia "spoilt child" of superpowers Nairobi, IRIN ( 7th February 2003 ) Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki has described Ethiopia as the "spoilt child of the world's .....

Somali Factions Face Sanctions for Ceasefire Violations (Addis Ababa) (Addis Tribune) (FEB 09, 03) Somali factions attending peace talks under way in Eldoret, Kenya, face expulsion or other sanctions

Newcomers give old city a look at itself (USA TODAY) (LEWISTON, Maine) (8 FEB, 03) In this old New England city, shadowed by the specter of mostly abandoned mills, rumors about the

Man who imported khat gets probation (Portland Press Herald) ((Portland - US) (Feb 07, 03) A Somali refugee was sentenced to probation Thursday for breaking drug laws when he imported an

Eyewitness: On Somalia's surgical frontline (Mogadishu) (BBC) (Jan 7, 03) If you think you have a demanding job, spare a thought for doctors Ahmed Mohamed Taajir and Abdi

TALKING POINT : COMING TO AMERICA - PART TWO (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (Feb 06, 03) Since I posted Part One of Coming to America, Some Home Truths on this Website I received a number of emails from former colleagues and friends scattered all over the Continents.I am glad to know that they are still very much alive and kicking after the painful process of adjusting themselves to their new environments.

Somalia: dab qabsadey guryo ku yaal Baardheere Baardheere, Xasan Bariise (BBC) ( 6th February 2003 ) Wararka ka imaanaya magaalada Baardheere ee gobolka Gedo ayaa sheegaya in Taladadii gelinkeedii ....

SOMALIA: Interview with TNG Foreign Minister Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim Adis Ababa, IRIN ( 6th February 2003 ) Interview with Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim, foreign minister of the Transitional National Government (TNG)

Somali deportation case creates legal stir (ST. PAUL, Minn.) (KRT) (Feb 06, 03) Immigration law, normally dry and arcane, gave rise in recent weeks to a pulsequickening behind-the-

U.S. to Accept Somali Bantu Refugees (Washington) (Washington Post) (Feb 06, 03) The United States said yesterday it would proceed with a plan to take in as many as 12,000 Somali

Employees of Somalia talks allege cash scandal (Nairobi) (The Nation) (Feb 06, 03) Secretariat staff at the ongoing Somali peace talks yesterday called for investigations to establish

SOMALIA: FAO denies upsurge in rinderpest disease Nairobi, IRIN ( 5th February 2003 ) The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has denied that there has been an upsurge in the

UN Teams Visiting Somalia's North Eastern Region of Puntland Nairobi, IRIN ( 5th February 2003 ) A high-level United Nations team is visiting the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, .....

Somali tells of time in prison waiting to be deported ! St. Paul. Lourdes Medrano Leslie,Star Tribune ( 5/2/2003 ) He's out of jail now, but Ilyas Ahmed said he still has nightmares about the two months he spent ...

Shifting a problem back to its source London, Alan Travis, home affairs editor ,the Guardian ( 5/2/2003 ) An asylum seeker who arrives at Dover will soon find themselves screened, fingerprinted and in ....

Sanctions threat for Somali warlords (Nairobi) (BBC) (Feb 04, 03) An agreement to stop fighting during Somali peace talk has been repeatedly broken

Somalia truce to be monitored, violators punished (Nairobi) (Reuters) (Feb 03, 03) Kenya's foreign minister said on Monday that mediators had agreed to start monitoring a shaky

Proliferation of Small Arms And Insecurity Nairobi, Dauti Kahura of the East African Standard ( 3rd February 2003 ) The collapse of Somalia, in the early 1990s and the endemic conflict in the Horn of Africa sparked

African Leaders Agree on Peace Council Adis Ababa, yahoo News ( By ANTHONY MITCHELL, Associated Press Writer ) ( 3rd February 2003 ) African leaders agreed Monday to establish a peace and security council with the power to intervene

SOMALIA: Peace talks stalled Eldoret, IRIN ( 3rd February 2003 ) The Somali peace conference underway in the Kenyan town of Eldoret is said to have stalled for lack

African rulers gather for special summit in Ethiopia ! Adis Ababa, SABC ( 2nd February 2003 ) African leaders gathered in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa today ahead of a special two-day .....

Dadkii Dayaxgacmeedka saarnaa oo hilbahoodii la helay ! Kennedy Space Center,Florida BBC News ( 2nd February 2003 ) Qeybo ka soo haray Dayxagacmeedkii burburey isagoo daqiiqado uga harsanyihiin in uu dhulka ku soo

'War Wont Stop Us' Kampala, AllAfrica.com(the monitor ) ( 2nd February 2003 ) Torn by strife in their homeland, Somalia's football champion Elman dumbfounded the East African ...

'AU Summit Crucial'- Foreign Minister Mwansa Adis Ababa, Janet Ilunga,the Times of Zambia ( 1/2/2003 ) FOREIGN Affairs Minister Kalombo Mwansa says the African Union's first extraordinary assembly which

Somali man freed, won’t be deported (PIONEER PRESS) (Bloomington) (Feb 01, 03) Abdullahi Ahmed Farah walked from the Immigration and Naturalization Service office in Bloomington

Somali leader: Move north a year away AUGUSTA, By ELBERT AULL, Staff Writer of MaineToday.com ( 31st January 2003 ) A small number of Somalis may seek jobs and housing in the Augusta and Waterville areas, a Lewiston

ETHIOPIA: African Union summit about to open in Addis Ababa ! Adis Ababa, IRIN ( 31st January 2003 ) Ethiopia has said it will welcome Eritrean President Isayas Afeworki if he comes to the capital,....

Talks on Somalia stall again Eldoret, By NATION Correspondent ( 31st January 2003 ) Somali peace talks in Eldoret have stalled due to financial difficulties..............

Judge orders INS to free Somali man facing deportation ! Minneapolis, Eric Black,Star Tribune ( 31/01/2003 ) Since the Immigration and Naturalization Service cannot deport Abdullahi Ahmed Farah to Somalia, it

Renewed Clashes in Baidoa ! Baidoa , AllAfrica.com(IRIN) ( 30th January 2003 ) Fighting resumed in the southern town of Baidoa on Wednesday when forces loyal to the Rahanweyn ...

Global ship piracy up, ocean crime watchdog says ; Report calls Somali waters 'most dangerous' London, CNN.com(Reuters) ( 30th January 2003 ) In its 2002 annual report the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors crime on the high seas

TALKING POINT : COMING TO AMERICA (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (Jan 29, 03) Time and again I have been asked what gave me the idea of coming to North America, instead of Western Europe, Australia or New Zealand. Surprise --because in my student days, I was unable to understand why the English, the Irish, the Scots, the Polish, the Italians, the Portuguese ....

The West versus the rest ! London, By TREVOR KAVANAGH,Political Editor of the Sun ( 30th January 2003 ) TONY Blair vowed yesterday the West was prepared to take on ANY rogue nation posing a threat.

Africa Welcomes $15B From U.S. for AIDS JOHANNESBURG, South Africa By RAVI NESSMAN, Associated Press Writer ( 29th Janaury 2003 ) President Bush (news - web sites)'s pledge to give $15 billion for AIDS (news - web sites) relief

Somali Delegates Reject Shift of Talks Venue ! Eldoret, William Faria of the East African Standard ( 29th Janaury 2003 ) Somali delegates in the on-going peace talks yesterday opposed the transfer of the conference from

Somalis who fought at talks may be charged (Nairobi) (The Nation) (29 of Jan, 03) Four delegates arrested during a fist-fight on the sidelines of the on-going Somali peace talks

Somalia's Elman take on Ethiopian champs (Nairobi) (The Nation) (29 of Jan, 03) The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations club championship enters day three toda

Students freed from Kenyan 'torture' Nairobi, By Gray Phombeah of the bbc ( 28th January 2003 ) Kenyan police have rescued 11 boys from an Islamic correctional centre in the capital, Nairobi,

Activist is injured as Somali delegates fight (Eldoret) (The Nation) (Jan 28, 03) A fight erupted at the Somali peace talks in Eldoret yesterday, leaving one person seriously injured

SOMALIA: Fighting breaks out at peace conference ! Eldoret, IRIN ( 28th January 2003 ) A fist fight erupted at the Somali peace conference in Eldoret, Kenya, when civil society delegates

JAWAAB-CELINTII SOMALILAND MA LAGU QANCAY ? DAHIR RIYALE’SE MAXAA HAYSTA SHAQSIYADIISA ? Hargeisa, Faallo gaaban-by Banadir.com ( 28th January 2003 ) Tan iyo markii dib loo bilaabay wajiga labaad ee shirka nabadeynta Soomaalida todobaadkii na soo ...

Ethiopia: Government Defends Press Law ! Adis Ababa, IRIN ( 27th January 2003 ) The Ethiopian government has hit back at claims that it is trying to push through draconian press...

Djibouti :Turning Strategic Location into Economic Advantage ! Washington, DC - Reed Kramer ( 27th January 2003 ) It's no mystery why Ismail Omar Guelleh, the leader of one of Africa's smallest nations, received ..

SOMALIA: Leaders' committee proposes delegates for Somaliland ! Eldoret, IRIN ( 27th January 2003 ) Somali leaders attending the peace talks in the Kenyan town of Eldoret have proposed that extra ...

Balir to get tough on asylum London, Britain News ( 26th January 2003 ) Tony Blair faces criticism after pledging to consider tough new measures to reduce the flow of ...

US seals 18th ICC immunity deal as Djibouti agrees to pact Washington, DC - Daily Times ( 26th January 2003 ) The United States on Friday signed a deal with Djibouti that gives US troops in the Horn of Africa

Powell:'Mareykanku Wakhti ayuu siinayaa Ciraaq' Davos, BBC News ( 25th January 2003 ) Xoghayaha Arimaha dibadda ee Mareykanka, Colin Powell ayaa sheegay in maamulka Bush uu si "samir leh

TALKING POINT : WRITING TO KILL PAIN (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (Jan 22, 03) - Anyone who makes a habit of reading the heartbreaking stories from Somalia is probably sick to death of the new, new waves of violence in places where there was a semblance of peace and stability before.

Somali Refugees Deny Reports of Recruiting by Muslim Extremists ! DADAAB, Kenya- Alisha Ryu ( 25th January 2003 ) Somali refugees living along Kenya's border with Somalia deny reports their camps have become a ...

Kenya enlisted in group of six to fight terrorism ! Nairobi, By NATION Reporter ( 25th January 2003 ) Kenya is among six countries identified by the US work in a coalition in the battle against ....

GEERIDA WASIIRKA SHAQADA KENYA SIDAY U SAAMEYN DOONTAA SOOMAALIDA REER KENYA ! Busia,Kenya Commentary by Banadir.com ( 25th January 2003 ) Doorshadii madaxtinimada dalka Kenya ee la qabtay 27kii December 2002 , waxaa dadka Soomaalida ah ..

ETHIOPIA: Government accused of "intellectual repression" Adis Ababa, IRIN ( 24th January 2003 ) The Ethiopian government is muzzling educators and students with a policy of harsh repression....

Minister dies in Kenya plane crash ! Nairobi, BBC News ( 24th January 2003 ) A light aircraft carrying new government ministers has hit power lines and crashed shortly after ...

Musyoka: Somalia Crisis a Burden to Kenya ! Nairobi, Eliud Chisika of the East African Standard ( 24th January 2003 ) Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) member states have made the Somalia peace process

U.S. May Start Training African Troops ! Nairobi, By MATTHEW ROSENBERG, Associated Press Writer ( 23rd January 2003 ) American troops could soon start training soldiers from Yemen and a handful of eastern African ....

SOMALIA: New mediator promises more transparency at peace talks ! Eldoret, IRIN ( 23rd January 2003 ) New Kenyan mediator Bethwel Kiplagat on Thursday promised more transparency and consultation to give

Galbeedka oo arinka Ciraaq ku kala fogaaday Paris, BBC News ( 23rd January 2003 ) Colin Powell ayaa shaki ka muujiyey ballangalka France iyo Germany ee ku xiriira sidii Ciraaq hubka

230,000 Face Starvation in Refugee Camps, Says UN Body ! Nairobi, AllAfrica.com ( Jeff Otienoe,the Nation ) ( 23rd January 2003 ) More than 230,000 refugees in the country face starvation, the United Nations High Commission for

Somali delegates reopen peace talks (Eldoret) (The Nation) (23 Jan, 03) The Somali peace talks continued yesterday after a month-long break with the Kenya Government

TALKING POINT : WRITING TO KILL PAIN (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (Jan 22, 03) TALKING POINT : WRITING TO KILL PAIN

COL. ABDULLAHI YUSUF : SOMALILAND WAA QAYB KA TIRSAN JAMHUURIYADDA SOMALIA ! Eldoret, By Banadir.com ( 23rd January 2003 ) Madaxa maamul goboleedka Puntland ee Waqooyi-Bari Soomaalia Col. Cabdullahi Yuusuf Axmed ayaa ....

US to open aid office in Djibouti ! Washington, DC - News24.com ( 22nd January 2003 ) US President George W Bush discussed possible war against Iraq with Djibouti President Ismael Omar

Kenyan foreign minister, new mediator arrive in Eldoret (Eldoret) (IRIN) (Jan 22, 03) Kenyan Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka and the newly-appointed special envoy to Somalia

ETHIOPIA: Shortage of supplementary food ! Adis Ababa, IRIN ( 22nd January 2003 ) Ethiopia is facing major shortages of high calorie blended food which often provides a lifeline for

Aydid Opposed to Presidential System ! Nairobi, AllAfrica.com(IRIN) ( 22nd January 2003 ) Mogadishu-based faction leader Husayn Aydid has called on the Somali delegates meeting in the Kenyan

XASAN ABSHIR OO QIRTAY INUU KU KHILAAFAY CABDIQASSIM SHIRKA ELDORET ! Nairobi, By Banadir.com ( 22nd January 2003 ) Wareysi uu shalay galab siiyay idaacadda bbc-da, ayuu Xasan Abshir Faarax ku qirtay inuu ku .....

Fresh mediator for Somali talks ! Eldoret, By Alice Muthengi of the BBC ( 21st January 2003 ) The mediator of the Somali peace talks in western Kenya has been replaced .........

Humanitarian Agencies Unable to Access Baidoa (Nairobi) (BY Allafrika) (Jan 21, 2003) Ever since the outbreak of fighting in the southwestern town of Baidoa last July, humanitarian

IN MEMORY OF HUSSEIN AFRAH SHEENGIYAALE (Prof. Mohamud Togane) (Montreal) (Jan 21, 2003) Hussein Afrah Sheengiyaale died in the dead of winter

FIFA bans Somalia boss for two years ! ZURICH, (Reuters) ( 20th January 2003 ) Farah Weheliye Addo, president of the Somali Football Federation, has been banned from soccer two ..

Kenyan President Kibaki Hospitalized Nairobi, yahoo News ( 20th January 2003 ) President Mwai Kibaki has been hospitalized to remove a blood clot from his leg and treat slightly

10,000 Somali refugees fly to the US next month (Nairobi) (The Nation) (Jan 20, 03) About 10,000 Somali refugees currently in Kenyan camps are set to be resettled in the United States.

Despite chaos at Somalia peace talks, there is hope for a deal Eldoret, Marc Lacey The New York Times ( 20th January 2003 ) The peace talks unfolding here aimed at ending Somalia's long civil war have turned as chaotic as ..

Djibouti President On Official Visit to the US ! Washington, DC - IRIN ( 20th January 2003 ) Djibouti President Isma'il Omar Guelleh on Saturday left for a five-day official visit to the US at

SOMALIA: UN calls for respect of child rights ! Nairobi, IRIN ( 20th January 2003 ) UN agencies working in Somalia have called on Somali leaders and all parties to the conflict to take

Kenya Replaces Envoy to Somalia Peace Process (Nairobi) (People's Daily) (19 Jan, 03) The Kenyan government has appointed former ambassador Bethwell Kiplagat to replace Elijah

Anti-War Protests Worldwide Ahead of Key Iraq Talks ! WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD, By Steve Holland and Andrew Hammond (Reuters) ( 18th January 2003 ) Activists poured onto the streets around the world on Saturday in mass protests against an attack...

Release of three Somalis ordered ! SEATTLE, The Associated Press ( 18th January 2003 ) A federal judge has ordered the release of three Somalis being detained by the Immigration and ....

Ethiopian police 'tortured Christians' Adis Ababa, By Damian Zane, BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa ( 18th January 2003 ) Ethiopia's federal police have been accused of illegally detaining hundreds of people following a ..

Eritrea Joins Arab League As Observer ! Adis Ababa, Addis Tribune (All Africa.com) ( 17th January 2003 ) Eritrea has joined the Arab League as an observer and is to send an ambassador to the pan-Arab body

UNDP helps keep remittance lifeline open to Somalia ! New York, UNDP ( 17th January 2003 ) UNDP Somalia is helping to keep open a crucial financial lifeline -- remittance companies (hawala)

U.N. Condemns Spate of Child Murders in Somalia ! Nairobi, ( Reuters) ( 17th January 2003 ) The United Nations condemned on Friday a spate of child murders and kidnappings in Somalia, where ..

SOMALIA: REVIEW OF 2002 Nairobi, IRIN ( 17th January 2003 ) The year 2002 ended as it began, with Somalia still mired in conflict, insecurity and instability.

Somalis 'smuggling children overseas' (Mogadishu) (BBC) (17 of Jan, 03) Somali parents are paying up to $10,000 to have their children smuggled abroad, a United Nations

Hotel Services to Peace Delegates Halted (Eldoret) (The Nation) (17 of Jan, 03) Hotels in Eldoret have resolved to stop providing services to delegates attending the Somalia Nation

 

TALKING POINT : A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WARLORD (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (16 Jan, 03) - A Somali warlord commands thousands of men, hundreds of whom maybe related to him in the way of clan affiliation, thousands of whom may never have seen, or learnt his real name or his past record.

Somali boy passes away (Doha, Qatar) (The Peninsula) (JAN 16, 03) Abdalla, a Somali boy and a Class VII student of the MES Indian School, died in Doha yesterday follo

Arab Ministerial committee on Somalia ! Khartoum, Arabic News.com ( 15th January 2003 ) The Arab Ministerial committees concerning Somalia stemmed from the Arab League, the UN, the ....

U.N. Pressures Nations on Child Soldiers ! New York, By KIM GAMEL,Associated Press Writer ( 15th January 2003 ) The Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution later this week calling on members to .....

TALKING POINT: TARGETTING MUSLIMS INFLAMES OPEN ATTACKS ON INNOCENT PEOPLE. (Toronto) (By M.M.Afrah) (25 of Dec, 02) This is a rerun of Mr. Afrah’s TALKING POINT of October 2001 in which he puts the record straight

TAKING POINT : OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH (Toronto, Canada) (By M. M. Afrah) (Dec 24, 02) This is Mr. Afrah's OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH late last year. We decided to