Somalia has a government?
God help us if they find the internet.
Somalia has ISPs?
Yeah, that was my first response as well. Looking into it, since late 2012 there has been, apparently, a government. In theory, anyways, which was more than they had previous to that.
Somalia has more advanced, reliable telecommunications than anywhere else in Africa, and more use of mobile banking than most of the world.
I first learned this while arguing with anarcho-libertarians about whether government is necessary: they held that Somalia’s superiority in telecommunications (compared to neighbouring countries with active regulators) proved that government only gets in the way.
It’s one of the few times I’ve used the old “Then why don’t you move there?” gambit with any success.
They fear what they can not understand.
Al-Shabaab regularly uses the Internet.
So, this is just an idea, but what if the ISP’s just shut off service to al-Shabaab, and let them think the whole country is blacked out? I wonder if every single person in Somalia would go along with the joke?
Any chance we could get them to do Nigeria?
A few things I noticed from that article:
"Al-Shabaab has lost control of the major cities of Somalia and are now trying to terrorize people and stop them using the Internet," the minister said. "We will not allow our citizens to be deprived of Internet access and smartphones."I found it mildly humorous that they would mention smartphones specifically, but I'm also aware that mobile access is likely the easiest way to get internet connectivity into the hands of most Somalis for the least investment. From the CIA Factbook:
Communications ::SOMALIA Telephones - main lines in use: 100,000 (2012) country comparison to the world: 146 Telephones - mobile cellular: 658,000 (2012) country comparison to the world: 162 Telephone system: General assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging the lowest international rates on the continent. domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers with one company beginning to provide 3G services in late 2012.And back to our regularly scheduled CNN article:
[Al-Shabaab] had also barred foreign aid organizations from southern Somalia, describing them as Western spies and Christian crusaders.Yes, well, *ahem*, we'd never do that--those AQ dudes are way off! And I guess we're all a little guilty of cognitive disconnect here and there:
Al-Shabaab regularly uses the Internet. It has a major presence on social media, and posted the threat on its Facebook page.Oy vey.
Meh… They got a local Pakistani doctor to do it, so it wasn’t in the name of ‘foreign aid orgs’ and I think killing that motherfucker was a fair tradeoff for any potential fear of aid… and I seriously doubt most people know that fact anyway.
Also, yeah: smartphones are much cheaper than any other internet connected device. You can get Chinese android phones for much less than $100.
I find it very hard to believe that Somalia has better telcom infrastructure than South Africa or Morocco (among others.) Indeed, the CIA World Factbook seems to contradict the assertion:
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers with one company beginning to provide 3G services in late 2012
EDIT: Doh, wrecksdart beat me to it.
the part people seem to be missing is the fact that the saudi’s - protectors of islam’s holiest sites - is complicit in the 9/11 conspiracy - surely it would be saudi arabia at the un demanding an independent investigation into the 9/11 conspiracy when there is so much credible evidence publially available - no it is iran that brought this to the un and canada and the other ‘allies’ including the saudis walked out - the saudis are allowing the islam’s degridation in the west - it is a partnership of the us britain israel and saudi arabia - for the larger picture listen to dr david ray griffin on world government and one world religion - the religions of abraham - judaism christanity and islam REUNITE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-TZypcH9eg
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