As fighting rages on in the Somali capital Mogadishu, international stakeholders in Somalia are urging the country’s transitional federal government and an Islamist-led opposition faction to implement a cease-fire agreement outlined in a recently-signed peace deal. But as VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi, the deal is now viewed as being too weak to produce any results. More on Analysts Say Somalia Peace Deal Too Weak

I appreciated State’s prompt response to the question I posed on the Department’s compliance with the Foreign Assistance Act at the hearing. However, I am disappointed that despite acknowledging security forces in Chad and Ethiopia are reported to have committed abuses, the response asserted without any reservation or justification that there is not a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights in these countries. This claim contradicts the State Department’s own annual country reports.

Obama should not fall for McCain’s poor excuse to skip the Friday night debate & should just attend the event without him! McCain is running away because he’s tanking even in the Fox New’s polls & he’s terrified that Obama will link national security & foreign policy to economic security. In short McCain knows that he cannot win this debate. Buh bye bye John McCain because this gimmick just sealed your fate!