The situation in Somalia has turned Code Red. Things are deteriorating very fast for Zenawi’s troops. The Al-Shabaab “jihadists” have taken over southern Somalia, and are ravenously eyeing Mogadishu. It is no longer “hit-and-run” guerrilla warfare. It is capture-and-stay. They have captured Kisimayo, a southern port town. They are staying. They are being “flooded with money” from supporters and backers throughout the Middle East. They have shut down the Mogadishu airport. Now they are vowing to do the same with the sea ports. The 2500 or so African Union peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi are holed up in their garrisons in Mogadishu as the insurgents rain rocket-propelled grenades on them at will. Bombings, assassinations, piracy, kidnappings and hostage-taking are a daily fact of life in Somalia. More on Quitting Time in Somalia

As the piracy of the Somali coast took a new and dangerous turn with the hijacking of a ship carrying T-72 Tanks, rocket-propelled grenades and other ammunition destined for Southern Sudan, a Kenyan lawyer had the audacity to call neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia to annex the hapless country and divide it between them as a final solution for the Somali problem. More on Mr. Kipkorir: Annexing and dividing Somalia is a call for balkanization of Horn of Africa

The seizure of a Ukrainian vessel with military shipment to the Kenyan army is the latest in a spike of attacks on shipping by pirates on the Somalia ocean front who since January have ransomed close to three dozens of ships. More on US policy In The Horn Fails Again

“This economic crisis changes the climate of the country. We were in a conservative era where conservatives could win running conservative vs. liberal campaigns. Because of this economic crisis and a bunch of other stuff, we’re no longer in a conservative era. You can’t win that way any more. You better win the way of this new era. And I’m afraid the Republicans are not adapting to this new era.”

It’s election night. The polls have closed and the results are in. One candidate will be the 44th President of the United States.

If we don’t step up our efforts right now and register as many voters as possible, the winner could be John McCain.

Think about what that means: four more years without a plan to end the Iraq war, four more years of economic turmoil, and four more years without quality, affordable health care.

Virginia’s registration deadline is Monday, October 6th. With only three days left, we need your help registering new voters.

You can make the difference. Forward this email and remind your friends, family, and neighbors to register and vote. More on To all Ethiopian and Somalis from Virgina’s Registration deadline is Monday,October 6th