Mahdi Gabose

This is not a movie, this is not a dream, this is reality. The world as is has finally caught up with the world as it should be as we see Barak Obama get elected president of the United States of America .

He was the better candidate, he was more articulate, and his world view and the solution to the economic meltdown was more in line with what most people here saw as the more reasonable course of action to address the enormous challenges facing the planet. But all of that offered no guarantees that he would be voted into office. There was this nagging reality of American racial history and tradition that remained unanswered until last night.

That false mental imaginary road block was shattered into smithereens on November 4, 2008. There are no mountains too high, no bridge too far, and no dream too big to be realized with the right amount of determination, confidence and planning.

It is an incredible time to be alive, a privilege and an honor to have not only witnessed such a momentous occasion, but to have actually participated and contributed in small ways time and resources to bring about the change we see here today.

If Barak Hussein Obama can be president of the United States …..anything is possible!

As a Somali-American, it gives me renewed hope that my country of origin will know peace and progress by believing that "yes we can" is a mantra that we too can adopt and make happen. The obstacles to peace in the Somali peninsula are great. The inept TFG (Transitional Federal Government) in Mogadishu is a complete failure, and once again the International community is offering the same old failed policy expecting different results, despite overwhelming evident that suggests the need for a new approach.

A government in Mogadishu standing on Ethiopian stilts allowed Al-Qaida to set up shop in Somalia and found fertile ground to expand their terror campaign far and wide, to the point that they are now sending suicide bombers to Hargeysa.

Al-Shabaab (for all practical purposes an extension of Al-Qaida in Somalia ), which is believed to be behind the bombings in Hargeysa and Bossaso does not differentiate between believers and non believers. They kill anyone who opposes their point of view and their philosophy is not necessarily about the best interest of the Somali   people, they are engaged in a global jihad to expand their brand of lunacy they call true Islam.

Somalia is just a stepping stone to launch their Wahabi agenda.

As we all witnessed, they are killing innocent Somalis in order to "save" them, and when the cure to a condition, kills the patient, it is time to look for new medicine.

It is high time to look for new approach in the Horn of Africa, and this new approach should start by finally recognizing Somaliland 's achievements and the democratic journey it has embarked on. It is time to reward those who actively take steps to improve their lots, it is time to support local governance and listen and respect the wishes of those who want to govern themselves.

Somaliland needs all the help it can get to overcome this latest challenge and it will find solace and hope in the words of president elect Obama's speech when he said:

"To those who seek peace and security, we will support you."

Mr. President, we are fired up and ready to go, and with your election we too believe that we can all get to the mountain top of peace and prosperity if you lend us a glance or two.

Mahdi Gabose