Somalia update

The Islamic militants are gaining the upper hand in Somalia, a worrisome development to say the least.

Muslim militias claimed Monday to have routed warlords allegedly backed by the United States after weeks of fighting for control of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to contain the spread of militant Islam.

U.S. officials and other experts warned that if the militias consolidated their victory they would establish an Islamist state where al-Qaida could secure bases from which it could spread its violent ideology to other East African and Horn of Africa nations.

The Islamists’ claim of victory in Mogadishu comes as the United States and its allies struggle to contain growing Islamic violence in Iraq and some of the fiercest attacks in Afghanistan by the Taliban since that Islamic militia was driven from power in 2001.

Al-Qaida-inspired extremists might be allowed to use Somalia as a refuge from which to support and mount operations against Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the world’s No. 1 oil producer, located a boat ride away across the Red Sea, said U.S. officials and other experts.

The Islamic Courts are expanding their reach, as well.

New Islamic Courts have been announced today around Balad some 30KMs north of Mogadishu and Capital suburbs district of Deynile, both previously controlled by the Islamic Courts rival secular.

Supporters of Former powerful warlord Mohamed Qanyare Afrah at his defense position of Deyniile have totally converted into Islamic Courts fantasies this morning after Alliance members lost control of much in the capital and surroundings.

Armed vehicles belonged to Mohamed Qanyare and militiamen f formerly loyal to him have given in themselves to protect their living areas from fresh fighting.

The blow came after Islamists consecutively defeated rival Anti Terror Alliance inside and outside the Capital for the past days.

StrategyPage has a few words about what the Islamic Courts are.

The Islamic Courts are a coalition of warlords that use Islamic judges (usually small groups of clerics or clan elders) to decide disputes. This cuts down on feuding within the organization, and provides more control over criminal behavior. Beyond that, the Islamic Courts militias are still your average Somali warlord gangsters. But these are pro-al Qaeda gangsters, who are known to harbor some wanted al Qaeda terrorists. The Islamic Courts oppose the current transitional government, and want to establish a religious dictatorship.