Saturday Reads 3/18/13 - Somalia, Saudi Climber, Safety Plan, and Sarah!

I will admit that I did not realize that Somalia had made such great strides restoring their government and putting their nation back on the right track! Since this blog is about social studies, here's a map to remind us all, where Somalia is located:

A bright future for Somalia is within touching distance

Mogadishu, Somalia - When al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the Mogadishu courthouse on April 14, they were attempting to reverse the country's dramatic trajectory of progress. They failed. Although there was a tragic loss of life, the courts are re-opening and life is already back to normal.

I visited the courthouse shortly after the attack and spoke to survivors in hospital. Nowhere did I see defeat - or anything like it. Instead I saw the typical Somali resilience that is one of my people's greatest characteristics.

Al-Shabaab, though they do not yet understand this, belong to the past. Somalis have seen for themselves the horrors of their nihilistic foreign agenda and want no part of it. As a result, our enemies have seen their territory and morale, their fighters and finances diminish rapidly, as they acknowledged in a desperate open letter last month to Ayman al Zawahiri, their ideological puppet master in al-Qaeda.

  The truth is that Somalia has turned a corner and there is no going back. I lead a reforming government that is restoring Somalia to the community of nations. Every week brings fresh evidence of the new normality: human rights legislation, diplomatic visits, security sector reform, sports clubs reopening, the extension of government to newly liberated areas, new businesses opening, economic recovery, piracy attacks declining, international partnerships strengthening, international relations expanding.Continue Reading

Related Stories:

Somalia asks for international support 

In pictures: Music returns to Mogadishu

World powers hail Somalia's progress but warn of dangers 

Here's an upbeat story for a change! Way to go, Raha, and I do hope that you are an inspiration to Saudi women!

First Saudi woman climbs to top of Everest

A 25-year-old graphic design graduate has become the first ever Saudi woman to climb to the top of Mount Everest.

Raha Moharrak is the only female in a group of four Arabs who announced two months ago that they would be reaching the summit in 2013.

"The first ever Saudi woman to attempt Everest has reached the top!! Bravo Raha Moharrak. We salute you," said a tweet from the group.

The "Arabs with Altitude" group includes Mohammed Al Thani, a member of Qatar's royal family, Raed Zidan, a Palestinian real-estate businessman and Masoud Mohammad, an Iranian living in Dubai who owns an ice-cream franchise.

Ahead of her trip, Moharrak said: “I really don’t care about being the first ... so long as it inspires someone else to be the second." Continue Reading

AARGH! Come on American companies let's help the workers of the world stay safe!

US retailers stall Bangladesh safety deal

After deadly factory collapse, European clothing stores agree to safety code with suppliers but US retailers hold out. Read More

Sarah Palin PWNED After Tweeting, "Mr. President, most Americans hold their own umbrellas" 

So Sarah Palin just had to put her two cents into the stupid controversy surrounding a Marine holding an umbrella over the President's head  the other day. It is the stupidest non-scandal, blogger quickly found pictures of Marines doing the same thing for both of the Bush's and well as for Mrs. Palin just look!! When will they learn!