Western Resistance

In his interview last Wednesday, Aweys denied that he had ever been a terrorist, and that those who had made such allegations were his enemies, and they were lying. He has been placed by the United States and the United Nations on international blacklists. He is one of the former leaders of al-Ittihad al-Islami, one of the terror organisations recently placed on the UK's list of outlawed groups. Al-Ittihad al-Islami has been blamed for bombings in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in 1996 and 1997, kidnapping of relief workers in 1998, and it is widely believed to have been behind the bombing of the Israeli-owned hotel in Kikambala, which was bombed in November 2002, killing 7 Kenyans and 3 Israelis.

Aweys claims in an earlier article by the BBC, from 25 March that there have been no terror groups in the country, and that it would be the duty of every Somali to fight a peace-keeping force. He is accused by America of having links to al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda certainly do seem to have established a foothold in Somalia. They recently attempted an insurgence in Somaliland, a breakaway republic in the north of Somalia, which has had its own government since 1991, even though Somaliland is not internationally recognised.

The claim that Aweys makes, that there never have been terrorists in Somalia, are contradicted by facts. In July, the International Crisis Group stated that these were led by an Afghan-trained militia leader and had made a foothold in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu. In their report they wrote: "The threat of jihadi terrorism in and from Somalia is real," .... describing the group as "a new, ruthless and independent network with links to Al-Qaeda". The current president, Abdullahi Yusuf, was formerly in charge of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, north-eastern Somalia, and there fought members of al-Itihad al-Islamiya, and managed to expel them from his territory. One of the ships recently hijacked, apparently by warlords, had food destined for Puntland. A BBC report by Joseph Winter from 24 November 2004, featured an interview with the sheikh.

"No-one here is fighting against the US," he says, insisting that he is merely a Muslim scholar, who believes that only Sharia law and Islam offer the solution to Somalia's problems.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, talking softly and calmly and often smiling through his red, henna-stained beard, he does not give the impression of someone who masterminds terror attacks when he is not talking to journalists or preaching at the mosque over the road from his house.

He moves around quite openly in Mogadishu, albeit in a convoy of armed guards, including a technical - a truck with an anti-aircraft gun mounted on the back. But in lawless Mogadishu, such extensive security is not exceptional for those who can afford it.

Mr Aweys readily agreed to be interviewed at his large, well-maintained house set down a labyrinth of dirt tracks in a middle class Mogadishu suburb.

However, he agrees with those who say that worldwide, Islam is under attack by the US and its allies and supports "the Mujahideen who are fighting back".

Since none of the three factions are believed to have sufficient firepower to defeat the other, it is unclear how long the current status quo can last, but the threat of war hangs over relief workers who will try to provide aid to the hungry in the months to come.