Being of somali orgin myself and having visted the country, i think theres some points which werent orginally mentioned in the article, which doesnt give the full picture of the situation over there.
Khat (which is the name of the drug) is THE biggest social ill in somalia. One who has connection with the somali community, somalis and whatnot will know this right away. Its practially intoxicated the country and the number of addicts is incrediably high and addicts spend their megre income on that drug rather then feed their family! . And many will steal, beg on the streets just to get their next fix. I have witnessed this many times (first and second hand).
Also, the biggest khat dealers tend to have links with criminal warlords, who profit from it massively and use the money to fund activities.
Most somalis know what Khat has done to our people and many will agree that the supply and distribution of khat needs to be stopped indefinatly. Its hard for outsiders to imagine and will sit there and comment on how its only 'soft' drugs and how its minor, but for us its not. The affects of Khat on the community and country are like the effects of herion (whilst the physical symptons are different, the social problems that areise are very simalar) and i can't imagine anyone accepting herion, knowing all is ills and problems that it causes and would fully support their goverment in taking a harsh stance against dealers, suppliers etc, so i dont see why people why our country should be any different.
Regarding this case itself, i have a problem with. I dont think they should have lashed the woman, and i'll tell you why, its because this was probably her only method of income and a way of feeding her family. Many women in somalia have been forced due to their poverty, to sell this drug on the streets and as unfortantly many of our menfolk are either drugged up, dead or unemployed. If our men did their jobs, stopped taking khat, then maybe they'd be able to try and work and our women folk wouldnt have to reduce themselves to doing this. But the story is always the same and unfortanly many women have no choice but to rely on themselves to get food on the table.
If the ICU wanted to lash anyone, it should be the big khat dealers and suppliers who are making millions every years. They're the ones living in the big mansions in Hargesia, Burco, Xamar, driving the nice cars and have their fancy homes aborad. They are the ones making the killer profits and exporting the Khat from Ethopia and Kenya! They need to shut down the infostructure and punish the major dealers/suppliers/exporters and not penalise the poor women, men and children who have no option but to earn a living somehow. I strongly oppose khat, but i wonder how many of us, living in destute and abject poverty would sell khat if it meant you could buy water and some food so your family dont die! Im not saying its right, but the ICU need to tackle the issue from the very top and not from the bottom, because its the elite and wealthy individuals who are expoliting the poorer people! We can't afford to run for quick fixes!
Its all fine and dandy for the ICU to lash the women, but thats not going to stop the selling and distrubiton of it, if the onwers and major suppliers are not being stopped.
Also, the ICU need to start finding ways of economically lifting our people out of poverty. 95-98% of the people are living in harsh conditons, incrediably acute poverty, are striken with famine, illness etc.. So far, all they have been doing is handing down religous regulations and punishments but have done nothing on helping the country economy and finding ways of helping our nation use its resources to uplift itself from its condition. We have the largest coastline in the whole of africa and have an abudent of seafood in the sea, which if our leaders took notice of, they could start to protect our shores and start up the fishing industry and start exporting our fish. Currently, the japaease, the danish and some other nations are on our shores and waters, illegially poaching our products for nothing. If they got together and tried to do something with the coastline, which was once a bustling area, then inshallah some much needed finances and jobs could be found.
We also have oil and petrol in our mountains and earth and again if we made deals with other countries, inshallah we could start to use our natural resources to benifit the country and the people!
If such things could be done, then maybe our men and women would have halal jobs to do and wouldnt be reduced to supplying Khat as a method of living.
inshallah.Planes are flooding somali airports,somalis will one day go back home,like bosnians,afghans,:happy: 
