Posted on 06/06/2006 6:49:15 PM PDT by Trueblackman
The fall of Somalia’s Capital City of Mogadishu is a symbolic victory for the forces of Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda Terrorist Organization and is yet another setback for the United Nations.
The Islamic rebels, who have been links to Al-Qaeda, seized the city in early June following months of heavy fighting between the city’s rival clans. For Bin Laden and his radical followers this victory can only be compared to the Israeli capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War.
Bin Laden has quoted in saying, “That it was Al-Qaeda inspired rebels that caused the United States and United Nations to withdraw from Somalia in 1995,” following the deaths of 18 U.S. Army Rangers in close quarters combat following the downing of their Black Hawk helicopter by a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) after the Rangers had sought to detain a wanted Somali Warlord. The image of an American Helicopter Pilot being drug naked thru the streets of Mogadishu was more than enough to sour the American People’s Opinion on the 3 year old U.N. Backed Peacekeeping Mission and led to the disgraceful withdrawal of U.S. led peacekeepers.
Somalia has been without a functioning central government since clan warlords overthrew Somali Strongman Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Since the withdrawal, the United Nations has supported a symbolic government in the Northern Somalia City of Baidoa, but this government has never been granted any authority the nation outside of a worthless U.N. Charter and never received the support of clan’s warlords, with factional fighting inside Somalia continuing unabated for several years.
The victorious rebels recently promised to bring “Sharia” (Islamic Law) to the capital city and all of Somalia, the same Islamic rule that the Taliban brought to Afghanistan from 1996-2001. While some of the city’s war weary residents (mostly supporter of the now defeated clans) have protested the takeover, many residents are now prepared to accept the authority of the rebels as long as a sense of some normalcy returns to their city.
The United Nations treated Somalia; the same way it did with Afghanistan, outside of the establishment of a completely powerless government, the United Nations never took strong steps to reign in factional warlords and Islamic terrorist who have split the nation into factional sheikdoms since 1995.
If the rebels in Somalia are successful in capturing the entire nation, Al-Qaeda will gain influence in the Horn of Africa will have a central base of operations from which leaders can plan and carry out worldwide attacks. I fully expect the streets of Mogadishu to become a new training ground for freshly recruited supporters of Al-Qaeda to gain experience in close quarters against Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also expect the Port of Mogadishu to become an export point for heavy weapons to Al-Qaeda supporters worldwide as the nation is litter with Cold War Era heavy weapons and parts.
On FOX tonight I noticed they mentione that the UN has troops in the region to prevent this sort of thing.
Seems like a bit of an overstatement.
"... the UN has troops in the region to prevent this sort of thing"
HA !
Yes I think most would agree, but I wanted the detractors to understand what this meant to Al-Oeade.
Altogether, I'd rather be in Jerusalem.
BTTT
ROFLMAO!!!
Good post. Nicely subtle.
The fall of Somalia’s Capital City of Mogadishu is a symbolic victory for the forces of Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda Terrorist Organization and is yet another setback for the United Nations.
The advent of the UN was another setback for the UN. Does the UN have any major successes at all? What a worthless turd of an organization. Beyond worthless actually, harmful to humankind with it's liberal/communist/socialist agenda and false securities.
Sadly, it's not. Mogadishu is the model for Islamic victory that Usama often refers to. Al Qa'ida has long felt that the lessons of Somalia apply directly to Iraq and other areas. The symbolic fall of Mog, and in all likelihood, the rest of Somalia, to the Islamic court militias, will be staggering in terms of Sunni extremist lore.
They know that for political reasons we'll no more go back to Somalia than we would invade Vietnam. It's a symbolic victory for Al Qa'ida as much as it is the creation of a new safe haven. Somalia a monument to our weakness of resolve, and lack of will to fight to the bitter end. The fall of Somalia will be seen as vindication of Bin Laden's philosophy in extremist circles.
"While some of the city’s war weary residents (mostly supporter of the now defeated clans) have protested the takeover, many residents are now prepared to accept the authority of the rebels as long as a sense of some normalcy returns to their city."
Normalcy? As long as daily beheadings can be called "normalcy" I guess they get what they want.
Given Africa's mineral wealth, Al-Qeade could fund itself for years to come and the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US as Marty would say.
That is what I am trying to say here and thank you Steel for seeing that point.
The whole thing is about state-supported terrorism and its proxy armies. Always has been. We went into Afghanistan to end one such monstrosity and into Iraq to prevent another.
Somalia has been an entryway for Arab culture into Africa for a very long time now - it's only a 150-mile boat ride across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. It is no surprise at all that militant Islam should take hold in this chaotic environment. People suffering such will accept any order that may be imposed by force, and that's fascism's strong suit. That order will now be Shari'a. Will this be better or worse for the Somalians than the previous chaos? Well, was Nazi Germany better for the Germans than the Weimar Republic?
There have been half-hearted attempts on the part of Reuters, et al to claim this as a loss for the U.S. because we were supporting the warlords, neatly forgetting that we were trading shots not so very long ago. It isn't. It's a loss for the world.
They must have sent the French.
Of course they do! Just look at Korea! And the Oil for Food program! Both notable, and noble, actions on behalf of the UN!
Must have been and now Osama has a base of operations once again, I say he will be moving in a few months.
Well, if it is of such extreme strategic importance, than why the heck don't we just flatten Mog? Not that I'm disagreeing with you, it's just that we need to let Al Qaeda know that we can beat them wherever we wish and/or where they think we can't. I'm starting to believe very strongly that people need to know that they have been defeated.
The UN has troops? Who knew? LOL!
Yeah, sorry, I didn't elaborate. I meant successes for freedom, goodness, and the 'good guys.' ; )
LOL
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