Posted on 06/13/2006 4:54:17 PM PDT by PRePublic
Somali Muslims join radicals to fight common enemy, the US
June 13, 2006
By Abdifatah Ismail
The fall of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to Islamists comes at a time when anti-terror surveillance on the Horn of Africa is at its height.
At present, several western countries including the US, Germany and France have military bases in Djibouti, the northern neighbour of Somalia.
From the bases these governments patrol the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean in a bid to protect Western interests in the region from not only the marauding Somali pirates, but also possible al-Qaeda assaults.
Several attacks on Western interests have already taken place in the area. These include the bombing of an Israeli hotel and US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
As a result, America and its allies are increasingly worried about the anarchy and insecurity in Mogadishu, raising fears that terrorists may find a safe haven in Somalia from which they can organise attacks on the West.
For over 16 years, the Somali state of 10 million Sunnis has had no effective central government and attempts to restore law and order have repeatedly failed.
Several internationally mediated reconciliation conferences ended without tangible results. Analysts blame third parties for the breakdown of accords.
Equally, hardcore military interventions yielded no fruit.
In 1991, Bush senior sent the largest number of American troops ever to African soil, but withdrew after warlords backed by Islamists visited a devastating defeat on them. Since then the US has had no active foreign policy towards Somalia.
Lately, the US and their allies have intensified their vigilance along the Somali coast following claims of pro-al Qaeda elements in the country.
They also backed a coalition of anti-Islamist groups waging a war against the militants in Mogadishu. Washington denied any backing, but raised fears about the emergence of Islamism in Mogadishu.
In the immediate aftermath of Mogadishu's seizure, President Bush told the media that America's first concern, of course, is to make sure that Somalia does not become an al-Qaeda safe haven.
It is not yet clear why Americans renewed their concern in the region now after long slumber.
Reasons cited include the general global rekindling of interest in Africa mainly catapulted by the oil supply shortage caused by the ever-worsening situation in the Middle East. Somalia has proven oil reserves.
Whatever the case, the latest spate of violence is attributed to the renewed American interest in the Horn.
The international media has on several occasions aired accusations that Americans are backing the warlords in Mogadishu and Americans themselves have expressed moral support for what they called an "anti-terror alliance" in Mogadishu.
Although America has chosen indirect intervention in the region, it has not helped much as it is no secret that the vast majority of Muslims, including Somalis, are unfriendly to the Americans. Causes for these are, more often than not, related to the Middle East conflict.
I was thinking more of the "Arafat" look as a "virgin" (brrr) any album of that?
Ooooh, nice try. Bush put 'em in, Clinton pulled 'em out.
So the US is their most hated enemy, eh? Works for me.
"For over 16 years, the Somali state of 10 million Sunnis has had no effective central government and attempts to restore law and order have repeatedly failed."
Yeah, and guess what, the new rulers ain't gonna make any difference. It will be more war as usual in that 3rd world hell hole. The ousted ones will regroup and re-arm and it will business as usual.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.