Ethiopia prepared to invade Somalia

AP via Yahoo ^ | 7/19/06 | Les Neuhaus

[Zeroisanumber]

NAIROBI, Kenya - Ethiopia is prepared to invade neighboring Somalia to defend its U.N.-backed government against what appeared to be an imminent attack by Islamic militiamen, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

The militiamen, who hold most of southern Somalia, deployed hundreds of fighters outside the town where the largely powerless government is based and said they planned to seize it.

"We have the responsibility to defend the border and the Somali government. We will crush them," Ethiopia's Minister of Information, Berhan Hailu, told The Associated Press.

Seizing the town of Baidoa would give the Islamic militia — which the United States has linked to al-Qaida — the uncontested authority over most of Somalia.

Somali transitional President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is allied with Ethiopia, and has asked for its support. Ethiopia has intervened militarily in Somalia in the past, and hundreds of Ethiopian troops have been spotted along the countries' border in recent weeks.

The Somali Islamist militants are allied with Muslim separatists in the Oromo region of Ethiopia.

[Zeroisanumber]

I'm glad that someone is doing something about Somalia, but I don't think that Ethiopia has the necessary power to both defeat the Islamist government and impose order. It's very possible that this will lead to another bloodbath.

[BerlinStrausbaugh]

Too bad this didn't happen sooner!

[D-Chivas]

Both sides must be hungry for war.

[Lil Flower]

Wars and rumors of wars.....

[dfwgator]

That's Haile Selassie of them.

[ozzymandus]

Didn't these countries fight a long bloody war about 30 years ago?

[BenLurkin]

We will find a way to support this ally in the war against the terrorists.

[pissant]

Good. Let's shovel lawyers guns and money to Ethiopia and let them rid Somalia of the scourge of Islamfascists.

[Hydroshock]

We need to get the skinny on this developing situation. ;)

[Wuli]

We should give the Ethiopians any military aid that we can.

[cibco]

The Ethiopians gave Mussolini's boys a scrap back in the '30,s. Tanks against spears and old rifles. Don't count them out yet...

[MarineDad]

Why not send those d@mned laywers to Somalia instead?

[af_vet_rr]

"We have the responsibility to defend the border and the Somali government. We will crush them," Ethiopia's Minister of Information, Berhan Hailu, told The Associated Press.

Send this man to Lebanon, somebody that gets what it means to secure your borders and be responsible when dealing with terrorists.

I wish Ethiopia well - many people are unaware of how some want to change parts of Africa...they want to replace certain religions and forms of government with their own...

[Zeroisanumber]

We will find a way to support this ally in the war against the terrorists.

The CIA backed warlords' alliance collapses and a month later the Ethiopians decide that it's a vital national interest of theirs to defend the Somali national government? I'd hazard a guess that we're already involved.

[pissant]

It's just part of a song. But yes, I'd be willing to trade the entire ABA to the jihadies for a used AK-47 and a tub of hummus.

[cibco]

That's a good idea and they can take the UN with them.

[Red Badger]

UNNNGGGHHH!!!!!!

[dirtboy]

Didn't these countries fight a long bloody war about 30 years ago?

That was a civil war that ended up with the formation of Eritrea. That also made Ethiopia a landlocked nation. Although I would applaud Ethiopia kicking out the Islamists, I think their motives are not entirely altruistic here - they would not mind re-gaining access to the coast.

[nikos1121]

More Islamics terrorists acting up? Jeeeez

I guess that explains why you can't circumscize a Islamo-Fascist....

Answer:There's just no end to those pri*ks!

[pissant]

clever.