NEWS/BLOG

Somalia - What’s Going On?

And why does it matter? News from Somalia presents more questions than answers. Where did the trouble start? When the Europeans left or before they got there?

The area was overrun by warlords long before the Europeans arrived. Historically Somalia has been divided between Africa and the Arab world, a division which has caused much bloodshed on the African continent.

In the 1970s, the U.S. failed to assist Somalia in its war against its communist neighbor Ethopia, and a civil war ensued. In the 1990s. President Clinton sent in the military, but with two Black Hawks down and 18 dead, withdrew. Al-Quada established a base in the country, very possibly planning the attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania from there.

When the Islamic Courts Council or ICC seized power, at least the Somalis had some hope of order. Truckloads of soldiers no longer roamed the streets. The price of AK-47s dropped. Drug use was abolished. The warlords retreated to their villages. But Ethopia wasn’t pleased at having an Islamic state as a neighbor and preferred having Somalia weakened and divided as it had been before. Washington gave its approval and Ethopia invaded, driving back the ICC. The U.S. is offering an aid package of $17 million to assist the new transitional federal government of Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi. Meanwhile, order has not been restored.

This just in - the U.S. has carried out air strikes against Al Quada operatives in Somalia.

You asked when the trouble started - it was when the Europeans arrived and tried to impose a government on the Somalis.  They have a traditional structure that no European would be willing to call a government, but that the Somalis were happy with.  They did not want a European style government and did not like having one imposed on them.  Europeans considered this to be anarchy and continued to try to impose a European style government.

You are correct to mention that Clinton emboldened Al Quada with his mishandling of the Blackhawk Down incident.

A long and sad case of interference in the lives of others.