Well I'm not sure if the US is making things worse by its covert intervention or if the US is entering the fray early enough that it will make a positive contribution? The fact that Ethopia, which is a very heavily Roman Catholic nation, with deep roots to the Catholic church that are 2000 years old, is probably reason enough for The Islamic Courts movement to declare this a Holy War. The fact that the US is supporting the Somali and Ethopian governments certainly is a reason to claim that the "west" is trying to wipe out Muslims???
U.S. signals support for Ethiopia in Somalia
By Caren BohanWed Dec 27, 3:57 PM ET
The United States on Wednesday signaled support for Ethiopia's military offensive in Somalia, saying Addis Ababa had reasons for concern about the country's internal warfare.
The White House urged restraint by Ethiopia but also said the intervention should not be used as an excuse by Somalia's warring factions to avoid peace negotiations.
"Ethiopia has genuine security concerns with regard to developments within Somalia," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
Johndroe added that Ethiopian forces were there "at the request" of Somalia's interim government, which wants to break the stronghold of the Islamic Courts Council on southern Somalia and Mogadishu.
Ethiopian and Somali government troops were advancing toward the capital of Mogadishu, which was seized by the Islamists in June. Ethiopia sent tanks to Mogadishu this week and used warplanes to strike Islamist-held airports, formally declaring war against Somalia's Islamists. Highlighting U.S. concern about the conflict, President George W. Bush spoke on Tuesday to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni about Somalia.
State Department spokesman Gonzo Gallegos urged all parties to uphold a December 6 U.N. Security Council resolution backing African peacekeepers to help prop up Somalia's interim government. It also called on the government and its Islamic rivals to pursue peace talks. "We're working all parties. We're working with all the regional states: Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti and others. We're having dialogue with Somali clerics, business leaders, clan elders, civic society," Gallegos said.
"The heart of (the UN resolution) is this idea that we must get to a situation where the Somalis can come together, where they can continue this dialogue they began and build on that," he added. The United States has accused the Islamic movement of harboring al Qaeda operatives and has warned that Ethiopia as well as Kenya could be targets of extremist elements from Somalia.
The Islamic Courts movement claims broad popular support and says its aim is to restore order to Somalia after years of warlord rule and anarchy. An editorial in the Washington Post on Wednesday warned that parts of Somalia controlled by the Islamists were beginning to look like Afghanistan under the Taliban before the September 11 attacks. The Post said the Bush administration probably would have to prepare for much more active U.S. engagement "in what is emerging as a hot new front in the war on terrorism."
The United States provides training to Ethiopia's police and military for border and coastal security and counter-terrorism efforts. However, a U.S. defense official said U.S. troops were not involved in or advising Ethiopia on its offensive in Somalia.
Washington has struggled to find a coherent approach to Somalia and remains haunted by the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" incident in which 18 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of Somalis were killed in a mission to pacify the country.
This year, a covert counter-terrorism initiative in which the United States gave support to secular warlords fighting Islamists in Mogadishu backfired. Support for the Islamists grew after the U.S. backing of the warlords became public.
And here is another view of the situation with some updates:
Troops enter Mogadishu; refugees drown
By SALAD DUHUL, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 1 minute ago
Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces rolled into Mogadishu without firing a shot Thursday, a striking gain in its bid to recapture the country from an Islamic movement that had once seemed nearly invincible.
Off the coast, Yemeni authorities opened fire on boats filled with refugees fleeing the fighting, and at least 17 people drowned in the Gulf of Aden when one vessels capsized, the United Nations refugee agency said Thursday. About 140 people were missing, the Geneva-based agency said. Hours before the troops entered the capital, the Islamic militants fled Mogadishu, pledging to make a last stand in southern Somalia.
"We are in Mogadishu," Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi said after flying from the government's temporary base in western Somalia and meeting with local clan leaders to discuss the handover of the city. "We are coordinating our forces to take control of Mogadishu."
The Islamic movement took control of Mogadishu six months ago and then advanced across most of southern Somalia, often without fighting. Ethiopian troops then went on the attack in support of the U.N.-backed government last week in attempt to push the Islamists out of power.
The confrontation in the Gulf of Aden took place late Wednesday, when four boats smuggling 515 people were spotted by Yemeni authorities, the UNHCR said. The authorities opened fire, causing two of the boats to try to escape, the agency said. Yemeni authorities were searching for survivors, the UNHCR said.
Experts had feared the conflict could engulf the already volatile Horn of Africa. A recent U.N. report said 10 countries have been illegally supplying arms and equipment to both sides of the conflict and using Somalia as a proxy battlefield. The conflict has also drawn concern in the United States, which accused the Islamists of harboring al-Qaida terrorists. An insurgent group linked to al-Qaida in Iraq urged Muslims on Thursday to support the Islamists in Somalia "financially, with weapons and men and with prayers."
The prime minister was welcomed to the town of Afgoye on the outskirts of Mogadishu by dozens of clan leaders from the capital and hundreds of government and Ethiopian troops. The clan leaders pledged to the help collect weapons from the remaining militiamen in the capital, government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari told The Associated Press.
The Islamists' retreat early Thursday, which its leaders called tactical, was followed by looting by clan militiamen, some of whom had been their allies. It was a chilling reminder of the chaos that had once ruled Mogadishu after warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, leaving the country without a central government.
Gunfire could be heard in many parts of the city, and witnesses said several people had been killed. Before the Islamists established control, Mogadishu had been ruled for the last 15 years by competing clans who came together to support the Islamic movement. The interim government that was established two years ago with the help of the U.N. had been unable to assert its authority in the city, in part because it was weakened by clan rivalries. Somalia's complex clan system has been the basis of politics and identity here for centuries. Many fear they may now revert to fighting one another and reject the government's authority.
In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi vowed to inflict total defeat on the Islamic movement and said he hoped the fighting would be over "in days, if not in a few weeks." "We are discussing what we need to do to make sure Mogadishu does not descend into chaos. We will not let Mogadishu burn," he told reporters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.
President Abdullahi Yusuf tried to allay fears of rampant violence in the capital, saying his troops were not a threat to the people of Mogadishu. "The government is committed to solving every problem that may face Somalia through dialogue and peaceful ways," the statement said. In the south, meanwhile, the Islamic militants vowed to continue their fight against the government and Ethiopian forces, saying they had fled Mogadishu to spare civilian deaths.
Yusuf Ibrahim, a former Islamic movement fighter, said only the most hardcore fighters were still opposing the government and its Ethiopian backers. He said they numbered about 3,000 and were headed to the port city of Kismayo, south of Mogadishu, which the Islamists captured in September. Witnesses reported seeing a large number of foreign fighters in the convoys heading south.
Islamic movement leaders had called on foreign Muslims to join their "holy war" against Ethiopia, which has a majority Christian population. Hundreds were believed to have answered the call.
Residents told the AP that Islamic leader Hassan Dahir Aweys had arrived in the frontline town of Jilib, 65 miles north of Kismayo, earlier Thursday with hundreds of fighters aboard 45 pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.
Islamic fighters have gone door to door in Kismayo recruiting children as young as 12 to make a last stand on behalf of the Islamic movement, according to a U.N. report citing the families of boys taken to Jilib.
U.S. signals support for Ethiopia in Somalia
By Caren BohanWed Dec 27, 3:57 PM ET
The United States on Wednesday signaled support for Ethiopia's military offensive in Somalia, saying Addis Ababa had reasons for concern about the country's internal warfare.
The White House urged restraint by Ethiopia but also said the intervention should not be used as an excuse by Somalia's warring factions to avoid peace negotiations.
"Ethiopia has genuine security concerns with regard to developments within Somalia," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
Johndroe added that Ethiopian forces were there "at the request" of Somalia's interim government, which wants to break the stronghold of the Islamic Courts Council on southern Somalia and Mogadishu.
Ethiopian and Somali government troops were advancing toward the capital of Mogadishu, which was seized by the Islamists in June. Ethiopia sent tanks to Mogadishu this week and used warplanes to strike Islamist-held airports, formally declaring war against Somalia's Islamists. Highlighting U.S. concern about the conflict, President George W. Bush spoke on Tuesday to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni about Somalia.
State Department spokesman Gonzo Gallegos urged all parties to uphold a December 6 U.N. Security Council resolution backing African peacekeepers to help prop up Somalia's interim government. It also called on the government and its Islamic rivals to pursue peace talks. "We're working all parties. We're working with all the regional states: Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti and others. We're having dialogue with Somali clerics, business leaders, clan elders, civic society," Gallegos said.
"The heart of (the UN resolution) is this idea that we must get to a situation where the Somalis can come together, where they can continue this dialogue they began and build on that," he added. The United States has accused the Islamic movement of harboring al Qaeda operatives and has warned that Ethiopia as well as Kenya could be targets of extremist elements from Somalia.
The Islamic Courts movement claims broad popular support and says its aim is to restore order to Somalia after years of warlord rule and anarchy. An editorial in the Washington Post on Wednesday warned that parts of Somalia controlled by the Islamists were beginning to look like Afghanistan under the Taliban before the September 11 attacks. The Post said the Bush administration probably would have to prepare for much more active U.S. engagement "in what is emerging as a hot new front in the war on terrorism."
The United States provides training to Ethiopia's police and military for border and coastal security and counter-terrorism efforts. However, a U.S. defense official said U.S. troops were not involved in or advising Ethiopia on its offensive in Somalia.
Washington has struggled to find a coherent approach to Somalia and remains haunted by the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" incident in which 18 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of Somalis were killed in a mission to pacify the country.
This year, a covert counter-terrorism initiative in which the United States gave support to secular warlords fighting Islamists in Mogadishu backfired. Support for the Islamists grew after the U.S. backing of the warlords became public.
Troops enter Mogadishu; refugees drown
By SALAD DUHUL, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 1 minute ago
Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces rolled into Mogadishu without firing a shot Thursday, a striking gain in its bid to recapture the country from an Islamic movement that had once seemed nearly invincible.
Off the coast, Yemeni authorities opened fire on boats filled with refugees fleeing the fighting, and at least 17 people drowned in the Gulf of Aden when one vessels capsized, the United Nations refugee agency said Thursday. About 140 people were missing, the Geneva-based agency said. Hours before the troops entered the capital, the Islamic militants fled Mogadishu, pledging to make a last stand in southern Somalia.
"We are in Mogadishu," Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi said after flying from the government's temporary base in western Somalia and meeting with local clan leaders to discuss the handover of the city. "We are coordinating our forces to take control of Mogadishu."
The Islamic movement took control of Mogadishu six months ago and then advanced across most of southern Somalia, often without fighting. Ethiopian troops then went on the attack in support of the U.N.-backed government last week in attempt to push the Islamists out of power.
The confrontation in the Gulf of Aden took place late Wednesday, when four boats smuggling 515 people were spotted by Yemeni authorities, the UNHCR said. The authorities opened fire, causing two of the boats to try to escape, the agency said. Yemeni authorities were searching for survivors, the UNHCR said.
Experts had feared the conflict could engulf the already volatile Horn of Africa. A recent U.N. report said 10 countries have been illegally supplying arms and equipment to both sides of the conflict and using Somalia as a proxy battlefield. The conflict has also drawn concern in the United States, which accused the Islamists of harboring al-Qaida terrorists. An insurgent group linked to al-Qaida in Iraq urged Muslims on Thursday to support the Islamists in Somalia "financially, with weapons and men and with prayers."
The prime minister was welcomed to the town of Afgoye on the outskirts of Mogadishu by dozens of clan leaders from the capital and hundreds of government and Ethiopian troops. The clan leaders pledged to the help collect weapons from the remaining militiamen in the capital, government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari told The Associated Press.
The Islamists' retreat early Thursday, which its leaders called tactical, was followed by looting by clan militiamen, some of whom had been their allies. It was a chilling reminder of the chaos that had once ruled Mogadishu after warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, leaving the country without a central government.
Gunfire could be heard in many parts of the city, and witnesses said several people had been killed. Before the Islamists established control, Mogadishu had been ruled for the last 15 years by competing clans who came together to support the Islamic movement. The interim government that was established two years ago with the help of the U.N. had been unable to assert its authority in the city, in part because it was weakened by clan rivalries. Somalia's complex clan system has been the basis of politics and identity here for centuries. Many fear they may now revert to fighting one another and reject the government's authority.
In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi vowed to inflict total defeat on the Islamic movement and said he hoped the fighting would be over "in days, if not in a few weeks." "We are discussing what we need to do to make sure Mogadishu does not descend into chaos. We will not let Mogadishu burn," he told reporters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.
President Abdullahi Yusuf tried to allay fears of rampant violence in the capital, saying his troops were not a threat to the people of Mogadishu. "The government is committed to solving every problem that may face Somalia through dialogue and peaceful ways," the statement said. In the south, meanwhile, the Islamic militants vowed to continue their fight against the government and Ethiopian forces, saying they had fled Mogadishu to spare civilian deaths.
Yusuf Ibrahim, a former Islamic movement fighter, said only the most hardcore fighters were still opposing the government and its Ethiopian backers. He said they numbered about 3,000 and were headed to the port city of Kismayo, south of Mogadishu, which the Islamists captured in September. Witnesses reported seeing a large number of foreign fighters in the convoys heading south.
Islamic movement leaders had called on foreign Muslims to join their "holy war" against Ethiopia, which has a majority Christian population. Hundreds were believed to have answered the call.
Residents told the AP that Islamic leader Hassan Dahir Aweys had arrived in the frontline town of Jilib, 65 miles north of Kismayo, earlier Thursday with hundreds of fighters aboard 45 pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.
Islamic fighters have gone door to door in Kismayo recruiting children as young as 12 to make a last stand on behalf of the Islamic movement, according to a U.N. report citing the families of boys taken to Jilib.
