U.S. Losing 'Secret' War in Somalia

U.S. Losing 'Secret' War in Somalia

www.blacklistednews.com

Two years ago, the U.S. military fought alongside Ethiopian troops in a lightning-fast armored assault deep into Somalia aimed at destroying the Islamic government, which the Pentagon suspected of harboring Al Qaeda operatives. Today the Islamists are back, waging a brutal insurgency that has killed thousands of people and steadily gained ground against the occupying Ethiopians and their allies in the transitional government.

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
CIA interfering in Somalia's secret war and mucking it up again!
America's Hidden War in Somalia

I think the key point to note here is the Islamists are again pushing back into Somalia. It may not be to long before they take control of Somalia again. I do not know the level of the Ethiopian presence in Somalia, but stepping that up might be one way to slow that advance from happening. For what ever that would be worth.

www.blacklistednews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

The `Al-Qeada` commander in Somalia had proof that the USA have been supllying weapons and explosives for a number of years in direct breach of the UN

and he got killed for it.


and thats the spin - the `evi`l islamics are pushing the invading army out of there country - but there `evil` for doing it

Yeah, but that's all it is, is SPIN.
Its nothing more.
Find me one credible source on this.
And I might even begin to believe you.

reply to post by Harlequin


Thanks for posting.
Even though it was Ethiopia who went into Somalia I don't think any one would have been to surprised to learn that the U.S. had a hand in it one way or another. Weather proof was out there or not.
The point still is that the Islamists are pushing back to take control of Somalia.

The Islamists haven't entered Mogadishu for a reason...They don't have legal sanction.

I've watched this war since May 2006 when the ICU began its rise to power. It was then that they had legal authority to enter and rule from Mogadishu and lost it on December 27, 2006.

They have not and will not obtain any legal sanction; at least not in this lifetime. So, despite all the media reports about the strength of their armies, the best any of those guys can hope for is power sharing with the TFG. What the Ethiopians do is irrelevent. In addition, a fracture has formed in the insurgency which won't be healed and al Shabab will most likely be destroyed by the time Obama takes the White House.

The war in Somalia is an excellent example of how law and fact must be fully reconciled for a State to emerge. While it is possible that the insurgency has a stronger military in fact, they lack legal support to establish a lawful state and the things they are doing in the south of the country will carry a high price for their misinformed members.

So I would disagree the U.S. is losing this war. It may appear to be losing militarily, but it is winning legally. The Islamists know this.





[edit on 31-12-2008 by huckfinn]

I've been watching this situation as well, and will continue to do so. Having been to Mogidishu, seen the Islamic influence on the culture even THEN... This is a bit unnerving.

However, I agree that in the world court as well as the fabled court of public opinion the Muslims lose.

I only pray that if the US has to go back there, they bomb the crap out of the place before they send in the troops.

This war in Somalia is the most despicable aspect of the War on Terror. There has never been an Al Qaida in Somalia. The US activity in Somalia is motivated by ideology and corporate avarice of the oil found there in the 80s and the massive gas fields in the territorial waters.

www.somalilandtimes.net...

THE OIL FACTOR IN SOMALIA FOUR AMERICAN PETROLEUM GIANTS HAD AGREEMENTS WITH THE AFRICAN NATION BEFORE ITS CIVIL WAR BEGAN. THEY COULD REAP BIG REWARDS IF PEACE IS RESTORED . By MARK FINEMAN

DATELINE: MOGADISHU, Somalia Far beneath the surface of the tragic drama of Somalia, four major U.S. oil companies are quietly sitting on a prospective fortune in exclusive concessions to explore and exploit tens of millions of acres of the Somali countryside. That land, in the opinion of geologists and industry sources, could yield significant amounts of oil and natural gas if the U.S.-led military mission can restore peace to the impoverished East African nation. According to documents obtained by The Times, nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991. Industry sources said the companies holding the rights to the most promising concessions are hoping that the Bush Administration's decision to send U.S. troops to safeguard aid shipments to Somalia will also help protect their multimillion-dollar investments there.

www.somaliawatch.org...

Ethiopia and Somalia have had a discordant relationship longer that the US has existed. While Ethiopia historically made a great play of being a Christian country in the West and US, it has been the most belligerent of the East African states having had conflicts alternating with Eritrea, Tigris and Somalia. Most often the Western powers would step in to assist Ethiopia to with its wars with Somalia.

When Ethiopia concluded a thirty year war with Eritrea and Tigris having lost, it regrouped and commenced a new war with Eritrea and lost again. Ethiopia also lost its access to the sea and became a land locked country. The current Ethiopian adventure in Somalia is about snatching access to the sea through Somalia, the Ethiopian government getting backhanders from Bush and Co. and creating a client government in Somalia for US oil giants.

The Islamic Courts in Somalia is not Al Qaida, they had never attacked any foreigners and were very successful in destroying the same war lords the US fought in the 90s (Blackhawk Down). Back then the US claimed that it was Al Qaida fighters that knock down the US helicopters.

The following link is to a Homeland Security website detailing Al Qaida's involvement in the Blackhawk Down incident.

www.globalsecurity.org...

What is this all about? OIL

Oil contracts between the US and Somalia was originally signed between the unelected dictator, Siad Barre and US oil giants, and is not worth the paper it was written on. The terms of contract were abusive and exploitative with 98% of potential wealth going to US shareholders and the CEOs of those companies. It is believed that there is more oil and gas in Somalia than in Saudi Arabia and this wealth has been pegged for the US. No African country can be permitted to proper in this manner and a compliant government must be carved out before the resources are extracted.

I disagree with your assertion. It seems to me that the United States and the four Oil companies you mentioned profit from a peaceful Somalia. So it makes no sense that the United States and the Oil companies overthrew the government of Somalia in the early 90s or contribute to its instability today. Last I checked seeking business opportunities is not a crime. In addition, they already had agreements to "exploit" the resources of the country. The madhouse written about on Reuters is of greatest benefit to the Middle eastern Oil powerhouses.

SOME Islamists of the ICU, most of the Warlords overthrown in May 2006 and elements of the TFG have obvious connections to the forces that have contributed to the destabilization of the region for the last 20 years; these are the people that have benefited from what is happening in Somalia. Calling them Al Qaeda is effective at letting the world know that they have been targeted for destruction, and rightfully so.

Your post is just more propaganda, formatted to communicate the same lie...The United States is doing this for Oil. That is the standard script, right? It would be just as reasonable to suggest that the Saudis, Iranians, Russians and Iraqis under Hussein wanted to maintain control over the price of Oil on the world markets, so they overthrew Somalia to keep it undeveloped and hostile to the West. The enmity between Christian Ethiopia and Islamic Somalia is modern and false. It was a Christian Ethiopia that provided a safe haven for Mohamad during Islams formative years. I am certain that if the founder of Islam could respond to people claiming to be his followers calling for Jihad against the Ethiopians, he'd personally separate their heads from their bodies. It was obviously created to keep the oldest Christian, therefore naturally western aligned, nation separated from their brothers by the sea. Islam/Christian conflict is foreign to native Somalian culture and those people have been truly wronged. Actually, this scenario that I just pulled out of my butt sounds more likely.

It really doesn't matter what the history will come to say because the United States and the Somalian government will be just fine. The Insurgency will die out and Somalia will reenter the wider community and rebuild itself. I suppose that is why the TFG isn't even bothering to fight with the Is.lame.ists anymore as there so-called conquests of dirt and air are irrelevant.

Why should the TFG bother to fight a war that it won two years ago?




[edit on 31-12-2008 by huckfinn]

[edit on 31-12-2008 by huckfinn]

reply to post by huckfinn

The Insurgency will die out and Somalia will reenter the wider community and rebuild itself. I suppose that is why the TFG isn't even bothering to fight with the Is.lame.ists anymore as there so-called conquests of dirt and air are irrelevant.

Who are these insurgents and with whom are they insurging. I always thought there had been a burnt out civil war in Somalia with a Mad Max situation arising. The ICU were bringing the anarchy to an end. Had they formed an Islamic government (let's not forget Somalia is 100% Muslim) no contract with the US oil giants would be honoured.

The kind of peace in Somalia must be dictated by the US for the sake of oil.

Originally posted by Harlequin


and thats the spin - the `evi`l islamics are pushing the invading army out of there country - but there `evil` for doing it

Are you seriously trying to say that what the Somalis are doing in their own country is somehow noble and honorable.

They are killing each other in the thousands and running rampant in the shipping lanes.

Try and see past your abject hatred of the United States and Israel for once in your life. Even you can't be that stupid.

Somalia was in ruins and crime was rampant...then the warlords fell and the ICU comes in. Magically the crime melts away, aparently as a direct result of the super law-code called Sharia, which seems to me to be nothing more than a way to legally commit murder...then the ICU falls...the crime and ruin returns.

Its quite obvious that the Is,lame..ists have decided that if the world and region accepts their overlordship of Somalia they'll stop killing Somalians. They're both the criminals and the police. The whole thing is an extortion racket packaged in a Religion. The Islameists are probably financed by the premium crude oil sells for on the world markets as a direct result of keeping Somalia a undeveloped backwater state; the same deal as the warlords received. A premium that will disappear if the Americans move in. Not to mention the state budgets of Oil producing states.

Anyway, the leader of the former ICU is in talks with the TFG and considered by Al Shabab to be an enemy. In addition, Al Shabab killed a couple of Priests and desecrated a few graves recently and pissed off another group, which has vowed to destroy Al Shabab.

So I am not sure what you think the long term picture looks like, but I doubt it involves Al Shabab ruling from Mogadishu.

[edit on 31-12-2008 by huckfinn]

reply to post by huckfinn



I heard about the Shabab, it means 'youth' in Arabic. I they are youth having grown up in war torn Somalia they would have been brutalised by conflict and their actions will be a product of that.

ICU were ruined by US bombardment and Apache fire. Do you recall the attack by the US? Had they not been destroyed, they could have been negotiated with and moderated by clan elders.

You analysis of Somalia is based on you attitude to Islam; you did said something about Islamacist and lame. There is no such thing as 'Islamacist'.
You are reducing the idea of Islam to an 'ist' as if it is a political position instead of a religion. I also am a bit concerned about the sense of hostility you have to a very poor and ruined black African country. Also crime is a product of anarchy, but I do note how you constantly marry of that word as if you are talking of some inner city in the US while over looking the geopolitic stresses that contributed to the status of that country.

Originally posted by masonwatcher
reply to post by huckfinn

 

I heard about the Shabab, it means 'youth' in Arabic. I they are youth having grown up in war torn Somalia they would have been brutalised by conflict and their actions will be a product of that.

ICU were ruined by US bombardment and Apache fire. Do you recall the attack by the US? Had they not been destroyed, they could have been negotiated with and moderated by clan elders.

You analysis of Somalia is based on you attitude to Islam; you did said something about Islamacist and lame. There is no such thing as 'Islamacist'.
You are reducing the idea of Islam to an 'ist' as if it is a political position instead of a religion. I also am a bit concerned about the sense of hostility you have to a very poor and ruined black African country. Also crime is a product of anarchy, but I do note how you constantly marry of that word as if you are talking of some inner city in the US while over looking the geopolitic stresses that contributed to the status of that country.

I only refer to groups in a way that they are referred to in the press. I do feel that Islam, as it is applied by criminals, is Lame, which Al Shabab is. It's unfortunate that someone has found it beneficial to themselves to exploit the hardship of young Somalian men and turned them into a pack of fanatical criminals with no future.

I didn't reduce Islam to a political position that is what it is being used as in Somalia, by Al Shabab. Like I said earlier the leader of the former ICU has made gestures to the TFG to resolve the conflict through dialouge, but Al Shabab, who was allied to that man, now labels him as a traitor. Ethiopia is leaving the country, and Al Shabab has announced that it will continue its war with the TFG.

In Iraq and Afghanistan and in Somalia Islamic based militia movements have turned against Muslims. They certainly aren't killing many Westerners. At some point these groups and their members will no longer be known as anything but what they really are, murderers.

My hostility is towards the many lies and liars in the world and no amount of sensitivity can justify what Al Shabab is allegedly doing in Somalia. Or perhaps I am hostile to the title of this thread, which implies that the United States, Ameican people and Western civilization are somehow responsible for the madness that is Somalia.

Someone mentioned earlier that the front in Somalia is a part of the War on Terror. But what they don't mention is the idea that there are powers in this world that will sacrifice millions of their own people to achieve strategic goals, as the Arab and Persian world are doing to the people of Gaza and as some in Africa are doing in Somalia.

I said it before and I'll say it again, the War on Terror was won over three years ago. I witnessed the enemies destruction and saw it fall. The people that are still out there fighting have been lied to and will be destroyed.