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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.
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...
www.globalsecurity.org...
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.
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
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.