How much U.S. involvment in the latest fighting in Somalia?

[LANDER]

The U.S. already has a large 88-acre base in Djibouti that houses the CJTF (Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa), provides direct training to many military units in 'counter-terrorism'. A few weeks ago I was watching a video footage of U.S. forces training Ethiopian troops in helicopter strategies when fighting a 'a small insurent group'. Surely with the information available and the stated aims of the U.S. assuming that satelity imagery and other reconaissance tools were readily made available to the Ethiopians would be reasonable. It is already been stated in the news that the U.S. has been patroling the waters off Xamar and Kismayo to make sure none of the ICU receive any shipments or make any retreat by sea. But just how involved has the U.S. been in this conflict and what more have they done to ensure the swift defeat of the ICU?

[Centurion]

Financial support is an obvious one. Political endorsement of their actions is another.

 

Intelligence, whether they be Satellite imagery or other is more than probable.

 

Perhaps, a promise of support in case Eritrea advances into Ethiopia,

[Dhabat-Amaanreer]

ALL OF THE ABOVE

[Lancer]

Yes I think all of the above too, Allahu Alam.

 

Also, the the ICU has not been "defeated," rather a new stage of war is beginning.

[Caano Geel]

lancer

And why would you want to begin a new stage of war.... Do you thing the ground could do with fresh fertilisation in the form of somali blood?

[RedSea]

^corruption is worst than killing...remember that.Illegal occupation of land which belongs to you not should be repelled with any form of action bring it back to the rightful owners.Such aggression by Ethiopia and their ease to move about the somali soil is unacceptable and should be fought against however long it takes to make it difficult for them to meet their goals and interests in OUR land.

 

Lander,bro/sis,the U.S is very much involved in the areas you mentioned and perhaps much more.Ethiopia as poor nation in Africa is being funded to do the dirty bussiness in this corner of the world in the fight against terrorist or known as "global war on terror".Just because of Islam which appeared on the ICU name and the people who led who happened to have'abu'and 'shiekh' is automatic attraction of U.S foreign policy,it's lame policy which will only weaken the U.S and damage any remaining image it may have on the world stage.It won't just effect them beyond the sea,but since alot of Somalis call the U.S home,the U.S should also expect to hear from the somali community in the U.S.Example just yesterda there was Ciid protests against the U.S's funding of Melez,our very own terrorist in the horn.The U.S must not fund a terror when they call on the people to fight it.

[Caano Geel]

^ As much as i agree with your sentiment, your proposed method stinks. The Ethiopian occupation is teh result of the somali collective bloodletting.

 

So i dont exacly see how more bloodletting could be the sollution. If anythign it weakens us. Ethiopia has no incentive to keep more than a handfull of soldiers in Somalia, it will control the political apparatus, and use somali's to administor it.

 

This means your *liberation force* will only be killing more Somalis and creating more instability, thereby strengthening their hand.

[RedSea]

^There is no question that we Somalis have to be blamed for our failures and that Ethiopia should be applauded for doing whatever it takes to keep us in that status,however,I believe the ICU was shining star which finally seemed to be the glimse of hope for Somalis after years of clan civil war conflict particularly the South.

 

However,the thought that says Ethiopia is keeping handful of soldiers is first of all laughable.However,let us just go with that for now,but do you actually think we Somalis should be 'ruled' by puppet government which works based on the interests of NOT the Somali people.

 

I would have absulately no problem with the TFG,however we had something better,we had something that could have brought all somalis together based one commonality which was the faith,Ethiopia killed it.

 

You must understand that we are weak already,no so called government can safe us from whatever that we are suffering,and definately not a warlord bunch that are being forced down our throat however what would safe us as Muslim nation both in this world and the hereafer would have the agenda which was carried by the ICU.

 

After all this is Somalia for the Somalis to soar their differences out,Ethiopia shouldn't have had anything to do with it.They claimed that they were invited,in reality,they came themselves and this so called TFG is actually driven by Ethiopia by itself.

 

Where are other Africans,why does it have to be Ethiopia,well they are the only ones that seem to be interested in destablizing and spilling toxic acid on any hope.You must see that caano geel.

[Caano Geel]

Red

1, economics dictates the size of any occupation. So keeping soldiers in somalia in the long term will just bleed Ethiopia's under resourced treasury, though of course uncle sam will support it still it is a tempporary arrangement..... IF nothing else, why waste Ethiopian blood when the somalis will happily kill each other as they have done for you before -- hence out puppet gov.

 

2, the ICU accomplished an admirable feat, by any strech of the somali imagination, (if nothing else, I as secularist, am still willing and happy to lend my voice to them, when they are not stabbing people to death in stadiums). But they are were short sighted, they should of negotiated a stellement.

 

3, as movement, they would of had a next to impossible task of convincing the international community to support them and provide the required aid to rebuild a nation.... At this, because the TFG have some recognition, if they can stabalise they have some possibity of attracting aid and support, and we may benifit from what trickles out of their pockets

 

4, I dont think a puppet goverment has a primary objective of serving the somali people, but it has to be in its agenda somewhere to hold any credibilty, and that is our best hope of replacing them with something else.

 

5, war cries are nothing more that posturing for destruction and do nothing to eliviate the situation. They will cause further anomosity within the populous -- In crying for war you are playing into their hands, they have a stronger argument for continued occupation and medling and you would architecting their divide and conquer plan for them.

 

6, the believe we had something better, is the best weapon against them, because you can hold them accoutable to in terms of what they replaced. And further it is the strongest destabilising force against Ethiopia, because it has the pottential to completely discredit its propositions.

 

For this reason, any plan/hope/movement for getting rid of them all must first start with reconciling the population unifiying it under a common cause. So far a common cause it occupation, BUT is not a credible cause, the marginal difference is peoples lives will probably not change drastically.

 

Therefore in my humble view, the only real cause worth fighting for is the quality of life people have ahead of them. Showing and putting forward mechanism that will improve will be the *real* cause and need for change - and may be only one to get and worth such popular support again.

 

In short, as much i disagree with the occupation and the admistration, promising more blood is even more repugnant since all it will achieve is empowering the enemy.

[RedSea]

^The simple point that I am making which I am all about is that Somalis are humilated more than ever before.

 

You are telling us to simply accept this puppet foreign manufactuared so called government.My simple is whatever it takes to rid the Ethios and their puppets,we will do whatever it takes and however long it takes.

 

We cannot accept humilation and eggs to be bursted in our faces.If three million are killed in this war,however the rest live with dignity,you should know it means more than being harrased and oppressed by puppet government backed by our enemy.

 

If we colobarated with this so called TFG,you should know that sooner or later it will fail just Siyad Barres' government and will lead to long years of civil unrest and ultimately worst cases of scenio to follow.I rather sacrifice today for better future.

[Peacenow]

We have to assasinate the top elechlon in the TFG and replace them with men of integrity. Like the Speaker of the parliament.

No doubt, the TFG leaders will be mudered soon because of their heinous acts.

[Didi Kong]

Originally posted by LANDER:

But just how involved has the U.S. been in this conflict and what more have they done to ensure the swift defeat of the ICU?

What should be more important to you as a Lander is that the U.S. was the invisible hand behind Siad Barre's decimation of the population and the livelihood of the Somalis in the North. They provided the logistics, training, direction and support to carry out his military expeditions. US's involvement in the horn is a little to expansive to be enumarated. Your relying on the media to find out about all this makes everyone wanna say Earth to Lander!!!

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

what does it matter now how much ETs, americans or alians were involved?

[Lancer]

CAANO GEEL- Please don't twist my words, I don't want more blood shed. All I want is that Somalia becomes an Islamic state and peace and military might returns to it inshAllah. The Ethiopians and traitors must be fought.

[Caano Geel]

lancer

Dude, for one the only way of getting rid of them is not fighting, two, fighting them just gives them more reason to stay and three, the army they have commited is mostly somali in the form of the puppet TFG.

 

In effect you are fighting tanks and planes with sticks or killing somali's.

 

So with all due respect, calling for them to be fought *militarily* will only hurt us more.