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Working to create the sense that they can move and take territory at will, as the Somalia Jihad continues its recent escalation.
"Insurgents Briefly Capture Key Town in Show of Defiance," by Stephanie McCrummen for the Washington Post:
NAIROBI, March 26 -- Islamist insurgents battling for control of Somalia briefly seized a strategic town Wednesday, the latest sign of how feeble the country's internationally backed transitional government has become.
The takeover of Jowhar, about 55 miles north of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, was the most recent in a series of advances by a radical Islamist faction of a broader insurgency against the transitional government and the Ethiopian military that installed it more than a year ago.
In the past month, the faction -- known as al-Shabab and recently designated a terrorist organization by the United States -- has briefly asserted control of at least six towns in southern Somalia, a show of force underlining the fact that the Somali government has little control over the Horn of Africa nation.
"They go in and expel whatever rudimentary authorities are there, then go back to the bush and go to another unassuming village or town," said Abdirizak Adam Hassan, an adviser to Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf. "To my mind, they are saying: 'Although you defeated u s, we are still a formidable force. We are undiminished, and we are here to stay.'
Posted by Marisol at March 28, 2008 12:24 AM
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Fun with Whack-a-Mole! The Ethiopians are in a bad spot. Unlike the US in Iraq, if the Ethiopians pull out the insurgents really may follow them home. Or at least lob mortar shells over the border, a la Gaza.
Posted by: sceptico![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 28, 2008 1:28 AM
The Ethiopians would not be in this mess if the U.S. had actually exercised a benevolent role in the Horn of Africa, instead of acting on ghosts and shades of terrorism. In actuality, the "rudimentary authorities" (read: gangsters) that "run" towns are equally as thuggish as the "Jihadis".
The only way Al-Queda can become a serious force in Somalia is--same way it did it in Iraq! And Lebanon! Our side invades, the military invasion is successful, but we do not build up an alternative system afterward, a more radical force can swoop in to fill the void.
We are really, REALLY being played by the Ethiopians here. For the past twenty years, they have been waging war against their ethnic Somali population in the disputed Ogaden region. Obviously, once the Somali civil war was resolved, Ethiopia could expect increased demands for that region. So they decided to invade, and duped the U.S. into joining them by trumping up the "Islamist" nature of the winning coalition. This is not primarily about Islam; this is classic balance-of-power politics, which we have thrown completely out of kilter with our wholehearted backing of the Ethiopian dictatorship.
I guess the "fitna" logic must be, Since they're Muslim they probably hate us already, but we might as well sponsor a foreign occupation of their land just to make sure. America sends regards!
Posted by: Shlomo_Michael at March 28, 2008 2:13 AM
"I guess the "fitna" logic must be, Since they're Muslim they probably hate us already, but we might as well sponsor a foreign occupation of their land just to make sure. America sends regards!
Posted by: Shlomo_Michael"
Could you please explain the meaning of "fitna logic" ? And could you please explain the meaning of "foreign occupation" ?
History of Somalia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Somalia#Scramble_for_Africa
Ogaden war
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Somalia#Scramble_for_Africa
Posted by: arjun.sevak at March 28, 2008 4:31 AM
Posted same link twice. Here's the one on the Ogaden war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogaden_War
Posted by: arjun.sevak at March 28, 2008 4:36 AM
Have they not learned yet that the only way to defeat the mohammedans is to leave not any or they will keep on coming back. Defeat that others would accept as final is turned into mock "victory" by the mohammedans.
The only way to finalize a victory over these lovers of death is to give them what they seek so vehemently.
Yes, there are many of them, but the only ones that concern us are those who offer us violence.
Posted by: unicorns62000 at March 28, 2008 3:03 PM
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