Their mission — to destroy the jihadist forces in Somalia — has largely been accomplished. Soon it will be time to go home. Here is an example we would have done well to follow several years ago, rather than pursue Wilsonian fantasies.
By Jeffrey Gettleman in the New York Times, with thanks to Davida:
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan. 2 “” The prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, said today that his country, one of the poorest in the world, could not afford to keep its troops in neighboring Somalia much longer, and that Somalia’s stability depended on the quick injection of foreign peacekeepers.
In a speech to parliament, in which his tone alternated between humble and triumphant, Mr. Meles said that Ethiopia had accomplished its mission to wipe out Somalia’s Islamist forces, which just two weeks ago controlled a large chunk of the country and were regarded as a regional menace.
“We will now leave as soon as possible “” it could be weeks, it could be months,” he said. “We don’t have the money to take this burden individually.”