Politics In Somalia

Somalia is in Africa, somewhere in the northeast corner. It is a lawless country indeed it is a question whether it is a country at all. It is an area where tribes do what tribes do. This means using the Kalashnikovs supplied by Russia to hold their own. It also means piracy which is much more profitable. One line of business there is growing camels which are then shipped across to Saudi Arabia. With 30 camels you are rich but you have to be able to hold your grazing area. That is about all there is about from slaving, drug dealing and general lawlessness.

Now in 2009 the Americans are meddling having made a pig's ear of it in 1992 and 2007 Why? It could be  Oil or lunacy.

Operation Restore Hope
Was the American invasion of Somalia way back in 1992, in order to........ uh, pass. No doubt Bush said there was some point but it is lost on me. They lost too just the way they did in Viet Nam. Curiously the Wiki does not have an article on this one.

 

Americans Attack Somalia - Won't Say Why [ 4 December 2009 ]
QUOTE
September 14, 2009
Following confirmation by the French military that they definitely weren’t in the process of invading Somalia, the United States military is now confirming that it is, in fact, American forces that are pouring into the southern portion of the country in a helicopter-backed invasion. US military officials confirmed to the Associated Press today that forces from the US Joint Special Operations Command had invaded the lawless African nation, and were the ones responsible for the attack on the tiny village of Barawe this morning that was the first staging ground of the attack.

What the officials wouldn’t comment on was exactly why the United States, which launched a failed "peacekeeping" operation in the nation in 1993 and backed an Ethiopian invasion in 2007, had decided to launch yet another foreign adventure, though media outlets speculated that it was probably something to do with al-Qaeda. The United States has recently been supplying the self-described Somali "government" with "tons of arms," according to the State Department. Yet reports on the ground suggest that forces loyal to this faction, which only controls a handful of city blocks in the capital city of Mogadishu, have generally just sold the US-supplied weapons on the open market.

Though without any concrete information about what the American military actually intends to do in Somalia it will be difficult to speculate about the size and scope of the invasion, with roughly 200,000 soldiers committed to Iraq and Afghanistan (and more escalations on the way in the later) it seems hard to imagine the nation is looking to commit to yet another long-term occupation.
UNQUOTE
They fouled up last time. They are liable to foul up this. Why are they at it? Sorting piracy comes to mind. Oil is much more likely.

 

The New World Order Invasion of Somalia
Was written by someone who could not see the funny side of the American invasion. But happily they left with their tails between their legs beaten by a lightly armed rabble. Whoops. It was supposed to be an easy one. Now [ 4 December 2009 ] they are talking about having another go. This when they are losing to another lightly armed rabble in Afghanistan and ditto Iraq. You just might wonder whether they are mad, bad or just dangerous to know.

 


Somalia And Oil [ 27 February 2012 ]
QUOTE
Britain leads dash to explore for oil in war-torn Somalia
Britain is involved in a secret high-stakes dash for oil in Somalia, with the government offering humanitarian aid and security assistance in the hope of a stake in the beleaguered country's future energy industry.......

David Cameron last week hosted an international conference on Somalia, pledging more aid, financial help and measures to tackle terrorism. The summit followed a surprise visit by the foreign secretary, William Hague, to Mogadishu, the Somali capital, where he talked about "the beginnings of an opportunity'' to rebuild the country. The Observer can reveal that, away from the public focus of last week's summit, talks are going on between British officials and Somali counterparts over exploiting oil reserves that have been explored in the arid north-eastern region of the country......

British involvement in the future Somali oil industry would be a boon for the UK economy and comes at a time when the world is increasingly concerned about the actions of Iran, the second-biggest oil producer in Opec.
UNQUOTE
Read the Guardian, read the bias. Getting Oil means doing what it takes, dealing with foreigners, off shore bank accounts, ingenious tax ploys. The Guardian knows a lot about these things. It is big on tax evasion avoidance. It is run by Capitalist Swine who use oil just as much as honest men. Believe them if you will. Of course with plenty of Oil round the Falklands there is not quite such urgency - see Falklands Oilfields Could Yield $176 Billion - Argies Want It. It is well worth going for anyway.

 

Errors & omissions, broken links, cock ups, over-emphasis, malice [ real or imaginary ] or whatever; if you find any I am open to comment.
 
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Updated on 22/07/2019 14:34