UPDATED: A new Somalia policy?
John Cooley’s recommendations strike me as a bit idealistic, given the current turmoil. An African Union peacekeeping force is a possibility, but the AU’s peacekeeping track record isn’t a plus. (See last week’s Creators Syndicate column for more on the turmoil, the clans, and peacekeeping possibilities.)
In 2002 I wrote a column which looked at Somalia as three separate countries. Cooley thinks a “federation” might help stabilize the country. There is something to this idea, but for it to work the ICU’s Taliban-tendencies must be curbed. The two northern Somali state-lets don’t want to have anything to do with Taliban-style sharia law.
UPDATE: Diplomatic wrangling continues as the US “banned” contacts with a senior ICU cleric the UN has identified as an Al Qaeda associate. (Article is by Reuters.) The ICU also has factions–it’s no monolith. The ban may be an attempt by the US to do two things: (1) state the case that ICU “talibanization” has little appeal in Somalia and (2) see if it can encourage moderation by or within the ICU. Stay tuned.
UPDATE 2: Now the ICU has launched another series of attacks, breaking the ceasefire (via BBC). The ICU may be trying to pre-empt a move by Ethiopia.
The problem is… Somalia can’t be ignored, but is there anythin we can do at the present time that would work?
Comment by Harold C. Hutchison — 6/27/2006 @ 7:06 am
Try again - why can’t we ignore Somalia? As long as they know they can’t harbor international terrorists? And if they don’t know, we can certainly teach them.
Comment by Robert Speirs — 6/27/2006 @ 2:59 pm
The problem with left-wing foreign policy is that liberals get their ideas from celebrities like Neil Young. If you ask me… The Right-wing’s in need of a Rock Star words and music by Dr. BLT (c)2006 http://www.drblt.com/music/rightwingrock.mp3 I may not be that rock star, and I humbly acknowledge my shortcomings in that regard. But I wonder why there are not more Republican Rock Stars words and music by Dr. BLT (c)2006 http://www.drblt.com/music/repubrockstars.mp3 Bruce aka Dr. BLT, The Original Blog ‘n’ Roller
Comment by Bruce — 6/27/2006 @ 3:49 pm
Very simple, Robert… the last time that a Taliban-like regime took over a fialed state (Afghanistan in 1996), said failed state became a place where al-Qaeda was able to train new members and plan the worst terrorist attack on the United States in its 230-year history. I’m not inclined to take a chance that the ICU won’t seize power, take control, and provide the kind of state where al-Qaeda feels at home.
Comment by Harold C. Hutchison — 6/27/2006 @ 5:55 pm