US backs Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia

US backs Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia

By Ann Talbot
28 December 2006

The Bush administration is openly backing Ethiopia’s invasion of its neighbour Somalia.

Ethiopia is waging a proxy war on behalf of the United States. In the space of a week it has routed forces loyal to the United Islamic Courts and advanced to within 55 miles of the capital Mogadishu.

Ethiopian jets have attacked the international airport in Mogadishu and Balidogle military airfield in southern Somalia. The Red Cross has reported hundreds of casualties.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi stated that as many as 1,000 people died and 3,000 were wounded in fighting outside the town of Baidoa.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/dec2006/soma-d28.shtml

The issues between those groups goes very deep. That and Ethiopia is not totally opposed to invading neighbors.

the WH has little to do with this one.

Ethiopia's Christian-led government has received counter-terrorism assistance from the United States. It includes military training for aviation security, police training and border and coastal security, the Pentagon said.

The Bush administration has been increasingly alarmed by the growing strength of the militias and the welcome they reportedly have given to al-Qaeda militants.

The Islamic militants operate under the umbrella of the Council of Islamic Courts.

The government has no presence in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, its reach limited to the western town of Baidoa. In contrast, the CIC has dominated the country's entire southern region.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-26-us-somalia_x.htm

Direct US arms sales to East Africa and the Horn of Africa countries—Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda Uganda and Zambia--have increased from under one million dollars in 2003 to over $25 million in 2006. Djibouti leads the list with nearly $20 million in direct arms purchases in 2005 and 2006.

However, Ethiopia also shows a dramatic increase of arms purchases. In 2006, an estimated eight million dollars of weapons will be directly sold and with another five million dollars estimated in 2007. This is an increase from only $250,000 in 2005 and $750,000 in 2003.

Weapons sales by authorized private weapon companies, like the recently accused Select Armor, have also soared. Recently released US Defense Department figures show that private arms sales will hit an all time high of an estimated $9.5 million in 2007, which is down from a 2005 high of nearly $15 million. Uganda leads this list with nearly nine million dollars in purchases from US authorized private arms dealers, and Djibouti once again hits near the top of the list with nearly six million dollars in purchases in 2005, 2006 and an estimated 2007.

http://friendsofethiopia.blogspot.com/2006/10/africa-us-arms-sales-increase.html

However, from your info, its nice to see that we're arming all sides of that ongoing low level (haahaha, low level) war in the horn region.

If it's happening openly then why must we rely on a very politically opinionated website for information? Are politically neutral news organizations unable to provide information about what is happening "openly"?

THE OIL FACTOR IN SOMALIA; FOUR AMERICAN PETROLEUM GIANTS HAD AGREEMENTS WITH THE AFRICAN NATION BEFORE ITS CIVIL WAR BEGAN. THEY COULD REAP BIG REWARDS IF PEACE IS RESTORED.

Far beneath the surface of the tragic drama of Somalia, four major U.S. oil companies are quietly sitting on a prospective fortune in exclusive concessions to explore and exploit tens of millions of acres of the Somali countryside.

That land, in the opinion of geologists and industry sources, could yield significant amounts of oil and natural gas if the U.S.-led military mission can restore peace to the impoverished East African nation.

According to documents obtained by The Times, nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991. Industry sources said the companies holding the rights to the most promising concessions are hoping that the Bush Administration's decision to send U.S. troops to safeguard aid shipments to Somalia will also help protect their multimillion-dollar investments there.

http://www.raceandhistory.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/15


U.S. signals support for Ethiopia in Somalia
27 Dec 2006 18:35:55 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday signaled support for Ethiopia's military offensive in Somalia, saying Addis Ababa had reasons for concern about the country's internal warfare.

The White House urged restraint by Ethiopia but also said the intervention should not be used as an excuse by Somalia's warring factions to avoid peace negotiations.

"Ethiopia has genuine security concerns with regard to developments within Somalia," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

Johndroe added that Ethiopian forces were there "at the request" of Somalia's interim government, which wants to break the stronghold of the Islamic Courts Council on southern Somalia and Mogadishu.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N27278786.htm

and it is a proxy war for the US.

Glad to see the Ethiopians helping the non-fundie populace in Somalia against those who would force their religious beliefs on others.

Who knows. We may need their help fighting the same sort of idiocy here someday.