Despite the fact that a huge majority of Americans oppose the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, these wars continue to rage on under our new emperor's watch. It is imperative that these adventures in imperial ignorance and arrogance end immediately, but it's the US Empire's smaller and less visible war-making that also needs to be exposed and opposed.
The US is pretty busy in the poverty stricken African continent. Since January, Congolese militias have been receiving US guns and money as they raze and rape their way across the country. Now the State Department is informing us that it has provided hearly 40 tons of arms to the Somali government to combat the al-Shabaab insurgency, and Hillary Clinton is promising 80 tons more.
What exactly is being accomplished by this massive transfer of arms? Well, Somali forces bring these guns to market, sell them to traders, who then sell them right to the insurgency at a nice little profit. With all these middle-man markups, it might just be cheaper to sell them directly to the insurgency.
Somalia is a country torn apart by civil war, and was further destabilized by the US-supported Ethiopian invasion in 2006. Poor, hungry, and desperate, Somalis have continuously turned to piracy to feed their families and avoid the constant threat of rivaling militias.
The US response to this increase in piracy has been numbingly typical: threats, threats, and more threats. Talks of imposing sanctions has significant popularity in the Pentagon, and there are even discussions of a possible invasion of tiny nearby Eritrea, who the US accuses of supplying the insurgents with weapons. Eritrea denies this claim, exposing the Pentagon's mindset that military intervention in other countries is solely the job of the good and noble US government.
The US war planners refuse to see any possible repercussions in their short-sighted attempts to police and run the world. The US has a terrible habit of funding both sides of ethnic and religious conflicts, and blowback from these interventions aimed at our shores is not a matter of if, but when.
Comments
Dear Mr. Taylor,
Thank you for rather honest and bright analysis of the situation in Somalia and the Obama administration's destructive role in that country. It is indeed mind boggling, to say the least, as to how the US could justify the sending of arms to an already chaotic country. Lately, Eritrea has been accused of aiding Al Shabab and threatened with sanctions or worse an invasion—but Eritrea maintains that all accusations are completely false and infact asked for evidence which nobody has not been able to provide as of late. As Eritrean American, I support Eritrea's stance in seeing Somalis solve their differences without any foreign interference. It seems like the Obama administration is making the same mistake as his predecessor,(or worse)in not taking a lesson from previous failed missions in Somalia, which has produced nothing but more suffering and bloodshed. As you have sensibly put it, the“throwback" from such senseless policy would be not if but when. Best regards, R.S.
Never mind the question on who gave the US the right to be the judge and prosecutor of the community of nations. Never mind the nauseating double standard by which the US routinely operates. Never mind also the fact the US itself is guilty of supporting directly or indirectly many despots whose regimes have caused untold humanitarian crises around the world. Never mind all that and more. The burning question is what part of “Eritrea does not provide weapons to any Somali resistance groups”, Ms. Clinton and the ever hostile State Department officials do not understand?
Madam Secretary, one can’t squeeze blood from a turnip. Similarly, you and your administration are not going to find Eritrea guilty of anything she has not committed, no matter how you spin the issues. I am not going through the boring details of the non existent accusations that are routinely leveled against Eritrea for many people, including this writer, have previously attempted to nullify the obnoxious and unsubst
i always apriciate what the us has done to the world in terms of technology and inspiration to others,this is becouse of the hard work and dedication of intelectuals who works tirelesly for the well being of human.but the american politicians in collaboration with the pentagon and the ever biased media become cancers to the world.what i hate now is the way they fabricate lies and decorating their crime by an excuse of terrorism.i am always wondered by the way the way the american politics are functioning.may god save the world from what is hapening.we have seen what the ethiopians has done in somalia. but now it is eritrea that us is blaming.this is realy very sad.
It is The ethino-centric Ethiopian regime and the former US administration which are responsible for the instability of Somalia. The new administration of US does not seem to learn from the previous mistakes.
Whom are we blaming? The U.S, Obama, bush or who? it all would make sense if only the stupid and pocket minded African leaders had a sense of heroism and Nationalism. U.S has never been a an alie of a good governance in Africa or other parts of the world. If we have to trace back in history U.S's best allies were notorious and shamful leaders like Mobutu Seseseko of Zair and Sani Abacha of Nigeria. who were known for their luxurios life style on the expernses of the broad masses. therefore, no wonder if you see u.s's unstable and unrealistic political view goes on the side of the irrisponsible African leaders, as that is what the U.S and the Pentagon planned eversince it's birth as a natiion and no wonder that land is a cursed and abducted prroperty of the indiginous people. Let the Us provide arms of mass distruction to poor Africans and sooner we are going to see a civil war in the US as the result of their punishment from God. The signs are clear they are now on a defecit of 1.27t
This article outlines all the angles that have been hidden from the average taxpayer, for that I would like to say thank you to, Mr. Taylor. He has it presented in a such a fasion so accurately dipicts the presiding scenario in the Horn of Africa under Secreatry State Madam Hillary Clinton.
Personally, I agree with President Obama, what Africa needs at the moment is feeding its people rather than making its posture ready for another war. Thanks to Madame Secretary Africa will continue to suffer for another four years unless we have earlier departusre for whatever reason given. Someone presented the conflict of interest Madame Secreatry is involved in, she is trying very hard to save her nest egg while compromising the mission she is sent to do on behalf of the administration foreighn policy. I think she is not doing her job to the full extent as she should have been, I sense there is serious anger flowing from her and perhaps she will do damage to the administration hard to repair
thank you mr,taylor...you are honest .
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