Also: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-01-07-ethiopia_x.htm U.S. support key to Ethiopia's invasion - USATODAY.com By Barbara Slavin, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON - The United States has quietly poured weapons and military advisers into Ethiopia, whose recent invasion of Somalia opened a new front in the Bush administration's war on terrorism. [more] http://www.alternet.org/stories/46424/ AlterNet: Destabilizing the Horn: American-Backed Warlords Invade Somalia By Salim Lone, TomPaine.com. Posted January 8, 2007. The Bush administration, undeterred by the horrors and setbacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, has opened another battlefront in this oil-rich quarter of the Muslim world. [more] http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article16128.htm The Islamists were the one hope for Somalia By Martin Fletcher 01/10/07 "Times" -- -- My colleague Rosemary Righter wrote last week that the defeat of Somalia's Islamic courts by Ethiopian forces was the "first piece of potentially good news in two devastating decades". As one of the few journalists who has visited Mogadishu recently, I beg to differ. The good news came in June. That is when the courts routed the warlords who had turned Somalia into the world's most anarchic state during a 15-year civil war that left a million dead. [more] >So.... it seems that we are now engaged in direct military action to >support our favored government in three countries now, in our "war >on terror". Sort of how Vietnam spilled over into special operations >in Cambodia and Laos I guess.... I thought that Iran or Syria would >be next, but apparently we're behind the Ethiopian forces in >Somalia. The mainstream US news sources have talked about the air >strikes that took out the al quaida camp, but make no mention that >we are supporting the Ethiopian forces. The Guardian had this >article though and Pacifica Radio reported it as well. The >mainstream news here doesn't even present the air strikes as >being a problem in international law....and that's NPR, not even >the right wing stuff from FOX. My first reaction was to wonder how >the American people would have responded if say, Turkey, had >launched an airstrike to take out David Koresh (an antigovernment >apocalyptic cult leader in Texas in the 90's, who the FBI >firebombed his fortified compound and killed about 50 of his >followers). Gah, the arrogance of my fellow citizens never ceases >to amaze me. > > >Thursday January 11, 2007 12:16 AM > > > >By PAULINE JELINEK > >Associated Press Writer > >WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. special operations forces are in Somalia >hunting suspected al-Qaida fighters, but Pentagon officials >dismissed the idea they are planning to send any large number of >ground troops to the African nation. > >U.S. and Somali officials said Wednesday a small American team has >been providing military advice to Ethiopian and Somali forces on the >ground. The officials provided little detail and spoke on condition >of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. > >The U.S. forces entered Somalia with Ethiopian forces late last >month when Ethiopians launched their attack against the Islamic >movement said to be sheltering al-Qaida figures, one of the >officials said. > >They spoke days after an American airstrike on a suspected al-Qaida >target that U.S. officials have said killed up to 10 people. > >The Navy has moved additional forces into waters off the Somali >coast, where they have conducted security missions, monitoring >maritime traffic and intercepting and interrogating crew on >suspicious ships. > >With the arrival of the USS Ramage guided missile destroyer, there >were five ships Wednesday: the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft >carrier, the USS Bunker Hill and USS Anzio guided missile cruisers, >and the USS Ashland amphibious landing ship, which officials said >they could use as a brig for any captured suspects. > >Despite the continuing operation in Somalia, two other senior U.S. >defense officials said they had heard of no plans to put any sizable >contingent of Americans into Somalia. They also spoke on condition >of anonymity because the Pentagon typically does not talk about >future operations or troops movement. > >The small teams of special operations forces serving as liaison >officers, advisers and trainers are a different matter, the >officials said. They declined to specifically say whether additional >teams are planned. > >There are about 52,000 special operations forces in the U.S. active >duty and reserve military, including SEALs, Green Berets and other >commando-style troops who perform sometimes-clandestine missions >behind enemy lines. > >They also train foreign militaries, help them with intelligence and >engage in other activities to build and maintain good relations with >foreign populations and their authorities. Such forces have taken a >more prominent role since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as the >Pentagon has adjusted to fighting a shadowy enemy. > >Somalia's deputy prime minister said Wednesday that more >American special forces is for U.S. special forces to go in on the >ground,'' said Hussein Aided, a former U.S. Marine. ``They >have the know-how and the right equipment to capture these >people.'' > >As for a larger deployment of conventional U.S. troops, a U.S. >general last week told Washington reporters he did not expect it. > >``Situations change but I do not see it now, and there's nothing >that I've heard that implies that at all,'' Gen. William >Ward, deputy commander of U.S. European Command and a former brigade >commander in Somalia, told defense writers. > >Ward has been mentioned as the possible commander for a planned new >Africa command the Pentagon wants to set up to concentrate more on >the region. Africa is now split between a number of commanders. > >--- > >Associated Press writers Chris Tomlinson in Nairobi, Kenya, Salad >Duhul in Mogadishu, Somalia, and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington >contributed to this report. _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
