Comments on: Somali Islamists Run Walk Briskly Away – Again http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/01/01/somali-islamists-run-walk-briskly-away-again/ Summum nec metuas diem, nec optes - Marcus Valerius Martialis Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:27:05 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Quilly Mammoth http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/01/01/somali-islamists-run-walk-briskly-away-again/comment-page-1/#comment-53274 Quilly Mammoth Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:57:35 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/01/01/somali-islamists-run-walk-briskly-away-again/#comment-53274 I can't help but wonder if there was some very canny strategery going on in DC. The fact that the US was supporting the warlords came out because some of them felt that they weren't being supported enough. Meanwhile, Ethiopia was making noise that it was unhappy with the thought of RIFs (Radical Islamic Fundamentalists) on their border. The battles between the RIFs and the clan militias bled both, most particularly the clans. And it gave time for Ethiopia to strengthen its resolve as well as begin to move the supplies neccessary for an invasion to the border. Which it has prior experience with. I haven't seen it brought up, but in early August of 1996 the Ethiopians launched a heavy raid against the seaport of Jidu. While many played it as a bid for Ethiopia to get a seaport, the fact is that Jidu and the surrounding area were under control of a coalition of warlords belonging to a similar outfit to the current Islamic Courts. Furthermore, in early 1994 the Clinton administration brokered a deal between Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somali government to conduct a sweep of western Somalia to clear it of Islamic militias and their training ground. AFAIK no US troops were involved, but some of the militias targeted were believed to have been involved with the infamous Blackhawk Down action. Throughout the next ten years there would be small border clashes and reportedly cross border ops by the Ethiopians in the Ogadin area. Somali Jihad groups such as the Islamic Union of the Mujahedeen of Ogadin have long claimed that Ethiopia, with help of American and Israeli (doubt the Israeli bit though) trainers, has had an ongoing military presence in the north west of Somalia. That they interfered with negotiations to bring Islamic Law and Rule to that area through peaceful means. (Which means accept rule of the Koran or we kill you).. In all, this invasion by the Ethiopians has almost certainly been longed planned simply lacking the minor details which are known when the opportune time is reached. For Ethiopia this was when first regional consensus was highest that the control of Somalia by the RIFs was dangerous <i>and second</i> Ethiopia had sentenced the last of the Duerga thus securing the internal stability of Ethiopia and freeing the bulk of the Army to act externally. I can’t help but wonder if there was some very canny strategery going on in DC. The fact that the US was supporting the warlords came out because some of them felt that they weren’t being supported enough.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia was making noise that it was unhappy with the thought of RIFs (Radical Islamic Fundamentalists) on their border.

The battles between the RIFs and the clan militias bled both, most particularly the clans. And it gave time for Ethiopia to strengthen its resolve as well as begin to move the supplies neccessary for an invasion to the border. Which it has prior experience with.

I haven’t seen it brought up, but in early August of 1996 the Ethiopians launched a heavy raid against the seaport of Jidu. While many played it as a bid for Ethiopia to get a seaport, the fact is that Jidu and the surrounding area were under control of a coalition of warlords belonging to a similar outfit to the current Islamic Courts.

Furthermore, in early 1994 the Clinton administration brokered a deal between Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somali government to conduct a sweep of western Somalia to clear it of Islamic militias and their training ground. AFAIK no US troops were involved, but some of the militias targeted were believed to have been involved with the infamous Blackhawk Down action. Throughout the next ten years there would be small border clashes and reportedly cross border ops by the Ethiopians in the Ogadin area. Somali Jihad groups such as the Islamic Union of the Mujahedeen of Ogadin have long claimed that Ethiopia, with help of American and Israeli (doubt the Israeli bit though) trainers, has had an ongoing military presence in the north west of Somalia. That they interfered with negotiations to bring Islamic Law and Rule to that area through peaceful means. (Which means accept rule of the Koran or we kill you)..

In all, this invasion by the Ethiopians has almost certainly been longed planned simply lacking the minor details which are known when the opportune time is reached. For Ethiopia this was when first regional consensus was highest that the control of Somalia by the RIFs was dangerous and second Ethiopia had sentenced the last of the Duerga thus securing the internal stability of Ethiopia and freeing the bulk of the Army to act externally.

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