Somalia's lesson -- don't always trust the Locals

[NASSIR]

After reading this opinion and the propositions he puts forth, you get the unavoidable conclusion that there is deep hate the author evinces and makes clear that reader's prejudices and fear of "Islamo-fascists" is a reality. Just study his rhetorical stance and how defends his racist beliefs against Islam.

 

Max Boot

 

LITTLE MORE THAN a month ago, the situation in Somalia seemed hopeless. The Islamic Courts Union was consolidating its Taliban-style hold on the country, foreign jihadists were pouring in and a new terrorist haven appeared to be emerging. The CIA's attempts to finance a coalition of secular warlords had failed, and the moderate transitional government was under siege in the provisional capital of Baidoa.

 

Then, on the day before Christmas, the armed forces of Ethiopia — a Christian state threatened by the ultra-Islamists next door — crossed the frontier. Ethiopia maintains the most formidable military in the region, thanks in part to American arms, aid and advisors. Not only did the United States share intelligence with the Ethiopians, there have been reports that a small number of U.S. Special Operations troops were on the ground.

 

Within days the seemingly invincible Islamists had been routed. As the jihadists fled south, an American AC-130 gunship based in Djibouti got into the act, strafing suspects linked to the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. U.S. intelligence agencies had been tracking these terrorists for years, but it was only when they were flushed out of their sanctuary that they became vulnerable to attack.

 

Although most of the foreign policy debate in the U.S. has been riveted on Iraq, some within the Pentagon have been touting recent events in Somalia as an alternative of how to fight Islamo-fascists. Everyone recognizes that there will be scant appetite in the near term for sending huge numbers of U.S. troops to occupy any more Middle Eastern countries. Might not the U.S. be able to achieve its goals by taking advantage of local allies backed by American airpower and small numbers of commandos and intelligence agents?

 

Such a low-intensity approach — used to overthrow the Taliban in the fall of 2001 — has much to recommend it. But a few caveats are in order.

 

First, indigenous allies are not always reliable. They are often pursuing agendas different from our own. Remember how Afghan gunmen allowed Osama bin Laden and his followers to escape from Tora Bora in 2001? Or look at the difficulties we are now having in working with the Maliki government in Iraq.

 

Second, it's easier to play offense than defense. It doesn't take that many troops to rout the Taliban, the Iraqi Republican Guard or the Islamic Courts Union, but successfully holding a country as large as Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia is a much more manpower-intensive task. If the U.S. or our allies don't provide those soldiers, where will they come from? Ideally, they'll be locals trained and armed by the U.S., but, as we've seen in Iraq and Afghanistan, standing up effective security forces is a laborious, long-term process. It's a race against time: Can the government consolidate control before the Islamists launch an effective guerrilla campaign?

 

This danger is particularly acute in Somalia, where the Ethiopians have made clear that they have no interest in a long-term occupation. Once they leave, Somalia is likely to sink back into the clan warfare that has predominated since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. There is a moment of opportunity now for the international community to step in and stabilize Somalia. What's needed is an effective foreign peacekeeping force along with a large influx of aid to the transitional government. If that's not forthcoming — and odds are it won't be — the Islamists will find it easy to stage a resurgence.

 

 

ATHIRD CAVEAT: In fighting terrorists, the U.S. won't always have the freedom of action it enjoys in Somalia. Terrorists find shelter not only in ungoverned spaces like Somalia but in anti-American countries like Iran and Syria, in ambivalent countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and even in pro-American countries like Germany and Britain. For various political reasons, the potential for swashbuckling, Jack Bauer-style counter-terrorism in such states is less than in non-states like Somalia or Afghanistan, where anything goes. Indeed, a team of CIA officers faces indictment in Italy for ing a terrorist suspect off a Milan street in 2003.

 

So, by all means let us celebrate the achievements in Somalia, even while recognizing the likelihood that we have not heard the last of the Islamic Courts Union. In contrast to setbacks in Iraq, Somalia shows that jihadist insurgents are eminently defeatable. But realize that the "Somalia " is not easily exportable elsewhere. We need to tailor different approaches to different theaters of this global counter-insurgency. This is not a one-size-fits-all war.

 

Source: LA Times

[Taliban]

Originally posted by Caamir:

So, by all means let us celebrate the achievements in Somalia, even while recognizing the likelihood that we have not heard the last of the Islamic Courts Union. In contrast to setbacks in Iraq, Somalia shows that jihadist insurgents are eminently defeatable. But realize that the "Somalia model" is not easily exportable elsewhere. We need to tailor different approaches to different theaters of this global counter-insurgency. This is not a one-size-fits-all war.

How so desperate they are for any sort of "achievements." They still believe jihadists are undefeatable supermen; that's why Max Boot is cautious about "recognizing the likelihood that we have not heard the last of the Islamic Courts Union." The Iraqi and Afghani insurgencies have done much damage to their confidence in their military and technological superiority; that's why they are seeking desperate "achievements" in defeating a far less formidable foe in the ICU. It's no wonder George W. Bush repeats the stakes in Iraq are too high and he accepts nothing short of victory.

[Caano Geel]

Caamir,

I dont think i'll ever forgive the economist for the "Islamo-fascist" phrase/

 

Btw, you sure the article didnt come from jihadwatch?

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Btw, you sure the article didnt come from jihadwatch?

The article was written by Max Boot.

 

Who is is he?

 

Max Boot (born Moscow, Soviet Union) is an author and military historian noted for his support of a strong U.S. leadership role in the world. [A] contributing editor to The Weekly Standard [a right-wing, neocon paper owned by Murdoch of Fox], a weekly columnist for The Los Angeles Times and a regular contributor to other publications including the Financial Times and The New York Times.

 

He is also a consultant to the U.S. military and a regular lecturer at U.S. military institutions such as the Army War College and the Command and General Staff College. He has previously worked for The Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor.

[Wisdom_Seeker]

Boot is just another chickenhawk.

[rudy-Diiriye]

max another moran! hes so cluless and has no idea what hes talking about. african problems are so different than other asian issues!

 

ppl who take this approach of sub-contracting others dirty work, will pay for it. what you done will come back and hunt you. no doubt.

 

history taught us that already! only a fool will fall for this type of worthless gimmick.

[NASSIR]

"Btw, you sure the article didnt come from jihadwatch?"

 

It is from LA Times. I didn't like the article and it reeks of racist overtones.

[Caano Geel]

MMA,

It all makes sense now

 

Caamir,

The directive of a Somali division along the two lines are.

[rudy-Diiriye]

did anybody reply to this moran or we just taking it in the rear end!! lets do it.. cuz we been taking this bs 4 a long fockin time!

 

lets do it! what do we gotta lose!! nothing but get on the ball so it rolls our way 4 once!

 

i sure will do it. yall game!! dont chicken. plz post your replies to this moran. i sure will.

[DigibAc]

This guy is a retard. He don't want anything good for muslims.