Direct USA support for TFG :Tom Casey , Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC

[General Duke]

Direct USA support for TFG :Tom Casey , Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC

Posted to the Web Dec 01, 14:48

 

 

MR. CASEY: we have spoken about the need to strengthen the Transitional Federal Institutions and government.

QUESTION: Let me change the subject to Somalia if you would.

 

 

MR. CASEY: Okay.

 

 

QUESTION: The U.S. resolution on the stabilization force of Somalia is one of the things that the Security Council is discussing today. And I wonder if you can give us the status of that resolution. Has it been discussed yet, where it is now? And also, if you can a little bit farther give us a detail of the content of the resolution because I -- as you know, there is some resolved -- unresolved issues on the subject like the front government -- you know, front in neighboring countries. Will they be added on the force or that sort of things or what they going to do about the Ethiopian troops that are already inside Somalia, that sort of thing?

 

 

MR. CASEY: Well, actually, I'm not aware that the resolution has been tabled today. I know there have been discussions about this at the UN. Certainly I don't have any details of it to share with you. I do think that we've made our basic view clear, though, that we want to act in support of the decisions that have been taken both by IGAD - as well as by the African Union in terms of trying to help promote a solution to the longstanding problems in Somalia. Ultimately our end goal is establishing a reasonable security and a functioning government for the people of Somalia that frankly had been without one for more than a decade now.

 

 

There are a number of ideas that are being discussed related to that. I know one that we've spoken about before here in this briefing includes following up on the IGAD and AU proposal for a regional stabilization force, an IGAD-led stabilization force to be participating in that. But in terms of the details of how that will be put forward in the resolution, I'm afraid we'll just have to wait and see what actually gets put down on the table in New York. I don't have any further information on that.

 

 

QUESTION: There's a widespread of disagreement on the issue of lifting the arm embargo, for example. And if you, even within the Somali -- the (inaudible) of the TFG themselves, it's a lot of conflict. I just wonder why U.S. decided to vote for this one at this particular time, to (inaudible).

 

 

MR. CASEY: Well, again, I think let's wait until a resolution is actually put forward and you can take a look at it. Again, what we're trying to achieve here is a solution to the longstanding problems in Somalia. I'm not aware that we're changing or have changed our views on the arms embargo.

 

 

QUESTION: And finally.

 

 

MR. CASEY: Yeah. Third time's a charm.

 

 

QUESTION: That's all right. Thanks. And if you will look into what was going on in the region for the last few days, Meles Zenawi, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, have talk on very harsh words against the Islamists. The Islamists responded saying we will take a jihad. And already the report is showing that a lot of the Ethiopian troops inside Somalia. It looks like war is imminent at the moment. What is U.S. Government -- any plans to defuse this tension?

 

 

MR. CASEY: Well, I think that gets us back to where we started. What we believe is important is that there is a UN-sponsored solution to this that involves Somalia's neighbors as well as the broader African Union. There are a number of different elements to that. Obviously, we have spoken about the need to strengthen the Transitional Federal Institutions and government. We've also spoken to and encouraged the efforts at dialogue between those institutions and the Union of Islamic Courts.

 

 

And again, as has been discussed, we also believe it's important to follow through on the regional proposals to have a stabilization force or a stabilization element there as a way of ensuring that there is something in place that can help provide stability and can do so in a neutral way so that you don't have involvement of other players individually or then you don't run the risk of having some kind of broader conflict established. And we believe that implementing this kind of force and taking these kinds of steps will, in effect, help provide for, again, the end goal, which is having a functioning government and a more normal functioning of the country that Somalia has been lacking for so long.

 

 

QUESTION: Thank you.

 

 

QUESTION: What is your understanding of what the Ethiopians are up to inside Somali territory?

 

 

MR. CASEY: George, we've seen various press reports, but I really don't have anything to offer you in terms of specific details.