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| Africa Horn |
| U.S. Will Push U.N. for Somalia Mission |
| 2008-12-15 |
| The Bush administration will mount a last-ditch push this week to muster international backing for a relatively small U.N. peacekeeping mission in Somalia, in an effort to help stem piracy and prevent the resurgence of Islamist militants in the lawless East African nation... That one's lost. The Somalis couldn't put together an actual government, so the Islamic Courts are coming back. The way to handle it is to recognize Puntland and Somaliland, which are better at being nations than Somalia, to clean up the pirates regardless of any hindrance or help from Mogadishu, and to send an expeditionary force to throw them out again about six months after they've taken power. Then leave. Wait until they come back plus six months and do it again. They're obviously easier to throw out than to keep out. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 "Somaliland, the former Brit colony, has more of a chance if it can keep the tribal/ethnic thing under control." This is Africa we're talking about here, Dr. Steve. GFL with that one.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-12-15 19:00 |
| #4 Actually, most of the pirates are from Puntland, not the southern portion of Somalia. Somaliland has the most stable goverment, and should be recognized as an independent nation. The other two portions of Somalia could be bombed off the face of the Earth, and the only notice the rest of the world would have of it is that things got better in the world for some reason. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-12-15 18:34 |
| #3 Puntland is no prize and I'm not sure it could survive as a nation. Somaliland, the former Brit colony, has more of a chance if it can keep the tribal/ethnic thing under control. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-12-15 15:18 |
| #2 then let the UN take care of it without our help |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-12-15 10:03 |
| #1 Fred's right. Recognize Somaliland and Puntland and most of the piracy problem goes away. Although it still may persist in the rest of Somalia on a lesser scale. That won't happen because as usual the United Nations is in the way of this solution. Historical note: Somalia is a creation of the United Nations. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-12-15 00:46 |