Somalia Blunder II

The Nation has an excellent article on “Blowback in Somalia,” about the United States’ disastrous decision in 2006 to back an Ethiopian invasion and overthrow of the Islamic Courts Union in Mogadishu. The Union was a largely moderate confederation of allied civilian groups that had finally kicked the warlords out of the Somali capital. However, the radical Shabaab militia was part of the confederation, and the U.S. government believed that they needed to destroy them. Result? Today, 40% of Somalia’s territory is controlled by the Shabaab. Even more disturbingly, the Shabaab may be implementing a strategy of terrorism against civilians in areas of Somalia that have up until now been largely peaceful: Somaliland and Puntland.