Washington Post: US is secretly supporting secular warlords over Islamist warlords in Somalia

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

More than a decade after U.S. troops withdrew from Somalia following a disastrous military intervention, officials of Somalia's interim government and some U.S. analysts of Africa policy say the United States has returned to the African country, secretly supporting secular warlords who have been waging fierce battles against Islamic groups for control of the capital, Mogadishu.

[...]

Speaking to reporters recently, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States would "work with responsible individuals . . . in fighting terror. It's a real concern of ours -- terror taking root in the Horn of Africa. We don't want to see another safe haven for terrorists created. Our interest is purely in seeing Somalia achieve a better day."

[...]

Leaders of the transitional government said they have warned U.S. officials that working with the warlords is shortsighted and dangerous.

"We would prefer that the U.S. work with the transitional government and not with criminals," the prime minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi, said in an interview. "This is a dangerous game. Somalia is not a stable place and we want the U.S. in Somalia. But in a more constructive way. Clearly we have a common objective to stabilize Somalia, but the U.S. is using the wrong channels."

[...]

A senior U.S. intelligence official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was a "Hobbesian" situation -- that the transitional government operating from Kenya was in its "fifteenth iteration" and that it, too, was a "collection of warlords" that played both sides of the fence. The official said that it presented a classic "enemy of our enemy" situation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12826461/

[Mirorgate 0]

Bishop takes pawn, queens 4. Check.

[almaty 19]

no surprise there...usa today has no thought out foreign policy./..

[iceyspots 0]

[noemij 0]

I guess US foreign policy is still working under the old adage "he may be an SOB, but he's our SOB"....

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

does this fall under some congressional oversight? obiously no declared war around there... hmmm oh, yeah, this falls under the powers given to prez after 911.

Daniel

:energetic:

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Apparently we'll support whatever side that will give us some sort of advantage, even if it compromises our vaunted morality.

No new, and not at all surprising.

[almaty 19]

Apparently we'll support whatever side that will give us some sort of advantage, even if it compromises our vaunted morality.

No new, and not at all surprising.

i agree with that