CLINTON CONFIRMATION: Somalia

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 3:49 pm

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) returns, and asks about intelligence warnings of Al Qaeda movement into the chaos of Somalia. “What’s your view on what’s gone wrong on that?”

Clinton: “Somalia is strategically located … the idea that Somalia is just a failed state, somewhere over there, where people are just fighting over Heaven knows what is one that we adopt at our peril. I don’t know the most effective way forward,” she concedes. “Now we have the added ingredient of Al Qaeda and terrorists looking to take advantage of chaos and failure of Somalia.” She declines to take up Feingold’s invitation to bash President George W. Bush’s eager embrace of the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia two years ago, saying merely that “there’s a lot of history here.” But she tells Feingold, who apparently has a fair amount of expertise on Somalia, “we’re going to seek your advice.”

Arrrrrr now we’re talking about piracy. “The current thinking” is anti-piracy will be a “joint effort … with the shippers … and various navies, including China and India.” Also there’s “some talk about going ashore … we have to give a lot of thought to this. There’s an enormous number of bad options that need to be sorted through.” She wraps up by saying that there’s not a Somalia policy yet, but the administration’s going to work on it.

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Comments

9 Comments

Abdi from somalia
Comment posted January 13, 2009 @ 2:20 pm

Its a real shame she never denouced what Bush has done in somalia by arming and financing Ethiopia which has always been a rival of somalia to invade and occupy that country.

Its not good for the US and its not good for somalia to hve allowed ethiopia to invade and kill 25, 000 people and displace 1.5 million from the capital over the past two years.

Somalis feel that they can no longer trust the US and view the US with deep suspicion and mistrust that is almost equal to that of Ethiopia.


Koogi Dharaar
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 8:14 am

I think clinton is reight not denouce Bush approach in Somalia. The somali issue is very complicated and is driven by different Somali clans, Arab countries ie Saudi Arabia and Egypt, African countries ie Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. The secretary of State have to navigate all those conflicting interest with care and wisdom. The Secretary of State has to avoid listening to one side and making decision on that basis. Somali's are good in hoodwinking foreigners and they have been doing of centuries and they are good at it.

The wise way forward is to consult with all the clans look into the need of these foreign countries and come up with way forward that address the need of all those stake holders.
Koogi


Mohamed Ali -Minnesota
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 12:25 pm

Somalis have great gratitude to the Bush and Clinton familes. Both have stood up and assisted starving Somalis in 1992-1993, and that gratitude will stay in the memory of many Somalis in the years to come.
On the political side, Somalia is being over-run by Teroorists (whether they are TFG, Al Shabaab, and currently PIRATES), and these need to be stopped by any means possible.
As A Somali American I am worried for the future of my birthland, an hope that Madam Secretary Clinton will step up to the plate and solve these crisis one at a time.


Maxamed Xaaji
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 12:48 pm

i am really double sorry the American negative strategy towards Somalia since 1992, coz appart from creating a useless proxy war in the hands of long time Somali enemy of Ethiopia USA was the only country who betrayed the closest chance that Somali people would have had since the colapse of the central government in the early 1990's.
so USA should have ashamed on them selves, this time around you did whatever possible 4 u 2 do without taking into account the plight that you are creating the already suffering Somali people over the last 2 and half years so i would raher say plz try to safe your disgraced face if there is any…………………….byeeeeee


Maxamed Xaaji
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 12:57 pm

i think USA has what it takes to use Ethiopia to impose a useless proxy war towards Somalia people who saw Ethiopia as long time enemy, instead USA turned a blind eye to the suffring that he has masterminded.
anyway Ethiopia as always was defeated by the Somali people who doesnt like to be clonissed by the only black colony in the world so USA and his news prograssive administration should try to change that useles policy which proved to be wrong by it self.


Koogi Dharaar
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 4:14 pm

I think clinton is reight not denouce Bush approach in Somalia. The somali issue is very complicated and is driven by different Somali clans, Arab countries ie Saudi Arabia and Egypt, African countries ie Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. The secretary of State have to navigate all those conflicting interest with care and wisdom. The Secretary of State has to avoid listening to one side and making decision on that basis. Somali's are good in hoodwinking foreigners and they have been doing of centuries and they are good at it.

The wise way forward is to consult with all the clans look into the need of these foreign countries and come up with way forward that address the need of all those stake holders.
Koogi


Mohamed Ali -Minnesota
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 8:25 pm

Somalis have great gratitude to the Bush and Clinton familes. Both have stood up and assisted starving Somalis in 1992-1993, and that gratitude will stay in the memory of many Somalis in the years to come.
On the political side, Somalia is being over-run by Teroorists (whether they are TFG, Al Shabaab, and currently PIRATES), and these need to be stopped by any means possible.
As A Somali American I am worried for the future of my birthland, an hope that Madam Secretary Clinton will step up to the plate and solve these crisis one at a time.


Maxamed Xaaji
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 8:48 pm

i am really double sorry the American negative strategy towards Somalia since 1992, coz appart from creating a useless proxy war in the hands of long time Somali enemy of Ethiopia USA was the only country who betrayed the closest chance that Somali people would have had since the colapse of the central government in the early 1990's.
so USA should have ashamed on them selves, this time around you did whatever possible 4 u 2 do without taking into account the plight that you are creating the already suffering Somali people over the last 2 and half years so i would raher say plz try to safe your disgraced face if there is any…………………….byeeeeee


Maxamed Xaaji
Comment posted January 14, 2009 @ 8:57 pm

i think USA has what it takes to use Ethiopia to impose a useless proxy war towards Somalia people who saw Ethiopia as long time enemy, instead USA turned a blind eye to the suffring that he has masterminded.
anyway Ethiopia as always was defeated by the Somali people who doesnt like to be clonissed by the only black colony in the world so USA and his news prograssive administration should try to change that useles policy which proved to be wrong by it self.


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