Somalia has essentially been without a government since their dictator, Mohammed Siad Barre, was overthrown in 1991. Warlords have controlled the country since, and in 1993 killed 18 Americans in an episode now known as "Black Hawk Down".

Recently, as in June of this year, an alliance if 12 Muslim militias have seized the capital city of Mogadishu, and much of southern Somalia, and made public their intent to declare Shariah law, and named as their leader a cleric with links to al Qaeda. Witness the formation of another radical Islamic state that shelters terrorists.

The US, at this time, has no interest, nor need for, getting involved in Somalia again, though it may be very important to keep an eye on what is going on there.

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Steve Gallagher
Maple Corner, Vermont, USA
www.govern.us

I happen to have greater faith in Somalians than almost anyone else I know because I happen to know several Sammies. I believe that the steadfastness and strength of the people will come through. It is too early to truly tell, but I can already say that the Al Qeada ties are total crap. The ties are from CIA smugglers in the 80's sending guns to Osama through the Mog. The Somalians have already tried opening ties with the West and rejected the calls of Osama to join them. I am optimistic so long as Western influence or Western puppets don't totally screw it up again. Oh, and most of the weapons used against the troopers in Operation Ranger (the one with the sitting-duck choppers getting knocked out) were American-made and the tactics were pathetic.

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Patriotic Dissentor and Lovin it!
Death to those who Oppress and threaten the True People.

Hey Blodgett!
There was a question I wanted to ask you in another thread... not sure I remember it completely.
It's just though I've done some research on subsaharan African immigrants to the US under a Somali professor, I haven't heard about the big stratification differences in different sectors of Somalia. I was wondering whether your take was that the Islamic government could actually improve life for the rest of the Somalis and if so, if there were any side effects that could occur. And also, do you have any links with information about the differences in areas of Somalia?

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

I found out first about the different 'nations' in Somalia from Robert Young Pelton's World's Most Dangerous Places 4th Edition and later on from a couple of my buddies. I think it certainly has the oppurtunity to increase the standard of living and could become a successful government, sorta like Bhutan. But I have the typical American fear of secular government. Side-effects may be, and probably are now, is a continued insurgency/war by warlords not willing to give up the gun.

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Patriotic Dissentor and Lovin it!
Death to those who Oppress and threaten the True People.

well islamists rule is better than war lords ruling there not for american intrest but in the intrest of the people of somalia.the islamists unlike the war lords wont commit atrocities on the people there are islamists are god fearing people

I think most of the time in the US, we understand that Islamists beat chaotic warlords any day. Our fears stem from their lack of democratic reform in many cases, which is still better than warlords... and that they tend not to prosecute the terrorists that give us problems.
Our problem with Iran, for instance, has nothing to do with religion. It is their suppression of their own democracy by theocrats and what we perceive as threats toward us and Israel.

I think we all need to learn to communicate better.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

oh comman java you atleast dont talk like sadistic,we know america supports those regimes who support it like the shah of iran-iran presently is more democratic than before
we know how iran humilated america by keeping its hastages for 440 days-thats the real problem with america it wants the whole world to bow in front of it

Yeah, Political, I'd have to agree with you there. We tend to have a superiority complex because we've never lost a major war, etc etc. Another thing is that 90% of yanks don't care about anywhere outside of the US until it affects them.

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Patriotic Dissentor and Lovin it!
Death to those who Oppress and threaten the True People.

well you have lost the korean and vietnam wars and also the present war in iraq just correcting you

We didn't lose Korea (R.O.K. still exists, that was the goal) and it wasn't a major war, neither was Vietnam, and Iraq is still up in the air and it's not a major war anyways. Don't judge it too early. In 1941 Hitler thought he'd beaten everybody. He didn't count on Siberia and the Russian Winter. We have similar assests - the strength of the Iraqi people. You are a pessimist and convinced everything will fail. I have gone out of my way to meet Iraqis and I have an e-mail relationship with a lower-level member of the Iraqi government, and I am convinced the Iraqis will prevail and take up where we're not getting it done. By the way, Iraqi troops recently took over two entire sectors for the British and Canadian. Oh, the brits and canadians have a heart and mind winning tactic we need to copy - the foot patrol and language classes.

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Patriotic Dissentor and Lovin it!
Death to those who Oppress and threaten the True People.