RE-RUN? Here we go! It's back to Mogadishu!
We have to get used to spelling and pronounce East African place and people names all over again. Several weeks ago it became apparent that Somalia was being put back on the being put back on the big, front burner again when the news mentioned that a flight of bombers from Ethiopia had hit targets in Mogadishu, Somalia.
You may recall we were un-welcomed visitors there during the days of "War Lord"rule of that troubled land. Sixteen American soldiers were killed there during our short stay. This week flights of helicopter gunships have been flying in from Ethiopia which does not possess such bombers or helicopter gunships. The assumption has been made that they are United States aircraft - one and all.
The confusion is just beginning.
It may be that the United States is "tracking Islamic extremists" as some Somalia officials say, or looking for bombers from 1998 - a bit late. It, of course, could be that the United States was helping Ethiopia prevent an extremist take-over their neighboring country there in the rich Horn of Africa Or, it may prove to be as Ethiopia report that they solved the problem by means of a successful land operation on December 24, 2006. That move saved the Somali government. They currently concerned about capturing the radical extremists seeking to escape from the country.
Wait for some really confusion when the members of our Congress - now under new leadership - see this as a wonderful opportunity to beat the "Bush" a bit more before getting to work on projected legislation to guide and guard us in the future.
What should we do about Mogadishu?'
All we can do, I feel, is to wait, watch and wonder.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 1-9-07 [c-309wds]
