Déjà Vu All Over Again – Redux
The current Administration has decided that it’s now OK for the US to provide direct military assistance to the new government of Somalia. Specifically, the POTUS has determined that it is appropriate for the US to provide defense equipment and services to the Somali government.
Yes, “defense equipment and services” means exactly what you think it does: arms, equipment, and people to train Somali government forces. No, plans to deploy US forces to Somalia have not yet been announced. Yet.
Why? Because according to the POTUS, the US providing defense equipment and services to Somalia “will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.”
Damn. I have that strange “I’ve seen this movie before, and the ending sucked” feeling. Now why is that?
Oh, yeah – now I remember. The movie I’m thinking of told the story of events 20 years ago.
It was called “Black Hawk Down”.
Category: Foreign Policy, Military issues
But Hondo, they insist that the remake is going to be a lot better than the original. First off, they have a better budget. And they have the right man in charge. He’s even a minority, so you know it will work!
NRPax: ye seem a bit auld t’be a believin’ in Leprechauns, laddie.
It was news to me that Somalia has an actual government. So I visited the CIA World Factbook and, lo and behold, if what they have is a government then the definition changed when I wasn’t looking. The country has a partial Assembly—no upper house but “it is in the process” of building a federated republic. Those executives now in power (chief of state and, separately, head of government) have been in office since all of last September and Somalia courts are have not been formed. Thus, local customs (i.e., gangs) and Sharia practitioners (i.e., gang leaders) mete out justice. There are no political parties, per se, and clans rule the roost. Nine years after a transitional government was formed, it is still ‘transitioning.’ And, of course, the US has no embassy in Somalia. Other than the constant fighting, lawlessness, absence of stability, factionalism, and ever-present gangsters with serious weaponry, Somalia certainly is an excellent choice by the obama administration to receive our money and arms to promote world peace. Now, I go and throw up.
Any weapons and money that we send there will soon be in the hands of the warlords and the situation will further detiorate. We can’t civilize Somalia and should stay far away.
Speaking of Deja Vu
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-02/business/38220144_1_housing-recovery-housing-market-housing-officials
B. Hussein 0bama & Co. are demanding more Gun Control Laws on law-abiding Citizens, but they see NO problem with arming Mexican drug cartels with AK47’s, and now they want to arm as many Third World gangs as they can, brilliant!! I just wonder how many women and children will get killed by the gangs that want to wield them?
Well damn. 20 years ago right now I was there. The only way to control that mess would be to send in a ton of troops and keep them there for a long while (sound familiar?). We all know that’s not going to happen. So in other words, nothing but failure, more American casualties and more American equipment in the enemies hands.
Awesome.
I’m with Air Cav….What government? And if they are so new that people who follow this these kind of thing didn’t even know about it, is it REALLY a good idea to give them guns and money? And I agree with Hondo…You know the old saying “Those who do not study their history….” Yeah. I suspect our friends in the White House didn’t do no too good on that boring old history classes nohow.
I am getting the feeling that I couldn’t have chosen a better time to go IRR and go back to graduate school.
Of all the interesting places in Africa, why Somalia? Even the pirates stopped making headlines at least a year ago.
Or is AFRICOM having trouble justifying its own existence, since no one wants the strings that come with their money?
What interests do “we” have there, anyway?
Oh, crap. You had to go and plop a tragedy right in front of me before I’ve even had breakfast.
Well, this will backfire on that fool. Nice to know the incompetent are in charge. Stock the bomb shelters, people, it’s coming.
didn’t the UN jus sign the “no guns for bads” treaty? also we have a Somali jihad recruitment problem in this country, why are we making things worse there so more of them come over??
Once again, the Marxist-in-chief shows his warm-&-fuzzy feelings toward his muzzie upbringing by giving away our hard earned tax dollars to African islamists.
God help our men and women in uniform that have to go over there and try to make sense of that mess of a country. Not one American life is worth anything there.
@14. “Not one American life is worth anything there.” It’s too late for that but I know what you maen and agree.
I’m going to start reading this blog from the bottom up… I just finished a great story about a Cuban man educating his local government about gun control and was feeling pretty good about my day… Now this…
I don’t ever want to see a sequel to BHD. We need to unass Africa – there are definitely better uses for our resources and troops then to send them into a absolutely NO WIN situation. HTH can he even commit troops/resources to this S hole without Congress approval?
@2: What can I say? We have a Hollywood President, may as well use Hollywood logic.
“Groundhog Day.” Over, and over, and over…
@18 Exactly
It’s like Obama wants to give arms and equipment to everyone except law-abiding American citizens. Egypt, Libya, and now Somalia.
If someone set out to destroy the US, I’m not sure they’d be doing anything different than Obama.