US opens embassy for Somalia…in Kenya
Reuters reports the happy news that the United States has bravely reestablished an embassy to reopen diplomatic ties to Somalia. Strangely enough, the mission is in Kenya, which probably doesn’t help either nation, well except that the US bureaucrats feel better about themselves, and that’s really all that matters, isn’t it?
“U.S. officials will continue to travel to Somalia to conduct official business as security conditions permit,” department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
“The new mission reflects a continuation of U.S. efforts to normalize the U.S.-Somalia bilateral relationship,” he added.
U.S. officials have said they eventually hope to establish the mission in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
It seems to me that it’s waste of money – embassy officials stationed in Kenya can always travel to Somalia for business there, “as security conditions permit”, instead of establishing a whole new mission. And, really, how much diplomatic business will anyone be conducting with the wobbly Somalian government anyway? Conditions in Somalia really haven’t changed since they closed the embassy there in 1991 when the civil war started and the country became a dangerous place.
The Somalian Embassy in Kenya will just be another terror target in Africa.
Category: Foreign Policy, Terror War
Just when you think you’ve seen the lowest depths of diplomatic idiocy . . . you see something like this, and realize you actually hadn’t.
(facepalm)
so which of Obama’s well healed donors will be nominated for this Ambassadorship?
If AFRICOM can be HQ’d in Germany, with all of the service component command HQ’s in Europe, why can’t State have their Somalia embassy in Kenya?
AFRICOM has only existed as a full COCOM since 1 Oct 2008. The initial intent appears to have been for the HQ to remain at Stuttgart temporarily pending negotiating a location for a permanent HQ on the African continent.
1 Oct 2008 was “only” almost 7 years ago. For some reason, it appears the current Administration hasn’t exactly put a priority on getting that done.
Right, they have more important things to do. Like, for instance, they have to close GTMO detention facility within 90 days of Barry taking office….
When they first stood up AFRICOM, I saw a list of African countries with their willingness to accept the new COCOM HQ. The only ones close to being accepting were the ones which would also require unaccompanied tours and had little to no support infrastructure.
Well, we are talking about Africa. “Unaccompanied tours and . . . little to no support infrastructure” describes most of that continent.
Its all fun and games, until a COCOM dependent dies from Malaria.
The only country that stepped forward to house AFRICOM initially was Liberia. You might remember it from the Ebola mission last year. EVACing a COCOM from theatre would have been a fun exercise.
Understood – and precisely my point.
Had the current Administration actively worked the issue, I seriously doubt Liberia would have been the only potential location. The fact that Liberia was the only country willing to “step up” tells me that this was “all show, no go” for the past 6 1/2 years.
There’s also no particular reason a COCOM HQ can’t be an unaccompanied tour. Most of Korea was for decades. Even the few quarters earmerked for dependents of the GOs at the 2ID weren’t located at Casey; they were in Yongsan. There’s no reason we couldn’t do the same for AFRICOM if it were truly important enough (e.g., mostly unaccompanied, key billets accompanied but families possibly located elsewhere than the HQ location).
They probably wanted us to *build* said infrastructure…and after they got it, they’d probably have told us to leave.
As much as it might be a racket to have the HQ in Germany, would it be any better if we were perpetually bribing an African government to stay there?
Having seen the result of CENTCOM 8,000 mile “remote control” myself . . . yeah, I think so. Lots gets missed (or misinterpreted) when the HQ isn’t even on the same continent as its AOR.
Anybody else think Kirby is an annoying Obama lackey? I can’t stand that guy.
Well they had to find someone who’s lips could be kept on King Barry’s ass after “transferring” the dumb blonde who was a spokesman.
I’m sot sure if it’s just me, but isn’t this as stupid as putting a Pepsi vending machine in the middle of the Coca Cola bottling plant? It will be ignored until it’s vandalized, but Pepsi can say it’s being progressive.
It’s in KENYA. The old hometown. Notice this is happening about a year out so we can start pouring money into their economy? Maybe not (snork).
Its actually inside the existing US embassy in Nairobi. We’ve had an Somalia office there for years, the only difference is that an anointed ambassador has finally arrived.
I jut want tickets to the pissing contest between the two embassies’ staffs over Who Outranks Who.
“And, really, how much diplomatic business will anyone be conducting with the wobbly Somalian government anyway?”
The short answer is, they want our money and Obama’s taxpayer wallet it just itching in his pocket to load them up with all they want. He’s got to help his Muslim brothers as long as he’s in office and times running out.
Somalians need to be able to get their refugee status so they can come to Dodge City, Greely, and other gateway cities.
How would you like to be among the poor civilian bastards assigned to that target? I can hear Kerry now, “Thanks. And remember: we have your back!”
They had a few million left in the DoS budget for the Fiscal Year, so this was their way to spend it before the end of the FY so they wouldn’t lose it next year.
More of our tax dollars put to work by this administration.
Word.
They should double up on their investment and staff the new embassy with All-Points Logistics employees.
Ambassador Phil Monkress? He wouldn’t need a security detail. After all, he is a phony SEAL. Phony Comander Phil Monkress would have that embassy squared away in no time. Much like his company All-Points Logistics, in which he bilked the government of tax payer money based on false claims.
They could’ve put it in Somalia, then abandoned whomever was assigned there to Al Shabaab at the end of this week. What difference would it make?