CIA Blamed For Somalia Failure
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WASHINGTON, June 8, 2006 – The Central Intelligence Agency has come under criticism from some U.S. officials for its operation in Somalia where Islamist militia have now taken control.
The officials reportedly feel the CIA's covert effort to finance the secular warlords in their recent bitter battle against the Islamists in Somalia has adversely affected counterterrorism efforts inside that country.
These officials also feel the effort has only helped further strengthen the Islamic groups, reports The New York Times, which said the criticism was made privately by those with direct knowledge.
The report said the criticisms came up even before the Islamist militias' victory over the warlords who had earlier controlled Somalia's capital of Mogadishu. The Times reported the CIA operation run from neighboring Kenya was designed to help the war lords capture or kill suspected members of al-Qaida who were believed to be hiding in Mogadishu.
Some Africa experts even say the U.S. effort to finance the warlords was one of the factors that encouraged the rise of Islamic militias in Somalia, the report said.
Source: United Press International
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