BAIDOA, Somalia, December 22, 2006 (Reuters) - Ethiopian tanks rolled to the battlefront on Friday as Somali Islamists and Somalia's pro-government troops pounded each other with artillery and rockets in a fourth day of clashes.
In its first detailed response to the fighting that has killed dozens and wounded hundreds, Addis Ababa said its patience was running out and it demanded the Islamists stop all "hostile anti-Ethiopian activities".
Kenya: State Acts to Control Fever That Has Killed 11
Nairobi, December 23, 2006 - The Government yesterday launched an intensive programme to control Rift Valley Fever, which has killed 11 people in North Eastern Province.
Mohamed Mohamud of Korakora divison , Garissa , lies at Garissa general hospital after he was diagnised to be having Rift Valley fever . So far 11 people have died of the disease in the district.
The programme comprises the distribution of more than 10,000 insecticide treated nets, wide-scale spraying of infected areas, distribution of drugs and other medical supplies and health education.
Mogadishu, Somalia, December 23, 2006 - The Eritrean government has denied Ethiopian accusations that it was destabilizing the peace in Somalia. Eritrean president Isaias Afewerke said Somalia does not need any Eritrean troops, rebuffing that a single Eritrean soldier was lingering in Somalia.
"The Ethiopian troops are definitely in Somalia and they intend to capture Somalia. The current internal conflicts in Somalia were sparked by the Ethiopian military forces in the country", he reiterated.
The reaction came after the Ethiopian government laid blame on rival Eritrea for arming the Islamic Courts Union and having military troops that are fighting alongside with Islamists
An Islamic Courts soldier lies dead at the Moode Moode front, east of Baidoa, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006. |
MOGADISHU, Somalia, December 22, 2006 – Thousands of Somalis fled their homes Friday as government and Ethiopians troops used artillery to defend against Islamic fighters attempting to advance on the U.N.-backed regime's only stronghold.
Residents reported seeing hundreds of troops and trucks being moved toward the front lines around Baidoa _ the only area the government controls early Friday. Bodies lay in the streets and fighters pounded each other's positions with heavy artillery and mortars overnight, leaving a European peace initiative in tatters.
MOGADISHU, Somalia, December 20, 2006 -- Somali fighters clashed with artillery, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns Wednesday, even as a European diplomat persuaded both the government and a rival Islamic movement to resume peace talks.
The heavy fighting outside the only town the government controls dragged on into the evening and underlined the difficulties of securing peace in this desperately poor country in the Horn of Africa.
BAIDOA, Somalia, December 22, 2006 – Ethiopian tanks rolled to the battle front on Friday as Somali Islamists and pro-government troops pounded each other with artillery and rockets in a fourth day of clashes starting to take the shape of a war.
Witnesses near the fighting on two fronts to the southwest and southeast of the government's encircled stronghold, Baidoa, said they heard the rumble of armor before dawn.
Melbourne, Australia, December 22, 2006 – SHARES ended Thursday trading down from Wednesday's record close, with resources proving a major drag.
The ASX200 fell 24.3 points at 5583.5, while the All Ordinaries was down 25.2 to 5561.7. The ASX200 earlier hit an intra-day high of 5608.5.
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EU To Present Memorandum To Somali Parties
NAIROBI, December 19, 2006 – The European Commissioner of Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, is to press both sides in the Somali conflict "to resume talks in order to find a peaceful solution", the European Union has announced.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the EU said Michel, who is expected to travel to Somalia, would present a memorandum of understanding to Somalia's adversaries, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), in a bid to prevent an escalation of the conflict.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Kurbi(L) poses for a picture with Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed |
ADEN, Yemen, December 16, 2006 – Somalia's powerful Islamist movement appeared to open the door to talks with neighboring Ethiopia to avert war with the weak Ethiopian-backed Somali transitional government.
A top Islamist official, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, said the movement was prepared for "dialogue" with Ethiopia, which has troops in Somalia protecting the government.
December 21, 2006
Somalia has been at war with itself for 16 years. A generation has grown up knowing nothing but fear and insecurity. In 1991, the socialist regime of Muhammad Siyad Barre was ousted by warlords who then fell to fighting among themselves. The country descended into chaos. A year later, the UN, prompted by Washington, sought to intervene and restore stability. In front of the world’s press and media, US Marines stormed ashore unopposed but within weeks the peacekeeping operation was crumbling as warlords launched increasingly savage attacks on US troops. After four years of failure, the UN quit.
December 19, 2006 – To most Americans, Somalia is the place where "Black Hawk Down" happened, or the place with the pictures of the starving African children, or, for some, the biblical land of Punt. (Scholars quibble about locating Punt.) Americans tend to confuse African countries with one another except when our soldiers are dying there, and the violence in Sudan, Uganda, Congo or Zimbabwe can seem indistinguishable.
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UNITED NATIONS, December 16, 2006 – The Honorable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, yesterday issued the following statement on the situation in Somalia:
“ Canada is deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation and rising tensions in Somalia. We strongly urge both the Transitional Federal Government and the Union of Islamic Courts to resume peace talks as soon as possible in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1725, and without preconditions.
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Geneva, December 15, 2006 – It’s that time of year when many in Somalia attempt to cross the Gulf of Aden, hoping for a better life in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East. However, it’s often a perilous journey due to smugglers and the risk of capsizing.
Astrid Van Genderen Stort is a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR. From Geneva, she spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about a tragic end to a recent attempt to cross from Bosaso to Yemen.
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Ethiopian advisors shop in Baidoa, Somalia, in a Friday Dec. 15, 2006 |
BAIDOA, Somalia December 18, 2006 – A headless statue of a soldier stands guard at the entrance of Somalia's “City of Death” – a fitting monument in a place once more stalked by war.
An Islamic movement, accused of having al-Qaeda terrorists in its ranks, and a new U.N.-backed government struggling to end 15 years of anarchy are vying for control of this nation and girding for battle.
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Headlines |
Kenyan Parliamentary Delegation Given A Heroic Welcome In Somaliland
Paul Muite, leader of the Kenyan delegation (centre) while addressing a joint session of the two houses of Somaliland parliament on Thursday |
The visiting MPs Vow To Take the case of Somaliland’s Recognition To the Kenyan Parliament |
Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 23, 2006 (SL Times) – Members of a Kenyan parliamentary delegation which arrived in Hargeysa on Wednesday in a fact-finding mission are now fully convinced that Somaliland is qualified to be recognized as a sovereign country by countries in the region and the international community at large.
Led by veteran MP Paul Muite, the five member delegation was given a heroic welcome on arrival and has since held a series of extensive discussions with country’s political, traditional and civic leaders.
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House Of ‘Guurti’ Select Committee On Internal Affairs And Security, Warn Of Impending Danger In Buroa
Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 23, 2006 (SL Times) – Chairman of the Upper house of Elders ‘Guurti’ select committee on Internal Affairs and Security, Mr. Ahmed Muse Obsiye has given dire warnings on the ongoing liaison taking root between former soldiers in Buroa sacked from the national army and some of Buroa’s religious figures who are known to have sympathy for the Islamic Courts in Mogadishu.
Mr. Obsiye, speaking to Somaliland Times on Monday said, “We have been aware that for some time in Buroa there has been a recruitment campaign by certain Buroa based religious sympathizers of the Islamic Courts to enlist former national army soldiers who were sacked in recent years to unite their grievances with their sharia cause.”
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Yusuf Mohamed Siad Inda'ade, Islamic Courts security chief |
DECEMBER 23, 2006
Islamic Courts seek to expand war
A Somali Islamic Courts defence chief has for the first time called on foreign Muslim fighters to join his movement's war against Ethiopia.
Inda'ade said his group was open to anyone who can help remove the enemy from Somalia.
"We're saying our country is open to Muslims worldwide. Let them fight in Somalia and wage jihad, and God willing, attack Addis Ababa," Yusuf Mohamed Siad, known as Inda'ade, said.
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ANALYSIS
December 23, 2006
Observers of the Horn Africa are puzzled by the US’s lack of leverage in effecting a change in the behavior of states in the region that have consistently acted against US interests. Two obvious examples are Sudan and Eritrea. But a less known example is Djibouti which poses as a friend of the United States and at the same time supports well known terrorist organizations such as the Islamic Courts of Mogadishu. Up to now, the prevalent explanation among Horn of Africa watchers has been that the US tolerates Djibouti’s support for the Islamic Courts because the US figured that the benefits it gains from its base in Djibouti outweigh the risks posed by Djibouti’s support for terrorists.
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Somali Courts Chief Threatens To Free Men Convicted Of Terrorism In Somaliland
Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 23, 2006 (SL Times) – The Mogadishu-based Islamic courts have threatened to free some convicted terrorists from prisons in Somaliland.
This is according to the chairman of the consultative council of the Union of Islamic Courts, Hassan Dahir Aweys, who said on Ceel Buur radio, "The men (held over terrorism) have men who can help them and have their God. We hope to release them from Somaliland jails as we have released those who were abducted by the warlords in Mogadishu and put in prison."
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Buroa, Somaliland, December 23, 2006 (SL Times) – Delegates from the Somaliland Policy and Reconstruction Institute (SOPRI) who are part of the Goodwill Mission delegation to Somaliland arrived on Wednesday in Buroa, the capitol of Togdheer region for consultations with officials and government heads of the region.
The Goodwill Mission was put together under the auspices of the September 2006 Somaliland Conference in Washington DC to promote cooperation and understanding among the state organs in Somaliland and to facilitate consultation on major issues of national interest.
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A monument to commemorate those who fought for has become the Republic of Somaliland in Hargeysa, Somaliland |
HARGEYSA, Somaliland, December 20, 2006 – Stacks of currency piled foot-high on the streets, no guards or police in sight, would be unusual to see anywhere.
But it's particularly striking in Somaliland. The people of Somaliland, this calm northern third of a country known for lawlessness and violence, say they should get more credit for creating the order symbolized by their "Wall Street," where money changers ply their trade.
From the president and opposition leaders to men drinking milky sweet evening tea and women selling goats and sheep in open air markets, Somalilanders all ask as if with one voice: Why has their region not been recognized by the world as an independent state?
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A Somali government soldier guards a path in Moode Moode, a town nine miles from the government garrison town of Baidoa, Friday. |
MOGADISHU, Somalia December 22, 2006 – Hundreds have been killed in clashes between Somalia's Islamic militia and the country's secular government, officials said Friday, while the United Nations issued a call for peace during a lull in fighting.
Sporadic gunfire and shelling could be heard around Baidoa, the UN-backed government's only stronghold, but residents and officials said the worst of the current fighting appeared to be over.
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An Islamist soldier lay dead Thursday near Baidoa, Somalia, where fighting raged. The chief of Islamist forces said the country was at war. |
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, December 22, 2006 — Any hope of a quick peace in Somalia vanished in a burst of artillery shells today, as fighting raged between rival governments of the country for a third day straight. Residents in Baidoa, the seat of the internationally-recognized transitional government of Somalia, reported seeing columns of Ethiopian tanks rumbling toward the front lines, raising worries that Somalia’s internal problems could become regional ones.
Ethiopia has acknowledged sending several hundred military advisors to help the transitional government repel advances by Somalia’s powerful Islamist movement, which is based in Mogadishu, Somalia’s largest city and longtime capital. But Ethiopian officials continued to deny today that their troops were participating in combat.
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MOGADISHU, Somalia December 23, 2006 – Forces of the islamic movement of Somalia (UIC) said today they have captured a frontline position from Ethiopian-backed government forces, as a fourth day of bloody battles raged in the lawless nation's southern region.
Islamic movement information chief Abdurahim Ali Muddey said their fighters have seized the Idale outpost, some 60 kilometres south of Baidoa, the seat of the interim government which is being backed by Ethiopia(Woyané) troops.
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22 Dec 2006 11:04:30 GMT
Geneva (ICRC) – The armed clashes that broke out earlier this week around the town of Baidoa, 250 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu, have claimed dozens of lives and driven many civilians from their homes.
Hospitals and other medical facilities in the region have received at least 200 wounded since Wednesday.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has supplied all medical facilities treating the injured with first-aid kits and surgical materials.
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International News
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Condoleezza Rice, (r), shakes hands with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa at State Department, 22 Dec 2006
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Friday with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa for talks focusing on the situation in Somalia. Uganda is to play a key part in an East African peacekeeping mission aimed at shoring up Somalia's embattled transitional government. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
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Annan Deplores Escalating Somalia Conflict
Outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan late Friday warned that the escalation of conflict in Somalia could have "disastrous consequences for civilians." Annan has called on the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) "to cease the hostilities immediately" and "resume the peace talks" without delay, according to a statement from his spokesman.
He urged the two sides to respect commitments agreed upon in Khartoum and expressed "grave concern" about the involvement of foreign forces in the conflict
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| December 23, 2006
With the world now one full year off the Peak Oil and Gas cliff (according to work of geologists such as Kenneth Deffeyes), it is no surprise to see geostrategic tensions superheating quickly in several key oil and gas regions, as the world’s superpowers and multinational energy giants (supported by their nation’s militaries and intelligence agencies) intensify their combat over remaining energy supplies. |
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Somali government troops guard detain an Oromo Ethiopian separatist fighter loyal to Somalia's Islamic Court Union, in Baidoa, Somalia, Wednesday Dec. 13, 2006. |
Washington, 19 December 2006 - Both the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) have indicated they are willing to talk to each other to discuss peace. But what are the odds a ceasefire agreement could be signed? For an analysis of the situation, VOA English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua spoke with Dr. Ken Menkhaus of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.
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STATE DEPARTMENT
Washington, December 18, 2006 -- The United States has no intention of sending military forces to Somalia to remove al-Qaida-backed militants from power, a senior U.S. diplomat told reporters December 14.
Jendayi Frazer, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, called on Somalia's competing factions to open talks aimed at achieving a stable government. She also urged international follow-through on a December 6 U.N. Security Council resolution that authorizes an African peacekeeping force to protect Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. (See related article.)
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Muzzaker Shah was cleared of attempting to murder Pc Milburn
Bradford , UK, December 19, 2006 – The most dangerous member of the gang which killed Pc Sharon Beshenivsky was Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah from London.
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A young girl walks past a car that was used in a suicide bomb attack last month in Baidoa, Somalia, seat of the country's weak transitional government. (By Jerome Delay -- Associated Press) |
Nairobi, December 18, 2006 – Six months ago, the Bush administration launched a new policy in war-torn Somalia, putting the State Department in charge after secret CIA efforts failed to prevent Islamic fundamentalists from seizing power in Mogadishu. It hoped that diplomacy would draw the Islamists into partnership with more palatable, U.S.-backed Somali leaders.
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Editorial
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Since withdrawing from its 1960 voluntary union with ex-Italian Somalia, Somaliland’s demands for international recognition has unfortunately been wrongly understood in Africa as an attempt for secession. There was little awareness if any on the part of the rest of Africa about the fact that Somaliland and Somalia were two separate countries with two different colonial histories until the two independent states merged on July, 1960. Only a few Africans other than Somalis knew that by withdrawing in 1991 from the union with Somalia, Somaliland, a former British Protectorate, was simply re-asserting its independence within its colonial boundaries without necessarily infringing the AU’s principle that treats borders inherited at independence as sacrosanct.
Sub Editorial
The Djiboutian Vulture Strikes Again
Djibouti’s rulers, including President Ismail Omar Guelleh, like to portray themselves as people who deeply care about the plight of their fellow Somalis. But this is far from the truth. On the contrary, Djibouti’s government has not only contributed to the Somali tragedy but has followed a ruthless policy of taking advantage of the desperate situation of Somalis. There is a word for someone who engages in such behavior : vulture. Djibouti’s rulers are such vultures. Here are some of the vulture-like behaviors that they have engaged in since the early days of their independence:
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Special Report |
In November 2005, the Centre for Human Rights began investigating the possibility of a third destination for the LLM field trip. The reasons for increasing the number of field trip destinations to include Somaliland include the following:
Somaliland is a state in the making; it would be ideal for students on the programme to have a first hand experience of this. |
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Opinions
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An Open Letter To Hon. Muite Team In Somaliland
By Ahmed Aideed, Namanga, Kenya
Mweshimiwa, I would like to draw your attention to some very basic principles that should guide your fact finding mission and eventual summative views. As you may have already been informed Somaliland has very persuasively sound historical, legal and political case that justifies her quest for international legitimacy. |
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By Rashid Garuf, Washington DC, USA
Since the Islamic Courts have captured Mogadishu and have become a powerful force in the Somalia; the conservative religious groups in Somaliland have been energized and have consistently called on the people and the government to support introduction of Islamic Sharia Law in Somaliland. Their calls for Islamic Sharia Law implies the current Somaliland Constitution might not be consistent with (or rather contradicts) the Islamic Sharia Law. This article will be focused on what the Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland says about Islamic Sharia, any consistency or contradictions that might be there.
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The Reappearance Of Siyad Barre's Henchman
By Raagsale Danguri
It was a unique Friday's prayers session. It was late the second half of October; 2006.It was the last days of the blessed month of Ramadan in which the Holy Koran descended. It was wet and windy day. The torturing cool winter winds were blowing through the wide-open door of the mosque. The mosque was fully packed beyond capacity. Every open space was occupied by God-fearing pious Muslims who came to attend the weekly Friday's collective prayers.
In the German city of Kassel, which has quite negligible number of Muslim believers mostly from Turkey, praying together during the Muslim holidays; such as, Edel el Fidri, and Edel-Adaha has become a customary celebration during which they exchange greetings and collect contribution for the needy people.
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By Ahmed. M.Gedi (Sanjab)
As an active participant in the democratization processes of Somaliland for a period of 5 years, I would like to bring to the attention of Somali Landers in general and in particular those individuals responsible in administering the MANDATES of the above ENTITIES, that M/S S.O.P.R.I engaged a TEAM OF EXPERTS with credible and wide experience in multiple areas including Public Sector Policies that will facilitate evaluation of the NEEDS of government Institutions, so as to meet identified goals in administering both short-term and long-term operational appropriations of different Ministries and other Public Sector agencies in an effective, efficient and economical manner.
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Ahmed Kheyre, London, UK
It is official, the hypocrites of Baydhabo are officially at war with the Islamic Courts militias. It would appear that both Ethiopia and Eritrea are playing a role in this violent dispute. For us Somalilanders it is time for vigilance and preparedness. We must not delude ourselves that either the desperate gang in Baydhabo nor the Islamist have any love for us.
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Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website . He is also a regular contributor to major Middle Eastern and African newspapers and online journals.
By Bashir Goth,
Muslim women can only envy their Western sisters rising to the highest political leadership: Angela Merkel, Tarja Halonen, Hillary Clinton, and Segolene Royal. Turn to the Muslim world and the media will surprise you with daily reports of honor killings, hudood laws, female genital mutilation, social segregation, and political discrimination against women.
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Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb: "If God were to humiliate a human being He would deny him knowledge"
The League of Arab States has 22 members. Of the 22, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman are 'traditional monarchies'. Of the 22, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria and Somalia are 'Authoritarian Regimes' (Source: www.freedomhouse.org). Of the 22, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Morocco and Somalia are among the 'world's most repressive regimes' (Source: A special report to the 59th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights). Of the 330 million Muslim men, women and children living under Arab rulers a mere 486,530 live in a democracy (0.15 per cent of the total).
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By: Abukar Sanei
Ethiopia's war against Somalia has just begun as crossfire between the two forces has been reported from the middle regions of Somalia. However, are Somalis ready for this war? One thing that is for sure is that the ICU will fight until victory or defeat.
Will this war be limited to the ICU? I think not. Who will fight for Zenawi? Of course, the Ethiopian soldiers, but who will play the leading role? Ethiopian Generals and Colonels will play the leading role of this war, but what about Col. Yusuf? Well, he is too old with a liver that is not his. For that reason, he will not be in the front-line with the Ethiopian Generals, but there is one thing that he can do: to set up the maneuver of the war.
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By Ali Gulaid, San Jose, CA
In short, the answer is No. Mr. Tani, a close confidante and a friend of president Rayale has recently intimated that the President has made up his mind to run for another term and Mr. Tani added that the UDUB party is rallying behind the President 100%. I would take for Mr. Tani’s word that Rayale is running but that UDUB is unified and that it is rallying behind Rayale is a stretch of the imagination. In order to accord the importance the issue of term limits commands, I would defer my comments on UDUB’s presumed unity to another time and on that regard remind to whoever it may concern that constitutionally speaking Rayale isn’t eligible for another term, and that it pays to consult with a constitutional lawyer before President Rayale and his associates dream.
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| FEATURES & COMMENTARY |
Why The United States Should Recognize Somaliland’s Independence
Center for Strategic and International Studies
December 19th, 2006
By Peter J. Schraeder
The United States government should officially recognize the independence of Somaliland, a moderate Muslim democracy in the Horn of Africa. Such an argument may seem counterintuitive at a time when tensions are rising in the region. But I submit that it is precisely because of those rising tensions that it is time for the Bush administration to act, especially if it is truly serious about democracy promotion, counter-terrorism, and curtailing the spread of Islamic fundamentalism.
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by Stephen Lendman
December 19, 2006
Well almost, as explained below. Hugo Chavez Frias' reelection on December 3 stands out when compared to the greatest landslide presidential victories in US history. Except for the close race in 1812 and the electoral deadlock in 1800 decided by the House of Representatives choosing Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr, the very earliest elections here weren't hardly partisan contests at all as the Democrat-Republican party of Jefferson and Madison was dominant and had everything its own way.
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Losing control: The Transitional Federal Government holds a shrinking amount of territory. |
December 2006 by Foreign Policy
Somalia is the only country in the world without a functioning government. Fighting between Islamic militias and the remnants of a U.N.-backed national government threatens to leave half a million people stranded and engulf much of the Horn of Africa in war. FP sat down with Ken Menkhaus, a leading scholar on Somalia who has just returned from the region.
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Nairobi, Kenya, December 17, 2006 – Most people in the Western world have formed their idea of Africa from the movies. For decades, Hollywood portrayed white people in exotic settings: Johnny Weismuller swinging on vines through the jungle; John Wayne capturing big game in Hatari; Michael Caine's heroics in Zulu; Robert Redford romancing Meryl Streep in Out of Africa. There were a few Americans in the foreground, and a lot of Africans in the background.
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A woman with Camel milk
Rabat, Tunisia, December 20, 2006 – IN Tunisia, people will travel hundreds of kilometers to get hold of some. Herdswomen from Ethiopia and Somalia think nothing of riding a train for 12 hours to sell it in Djibouti, where prices are high. In N’Djamena, Chad, milk bars are mushrooming all over town.
Half way round the globe, people consider it a powerful tonic against many diseases. The Gulf Arabs believe it is an aphrodisiac. From the Western Sahara to Mongolia demand is booming for camel milk.
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COUNTRY VIEW
December 15, 2006 FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT
OVERVIEW: The rise of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) militia in Somalia has changed the dynamic of power in the country significantly. The UN, the EU and the US will continue to back the interim government, as will its closest ally, Ethiopia. Somaliland's chances of international recognition will remain slim in the forecast period.
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NAIROBI, Kenya — As fighting intensified Friday between Somali Islamists and an Ethiopian intervention force, Western diplomats and experts warned that U.S. policy in the Horn of Africa - intended to curb Islamic radicalism - may not only be fueling this newest conflict, but also may be making it easier for al-Qaida to gain a foothold in the strategic region.
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