Bush's Forgotten FUBAR

[Memekiller]

Source: Examiner

Somalia was poised for its best chance at regaining some stability, after years as an essentially failed state of rival Warlords -- and the Bush Administration intervened. This time, they had convinced Ethopia to invade and prevent the fledgling government from taking hold. Why? Because the Administration was at war with Islam instead of terrorism.

Somalia has always had a large population of Muslims, but Al Qaeda had little success exploiting it because Islam in Africa tends to be a less militant form, and a completely different animal than that found in the mountains of Afghanistan. That is, until the Bush Administration decided to prevent the Islamic faction of Somalia from taking hold, thus making the country descend, again, into anarchy.

What had spooked the Administration was that an uprising of public support for the Islamic Courts in Somalia had usurped the warlords, and was on its way to unifying the nation behind some form of government -- not perfect, but a government, nonetheless.

So the Administration supported an invasion of Christian Ethiopians with money, intelligence and supplies.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-1765-Underground-Examiner~y2009m4d13-Bushs-forgotten-FUBAR

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What was the US's greatest blunder since 9/11, according to one expert? Odds are, you haven't even heard of it.

Few know that in 2006, the US backed an Ethiopian invasion that ended Somalia's best chance at a government in a generation, mostly due to ideology. The result, is an occupying army that was supposed to have been out in a few weeks, and resurgent Islamic group more radical than ever, and a population more anti-American than ever before due to "floating prisons" -- US Navy vessels turned into Abu Ghraibs.

[MissMarple]

1. I have no words. We have never had such evil, incompetent leaders.

[bertman]

4. I don't know about that MissMarple. Read "A People's History of the United States" by

Howard Zinn. We've had plenty of evil and incompetent leaders all along. They just don't teach us about them in History class.

[MissMarple]

7. This consistently, willfully and persistently bad?

We have had misguided and incompetent presidents, but I think BushCo has taken it to an entirely new level. Now Bush caused Somalia to become a failed state because its nascent government was Islamic, and we were "at war" with Islam. God, what have we become?

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[Qutzupalotl]

8. Blame Clinton first, huh?

You do realize that Bush INVADED THE WRONG FUCKING COUNTRY, don't you?

[AllyCat]

11. That is really a horrible moniker for the Pakistani people.

Please rephrase. Oh wait! I get it! nevermind...this is the best you can do. Enjoy your stay here. It'll be short. In fact, you're already gone.

[MissMarple]

14. She was pretty obvious, hope my response doesn't go totally to waste.

I surprised myself with what I actually know. I guess that can happen when one gets a bit hot under the collar. :)

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

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[MissMarple]

13. Well, let's see. 9/11, imaginary weapons of mass destruction, Guantanamo torture, rendition,

failure in Afghanistan, a mess in Iraq, the Blackwater (mercs) outsourcing that displaced the American military at much higher cost, the total boondoggle in managing post war Iraq by 20 something Young Republicans more loyal to BushCo than to the United States, an ally, Pakistan, leaving large parts of the country in the hands of the Taliban, causing the Sudan to become a failed state ON PURPOSE, Halliburton sucking up huge amounts of taxpayer money for shoddy goods, and poorly constructed buildings including showers that have killed and injured American soldiers by electrocution, the tragically incompetent response to the Katrina disaster brought on by purposeful underfunding of the Army Corps of Engineers and the gutting of FEMA.... And that is just is just for starters.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[pleah]

2. K&R The death and destruction that is bush&co

will be with us (and others) for a long, long time.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Memekiller]

9. What's K&R? n/t

[tblue37]

12. K&R = kick and recommend.

Replying kicks the thread to the top again, and clicking the "recommend" button can help it reach the greatest page.

[Memekiller]

17. I should know that...

For some reason, I was thinking, "Kellog & Root?"

[tblue37]

19. That's KB&R--Kellog, Brown & Root. nt

[Memekiller]

21. Kick, Bitch-slapped, and Recommended? nt

[tanyev]

3. K & R

[AllyCat]

10. Thanks for that. I didn't know this at all. And I thought I was fairly informed.

It makes a lot of sense why are they are mad at us.

[cosmicdot]

18. Bush shut down Somalia's internet in 2001

23 November, 2001

US shuts down Somalia internet

Somalia's only internet company and a key telecoms business have been forced to close because the United States suspects them of terrorist links.

~snip~

Correspondents say the closure of the companies will have a devastating effect on the country, which desperately needs the services they provide.

Desperation

Hassan Barise in Mogadishu told the BBC's Network Africa programme more than 80% of Somalis depended on money they receive from relatives outside the country.

He said all internet cafes had now shut down and international phone lines run by two other companies were failing to cope with the extra pressure of calls.

He also pointed out that the United Nations, local and international aid agencies, as well as the government itself all relied heavily on internet access, now denied.

~snip~

Somalis living abroad use it to send money to their relatives back home as there are no other banking systems in Somalia since the downfall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.

~snip~

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1672220.stm

[MisterP]

20. don't worry, a little more shelling of Mogadishu by our Naval enforcers of natural law

will make them break out the roses

[leveymg]

22. There are three Somalias. Most of the pirate attacks come from the breakaway regions of

Puntland and Somaliland in the north and north-east.

Neither Islamic Courts nor Ethiopia ever had control there. Somaliland, in particular, is relatively peaceful and orderly and has workable infrastucture. It's strategically located at the mouth of the Red Sea empties into the Gulf of Aden. Most of the mounting spate of pirate attacks in recent years have taken place in that area. The pirate "safe ports" and most of the recruits are in Puntland.

Coincidentally, Somaliland is seeking international recognition and has put out bids to lease concessions to global oil companies. This piracy mania may have the effect of scaring off some bidders and driving down the cost of these leases.

[Memekiller]

23. How stable is it...

...if it's a pirate den?

Thanks for this though. You seem to know what you're talking about.