The Ethiopian invasion of Somalia proceeds apace, and from all reports, it proceeds at a much faster clip than anyone — including me — expected. Western journalism is struggling, and failing, to keep up.
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[D]etails are sparse: journalism fails where journalists fear to tread, and so we are reduced to reading propaganda releases from the opposing sides — see, for example, and in an indication of the rather different values in this part of the world, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi bragging about the fatality rates amongst Islamist casualties — and the reports of the few Westerners on the ground. In Somalia’s case, the latter are mostly European aid workers and the odd United Nations official. Naturally, their reportage focuses upon things that affect them, and the wishes of the men with guns closest to them. Thus media from Islamist-controlled Mogadishu cites as its only two sources the Islamists — and the International Committee of the Red Cross. And so we see in the Washington Post unsourced passages telling us: “Aid workers said … thousands of civilians battered by drought, floods and now by rockets and mortars continued to flee villages in droves.” Worse: “United Nations officials warned of a dire humanitarian crisis inside Somalia, while fears remained high that Ethiopia’s campaign could have disastrous consequences across the Horn of Africa.”
This is absurd on several levels, beginning with the implicit contention that Somali suffering is only now beginning, and that the conquering advance of the Islamists there did not itself bring some measure of woe. Somalia is a wretched country, plagued with war, disease, anarchy and famine, and has been since the disintegration of the Siad Barre dictatorship fifteen years ago. (Even under Siad Barre, it was mired in decades of war and cruel repression.) The standard aid-worker/UN narrative — that this or that military action will result, or is resulting, in a “dire humanitarian crisis” or “disastrous consequences” — is therefore even more ridiculous than usual. (Recall, if you will, the predictions from the same quarters of a massive refugee/humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan prior to America’s invasion of that Islamist-ruled land.) In the spirit of fairness, we should allow that worrying about these things is their job; but one wishes they had evidenced similar concern over the Islamist ascendency prior to the Ethiopian intervention. That they did not is doubtless motivated by two factors: first, that the Islamists would kill those who complained overmuch; second, that the Ethiopians, being nominally Christian and supposedly American-backed (this last now based upon State Department statements), are more intellectually and socially acceptable targets to that particular set. (For vignettes of the average aid worker’s mindset on the United States in particular, see here.) As if on cue, erstwhile UN functionary Salim Lone arises in the pages of the International Herald Tribune to blame the whole mess on America — and to declare that the cure for Somalia’s woes was the salutary embrace of a vicious Islam.
Go read the whole thing – if only to understand just how much disregard you should hold for the so-called “reporting” of this conflict.
Dec 28 Update on the progress against the Islamist Courts, including information on the US support, at Strategypage.
The U.S. was apparently providing the Ethiopians with satellite and aircraft photos of Islamic Courts positions. The U.S. has a large counter-terror force to the north, in Djibouti. The U.S. may be supplying Ethiopia with cash (to pay for all the gas the Ethiopians are burning in their operations). For years, the U.S. has been training Ethiopian troops for operations like this.
Helps explain why they seem so good at it.
well, I am just overjoyed that my brother wound up with PTSD after his tour in Somalia…man, it was worth the sacrifice my family made for that country…..oh, silly me, am I being cynical?…..f’ing cretin and clinton, the retardo lib bro’s, handcuffing, and then withdrawing our troops cuz of moonbat pressure….now you see the results of cut and run…..MOONBAT IDIOTS!
sorry…stupid me…it MUST be GW’s fault…you know, he is responsible for everything that has ever happened
On the subject of journalistic integrity, here’s another “sighting” of a farmer supposedly giving an “objective” opinion of the Canadian Wheat Board:
The Winnipeg Free Press today publicized a poll amongst Manitobans regarding the CWB (Page B10). As part of the story, they interviewed “Starbuck area farmer Chuck Fossay” who unequivocally supports the single desk. Despite the actions of the Tories, “[Chuck’s] not giving up hope…”. Furthermore, Mr. Fossay says, “There’s always the possibility of a federal election in the new year, too. Stephane Dion supports the single-desk system…”
Just another unknown farmer? Hardly. Chuck Fossay has been involved with Keystone Agricultural Producers for many years, and at one time was Vice-President. He presently sits on the grain and oilseeds committee of KAP. KAP’s website, coincidentally, lists the CWB as a “generous sponsor” of KAP.
Chuck happens to also be a neighbor. I do know that in the last federal election, he was seen campaigning alongside the Liberal candidate for Portage-Lisgar.
Thanks, Dennis. I have a post scheduled for tomorrow on that.
Happy to see Ethiopia step up to the plate. I suppose it won’t be long for the leftist press to find something to criticize.
Happy to see Ethiopia step up to the plate. I suppose it won’t be long for the leftist press to find something to criticize.
I think the UN should be declared a Islamist organization.
At every turn they comfort our enemies, while denouncing us, America & our allies. If Ethiopia has any brains they will ignore this ignoble tribe of dictators.
They would destroy them as well. I honestly believe they are on the side of the head chopping barbarians.
Which makes us following anything the UN says a fools dance towards destruction. In any course they applaud. We should disavow.
Thanks Kate for the informative article. Somalia has been a basket case for years. To bad the MSM couldn’t even figure that out for all there “experience”.
They should be on our side after this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid
Given that there was such an outpouring of affection for the situation all those years ago, will the media turn on them now.
Is it a dictatorship? Are they better off now? According to the not always reliable wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia
it seems they used to be communist, in the stalinist manner, this was during the worst parts of the famine, and they have since emerged as a somewhat struggling democracy. I doubt they are a shining example of it, but beats a government that slaughter 1,500,000 of its inhabitants in a “Red Terror”
Anyway, most interesting is that the region that borders on Somalia, is Somali and it is 98% Muslim and has had some rebel issues, including encouragement from the Islamist groups in Somalia.
There have been numerous conflicts with Somalia. Ethipia is the third most populous country in Africa! It was never colonised and has been an existing political entity for centuries.
Now remember those points when the inevitable discussion comes up about colonialism. The only colonialism is coming from across the border, and who knows where it is financed…perhaps just across the red sea….
Anyway, I am sure to the Islamists the fact that the other regions of Ethiopia are Christian is a real problem for them….Oh and the Darfur region is to the northwest if Ethiopia, just to make you feel better about the neighborhood.
Today should be the day the Islamists find themselves with their back to the ocean. So richly deserved.
Looks like the Islamists have left Mogadishu in chaos. Ethiopians are now asserting control.
They (The islamists) have melted into the population. This is not over, just a delay.
Similar to Afghanistan, the Islamicists gain popular support by opposing the warlords and then impose their own “special” brand of tyranny.
Read a book called the “The SLing And The Stone” This is a pattern that goes back to Mao. It is difficult to defeat or make go away. It is chronic, and the only solution is long term and involves good governance from the “good guys”. This is nototiously hard to acheive, due to corruption and trying to build a new government while fighting an insurgency.
Once again, expect the money that fuels these guys to be coming from Saudi Arabia. May see some Al Queada fighters there AGAIN, they were there during Black Hawk Down apparently, working WITH the warlords.
This one is just getting started.
Ethiopia makes the rational decision to take the fight to the Islamic savages before they start a terrorist war of agitation inside their own borders.
Of course, like the US and other coalition partners, Ethiopia is fighting a two front war, one against the Islamists, the other against their UN and MSM allies.
Godspeed to the Ethiopians.
I was wondering when someone was going to blame the Americans..and I’m heading to Toronto tonite.
gotta ‘nip it in the bud’. godspeed the ethiopians.
Perhaps it’s time for Josh to step up to the plate, and go report on this conflict himself. I don’t think I’ll hold my breath. He seems like the sorta guy who prefers to scream from the side-lines.
This conflict has escalated fast. No doubt msm has been slow to get on this story, but maybe it has to do with a shortage of journalists? Especially since the war in Iraq has killed so many of them. So far, that war has seen more journalist die than WWII and Vietnam.
Yup… them journalists is a buncha lefty cowards awright.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/05/05/journalists-deaths.html