Farcical opinion of a right Winger.

In an article titled Get Ethiopian troops out of Somalia appeared on Sept ember 25, 2006, (The Christian Science Monitor) Mr. Winger"s statement “America must be wary of an ally who greats her with a beggar's hand” lacks fairness in judgment. I am sure Mr. Winger needs no reminder that Ethiopia has been fighting Al-Ithaad Al- Islamyia ( AIAI) long before the US started to wage war against terrorism. AIAI terrorist activity in Ethiopia includes assassination attempt on the Egyptians President Hosni Mubarek in Addis Ababa, bombing hotels, futile attempt to destabilize the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. They were crashed as AIAI and now they resurfaced again as Union of Islamic Court (UIC), with new name the same motive against the crusaders and its allies.

Today the stakes are even higher, the contemptuous Afewerki and other Arab countries who wishes nothing but unstable Ethiopia are arming Hassan Dahir Awey's new Taliban style Islamic warlord. It is an open secret that Awey's involvement with Al- Qaeda and harbors groups that are believed to have participated in the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. So for Mr. Winger to allege that events’ unfolding next door is of no consequence to Ethiopia just because it is poor and just is trying to cash in is just farcical.

The stability of Somalia and the Horn of Africa as whole is more important to Ethiopia than few US dollars and can ill afford to ignore. Ethiopia's precarious situation, the least of which is American dollars, but its action may exacerbate the historical animosity of the two countries, which Awey is trying to exploit but the reality dictates ignoring would be at its peril. Ethiopia shares over 1000 miles of border with Somalia, large population of Somalian Ethiopians and 40-50 % Muslim population, therefore has the right and must defend itself with or without the support of the US.

Ethiopia has been a reliable ally of the US in fighting global terrorism, but to think poor countries specially African do not deserve the credit as real partners just because they are poor is biased. It is painfully clear that the gentleman's opinion is the manifestation of the double standard of the west when it comes to Africa. The US and the West has done very little, otherwise how in the world is one to explain while the world is watching over 200,000 people in Darfur, the Sudan has perished and Somalia neglected for 15 years now becoming the new Al-Qaeda front for Jihadist? We all know the answer. If all these misery has been elsewhere the west would have acted long time ago.

According to Mr. Winger “ no country stands to gain more than Ethiopia from a war against the Islamic militia in Somalia”. Wrong again Mr. Winger. The beneficiary would be Al Qaeda and his follower Awey's UIC. The UIC leader Awey has made it clear his intention of greater Somalia, which will involve the whole horn of Africa, and this will benefit neither Ethiopia nor Somalia. Ethiopia will lose more than it will gain, to be involved in war, while it is struggling to eliminate poverty. No amount of US dollars will compensate the financial strain and lose of life the country it will incur, not to mention the long-term animosity that will create with the brotherly Somalian people. The US has paid very little attention or failed to connect the dots before in many places to pay heavy price later. Somalia is another front of the global terrorism and ignoring it will come to haunt the US.

G. woldu, Oct 1, 2006