The Jihad in Somalia

[Barbarian Nobility]

Seems to me that without the Ethiopian army in Somalia, the Islamists flog the snot out of the Somali government. Taking into account the lack of will-power by the international community (western) to actually GO INTO Somalia to bring about a democratically elected government, the previous bad experiences of U.N. peacekeepers there, the lack of any natural resources to warrant invading, occupying and rebuilding Somalia (Iraq style), do you think it possible or even likely that Somalia will become a Taliban style state and haven for Al-Qaida terrorists?

The reason I ask is that there was a MASSIVE counter terrorism operation carried out here in Melbourne, Australia today that prevented four Australian militants of Sudanese desent carrying out a suicide attack on Holsworth army barracks with automatic weapons. According to ASIO the men were trained in Somalia with the Al-Shabaab islamic militant group.

I truly believe that in the next couple of years Somalia will become the new 'Taliban Afghanistan', and I don't think the U.S. military or U.N. is in the shape to go back there and start again, for both economic and military reasons. Do you think the next generation of Al-Qaida terrorists will be Somali?

[Treize]

It would become A-stan style, not adviceable.

Let's recognise Somaliland and keep them safe from nutjob islamists.

[Barbarian Nobility]

It would become A-stan style, not adviceable.

Let's recognise Somaliland and keep them safe from nutjob islamists.

Seconded Puntland has done a good job of killing terrorists and pirates

[karo]

And why should the west send soldiers to Somalia?

[Barbarian Nobility]

And why should the west send soldiers to Somalia?

I never put forward the arguement that the west SHOULD send soldiers to Somalia, what I asked was that if Somalia became a Taliban-like state would it become a haven or potential base for Al-Qaida to regroup and remilitarise after being removed from Afghanistan?

Karo in this scenario do YOU think the West should send troops to Somalia? Its not as though when al-qaida has the breathing space to set plans in motion they get up to no good...

[Visna]

Somalia is one of those places that the vast majority of countries which matter in the big picture wish would just disappear.
But if lawlessness and piracy is your main concern, place your bets on the Islamists. They may be a bit hardcore on some points, that make them hard to swallow, and then speak about civil liberties and human rights and all those other catch phrases, but they have a zero tolerance policy towards piracy.
No reason to fear AQ in Somalia, they have it nice and comfy in the borderregions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. And if they get tired of living there, Tadjikistan would make a nice and ripe target.

[boofhead]

The reason I ask is that there was a MASSIVE counter terrorism operation carried out here in Melbourne, Australia today that prevented four Australian militants of Sudanese desent carrying out a suicide attack on Holsworth army barracks with automatic weapons. According to ASIO the men were trained in Somalia with the Al-Shabaab islamic militant group.

And among the 18 suspects, Lebanese muslims also. (nothing to do with Islam)

I truly believe that in the next couple of years Somalia will become the new 'Taliban Afghanistan', and I don't think the U.S. military or U.N. is in the shape to go back there and start again, for both economic and military reasons. Do you think the next generation of Al-Qaida terrorists will be Somali?

I think you are right. And I think the best defense against these ing whackos is to ban the lot of them from visiting or moving to our country for any reason whatsoever. They can't hurt our children from over there in their scabby little insignificant hellholes.

[Yosemite]

And among the 18 suspects, Lebanese muslims also. (nothing to do with Islam)

well it's something to do with islamism and extremism

it's the extremes, not just "islam"

[Heinz Guderian]

I pass a Fatwa to clarify that Somalia is a valid Jihad. It is permissible.

[Barbarian Nobility]

Predicting a terrorist attack on Australian soil is unpredictable by the very nature of terrorism itself. It has just as much a chance of happening as it does not happening at all.

The underworld bikie war between the Hell's Angels and Commoncheros is far more troubling on my mind, people HAVE been killed in that, you can imagine in my line of work i've been personally affected/harmed by this. And before you say it Boofhead yes i do know the vast majority of Commencheros are Lebanese did you know the vast majority of Hells Angels i've met inside are Greek/Lebanese as well?

[boofhead]

Predicting a terrorist attack on Australian soil is unpredictable by the very nature of terrorism itself. It has just as much a chance of happening as it does not happening at all.

Not true. The more people you bring from these countries the more plots you will have developing. The more plots, the more likelihood of one succeeding one day. It's simple probabilities, and our government is negligent to ignore it.

The underworld bikie war between the Hell's Angels and Commoncheros is far more troubling on my mind, people HAVE been killed in that, you can imagine in my line of work i've been personally affected/harmed by this. And before you say it Boofhead yes i do know the vast majority of Commencheros are Lebanese did you know the vast majority of Hells Angels i've met inside are Greek/Lebanese as well?

Yes, unfortunately I've probably spent more time inside than you (shhhh). I was particularly referencing the MBM http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-r...0328-9eri.html. But even with the longstanding biker groups like the Hell's Angels / Rebels etc, the muslims (? are they really? - not many Christians in those outfits) have brought a significant change to the operations - less honour, more bloodthirsty in bestiality. They recruited them to compete with the ruthlessness of the non-biker Lebanese gangs that were springing up.

Anyway - - not posting about this anymore ----- off topic.

[Farnan]

Funny in that both sides in Somali are led by Islamists. The democraticaly elected side is led by an Islamist Party and the rebels are Islamists. Funny thing about fanatics though are that they hate other fanatic groups...

And I say let Islamists win elections, they'll lose popularity immediately afterward as they'll prove awful government. Its what happened in Palestine, Lebanon, Anbar, Afghanistan (the Taliban) and Basra.

[Treize]

Funny in that both sides in Somali are led by Islamists. The democraticaly elected side is led by an Islamist Party and the rebels are Islamists. Funny thing about fanatics though are that they hate other fanatic groups...

And I say let Islamists win elections, they'll lose popularity immediately afterward as they'll prove awful government. Its what happened in Palestine, Lebanon, Anbar, Afghanistan (the Taliban) and Basra.

How about Afghanistan (Karzai)?

[Gumpfendorfer]

I truly believe that in the next couple of years Somalia will become the new 'Taliban Afghanistan', and I don't think the U.S. military or U.N. is in the shape to go back there and start again, for both economic and military reasons. Do you think the next generation of Al-Qaida terrorists will be Somali?

There is already a new generation of Jihadis, specially in Somalia and Yemen. Al Qiada was already operating in Somalia in 1993, various training camps were present, receiving a lot of support from the ISI and groups as Al Qaida. Ethiopia invaded Somalia several times starting from somewhere 1995 or 1996, mostly in Geddo, the Western bordering the Ogaden which is a contested area between the two countries. They fought wars over it in the past.

Somalia is the new nightmare, easy.

Most of the financial and military support comes from the Gulf, Egypt, Eritrea, Yemen, as usual the regional powers play their own little games, which the Islamic groups exploit.