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TechnoratiIt was 3:25 a.m. on March 3 in Dobley, Somalia, when the missile hit, scattering shrapnel in a wide arc and piercing the thin wooden walls of Mohamed Nuuriye Salaad's house. Shrapnel sliced into Salaad's eldest daughter, 15-year-old Amina, tearing open the skin between her ear and mouth. Amina didn't receive medical care for days, not until she could be smuggled across the Kenyan border.Five others who were wounded tended to their injuries on their own.
The two Tomahawk missiles launched toward Dobley were the fourth U.S. airstrike aimed at individuals with Al Qaeda links in Somalia since January 2007. U.S. government officials claim that the latest strikes targeted Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a Kenyan suspected of involvement in the 2002 bombings of a Kenyan resort and the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa. The strike also might have been targeting Hassan Turki, a Somali leader of the Islamist group Itihaad al Islamiya, which is on U.S. and U.N. lists of terrorist groups.
Four days after the missile strike, however, Turki appeared to speak in one of Dobley's mosques after morning prayers. He used the attack for his own purposes, condemning the gaalo (unbelievers) and warning that any white people in the area, including aid workers, would be viewed as spies. Earlier that week, hundreds of Dobley residents reportedly joined an impromptu protest, marching through the streets and shouting anti-American slogans.
The Bush administration justifies such missile strikes by claiming that the United States is engaged in a global war against Al Qaeda and that it is legally entitled to annihilate any alleged Al Qaeda member just about anywhere in the world. To be fair, the administration insists that it will not, as a matter of policy, shoot alleged terrorists on the streets of London -- or in any other region where a functioning government is willing and able to arrest, detain or otherwise take action against those deemed to be terrorists. But southern Somalia is a fairly lawless place, and absent a dangerous ground mission, missiles are arguably one of the only ways that the U.S. can strike at Al Qaeda suspects there.
But at what cost? Whether the missiles were aimed at Nabhan or Turki, they hit civilians instead. This pattern echoes U.S. strikes in Somalia in January 2007 that killed and injured an unknown number of civilians as the stated target scampered off unharmed. Even if the attacks could be legally justified under the laws of war -- which is by no means clear -- the high-profile civilian casualties inevitably turn ordinary Somalis against the United States, thereby bolstering support for militant groups. Meanwhile, the human rights and humanitarian crisis that terrorists feed off -- and that U.S. policies exacerbate -- is largely ignored.
Fifteen months ago, the Bush administration supported a full-scale Ethiopian military offensive that ousted the ruling Islamist authority from Mogadishu and installed a weak but internationally backed transitional government. The intervention triggered a predictable insurgency by both Islamist militants and ordinary Somalis, who view Ethiopia as a historic foe.
Ethiopian and Somali troops together are fighting against a coalition of insurgents demanding Ethiopian withdrawal. The escalating conflict has killed thousands of Somali civilians and forced up to 700,000 people -- 60% of the residents of Mogadishu -- to flee the city. Insurgents, Ethiopian troops and Somali government forces have each committed serious crimes -- mutilating captured soldiers, bombarding residential blocks and hospitals, and systematically looting homes, respectively.
The result? An unsurprising growth in anti-Western and anti-American sentiment among Somalis who never supported radical Islamist movements before. Fifteen months after the Ethiopian invasion, insurgents are gaining strength in Mogadishu and other areas of the country, capitalizing on the anger and resentment caused by these atrocities. Credible reports indicate that Islamist recruitment of Somali youth is growing, a backlash that will complicate U.S. counter-terrorism goals long into the future.
Eliminating a few alleged terrorists will not solve these deeper problems. An effective counter-terrorism policy must address the underlying human rights and humanitarian tragedies that are fueling the crisis.
This will mean ending Ethiopia's blank check to commit abuses, conditioning support for Somalia's transitional government on evidence that it is no longer attacking civilians, supporting an independent commission of inquiry to document the abuse and meeting the humanitarian needs of thousands of internally displaced people -- all steps the United States should support when the U.N. Security Council meets next week to discuss the worsening crisis in Somalia.
Acknowledging and properly responding to the human rights crisis will do more to create a stable Somalia -- and reduce terrorism -- than a few high-profile, high-cost and low-success targeted killings.
Jennifer Daskal is senior counter-terrorism counsel for Human Rights Watch. Leslie Lefkow is senior researcher on the Horn of Africa for Human Rights Watch.
© 2008 The Los Angeles Times
19 Comments so far
Show AllThe US of Z does not care one little bit how many villages or civilians it kills, or how many people it alienates. As long as they can blow them up with their missiles, they do not have to talk to anyone, or take anyone's wishes into account. They are the torturers and gaolers of the world.
We learned the technique for blowing houses to bits in Iraq.
A British Colonel suggested to some U.S. Generals that the U.S. troops seemed to be trigger happy and willing to destroy a city block if one shot was fired at them. He said the Generals looked at him with an expression of,"We didn't ask for your opinion". One of the stupidest policies in Iraq was sending our soldiers house to house looking for guns. This no knock, kick in the door, technique too often lead to people being shot, sometimes killed. Finally one little man in a house said,"But it is permitted that we can have a gun, yes even an AK-47. It was true, but no one had told our troops that. Gneral Petraeus, stooge for the White House, was smart enough to try to change the policy, but by this time hundreds of thousands of Iraqis had been alienated. Soldiers are supposed to knock on the door first. The same applied to getting sniped at. Too often our soldiers wouldn't realize that the sniper took one or two shots and then beat feet out of the area. They would then call in an air strike and blow up a number of buildings along with the innocent civilians. The Military had the philosophy that these people were unter menschen, so there was no sweat if a few of them were killed. The most recent decision not to press charges against a soldier for killing in cold blood approx 20 civilians is only one example of that thinking. The battle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people was lost in the first two years of the occupation. Now all you have is a hatred for all Americans and willingness to assist any of the two dozen insurgent groups in Iraq.
The interesting part about Bu$h the inferior is that he might feel that an off target missile strike that kills innocent people is bad politically, however, the morality is NEVER a problem.
A real Christian would not kill innocent people for financial or political gain. Real Christians are very rare in the world today and are extinct among the self proclaimed moral majority.
The news media need to referring to a "war on terror" and start referring it as what it is, a "war on democracy" everywhere.
Human Rights Watch is the organization that has been a zealous supporter of the genocide in Rwanda and Congo through its leader Kenneth Roth and expert Alison DesForges - a cover for the destruction of (African) human beings on an unimaginable scale.
And it should not been seen as accident that LATimes prints people from such an organization.
US foriegn policy is harmed by it's very existance. It is driven by the ruling elite to control wealth and power over wealth and resources. It seems there is also the influence of the lunatic christian right trying to speed up the end times hallucination. Here is a line from their own instruction book, not that it does any good, "Whatsoever a man shall sow, that shall he also reap."
"The result? An unsurprising growth in anti-Western and anti-American sentiment among Somalis who never supported radical Islamist movements before."
This is happening everywhere? The West (Not just the U.S.) is LOSING the "hearts and minds" around the world. The only alternative is an active campaign to oppose polarising provocation. I include even the restrictions on inflamatory films like that just released by the right wing Dutch fanatics...People should "hold their fire" not to "appease" radical Islam but to stop fueling the ever rising flames of HATRED of the increasing polarisation caused by the Wests invasions and occupations, and bombings like in Somalia.
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This Jennifer from hrw thinks it's ok to fire missiles at anyone who might have Al-Qaeda connections. the L.A. times no doubt agrees. americans really have not figured out the delusional fiction that is called global war on terror. or that it's criminal to fire missiles at some single individual somebody in washington thinks might have ties to Al Qaeda. "to be fair" she says we don't do this in London. Look- if you want to be fair don't fire any missiles when you want to assassinate people. I'm pretty sure that along about now just about anyone anywhere could be suspected of having ties to Al-Qaeda.
the longer these bombheads are allowed to do this,the crazier it gets. when i was a little boy i never imagined i must someday explain rules of engagement and proportional response to the president of the united states. now look. what a nightmare
Shankari: religious reasons? Well yeah. Like the one about Israel and the coming of Christ. Not a connection for you?
How can America's foreign policy be harmed by a missile? In the minds of most people in the world it doesn't have a foreign policy! Rather it has a 'What I see I want' approach, one backed up by a 'Might is Right' attitude!
The final dawn is approaching fast. America will bring down the world. Earth will look like Mars.
Thanks!
www.dangerouscreation.com
The US has lobbed missiles into Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. They didn't ask anyone. They just did it. Why not use the police? Saying that it's a chaotic land is no excuse. Why did they lob missiles into Pakistan? I wouldn't be surprised if they lob a few nukes back. Our foreign policy is ridiculous, and chaotic. It's a sign that the US government is full of corruption and ineptitude. Someone said that they do this to support Israel. They do it for religious reasons that are simply irrational. Irrational, corrupt, and inept describe these United States. Under such a government we will fall into chaos.
Perhaps they are not off-target. Perhaps the US doesn't care if a few peasants in mud-huts are killed if the rest of the world takes away one lesson: the US killed ruthlessly in the cities of Hiroshoma and Nagasaki to pursue its own national interests, and it will do so again. Perhaps these blitzes are sending a message: the US can terrorise the while world with one arm tied behind its back.
Deacon I'd like to see you document just one part of your post, any part of it. Exuse me for saying so, but what nonsense.
U.S. became a net importer of petroleum in 1959, way before any serious environmental movement began here. In the few short decdades between Drake's well in Pennsylvania and the 1950's we'd already found and depleted most of the best reserves within our boundaries. A good source for the history of energy politics in the U.S. is David Howard Davis's "Energy Politics."
Immunity from prosecution amounts to admission of guilt over crimes. It wouldnt be needed otherwise.
reminds me of the old saying..
the bigger they are the harder they fall
It's time to simplify folks..
when it all comes crashing down, only the ones who are not hooked to the teat of consumerism will be in any position to survive, so long as no one pushes the ''button''
turn off the TV
do not buy but the necessities
trade with your neighbors, get to know them , as you will need each other.
drive as little as possible
plant a garden
simplify, do you really need a 200$ pair of jeans, which are nothing but a billboard to display some company logo?
(walking billboards and you don't even get paid for advertising for them)
I think a 20$ pair will serve you much better in the long run..
Stupid is as stupid does. In our case, Stupid happens to reside in the White House thanks to two elections/selections. It's beginning to look like even God won't be able to save the US of A. He/She/It sure as hell hasn't been blessing it lately.
"...missiles are arguably one of the only ways that the U.S. can strike at Al Qaeda suspects there."
Wonder what the reaction of We The People would be to such headlines as:
"Somalia claims US attacks an "act of war," sinks USS Arleigh Burke"
"Russia fires missiles at Chechnya terrorists in Texas"
"China launches second air strike against suspected Tibetan terrorists in Delaware"
"Venezuela captures five CIA operatives suspected of plotting to assassinate Chavez, renders them to Iran for enhanced interrogations"
"Pakistan orders secret military tribunal for three US Special Ops soldiers captured in Lahore"
"North Korea says world must launch War on the US to keep the peace"
"Mexico invades California in effort to reestablish original borders; says occupation might last 100 years"
Oil is only a payoff for the West's efforts at providing PROXY COMBATANTS for Israel--for protecting Israel from expanding, encircling Islamic Arabism; a Jewish nation-state having supporters throughout the West willing to destroy the entirety of Western civilization for Israel's sake. That's the gut-wrenching truth of why Western democracies are sacrificing blood and treasury in the Middle East; especially the U.S., which has enough off-shore and on-land oil reserves to last 300 years at her present rate of consumption, and which reserves were PURPOSELY capped and/or not drilled because Israel's supporters poured millions of dollars into ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT groups' coffers, to work at keeping America from oil/energy independence and tied to Israel's interests in the Middle East. That's the truth you'll NEVER see nor hear reported in Western mainstream news media, because Israel's supporters control what's fit to be said or printed about why the West wars with Islamic Arabism.
Another added insult to US foreign policy; more demands for immunity from the Bush war crimes list. Bush submitted a certification to congress today (Friday) on the immunity of US forces serving as part of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from prosecution. This is the first time the US administration spoke publicly about the existence of US army members working as part of the UNAMID. The Sudanese government has insisted that all forces come from Africa and its president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir said he will not accept any "westerners" as part of UNAMID.
I wonder what congress critters received the certification request?