The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, December 20, the widespread view in Ethiopia that Prime Minister Meles is using conflict in the neighboring country of Somalia to justify domestic repression. He is playing up the claim that there are Al Qaeda operatives within the Islamic Courts Union, which now controls nearly all of Somalia. This claim may be designed to maintain support of the U.S., which relies on a flow of Ethiopian intelligence some analysts say is of dubious value.
A recent effort by Congress to sanction the Ethiopian government for widespread human rights abuses failed after former Republican House leader Dick Armey, lobbying on behalf of the Ethiopian government, argued that the US needs Ethiopia in order to fight terrorism, says the Post.
Even John Negroponte, Director of National Intelligence, expressed skepticism about the suggestion by some Administration officials that the Islamic Courts Union is controlled by Al Qaeda.
Former State Department official John Prendergast says, "Tacit U.S. support for Ethiopia’s military advance into Somalia has 'incalculably strengthened' the Courts' appeal to Somali nationalism," the Washington Post reported Monday.
The last thing the Horn of Africa needs is another proxy war, and the U.S. should not be promoting one. Ask your Member of Congress to support diplomacy, not war, in Somalia.
We encourage you to customize the letter below, but the most important thing is that your Representative and Senators hear your concern about U.S. support for war in Somalia.
