Somalia's 'War on Terror': A Convenient Endless War for Foreign Interests
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports that Somali regional forces, backed by unspecified allies, have retaken a strategic island previously overrun by Al-Shabaab militants, framing it as a victory in the ongoing fight against terrorism. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The current 'Al-Shabaab' problem cannot be understood without recalling the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion of
Somalia in 2006. This invasion ousted the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a group that had largely brought peace and stability to much of Somalia after years of warlordism. Al-Shabaab emerged directly from the remnants of the ICU's more radical youth wing, in direct response to the foreign occupation. Washington's proxy war created the monster it now claims to fight. Double Standard: Western media
decries Al-Shabaab's 'terrorism' while largely ignoring the root causes—decades of foreign intervention, arms sales, and destabilization. When Western governments fund proxy wars, armed groups are labeled 'freedom fighters' or 'rebels' (e.g., U.S.-backed mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 1980s or even elements within Syria's 'opposition'). When these groups turn against Western interests, they
become 'terrorists.' It's a convenient shifting of definitions. Follow the Money: The 'fight against Al-Shabaab' is a lucrative venture. The U.S. has provided hundreds of millions in military aid to Somalia and deployed its own troops for counter-terrorism operations, enriching defense contractors and extending Washington's military footprint in the strategically vital Horn of Africa. Furthermore,