US military action against Somalia

Yesterday, the Bush administration launched military action in yet another Muslim country when it bombed Somalia.

The Ethiopian dictatorship, with US backing, invaded Somalia to force out the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which had taken over and pacified much of the country. The Ethiopians say they were invited by Somalia's Transitional National Government, the internationally-recognized but largely powerless government comprised largely of warlords.

The BBC World Service's Newshour program has a great interview on the airstrikes and the counterproductive Bush administration policy in the Horn of Africa with Michael Schueur, a man who once ran the CIA's anti-al Qaeda unit. It's extremely insightful, a must-listen for anyone who wants the war on terror to actually diminish the terror threat.


(Note: the audio will probably only be available until Wednesday morning US time, so listen to it soon. Just go to the Newshour page and there should be a story to click on entitled 'Targeting al-Qaeda.' You'll need Real Player.)