Two U.N operations, which ran from 1992 to 1995(11), cost nearly $2 billion and 147 lives, including the deaths of 18 American soldiers, who were killed when militias in Mogadishu shot down two Black Hawk helicopters in October 1994. The fighting and global press coverage led to the withdrawal of U.S soldiers.

And now The U.S is seeking to re-establish a presence in Mogadishu(12), the capital of Somalia, after an absence of 12 years following the ousting of Islamist forces this week by Ethiopian-backed Somali allies.

"Jendayi Frazer, assistant secretary of state, hopes to include Mogadishu in a tour that began on Wednesday with the aim of shoring up Somalia's transitional government with multinational African forces and U.S humanitarian aid.

"Ethiopia invaded Somalia last month with U.S. backing. A Pentagon spokesperson said the Ethiopian and Unted States military have a "a close working relationship." United States pours money and weapons into an invasion by Ethiopia. The invasion of Somalia is part of the Bush Administration's war on terrorism.

Somalia is almost entirely Sunni Muslim while Ethiopia has a population consisting of half Muslim and thirty-five percent Orthodox Christian. It is like an island among Muslim countries. Ethiopia has received nearly $20 million in U.S. military aid since late 2002. That's more than any country in the region except Djibouti" http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=010707_somalia_invasion_chaos.htm

But why were they there before and why did they have to leave? What do they want to be present for there now?

The best round-up of all possible reasons why Somalia in particular and Africa in general is rising in importance on the list of U.S foreign policy priorities, was presented on Democracy Now Tues 9 Jan 2007 (13)by Salim Lone, a highly respected Kenya-based commentator who was also referred to in an article.

According to Salim Lone, a highly respected Kenya-based commentator, the United States has cast this as a war to combat terrorism, but its real goal is to obtain a direct foothold in a highly strategic region by establishing a client regime there.

The Horn of Africa is newly oil-rich and lies just miles from another strategic U.S ally, Saudi Arabia, overlooking the daily passage of large numbers of oil tankers and warships through the Red Sea.

Interestingly, Lone also indicates that General John Abizaid, the current (now outgoing) U.S military chief of the Iraq war, was in Ethiopia a few weeks ago. What was he doing there.. http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story-010407135027.htm

From Black Listed News(14):

"Somalia is of geostrategic interest to the Bush administration, and the focus of operations and policy since 2001," writes Larry Chin(15). "This focus is a continuation of long-term policies of both the Clinton administration and the George H.W. Bush administrations. Somalia's resources have been eyed by Western powers since the days of the British Empire."

"A new U.S cleansing of Somalian 'tyranny' would open the door for these U.S oil companies to map and develop the possibly huge oil potential in Somalia," notes F. William Engdahl(16). "Yemen and Somalia are two flanks of the same geological configuration, which holds large potential petroleum deposits, as well as being the flanks of the oil choke point from the Red Sea."

In the matter of international relations, be they wars or trade or support of various kinds - we often find ourselves faced with the problem that difference in motivation can make a certain action either acceptable or something to condemn - sometimes also being the difference between legal and illegal according to international laws. One example is Iraq - if the invasion truly was triggered by a genuine belief that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction there and in general shaped and driven by concerns for human kind, then that would make the act perceived and classified differently than if we knew for certain it was based on motives of increased revenue for oil companies and securing regional presence for USA Inc. interests.

But just as was the case with the Iraq invasion and occupation, there are several very significant circumstances and factors that casts a deep shadow of doubt as to the alleged and officially stated reasons for the various ways in which support and aid has been given to certain actors in Somalia past and present. Interesting enough - the main factors seem to be the same as for Iraq: the strategical geographical location, the oil (and other geological resources such as water(17)) and an increased presence of other nations' interests(18)-nations growing in strength as military and economical competitors (such as China who gave much support following the tsunami(19) in 2004). Iraq was just about to shift from selling oil in Euro instead of U.S Dollars(20) when U.S launched the invasion. Maybe the recent increase in U.S and Western allies' demands for intervention in Sudan for humanitarian reasons, also have something to do with another recent increase - namely the supply of oil from Sudan to China.

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