The invasion was reversed, and the US was able to take advantage of the crisis, and cultivate Barre as a useful ally, shunned by the Soviet Union. Only a year later, in 1979, abandoning detente and following 'great game' rules, an eerily similar scenario would play itself out in Afghanistan. This time the US chose to side with the mujahideen against the Soviets.
Though Barre was a pariah, he became 'our pariah' by 1980,* along with the Afghan mujahideen. Instead of working with the Soviets in Africa (pushing Barre out of his 'greater Somalia') and in central Asia (stabilizing the now socialist secular regime of Babrak Karmal to fight the Muslim extremists), the US under Reagan launched old-fashioned war and subversion of anything that was socialist, leaving only rubble and terror in Somalia, Ethiopia and Afghanistan, which continues to plague the world.
xxx
* Barre was ousted in 1991. Barre's Ethiopian nemesis, Mengistu Haile Miriam, was also ousted in 1991, both victims of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Barre died in political exile in Nigeria in 1995. Mengistu lives in Zimbabwe.
Crescent International https://crescent.icit-digital.org/articles/picking-up-the-cold-war-pieces
Picking up the Cold War pieces Part II: Muslim diaspora
Though Barre was a pariah, he became 'our pariah' by 1980,* along with the Afghan mujahideen. Instead of working with the Soviets in Africa (pushing Barre out of his 'greater Somalia') and in central Asia (stabilizing the now socialist secular regime of Babrak Karmal to fight the Muslim extremists), the US under Reagan launched old-fashioned war and subversion of anything that was socialist, leaving only rubble and terror in Somalia, Ethiopia and Afghanistan, which continues to plague the world.
xxx
* Barre was ousted in 1991. Barre's Ethiopian nemesis, Mengistu Haile Miriam, was also ousted in 1991, both victims of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Barre died in political exile in Nigeria in 1995. Mengistu lives in Zimbabwe.
Crescent International https://crescent.icit-digital.org/articles/picking-up-the-cold-war-pieces
Picking up the Cold War pieces Part II: Muslim diaspora
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