Forget North Korea. Forget Iran. Our nest war? Eritrea

[Ian David]

US warns Eritrea, Ethiopia on Somalia
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:00am AEST

The United States has sent its most explicit warning yet to Horn of Africa foes Eritrea and Ethiopia to stay out of the escalating crisis in Somalia.

Eritrea and Ethiopia are believed to be backing rival sides.

"There are many foreign elements in Somalia right now," US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said.

She cites reports Ethiopia is sending troops to back the interim Government and Eritrea arms for rival Islamists.

More:
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/07/30/1700601.htm

[panader0]

1. Maybe we can whip them like Grenada.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

11. My thought exactly

Defeats in Vietnam, Lebanon-- then a nice little country to beat up on, to make some pathetic attempt to regain some lost honor from the humiliation. It's sad.

[and-justice-for-all]

2. Eretria, Greece?? really?? nt

[Ian David]

3. Corrected typo.. Eritrea, not Eretria n/t

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/07/30/1700601.htm

[whistle]

4. Could George Bush find Eritrea on a map? I doubt it...

...but he wants to bomb it regardless :wtf:

[and-justice-for-all]

7. I think they just through darts at maps while blind folded. nt

[TomInTib]

5. We have been screwing with them for decades.

CIA and Special Forces Ops.

We continue to give Ethiopia free reign to do whatever they want.

[whistle]

6. There must be oil under all that sand

[TomInTib]

8. Oh, count on it.

Minerals, too.

[Zorro]

9. Our next war? I doubt it

I sense the US tends to favor the Ethiopians, but would like to make nice with the Eritreans.

It's a good idea to discourage both countries from stirring the pot in Somalia.

[Igel]

10. At least in part, a past war.

It's been a year, and the proxy war (fought in Somalia) is done, with a bit of an insurgency.

I believe that Djibouti is also the site for a new US command center.

[alfredo]

12. These are badassed people. I lived in Eritrea for three years.

You want these people on your side, not against you.

The Eritreans whupped the Russian backed Ethiopians. They moved their operations under ground, made their own weapons, build underground hospitals and schools. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrean_War_of_Independence

Afwerki has turned out to be a real asshole. It's rare that a revolutionary leader can make the transition between soldier and statesman.

Read "I didn't do it For You" by Michela Wrong. Some of my friends were sources for Chapter 10

BTW, Juan Cole live in Eritrea the same time I did.