Ethiopia troops reported in Somali govt town, Islamists pull back

[tocqueville]

by Ali Musa Abdi
Thu Jul 20, 12:21 PM ET

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Ethiopian troops have entered the Somali town of Baidoa, seat of the country's weak transitional government, to protect it from a feared advance from Islamist militia, witnesses have said.

The Islamists had advanced Tuesday evening to the nearby town of Buurhakana, sparking government accusations they wanted to attack Baidoa, but they withdrew on Thursday, denying any plan to strike the town.

The witness accounts of an Ethiopian incursion were denied by both Addis Ababa and Somalia's largely powerless interim government. But residents insisted that uniformed Ethiopian troops had driven in with military vehicles.

"We have seen Ethiopian soldiers in a convoy of more than 100 trucks," said Baidoa resident Shukri Abdirahman, adding that some of the vehicles had passed through the town to other locations.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060720/ts_afp/somaliaunrest_060720161322;_ylt=AuCbBZ6fFTi8b3pscIS9hFus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b3JuZGZhBHNlYwM3MjE-

[tocqueville]

1. Somali Islamists vow holy war on Ethiopia troops

By Guled Mohamed
34 minutes ago

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's Islamists vowed a "holy war" on Thursday against Ethiopian troops crossing into the Horn of Africa nation, while Addis Ababa threatened to crush any attack on the interim government it supports.

The aggressive rhetoric, combined with this week's military moves on both sides, have raised fears of a new war in Somalia, deprived of central rule since the 1991 ouster of a dictator.

Ethiopian soldiers in military trucks drove into the provincial town of Baidoa on Thursday, witnesses said, a day after Islamist militia advanced within 35 kms (22 miles) of the government's temporary provincial base.

"The risk of full-scale war increases by the day," said John Prendergast, of the International Crisis Group think-tank.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060720/wl_nm/somalia_dc;_ylt=AsSFp9FUNAQTiCpRiz6E7ZNm.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[Minnesota Libra]

2. What is it about Islam and "holy war"?? I don't mean to sound..........

...the least bit disrespectful but it seems almost every time I see the word "Islam" in print I many times also see the term "holy war" in the same article. I don't understand what it is about Islam that they feel the need to wage "holy war".

edited for clarity

[On the Road]

3. This Actually Might Not be a Bad Thing

Somalia is a failed state which is a haven for terrorists. It's difficult to imagine a thriving country growing out of the warlords' rule.

Ethiopia may be able to bring some stability and an end to the fighting. Intervention like this should only be done in extreme situations, but Somalia is an extreme situation.