Congress Shouldn’t Repeat Decades Of Somalia Mistakes

[Khalid Ali]

Congress Shouldn’t Repeat Decades Of Somalia Mistakes

ByMichael RubinPublished4 days ago
Joe BidenPresident Joe Biden delivering his 2022 State of the Union Address.
Congress is currently seeking to reconcile House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) prior to sending it to President Joe Biden for signature. For the first time, the tiny unrecognized nation of Somaliland is on the agenda. It is long past time.

In recent years, Somaliland has garnered American attention for all the right reasons. The country defied China to recognize Taiwan in a statement by which Somaliland leaders meant to convey Somaliland’s embrace of principle over the convenience of Chinese cash. As democracy retreats on the continent, Somaliland stands apart. It utilizes biometric iris scans to secure democratic elections. Despite fears that Somaliland’s current leadership would delay polls, the country appears committed to holding presidential elections in the coming year. Somaliland has also managed to avoid the scourge of dysfunctional corruption, war, and terrorism that afflicts its neighbors. It is willing both to join the Abraham Accords and to provide the United States access to Berbera’s deep-water port and newly renovated airport, a position increasingly crucial as China solidifies its position in Djibouti to the point where it could force the closure of the U.S. base there.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration and State Department are pressuring Congressional Democrats to water down the Somaliland provisions in order to pursue better relations with Somalia. Congress should ignore their push. If insanity is taking the same action repeatedly but expecting different results each time, then the State Department is bonkers. For decades, successive administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have sought to channel money through a centralized Somalia government in order to enable Somalia’s president to consolidate control. During the Reagan administration, that meant supporting Siad Barre, a leader whose dictatorial ambitions and genocidal instincts drove Somalia off the precipice into state failure.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States poured billions of dollars into reconstructing Somalia. Much of this occurred during the Somali administration of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the current Somali president who previously served a term between 2012 and 2017. The result was billions of dollars missing and Transparency International ranking Somalia as the world’s most corrupt country.

Donald Trump appointed Ambassador Donald Yamamoto, the acting assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, to be ambassador to Somalia. It was a disaster. Within the State Department, Yamamoto had a reputation for cozying up to leaders regardless of their behavior, confusing smooth personal relations with advancement of U.S. interests. Somalis play such men for fools. Terrorism exploded as President Mohamed Farmajo used U.S. security assistance to target political opponents, while his intelligence chief Fahad Yasin cultivated close ties to Al Shabab terrorists. Farmajo also sought closer ties with Ethiopia and Eritrea, going so far as to allow Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean dictator Isaias Afwerki to impress Somali troops into their genocidal campaign against Tigray. Larry André, Jr., the current U.S. ambassador, has doubled down on Yamamoto’s policy, refusing to step foot in the state except briefly when forced to meet the U.S. AFRICOM commander in Berbera. Together, Yamamoto and André represent rogue trader Nick Leeson’s school of diplomacy, doubling down on bad bets to the point of bankruptcy.

The hostility to Somaliland shown by Yamamoto and, more recently, André is bizarre given Somalia’s record. Despite billions of dollars dispensed to support Somali elections, Somalia has yet to hold one-man, one-vote elections. Instead, a self-selected group of less than 350 clan elders and prominent officials met to select a new president. On May 15, 2022, they returned Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Villa Somalia.

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[Foto's] Dit is het huis waar Lilian Marijnissen op 37-jarige leeftijd woont
[Foto's] Dit is het huis waar Lilian Marijnissen op 37-jarige leeftijd woont
Hollywood Tale
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud may cultivate a more refined image than Farmajo, but warning signs abound. He appointed Hamza Abdi Barre, his long-time aide as prime minister, in effect cementing an administration that reflects less commitment to democracy and more dictatorial ambition.

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration could have remained silent but instead chose to side with Beijing. That some in Congress would defer to him under such circumstances suggests strategic confusion.

[Gubbet]

Let me tell you something my friend. This is like giving money to Nabad & Nolol to lobby for during HSM gov.

Rubin is a neoliberal from American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

They have had no power and no real influence since Dck Cheney left the White House in 2008. AEI and Wolfwitz and Rubin and Perle are the Iraq War people. Ayan Hirsi was/is employed by AEI and all the Islamophobes.

It also does not help he is personally remarking on Yamamoto. Yamamoto is the longest and most respected career diplomat on Africa. Wendy Sherman who is #2 at State Dept is the head administrator of State Department as an institution. The Secretary of State is like President and sets the policy while the #2 is like "CEO." Wendy and her orbit have Yamamoto as their unquestioned Africa expert.

Basically, this looks like lobbying...to Somaliland... from Somaliland.

Just giving you what you want to hear and not what they need to hear.

[noer]

rubin is not paid. the niggas at heritage n aei geuinely believe in somaliland n taiwan. n urkraine. foundation for the defence of democracies. our other allies. but they are out of power now. blinken n yamamoto wanna ignore somaliland de facto status. for fear of destabilizing the ex italian colony. bullsh**

if sland gets de jure status, we gonna join atmis. recognized somaliland gonna crush, spoilers in somalia the protectorate. somaliland gonna protect our his ex partner from isil in bari, al shabab in the other privinces, ahlu sunnah seditionists, garowe stealth secessionists, n kenyan agents in jubaland

[Gubbet]

It's not only they are out of power. They are hatedby the new Republicans.

[noer]

republicans around trump were the same guys as bush. trump talks like an isolationist. but he carrs about petsonal loyalty. foreign policy gonna be run by a guy who praises trump like john bolton trump can tweet nonsense about america alone. no more nato. besides. somaliland n taiwan fit into trump's hawkish stance on china

[ReturnOfMariixmaan]

It's not only they are out of power. They are hatedby the new Republicans.

The irony is the new Republicans fuck with Somalis

[Gubbet]

It's not only they are out of power. They are hatedby the new Republicans.

The irony is the new Republicans fuck with Somalis

I haven't even called you uncle tom yet, careful

[ReturnOfMariixmaan]

It's not only they are out of power. They are hatedby the new Republicans.

The irony is the new Republicans fuck with Somalis

I haven't even called you uncle tom yet, careful

I’m an Crip. I’m Goku. Dirty hands come from dirty work:

[BigBreak]

wishful thinking, the borders as well as the independence of Somaliland is not up for negotiations

[ReturnOfMariixmaan]

wishful thinking, the borders as well as the independence of Somaliland is not up for negotiations

They filed this with the SFG. NN isn’t in power. Who you gonna blame the faqash? We chilling

[BigBreak]

All Somalians are the same to us. Somalia is no threat to us

[ReturnOfMariixmaan]

All Somalians are the same to us. Somalia is no threat to us

Good to know don’t mention us.