By ERIC MARGOLIS

NEW YORK -- In his memorable, 1961 farewell speech, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower warned Americans to avoid foreign entanglements and beware the growing power of the military-industrial complex.

"The U.S. has opened a fourth front in the war on terrorism," trumpeted the Pentagon, as if it did not have enough failing wars on its hands.

U.S. warplanes and special forces attacked Somalia from the sea and from the U.S. base at Djibouti. Other U.S. units deployed on the Kenya-Somalia border. Much of Somalia is already occupied by Ethiopia's powerful, U.S.-financed army. Ethiopia invaded defenseless Somalia, with Washington's blessing, under cover of the Christmas holiday.

But was Somalia really a "hotbed of terrorism" as Washington claimed? The U.S.-Ethiopian invasion of Somalia was sparked by last fall's defeat of corrupt Somali warlords armed and financed by the CIA. They had kept Somalia in turmoil and near anarchy for 15 years. Last year, a group of Muslim jurists and notables, the Union of Islamic Courts, managed to defeat the warlords and impose law and order on chaotic Somalia.

The conservative Islamic Courts were sympathetic to pan-Muslim causes. But they were not involved in anti-American jihadist movements and had no identifiable links, as Washington loudly claimed, to al-Qaida. Four or five African suspects on the 1998 bombing of U.S. Embassies in East Africa may have been in Somalia, but going to war against a sovereign nation to try to assassinate or capture a handful of suspects (some reportedly escaped) is like using a nuclear weapon to kill a gnat and is sure to generate more anti-U.S. violence.

But in line with increasing militarization of U.S. foreign policy, the Pentagon's new golden-haired boys, Special Operations Command, pushed aside the humiliated CIA and the feckless State Department and vowed to "drain the Islamic swamp" in Somalia.

Thus begins U.S.President George W. Bush's fourth war against the Muslim world. He failed dismally to capture Osama bin Laden, conquer Iraq, or pacify Afghanistan. Dirt-poor, defenceless Somalia is Bush's last stab at glory.

Once again, the administration is recklessly charging into a thicket of tribal politics in a remote nation it knows nothing about. U.S. policy in Somalia is being driven by rabid neocons seeking jihad against the entire Muslim world, by gung-ho, know-nothing generals, and self-serving advice from ally Ethiopia. Eritrea's 1993 secession took away Ethiopia's natural access to the sea, leaving it landlocked. Ethiopia's prime goal in Somalia is seizing one or more deep-water ports, turning Somalia into a protectorate, and crushing any Islamic movements that might inflame its own voiceless Muslims.

America's attack on Somalia recalls Afghanistan. The U.S. is again blundering into ancient clan and tribal conflicts, using foreign troops and local mercenaries to defend a hated puppet regime without any popular support. Unfortunately, the word "Islamic" triggers murderous, knee jerk reactions by Washington's war party and the Pentagon's dimmer generals. The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. As U.S. soldiers once said in that earlier counter-terrorism success, Vietnam, "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out."

Like Afghanistan, Somalia was easy to invade, but may prove very difficult to rule or eventually leave. The invading Ethiopians, blood foes of Somalis, were not greeted with flowers, as U.S. neocons again promised. Somalis saw the U.S. and Ethiopians as invaders, and the now scattered Islamic Courts militias as their best hope for stability and normalcy.

The White House is using puny Somalia as a straw man to be set up and knocked down. "War president" Bush desperately needs a victory in his bungled "war on terror." After three defeats, a fake victory over a fake Islamic threat in obscure Somalia is just the kind of jolly news Bush & Co. hopes will cheer gloomy Americans and divert attention from the disaster in Iraq.

ERIC MARGOLIS
E-mail: margolis@foreigncorrespondent.com

This article was originally published in the Toronto Sun on Jan 15, 2007

abdi yare @ 1/28/2007 10:21 PM EST  This was a very good article, it is true that Bush and the Neo-consevertives who are currently making the U.S foreign policy are mainly interested in killing and slaughtering muslims every where. It's a fact that the Americans at this moment in time are figting Muslims from each and every angle. this fact could be clarified by their insistence that only moderate Muslims have a future in any somali government in the near future! My question is, Who are moderate Muslims? Who are the radicle Muslims ans Who are the Traditional Muslims? To be honset I can't, for a moment differentiate between those tree terms, but the Americans do know what they mean. It is simple, that if you are a Muslim who can dance to the tune of the West and can at the same time fulfill their interest without considering your religion, then for that matter you are moderate Muslim.Apart from this, America claiming to propagate democracy in the Muslim world cannot and should not decide for the people what they want? I do understand that the current transitional government has no support of the somali public, then what is the poin of U.S and the Ethiopians with the blessing and the military financial help of America supporting it? One has to understand that, the main aim of Ethiopia is to occupy Somalia and the other goal of the U.S is to make Somalia a islamic state that is in the shape of Iraq and Afghanistan, in other words a fallen state. This is so becuase it is in the interest of the American foreign policy but not in the interest of the larger somali people!

@ 1/27/2007 2:09 PM EST  i agree with the three wise men who realy knows what they talking about first Mr Eric,,, he is white man,with honest report and show us his humanity secondly Mr Nomadic1 very wise man whos his word are well balanced and cure to all Somalis and finally Mr Adamjama,,another excellent speaker who knows very well history and could be example to al of us and let me say something to those who have no knowlage what they talking about plz stay away and dont mix with healthy young somalis who care about their poor fellow Somalis they said a fool never learns his mistake so come on leave alone those poor people if your bread is ready and sleep evry night peacefully plz sont say nothing and leave them alone,,,khayr ilaahay haydin siiyee i will finally say my bit,,, the only way we survive and our future children will excist is to end this radiculas long abtirsi habit wich based only qabiil,,, and replace family name like the rest of the succesful nations use so in that case we wont have anymore tribal desease, am sure we will be succesful nation like the rest of the world finally thanks for your time and lets hope the best and new Somali generation,,,we should be example and teach what we learn our adopted countries how they become succesful and pass it to our poor inocent somalis who have no opportunity to travel and see the other side of the world,, thnx and be positve,,, lets work hard,,, with the help of almight Allah,,,

adamjama @ 1/25/2007 12:37 PM EST  Somalis should learn from the mistakes of yesterday. To change Siyad Barre's dictatorship they put the entire country tru civil war and total anarchy.now that the country is divided and under occupation by Ethiopian forces and USA air strikes,you are still talking about Darood,Hawiye,and Isaaq etc. I am wondering when are we going to wake up and smell the coffee. Let me give you some suggestions for solving some of your problems.Two countries that were facing discontent and division Isreal and Egypt took care of their problems different manner. Anwar Sadat was assasinated infront of million Egyptions in Ciaro in a national parade by few soldiers,one man down,an entire country saved. Yitzak Rabin was assasinated infront of the might of Isreali security and hundreds of thousands of Isreals in a parade in Tel-Aviv,one man down,an entire nation saved from civil war and humility. Since our original strategy since 1991 of tribal fighting did not worked,let us grow up and use different tactics. Let us just eliminate the traitors,warlords,and stooges one by one at any opportunity we get without draging the entire nation into another civil war,and even If we have to let us give his tribe some blood money,believe me that is a lot cheaper and more humane than hundreds of thousands dead and millions fleeing the fire. Just a suggestion to my nomadic people......

Dont_worry @ 1/16/2007 2:19 PM EST  this a White men that understand what is goin on and you dare him his article garbage your the garbage you starving Ethiopian, Americans dont care about you or me nether does any other countries that my fellow people have seek refuge to, this is the best article i ever read.

@ 1/16/2007 12:23 PM EST  Mr. Margolis If you are a real professional journalist, why you wrote this crab: "Once again, the administration is recklessly charging into a thicket of tribal politics in a remote nation it knows nothing about. U.S. policy in Somalia is being driven by rabid neocons seeking jihad against the entire Muslim world, by gung-ho, know-nothing generals, and self-serving advice from ally Ethiopia. Eritrea's 1993 secession took away Ethiopia's natural access to the sea, leaving it landlocked. Ethiopia's prime goal in Somalia is seizing one or more deep-water ports, turning Somalia into a protectorate, and crushing any Islamic movements that might inflame its own voiceless Muslims." Only someone who has been paid or a jackass would write something like this.