Kenya Invades Somalia

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/kenya/8830204/Kenya-sends-its-forces-into-Somalia.html

Looks like the Forever War that is the Somali conflict is entering a new chapter. Thanks to Al Shabaab kidnappings (of foreigners in particular) and bombings in Kenya and Uganda hurting tourism, the Kenyan Army has decided to invade and has since pushed 60 miles (other reports say 100 miles) into southern Somalia, the heart of the Al Shabaab's territory.

We can only hope that Kenya will kick ungodly amounts of Islamist butt... And pray they leave Somaliland alone.

I just hope they kick enough ass for everyone else to start working together or kick enough ass that they can make sure that area can once again be called "a nation", even if occupied.

You mean the Somalis unite to kick Kenyan ass? If so, already tried when Ethiopia did the same thing back in 06. Worked until they withdrew and then everything fell apart to how it is now. Somalis have a sense of identity, they just can't wrap their heads around the idea of a nationstate for ALL Somalis since everything is so clan-based there (Indeed, Somaliland does fine because its mostly just one clan).

If they got rid of the Islamist plague Somalia would work out just fine, with or without a government: Except the Islamists, Somalis are generally mind-yer-own-business folks.

edited 16th Oct '11 12:55:17 PM by SavageHeathen

I ment "kick enough ass that they are so damn paranoid of on Kenya that they put clan grudges behind". Of course, nation based on paranoi is doomed to fail but it could be a start. Have them work together, even if in fear. "I hate you all, but I hate guy across border more and I don't have enough guns incase he comes back"

\*suddenly remembers the Somali pirate issue*

Yeaaahhhh...no.

Well Somali pirates tend to operate like a naval equivalent of the land regimes- they have a zone which they consider their territory (and to some degree they are right in that it is the sovereign waters of the region of land they control) and they use banditry within them to raise funds and to protect their lands. These regions are not strictly defined and they do not obey international laws and nobody else thinks they have any right to them anyway, which is why they are pirates but it would be wrong to classify that issue as somehow being a push for an intrusionist agenda.

edited 16th Oct '11 1:03:49 PM by SomeSortOfTroper

These guys are a stateless Coast Guard, kicking foreign looters out. If foreigners wanted to fish in US waters, they'd be kicked out. Why can't the Somali do the same thing, because they ain't got no government? Bullshit.

edited 16th Oct '11 1:04:28 PM by SavageHeathen

Heathen@Thats how the Buckaneers started out as,colonist people from the Carribean rebelling against the Spanish merchant ships but then they started looting all ships regardless.

It wasn't really a response to your post. I consider everything you said to be part of it, I just don't think that occasional trips outside of the internationally defined sovereign zones nor kidnapping attempts (which don't fall under that) mean that they are jonesing to invade Kenya or the Gulf States.

I was okay when they were basically just keeping people outta their waters, but they did just start being literal pirates after awhile. Not that there's any other way to make a living down there, mind you.

I was hoping for an occupation and perhaps a government; this sounds more like they're just going to kill that one bastard then get out.

What I originally wanted to say before being derailed by Somalian piracy:

Kenya is probably already involved in the African Union attempts to set up a region under control of the approved government in Mogadishu. If not in numbers, at least in political support. The need to interfere in Somalia is not new to them, it's probably risking troops over the border themselves and get stuck in a quagmire that is the new thinking. I think this indicate a confidence in the AU forces at the capital. They've managed to expand out, slowly taking over control. This makes a new front which only weakens the border insurgents rather than providing them with opportunities to screw over Kenya more.

I'm not sure how well this will work out though. I suspect they'll go in, smash a bunch of stuff and then leave.

I like how this hasn't shown up on the news yet here in America, apart from one piece mentioning that Obama's father is from Kenya.

Topic, people...

Speaking of the Ethiopian invasion, did they actually achieve any mission objectives at all or was it completely pointless? Kenya must have analysed the results of their invasion before they went in.

edited 16th Oct '11 1:28:22 PM by pagad

Well they thought they achieved a lot when they pushed out the Islamists from power. Somalia had basically just become united under the Islamists and then Ethiopian went in and backed a Christian government instead. But rather than form a regime, they toppled the Islamists but their own government was basically totally worthless and now it's put the country back into civil war.

So unless Kenya has some magic up their sleeves, I don't see what another invasion is going to do.

Good on Kenya. I really hope they succeed.

Seriously, the place is so crewed I think the Reich might actually be a positive influence.