The Greatest War Never Reported

Every year there are several conflicts that garner little publicity in the media. Most of them are tribal wars with a large number of human rights violations, and of little importance to global affairs. Then there are well known conflicts that are not accurately reported ... such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In these conflicts ... the media tends to focus on one particular issue, and ignores everything else, while slanting their coverage to increase their market share. Then ... there's Somalia. Every year there are several conflicts that garner little publicity in the media. Most of them are tribal wars with a large number of human rights violations, and of little importance to global affairs. Then there are well known conflicts that are not accurately reported ... such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In these conflicts ... the media tends to focus on one particular issue, and ignores everything else, while slanting their coverage to increase their market share. Then ... there's Somalia.

Few Americans know it, but Somalia is one of the most important nations in American history. In the early 1990's Somalia was ravaged by violence and famine. Warlords sprung up everywhere fighting for control of the nation, and terrorizing innocent civilians in the process. Finally, the UN got off of its soapbox and launched Operation Restore Hope in 1993. Back then John Murtha (D-PA) voted to send U.S. military personel to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope. Mogadishu (Somalia's capital) would be the stage for a successful but bloody battle between the U.S.'s Task Force Ranger, and gunmen of Mohamed Farrah Aidid's forces. We would later find out that al Qaeda had a small hand in the battle as well. That's very important ... remember it.

After the Battle of Mogadishu Murtha would launch a media assault on our military personel in Somalia, and take full credit for convincing President Bill Clinton to pull out of that country. This is an extremely important event in American History. Of course, it won't go down that way in the history books even though it would lead to the greatest terrorist attack in American history. Our withdrawal from Somalia was the reason bin Laden would pursue his war with us. He called America a paper tiger, issued a fatawa in 1996 and again in 1998 declaring war on the United States, bombed embassys, bombed the USS Cole, and launched the attacks on September 11, 2001. All because of Somalia.

Essentially Somalia was the launch point of the current war on terror, and has never removed itself from being an important part of the current conflict. We did, however, move it to the background. As most Americans forgot about Somalia ... we started hearing little news blurps about the inner happenings of this country. Suddenly, the media had a way to attack President Bush by using Somalia. Who would have thought about that? The U.S. chose a side in Somalia's continuing strife, but that side was defeated by the Islamic Courts Union. This was reported as a failure of the Bush doctrine. The Islamic Courts Union's control of Somalia was very disturbing to those who have been paying attention ... they are affiliated with al Qaeda. Suddenly, Somalia could no longer be ignored. In an effort to prevent U.S. involvement in Somali affairs the Islamic Courts issued a statement that they were not affiliated with al Qaeda, and sought peace with the United States. Only the blind were fooled.

The U.S. was busy with other affairs, and so it was up to the international community to deal with the situation in Somalia. The UN, EU, and AU all sprung into action and did ... nothing. Meanwhile soccer was banned, Sharia law implemented, children were murdered for watching the World Cup, stonings, rape, etc. all flourished under the Islamic Courts. Then, they declared war on Ethiopia. The two nations engaged in a verbal lashing of each other as all attempts at diplomacy failed. Finally, one side had had enough.

The starving pot-bellied Ethiopians of old no longer exist. They are now well fed, pro American, christian, and have the most powerful army in east Africa ... oops. Our Ethiopean friends don't care about proportional attacks, or what the media says about them. They launched a ferocious assault upon the Islamic Courts in Somalia as if the hand of God himself was pimp slapping Sharia law down.