Did The US Counterterrorism Campaign In Africa Lead To The Mali Conflict?

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrives in Rome, Jan. 15, 2013. Panetta is on a six-day trip to Europe to visit with defense counterparts and troops. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Panetta: 'No Question' US Counterterrorism Campaign In Africa Led To Mali Conflict -- The Hill

Washington's increasingly aggressive counterterrorism campaign to crack down on al Qaeda-affiliated terror cells in Africa may have set the stage for the group's resurgence in northern Mali, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta admitted on Monday.

"There's no question, as you confront [Islamic extremists] in Yemen, in Somalia, in Libya, that they're going to ultimately try to relocate. So, you know that certainly, I think, is a consequence," Panetta said Monday.

"Obviously with the turmoil in Mali, they found it convenient to be able to use that situation to gain some traction there," he told reporters while en route to a series of meetings with top Western European defense leaders set for this week.

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My Comment: There are other factors involved. The Libyan civil war ended up with scores of extremists having weapons and money to fight somewhere else .... and Mali with it's dysfunctional government/military, vasts tracts of land, and relative isolation .... was a perfect place for these groups to migrate to.

Somalia`s Civil War Is Heating Up

Somali Gov’t Claims ‘Remarkable’ Gains In Mogadishu Fighting; 7 Killed In Latest Violence -- Washington Post/AP

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia said Tuesday that pro-government troops have made “remarkable” gains during an offensive in the capital over the last two days, where the latest fighting killed at least seven people.

Police displayed the bodies of what they said were four al-Qaida-linked militants. Three civilians were reported killed.

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More News On the Fighting In Somalia

Somali PM vows to defeat rebels in 90 days -- Reuters
42 die in southern Somalia clashes -- Press TV (Iran)
7 die in Somalia fighting; police display bodies -- FOX News/AP
Somalia clashes kill 12 -- AFP
Somalia: Fighting, Shelling Erupt in the Capital -- allAfrica.com
SOMALIA: Recruitment of child soldiers on the increase -- IRIN
Minister: More states ready to send troops to Somalia -- Africa Review
EU Seeks Benchmarks in Extension of Somali Government -- Voice of America
EU stern on Somali progress -- UPI

The Civil War In Somalia Continues

AU Peacekeepers In Somalia "Take Three Key Insurgent Bases" In Mogadishu -- People's Daily

African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops propping up the fragile Somali government in Mogadishu on Wednesday said they seized three key positions from the Islamist insurgents after early morning fierce battles, the force spokesman said.

The fighting broke out after AU peacekeeping forces fanned out into the insurgent-held side of the Somali capital Mogadishu where fierce clashes ensued between radical Islamist fighters and the peacekeepers.

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More News On The Civil War In Somalia

Somali troops in new push against rebels -- Reuters
Somalia says it has captured key locations from militants -- CNN
Al Shabaab fighters in Somalia lose a key base in the capital Mogadishu -- BBC
EU stands by Somalia amid attacks -- UPI
Somali militants display bodies of 5 dead peacekeepers, hold Burundian soldier captive -- Canadian Press
Around 50 dead in clashes across Somalia: witnesses -- AFP
New clashes kill 130 in Mogadishu -- Press TV

Another American Killed Fighting For An Al Qaeda-Connected Terror Group In Somalia

American Jihadi Killed In Somalia Shootout -- ABC News

Somalis Say Militant 'Commander' Killed In Street Battle Had US Papers

An American member of an al Qaeda-connected terror group has been killed in fighting in Somalia, according to intelligence and government officials there. The fighter, a Somali-American man known as Dahir Gurey Sheikh Ali Guled, was found dead in Mogadishu after a street battle between the militant group, Al Shabab, and pro-government forces.

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My Comment: This news report was released at the same time that a report was released outlining how the U.S. is unprepared in confronting homegrown terrorism. A coincidence .... maybe .... but there is no question that one day many of these "American Jihadists" will return home .... and the question that needs to be examined is .... will they bring their war home.

Heavy Fighting Being Reported In All Parts Of Somalia's Capital Mogadishu

Armed groups in Somalia have been fighting the government for years [Reuters]

'Slow Genocide' In Somalia's Capital Mogadishu -- BBC

The sound of gunfire echoes through almost every street in Mogadishu.

Residential areas frequently come under heavy, indiscriminate shelling, corpses litter the alleyways, and neither side seems to be gaining the upper hand.

For the past two weeks, Somalia's once-beautiful capital has been the scene of fierce fighting between African Union-backed government forces and Islamist militants.

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More News On Somalia's Civil War

Somali refugees tell of hellish scene in Mogadishu -- Yahoo News/AP
Somalia: Desperate Civilians Flee Fighting in Mogadishu -- New York Times
Somalian Fighting Leaves at Least 12 Civilians Dead in Capital, 34 Injured -- Bloomberg
AU attacks al-Shabaab in Mogadishu -- New Vision
Bombers hit Somali airport, killing 9 others -- AP
Somali suicide attackers hit Mogadishu airport -- BBC
Al-Shabaab fighters hit Mogadishu airport, 5 dead -- CNN
Suicide Bombers Attack Mogadishu Airport -- Voice of America
Suicide Attack on Somali Airport -- New York Times
Somalia airport comes under attack -- Al Jazeera
No Easy Solution for Peace in Somalia -- Voice of America

The Slow Slide Of Yemen And Somalia Into A Permanent State Of Anarchy

Threat Persists in Yemen, Somalia -- Wall Street Journal

While Washington obsessed Monday over President Barack Obama's plans in Afghanistan, as well as over a new burst of violence next door in Pakistan, some unsettling news arrived to remind everyone that the extremist threat isn't limited to those troubled countries.

Reports from Yemen said government forces had killed 59 Shiite rebels in the country's north. The death toll is a sign of the intensity of the government's current fight against a Shiite revolt that has forced tens of thousands of Yemenis out of their homes.

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My Comment: As much as we like to focus on the problems that these countries bring to the international table, there is very little that we can do to better the situation. Dysfunctional and failed states will take enormous blood and treasure to correct, a situation that is neither possible or palatable for all of us in the West to accept.