A Leauki's Writings

An interesting article on the Friends of Somaliland blog describes how African countries improve their relations with Israel to fight terrorism and jumpstart their economies:

But these days the Jewish state has a new ally, Kenya, which wants Israeli help to fight the growing menace of jihadist terrorism emanating from war-torn Somalia, Kenya’s northern neighbor where jihadists linked to al-Qaida are active.

Israel is also seeking a foothold in the turbulent Horn of Africa to guard the approaches of the Red Sea. This is a vital shipping route and the access to the Arabian Sea for missile-armed Israeli submarines to target Iran should hostilities erupt.

It is also used by Iran to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip via Sudan and Egypt.

The Kenyans have suffered three major attacks by al-Qaida in recent years — the suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi on Aug. 7, 1998, and twin attacks Nov. 28, 2002, in Mombasa, the bombing of a hotel frequented by Israelis and a missile attack on an Israeli airliner. [Presumably because the passengers were oppressing somone. -Leauki]

...

There have been reports, all unconfirmed, that Israel has its eye on setting up a naval outpost at the port of Berbera to monitor the approaches to the Red Sea. The Soviet military established a naval port there in 1969 during the Cold War, along with an airfield capable of handling all types of military and cargo aircraft.

Last June, one of the Israeli navy’s German-built Dolphin class submarines, reputedly able to carry nuclear-armed missiles, transited the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean into the northern end of the Red Sea for “exercises.” That was generally seen as a warning to Iran as Israeli warships usually have to take the long route from the Mediterranean via the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Red Sea.

...

Israel has been building military and intelligence links with Ethiopia, Nigeria and other African states.

http://friendsofsomaliland.blogspot.com/2010/03/israel-eyes-new-alliances-in-africa.html

 


Comments
on Mar 11, 2010

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on Mar 11, 2010

Given the condition of Somali, I do not see a bright future for anyone in that area for some time to come.

But the rest of the news looks good!  I do not recall the movie title (jt was back in the 70s) but part of the premise was that the Israelis and Arabs had settled their differences and with the business sense of the Israelis and the oil money of the arabs, had bought america!

Well, this is not the same, but the parallels are encouraging.

on Mar 11, 2010

Given the condition of Somali, I do not see a bright future for anyone in that area for some time to come.

The north of Somalia (Somaliland) is actually very peaceful. I was planning to travel there when I ran out of money last year.

The horn of Africa is the region of Puntland. This is where the pirates are and they have local support (but are hated by the tribes of Somaliland).

The actual Somalia we all know and love from television is the south. That's the war zone around Mogadishu.

Somaliland (i.e. the north) used to be an independent country until it voluntarily merged with the other former colonies and when civil war erupted in the south the UN didn't allow Somaliland to become independent again, despite the fact that actual international law (i.e. the written law not just created on the fly to brandmark Israel) allows such a move for former independent countries, as seen in the case of all those European colonies and Eritraea.

 

But the rest of the news looks good!  I do not recall the movie title (jt was back in the 70s) but part of the premise was that the Israelis and Arabs had settled their differences and with the business sense of the Israelis and the oil money of the arabs, had bought america!

Well, this is not the same, but the parallels are encouraging.

That was originally the plan by the Zionists and the Hashemite dynasty, but the Arab nationalists and the British didn't like it.

But I have great hopes for an Israel-Somaliland alliance.

People in the west don't know this, but there is a tribal connection between Somaliland and Israel (the majority clan of Somaliland descends from Ishmael, the brother of Isaac). These connections are seen as mythological and meaningless in the west (and as a conflict by western Christians) but they are very important in the Middle-East.

 

on Mar 11, 2010

These connections are seen as mythological and meaningless in the west (and as a conflict by western Christians) but they are very important in the Middle-East.

What is most important is if they are meaningful to the Somalis and Israelis.

on Mar 11, 2010

What is most important is if they are meaningful to the Somalis and Israelis.

They are more meaningful to those Somali tribes than to (mostly secular and modern) Israelis. But if it makes them friendly, there is no reason to dismiss a beautiful old story.

The Somalilanders are using their traditions and mythology for a good cause. That makes them smarter than most people.