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Derry Anti War Coalition (link to website)

US bombing of vilage in Somalia

For background see this article by Salim Lone and TomPaine.

Tuesday 9th January 2007

The Derry Anti War Coalition have condemned the bombing by the United States air force of a village in Somalia this week. This attack has been justified by the US as a response to a supposed Al-Qaida presence in the area, and have accused the Islamic Courts Union, one of the two sides in the civil war in Somalia, of having links with Al-Qaida. However, the DAWC argue that the air strikes are in fact part of the United States' strategy of seeking to attack anyone who they regard as undermining their interests.

A spokesperson for the DAWC said: "This attack has resulted in the deaths of civilians, including a four year old child according to at least one report. Far from being part of the war on terror, as the US claim, this attack is more like an act of terror.

"It has to be put in the context of what is happening in the country as a whole. The US have always been concerned that the Islamic Courts Union, which is against American imperialism, might take power in the country, and have been trying to bolster the existing government there - a puppet government set up by warlords with the connivance of the Western powers. The success in the past year of the Islamic Courts, who managed to capture the capital Mogadishu and most of the country, have clearly alarmed the United States. This is why the US is backing Ethiopia, an ally of Washington, who last week invaded Somalia and have retaken much of the country. That the air strikes happened at thsi time can hardly be a coincidence. This shows that the US is still intent on further carnage in the world despite their failure in Iraq, and demonstrates that the anti-war movement should continye to mobilise against the so-called war on terror.

The spokesperson added: "The Islamic Courts Union may not be a perfect government. They may even be extremists as some have alleged. However, as with Iraq, the US is claiming to support democracy while bombing innocent civilians to advance its own interests. The fact that they have now sent an aircraft carrier to the area suggests that further attacks may be planned over the coming days and this should be viewed with deep concern by all those against further war by the US."





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