# We're involved in the Ethiopia/Somalia/Islamic Militia thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842 "2007-01-05T17:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/1 "2007-01-05T17:34:49Z")
[This new story](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070105/ap_on_re_af/somalia) mentions that US Navy warships are serving to prevent the Islamic militias from escaping by sea in an upcoming battle in Somalia. I didn’t even know we were involved in that conflict militarily. Has this been common knowledge I have just missed out on? What is the nature of and reason for our involvement? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/2 "2007-01-05T17:36:19Z")
oil. looking for cite. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/3 "2007-01-05T17:36:19Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] [This news story](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070105/ap_on_re_af/somalia) mentions that US Navy warships are serving to prevent the Islamic militias from escaping by sea in an upcoming battle in Somalia. I didn’t even know we were involved in that conflict militarily. Has this been common knowledge I have just missed out on? What is the nature of and reason for our involvement? -FrL- [/QUOTE] Fixed url code. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/4 "2007-01-05T17:46:38Z")
It’s not a secret, but then again, news out of Africa never gets much attention. Basically we’re letting the Ethiopians act as a proxy to push the Islamists out, and providing a little material support. We think the Islamists are Qaeda-ridden, or have the potential to be so. And you can bet your bippy, as Ann Landers used to say, that this won’t end nicely and cleanly, but will devolve into something resembling Afghanistan. Hooray! ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/5 "2007-01-05T18:31:39Z")
And incidentally, there has been a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=401650) in GD about it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/6 "2007-01-05T18:42:13Z")
**As far as I know** , we have no troops on the ground. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/7 "2007-01-05T20:01:53Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] **As far as I know** , we have no troops on the ground. [/QUOTE] As far as I know, we have no troops on the ground _in Somalia_. However, the U.S. military has been [training Ethiopian troops](http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=42576). ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/8 "2007-01-05T22:53:23Z")
[QUOTE=Mynn] oil. looking for cite. [/QUOTE] Somalia has oil? Jesus christ they need to get it together, worst utilization of a natural resource ever. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/9 "2007-01-06T10:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=Billdo] As far as I know, we have no troops on the ground _in Somalia_. However, the U.S. military has been [training Ethiopian troops](http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=42576). [/QUOTE] So we’re sending advisers to a country that might split in twain with one half trying to conquer our half with outside help. _This_ will end well. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-involved-in-the-ethiopia-somalia-islamic-militia-thing/386842/10 "2007-01-06T11:35:39Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] So we’re sending advisers to a country that might split in twain with one half trying to conquer our half with outside help. [/QUOTE] It’s already split in the north; [Somaliland](http://www.somalilandgov.com/) declared independence a few years ago, and [Puntland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puntland) has declared autonomy as well… I’m not aware of any significant action to prevent them doing so, or to persuade them back by any Somali authorities.