Five years ago, Ethiopia went into Somalia in force to battle the jihadis. I assume it was with our blessings. They stayed a couple years or so (longer than I expected). Perhaps our diplomacy has gotten Kenya to take a turn whacking jihadis:
Kenyan tanks, artillery and hundreds of fighters are moving through militant territory in Somalia, residents said Monday.
Fighter jets and helicopters have been flying overhead since Kenyan forces moved en masse into Somalia on Sunday. The invasion came one day after Kenyan defense officials said the country has the right to defend itself against al-Shabab militants after a string of kidnappings inside Kenya.
It seems pretty major for the Kenyans, who only have 20,000 in their army. Remember we've trained Kenyans as part of a regional peacekeeping force. And this supports Ugandan forces already in Mogadishu. Don't assume that our commitment of 100 troops to Uganda to track down the Lord's Resistance Army isn't related to the Kenyan incursion.
Also, if we can help keep things quiet in East Africa, the countries could gain the time they need to exploit oil and gas resources all along the Davie Fracture Zone to build their economies (or become oil-soaked despotisms, I admit). (Note: The link to the article in my earlier post is dead, but I found the article here.)
Don't assume our Uganda foray is a pointless mission. We may be seeing smart diplomacy. You never can tell.
UPDATE: Thanks to Luc Ross for the link.
