Another left wing disgrace

[Tigermike 3,054]

March 08, 2008

Rep. Donald Payne's Misguided Africa Policy

By Abdirahman Warsame

The current violence in Kenya and Chad brings renewed focus upon the serious challenges in Africa, and underscores how important it is that America act wisely and send consistent and appropriate messages. During a recent trip to Eritrea -- just as Kenya was beginning to erupt -- Rep. Donald Payne did neither.

With the United States fighting a global war on terror, the notion that a Member of Congress would sit silently beside a terror-sponsoring dictator as he criticizes America is appalling. Yet that is reportedly what happened during Rep. Payne's January visit to Eritrea, a country without press or religious freedom that openly supports al-Qaeda linked jihadists.

It is bad enough for any U.S. official to behave this way -- but far worse when you consider that Payne chairs the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, an influential leadership post that has an impact on U.S.-Africa relations.

As a Somali-American I am deeply concerned about the message Rep. Payne's trip sends -- and the impact engaging Eritrea may mean to the fragile stability in Somalia and the entire Horn of Africa.

For more than a decade, Somalia has been a lawless state with no central government. With Ethiopia's strong support, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which is backed by the United States and the U.N., is working to restore legitimate leadership to Somalia and to improve its standing in Africa and around the world.

Thwarting this progress toward stability and peace is the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a radical Islamist group whose leaders have proven ties to al-Qaeda. The ICU seized power in 2006 from the legitimate TFG and formed an alliance with Eritrea.

A 2007 U.N. report detailed extensive Eritrean support to the jihadists wreaking death and destruction among my brothers and sisters in Somalia. In addition to supplying training and financial support, Eritrea has sent suicide vests, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns and portable surface to air missiles. The deadly impact these weapons have had in the hands of the terrorists should be well understood by Americans who bear the haunting memory of the Black Hawk Down disaster in 1993, when 18 American soldiers deployed to Somalia on a humanitarian mission were dismembered and dragged through the streets.

In response to Somalia's request for assistance, Ethiopia sent troops and effectively defanged the ICU terrorists. Since being routed, the Islamist fighters have regrouped and are waging a low-level insurgency aimed at driving out Ethiopian troops helping to secure Somalia.

By visiting Eritrea, Rep. Payne communicated clearly his overall goal: moving the balance of power in northeast Africa away from Ethiopia and toward Eritrea. His visit took place despite the State Department's announced intention to declare Eritrea a state sponsor of terrorism. This visit raises serious questions about the real intent of H.R. 2003, a bill that Payne authored and pushed through the House in 2007.

H.R. 2003 is a dangerous piece of legislation because it is a full frontal assault on Ethiopia. It threatens to cut off aid to the country that kept Somalia from falling into the grip of an Islamist regime and is playing a key role as a U.S. partner in the war on terror. The radical terrorists that have wrecked my native Somalia are seeking to exploit the weak government in Mogadishu and gain a lasting foothold. They have vowed to fight on, while Osama Bin Laden himself has repeatedly called for jihad against Ethiopia and for radical Muslims to join the terrorists in Somalia who are attacking the peacekeeping forces helping to maintain order.

In the years shortly before September 11 forever changed the world, major terrorist attacks took place in the Horn of Africa. Al-Qaeda terrorists killed scores of Americans and Africans in large-scale, bloody assaults on U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. If those attacks have taught us anything, it is that the world cannot afford to ignore the terrorists, or to permit their sponsors to carry out their support with impunity.

Following Rep. Payne's misguided visit, I visited Washington with dozens of other Somali-Americans from around the country to demonstrate at the State Department and on Capitol Hill and to meet face-to-face with our elected representatives. We delivered the message that the United States must continue to stand with Somalia-and with Ethiopia -- which is helping to secure its future. And we reminded our lawmakers that states such as Eritrea that sponsor terrorists should be isolated -- not coddled by key leaders in the U.S. Congress.

When it comes to the Horn of Africa, the stakes of are high. Our nation and its leaders must maintain moral clarity-and stand with allies who oppose terrorism and celebrate freedom and democracy.

Abdirahman Warsame is the Executive Director of the Terror Free Somalia Foundation, a national grassroots organization that opposes terrorism and supports democracy in Africa.

link to article since you wont find much in the main stream media

[arnaldoabru 11]

Let's see bad guys we do business with....

The Shah of Iran

Noriega in Panama

Saddam Hussain

Many South and Central American bad guys

The Bush family is all in bed with the Saudi's-not exactly a democracy the last time I checked

On and On and On....

You mus have some sort of alarm on your computer every time Ann Coulter or her ilk write something it goes off.

[Tigermike 3,054]

Let's see bad guys we do business with....

The Shah of Iran - died July 27, 1980 (aged 60)

Noriega in Panama - Been out of office for years

Saddam Hussain - Another dead, murdering dictator. Dead and out of business thanks to the US. But there is a connection with Obama and Saddam's oil for food scam. Talk about that why don't you.

Many South and Central American bad guys - Hugo ring a bell? Leftist dims love him.

The Bush family is all in bed with the Saudi's-not exactly a democracy the last time I checked

On and On and On.... So Bill Clinton isn't?

You mus have some sort of alarm on your computer every time Ann Coulter or her ilk write something it goes off.

I had no doubts that you would have no problem with what Rep. Donald Payne did. I also had little doubt that you would actually make a llogical, clear and rational response. But then I always hold out hope that you may have an occasional lucid moment in your delusion and madness. Clear perception has not been your strong suit has it?

What the hell does Ann Coulter have to do with this?

[CCTAU 3,346]

Let's see bad guys we do business with....

The Shah of Iran - died July 27, 1980 (aged 60)

Noriega in Panama - Been out of office for years

Saddam Hussain - Another dead, murdering dictator. Dead and out of business thanks to the US. But there is a connection with Obama and Saddam's oil for food scam. Talk about that why don't you.

Many South and Central American bad guys - Hugo ring a bell? Leftist dims love him.

The Bush family is all in bed with the Saudi's-not exactly a democracy the last time I checked

On and On and On.... So Bill Clinton isn't?

You mus have some sort of alarm on your computer every time Ann Coulter or her ilk write something it goes off.

I had no doubts that you would have no problem with what Rep. Donald Payne did. I also had little doubt that you would actually make a llogical, clear and rational response. But then I always hold out hope that you may have an occasional lucid moment in your delusion and madness. Clear perception has not been your strong suit has it?

What the hell does Ann Coulter have to do with this?

Well. At least we get to be in bed with Ann.....As opposed to them being in bed with Soros. So I can live with that.

[arnaldoabru 11]

Let's see bad guys we do business with....

The Shah of Iran - died July 27, 1980 (aged 60)

Noriega in Panama - Been out of office for years

Saddam Hussain - Another dead, murdering dictator. Dead and out of business thanks to the US. But there is a connection with Obama and Saddam's oil for food scam. Talk about that why don't you.

Many South and Central American bad guys - Hugo ring a bell? Leftist dims love him.

The Bush family is all in bed with the Saudi's-not exactly a democracy the last time I checked

On and On and On.... So Bill Clinton isn't?

You mus have some sort of alarm on your computer every time Ann Coulter or her ilk write something it goes off.

I had no doubts that you would have no problem with what Rep. Donald Payne did. I also had little doubt that you would actually make a llogical, clear and rational response. But then I always hold out hope that you may have an occasional lucid moment in your delusion and madness. Clear perception has not been your strong suit has it?

What the hell does Ann Coulter have to do with this?

Sadaam- you fail to mention the military,chemical and bio weapons, and money we helped him get

Huge- is an idiot.But you fail to mention his biggest oil buyer and the American company's he does business with

[Tigermike 3,054]

Let's see bad guys we do business with....

The Shah of Iran - died July 27, 1980 (aged 60)

Noriega in Panama - Been out of office for years

Saddam Hussain - Another dead, murdering dictator. Dead and out of business thanks to the US. But there is a connection with Obama and Saddam's oil for food scam. Talk about that why don't you.

Many South and Central American bad guys - Hugo ring a bell? Leftist dims love him.

The Bush family is all in bed with the Saudi's-not exactly a democracy the last time I checked

On and On and On.... So Bill Clinton isn't?

You mus have some sort of alarm on your computer every time Ann Coulter or her ilk write something it goes off.

I had no doubts that you would have no problem with what Rep. Donald Payne did. I also had little doubt that you would actually make a llogical, clear and rational response. But then I always hold out hope that you may have an occasional lucid moment in your delusion and madness. Clear perception has not been your strong suit has it?

What the hell does Ann Coulter have to do with this?

Sadaam- you fail to mention the military,chemical and bio weapons, and money we helped him get (Would that be the WMD that Sodom didn't have and didn't use?)

Huge- is an idiot.But you fail to mention his biggest oil buyer and the American company's he does business with (This was your rant and side track to get the direction away from a DEMOCRAT congressman who chairs the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, and his dealings with "radical Islamist group whose leaders have proven ties to al-Qaeda." Come to think of it Payne probably is the front man for Obama. He has said openly that he plans to talk and negotiate with our enemies, with NO preconditions. It was my fault for responding to your inane ramblings that had absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand I apologize for that. )

Note to self. Apologize to Bottomfeeder, he at least can stay on subject and his topics don't all come from far left hate sites.

[AURaptor 1,126]

Fact few folks pay attention to.... Saddam got his WMD from the West, the US, W. Germany, France, the U.K, and China. The reason ? He was being overrun by Iran's new offensive. Iran had amassed a huge force of highly motivated, yet low skilled soldiers who were instructed to fight to the death. This 'Battle of the Bulge ' type of offensive was so sucessful early on, that it gave way to panic in the Iraqis, who retreated. No matter how much ordinance they threw at the Iranians, they kept on coming. When word of this new threat made its way to U.S. advisors, the idea of Iran's religious revolution taking over not only the oil fields of Iraq, but carrying over to Saudi Arabia was quite disturbing. So Iraq got its WMD , used them, and helped bring a close to the Iran/Iraq war. But then Saddam did something he was instructed specifically NOT to do, yet he did anyways. Saddam used the WMD on his own people, primarily at the Kurds to the North. Such was the outrage and sense of betrayal by those in the West that Saddam could do such a thing, he soon became enemy No. 1 for his horrific acts. THAT'S why Saddam, who had been an ally of the U.S. in their war w/ Iraq, became such a villian to the U.S. afterwards.

This is another catch 22 scenario that the West faced. In Afghanistan, it was either help the locals defeat the Soviet Union, or sit by and allow the Red Army to march all the way to the Indian Ocean. With Iran/Iraq War, we used Iraq as a buffer to counter the Islamic revolution which held our people hostage for 444 days to close out the 70's. After nearly a decade of stalemate, the concept that Iran just might win this war and spread it's Holy Jihad across the Middle East was as real a threat as was the Soviet Union.

Those on the Left want to blame the US for chosing ? I think the choices were made were the best ones w/ the info we had at the time. Faced w/ those options again, I hope we'd go the same way, every time.

[arnaldoabru 11]

He actually recieved some WMD's after we knew of his atttacks on the Kurds.

[CCTAU 3,346]

He actually recieved some WMD's after we knew of his atttacks on the Kurds.

Well that settles it. Now we know that your argument is completely just and correct. Sorry we questioned you.

But wait, if he received WMDs afterward, how was it that no WMDs existed?

[AURaptor 1,126]

He actually recieved some WMD's after we knew of his atttacks on the Kurds.

I'm somewhat skeptical of your claim. Got anything to back up that claim?

[arnaldoabru 11]

bestcyrano.org/ahussainNoHonorMurderers.htm

truthdig

juancole.com/2006/12/for-whom-bell-tolls-top-ten-ways-us.html

Some of hundreds.Google chemical weapons US Iran Iraq War

[AURaptor 1,126]

bestcyrano.org/ahussainNoHonorMurderers.htm

truthdig

juancole.com/2006/12/for-whom-bell-tolls-top-ten-ways-us.html

Some of hundreds.Google chemical weapons US Iran Iraq War

Sorry, I should have asked for any CREDIBLE , non partisan based evidence. My apologies. `

[arnaldoabru 11]

You mean like the credible evidence from the right wing sites.google it and see how many you come up with.