Is Somalia’s Peace in London?

A recent conference held in London aimed to bring global attention to the crisis plagued state of Somalia. Various donor groups, Somali politicians, and regional allies gathered in London to discuss the troubled country that is garnering increased international attention.

The Guardian is reporting that the British government is considering air strikes on Al Shabab and the United Nations voted to send 5,700 peacekeepers to Somalia. The fear of Western governments is that Somalia expatriates in their countries will continue to live without hope of peace, making them recruits for Al Qaeda or pirates.

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2012/0222/Will-a-London-conference-help-set-Somalia-on-path-to-peace

Although a big conference in London may make good headlines, I doubt that Western governments have the political will to do anything about Somalia, particularly with so much on domestic agendas. Somalia needs a complex exercise in nation building and peace keeping that will likely cost millions.

 I’m not sure if heavily indebted Western powers have the stomach for such activity considering that fifteen years of the same problems have compelled little more than nice rhetoric. The people of Somalia deserve better than words.

Ricin Plot in Georgia

This stuff really makes one wonder if the United States hasn’t totally lost its’ collective mind. Four suspected members of a Georgia Militia were arrested by the FBI for plotting to purchase explosives and produce the deadly toxin Ricin. Their goal was to attack government officials and highly populated urban areas.

One of the men was quoted as saying “"When it comes time to saving the Constitution, that means some people gotta die,". The plot apparently involved spreading ricin on roads and having it dispersed by vehicles traveling along selected routes. Further, the group also talked about blowing up entire buildings like Timothy McVeigh did in 1995.

This is the more likely terrorist threat facing the United States these days, and I’m very much afraid that the economy isn’t helping things. As people become more disillusioned and struggle to feed their families, without prospects for gainful employment, they may become susceptible to the message of terrorists.

The lone wolf is a deadly animal because he can strike any time, any place. In theory, no small town or big city is safe. It doesn’t take much sophistication to carry out a terrorist attack unfortunately.