InfoAnda - Analysis: Kenya risks rallying support for Somali rebels |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Vietnam bird flu patient's sister had same symptoms | International | | 8 January 2009
Justin Bieber to appear on Saturday Night Live | 5 February 2011
Thriller Contraband nabs box office title | | 16 January 2012

Russia says still room for diplomacy with Iran | 3 March 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Analysis: Kenya risks rallying support for Somali rebels |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Green Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia Afghan Journal Africa Journal India Insight Global News Journal Pakistan: Now or Never? World Video Politics Politics Home Front Row Washington Politics Video Technology Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland Felix Salmon Jack Shafer Breakingviews David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Gregg Easterbrook Nader Mousavizadeh James Saft David Cay Johnston Edward Hadas Christopher Whalen Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Newsmaker Money Money Home Analyst Research Global Investing MuniLand Reuters Money Blog John Wasik Unstructured Finance Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Life & Culture Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Left Field Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice Our best photos from the weekend. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Obama to announce actions on housing, student loans 8:03am EDT U.S. pulls its envoy from Syria because of threats 11:36am EDT Libya "liberated," but Gaddafi still unburied | 11:06am EDT Vatican calls for global authority on economy, raps “idolatry of the market” 9:08am EDT Caterpillar remains cautious as earnings soar 10:43am EDT Discussed 200 Obama to announce help on housing, student loans 159 Gaddafi captured as he fled Sirte: NTC official 125 Strike shuts down Greece before austerity vote Watched Libya officially declares liberation. Sun, Oct 23 2011 The hunt for Gaddafi in 60 seconds Thu, Oct 20 2011 Hundreds feared dead in Turkey quake Sun, Oct 23 2011 Analysis: Kenya risks rallying support for Somali rebels Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Grenade attack at Nairobi bar wounds 13 8:50am EDT Analysis & Opinion Libya’s revolution pushes democracy forward Tunisian vote on Sunday set to give Islamists a share of power Related Topics World » Kenyan troop stand guard at the Garrisa airstrip near the Somali-Kenyan border October 18, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Stringer By Richard Lough NAIROBI | Mon Oct 24, 2011 8:50am EDT NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's deployment inside Somalia lacks the military muscle to deal a mortal blow to Islamist rebels blamed for a spate of kidnappings and risks galvanizing support for the militants plagued by internal rifts and popular resentment. With half an eye on elections next year, Kenya's political leaders could ill-afford to do nothing after the abductions of foreigners and last week launched an offensive against the al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab rebels, now hunkering down for battle in their southern Somalia strongholds. The east African country has watched nervously during the last two decades as first warlords then Islamist insurgents reduced the Somali government to impotency. It is desperate to prevent the conflict spilling over the border. The latest wave of abductions on the Kenyan coast and from the world's largest refugee camp at Dadaab in the northeast of the country exposed how porous the semi-arid frontier remains. But Kenya's military operation comes at a time when al Shabaab is on the back foot, beset by a widening split amongst commanders favoring a nationalist cause and those bent on a more international jihadist agenda. This divide led to the rebels abandoning Mogadishu for the first time in five years in August. The rifts were exacerbated by al Shabaab's poor handling of the famine ravaging Somalia, which stoked popular anger at their draconian rule. Somalis, however, have traditionally fiercely opposed foreign intervention and a drawn out military offensive risks rallying rebel support, especially if civilian casualties are high. "Al Shabaab was losing ground and popular support. Foreign intervention at this time is counterproductive," said Afyare Elmi, a Somali political scientist at Qatar University's International Affairs department. "It will create conditions that would nourish violent extremism by giving al Shabaab a cause and raise the motivation of its fighters. This was a strategic mistake on the part of Kenya." INFLAMING TENSIONS Kenya is tight-lipped on its ultimate objective, but says it wants to reduce al Shabaab's effectiveness. It is not clear how many Kenyan troops have been sent into Somalia although local media puts the deployment at some 4,000 soldiers. The region's biggest economy may intend simply to push the rebels away from the frontier in the hope that allied Somali forces it has helped train and arm can occupy the void. More ambitious would be to crush al Shabaab in the port city of Kismayu, the nerve center of the rebels' southern operations, a source of funds, and the base for its several hundred-strong foreign combatants -- some of whom are graduates of al Qaeda's training camps. Kismayu residents, increasingly familiar with the sight of drones dropping bombs on al Shabaab targets, fear an assault is nigh after warplanes swooped low in the skies above the city. A jet on Saturday struck two rebel bases in Kismayu although it was not immediately clear whose airforce it belonged to. Seizing and holding Kismayu would mark a big step toward regaining control of the south and is the stated goal of Somalia's military top brass. "Kenya does not have the capacity to drive al Shabaab out (of southern Somalia) and keep them out," said David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia. "The best it can do is remove al Shabaab from the border area, and possibly Kismayu, and then try to replace al Shabaab with Somali forces friendly to Kenya." J. Peter Pham, Africa director with U.S. think-tank the Atlantic Council, agreed Kenya's forces did not appear strong enough to root out al Shabaab, but cautioned the intervention was "more than enough to stir them up." "The only thing that will be accomplished is that a few (Kenyan) politicians can posture, albeit at the cost of tensions being inflamed and allowing al Shabaab and other militants ... to once again rally Somalis around them under the banner of nationalism to resist a 'foreign invader'," said Pham. Somali lawmaker Yusuf Mire Serar welcomed Kenya's incursion but said it did not appear to have any long-term vision. "It seems they are just reacting to abductions without thinking of the clear national vision and strategy with the help of the TFG (Transitional Federal Government) and the already international and regional actors on the ground including the African Union," Serar told Reuters in Mogadishu. "Instead they are empowering the already dead al Shabaab by giving them chances to mobilize people into war again." DESTINED TO BACKFIRE? Al Shabaab has threatened to take the "war of flames" back across the frontier if Kenya does not withdraw its troops. Kenya is not the first of Somalia's neighbors to send boots onto Somali soil, just as the United States did in the early 1990s to consequences immortalized in the film "Black Hawk Down." In late 2006, Ethiopia, a far superior military power to Kenya, sent thousands of troops and columns of tanks into the lawless country with the tacit backing of Washington, ostensibly to protect its borders. Seen by Western powers as a bulwark against a rising tide of Islamic militancy in the region, Ethiopia routed the Islamist Islamic Courts Union (ICU) from de facto power in Mogadishu. The Islamists regrouped in Kismayu and from the ashes of the ICU rose al Shabaab. Professing loyalty to al Qaeda, the rebels launched their insurgency in early 2007. Ethiopia pulled its troops from Somalia two years later. Al Shabaab's bloody campaign rages on and has killed tens of thousands of civilians. Ethiopia's intervention was seen as a public relations coup for al Shabaab and Kenya risks the same if it fails to deliver a mortal blow to al Shabaab in southern Somalia, said analyst Mark Schroeder of global intelligence company Stratfor. Pham said even if Kenya delivers a knockout blow to al Shabaab, it should still fear attack from threats already present in the country which pose an unwelcome danger with presidential elections around one year away. Kenya's largely Muslim coast and its huge Somali populations in the capital and the Dadaab refugee camp, which has more than 400,000 residents, are seen as fertile recruiting grounds for Islamist militants. "Even if (Kenya) were to deal a mortal blow to al Shabaab ... (it) would still increase the risk of 'sleeper cells' or even self-radicalized 'lone wolf' sympathizers to respond by carrying out attacks within Kenya," said Pham. World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Social Stream (What's this?) Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Contact Us Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Monday, 24 October 2011
Matt Ryan runs, passes Falcons to 17-6 halftime lead over Lions
Yani romps: Tseng notches seventh win of season at Sunrise LPGA Taiwan
Tens of thousands rally against Hungarian government |
Won for Seve: Garcia dedicates Castello Masters victory to Ballesteros
Three killed in Yemen violence |
Shark kills American off Australian coast: police |
Ex-Olympus CEO says probe on fee falls short: AP |
Apple stock to jump 25 percent over next year: Barron's |
John Mayer recovering from throat surgery |
Paranormal 3 breaks records at weekend box office |
Noel Gallagher flies high at top of UK charts |
Turkey quake death toll reaches over 200, set to rise |
Argentine president strolls to re-election victory |
Holland tosses 8 1-3 innings of two-hit ball, Rangers level World Series 2-2
Newton collects touchdown run, pass as Panthers top slumping 'Skins
Grenade attack at Nairobi bar wounds 12: police |
Flying high: Falcons defense prevails in victory over Lions
Green Bay improves to 7-0 with win over pesky Vikings
Libya declares liberation, Gaddafi stays unburied |
Balotelli sparks Manchester City to dominant win against Manchester United
No military trainers after U.S. troop pullout, says Maliki
Israel Asserts Control Over East Jerusalem Textbooks
Analysis: U.S. talks up Pakistan role in Afghan peace talks |
Lack of education hinders Arab economies
Major earthquake strikes eastern Turkey; Hundreds feared dead
Japan contractor hacking likely got military data: Asahi |
Tunisia counts votes after first Arab Spring election |
China urges North Korea to build on U.S. dialogue |
Seoul vote eyed closely as test run for national |
FBI reportedly probes Olympus fee; shares tumble |
Saudi Telecom plans acquisitions in 2012 |
TomTom to cut 50 million euros in costs as Q3 sales fall |
Jobs abrasive style drove some people away: biographer |
Paranormal 3 breaks records at weekend box office |
Magic Tree House film premieres in Japan |
Amputees still waiting for reparations almost 10 years on
UK parliament recalls James Murdoch over hacking |
U.S. Iraqi pullout whets Iranian appetite for trouble
Tunisians celebrate elections, worry what follows
U.S. and North Korea start talks in Geneva |
New fed rules to aid more underwater homeowners
MLB considering banning alcohol from clubhouses
Prince's death sets challenge to ageing Saudi royals |
"Paranormal 3" scares off rivals at box office
Libya national council head sees new government in two weeks |
Canucks acquire Booth, Reinprecht from Panthers
WikiLeaks halts publication to raise money
Who rules the range?
Failing law leaves children unprotected in Somaliland
Analysis: Kenya risks rallying support for Somali rebels |
Beijing's growing pains mirror global population boom |
WikiLeaks says blockade threatens its existence |
Thai floods threaten Asia PC makers holiday sales |
New app aims to reduce stress with slow breathing |
Google, PE firms mull bid for Yahoo: report |
Country singer Loretta Lynn in hospital with pneumonia |
Arab films showcase turbulent, redemptive year |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01