Somalia Waving Islamists… Goodbye(?)

Good news from Reuters:

Defeated Somali Islamists fled their last stronghold and headed toward the Kenyan border on Monday in what looked like the end of nearly two weeks of war with the Ethiopian-backed government.

Several thousand Islamist troops, who abandoned the capital to take a stand 300 km (186 miles) to the south near the port of Kismayu, melted away again overnight after trading artillery fire with advancing Ethiopian and government troops.

The leaders and fighters of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC), driven from Mogadishu on Thursday after a six month occupation, headed further south along the Indian Ocean coast toward neighboring Kenya, residents said.

When I read this, I could not help but to laugh an evil laugh. Of course, all of this doesn’t automatically mean that the Islamists are permanently beaten, I tried to be careful when I wrote about this in the past… but… well, it seems to be less risky to do a victory dance right now.

Okay, I’m overdoing it, but hey; it’s a new year. Time for celebration and all that.

In all seriousness, this is starting to look extremely good. Of course the world has learned by now (Iraq) that victory should not be declared too easily, but to say that the Islamists have suffered a severe beating would be a gigantic understatement.

They have been removed from power, they have no power over Somalia left anymore. At least for now. Of course they could re-group and launch a new attack later, but if Ethiopia withdraws as soon as possible and the international community tries to strengthen and help out the Somali government… it seems to be quite difficult for the Islamists to regain their influence c.q. power in the near future.

Now – again – is the time for the West to step in with money and materials… let’s develop Somalia.

It is good to see that ‘the international community’ didn’t truly object to Ethiopia’s attack. It would be wise for the world albeit especially the West if it – from now on – adopts this attitude when dealing with Islamists in any country. When Israel attacked southern Lebanon, it did what it had to do. Sadly the ‘international community’ responded quite differently to Israel’s actions than to those of Ethiopia… let’s learn from this. Israel could have done the exact same thing to Hizbullah, if only the international community would have let Israel do it.

Obviously, we must be concerned about what those Islamists will do in Kenya.

But for now, Islamists have suffered a tremendous defeat.

UPDATE
The always brilliant (although – or perhaps that should be because – I don’t always agree with him) Gun Toting Liberal weighs in:

That’s right, Sir; I PLEAD with you to follow either Ethiopia’s recent example of “git ‘er doneâ€?, or France’s example of “cut and runâ€?; BOTH nations have provided you with two shining examples of how to extract your countrymen and women from involvement in “quagmiresâ€?. One thing’s for sure, Mr. President; call it “stay the courseâ€?, a “surgeâ€?, a “troop buildupâ€?, call it whatever you wish, Sir; but all of these “strategeriesâ€? fall under the definition of “insanityâ€?: to expect different results from taking the same actions…

No Sir, Mr. President, you go to war to win, win BIG, win as “one sidedly� as possible, or you keep your troops home. When you bungle them into a quagmire like you have in Iraq and Afghanistan, you contemplate the feasability of reducing your losses by bringing the troops back home where they belong, or you unleash the superior firepower you possess upon the enemy and let your troops CRUSH the enemy, along with a spattering of collateral damage every here and there. You do NOT go to war at ALL if you are unwilling to take the heat for the collateral damage and a whole slough of criticisms in the Western Press enroute to your victory.

Indeed.

GTL also wrote:

Ethiopia has demonstrated, no, PROVEN with their terrible onslaught upon the wicked in Somalia that the GOP of this country has seen the “big bucks� that come along with “staying the course� and rebuilding in a quagmire. If our so-called “leaders� truly wanted to defeat the insurgencies in both Iraq and Afghanistan, it would have long been over.

I do not doubt that the Bush administration wanted (and still wants of course) to win in Afghanistan and Iraq… it is not so much a lack of will, as it is a lack of a good, effective ‘post-war’ plan.

That being said, it’s – as usual – a great (and ironic) read over at GTL’s place.