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Somalia on knife-edge as Ethiopia, Islamists ready for all-out war
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said his country has completed preparations for war with neighboring Somalia's powerful Islamist movement, alongside faltering peace efforts. Meles told parliament Thursday that the Islamists, who have declared holy war on Ethiopian troops deployed to Somalia to protect the weak internationally backed Somali government, were a "clear and present danger" to his country.Shortly after Meles' announcement, the Islamists said in Mogadishu they were ready to defend themselves from a "reckless and war-thirsty" Ethiopia and invited a US delegation to visit in an apparent bid to cool the situation. "This group represents a clear threat to Ethiopia," Meles told Ethiopian lawmakers in Addis Ababa, which denies UN experts' claims of having sent thousands of troops to Somalia but admits to sending military advisers. "To resist this clear and present danger, the policy of this government is first to try to solve the problem through negotiation and dialogue," he said. "So far, our attempts have not been successful." Posted by: Fred 2006-11-24 |
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