Ethiopia Bombs Mogadishu:

[OzzyKP]

Ethiopia

[Gatekeeper]

Ethiopia has 150,000 well-trained troops to the Islamic Courts Union's 10,000 or so militia fighters. Militarily, Ethiopia probably wouldn't have much trouble tearing the Union apart. Holding the land and fighting a guerrilla war is another story, although the Union probably shouldn't count on Ethiopia playing by Uncle Sam's handbook when it comes to taking care of insurgents (read: savage counter reprisals possible).

Gatekeeper

[Heresson]

Habash!

[Dinner]

I'd like to see Ethiopia annex Eritrea and Somalia though they are far to weak to do so. That would finally bring an end to the chaos in the Horn of Africa plus it make the region look like my current EU2 game I'm playing as Ethiopia.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I'd like to see Ethiopia annex Eritrea

So much for peoples' right to self-determination.

[Dinner]

It was one country for decades and ethnically it is mixed. The civil war started mainly because the former marxist dictator was so god aweful that Eritrea thought they'd be better off independent instead of under that dictator like the rest of Ethiopia. The dictator is gone now so I'd like to see the country reunited. That won't happen but it would be a great thing if it did.

[LordShiva]

The Italians remained the colonial power in Eritrea until they were defeated by Allied forces in World War II (1941), and Eritrea became a British protectorate. After the war, the United Nations conducted a lengthy inquiry, including a faulty referendum in which only the male "elders" (shimagile) of the Eritrean communities participated, in order to find out the wishes of the Eritrean people. During this time, those under Imperial Ethiopia's influence (who wanted unity with Ethiopia) and those who wanted Eritrea's independence, lobbied the great powers and the U.N. extensively. Imperial Ethiopia itself meddled immensely in the process, through bribing certain influential officials, intimidating others and most importantly by attempting to sow discord between Eritrean Muslims and Christians through its primary instrument: the Orthodox Church, which was used to herald Ethiopia as a bastion of Christianity, a haven and motherland of Christians and to spread a fear among Eritrean Christians that an independent Eritrea would inevitably succumb to Islamic rule. Moreover voting church members who did not vote for unity with Ethiopia as well as clergy who did not comply with the mission of the church were excommunicated or threatened with such by the Orthodox Church. The superpowers were also involved in a wrestle for a stake in the Eritrean question. The communist bloc along with most non-aligned independent third world countries favored Eritrean independence. The western powers Britain, France and the United States on the other hand already had Imperial Ethiopia as a close ally in line with western interests in the region and favored Eritrea being united with Ethiopia, rather than risk an independent Eritrea becoming a communist anti-western state. John Foster Dulles, the secretary of state of the United States at the time, said:

"From the point of view of justice, the opinions of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interests of the United States in the Red Sea Basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that the country (Eritrea) has to be linked with our ally, Ethiopia", John Foster Dulles in 1952.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrea

[Dinner]

I love how that article continually calls it "Imperial Ethiopia".

[VetLegion]

I'd like to see Ethiopia annex Eritrea

NEVER!!

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I love how that article continually calls it "Imperial Ethiopia".

Considering how Ethiopia was ruled by an Emperor, I'd say it's pretty accurate.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by GePap

The UN recognized government unfortunately couldn't get control of the country, could not get control of the warlords. That is why the Islamists won and were basically about to route them. Just arming their Ethiopian allies won't do much to make that bunch of folks any more capable.

How do you know?

Why are you opposed to members of the international community supporting the government that resulted from a decision of the United Nations and the allies of that government?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by TCO
Ethiopia has little to fear from Somalia and no reason not to bomb them. The Somalis have a miserable organized offensive force, are already fomenting problems by proxy (not openly), plus the Ethiopian attack was a strike with no ground troops.

On the contrary the Ethiopians have used ground troops extensively. Bidoa was the capital of the official UN backed government and the Islamists (who use foreign Arab Islamists volunteers in their Army) attacked Bidoa and would have taken it if the Ethiopians hadn't intervined and pushed them out. Supposedly it was a total route though the Ethiopians have said they won't persue them further into Somalia. The Ethiopians want to prevent the coalition government from falling but don't want to take on the whole war.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by LordShiva


Considering how Ethiopia was ruled by an Emperor, I'd say it's pretty accurate.

And I know a homeless person who called himself the king of Isla Vista (the college area of Santa Barbara, CA) that doesn't mean he was actually a king.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Oerdin


On the contrary the Ethiopians have used ground troops extensively. Bidoa was the capital of the official UN backed government and the Islamists (who use foreign Arab Islamists volunteers in their Army) attacked Bidoa and would have taken it if the Ethiopians hadn't intervined and pushed them out. Supposedly it was a total route though the Ethiopians have said they won't persue them further into Somalia. The Ethiopians want to prevent the coalition government from falling but don't want to take on the whole war.

Yes, someone pointed this out earlier.

Point remains that the bombing is not going to hurt the Ethioians (and might help them).

[SlowwHand]

is there anyone else calling themself Emperor?