[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 130 (Thursday, November 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S11051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SOMALIA

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I remain deeply concerned about rising 
instability and growing tension in Somalia. It is becoming clear that 
efforts to date have failed to sufficiently address the stand off 
between the Islamic courts and the transitional federal government, 
TFG, and now new tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea is threatening to 
engulf the entire region in a costly and devastating conflict. 
Unfortunately, rising instability in Somalia is having a direct effect 
on stability throughout the region and, if left unchecked, will have a 
significant impact on our national security and the security of our 
friends and allies.
  As I have said many times before, it is imperative that the U.S. 
Government begin playing a leadership role in helping to stabilize 
Somalia and the region and that it do so immediately. We need a 
comprehensive approach to engaging with regional actors, the 
international community, and the U.N. to find a permanent solution to 
this crisis. Such an approach will contribute to stability throughout 
the Horn of Africa and to our national security.
  We can't do this successfully, of course, unless we create a 
comprehensive approach and apply sufficient resources and attention to 
this growing problem. I was pleased when the Senate passed an amendment 
I offered to the Defense authorization bill a few months ago that calls 
for a comprehensive strategy for establishing long-term stability in 
Somalia. I believe, as do a number of colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle, that the United States must develop a comprehensive strategy for 
Somalia that utilizes all facets of its power and capability and must 
ramp up its diplomatic efforts throughout the region and the 
international community to bring this crisis to an end.
  Unfortunately, the administration has yet to appoint a senior 
coordinator for Somalia to pull together a strategy and to engage 
fulltime with international and regional partners in addressing this 
crisis. There also appears to be a reluctance to put in place 
additional personnel and resources needed to help execute this strategy 
and to contribute to international efforts to bring about a lasting 
peace throughout the region. Frustratingly, there has been reluctance 
among administration officials to work closely with Congress to 
identify what additional resources are needed to address changing 
conditions in Somalia. I have asked repeatedly for a description of 
needed resources and support that we in the U.S. Congress can provide 
to help address instability in Somalia and have yet to receive a 
sufficient response.
  Meanwhile, conditions in Somalia are becoming more complex and more 
troubling. According to a new United Nations report released this week, 
both the ICU and the TFG are obtaining support from a range of outside 
actors. If this is true, it signals a dangerous mix of regional and 
international meddling that could ignite the entire region into a 
devastating conflict. Recent statements by leaders throughout the 
region, too, suggest that specific countries may be prepared to 
intervene outside of the context of a political solution or coordinated 
international intervention.
  Our objectives must not be too lofty: we cannot hope to turn Somalia 
into a peaceful and established democracy overnight. But we do need to 
establish realistic goals and objectives and address this problem with 
aggressive diplomacy and engagement--in Somalia, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, 
New York, Brussels, Asmara, and throughout the Middle East. We must 
work diligently to establish a robust political framework within which 
both Somalia-specific and regional concerns can be addressed, and that 
will help facilitate a broader arrangement that takes into account the 
range of actors involved in this crisis. This framework must be 
supported by the international community and key regional actors. It 
must also take into consideration the very real security concerns of 
Somalia's neighbors.
  Unfortunately, we have very little time. Conditions continue to 
deteriorate, and we can't count on weak diplomatic efforts to get us 
what we need. Instability in Somalia has very real national security 
implications for our country. Somalia remains what it has been for 
years: a haven for known al-Qaida operatives and terrorist networks and 
criminal networks that threaten U.S. interests. As we learned in 
Afghanistan, we cannot ignore the conditions that breed and empower 
extremist and terrorist organizations. Accordingly, it is essential 
that we treat instability in Somalia like the true threat that it is. 
We need to act quickly and decisively and as if American lives depend 
on it. They do.

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