Snake's Oil

During the 1980s two-thirds of Somalia was divided among Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Philips oil. Thanks to pro-US military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Between 1977 and 1989 the US supported Barre at $100 million a year for economic and military aid. Barre was overthrown in January 1991.

Daddy Bush, then VP was on hand to officially open the Texas-based Hunt Oil Corporation's refinery in Yemen in April 1986. In his speech, which concluded a 10-day Middle East tour, Bush stressed “the growing strategic importance to the West of developing crude oil sources in the region." (Boy Bush also smiles at Texas Hunt Oil, appointing James Oberwetter as Saudi ambassador.)

As usual, when the locals finally tossed out the US dictator, the US entered to bring democracy, freedom, peace, and stability - yawn. Hollywood and the media glamorized the Daddy Bush fiasco with "Blackhawk Down" and portrayed Somalis as murdering Black warlords incapable of running their own country and too stupid to accept US and UN kindness. Another quest for oil sold as a humanitarian relief mission to feed the hungry, who starve thanks to US and its dictators (famines are government related, not due to drought, etc). A bungled Bushcapade becomes an American war story with heroes. Body count 18 us, 1000 them. And Clinton can take the blame since he called off the quest. (Blackhawk Down, from uber producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who seems to produce much of our heartwarming propaganda these days.)


UN Peacekeepers in Somalia, roasting a child.

As the oil grab under the guise of feeding the poor didn't work we now have the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (think tank) providing cover and warning Somalia is "a logistic centre for al-Qaeda." The consequences are serious, since the terrorists are still at large thanks to the protection given to them by ordinary Somalis, the ICG report concludes. Boy Bush froze assets November 2001 of Al-Barakaat Bank, Mogadishu; through which 80 percent of Somalis receive funds from family members working outside Somalia. Breathtaking isn't it that the US knew in less than 60 days after 9/11 where gobs of terrorists banked but can't trace anthrax letters or those 9/11 put options on stocks?

Since "them" ordinary Somalis wouldn't accept US empire with rice packets from Daddy Bush, "them" will have to be killed as terrorists in the "Struggle Against Violent Extremism." Step right up, buy it here. Benevolent oily white folks have to SAVE the world, again and again.