Pandora's Box

Al-Qaida's power and influence is growing in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia, a U.S. assistant secretary of State says.

Jendayi Frazer, assistant secretary for Africa, said Somalia's Council of Islamic Courts is controlled by al-Qaida, The Washington Post reported Monday.

That creates a Taliban-like situation in a country apparently prepared to go to war with neighboring, predominantly Christian Ethiopia over a border dispute, the report said. (read the rest)

How interesting this is. Not only was our blood and effort wasted in Somalia the first time - apparently the invasion of Afghanistan will ultimately come to naught as well.

In this age of non-state actors asserting power once reserved for the nation-state it is impossible to settle an issue with an invasion alone. Ideologies cannot be merely defeated; they either die of natural deaths or every single adherent must be killed. The ideology of al-Qaida will live on - and the US lacks the will power or resources to chase it down in every valley and village that it may take refuge.

We foolishly opened Pandora's Box in 1990, or perhaps the British opened it in 1920 and then again maybe it was opened in 1947 - we can not close it now regardless of when or how it was opened. The pestilence will either die out or consume us.