In These New Times

PressTV

22nd February, 2012

British government is apparently considering resource-rich Somalia as its next Libya-style humanitarian target, after Prime Minister claimed the African nation should also enjoy its “Arab Spring.”

As Britain and its close allies regard the regime change wars in geopolitically important states including Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya as the victory of NATO, they are now signaling their next target which would be addressed again under the guise of humanitarianism.

Analysts stress that after China and Russia blocked the United Nations resolution on Syria, Western warmongers apparently turned focus toward yet another target, at least for the time being.

Depicting the al-Shabaab fighters as the underlying cause of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, David Cameron insisted that Somalia should also follow the prospects of “Arab Spring” by which people could have a voice in their country.

He considered the al-Shabaab fighters as “young people who take up arms in Somalia. We need to say to those people, ‘don’t do that, give up that path.’ You are joining an organisation that is now an international terrorist organisation.

“Instead, let us give this country and its young people the hope of a job and a voice,” Cameron also said.

Meanwhile, Cameron is to host London Conference on Somalia on Thursday, to introduce fresh steps to fight terrorism in the war-torn country. He is expected to raise the possibility of air strikes for attacking targets in southern Somalia where the al-Shabaab logistical hubs and training camps are located.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird are among the high ranking envoys 50 nations.

Political observers claim that the lavish conference would only secure another war in Africa, as UK’s closest allies, France and the US, would strongly back Britain’s proposal of military action.

British media have also been supporting the coalition government’s war policies, paving the way for military intervention in Somalia to protect civilians from rising threats and hunger. While describing the fighters as enemy, BBC correspondent Andrew Harding claimed Britain “hopes to take advantage of al-Shabab’s recent losses to help install a government in Somalia, which would take control of the whole country and close down the terror training camps.”

Moreover, Somalia is an easy target for the Western war machines, as the country does not have huge military infrastructure or any alliance to deter foreign intervention, and that the country has already been hit by civil wars, famine and natural disasters.

Somalia also has immense oil and gas reserves and some other natural resources like Uranium, iron and zinc. According to World Bank Somalia is the second African country with vast unexploited oil reserves. Puntland Province alone is able to produce between 5 and 10 billion barrels of oil.

The analysts only wonder if the western “fighting terrorism” agenda, once again ends in lucrative oil drilling and death of more civilians, as in Iraq and Libya.

SAB/MA/HE