U.S. to Recognize Somali Government, Opening Door to New Aid......

Say it isn't so? We are going to trust this Government in Somalia? You have got to be kidding me. Has Obama and Clinton lost their damn minds?

* Clinton to announce step in meeting with Somali leader

* US says Somalia has progressed since 'Black Hawk Down'

* Move could ease new assistance from World Bank, IMF

WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The United States will on Thursday officially recognize the Somali government in Mogadishu, ending a hiatus of more than 20 years and opening the door to increased U.S. and international economic help for the violence-plagued African nation, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce the shift during a meeting with visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose election last year marked the first vote of its kind since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson told reporters.

Clinton does not intend to announce any specific new aid packages for Somalia, which already receives significant U.S. humanitarian assistance for drought, famine and refugee relief, one senior U.S. official said.
But formal U.S. recognition of the new government paves the way for new flows of assistance both from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other U.S. agencies as well as from international actors such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

"The fact that we recognize a government there will allow us to do things through USAID that we have not been able to do before. The fact that we recognize them as a legitimate government will allow the World Bank and the IMF to do things that they would not have been able to do before. This is major and it is significant," the official said.

Mohamud and his team met with senior USAID officials as well as World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during their trip to Washington, U.S. officials said.....snip~

UPDATE 1-U.S. to recognize Somali government, opening door to new aid | Reuters


Why would we want to increase the Money we give to Somalia? Plus now they are saying we may even open up a New Embassy There. Like that wont cost money too. After 20 years They will announce this today!

Recognizing the Somalian government is the first step in us being able to buy back the crap their pirates steal I guess :lamo

President Mohamud: It has been a long time since the United States government treated us as an existing and recognized government; this is happening for the first since. There are two main reason that led to this recognition: The first one is ending the transitional period in Somalia; the second one is the enormous work we have done during the four months’ time we have been in office, in which time we have done all the basics required for government to function. Therefore, I am very delighted [with the recognition]; it is a step forward and a diplomatic achievement for the government I lead and for the Somali people in general. This recognition will pave the way for us to rejoin international bodies and other places that we have been absent for so long, and this [recognition] will facilitate in rebuilding the country.

President Mohamud: That is automatic, it comes with the recognition. We hope the United States embassy in Mogadishu will be reopened in March this year. Likewise we will soon nominate our ambassador to the United States, we will open our embassy. It is only a matter time and planning.

Question: The French government has conducted an operation in an attempt to release its hostage held by Al-Shabab. Have you been informed of this operation?

President Mohamud: No. We were not informed. I believe things would not have happened the way it happened had they told us; it would have been less trouble. We have discussed this with France.

Question: While in Washington DC, you have met with various organizations, what did you discuss with them?

President Mohamud: I met with USAID; I also met with the president of the World Bank. We have discussed cooperation between these agencies and Somalia. We have told them the cooperation has to be different from the past and we have started negotiations on that front and we are working towards a new partnership framework. Things will not be the same as before, the new partnership shall be different.....snip~

Somali President:

They expect we will have an Embassy up in March back in Mogadishu. Does anyone think we should be putting an Embassy there this year? Consider they <AQ Affiliate> have busted out a CIA fronthouse. They still have the Pirates who still have hostages from all over the place. Which none have been able to get to where they are hiding them. Then there is Al Shabab. Warlords and the Child-Warriors. What has changed so much that if Americans go in that we wont be having the same problems we did last time?

He has been in Power for 4 months and none know if he can hold it.

It's cool, we totally have the money to be pissing it away on Somalia.

:roll:

JayDubya said:

It's cool, we totally have the money to be pissing it away on Somalia.

:roll:

Click to expand...

Not to mention just the throwing of money away here. But how could any US Businesses go and set up shop in Somalia. First chance the AQ affiliate knows theres Americans all over the place there.....just what do you think they will do?

Moreover I don't think we should be giving any weapons to whomever there. But notice Right away have that talk with the World bank and open that line of credit again.