Far beneath the surface of the tragic drama of Somalia, four major U.S. oil companies are quietly sitting on a prospective fortune in exclusive concessions to explore and exploit tens of millions of acres of the Somali countryside.
That land, in the opinion of geologists and industry sources, could yield significant amounts of oil and natural gas if the U.S.-led military mission can restore peace to the impoverished East African nation.
According to documents obtained by The Times, nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991. Industry sources said the companies holding the rights to the most promising concessions are hoping that the Bush Administration's decision to send U.S. troops to safeguard aid shipments to Somalia will also help protect their multimillion-dollar investments there.
[source : The Oil Factor in Somalia, LA Times, 18th January 1993]
Somalia.
Because I had been through the Pentagon right after 9/11. About ten days after 9/11, I went through the Pentagon and I saw Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz. I went downstairs just to say hello to some of the people on the Joint Staff who used to work for me, and one of the generals called me in. He said, "Sir, you've got to come in and talk to me a second." I said, "Well, you're too busy." He said, "No, no." He says, "We've made the decision we're going to war with Iraq." This was on or about the 20th of September. I said, "We're going to war with Iraq? Why?" He said, "I don't know." He said, "I guess they don't know what else to do." So I said, "Well, did they find some information connecting Saddam to al-Qaeda?" He said, "No, no." He says, "There's nothing new that way. They just made the decision to go to war with Iraq." He said, "I guess it's like we don't know what to do about terrorists, but we've got a good military and we can take down governments." And he said, "I guess if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem has to look like a nail."
So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, "Are we still going to war with Iraq?" And he said, "Oh, it's worse than that." He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, "I just got this down from upstairs" -- meaning the Secretary of Defense's office -- "today." And he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." I said, "Is it classified?" He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well, don't show it to me." And I saw him a year or so ago, and I said, "You remember that?" He said, "Sir, I didn't show you that memo! I didn't show it to you!"
[source : General Wesley Clark, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8YtF76s-yM
Somalia.
Yet it is the extent of oil deposits beneath the Indian Ocean that is most exciting Somali officials. One said the potential was comparable to that of Kuwait, which has more than 100bn barrels of proven oil reserves. If true, the deposits would eclipse Nigeria's reserves – 37.2bn barrels – and make Somalia the seventh largest oil-rich nation.
...Britain is involved in a secret high-stakes dash for oil in Somalia, with the government offering humanitarian aid and security assistance in the hope of a stake in the beleaguered country's future energy industry.
[source : Britain leads dash to explore for oil in war-torn Somalia, The Observer, 26/02/2012]
Somalia.
Britain's national security policy in the Middle East is moving away from Pakistan and Afghanistan, Britain's national security advisor has said.
Sir Kim Darroch told the joint committee on national security strategy that recent developments are shifting national security policy towards Yemen and Somalia.
Responding to a question about whether Afghanistan and Pakistan are still priorities given increased stability, Sir Kim told the committee: "The terrorist threat from Afghanistan is diminished. We don't want to tempt fate but it isn't what it once was".
He continued: "Al-Qaida's power in Pakistan has diminished, and the threats from instability in Yemen and Somalia are growing."
Sir Kim said that the weakness of governments in Yemen and Somalia and their inability to contain Islamist militants tied to al-Qaida means that they are considered more of a threat to British national security than Afghanistan.
[source : UK security focus shifting to Yemen and Somalia, Politics.co.uk, http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2012/03/27/uk-security-focus-shifting-to-yemen-and-somalia, 27/03/2012]
Somalia.
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.
[source : UK to impose Libya-style war on Somalia, PressTV, 22/02/2012]
Somalia.
Mogadishu (AFP) - Somalia said Sunday it was "not a secret" it is working with foreign governments to fight terror and described the country's Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militants as a threat to the world.
Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon was commenting after US commandos launched a raid against Shebab militants in Somalia, in tandem with a strike against a wanted Al-Qaeda leader in Libya.
"Our cooperation with international partners on fighting against the terrorism is not a secret," Farah Shirdon said. "Understand me, that fighting is not a secret. And our interest is to get a peaceful Somalia and free from terrorism and problems."
[source : Somalia says working with foreign partners on terror 'no secret', Yahoo News, http://news.yahoo.com/somalia-says-working-foreign-partners-terror-no-secret-185228568.html, 6th October 2013]
Somalia.
Islamist fighters in Somalia last night warned of deadly reprisals on Britain's streets if the West mounted military action in the war-torn east African state.
...Last night the spokesman for the Islamist group, Sheikh Ali Dhere, warned it could launch terror attacks in the West if countries such as Britain and the US intervened in Somalia. "Your peace depends upon us being left alone," he told Channel 4 News. "If you do not let us live in peace, you will not enjoy peace either."
[source : Somali terrorists warn of reprisals on British streets, The Independent, 24/02/2012]
There was a Covenant of Security between the Islamic terrorists and MI5 in which the terrorists could live in London in safety but their operations had to fit in with the policies of Great Britain. Osama bin Laden had a mansion in London, and trained with MI6 in Scotland. Al Qaeda was created by MI6 and CIA for operations in Afghanistan.
Kenyan Intelligence Services knew about the attack on the Nairobi shopping mall. High level officials were warned not to go there that day.
After 9/11 we went into Afghanistan hunting the leader of al Qaeda. We invaded Iraq being told that Iraq was in bed with al Qaeda. That Israeli source of pure bullshit Debkafile has continually tried to link a dead Osama bin Laden with Iran.
And now, after yet another terrorist attack that was allowed to happen, operations in and against Somalia are increasing.
That wasteland on the Horn of Africa is going to become very interesting in the next year or two.
It's the same old story: create terrorists; let them commit terrorism; act horrified and go to war on them; grab natural resources.
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