I read your comments, and whilst I accord to you the right to your own opinions, I beg to take a different position in some respects.

First, let me say, I am not Somali,or American and I have never set foot on the Horn Of Africa.

I do believe that when one enters discussion on such a topic as you have addressed, political leanings are instantly visible. But it is not sensible if political leanings are allowed to blind us to the genuine needs of people affected. With that in mind, I ask,

How many people in Somalia and the wide world stood to benefit from the threatened take-over of Somalia by the Union of Islamic Courts, which was truly representative of only a couple of Mogadishu Clans and aligned with Iran or at least captive to Iranian philosophies? I believe 'not many'.

If such a group controlled Somalia, would their stated intention of spreading jihad accross the borders of Ehiopia and Kenya, then be extended to Somaliland, Djibouti, Sudan and Chad? I think absolutely Yes!.

Bearing in mind that Somalia is Muslim and proud of it, why did the ICU wish to subjugate it? Was it to extend the influence of radical islam across the red sea and deep into East Arica? I think yes!

Given that there are large reserves of oil in East Africa and Yemen, if a power aligned with Iran gained control of East Africa, how likely would it be that at some stage in the next decade, they would collaborate to deny the west access to sufficient quantities of oil to keep prices at bearable levels, especially as burgeoning demand exists from China, india and Korea? I believe that is an objective of Iran and some other anti westrern groups.

In a circumstance of $100+/b oil, would ordinary people of Europe Asia and North America suffer? I belive millions would starve and some millions would freeze to death.

What will bring prosperity and freedom from oppression to Somalia? Will it be development in which Somali populace have a strong share? OR, the ICU aligned to Iran and turning off the wells for their own political agendas?

What one single factor will heighten the risk of nuclear attack in the Middle East? I believe access to uranium by Iran and aligned powers: Somalia has uranium!

I apologise for the length of this, but one last observation. East Africa has been dominated by several European powers, especially including USSR in recent decades. Did any good come of it for its populations? Absolutely not!

The first oil coming out of Somalia will be owned by Somalia and its Australian and Canadian partners. The US I think is comfortable with that because it will contribute substantially to the world's puddle of oil to which all will have access and it will create peace in a nation which is geologically and geographically crucial to peace in East Africa and the Middle East.

I am not exactly "pro American intervention" per se. I am vehemently opposed to political and economic colonialism, especially in Africa and I hope the world will never again see the kind of resource theft it witnessed in several continents in the last several centuries.

Let's set the Australian/Canadian kind of model for co-operative resource development now occuring in Puntland, as a world standard.