Kenya Dig It?

 

I've kept quiet about the situation unfolding in Kenya and Somalia for a couple of reasons.

 

Notably, I'm not sure what to make of it, yet.

 

On the one hand, I can't blame Kenya for wanting to secure its borders and Somalia has long been a haven for terrorists and pirates, so it's likely some of that criminal activity has spilled over the border.

 

On the other, I sense the presence of forces beyond the continent behind this. After all, it's not likely Kenya would have undertaken a serious breach of sovereignty without at least giving the US State Department a heads up, yet the surprised tone of the American reaction seems to indicate they hadn't.

 

Which is odd, given our history not just with Somalia as a nation but with its affiliation with Al Qaeda.

 

So this could just be diplomatic Kabuki.

 

One thing that is troubling: this is just an additional flare-up of violence on a continent that has seen and is seeing more than its share of unrest. If this is a prozy war between the US and her allies, and Al Qaeda (or China, who has an economic stake in African oil sources) and her allies, we're sort of screwed here.