02-19-2017, 11:21 PM
*** 20-Feb-17 World View -- US-backed Iraqi army launches major new offensive in western Mosul
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Bombing in Somalia kills 50, said to target Somali-American president
****
![[Image: g170219b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170219b.jpg)
Aftermath of car bomb attack on market in Mogadishu Somalia on Sunday (Reuters)
A terrorist car bomb exploded in a marketplace in Somalia's capital
city Mogadishu on Sunday, killing 39 and injuring dozens more.
No one has claimed responsibility, but the al-Qaeda linked terror
group al-Shabaab has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks
in Somalia. Although al-Shabaab did not claim responsibility, a
senior al-Shabaab official threatened more attacks targeting any clans
that collaborate with the new president, saying "We will fight against
him during his four-year term."
The new president, who took office on February 8, is Mohamed Abdullahi
Mohamed — nicknamed Farmajo. Farmajo holds a dual Somali-American
citizenship. In 1988, as a Somali government employee working in the
Somali embassy in Washington, he feared for his life after criticizing
the Somali government, and applied for asylum in the U.S. Since then,
he earned several college degrees and settled in Buffalo, NY, as a
civil servant in the New York Department of Transportation.
His ambition was to return to Somalia and help bring peace to the
violent country. After meeting with and impressing Somalia's
president in 2010, he became prime minister of Somalia. His fight
against both al-Shabaab and corruption made him very popular in his
home country. Five years later he ran for president, winning a
surprise victory, and took office two weeks ago, on February 8.
Beyond terror attacks, Farmajo will have to deal with many other
severe problems facing Somalia. Somalia's clans have been fighting in
a civil war since 1991, and a severe drought puts the country at risk
of famine.
Farmajo's popularity, his American dual citizenship, and his education
in American values and governance apparently have made him a huge
threat to al-Shabaab, and we can apparently expect more terror attacks
targeting people and clans cooperating with Farmajo. AFP and VOA and Politico
Related Articles
****
**** US aircraft carrier renews challenge to China in the South China Sea
****
In a new challenge to China's illegal construction of artificial
islands and military bases in the South China Sea, the aircraft
carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and the Carl Vinson Strike Group
entered the South China Sea on Sunday to perform "routine" freedom of
navigation operations (FONOPs).
As in previous operations, the Carl Vinson will simply transit the
South China Sea, establishing the right of all nations to do the same,
and especially for commercial ships to do so freely. Chinese media
claim, without providing a reason, that these freedom of navigation
operations are a military threat to China.
These operations have been going on for years, but there's a question
about whether there will be a change in policy under the
administration of president Donald Trump. The issue is how close the
Carl Vinson will navigate to China's artificial islands and military
bases. In the Obama administration, the American ships stayed at
least 12 nautical miles from any of China's artificial islands. There
is some speculation that, in the Trump administration, the American
ships will travel closer than 12 nautical miles. This would be fully
justified under international law, since the artificial islands are
illegal, but it would infuriate the Chinese, and possibly trigger some
kind of military confrontation. VOA and Navy Times (12-Feb) and Global Times (Beijing)
Related Articles
****
**** US-backed Iraqi army launches major new offensive in western Mosul
****
Iraq's army, backed by American-led coalition warplanes, launched a
major new military offensive on Sunday with the objective of
recapturing western Mosul from the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS
or ISIL or Daesh).
Iraq had hoped to recapture the entire city by the end of 2016, but
only recaptured the eastern portion last month.
Analysts are giving several reasons why recapturing western Mosul is
going to proceed very slowly:
Humanitarian agencies are gearing up to aid 250,000 to 400,000
civilians who may flee because of the fighting. AP
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Somalia, Mogadishu, al-Shabaab,
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Farmajo,
China, USS Carl Vinson, South China Sea,
Iraq, Mosul
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Bombing in Somalia kills 50, said to target Somali-American president
- US aircraft carrier renews challenge to China in the South China Sea
- US-backed Iraqi army launches major new offensive in western Mosul
****
**** Bombing in Somalia kills 50, said to target Somali-American president
****
Aftermath of car bomb attack on market in Mogadishu Somalia on Sunday (Reuters)
A terrorist car bomb exploded in a marketplace in Somalia's capital
city Mogadishu on Sunday, killing 39 and injuring dozens more.
No one has claimed responsibility, but the al-Qaeda linked terror
group al-Shabaab has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks
in Somalia. Although al-Shabaab did not claim responsibility, a
senior al-Shabaab official threatened more attacks targeting any clans
that collaborate with the new president, saying "We will fight against
him during his four-year term."
The new president, who took office on February 8, is Mohamed Abdullahi
Mohamed — nicknamed Farmajo. Farmajo holds a dual Somali-American
citizenship. In 1988, as a Somali government employee working in the
Somali embassy in Washington, he feared for his life after criticizing
the Somali government, and applied for asylum in the U.S. Since then,
he earned several college degrees and settled in Buffalo, NY, as a
civil servant in the New York Department of Transportation.
His ambition was to return to Somalia and help bring peace to the
violent country. After meeting with and impressing Somalia's
president in 2010, he became prime minister of Somalia. His fight
against both al-Shabaab and corruption made him very popular in his
home country. Five years later he ran for president, winning a
surprise victory, and took office two weeks ago, on February 8.
Beyond terror attacks, Farmajo will have to deal with many other
severe problems facing Somalia. Somalia's clans have been fighting in
a civil war since 1991, and a severe drought puts the country at risk
of famine.
Farmajo's popularity, his American dual citizenship, and his education
in American values and governance apparently have made him a huge
threat to al-Shabaab, and we can apparently expect more terror attacks
targeting people and clans cooperating with Farmajo. AFP and VOA and Politico
Related Articles
- Kenya's High Court blocks attempt to close Dadaab refugee camp (10-Feb-2017)
- Minnesota link to Kenya shopping mall attack raises U.S. fears (23-Sep-2013)
- Somalia's Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for religion-based Kenya attack (23-Nov-2014)
- Ethiopians crush Islamists in Somalia, forcing retreat to Kenya (02-Jan-2007)
- The Somalia connection -- The 7/21 London subway bombers (01-Aug-2005)
****
**** US aircraft carrier renews challenge to China in the South China Sea
****
In a new challenge to China's illegal construction of artificial
islands and military bases in the South China Sea, the aircraft
carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and the Carl Vinson Strike Group
entered the South China Sea on Sunday to perform "routine" freedom of
navigation operations (FONOPs).
As in previous operations, the Carl Vinson will simply transit the
South China Sea, establishing the right of all nations to do the same,
and especially for commercial ships to do so freely. Chinese media
claim, without providing a reason, that these freedom of navigation
operations are a military threat to China.
These operations have been going on for years, but there's a question
about whether there will be a change in policy under the
administration of president Donald Trump. The issue is how close the
Carl Vinson will navigate to China's artificial islands and military
bases. In the Obama administration, the American ships stayed at
least 12 nautical miles from any of China's artificial islands. There
is some speculation that, in the Trump administration, the American
ships will travel closer than 12 nautical miles. This would be fully
justified under international law, since the artificial islands are
illegal, but it would infuriate the Chinese, and possibly trigger some
kind of military confrontation. VOA and Navy Times (12-Feb) and Global Times (Beijing)
Related Articles
- China says its South China Sea military buildup is a boon to the world (09-Dec-2016)
- Philippines humiliates China in harsh Hague Tribunal ruling over South China Sea (13-Jul-2016)
- China's 'ironclad proof' of South China Sea claims revealed as hoax (22-Jun-2016)
****
**** US-backed Iraqi army launches major new offensive in western Mosul
****
Iraq's army, backed by American-led coalition warplanes, launched a
major new military offensive on Sunday with the objective of
recapturing western Mosul from the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS
or ISIL or Daesh).
Iraq had hoped to recapture the entire city by the end of 2016, but
only recaptured the eastern portion last month.
Analysts are giving several reasons why recapturing western Mosul is
going to proceed very slowly:
- There are 750,000 civilians in western Mosul, and the Iraq
army will receive a great deal of international criticism if civilians
are not protected. The contrast is to the recapture of Aleppo in
Syria by Syria's army, where civilians, including women and children,
were specifically targeted by both Syrian and Russian warplanes with
barrel bombs containing chemical weapons.
- ISIS has been preparing for this battle for months, and has built
a network of tunnels, and has booby trapped buildings and roads with
bombs in order to slow the advance of Iraqi forces.
- ISIS has already been driven out of a number of Iraqi cities, and
western Mosul is the last ISIS stronghold in Iraq. They are expected
to fight ferociously to prevent recapture.
Humanitarian agencies are gearing up to aid 250,000 to 400,000
civilians who may flee because of the fighting. AP
Related Articles
- Iraq sending Shia militias to Mosul, directly violating promise to Turkey (28-Nov-2016)
- Unrealistic expectations surround the battle to recapture Mosul from ISIS (20-Oct-2016)
- Iraq in major crisis after catastrophic fall of Mosul to ISIS (11-Jun-2014)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Somalia, Mogadishu, al-Shabaab,
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Farmajo,
China, USS Carl Vinson, South China Sea,
Iraq, Mosul
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
