There can be no doubt that the release of the U.S. State Department diplomatic cables, by the Wikileaks organisation, is a triumph of journalism. The fact that certain sections of the political establishment inside America are mounting a campaign directed against Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is a testament to the raw power of this remarkable phenomenon. Assange should be commended, not prosecuted, for his efforts. The fact that Wikileaks has successfully revitalised the art of global journalism, in spite of the mind-blowing incompetence of the American mainstream, in a very short period of time is something very impressive.
The fact is that Wikileaks, an organisation that genuinely pursues the principles of freedom so speech—unlike the bulk of the mainstream media in the West which merely pays lip service to it—has shaken up the corridors of power, by speaking the truth to power. This is indeed an important development. Perhaps, in years to come, nothing remotely like the treasure trove of confidential government documents currently being released by Wikileaks, shall ever be presented to the public as a consequence of the legal backlash that has been stimulated by the noble actions of Mr. Assange and his colleagues.
With respect to Somalia, it is particularly refreshing to see the evidence of the quite astonishing levels of American cynicism that is associated with the recent history of the feeble TFG of Somalia. It is remarkable to see, as a result of the information being released by the Wikileaks organisation, that the U.S. State Department now admits—internally at least—to the fact that the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia in 2006 was a mistake. Also, it is quite amazing to read of the joy and glee of the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates as he congratulates General John Abizaid, of U.S. CENTCOM, on the outcome of the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, which the prince described as “a fantastic operation”. The poor man could not have been more mistaken. I hope that the prince can now see that the Ethiopian invasion of December 2006 was far from the fantastic operation he described then. Wikileaks provides us with the first documentary evidence that connects the United States of America to the 2006 invasion of Somalia by the Ethiopian army.
Where previously, there had only been speculation fueled by nothing more that circumstantial evidence, Wikileaks has provided us with official government documents which shed light upon the American mindset during this critical period in the history of the Somali nation. This is something which is very valuable, and not just for the people of Somalia. History, unlike the truth, is something which can be easily warped and manipulated. However, the raw data being released by the Wikileaks organisation is allowing the truth to triumph—at this moment in time—over the falsehoods which usually go a long way towards shaping recorded history. In a place like modern Somalia, this represents nothing less than a revolution.
Another American diplomatic cable, recently released by the Wikileaks organisation, documents the strenuous efforts made by the former TFG prime minister Cumar C/rashiid Cali when he had attempted to convince unnamed U.S. military commanders to bomb a Shabaab-Xisbul Islaam conclave which was being held near to Afgooye on the 16th of May 2009. It is documented that Cumar C/rashiid Cali had discussions, by means of the telephone, with the American military men based in Washington D.C. It would appear that the Americans refused to support his idea to attack the Shabaab and Xisbul Islaam officials who were meeting on that day. What is truly shocking is that a man, as inconsequential as Cumar C/rashiid Cali and who is a member of the feeble TFG of Somalia can actually imagine that he can influence the decision making process of the American military's chain of command.
The Americans have never been known to be shy and retiring when it comes to going after a military objective, and it seems highly unlikely—to me at least—that the Pentagon requires the inept TFG of Somalia to provide it with actionable military intelligence at any time. Furthermore, the Americans have carried out military strikes inside Somalia on a number of occasions in recent years. They have never once relied upon the TFG of Somalia for any aspect of the execution of any of these well documented incidents. It is staggering to think that a man, who calls himself a political leader inside Somalia, can calmly call for the bombing of the Somali national territory—as though he was ordering a pizza after a hard day in the office. It is hard to believe that anyone could behave in this fashion and expect to remain a credible political figure inside Somalia. We have Wikileaks to thank for providing us with documentary evidence of the sheer depravity and immorality of men such a Cumar C/rashiid Cali Sharmaarke.
It seems quite clear—especially when we recall that Cumar C/rashiid Cali had been paid approximately US$2,000,000 in return for stepping down as the TFG prime minister in September 2010—that Somalia shall remain in the grips of the ongoing violence so long as the corrupting influence and moral weakness of the TFG is not addressed properly. The Shabaab shall continue to find recruits, and the war will continue, unless genuine Somali patriots take responsibility for the rehabilitation of the Somali state. I have condemned and denounced the TFG of Somalia on many occasions, and I have attempted to demonstrate the dangers inherent in standing by and doing nothing, but the falsehoods being presented by many interested players—quite often players who are manifestly hostile to the legitimate interests of the Somali nation—seem to distract the people very easily. However, the evidence being made available by the Wikileaks organisation represents a mirror for all of the Somali people to look at. It is up to us to choose whether we wish to look at the image being presented to us or not. Somalia must decide to confront the image being presented here, and to respond by making a stand against injustice in a responsible and mature manner.
