Q. There are analysts, diplomats and others who fear that limited conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia, even a short conflict, would ultimately spawn terrorist attacks across the region in neighboring countries, that it would embolden the more radical elements within the courts. Do you share this analysis? What are your thoughts on the idea that even an African Union deployment might make matters worse in the long run?It turns out to be the wrong one:
This argument does fascinate me. It does surprise me that intelligent people in the 21st century could claim that if you respond to the terrorists with force, you spawn terrorism, but if you appease them, you somehow tame them. This argument, as I said, is very interesting, and very surprising. . . . This policy of fecklessness in the face of threats, this beatification of this threat, is quite dangerous. . . .
There is a group in the Islamic Movement in Mogadishu that is not interested in democratic secular government in Somalia, that is hell-bent on establishing a Taliban regime in Somalia. Now, you can facilitate the Talibanization of Somalia through dialogue. If that is the intention, it perhaps makes sense. But you cannot stop a group that has clearly demonstrated that it wants to Talibanize all of Somalia, that is prepared to use dialogue to facilitate its military takeover.
For someone to say in the face of such facts and stark realities, that facing the challenge on its own terms is what creates the challenge in the first place, such arguments in my view are worse than fecklessness in the face of a challenge.
