It is amazing to see Egypt, the second largest US aid recipient in the world spending it's aid money against US interests.

Rezene Kahsay, Oakland, Ca. USA

From the time the bloodshed in Algeria started following the cancellation of its elections by the military, reports have come out that funding for terrorist activities came not from Iran as much as it came from such places as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Yet these are allies of America and not part of the Axis of Evil so we don't hear so much about them.

As for Africans, they have to take the help they can get, and the situation they are in narrows their options. We can only hope that Africans will make the most of the optionms they have,

Christopher Hobe Morrison, Middletown, NY, USA

Ethiopians lived there for the last 1500 years intact and will servive no matter plain loads of weapons flow to distablize them. Many of the oldest countries succombed to the islamic invasion in the middle ages. The threat from Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia islamists and Sudan with their helpers like Libya, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia is nothing to Ethiopians even at difficult situations as they are now. Ethiopians are quick to react when their country is under attack. So no worries

Kevin, Butcher,

The Eritrean government should be taken out just like Saddam hussan, then the Eritrean people should choose their leaders. we shouldn't tolerant an Al-Qaeda state.

Herman, Texas, USA

When will African leaders learn to solve their problems own their own? What amazes me is the fact they repeat the same mistakes over and over. Don't they the fate of Sadam who one of the best client of the US? Until African leaders put the interest of their people before their longevity in power, Africa will never be able to extricate itself from the misery.

Wolkait, Toronto, Canada

Forever Eritrea.........Ethiopia is nothing except a puppet of USA. The US doesnt want to involve directly in Somalia because they know the price, as they are paying it in Iraq. Then they have to look for a cheap black state who can fulfill their interest. It wasnt difficult for the US to find a proxy country. Here is cheap black state known by starvation, hunger for the last century.
What ever is the problem in Eritrea, Eritreans stand together. We know about our mad leader but that is our issue, and we will deal with it soon.

Sirak, Frankfurt,

The stifling regime in Asmara has no agenda except creating chaos in East africa. To do this, it goes to the extent of working with international terrorist groups like alqaeda. Now the Ethiopian Defence Force has destroyed the Eritean government sponsored terrorists who were gathered in Somalia, its next mission should be getting rid of the trouble maker bunch of dictators in Asmara. It is only then that East Africa can enjoy peace and stability

Girma G., Addis Ababa , Ethiopia

The only way to solve this problem is to stop the ROOT of the Problem which is here the Eritrean government, with out that there will no be safety in the whole of East Africa. it is just like to kill the fish dry the sea.

Hagos A. Seyoum, Washington, D.C

This article has provided a clue and uncovered some of the mysterious links among those countries that directly and indirectly supported Al-Qaeda lead terrorism in the troubled region of East Africa. It is not a surprise to find the central role of the Eritrean government who served as a surrogate for other pro Al-Qaeda countries to channel their 'gifts' to the routed ICU. There could not be more convincing evidence than the captured and killed terrorists that came from different parts of the world, thanks to the brave poor Ethiopians.

tesfaye, oslo,

The depths of looniness that people stoop to in order to justify their anti-Americanism astounds me.
If we were an imperialist nation, Fallujah, Sadr City, and many other Iraqi towns right now would be piles of smoldering rubble, along with all their inhabitants. We would be forcably stealing their oil.
I am also tired of the complaining that the U.S. armed the forerunners of the Taliban and Iraq in the past. That is the way the world works. The U.S. has done it. The U.K. has done it. Todays friend could be tomorrows enemy. Its just the way the world works. This may seem offensive to those who are naive enough to believe that all conflicts can be settled through dialogue, and are to soft to acknowledge that there exist people who must simply be defeated, captured or killed, whose hate is so great that no amount of niceness or reason could change their intentions.
We in the West need to wake up.

Mark, New Castle, USA

It is good to see Ethiopians and Somalis working together for their safety. They should try to control the Eriterean/Al-queda network and change the government in Eritrea. The best way to solve this might be taking out the sudanese and Eritrean radical governments and replace them with a democracy. May God help the poor darfar people and the innocent eriterean people suffering under dictatorships.

Anderson, Kansas, USA

The article seems devoid of any hard evidence and relies solely on the testimony of one obscure individual who owns a plane and an unquoted UN report that raises some concerns. Namely that the UN report suspiciously coincides a little too much with what the US administration used as a pretext to bomb, a sovereign country, Somalia. Such allegations inevitably leave one with the impression that Al-Qaeda must be a mass popular movement if they're turning up EVERYWHERE and recruiting countless individuals. Doesn't anyone also seem to find the allegation just a little too familiar that a country, likely to be bombed soon by the US, may have tried to obtain uranium from an African country. Deja vu? Things like uncritical questioning of their sources who quote seeing "masked arabien men" and the pushing of unrealistic US allegations such as Sunni muslim groups being trained or funded by the Shite Hezbollah and Shite Iran, make this a sensational Hollywood script but hardly decent journalism.

Tarik, Ottawa, Canada

Bizarre - anyone who stands up against the US's imperial war-mongering interests is immediately labelled "Al-Qaida" (or Taliban if in Afghanistan). Al Qaida is nothing more than a fictitious bogeyman created and perpetuated by West to beat anyone who dares to stand up and fight for their liberation. Ethiopia had no right to invade Somalia any more than the late-Saddam had to invade Quwait. Let the Somali's/Iraqi's/Afghans/Palestinians resolve their own problems and if they want Islamist governments then that is their right, not for the US to impose its own rule on others.

aa, Manchester,

More duplicity from the so called "moderate" islamic states. Pakistan, Saudi, Egypt, all playing a very dangerous game.

Mike, edinburgh, UK

Said ibrahim from USA has said it all. But in addition the international community needs to thank Ethiopians for taking the responsibility they together had to take in the last 16 years.

Mussie Ghezu, chandigarh, Pubjab, india

Gentlemen:
We are all missing the point here. Believe or Not Al Qaida is Real. Somalia has not had a functioning Central Government for the 2 Decades, which makes it a breeding ground for all kind of activities. Now the world has a chance to go and set things straight in Somalia. The War in Somalia has never been Islam agaisnt other religions. The war that has been going on for quite a long time has beeb between Muslims fighting their own Muslim brothers. Kindly note that they all speak the same language, leave alone look a like. Thank you Osama for turning the spotlight on Somalia, I believe now things will be set straight in Somalia once and for all. I personally saw the wounds the President of Somalia sustained from the attack on his life. Its sick people carry out such acts on the name of God.

J, Nairobi. Kenya,

Strange it isnt mentioned that Al Qaeda is a creation of western governments - it isnt hard to find the stories on the bbc site of "sas trained mujahadeen".

Who is really to blame here we ask? How is this different from the good old days of america shipping stinger missles to the mujahadeen in afghanistan to kill russians?

Steve, blackpool,

Somalis should thank Ethiopia for liberating their country after decades of anarchy and killings. For more than fifteen years, Somalis fought each other, killed each other and transformed the country into total mess. For all those years, universities, colleges, police stations, hospitals were not functioning. More than 99% of the educated Somalis live outside the country (the majority in Ethiopia and Kenya). Two ethnic clans declared independence, and there was no hope at all for the country. Educated Somalis--those who live in the west--were busy accusing and arguing at each other. Some were fueling the war back home from their comfort in the West. Into all this came Ethiopia, and the leadership of PM Meles Zenawi who brought ordinary Somalis the best Christmas or New Year gift ever--annhilating the Islamists and warlords and bring peace, diplomacy, civility and unity back to the country. For all this, All Somalis should thank Ethiopia and its people for dying for the freedom of Somalis.

Said Ibrahim, New York , USA

The headline here in Africa is, "Who is next?". Seems like after Somalia, it is Eritrea. With Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian despot now playing the role of the African Ahmed Chalabi. The UN is once again the playground of Western interests. The US, killed 73 innocent Somali nomads, in their hunt for Al Qaeida. Yet today, not one has been found in Somalia.

Sam, London, UK

I wonder why the UN is talking about as if it is a spy of the Unated states of america, also I wonder why the UN is talking about something which is not on the theatre now, while here we somalis have hundrends of dying by the unhumanly shelling of the ethopian invaders,shall we say it is a kind of political synocism cried by UN and west powers

walanbe, mugadishu, somalia

surprising nothing whatsoever mentioned in the whole article the influences of the Ethiopia and the disastarous consequences to the Somali people. let alone one or two flights, what about 50,000 armed military that cuptured the whole country and killing everyday the innocent civilian people while getting justification from the puppet Government of Yusuf.

Nur, Aden,

This vitally important contextual background must be made more widely known, including all hard evidence.
Otherwise, many Muslims worldwide will assume or believe that the problems in Mogadishu are a direct result of "western imperialist" ambition. Inevitably, George Bush and even, Israeli interests are being linked and blamed.
Because Bush and Blair have no credentials or probity any more it is easier to promote the lies than the truth.
This places the responsibility to "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" with the media.
Thank you for this piece. Keep pushing the truth.

leigh vernier, riyadh, ksa

Whats new?
Western governments have been doing this sort of activity for a very long while.....

Seems to be saying
western government can play dirty but you you arabs tut tut not allowed to copy us. One rule for bush and co and another for moslems..

hypocrites comes to mind....

Bob, London, London