Have you ever wondered which is the most corrupt nation on the planet? Transparency International's corruption index gives Somalia that prize. It is ranked 180th out of 180 nations.
In the jargon of foreign policy, a nation that is not working well is called a "failed state." Have you ever wondered which evidences the greatest failure? The competition is great. Zimbabwe, North Korea and Burma come to mind. But Foreign Policy magazine gave the 2008 prize to ... Somalia. The nation, on central Africa's eastern coast, presents a dark picture to the world. Somali pirates have hijacked 42 ships in the Gulf of Aden in the last year. Fourteen are still being held. Right now, three Chinese war ships are steaming to the gulf where they are to join an impromptu navy formed by more than a dozen nations over the last few weeks.
That's the international response to the catastrophe that is Somalia: treat the most overt symptom. In mid-December the United Nations gave up its effort to create a peace-keeping force to restore some semblance of order. "Not one nation has volunteered to lead," acknowledged Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary-general.
A so-called transitional government controls no more than a few square blocks of downtown Mogadishu. Even with that, the nation's president resigned on Monday, adding to the turmoil. Meantime, a virulent breed of Islamic militants battle for the rest of the country while imposing a form of Islamic governance so extreme that it might give even the Taliban pause more.. http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=828097&lang=eng_news
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