The piracy fight: What role should the U.S. military play in Somalia?

Germany — It’s arguably the most dangerous country in the world and a place that seethes with hostility toward the United States, but as the White House mulls how to deal with Somalia and the pirates who operate there, it must determine whether U.S. troops have a role to play in bringing stability.
If the U.S. military were to get involved, it could be in the form of helping Somalia’s fledgling transitional government build its own security forces — U.S. Africa Command’s specialty.
U.S. troops as trainers with boots on the ground in Somalia?
That would be a disaster, according to some Somalia observers, who contend it would delegitimize in the eyes of the Somalis the very transitional government the U.S. is trying to support. However, AFRICOM’s deputy for military operations, Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller, disagrees. While emphasizing that there is no decision or plan at the moment to launch such a training initiative, Moeller said Friday, “I think we can work our way through that and have an ongoing dialogue with the government as well as the population overall.”
For nearly two decades, Somalis have been living in near anarchy: Rival clans and warlords have carved out territory and chaos has opened the door for Islamic extremist groups to put down roots. While chaos reigns, pirates flourish.
Currently, al-Shabaab, a group of Islamic hard-liners with al-Qaida links, controls portions of the country in the south and central regions. Still, al-Shabaab has been losing some of its influence in the country, particularly after the departure of Ethiopian troops in January. But, some analysts say, one thing that could make the group more attractive is the perception that outsiders are meddling. "There is no role for them (the U.S. military) there," said Ken Menkhaus, a Somalia expert from Davidson College near Charlotte, N.C. He calls for more diplomatic engagement in a region long dominated by an emphasis on counterterrorism operations...more..http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62455