Somalia terrorist groups uniting to overthrow government

Two terrorist organizations conducted merger talks in Somalia on Friday, as al-Qaeda-backed jihadist group Al-Shabaab and international terrorist organization Hizbul Islam (Party of Islam) discussed uniting as one entity to wage jihad against the Somali government and its allies. This would be a treacherous development for not only Somalia and its people, but a major strategic setback for the international community.
Somalia is vulnerable, lacking a functioning central government since President Siad Barre was ousted in 1991, it is currently ranked number one in Foreign Policy Magazine’s 2009 Global Failing States Index. The encouraging news is that the African Union, United Nations and Somalia met today in Mogadishu and launched a Joint Security Committee aimed at coordinating efforts to bolster Somalia’s security institutions. One wonders if this will be sufficient and if Somalia and the supporting international forces will be prepared to defend against the likely coming onslaught from the combined terrorist units.
The goal of the merger is to consolidate resources, better leverage financing, and streamline operations in order to topple the weak Somali government. The merger would also expand al-Qaeda’s power base and its influence within Somalia and the Horn of Africa.
Somalia has been a major strategic front for al-Qaeda in their battle to rid Western democracies from Africa, highlighted by the fact that Osama bin Laden and his second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri, have included Somalia in their propaganda tapes, and have supported the Somali jihad with funding, personnel, and weapons...more..http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4454-Chicago-Geopolitics-Examiner~y2009m7d26-Somalia-terrorist-groups-uniting-to-overthrow-government