Somalia has been a failed state since 1991. Of its 8m people, 3m are in need of food aid. It is insecure and violent, with travel by foreigners under armed guard and limited to a few well-defended enclaves. Much of central and south Somalia is controlled by Islamist militias, some of them affiliated to al-Qaeda. There are already foreign fighters in the country from Pakistan, the Caucasus and beyond. The Islamists impose an unbending reading on sharia law on the communities they control. They provide extremist religious education for illiterate Somali youths. Given the demographics of Somalia—half of the Somali population is under 20—a status quo may push the country towards an even more dangerous future. Many Somali Islamists are committed to attacking "Christian" Ethiopia and Kenya, with the revanchist goal of securing a caliphate of . Greater Somalia. Foreign fighters want to use Somalia as a hiding place for Saudi al-Qaeda fighters and as an operational base in the global jihad. Meanwhile, Somali pirates continue to profitably attack international shipping offshore. NATO, Chinese, Russian and other navies patrolling Somali waters admit that, given the expanse of waters, they can deter but not stop the pirates. The real problem, they say, is on land. So, is foreign military intervention the best way to serve the humanitarian needs of ordinary Somalis and the security interests of the region? If it is, is it better to act sooner rather than later?
Opening statements
Post-debate
U.S Senate Resolution for Somalia
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