Will the US ever get it right in Somalia?  The raid by US forces
in Somalia is the latest in a catalogue of catastrophic
interventions by western powers     • theguardian.com,     •
Jump to comments ()  The American raid in Somalia last Monday is
likely to join a long list of US foreign policy failures. Many
of these efforts were guided by self-interest coupled with lack
of appreciation for the historical and cultural contexts.
Somalis are proud nomads who value their freedom and
independence. They are also suspicious of strangers due to their
experiences during the scramble for Africa, which left a bitter
taste. Somalis in what was once called Somaliland moved freely
back and forth for centuries without any restrictions. The
imperial powers then decided that it was too big a land for
grazing nomads. As a result, Italy, France and Britain divided
the land among themselves.  The final blow came when Britain
decided to give a piece of the land – namely the Ogaden region
and the Northern Frontier District – to K