On the recordJune 7, 2010
once again, I wish to express my concern about the situation in Somalia. To put it frankly, the situation is appalling. Since the start of fighting in 2007, at least 21,000 people have been killed and more than 1.5 million have been displaced. Thousands of refugees continue to pour into overcrowded camps in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, and elsewhere. For those who remain in Somalia, the United Nations refugee and food agencies are unable to reach many of them because of the insecurity and threats to humanitarian staff. The terrorist group al Shebaab and other armed groups continue to wage war against the Transitional Federal Government, the TFG, in Mogadishu as well as against one another in an effort to expand their territorial control. Al Shebaab has resorted to using suicide bombings, most recently in an attack inside a mosque in Mogadishu, which killed dozens of civilians. Meanwhile, al Shebaab is employing increasingly brutal tactics to maintain its control over certain areas--carrying out executions, chopping off hands and legs, and forcibly conscripting youth. Mr. President, we should be appalled at this situation, but we should also be concerned because of the direct ramifications for our national security. Al Shebaab's leadership has links to al-Qaida, and it has indicated, through public statements, that it intends to provide support to al-Qaida affiliates in Yemen.
