Feingold: Somalia is fertile for terrorism

WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) -- During a speech Thursday U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold called for the establishment of a policy to end conditions favorable to terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

Feingold, D-Wis., speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate, called on the Bush administration to address what he called a "terrorist safe haven in Somalia."

Feingold's speech came ahead of the August anniversary of the U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. The attacks, perpetrated by al-Qaida, left several hundred civilians dead.

Calling the attacks a missed opportunity to effectively engage in the region, Feingold said Somalia and other weak states in the Horn of Africa have become a region where terrorism can take root. He said stability in Somalia is important for U.S. national security.

"Ten years on, the United States still does not have a long-term strategy to bring peace and stability to the Horn of Africa," Feingold said in a statement.

"We have tremendous diplomatic, military, intelligence and foreign assistance resources at our disposal, but they are ineffective in the absence of a coordinated and balanced strategy that incorporates both the short- and long-term goals. This is no more evident than in Somalia."