The Civil War in Somalia
The United States has returned to war in Somalia.
Actually, the United States has always been at war in Somalia.
Where “always” means since say 1993, or 2002. And where “returned” means, it has recently ramped up its involvement in the complex war there.
And, as belabored below, “war” means “conflict,” and “civil war” means “conflict not of an international character, ” so far as international law is concerned.
The U.S. has various definitions of war. I quote one, about civil war, from the U.S. Army, applied to the current situation in the United States, below.
Another definition, often used by U.S. presidents, is basically that “war” is when U.S. boots on the ground in other countries are authorized to seek out and kill an enemy.
In this context, the word “war” does not apply when U.S. boots on the ground are only authorized to defend themselves against attack, even where the application of the word “defend” is rather loose.
And it does not apply when U.S. boots are not on the ground, but we are conducting war from the air.
And it does not apply when U.S. military forces are on the ground, but the presence of those forces is classified secret, and therefore is not admitted to. Even though those military forces are conducting what the U.S. calls “irregular warfare”.
This tight definition is for the benefit of U.S. presidents, that they need not use the word “war” so much, when talking to the American public, and particularly to American voters.
To quickly review some changes in U.S. policy and action in Somalia:
- In late 2015, U.S. president Barack Obama ramped up drone strikes in Somalia, resulting in higher civilian casualties.
- In 2017, Donald Trump greatly ramped up drone strikes in Somalia, and also relaxed the rules of engagement, resulting in greatly more civilian casualties.
- In December 2020, before leaving office, Donald Trump withdrew U.S. forces from Somalia.
- In May 2022, president Joe Biden announced the return of some 500 U.S. troops to Somalia.
I’ve been motivated to write this blog post about U.S. military action in Somalia, after reading what I thought was a very informative and engaging article, by Amanda Sperber, in the Baffler,: “Prelude to a Redeployment” . It is very good at expressing the difficulties of reporting on shadow wars.
The Low Intensity Civil War in the United States
The United States is in a state of low intensity civil war. I couldn’t say when our civil war started.
More precisely, using the preferred term in international law, the United States is in a state of low intensity conflict.
The word “war” is deprecated in international law, ever since the United Nations charter of 1945. We supposedly do not have wars any more.
And “civil war”” means “conflict not of an international character,” perhaps counter-intuitively even when foreign nations are intervening in the civil war.
For what a low intensity conflict is (a.k.a low intensity civil war), here is the definition in the U.S. Army Field Manual 100-20: Military Operations in Low Intensity Conflict:
Low intensity conflict is a political-military confrontation between contending states or groups below conventional war and above the routine, peaceful competition among states. It frequently involves protracted struggles of competing principles and ideologies. Low intensity conflict ranges from subversion to the use of armed force. It is waged by a combination of means, employing political, economic, informational, and military instruments. Low intensity conflicts are often localized, generally in the Third World, but contain regional and global security implications.
I think everyone here will agree, that definition very much applies. I find it striking and unsettling how well the definition applies to where we are now.
Finally, to make a political point, but not belabor it:
We care a whole lot if subversion and use of armed force is being waged by a group, against the U.S. government (which is to say, against the state).
But we seem to care hardly at all, if the U.S. government is waging civil war, by supporting subversion or using armed force, against groups or states, most anywhere else in the world.