Ethiopia: Bin Laden’s death major victory for the global war on terror

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 3, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia, a key US ally in the Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) has welcomed the killing of al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, saying it is a significant achievement in the global effort to defeat terrorism.

The Obama administration has distanced itself from what was described under the Bush government and is still commonly known as the War on Terror. The OCO is an international campaign led by the US and UK with the support of NATO against terrorist organisations such as al Qaeda.

In a statement issued late on Monday, the Ethiopian government also saluted all parties involved in the operation, for killing the world’s most wanted terrorist, who was thought to be the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US that had killed over 3,000 people.

“The Federal Democratic Government of Ethiopia salutes all parties involved in this operation, particularly the US anti-terrorist team, for hunting and destroying this unrepentant leader of an international terrorist organisation” said the Ethiopian government.

The Horn of Africa nation has been targeted by regional terrorists groups that have links to al-Qaeda after its involvement in the US-backed invasion of neighbouring Somalia in 2006.

Islamic extremists led by Al-Shabab declared Jihad, which in this context refers to holy warfare. The announcement was made after Ethiopian forces entered Somalia, aiming to cripple the insurgency against the internationally-backed Somalia transitional government.

Al-Shabaab or The Youth aims to overthrow the government of Somalia and implement harsh sharia laws. It has stated that it is waging war against the UN and western non-governmental organistaions that distribute aid in Somalia. It is thought to have close ties to al Qaeda.

Ethiopia had also lost three of its citizens during the 9/11 attacks, the most deadly terrorist attack in the memory of mankind and the largest in the US soil.

“As a victim of repeated terrorist attacks, Ethiopia feels and shares the agony and suffering of nations who lost citizens to senseless terrorist attacks” continues the statement.

Addis Ababa stressed that the death of Osama Bin Laden does not mean the end of the OCO “It is, nonetheless, a significant achievement for the global anti-terrorist forces,”

It further said “the whole world also knows that Osama Bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda and committed terrorist acts that cut short the lives of many innocent civilians who had nothing to do with his cause other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Ethiopia is one of the 28 main ally countries to the US against global war on terrorism according to the 2010 report of the Congressional Research Service.

The planet’s most powerful country has taken ten years to find its number one enemy, Bin Laden, and took only 40 minutes to kill him.

(ST)