Unsurprisingly, increased US military and financial support of the Kenyan government is correlated with increases in human rights abuses, according to Jonathan Horowitz at Foreign Policy, who says that the US “may rightly be criticized for aiding and abetting human rights violations,” like “detainee abuse, denial of fair trial guarantees, extrajudicial killings, or unlawful extraditions.”
Kenya has been one of the largest recipients of U.S. State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) in the world (including $10 million going to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit in 2003), and has received Special Operations trainings worth several million dollars and FBI assistance to terrorism investigations.
…Washington has funded in large part the development of Kenya’s anti-terrorism capabilities through partnered operations, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism training, military equipment, and surveillance technology. This “light footprint” approach, which dodges the politically unsavory decision of bringing in Western ground forces to the region, nonetheless means that the United States must double its efforts to ensure its security assistance is not contributing to, or legitimizing, human rights abuses.
Washington is essentially boosting the military and “anti-terrorism” capacities of the Kenyan government to keep Kenyan forces in the African Union fighting America’s proxy war in Somalia.
We’re seeing a similar story in neighboring Uganda. Just over a year ago, President Obama sent more than 100 combat troops to Uganda to help Ugandan security forces with domestic security, essentially as a bribe to keep Ugandan military forces the proxy war in Somalia. Since the troop deployment and the increases in aid and military assistance, the Ugandan regime has been “increasingly placing illegitimate restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly to silence critical voices,” Amnesty International reported late last year. A Congressional Research Service report later revealed the US State Department characterized “the Ugandan government’s domestic record on democracy, good governance, and human rights,” as “deteriorating.”
Funny how that works. Horowitz says the record shows that harsh tactics like the kind we’re supporting all over East Africa are not historically associated with successful attempts at eliminating militant threats, but they instead exacerbate the problems. So not only is US policy encouraging brutal state repression, but it is laying the groundwork for more militancy.
I'm looking forward to Romney's statement on this growing crisis.
Why is this a "Surprise"? USA has consistently backed regimes with negative attitudes towards Human Rights e.g Israel,recently-overthrown Husni Mubarak regime in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,India,Ethiopia,Uganda,Indonesia,Philippines,Australia,Nigeria,Angola…to name a few.
Sarcasm, F Dar. Sarcasm.
Hard Facts,not cheap 'sarcasm', Glaser!
Nice this is really cool
Kenya IS NOT fighting a proxy war for the US in Somalia….that is an incredibly ignorant, simplistic and stupid view typical of arrogant know-it-all westerners like Horowitz who probably don't even know where Kenya is. Kenya has been suffering terrorist attacks from groups like the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab for the last 4 years and it is Kenyans who have died, NOT Americans. Does this Horowitz idiot then suppose Kenyans were sit back and wait for US permission and cooperation to stop Al-Shabaab, when they have their own capabilities and abilities to deal with Al-Shabaab with or without US help, as they have shown spectacularly that they could?
Indeed, the US Govt initially opposed Kenya's incursion into Somalia to stop Al-Shabaab but Kenya went in anyway because IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND BUSINESS TO DO SO, NOT America's!! Now that the Kenya Defence Forces are on the verge of seizing Al-Shabaab's last stronghold of Kismayu and crushing the terrorists for good, Americans like Horowitz want the US to take credit for the achievement while portraying Kenyans as America's water carriers in the mission. Shame on him and his childish, dishonest lies.
"Kenya" has 'borders' arbitrarily drawn by Britain during Europe's notorious "Scramble for Africa"(1885). Greater Somalia borders were along the R.Tana. At 'Independence' (1963) the Somalis of Northern Frontier District(NFD) had demanded secession, & re-unification with the Somali Homeland. Britain failed to do the right thing & aided Kenya's 1st President ,Kenyatta, in suppressing the Somali Secessionists with several massacres in his notorious 'Shifta' War. Since then NE Kenya has been neglected,de-populated & letf poor deeply under-developed. Al-Shabbab demands nothing but to bring Somalia back to a home-grown stability,without interference from USA,Russia,EU or their local regional 'agents',e.g.Kenya,Uganda & Ethiopia (which has illegally occupied the Somali territories of Ogaden & Haud.
Horowitz is right in concluding that Kibaki's Kenya is acting as 'collaborator' of USA in its AFRICOM ambitions to re-colonize Africa.
USA will first destabilize Africa, then 'help' as a 'peace-maker' & 'intervene'…then 'occupy', & remain with boots-on-the-ground, in order to 'pacify' the region, i.e 'Colonize' & LOOT the newly- discovered natural resources of the Horn of Africa.
Kenya has serious internal problems including the alienation of the Coast Province & the NE Province which are culturally & historically different from the rest of ex-British Colony of Kenya. These two regions are drifting towards 'Secession', encouraged by the success of the Southern Sudan in seceding from Sudan. The best thing USA,EU & its local 'running dogs' can do is to leave Somalis to sort out their own problems themselves, provided all Somali territories (Djibouti,Somaliland,Somalia, NE.Kenya,Ogaden/Haud) are re-unified with the Somali Homeland.
WOW!Yeap,spoken like a somali but…That will never happen especially with oil & gas being discovered,Kenyans will make somalis extinct.Remember Wagalla?….that was the tip of the iceberg :) ….The coast province are just a bunch of illiterate youth who never take education serious & want to reap where they haven´t sowed…tough.why do you think the kenyan army is becoming strong?remember the Sabaot Land Defence Forces?what happened to them?
Why is this a "Surprise"? USA has consistently backed regimes with negative attitudes towards Human Rights e.g Israel,recently-overthrown Husni Mubarak regime in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,India,Ethiopia,Uganda,Indonesia,Philippines,Australia,Nigeria,Angola…to name a few.
This “light footprint” approach, which dodges the politically unsavory decision of bringing in Western ground forces to the region, nonetheless means that the United States must double its efforts to ensure its security assistance is not contributing to, or legitimizing, human rights abuses.
who says that the US “may rightly be criticized for aiding and abetting human rights violations,” like “detainee abuse, denial of fair trial guarantees, extrajudicial killings, or unlawful extraditions.”
When KDF waged war againist Al Shabaab,she did not expect the US intervention.But good US intervened for their reison de etat.am sure she did so to counter terrorist and to benefit more in future from both KENYA AND SOMALIA but not to lay more brutal militancy.I personarly don't support Horrowitz records.(HORROWITZ'S should be researched)