The Bush administration has decided to extend an olive branch, at least for the moment, to Islamic forces that this week seized control of Mogadishu, capital of the lawless East African country of Somalia, a senior administration official said yesterday.
"We think that there is room for discussion with any viable political actor in Somalia," the official said, including the forces loyal to the religious movement and militia known as the Islamic Courts Union.
"The situation is still in flux . . . but in terms of our strategic objectives," including preventing Somalia from becoming a haven for al-Qaeda operatives and addressing the country's severe humanitarian problems, "we've got to deal with the political realities on the ground." |