The FPA Great Decisions National Opinion Ballot: On Somalia

Over at the Foreign Policy Association I assess the Somalia-related questions in this year's FPA Great Decisions National Opinion Ballot.

The Somali Terrorism Connection

Are terrorists recruiting Somalians living in the United States? It appears so. And if so, for what purposes and to what ends? There is not enough here yet to draw firm conclusions, but there is enough to recognize that instability in the Horn of Africa has created ripe conditions for terrorist recruitment.

The Olympic Spirit

Holmes sent along this article a couple of days back. This story of Somali Olympians, who come from arguably the least stable state on the globe, reveals in many ways why a hyper-nationalist approach to the Olympics in which one's own country's performances are all that matter is silly and shortsighted. The Olympics are as much about stories such as this one as about the medal counts and the world records.

The Road From New Hampshire to Somalia

The Boston Globe has the perplexing story of a New Hampshire native who converted to Islam, embraced fundamentalism, and last week in a Houston court was charged with participating in terrorist activities in Somalia. He is the first US citizen to face such accusations.