Ethiopia ready for war with Islamist

AFP/Washington Times:

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said yesterday that his country has completed preparations for war with neighboring Somalia's powerful Islamist movement, alongside faltering peace efforts.
Mr. Meles told parliament that the Islamists, who have declared holy war on Ethiopian troops deployed to Somalia to protect the weak internationally backed government, were a "clear and present danger" to his country.
Shortly after Mr. Meles' announcement, the Islamists said in Mogadishu that they were ready to defend themselves from a "reckless and war-thirsty" Ethiopia and invited a U.S. delegation to visit in an apparent bid to cool the situation.
"This group represents a clear threat to Ethiopia," Mr. Meles told Ethiopian lawmakers in Addis Ababa, which denies U.N. claims that they sent thousands of troops to Somalia but acknowledges sending military advisers.
"When any country faces that type of danger, it has the full right to defend itself against this threat," Mr. Meles said. "To exercise this right, we have been preparing for this kind of response, because it is our responsibility. The government has completed that kind of preparations."
...

There have already been several clashes as Ethiopian troops have been aiding the "transitional" government of Somalia that is still resisting the Islamist. While the US has forces in the region there is no indication that it has worked with Ethiopia to date. In the past the US has given financial support to some of the warlords that have been defeated by the Islamist. This is a war that we should hope Ethiopia wins.