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Leading Dem Says “Blackhawk Down” Caused by Global Warming, Forgets that Whole War Thing

Jimmie | July 13, 2008 | Comments (0)

If you happen to be keeping a list of things caused by global warming, you can add three more: Darfur, Hurricane Katrina, and “Blackhawk Down”. At least if you happen to believe Democratic Congressman Ed Markey.

“In Somalia back in 1993, climate change, according to 11 three- and four-star generals, resulted in a drought which led to famine,” said Markey.

“That famine translated to international aid we sent in to Somalia, which then led to the U.S. having to send in forces to separate all the groups that were fighting over the aid, which led to Black Hawk Down. There was this scene where we have all of our American troops under fire because they have been put into the middle of this terrible situation.”

As Rick Moran points out, Markey is not exactly a no-name Democrat. He chairs the House (Select) Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee.

Let’s just say now that Ed Markey doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about. He has completely forgotten the war that broke out between two rival gangs of warlords who back in 1991 had deposed the then-dictator of that country. Their little war killed upwards of 20,000 people and ravaged the countryside such that there was no food there to be had. That put immense pressure on the country which was already starting into a drought. Without the war, there’s no telling how serious the famine would or would not have been. It is certain, though, that food supplies would have gone almost completely unmolested without the war. Markey seems to have completely forgotten that the only reason President Bush (41) sent in troops at all is because the warlords were stealing the supplies and hoarding them. Indeed, the situation was relatively stable until President Clinton and the UN expanded the military’s mission to include arresting Mohammed Farah Aidid after his troops killed and partially skinned Pakistani troops there under the UN mission.

Without that war, and incompetent UN management, there would have been no Battle of Mogadishu. the New York Times had to say about the situation in 1996, three years after the Battle of Mogadishu:

Somalia has been without a central government since 1991, when rebels overthrew the President, Mohammed Said Barre. Soon after the coup, rival clan leaders struggling for power turned their guns on each other. In the chaotic war that followed more than 30,000 Somalis were killed in battles and another 300,000 people died of famine brought on largely by the fighting. (Emphasis mine).

Global warming wasn’t the problem. Tyranny and government incompetence was. Those things are just fine with Markey, so it’s no surprise that he forgot all about them when he gave his little speech to those students.

As for Darfur and Hurricane Katrina, I think Ace sums it up rather well.