Who supported Somalis the last time, and who helped destroy Somalis the last time?
A U.N. panel of experts has accused Iran, Syria and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia of providing weapons, training and financing to Islamic militants in Somalia. VOA's Peter Heinlein at the U.N. reports the panel describes conditions in the east African nation as "volatile," with competing forces engaged in a rapid military buildup.
In a dramatic 86-page report, the panel of weapons and financial experts accuses 10 countries and militant groups of fueling a military buildup in the Horn of Africa.
The report delivered to the U.N. Security Council tells of large cargo aircraft and ocean-going vessels making clandestine weapons deliveries almost daily, in violation of a 1992 arms embargo.
It says rival Somali factions are obtaining surface-to-air missiles and motor vehicles designed for use as mobile weapons platforms.
Authors of the report underscore the rapid transition in Somalia over the past five months. They note that the opposition alliance formerly based in Mogadishu no longer exists, and that the Islamic Courts Union has become the main force in Somalia's central and southern regions.
The ICU, as it is known, is said to be receiving strong support from seven countries, including Iran, Syria, Libya, and Eritrea as well as from militant groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah.
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