Mauritania Mess

I don't know what to think of this story. It reminds me of the games and deceptions surrounding Aristide of Haiti: the U.S. called for his return even as they assisted in his departure (twice!).

Btw, standard government and mass media tactic.

"Coup ousts Mauritania's first democratic president; Junta takes reins after Abdallahi fires army officers" by Vincent Fertey and Ibrahima Sylla, Reuters | August 7, 2008

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Soldiers overthrew Mauritania's first democratically elected president in a coup yesterday and announced a military junta was taking charge of the northwest African Islamic state.

Soldiers seized President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi at his palace after he sacked senior army officers during a political crisis in the country, which is one of the continent's newest oil producers.

Aaaaahhhh!

The African Union, European Union, United States, and Organization of the Islamic Conference condemned the coup.

As they privately supported it?

Abdallahi dismissed his government in May after criticism over its response to soaring food prices and to a series of attacks over the last year by al Qaeda's north African arm.

Ooooh, "Al-CIA-Duh" active in the area, huh?

AfriKom, anyone?

(Blog author nodding)

--more--"