• "Recruitment by al Qaeda or other radical groups is going to be in ideal conditions, where people are angry with repressive, predatory governments that are supported by the United States"

The Horn of Africa is becoming a major recruiting ground for al Qaeda and other terrorists as a result of oppressive governments and regional civil strife, a panel of experts told Congress on Thursday.

The United States has good ties with most governments in the region but "the problem is that those governments are in fact enemies of large sections of their populations," Kenneth John Menkhaus, professor of political science at Davidson College, said during a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa and global health. "Recruitment by al Qaeda or other radical groups is going to be in ideal conditions, where people are angry with repressive, predatory governments that are supported by the United States," Mr. Menkhaus said.

In Ethiopia, an authoritarian government tightened its grip on the country after an election in May. In the months leading up to the vote, opposition candidates were harassed, tortured and in some cases killed. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling party and its allies won more than 99 percent of the parliamentary seats.

Leslie Lefkow, a senior researcher in the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, testified that the election was a "milestone in the broader agenda and strategy of consolidating control." Ms. Lefkow said the strong statements issued by the U.S. and United Nations Security Council after the elections were welcome. But, she added, "We need to see words matched by action."

FULL REPORT: WASHINGTON TIMES