Tom,
I believe that the real issues that had you in Mogadishu in 84 were more about containment of the Cubans, who were quite numerous in Ethiopia and Angola at the time. I seem to remember concerns about Communists gaining control of strategic metals supplies (titanium, chrome, vanadium, and uranium for example) and sea lanes (like the Suez-Red Sea Route).
As someone else noted, Somalia and Ethopia have been at it for quite a long time. Each of them seems willing to sign up with whatever major power can re-arm them well enough to have another crack at the other. And that of course cause the other side to go shopping for a new arms source as well.
That at least was the case in the 70's and 80's. They both jump ship as needed. I believe the Derg took over in Ethopia because The Lion of Judah wasn't keeping the Somali threat at bay with a big enough military to suit the Derg's tastes.
What all this has to do with the current situation is that it seems the Somalis may have finally chosen the wrong partner to re-arm them against the Ethiopians. AQ didn't quite deliver enough to keep the Ethiopians out. This could make great IO fodder for our side, provided of course that the Chrisitian element of the Ethopian society can be downplayed. We definitely need not to have another Crusader state bullying the Moslems as grist for the AQ propaganda mill.