U.S. Strikes Al Qaeda In Somalia

“http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/08/world/main2335451.shtml

CBS: U.S. Strikes Al Qaeda In SomaliaCBS News Learns Air Strikes Were Aimed At Alleged Al Qaeda Members Linked To 1998 Embassy Bombings

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2007

(CBS/AP) A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports exclusively.

The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa, Martin reports. Those terror attacks killed more than 200 people.

The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, and sources say a lot of bodies were seen on the ground after the strike, but there is as yet, no confirmation of the identities.

The gunship flew from its base in Dijibouti down to the southern tip of Somalia, Martin reports, where the al Qaeda operatives had fled after being chased out of the capital of Mogadishu by Ethiopian troops backed by the United States.

Once they started moving, the al Qaeda operatives became easier to track, and the U.S. military started preparing for an air strike, using unmanned aerial drones to keep them under surveillance and moving the aircraft carrier Eisenhower out of the Persian Gulf toward Somalia. But when the order was given, the mission was assigned to the AC-130 gunship operated by the U.S. Special Operations command.

If the attack got the operatives it was aimed at, reports Martin, it would deal a major blow to al Qaeda in East Africa.

Meanwhile, a jungle hideout used by Islamic militants that is believed to be an al Qaeda base was on the verge of falling to Ethiopian and Somali troops, the defense minister said Monday.

While a lawmaker had earlier told The Associated Press that the base was captured, Somalia's Defense Minister Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire said troops had yet to enter it and that limited skirmishes were still ongoing, though troops were poised to take the base.

Ethiopian soldiers, tanks and warplanes were involved in the two-day attack, a government military commander told the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Shire said there had been heavy fighting with high numbers of casualties.

"There are a lot of casualties from both sides," he said, declining to give details.

Residents in the coastal seaport of Kismayo, some 90 miles northeast of Ras Kamboni, said they saw wounded Ethiopian soldiers being loaded onto military helicopters for evacuation.

"I have seen about 50 injured Ethiopian troops being loaded onto a military chopper," said Farhiya Yusuf. She said 12 Ethiopian helicopters were stationed at the Kismayo airport.

Somali officials said the Islamic movement's main force is bottled up at Ras Kamboni, the southernmost tip of the country, cut off from escape at sea by patrolling U.S. warships and across the Kenyan border by the Kenyan military.

In Mogadishu, Somalia's president made his first visit to the capital since taking office in 2004. During the unannounced visit, President Abdullahi Yusuf was expected to meet with traditional Somali elders and stay at the former presidential palace that has been occupied by warlords for 15 years, government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said.

U.S. officials warned after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that extremists with ties to al Qaeda operated a training camp at Ras Kamboni and that al Qaeda members are believed to have visited it.

Three al Qaeda suspects wanted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa are believed to be leaders of the Islamic movement. The Islamists deny having any links to al Qaeda.

Somalia's government had struggled to survive since forming with backing from the United Nations two years ago, and was under attack by the Islamic militia when Ethiopia's military intervened on Dec. 24 and turned the tide.

But many in predominantly Muslim Somalia resent the presence of troops from neighboring Ethiopia, which has a large Christian population. The countries fought two brutal wars, the last in 1977.

On Sunday, gunmen attacked Ethiopian troops, witnesses said, sparking a firefight in the second straight day of violence in the capital, Mogadishu.


********************************************

Ha Ha!
The Democrats take the day off to watch football and Bush goes and kills our enemies.”

“So we're being brave no that ethiopia has our back?

:D

Goodnight!”

“no?????????”

“The Democrats wanted to negotiate with those al Qaeda members.

I prefer Bush's approach.”

“The last time we were in Somolia we left with our tail between our legs.”

“Fantastic! I wish we'd hear more about operations like this.”

“Bacpac...we left because the Rapist-In-Chief refused to execute the war...all part of the liberal "Make the military look as bad as possible" plan.”

“What war?

Poppy Bush landed U.S. forces there to distribute aid in a humanitarian crisis.

They had a name for the operation.....
Operation Restore Hope on this day, 9 December, 1992.”

“UH huh...using the military as a GIANT Meals-on-wheels program....then when it started getting bad...Slick refused to give heavy armor to the troops...Ya know I must have lost my copies of all the Libbies denouncing Billys refusal to do that. I am not talking the fact that transport vehicles (HUMVEES are like jeeps and were NEVER intended to be armored) were not armored...but the fact that he REFUSED to give heavy Armor to our troops.”

“This is a great opportunity we took and I hope it sends the message that just because you aren't in Iraq or Afghanistan doesn't mean you're safe.

This is a win for America not republicans.”

“Marko is kinda stepping out on a limb there.
It usually takes about 24 hours till the Dems and the Media get their talking points worked out.

Look for bogus reports of innocent deaths any time now.”

“SS called it. From the BBC, prominently marked:

'Boy killed'

"My 4-year-old boy was killed in the strike," Mohamed Mahmud Burale told the BBC from the area.”

“I think if we turn to the one Islamic Insurgency Campaign we won for information and facts it would be rather insightful.

WOW campaign time

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/picmp.htm

1899 to 1913


Some interesting history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_American_War#Philippine_war_strategy

Looks like it took a long hard slogging war to win.....”

“The way I understand it, the Clinton administration definitely has significant responsibility for that screw up.

Interesting how we hear so much more about this than we do about the Reagan admistration and the Marine Barracks attack.”

“pedx, always trying to change the subject. ;-)”

“BM -
You're incoherency is wearing us out - take a deeeep breath, then speak.

“The last time we were in Somolia we left with our tail between our legs.”
~bacpac
And a few thousand Somali's pushing up daiseys...


Ped -
I hear and read of the Lebanon tragedy often.”

“Oh yeah, the C-130 gunship:
Puff the Magic Dragon
Awesome piece of machinery there. The earliest models were very instrumental in our military victory in Viet Nam. They ravaged the Ho Chi Min trail by night.”

“MOAB! MOAB! MOAB!”

“www.lies.com/wp/2003/10/25/c-130-gunship-video/ - 182k

This'll get ya pumped!

God Bless America!
And look after our brave soldiers...”

“gojo...puff was a rehabbed c-47 with miniguns...the AC-130 is a GUNSHIP....(puff was from Vietnam)
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-support/vietnam/spooky-puff.htm

Yeah here comes the story of the Innocents injured....I would love to hear one Presidential spokesman say,"We are considering the whole loss of life and...you know..must Suck to be you."”

“A buddy from HS that I also roomed with our freshman year at Bama is an AC130 pilot. Everytime I read about them being in action I say a little prayer for him and his family.”

““A buddy from HS that I also roomed with our freshman year at Bama is an AC130 pilot. Everytime I read about them being in action I say a little prayer for him and his family.”
dayhiker
3:48:19 PM
1/09/07

That's just about the only decent thing anyone here has had to say.”

“He won a Silver Star in Afghanistan. Very cool guy. He also flew F14's.”

“mArKo crying for American enemies again.”

“

I'm not at all flattered with your obsession with me and so much of what I have to say, Stomp.”

“Cry for the poor terrorists maRko.
It's what you do best.”

“Hey! If we got some of them al qaeda dudes, this was very much worth doing.

What I find kind of funny is this scenario...

1) We invade country.
2) Things go bad.
3) We retreat from country.
4) Country turns good without our help.

Mmmmmm.... I wonder if there is somewhere else that we might use that strategy?

Sorry. Still thinking.”

“Seems to me, the obsession is from your side, poor dim marKo.
Cry a boatfull of tears for your poor terrorists.”

“LMAO
Some little fool is obsessed with posting a stupid picture over and over.
Poor maRko, so dim.”

“RL, the country has hardly turned good since we left. If that were the case, Ethiopian troops with US advisors wouldn't be there fighting muslim terrorists.”

“Puff was the predecessor, for sure. The C-130 is the equivilant to the C-47 as the B-1B is to the B-52. Essentially the same mission in an updated model.


Seems to me that by the end of the Viet Nam war, Hercs had began replacing the taildraggers. I'll check...”

“I know, Stick, I was making a blatant generalization.”

“am i the only one who noticed how often the reporter used the words "alleged," "believed" and "reputed" as opposed to "known" or "convicted"? what if reports were wrong? now i'm not saying those dead dudes weren't guilty of something, and didn't need killing, but still...are we going to go into every country and kill everyone who needs killing "just because"?

ok, back to your chest pounding gentlemen. =p”

“If you have any southern exposed windows the laser might get you. Alunaticminium hats really help. dumpsters are full of these wonderfulken hats and sometimes still warm burritoees. star War lives!!!!”

“I wonder if we learned about this by going through my mail?”

“Worse would be hundreds of boomers dressed in slaps, surfshorts, northface jackets with bow ties all giving the 'kizz' tongue goodbye through the rest of your windows.”

“No happyclicker. We're going into other countries killing people who need killing because we're at war.”

“I know, Stick, I was making a blatant generalization.”
reformed lurker
5:30:57 PM
1/09/07



Ahh. Carry on, my good man.”

“Car'e'fornians ,did you hear the governator?”

“Taking life any place in the world is just wrong....And everyone should understand that.

The USA needs to help other's in need,instead of spending money on war.

Just think what one BOMB cost that we really dont need.... could go for your child's college at HARVARD.”

“Did you know that a kid can go to Harvard's community extension college and receive a diploma that says "Harvard University" and costs a fraction of one that says "Harvard College?"

That way we can use the extra money to buy more bombs.”

“harvard is full of libbies anyhow. =p”

“Cold claims, "Taking life any place in the world is just wrong".

You could not be further from the truth.

Killing in self defense is right and morally just.

Killing the enemy in war is right and morally just when the enemy is engaged in a war of aggression, crimes against humanity, or terrorism.

To renounce the right of self defense would only lead to more killing and deaths, because the option to use deadly force deters many more illegal and unjusts deaths.”

“I think that just war theory is interesting, but the bar has to be pretty high.

Afghanistan certainly met the standard.

I'm not sure if Iraq did.

And I think that just war theory also requires the act of self-defense to be relatively equal to the perceived danger.

So, you can't shoot someone who is stealing your yard sign just because they are violating your property rights.

And I'm not sure if hundreds of thousands of Iraqis needed to die to kill Hussein or create a hedge against Iran.”

“BTW, Somalia definitely meets the standard.”

“Yes RL, but whether or not you agree on the reasons for going into Iraq, you recognize that killing, in the form of warfare, is not only necessary sometimes, but right. Cold says that any killing is wrong. I wonder what Cold would do if someone attempting to harm his child could only be stopped by being killed?

Cold, are you familiar with the saying "Except for Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, War Never Solved Anything"?”

“If you like war and killing ....that's not me.

Learn to live as one....that's the answer.

Look at what is going on as far as the USA,WORLD.”

“Reading your posts is like sitting at a stop light and reading the bumper stickers on the car in front of me.




No offense.
last edited: 1/09/07 9:33:46 PM”