Jan
9
9
Djibouti Call
U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Al-Qaeda Figure
A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship attacked suspected al-Qaeda members in southern Somalia on Sunday, and U.S. sources said the operation may have hit a senior terrorist figure.
The strike took place near the Kenyan border, according to a senior officer at the Pentagon. Other sources said it was launched at night from the U.S. military facility in neighboring Djibouti. It was based on joint military-CIA intelligence and on information provided by Ethiopian and Kenyan military forces operating in the border area.
Why, this does in fact look like good news. I wonder if anyone else has posted on it.
Dan Someone said,
January 9, 2007 at 21:25
So it used to be “We’re fighting them in Iraq so we don’t have to fight them here.” Is it now “We’re fighting them in Somalia so we don’t have to fight them in Iraq any more”?
mikey said,
January 9, 2007 at 21:30
In light of recent history, I think we need to wait and see if we got the bad guys and if we massacred a bunch of women and children in the process. Air is not the ideal way to do this kind of thing. Much better to put a team of shooters on the ground in order to be a little more selective about who you kill. 105s aren’t noted for their target discrimination.
As we keep learning, if we kill ten terrorists and create fifty, we are losing long term. If, however, we kill ten cleanly and without “colllateral damage” then we are beginning to drain the swamp…
mikey
no longer TC said,
January 9, 2007 at 21:31
when Cllinton tried this, it was all “Wag the Dog. Wag The Dog.”
Of course, pointing out anything like this will be construed to mean that we are unhappy about this.
So here: If the casualties are, in fact, Al Qaida, good riddance. Having said that: Are these terrorists part of the new crop created by the war in Iraq? And is the military intelligence idnetifying them, in fact, as terrorists solid (remember military intelligence also fingered that wedding party)?
BinkyBoy said,
January 9, 2007 at 21:35
The right wing blogosphere has officially creamed itself and will not stop until close to midnight tonight. Don’t expect the kind of humor out of Ace that we’ve all come to expect until at least Friday. He’s going to need the sleep after today.
Port of Miami said,
January 9, 2007 at 21:38
It’s true! I import my sprinkler parts from Somalia.
Reality said,
January 9, 2007 at 21:58
Wait a minute, who was that pResidential candidate that said something like “We aren’t going to send a $2 million missile into a $2 tent.” Who was that?
“The right wing blogosphere has officially creamed itself and will not stop until close to midnight tonight. Don’t expect the kind of humor out of Ace that we’ve all come to expect until at least Friday. He’s going to need the sleep after today.”
Didn’t they talk about how Clinton doing this was a waste of time? The way you fight terra’, according to teh right is to killem sum a-rabs. Doesn’t matter where, as long as you don’t ask them to fight.
Canucklehead said,
January 9, 2007 at 22:45
Democracy Now! Has an interesting Perspective on the Somalia situation.
There’s no transcript, but the Audio is worth a listen.
stickler said,
January 9, 2007 at 22:54
Did the report say if we managed to kill Al Qaeda’s #2 man? Again?
Because that would be really cool if we did. There’d definitely be light at the end of the tunnel.
J— said,
January 9, 2007 at 22:59
I wonder if anyone else has posted on it.
Rox Populi, Taylor Marsh, you know, the usual commies.
Edmund Schluessel said,
January 9, 2007 at 23:03
I’m hesitant too…there’re still plenty of clan warlords out there, and based on our performance elsewhere conducting Israel-style collateral assasinations based on “credible intelligence” may well mean we just end up doing some faction’s dirty work while getting blamed for bombing yet another wedding.
Yes, Somalia’s fucked up, and I’m glad they’re getting something that looks like a stable non-insane government. But I don’t see any way that US military power could possibly help.
Dave said,
January 9, 2007 at 23:20
I notice CBS calls these people “al Qaeda in East Africa.” East Africa! Like, what are they, a Bell corporation, slowly monopolizing the global terrain? I sure hope we don’t have to go to war with half a continent now.
alphie said,
January 9, 2007 at 23:48
Nice to see the AC-130 “Wedding Crasher” is back in action!
No doubt all the ammo it sprayed across the capital of Somalia took out only real bad people….
billy pilgrim said,
January 9, 2007 at 23:58
Bad People Ordnance.
Standard issue since TV cameras hit the battlefield.
kdaddy said,
January 10, 2007 at 0:04
I think the main thing is that we are effectively and efficiently killing somebody somewhere…this, after all, is our business. We are no longer the nation that pours out heart and treasure to uplift our worldly brothers,
instead we pour lead from gunships so that both friend and enemy alike
can understand the basic concept of “my way or the highway”.
Gentlewoman said,
January 10, 2007 at 0:05
Let’s hold off on the rejoicing until we find out whether or not the strike flattened some village and killed a bunch of innocent people. Or, as stickler points out, yet another al Qaeda #2 guy. In addition to a bunch of innocent people. Sorry, I meant to say ‘collateral damage.’
Remember, this strike was ordered by the same people who have brought you the clusterfuck in Iraq. Accurate intelligence and actual planning have not, so far, appeared to be their forte. Or even a priority, really.
alphie said,
January 10, 2007 at 0:05
Looks like meat’s back on the menu, boys!
“A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday’s assault…”
http://tinyurl.com/y33y2a
We sure seem to be good at stopping Muslims gettin’ married.
billy pilgrim said,
January 10, 2007 at 0:19
so now we get treated to a bunch of posts from right blogtopia about omelettes and breaking eggs, right?
And then there will be some brown people at the Port of Miami!
blowback said,
January 10, 2007 at 0:45
I know that Counterpunch is run by a load of radicals but Patrick Cockburn has turned in some very good reporting from Iraq. They have an informative article on some of the background to Somalia. Things are not what they seem.
After all the shit they have had to listen to from neo-cons and the MSM, why are Americans so willing to believe what “the authorities” tell them? How many more times do they have see the military fuck up, before they start to question it?
Smiling Mortician said,
January 10, 2007 at 1:30
How many more times do they have see the military fuck up, before they start to question it?
17,564?
John Owens said,
January 10, 2007 at 4:29
So that’s why that Mortician is Smiling. It’s good for business!
Candy said,
January 10, 2007 at 4:40
I love Counterpunch. But, then again, I’m a radical.
This is just more Bush shite. We’re going to see more and more false alarms in ports (airports are so 2006), more and more ‘glorious’ bombing campaigns. Anything to keep this war going and making money for Halliburton, KBR, Lockheed Martin, et al. It’s all about the tax dollars.
Anne Laurie said,
January 10, 2007 at 8:56
So that’s why that Mortician is Smiling. It’s good for business!
Whenever I see another post from Smiling Mortician (and SM can usually make me smile, even about terrible things, given his way with words) I am reminded of on of my (many) favorite sections in LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI. Don’t know if our SM actually took the moniker from Mr. Twain’s character, but his mordant wit would make him an obvious literary ancestor!