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| Africa Horn |
| Somalis Expect US, Ethiopian Intervention |
| 2006-06-09 |
| IOL - MOGADISHU — Ethiopia and the US are expected to intervene militarily in Somalia especially after the Joint Islamic Courts (JIC) fighters have seized full control of the capital Mogadishu following four months of fighting with a US-backed warlord alliance, well-placed sources told IslamOnline.net on Tuesday, June 6. "Ethiopia has put its troops along the borders with Somalia on maximum alert and might push them into its Horn of Africa neighbor to stem further advances by the JIC fighters," said the sources, which spoke only on condition of anonymity. The Ethiopian government will try everything in its power to prevent the JIC fighters from capturing the strategic central city of Jowhar, some 90 kilometers north of the capital, they added. The JIC announced Monday, June 6, seizing control of nearly all of the lawless capital and a key supply line for the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) on its northern outskirts. In a statement read over local radio stations, the chairman of the city's Joint Islamic courts, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad, said 15 years of warlord control of Mogadishu was over and urged residents to accept the new leadership. "We are not against any group and will deal with the outside world in a manner that takes the interests of our country and people into account first," he said. At least 347 people have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded, many of them civilians, in fierce battles between the JIC fighters and the ARPCT since February. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 No bombing campaign: too costly politically right now. Instead, reinforce and cut deals with Somaliland and Puntland -- guarantee their existence and stability if they play ball with us. That means they keep the islamonuts out, provide intel, and perhaps some quiet basing capability. We work to upgrade their military training so that they can defend themselves from al-Q militas. In the meantime, we build intel assets and figure out what the al-Q surrogates in Somalia are doing. Then we flatten them. This isn't something we do in haste, nor do we do it loudly. We need to more quietly and with guile. Help our friends and arrange multiple accidents for our enemies. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-06-09 22:44 |
| #5 What's the baby duck / fluffy bunny population in Somalia? Have they all been eaten, or might they be harmed? The BBC reporter is on hold and, well, he wanted to get a bit of a head start on his condemnation piece. He's kinda slow that way. |
| Posted by: Glavitch Angineter5765 2006-06-09 22:12 |
| #4 Disagree about JDAMs in Somalia. The lay of the land lends itself to cluster bombs : flat, with long stretches of empty countryside. Also, the Somali Islamists are using thin-skinned vehicles which are glorious targets for cluster munitions. Of course, you should also mix in some white phosphorous and napalm for maximum effect on truck-mounted infantry. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-06-09 21:53 |
| #3 AP is right. The place is a hell-hole and is not worth the life of another US military personnel. JDAM's are the weapon of choice...especially if the a-holes start moving on toward Jowhar. There's not much place to hide. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2006-06-09 21:14 |
| #2 If we intervene, we should do it from the air. Kinda rearrange the ground. We need to deny the terroritory to Al Q, not do nation building in sh*tholes like Somalia. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-06-09 19:10 |
| #1 Although it is tempting to picture a brutal Taliban-like regime grinding its heel into the Somalis until their tribalism is utterly destroyed, the military adage is "never allow your enemy any advantage." For this reason, I would suspect that we will first fortify all neighboring countries against al-Qaeda incursions, and then use proxy forces to do in the Islamic Courts. If it is Christian Ethiopia, we might even encourage them to raze all Mosques and convert the population, after exterminating all of the Imams and Mullahs. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-06-09 17:23 |