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| Africa Horn |
| Ethiopian forces near Somali capital |
| 2006-12-26 |
| Ethiopia today pressed on with its offensive against Somali Islamists and threatened to seize the Somali capital, Mogadishu. At least two Ethiopian jets fired missiles on retreating Islamist forces, prompting the interim Somali government to claim a partial victory. Hundreds of troops have been killed during a week of heavy artillery and mortar fighting amid fears that it could spark a wider regional conflict in the Horn of Africa. "Ethiopian forces are on their way to Mogadishu. They are about 40 miles away and it is possible they could capture it in the next 24 to 48 hours," Somalia's ambassador to Ethiopia, Abdikarin Farah, told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. But the Islamists, who insisted their withdrawal was "tactical", warned that any attempt to take Mogadishu would end in disaster for the attackers. "It will be their destruction and doomsday," the Islamist spokesman Abdi Kafi said. "We will fight to the last man until we ensure there are no more Ethiopian troops in our country." |
| Posted by:.com |
| #10 The Islamist spokesman Abdi Kafi said: "We will fight to the last man" Really? Promise? That's acceptable. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-12-26 21:40 |
| #9 O! So it that kinda war. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-12-26 15:51 |
| #8 Up to 1,000 Islamists dead in Ethiopia offensive: Meles |
| Posted by: .com 2006-12-26 15:47 |
| #7 Pull out? You don't think the Ethiopians are going to start working on improving Somalian infrastructure, feeding the population and providing quality entertainment? That's a sorry kinda war, maybe even illegal. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-12-26 15:13 |
| #6 I hope when the Ethiopian's pull out, they monitor the celebrations, and bomb the hell out of them, and then go back in. Gaurenteed to get rid of a bunch of them and thier supporters that way. Leaving is a good way to draw them out. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2006-12-26 13:45 |
| #5 "It will be their destruction and doomsday," the Islamist spokesman Abdi Kafi said. "We will fight to the last man until we ensure there are no more Ethiopian troops in our country." The last time I heard a line like that, Baghdad Bob was standing there saying something similar while you could see M1s in the background... Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-12-26 13:06 |
| #4 FJ: Well it aint difficult to Blitz your way in. The difficult part starts during the stay. I think the same strategy will be played by the terrorist like they do in Iraq and Afghanistan. The correct strategy for the Ethiopians would be kill any journalist who reports unfavorably on them and to use Islamic Courts tactics on the recalcitrant, meaning collective punishment. Now, collective punishment is a little excessive for the West's delicate sensibilities, but it has been the secret to extinguishing enemy resistance in every conflict since man has known war. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-12-26 12:31 |
| #3 Who has the deeper pockets? The US or the Saudi Royal Family? [We know they have deeper pockets than the Brits who blinked on the corruption investigation] |
| Posted by: Cloluger Sperese4533 2006-12-26 11:52 |
| #2 "It will be their destruction and doomsday," the Islamist spokesman Abdi Kafi said. "We will fight to the last man until we ensure there are no more Ethiopian troops in our country." Just what we want! B-bye! |
| Posted by: Brett 2006-12-26 10:54 |
| #1 Well it aint difficult to Blitz your way in. The difficult part starts during the stay. I think the same strategy will be played by the terrorist like they do in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| Posted by: Flererong Jereling2957 2006-12-26 10:46 |