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Africa Horn
U.S. launches new air strike on Somalia
2007-01-24
Reuters in heavy quagmire mode...
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship has launched a second air strike against suspected al Qaeda operatives in southern Somalia, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified U.S. officials.

No confirmation of Monday's reported attack was immediately available in the region and a Pentagon spokesman declined to comment. The newspaper said there was no information on the results or the specific targets of the strike. An AC-130 gunship two weeks ago attacked what Washington said were al Qaeda agents fleeing with Islamist forces defeated by Somali government and Ethiopian troops late last month. It was the first overt U.S. action in Somalia since the end of a disastrous peacekeeping mission in 1994.
That was 12 or 13 years ago. The most recent was now two weeks ago. Does Rooters see a pattern the rest of us don't?
Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said he was not aware of a second U.S. attack.
Did he seem concerned?
Washington believes Somali Islamists harbored al Qaeda members accused of bombing two U.S. embassies and an Israeli-owned hotel in east Africa. Any prolonged U.S. intervention in Somalia would be sure to inflame political passions there, joining the chorus of Muslims who see the "war on terror" as a crusade against Islam.
I think by now we can pretty much take it as a given that anything, to include inaction, is sure to inflame political passions among this or that bunch of Moose limbs. The bad guyz have been trying to paint the WoT as a war against Islam before the 9-11 bodies had cooled. Because the U.S. doesn't have a "Ministry of Information," nobody's come up with the idea of simply pointing out that it's more like a war on the Takfir ideology and that the rest of Islam is free to go to hell on its own terms. I'm not sure how the "war on Muslims" meme fits in with Somalia, where both sides in the current dispute are Muslim.
Both sides get to paint it as a "war on Muslims". It's the best of opportunities.
A freelance Somali journalist said on Sunday he had seen U.S. troops on the ground in south Somalia working with Ethiopian forces hunting fugitive Islamists.
"I seen it! I seen it wid me own eyes!"
Ethiopia vehemently denied the report.
"Lies. All lies. Piss off. We're busy."
Posted by:tu3031

#11  Don't we have some good, surplus arty and tanks we could give the Ethiops?

Likely materiel (and parts) have been quietly purchased with cash from former Soviet bloc countries. It's stuff the Ethiopians are familiar with, and it blends in with the rest of their equipment.
Posted by: Pappy   2007-01-24 21:58  

#10  Since everything seems to "inflame the muzzies", I think we should help out. Napalm does a great job, especially on mobs. This "kinder, gentler war" is a piece of crock. Let them see just how cruel we can really be, and they'll be afraid enough of us to leave us alone. Nothing else will work. They have to be more terrified of us than they are their imams. We can do that.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2007-01-24 17:54  

#9  Don't we have some good, surplus arty and tanks we could give the Ethiops?
Posted by: Brett   2007-01-24 14:51  

#8  "{I think that saying that we are not at war with Islam, only with the takfir ideology is a kin to say that if after Pearl harbor we were at war with the Japanese Navy instead of with Japan. We should be telling that Islam attacked us and that it will regret it."

Maybe more like saying that during the later phase of the cold war, we were at war with the USSR and Warsaw Pact, and not with China, Romania, or Yugoslavia. Which did not imply that we didnt think Romania, despite helping us against the USSR, was f**ked up.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2007-01-24 13:49  

#7  Well, the UN delegation has arrived to save the day, just lock up the kiddies and young lassies as a precationary measure.

What, the UN types have gone over to bestiality now? Wouldn't surprise me, actually...
Posted by: Jonathan   2007-01-24 13:40  

#6  Call it a Crusade and I will sign up.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-01-24 13:39  

#5  Well, the UN delegation has arrived to save the day, just lock up the kiddies and young lassies as a precationary measure.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2007-01-24 12:24  

#4   Because the U.S. doesn't have a "Ministry of Information," nobody's come up with the idea of simply pointing out that it's more like a war on the Takfir ideology and that the rest of Islam is free to go to hell on its own terms.

I think that saying that we are not at war with Islam, only with the takfir ideology is a kin to say that if after Pearl harbor we were at war with the Japanese Navy instead of with Japan. We should be telling that Islam attacked us and that it will regret it.
Posted by: JFM   2007-01-24 10:37  

#3  That's me anymoose - bringing em back - dead or alive
Posted by: Frank Buck   2007-01-24 10:13  

#2  Everything the west does pisses of the muzzies. Kill the terrorists and let the rest know if they try anything like the terrorists, they get killed too. And their family, and their donkey, goat, dog, etc.
Enough will get the message and stay quietly on the sidelines.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-01-24 10:05  

#1  Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-01-24 09:45  

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