Article

2007-01-02 Africa Horn

ANALYSIS-Somali Islamists fought wrong kind of war vs Ethiopia

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Posted by Free Radical 2007-01-02 06:41|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 independent Somalia analyst Matt Bryden

Nice job if you can get it.

Posted by anonymous5089 2007-01-02 10:17|| 2007-01-02 10:17|| Front Page Top

#2 I fought the war and the war won.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-01-02 10:24|| 2007-01-02 10:24|| Front Page Top

#3 Any note on how many prisoners the Ethiopians took?

If you drain the swamp there's no place for the fish to swim.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-01-02 10:26|| 2007-01-02 10:26|| Front Page Top

#4 I'm sure the bombings and such will start up. But after the Somalis demonstrate their displeasure by wiping out entire villages for harboring terrorist thugs, I expect a steep drop-off.

Not a pretty picture, eh? Not civilized. The only thing to recommend it is that it works.

Posted by mojo">mojo 2007-01-02 10:43|| 2007-01-02 10:43|| Front Page Top

#5 After systematically defeating warlords in more than four months of fighting for Mogadishu, the Islamists won credit for producing one of the most disciplined military forces in Somalia since the Cold War heyday of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Another sterling example of The Creed:

"Above all else, value Stability..."

Posted by Pappy 2007-01-02 11:00|| 2007-01-02 11:00|| Front Page Top

#6 Ethiopia is predominantly a Christian country too, talk about adding insult to injury.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2007-01-02 11:05|| 2007-01-02 11:05|| Front Page Top

#7 They fought the wrong opponent, one not wracked with western guilt and fear of inflicting unnecessary casualties. The old tricks don't work when they are willing to blow up you and the family you are hiding behind rather than risk themselves.

More proof of why the US should use more and more proxies in the war on terror.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-01-02 13:20|| 2007-01-02 13:20|| Front Page Top

#8 You only had to read as far as the 'MOGADISHU, Jan 2 (Rooters) to know which direction this hang wringer was gonna go.
Note to independent analyst Matt: Please STFU.
thank you.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-01-02 13:37|| 2007-01-02 13:37|| Front Page Top

#9 This brain-dead analyst forgot one essential point of this war : the ICU was trying to set itself up as the GOVERNMENT of Somalia, with all the powers and privileges that entails. In order to do that against tribal militias and assorted gunmen in widely dispersed towns, one is forced into a near conventional light infantry/light cavalry assault force, which is what the gunnies and technicals of the ICU functioned as. So while the LI/LC model worked against the warlords for the ICU, against the Ethiopian Army it was a recipe for disaster. Also, it is VERY difficult to change military models during a war - especially one that only lasts two weeks.

So now, the ICU will revert back to hit-and-run? Big deal! That will actually play to the strengths of the TFG's militias, especially if they are specifically designed to function as Village Defense Forces, pinning down the ICU fighters until the helicopters and light armour can get there. And considering how much of the Ethiopian Air Force is likely to remain "on call" for the TFG, company-sized ICU attacks will result in massive losses for them {meaning the ICU}.

Bright boy analyst also forgot to mention just how much equipment will be left behind by the Ethiopians for the TFG - a little light armour goes a long way in this type of warfare.

Posted by Shieldwolf 2007-01-02 17:52|| 2007-01-02 17:52|| Front Page Top

#10 HHHHHMMMMMM, HHHHHHMMMMM, a mostly uneducated, lucky-to-have-any-training-at-all, Teen and Tweeney-something armed force = scattered groups, to include alleged numbers of similar aged girls; versus a mostly adult male, well-seasoned, professional modern force - OBVIOUSLY THE TWEENS WOULD'VE WON.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-01-02 21:59|| 2007-01-02 21:59|| Front Page Top

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