U.S. launches new attacks in Somalia

[maddezmom]

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer
4 minutes ago

MOGADISHU, Somalia - U.S. helicopter gunships launched new attacks Tuesday against suspected al-Qaida members, a Somali official said, a day after forces launched airstrikes in the first offensive in the African country since 18 U.S. troops were killed there in 1993.

~snip~

Helicopter gunships launched new attacks Tuesday near the scene of a U.S. airstrike in the village of Hayi, although it was not clear if they were American or Ethiopian aircraft, and it was not known if there were any casualties.

Two helicopters "fired several rockets toward the road that leads to the Kenyan border," said Ali Seed Yusuf, a resident of the town of Afmadow in southern Somalia.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070109/ap_on_re_af/somalia

US air strike kills more than 20 in Somalia-elder
09 Jan 2007 15:34:20 GMT

More MOGADISHU, Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes killed between 22 and 27 people in a remote area of southern Somalia during a strike on Tuesday, an elder from a neighbouring town said.

The attack appeared to be a second strike after a U.S. warplane on Monday attacked the village of Hayo in a hunt for al Qaeda suspects. The elder, who declined to be named, spoke to Reuters by telephone from the Kenya-Somalia border crossing at Liboi.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09120445.htm

and another blurb about casualties:


KENYA-SOMALIA: Fighting halts effort to verify deadly fever
Dobley is close to the Kenyan border where fighting continues between Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) remnants and Ethiopian-backed Somali government soldiers, who have been chasing them since the UIC were forced out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia.

A humanitarian source in the area told IRIN on Tuesday that casualties had been reported when planes carried out air strikes in villages close to Dobley. "We have reports of 22 people killed by the bombing," he said. International media reported that the planes were American, targeting suspected al-Qaeda operatives.

"Most of those killed were in a convoy of donkeys carrying sugar to the outlying villages," which have been rendered inaccessible due to recent heavy rains, said the source, who requested anonymity. Another source told IRIN there were reports of a number of armed militia in the area. "We don't know whether they belonged to the Islamic courts or not but some people are saying that they were there."

The bombardment took place in an area known as Jiiro, a "very good pastureland, with the highest concentration of cattle in the Juba valley", said the humanitarian source, adding that whether there were militants in the area or not, "civilians had been hit".
more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/6a33e8654b3a87eeebdc1230c8e298fe.htm

[atreides1]

1. I wonder

How many women and children have been murdered in that village?

[SpiralHawk]

2. Yes, I wonder. " Suspected..."

I wonder, too, how many inocents will die so Commander AWOL can go down in history as a War pResident?

[saigon68]

3. He will be Judged as a War Criminal by History

He is trying to spray perfume on a pile of feces

[seemslikeadream]

9. we got us some more mercenaries

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3074249&mesg_id=3074249

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. They are becoming the real army

to protect BushCo against all enemies real and imagined.

[Dudemachine]

12. I wonder how many innocent men have been killed too? n/t

[ewagner]

4. I hope they know what they're doing...

so many, many times, Bush and his crew have been wrong about "suspected terrorists" and their strongholds...

I would have much preferred a different type of operation where they could have gone face to face to know who they were actually assaulting and possibly brought the suspects to justice in a court of law. Positive ID is difficult from 5000 feet or so....

[Kablooie]

5. Well of COURSE he's bombing suspected al-Qaida members.

He's going to push for more troops tomorrow. This is the big publicity push to demonstrate that suspected al-Qaida members are still out to get us.

They've probably been scouring the globe trying to dig up some people that seem like al-Qaida to bomb today.

What George wants he gets. The value of human life pales in comparison to his desires.

Uday was a saint in comparison.

[Eugene]

6. Just a few days ago a US general said...

that US troops were unlikely to fight in Somalia.
At most, they would provide logistical support
for a peacekeeping operation.

US general does not see American troops in Somalia - Reuters

He said "Situations change," but his assessment lasted three days.

[maddezmom]

7. I can't find the article from around Christmas, but supposedly they knew

where this people were at that time...so it does make the timing of these strikes suspect. So far it's not been confirmed that they got any of the intended targets either. Will this be *'s smoking gun tomorrow for his war on terra? :eyes:

[Nihil]

8. He's still right isn't he?

> Just a few days ago a US general said...
> that US troops were unlikely to fight in Somalia.

He didn't say anything about bombing the shit out of civilians from
a few thousand feet or opening up with anti-armour miniguns against
people wearing shirts or slaughtering a village on the off-chance
that there *might* have been *someone* who *someone* *suspected* was
*possibly* a "terrorist" ... no, he didn't mention that at all so
his statement is still as valid as ever ...

See? You *can* trust a General ... about as far as you can trust a
politician ...

:mad:

[maddezmom]

14. annymous military source: Special Forces on the ground...for 2 weeks

Defense Department hopes strong presence in area will press campaign against al-Qaida


By JOHN DONNELLY, Boston Globe
First published: Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The Defense Department also has positioned several warships -- including an aircraft carrier -- along the coast to try to prevent escapes by sea. The strong deployment of military assets could indicate more involvement in Somalia in the future.

Opening a new front in the battle against al-Qaida, the Defense Department hopes to capitalize on a rare opportunity in fractured Somalia to try to track down Islamic militants who were harbored by the radical government until Ethiopia, a U.S. ally, intervened last month and helped rout the Islamist Somali regime.

~snip~

But the U.S. operation was much broader than a hunt for those three people, officials said in Washington. U.S. troops also were after several other radical Somali Islamist leaders, and also were trying to determine whether many other Islamist fighters had entered Somalia from elsewhere in the Middle East in recent months to support the Islamist government that had consolidated its authority in recent months.

~snip~

A U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that U.S. Special Forces accompanied Ethiopian troops into Somalia roughly two weeks ago.

Analysts said U.S. forces were seeking to take advantage of a windfall opportunity.

more:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x255875


A U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the special forces accompanied Ethiopian troops into Somalia roughly two weeks ago, the Globe reported.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/16425169.htm?source=rss

[Nihil]

15. Apologies maddezmom!

I thought the general was just playing the political games of
"imply without stating" rather than downright lying.

Thanks for the correction!

:hi:

[maddezmom]

16. no problem...

ya never know...maybe he didn't have a clue either. Wouldn't be the first time they've had a mix up. :)

[maddezmom]

10. Helicopters strafe al-Qaida in Somalia

By SALAD DUHUL, Associated Press Writer
14 minutes ago



MOGADISHU, Somalia - Attack helicopters strafed suspected al-Qaida fighters in southern Somalia on Tuesday, witnesses said, following two days of airstrikes by U.S. forces — the first U.S. offensives in the African country since 18 American soldiers were killed here in 1993.

In Washington, a U.S. intelligence official said American forces killed five to 10 people in an attack on one target in southern Somalia believed to be associated with al-Qaida. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the operation's sensitivity, said a small number of others present, perhaps four or five, were wounded.

A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault by two helicopters near Afmadow, a town in a forested area close to the Kenyan border. The report could not be independently verified.

A Somali Defense Ministry official described the helicopters as American, but witnesses told The Associated Press they could not make out identification markings on the craft. Washington officials had no comment on the helicopter strike.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070110/ap_on_re_af/somalia

[maddezmom]

11. U.S. launches new air strike on Somalia: govt source - Wed

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070110/ts_nm/somalia_conflict_air_strike_dc_2

[Nihil]

21. Sounds like "Al Qaeda" recruitment must have been a bit slow

> 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault

No problem though, with this sort of support it'll soon get right back
up to the desired levels ...

[sofa king]

13. That's a big ol' can of whoopass we had lying around the Arabian Sea.

The news says the Eisenhower is there, but the attack choppers come from the smaller assault carriers, so there must be one or more of them offshore as well.

I wonder what ol' Curious George was planning to do with all that firepower before that election freed them up?

[leesa]

18. Suspected Al Qaeda terrorists standing on top of massive natural gas

resources...we know the drill.

Damn, those Al Qaeda guys are handy!

HOW many times are stupid Americans going to fall for this bullshit?????

[rhett o rick]

19. George is desperate for a victory anywhere. nm

[flavorself]

20. Pathetic

This is an incredibly stupid action, even for the US. The TFG, with the help of their neighbour, Ethiopia, has efectively disposed the UIC in a manner which is acceptable to many Somalis. Ethiopian forces are generally welcome in Somalia since the nations see each other as brothers, rather than sworn enemies, which is what some of the western media would have you believe.

During the rout of the UIC there have hardly been any reports of civilian casualities and the mood inn Somalia is hopeful. Ethiopia has been very honest and straightforward about its involvement, and it has a legitimate reason to be there. The US, on the other hand has no legitimate reason to bomb a sovereign nation. As usual, with US military actions, we immediately receive reports of civilian casualties.

Such arrogance is very likely to destabilize the fragile peace in Somalia. Don't you ever learn. To be honest it seems as if the US is offended by the ease with which the TFG overcame the UIC and now want to join the victory parade by adding its 10 cents. So transparent and so disgusting.