escalator
Posted on 01/08/2007 3:53:36 PM PST by Rose in RoseBear
Edited on 01/08/2007 4:00:49 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
(CBS/AP) A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports exclusively.
The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa, Martin reports. The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, and sources say a lot of bodies were seen on the ground after the strike, but there is as yet, no confirmation of the identities.
The gunship flew from its base in Dijibouti down to the southern tip of Somalia, Martin reports, where the al Qaeda operatives had fled after being chased out of the capital of Mogadishu by Ethiopian troops backed by the United States.
Once they started moving, the al Qaeda operatives became easier to track, and the U.S. military started preparing for an air strike, using unmanned aerial drones to keep them under surveillance and moving the aircraft carrier Eisenhower out of the Persian Gulf toward Somalia. But when the order was given, the mission was assigned to the AC-130 gunship operated by the U.S. Special Operations command.
If the attack got the operatives it was aimed at, reports Martin, it would deal a major blow to al Qaeda in East Africa.
Meanwhile, a jungle hideout used by Islamic militants that is believed to be an al Qaeda base was on the verge of falling to Ethiopian and Somali troops, the defense minister said Monday.
While a lawmaker had earlier told The Associated Press that the base was captured, Somalia's Defense Minister Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire said troops had yet to enter it and that limited skirmishes were still ongoing, though troops were poised to take the base.
Ethiopian soldiers, tanks and warplanes were involved in the two-day attack, a government military commander told the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Shire said there had been heavy fighting with high numbers of casualties.
"There are a lot of casualties from both sides," he said, declining to give details.
Residents in the coastal seaport of Kismayo, some 90 miles northeast of Ras Kamboni, said they saw wounded Ethiopian soldiers being loaded onto military helicopters for evacuation.
"I have seen about 50 injured Ethiopian troops being loaded onto a military chopper," said Farhiya Yusuf. She said 12 Ethiopian helicopters were stationed at the Kismayo airport.
Somali officials said the Islamic movement's main force is bottled up at Ras Kamboni, the southernmost tip of the country, cut off from escape at sea by patrolling U.S. warships and across the Kenyan border by the Kenyan military.
In Mogadishu, Somalia's president made his first visit to the capital since taking office in 2004. During the unannounced visit, President Abdullahi Yusuf was expected to meet with traditional Somali elders and stay at the former presidential palace that has been occupied by warlords for 15 years, government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said.
U.S. officials warned after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that extremists with ties to al Qaeda operated a training camp at Ras Kamboni and that al Qaeda members are believed to have visited it.
Three al Qaeda suspects wanted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa are believed to be leaders of the Islamic movement. The Islamists deny having any links to al Qaeda.
Somalia's government had struggled to survive since forming with backing from the United Nations two years ago, and was under attack by the Islamic militia when Ethiopia's military intervened on Dec. 24 and turned the tide.
But many in predominantly Muslim Somalia resent the presence of troops from neighboring Ethiopia, which has a large Christian population. The countries fought two brutal wars, the last in 1977.
On Sunday, gunmen attacked Ethiopian troops, witnesses said, sparking a firefight in the second straight day of violence in the capital, Mogadishu.
There's a reason they're all studiously ignoring it right now. Can they spin it? I doubt it. This is good news in every sense.
Gunships really are day makers arent they?
This was a nice end to a weird day.
That was not my comment.
Well, it's an inflammatory word, but coming from congresscritters it's just Congress in Session and money to be allocated after some bombast. Unfortunately every islamist in the world speaking a version of English will be using the word now.
>>>These AC 130s should be used a lot more, also. They sholud be out nonstop. If we only have a few, we should have produced many more. Having these things flying 24/7/365 taking out jihadists left in right, maybe a madrassa a day also, would be a good thing.<<<
I like your strategy. Hope our top guys are taking note.
You're right... Never believe the media when it comes to talking about guns... On the other hand, they can sustain a rate of fire greater than 400 rounds per second. Yikes! AC130s have HUGE amounts of firepower! The AC130A's got 2 x 7.62mm mini-guns, 2 x 20mm gatling guns, 2 x 40mm bofors cannons, and a 105mm cannon. Each of the mini-guns have a maximum rate of fire of 6000 rounds per minute. And the m61 20mm cannons can also fire at a rate of 6000 rounds per minute.
Taste the muzzle muzzie!
Why wait for tomorrow:
From CBS.com:
"..... when the Islamists took over they established order. Built schools, started a legal system, cleaned up the streets. By all accounts the were establishing civil order from chaos - without draconian measures.
I guess we liked the warloads better. I wonder if the average Somalia does as well? Or do we even care? Posted by jumkey at 07:05 PM : Jan 08, 2007"
I didn't know why the use of the word "escalation" was so "important" until I heard that this is the term used in the Vietnam War...
SOOOOOOOO..the dems are at it again....making this into the Vietnam War..
Or blasts at an AEP plant in Ohio.
we might have 'advisor's' on the ground.
That's what hubby says.....SOF may be lighting targets...
Was that CBS report from TONIGHT?
There are 200+ posts and the most important aspecxt has not been commented on.
The attention is to the gun platform and there is confusion in the fog of media about what it actually was.
More important in my view is the fact that the retreat was followed by a drone continuously watching the enemy.
This means our spec ops types have been there all along watching all and telling the Etheopians where and with what to strike.
Regarding the apparent misdescription of "esca;lation", this should be characterisexd as "resumption"
The war in Iraq is a continuation as is this action.
Oh, they'll spin it; what's Bush doing outside of Iraq?
Why, all the Muslims in the world will hate us.
*Snort*
Looks like 1800+ miles round trip....a bit long for helo..I'll bet on the AC-130..
has the speed and range, not to mention the comfort of the crew
If so, send in the AC-130.
"..... when the Islamists took over they established order. Built schools, started a legal system, cleaned up the streets. By all accounts the were establishing civil order from chaos - without draconian measures."
tortured Americans, tortured Americans, dragged dead Americans through their streets.
escalator
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