CBS: U.S. Attacks Al Qaeda In Somalia

CBSNews ^ | 1/8/07

[Rose in RoseBear]

(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.

[Billthedrill]

Watch yer six. ;-)

[SandRat]

I'm not in country, I'm in Arizona still, never left.

[bnelson44]

USAF AC-130 gunship?

[sageb1]

""when the Islamists took over they established order. Built schools,..."

to teach little future jihadists.

[SandRat]

Prefer fully dressed out SPECTREs though Puff was so nice.

[STARWISE]

But .. but .. how could he be doing that? He's too busy eavesdropping on Americans .. isn't he??

[El Gato]

CNN has the story as well

As does Fox

Wonder how long it will be before the sensor video from the AC-130 is on YouTube or other video posting site?

[Billthedrill]

Yeh. It's a young person's fight.

Dammit.

[XEHRpa]

The smoke in that photo looks like the Angel of Death... how appropriate

[STARWISE]

While not explicitly stated, the report indicates the likelihood is high that there are indeed U.S. Special Forces on the ground.

These people just don't get who they're dealing with, do they???

From CNN- Barbara Starr .. saying there were 5 top AQ targets we were hunting. No results yet from the airstrike .. no confirmation. Here in Africa, these are the most wanted terrorists for the embassy bombings. US was becoming increasingly concerned about AQ in Mogudishu .. they realized AQ was bringing in $$ and weaponry and there were multiple training camps. They were also recruiting Somalis for AQ .. and the US couldn't live with that. Now, Ethiopia has attained control of the govt., the US moved it.

CNN -- Gary Bernsen - former CIA .. on now.

[El Gato]

I don't think anybody else has AC-130s.

I don't think anyone else has anything even vaguely like an AC-130. Although I do recall one of the Latin American Air Forces, El Salvador perhaps, having C-47s with side firing heavy machine guns, pretty much like the AC-130s grandpa,the AC-47 Puff the Magic Dragon/Spooky, although those had GE Mini-guns (Gatlings).

[ohioWfan]

God bless and protect our BRAVE troops!

[STARWISE]

AMEN!

[rbosque]

Hurray for our side!

[bnelson44]

Thanks for the update, pls keep us informed.

[El Gato]

Had to have been done in cooperation with the Ethiopeans, for deconfliction purposes if nothing else. Wouldn't want them shooting down our AC with their MiGs, and wouldn't want to hit a bunch of their ground troops with the AC. That would be Bad Form.

[El Gato]

sources say a lot of bodies were seen on the ground after the strike

That's what the AC-130 does best. It converts enemy troops and leadership into dead bodies, and it does it Wholesale, not retail.

[SandRat]

Yep a fight for the young-ans. Still in shape and my uniforms still fit after 15 years but they say "POPs you did yours, now let us do ours just keep us supplied with what we need." That's why I work for a military contractor, "givin-em what they need."

[Just A Nobody]

had Hairball on my TV

Hi Sleuth! I've been meaning to ask you...do you get paid to watch that drek? ;*)

[ellery]

Fantastic! Good work!