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.
Yeah, I just backtracked from your post and saw where sleuth posted about his UPCOMING briefing. "DUH" on me. I'm so fragmented today!
Actually the media..........including Fox..........does that all the time.
LOL
Simple Neo-colonialism.
Good news BUMP!
Thanks for posting that...
Unfortunately, Byron Dorgan is yet the latest Sen. to stand up on the Senate floor...talking about how we should NOT be there....sigh
Their words will end up being 'full of sound and fury, signifying NOTHING.'
Have any more birds died and have they figured out the cause yet?
Re: Tony's briefing...
Helen will give birth to a COW on live TV.
"What gives Bush the right to bomb other countries? Doesn't he know this is a war crime? Why didn't he go through the U.N.?"
Yada yada YADA...
Gregory.....how long has the WH known this and why weren't we told!
LOL...I can't wait to see that!!
I'm sure we've a few drones doing their good deeds too !
Isn't it time for Tony? Where is he?
there was an interesting article in the Atlantic Monthly a couple of months ago by Robert D Kaplan about how these Drones are flown by people at Nellis AFB.
Last I heard..it was supposed to start at 12:00 ET...
I can ping you to the thread if you like.
I had the wrong Time Zone in my head...that it was 11 ET when actually it's 11 CT. Yes, you can ping me to the thread, but I'm wondering who will carry it. I checked CSpan and on their official schedule right now it does not show it. It's just one of their "daily events" mentioned, not scheduled in any slot. I can't use an internet feed with my webtv, except I can hear it if CSpan 3 has it, which they show they don't. I'm afraid if FNC or CNN, MSNBC show it, they will immediately cut away after they get a couple of sound bites.
They are saying "awaiting WH press briefing....."
Oh, btw, Catherine Herridge (sp?) just said that they could have evidence of who was killed in the strike "at any time."
They must have been doing *touch and goes*......welcome to FR btw.....we have quite a few Brits here....glad to meet you.
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