Posted on 10/05/2013 2:31:01 PM PDT by kristinn
A Navy SEAL team targeted a senior leader of the Shabab militant group in a raid on his seaside villa in the Somali town of Baraawe on Saturday, American officials said, in response to a deadly attack on a Nairobi shopping mall for which the group had claimed responsibility.
The SEAL team stealthily approached the beachfront house by sea, firing on the unidentified target in a predawn gunbattle that was the most significant raid by American troops on Somali soil since commandos killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a Qaeda mastermind, near the same town four years ago.
The Shabab leader was believed to have been killed in the firefight, but the SEALS were forced to withdraw before that could be confirmed, a senior American official said. Such operations by American forces are rare because they carry a high risk, and indicate that the target was considered a high priority. Baraawe, a small port town south of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, is known as a gathering place for the Shababs foreign fighters.
The Baraawe raid was planned a week and a half ago, said an American security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity about a classified operation. It was prompted by the Westgate attack, he added, referring to the mall in Nairobi that was overrun by militants two weeks ago, leaving more than 60 dead.
Witnesses in the area described a firefight lasting over an hour, with helicopters called in for air support. A senior Somali government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed the raid, saying, The attack was carried out by the American forces and the Somali government was pre-informed about the attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Followed by John Kerry stating that he led the attack and is looking for a Silver Star for his brave actions.
Why do we need to get involved in this?
Breaking: Western Troops storm a house in Somali town of Brava which is Al Shabab stronghold
H/t Time's Zeke Miller
Good question, why a ground attack rather than drones or helicopters? Maybe it was intended to be a snatch that went wrong?
Let them be ghosts. God will damn the people that released this info to the times. Of course, they’ll run it. They are like silly, prancing twits with this kind of info - can’t publish it fast enough can they?
The unidentified Shabab leader is believed to have been killed in the firefight, but the SEAL team was forced to withdraw before that could be confirmed, a senior American security official said.
American officials initially reported that they had seized the Shabab leader, but later backed off that account. The first American security official said there were no reports of American casualties in the operation.
Another false flag op.
wtf? Is Obama upset that a mall in his home country was attacked yet he ignores an attack on US soil where several CIA operatives along with a US ambassador were murdered.
This is yet another attempt for him to look like a tough guy and using the US military like a set of toys he mother never let him play with as a child.
The stated reason for the Mall attack was US and western nation’s attack on their forces in Somalia and elsewhere.
I thing killing these groups is the only suitable answer to their actions, no matter how they are made.
It sounds like a snatch....they wanted him alive I cant fault them he would have been a huge intel get.
No OPSEC again. Very curious that they reacted so quickly to an attack in Kenya but have done nothing after the first US Ambassador was killed in more than 30 yearseven after a year!
Wag the dog because of sinking poll numbers? Does it confirm that there is something sinister being covered up? (Like the kidnap attempt for the Blind Sheikh theory).
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I call B.S. Show me his carcass.
Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line for our next available operator. Your expected wait time is about 1.57785e6 minutes.
I no longer believe that we will ever see justice for Benghazi, but if we do, it will not be for at least another 3 years.
No matter how many times you hear this reported or read about it, it is like looking at an empty sack. It’s a sack, but what was “in” it? This just doesn’t make sense. Why? Why not a drone kill? This looks to me like a failed attack’s cover story.
More SEALs to die.
why not simply destroy the town and everything and everyone in it?
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I second that motion.
Theres no need to fight rifle to rifle and expose our men to that kind of danger.
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Unless you are intent upon destroying our special forces. The Dear Leader is several points up in that game.
Thanks kristinn. Oh, and don’t forget, Obama got Osama.
Names and addresses of the Navy Seals who participated will be published soon.
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