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 Shabab’s 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 ...
Terrorism expert on Fox news states that we may be hearing bad news about this raid in the near future.
Love to see an arc light mission of about 100 B52’s with maximum loads of concrete jdams on that vile ville.....:o)
We could just explain it as an attempt to build an artificial reef just off the beach and accidentally hit the little towel headed camel humpers home.
Oooops our bad..... See ya next week.
The raid in Somalia failed to capture the senior militant and it isn't clear if the senior leader was killed, although several al-Shabaab members were killed, according to an official.
....The SEALs called off the mission to capture the militant after the gunbattle appeared to put civilians at risk. "We disengaged after the initial assault on al-Shabaab. We took precautions to minimize civilian casualties," the official said.
No wonder the SEALS had to withdraw.
“Obama desperate for so good press”
my thought too.
"Don't be surprised tomorrow to learn the Somalia raid went very badly for the US."
AND
"there is also no question on one detail, the extraction was a full blown retreat by us in the face of overwhelming force."
Interesting that we can send Navy Seals for the attack on the Somalia mall but couldn’t get help to 4 Americans in Benghazi and it took 2 weeks for the FBI to get to Benghazi site to investigate.
SUre. We kill some, then they come here to do the same thing at a mall. Another bad idea.
If those twitter rumors are true the kenyan’s ROE just got some of America’s best KIA.
As the fellow pointed out on Fox a few weeks ago, the history of successful negotiations with murderous religious zealots is 0% over the last 2500 years. The only answer is to kill them in retaliation until they stop the murder.
I am not talking indiscriminate or relentlessly, but make the cost of their murder more than they can bear until it ceases and they change their ways or withdraw and become isolated on their own.
......let’s pray not!
The woman they shot up at white house, was she not from there???
That kind of danger is what these men train for. And the skills learned in training are put to the test and honed in combat. There's a reason it's called "battle-tested" and not "training-tested".
I agree. a B52 loaded with Fuel Air Explosives followed by a mop up with Hornets loaded with Napalm.
if you are going to kill a rats nest,the best way is with fire.
said an American security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity about a classified operation>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I , for one, do not believe anything that the Obama administration says, especially unverified leaks from un- named “security officials.” Its just AGITPROP , IMHO.
Such announcements depend only on one variable, the so called president’s rapid fall in approval ratings.
I think it is already leaking out on purpose!
Obama either lead the raid or directed it first hand in real time. Navy seals could not have done it without Obama guidance.
Now this means that Obama is off hook for govt shutdown, am guessing is how MSM covers it
“Terrorism expert on Fox news states that we may be hearing bad news about this raid in the near future.”
Confirmed. Raid failed to achieve stated objective.
You mean it failed to raise Obama's Poll Numbers.
Guarandamntee if this fiasco of a raid happened with Bush in office, the Press would be on this story 24/7.
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