The US has launched an air strike against members of a suspected al-Qaeda cell in a village in southern Somalia. The targets were reported to have been tracked by aerial reconnaissance and then attacked by a US gunship based on a US military base near Djibouti.
The US believes that the members of al-Qaeda held responsible by for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa have been hiding in Somalia.
The Somali transitional government says several people were killed in the raid.
There has been no official confirmation from the Pentagon that the air strike took place, but correspondents say a statement is expected within hours.
'Opportunistic attempt'
The attack was carried out by an Air Force AC-130, a heavily-armed gunship that has highly effective detection equipment and can work under the cover of darkness.
The raid took place days after an alliance of Islamic Courts in Somalia, which took control of much of central and southern parts of the country in the past six months, was routed by soldiers of Somalia's transitional government backed by Ethiopia.
The BBC's Adam Mynott, in Nairobi, said that the attack seemed to be an opportunistic attempt by the US to destroy an al-Qaeda cell that they had been tracking for some time.
The cell is believed to be behind the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and Dar Es Salaam, in Tanzania.
More than 250 people died in the two attacks.
The US also hold the same group responsible for an attack on an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya in 2002, in which 15 people died.
On Wednesday the US State Department said it had deployed navy vessels off the country's coast to ensure that al-Qaeda operatives did not flee the country.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6243459.stm

So many dead people were lying in the area. We do not know who is who, but the raid was a success," interim government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari told AFP news agency about Monday's raids.

Newstyle,

Time seems to repeat itself again. The only thing that I hate about this is that Bush isn't saying thing about Southern Sudan. Although we need to keep our eye on Somalia, Sudan needs our help even more than ever.

The US military is using the Al-Qaeda excuse for Africa and its expansion in the region.

Expansion is in the works. But this may justify the reason to support the Pentagon's plan.

African Command Undecided, EUCOM Commander Says

By Michael Fabey/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
01/08/2007 08:59:44 AM

There's still no official approval to start a new separate African command, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward, European Command deputy commander, said Jan. 5.

Ward doesn't know if there will be an African command, as has been recommended, he said during a breakfast meeting with reporters.

Part of the uncertainty is due to a lack of detail about how such a command would be set up, where it would be located, who would be a part of it and how it would impact other commands that now oversee African operations, he said.

"More analysis is needed," he said.

Ward acknowledged a need to put more resources into Africa to safeguard natural resources and stabilize the region.

Military experts say the United States must gain a stronger foothold in the region to keep China from consuming too many of those resources. But Ward said a military mindset won't be enough.

"More airlift or strategic logistics may be needed," he said. "But it's not just that."

Making sure that African societies develop will be equally important. Any American effort will have to take an integrated holistic approach, he said.

May include civilians

One possibility, Ward acknowledged, would be to include civilians, such as State Department officials, more prominently with any African command that might be stood up.

That way, he said, Africans could have what he called a "horizon of hope."

A key to better African development would be security, Ward said. "Security is a better word than military," he said. "Security forms a backdrop. Outside investors won't be there if they don't have security." On the flip side, security depends on keeping those investors to maintain the hope for progress, he said.

One specific security concern Ward mentioned was maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea. He said African nations could buy and operate common radar components so they could more easily share information about shipping security, or the lack of it.

Another African security concern -- with potential global implications -- is the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), Ward said. Based mostly in Northern Africa, the GSPC represents a threat to Europe and beyond.

"This is a global environment," he said. "These guys are a threat anywhere."



:This shooting was not considered holistic with 'shoot 'em now ask questions later'

Eyewitness: 'Everything is unpredictable'
Somali human rights activist Ali Said Omar, 27, describes the mood in his country's capital, Mogadishu, after Islamist fighters flee and Ethiopian-backed government forces arrive.


Bakara market was unusually quiet this morning.
Most of the streets are empty. Businesses are closed, as are shops and restaurants. I saw a few groups of two or three people together chatting, and there are only a small number of cars around.
The big Muslim holiday Eid ul-Hajj is on Saturday and now this makes life even stranger as people were waiting for this celebration, looking forward to it.
People should be doing their shopping now for the holiday but the shops are closed and everyone is remaining indoors.
No-one wants to go into the streets. Anything could happen.
Waiting and shocked
Looting has been going on. Some of those involved freelance militia that were kicked out by the Islamists, but some are just opportunists, grabbing as much money as they can. Last night many, many people were robbed.
Speaking to people I did pass it seems as if our city is full of tears, waiting to burst. Most seem very worried, some terrified, waiting to know what to do.
People are very shocked because we were expecting that things would take longer. However, three days ago, when helicopters and warplanes appeared over our city and the bombs were dropped on Mogadishu airport, we got the feeling that what is going on is an international war - the war on terror.
The fighter planes were coming from the sea and US ships from their Djibouti base are in the Indian Ocean. People really do believe that the US is part of this mission.
Anger
Last night before the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) left they told the city that they were fleeing so that fighting would not take place in the streets, so women and children would not be harmed - they said we're doing this to save you.



Some people agree with the Courts' decision but some are angry that they have abandoned the city.
Already things in our city are chaotic again and if this continues it will be a very catastrophic situation.
If our city goes back to how it was six months ago it will be very complicated.
So much has changed.
'Easy to get a gun'
The weapons are now back in the hands of anyone who wants one.
When the Islamist Courts took control they recruited some of the different militia groups, trained them and taught them about Islam.







Our fear is chaos, confrontation. Chaos and conflict, lawlessness


But now that the Islamic Courts have gone those same militia are now trying to gain control once more.
They have not forgotten their loyalties to the warlords, they are awake again. It is easy to get a gun, to start over... everything is possible for them.
But it is not only the previous warlords who are making their way back, it is also some of the city's businessmen - they are now back in control, they are the ones that supply the weapons.
Whether one supports the Islamists or not though it is all about the future of the civilians now.
Revenge
No-one is giving much consideration to the transitional government as they are only being guided by the Ethiopians who are in turn are guided by the Americans.
If the government brings the previous warlords back then life will revert to how it was - the warlords will kill everyone to gain revenge on the people for supporting the Islamic courts. The people will be punished.



Two warlords escaped with the help of the Americans when the Islamists took over. Since 9/11 everything has changed... America used to be a dream for us.
But here the Ethiopians are hated more. You see - this is Somalia not Ethiopia. You do not have a right to come to another country and destroy civilians and say you are doing it to protect your own country.
People are comparing Ethiopia's action to what America has done in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ethiopia is saying that Somalis are a threat to our security.
People here are very angry with Ethiopia and then secondly with America. But not with Britain. Although the UK is very alike to the US, the understanding here is quite different, people here do not have animosity to the people of the UK.
Although they were the colonisers and they were the ones that first gave away the Ogaden to Ethiopia, when you go back into history the UK has been welcoming to many of our people since the 1980s.
Unpredictable
Things are chaotic now and things can easily deteriorate even more. It depends what the next move is.
If the transitional government can come up with a viable strategy to provide shelter and security for the Somali civilians then it will be a good scenario.



I am not going to affiliate myself to any clan. I have no special fears related to that because of who I am - I see myself as neutral - but I do fear the ways in which this situation will affect us Somalis.
Our fear is chaos, confrontation. Chaos and conflict, lawlessness.
So many are already fleeing the city.
I am always very hopeful and optimistic but at this stage everything is very unpredictable. We do not know the agenda of the Ethiopians or the transitional government.
If they allow the warlords to return and stay then there will be nothing left but to flee.
That would be the only choice.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/h...ca/6214263.stm

Published: 2006/12/28 16:55:56 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Look what they did to Iraq for one man.

But the pretence is to liberate Somali from Islamic influence, bring back stability and democracy...Like in Ethiopia.

BTW There were two strikes in seperate villages.

err no Kunjufu. AMERICANS think that the American Gov't is out of control. Bush has set this country back 20 years diplomacy wise. Through everyone telling him that we want our troops out, he continuously wants to get MORE money to send MORE troops.

I fail to see the difference between the logic of the u.s and alqaeda whom believe it is ok to wipe out hundreds of innoncent people in order to get a few alleged guys.