A U.S. raid in Somalia that killed one of Africa’s top al Qaeda men has likely won valuable counter-terrorism intelligence but risks further inflaming anti-Western opinion in a country of growing concern.
The apparent absence of civilian casualties in Monday’s strike, in which U.S. special forces took custody of the body of the man, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, is a notable win for military anti-terror efforts often condemned for killings of innocents.
More stuff to worry about.
Can we all agree that Cherman as a blogger is incredibly dumb? At least the other bloggers here have some sort of clue.
Forget a troop buildup in Afghanistan. This is the shadow war we should be fighting. Strike them anytime anywhere!
This raid was in the south of Somalia near the Kenyan border. Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan was a Kenyan national. A few years ago, Ethiopia invaded Somalia – many say with U.S. approval and support. Atrocities were committed by all sides. In Kenya on the Somali border, are large refugee camps (some of the largest in the world) of Somalis from this war and past conflicts. It only exacerbated what was already a horrible humanitarian crisis.
That may be what the author was referring to with “further inflaming anti-Western opinion in a country ..”.
#23… gotta love how the US gets blamed 100% for all the worlds problems. This despite the fact that it is Islamic fundamentalist, ME intelligence agencies, and other crazies running wild in Africa and the ME that are actually on the ground in Somalia causing all the problems. They are armed to the teeth with weapons from China and Russia. Yet somehow it is still all America’s fault.
The word ‘invasion’ implies that we went into a sovereign state.
Not sure Somalia (née Somaliland, née Puntland, née Chaos, née NoMansLand) really qualifies.
And if Bush were Pres, the Democrats would probably be calling for impeachment.
when you say invade do you mean there were some tanks, jets, air craft carriers!? because when the U.S. invades they don’t mess around.
It’s about time…
Just go down the list of al Qaeda one at a time…
You just don’t get it do you?
Either we kill them or they kill us.
I vote we kill them.
Who cares who started it, but I think it started a long time ago.
There is no COUNTRY named Somalia.
There is an area with boundaries, and the area is called Somalia, but there is no COUNTRY named Somalia.
A country has a government that rules the area. There is no government in Somalia.
There is nobody to ask permission to enter the area, since there is no government.
If we are going to piss someone off, it will be the local warlord, a person that is almost 100% of the time a bloodthirsty murderous thug, so if we take him out in the process also, fine.
So in summary, the US military went into an area with no government and killed one bloodthirsty thug that was under the watch of another bloodthirsty thug. Well done.
BTW… Somalia is what the USA would look like if the ‘principles’ of the Teaparty members were to rule the USA. No government, rule by arms and thugs, no infrastructure. Freedom to live like a rat in a ghetto.
Of course they had to do away with this Kenyan national. He had Obama’s Kenyan Birth Certificate.
“More stuff to worry about.” I’m not following your comment. I’m thinking this is less “stuff” to worry about; i.e., one less terrorist leader to organize and attack seems like less worry not more. What am I missing?
Contratulations and a salute of gratitude to the honorable members of the U.S.A’s military who accomplished a difficult mission in a flawless manner.
What happened to their rights…why weren’t they Mirandized?
Everything Obama promises…are precisely the things he won’t do…
President Obama seems like a loose canon…first he murders teenagers at sea, without hesitation, without giving them a chance to surrender…and now he assassinating folks in sovereign countries…
Where is the outrage of the left…had President Bush did similar…there would be protests.
It was imperative that this Kenyan terrorist be captured as he had a certain Kenyan birth certificate in his possession. That is why news coverage has been so sparse. It’s a conspiracy!
These invasions sure work a lot better when you don’t invite the media to your op. Remember that last time the US came to Somalia? What a freaken circus!
Kudos to the military team that made the clean strike.
(if that’s what actually happened)
However, most should know by now that military press releases rarely tell anything even close to the truth.
Considering this guy was only wanted (by the FBI) for questioning,</ -two to the head seems kinda harsh.
Me thinks taking him out was a decoy/cover mission. it is more likely this was a close-up and personal Intelligence gathering mission on the alleged Somali Pirate bases there, or another mission outright.
-sounds like that guy couldn’t contain himself over a the “goldmine of intelligence” this dead body’s DNA provided. (okaynow…)
Note, also in the news was that there was a North Korean Cargo ship that fought off pirates..with molotov cocktails *cough* and also,
“Somali pirates free 22 Filipino seamen”
What fantastic timing, don’t yaz think?
I think the Reuter headline was made to fire the Patriotic imagination. The story played out like a mission with a god mode cheat activated.. -perfect.
Now if you look at the AP version of the story:
You kinda get a completely different picture forming in your head, yes?
Reuters: U.S. Special forces leads the way to victory. (yah!)
AP: Foreign troops strafed a car, -oh, and American forces were involved (ho hum)
Always remember, we live in custom tailored worlds of illusion.
The mirror image rule applies.
-s
(they don’t call it the matrix for for good reason)
bloody tags..
Editor please close the /em tag.
-and what happen to the formatting? how come paragraphs no longer separate?
highly unreadable..
-s
[Fixed the tag. I also combined some of your lines into paragraphs so they don't chop off. Not sure what you're talking about. Everyone else's paragraphs look fine. --ed.]
#24 That’s because loony commies control most of the international media outlets.
#29 You were doing so well, I was thinking about complimenting you… that is until I read your last paragraph. Sad that you went to sleep after that brief moment of lucidity.
Speaking about Somalia, how are those illegals doing in the US?
Invades….what a crock.
#37–Pedro==you’ve watched me criticize intelligent posters here for not being able to admit when they are wrong? ie==violating all the rules of honest evaluation that made them intelligent in the first place?
Now, sadly, I have to say that to YOU for your dismissal of Awakes last paragraph without any explication of how his assessment is wrong. It makes sense to me.
What are you “specifically” thinking of?
Learn to compliment your adversaries when they deserve it. They inch farther up the pedestal and fall farther when they honestly screw up, which they will do, because we all do.