Al Qaeda Deputy Eggs On Somali Militants
Al Qaeda's deputy leader urged Islamic militants hiding out in Somalia to ambush and raid Ethiopian forces with land mines and suicide attacks until they can take over the country, according to an Internet audiotape posted Friday.
"I speak to you today as the crusader Ethiopian invasion forces violate the soil of the beloved Muslim Somalia," al Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahri said in the audiotape.
The Egyptain-born al-Zawahri also urged Islamist militia to remain fighting until Ethiopian forces are defeated.
However, the encouragement from al Qaeda will not likely help the militants clinging to existence on the southern tip of Somalia, as government and Ethiopian forces prepared to move in on them Friday.
The joint forces were prepared to launch a major assault on the last stronghold of the Islamic militiamen.
U.S. Navy warships were patrolling off the Somali coast to prevent the fighters from escaping by sea.
The Somali and Ethiopian force captured a southern town near the Kenyan border Thursday evening. Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, the Somali defense minister, said Islamic militiamen were dug in with their backs to the sea at Ras Kamboni at the southernmost tip of Somalia.
"Today we will launch a massive assault on the Islamic courts militias. We will use infantry troops and fighter jets," said Shire, who left for the battle zone on Friday. "They have dug huge trenches around Ras Kamboni but have only two options: to drown in the sea or to fight and die."
Al-Zawahri said on the audio tape: "I call upon the Muslim nation in Somalia to remain in the new battlefield that is one of the crusader battlefields that are being launched by America and its allies and the United Nations against Islam and Muslims,".
"Launch ambushes, land mines, raids and suicidal combats until you consume them as the lions and eat their prey," al-Zawahri added.
The more than five-minute audiotape could not immediately be verified but was aired on a Web site frequently used by militants and carried the logo of al Qaeda's media production wing, al-Sahab.
It was the second time the al Qaeda No. 2 had lent his group's moral support to the holdout militiamen of Somalia's Council of Islamic Courts, who were routed by government and Ethiopian troops after nearly taking over the whole country.
His first message, the content of which was similar, came in an audio tape released on December 19.
Meanwhile, Somalia's president told diplomats from the around the world Friday that his country has a rare opportunity to reverse 15 years of anarchy, but needs international help to do it.
Abdullahi Yusuf was addressing a meeting where officials from the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East are discussing how to help Yusuf's government following the defeat of the Islamic movement that tried to destroy it.
"I feel that there is now a rare opportunity and a genuine breakthrough in the political situation in Somalia," Yusuf said at the meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. "We need you to actualize financial, material and technical assistance."
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "I speak to you today as the crusader Ethiopian invasion forces violate the soil of the beloved Muslim Somalia," al Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahri said in the audiotape.
The Egyptain-born al-Zawahri also urged Islamist militia to remain fighting until Ethiopian forces are defeated.
However, the encouragement from al Qaeda will not likely help the militants clinging to existence on the southern tip of Somalia, as government and Ethiopian forces prepared to move in on them Friday.
The joint forces were prepared to launch a major assault on the last stronghold of the Islamic militiamen.
U.S. Navy warships were patrolling off the Somali coast to prevent the fighters from escaping by sea.
The Somali and Ethiopian force captured a southern town near the Kenyan border Thursday evening. Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, the Somali defense minister, said Islamic militiamen were dug in with their backs to the sea at Ras Kamboni at the southernmost tip of Somalia.
"Today we will launch a massive assault on the Islamic courts militias. We will use infantry troops and fighter jets," said Shire, who left for the battle zone on Friday. "They have dug huge trenches around Ras Kamboni but have only two options: to drown in the sea or to fight and die."
Al-Zawahri said on the audio tape: "I call upon the Muslim nation in Somalia to remain in the new battlefield that is one of the crusader battlefields that are being launched by America and its allies and the United Nations against Islam and Muslims,".
"Launch ambushes, land mines, raids and suicidal combats until you consume them as the lions and eat their prey," al-Zawahri added.
The more than five-minute audiotape could not immediately be verified but was aired on a Web site frequently used by militants and carried the logo of al Qaeda's media production wing, al-Sahab.
It was the second time the al Qaeda No. 2 had lent his group's moral support to the holdout militiamen of Somalia's Council of Islamic Courts, who were routed by government and Ethiopian troops after nearly taking over the whole country.
His first message, the content of which was similar, came in an audio tape released on December 19.
Meanwhile, Somalia's president told diplomats from the around the world Friday that his country has a rare opportunity to reverse 15 years of anarchy, but needs international help to do it.
Abdullahi Yusuf was addressing a meeting where officials from the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East are discussing how to help Yusuf's government following the defeat of the Islamic movement that tried to destroy it.
"I feel that there is now a rare opportunity and a genuine breakthrough in the political situation in Somalia," Yusuf said at the meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. "We need you to actualize financial, material and technical assistance."
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Great comment.
As for Al Zawari, or warthog.
Why don't you practice what you preach?
How about you and that other Pigeater, Bin Laden, if he's even still alive and not being eaten by maggots come out and do the suicide thing yourself.
Or is that too much to ask of pig-eating cowards?
Posted by perception5
Hey conservative repubicon, are you starting to realise that the REASON we are in this delemma in the first place is BECAUSE of our direct involvement with Israel and our failed foreign policies that don't work?
OBL has said many times on video WHY he ordered 9/11, before then there was no such thing as 9/11 style attacks. Since we refuse to change what we do and our policies, and nothing has changed, we WILL be hit again. 9/11 was not an action it was a REACTION like the kid who gets tired of taking it, finally gets fed up being beaten up every week by the school yard bully and puts a baseball bat to his head or worse.
Do you blame the kid with the now bloody baseball bat, or do you blame the BULLY there?
Only fools think we can "win" any kind of "war" against thousands of terrorists and potential terrorists by what we are doing, he11, we can't even control our own DOMESTIC terrorists like Earth First! Sierra Club, Peta, ALF (Animal liberation front) or the anti abortion nuts like Randall Terry who blows up medical clinics and shoots doctors.
Way to go, a pissant nobody has something to say, the US media helps spread the word nationally on radio, TV and newspapers.
I don't portend that this 'war' is going to work. But I DO know that if we negotiate with these folks, they will simply take a break, then start the terrorism all over again, this time demanding something even more, until they get everything they want, which is total domination. And NO, this ISN'T Muslim against Christian. These religions are being used by men (Osama and group) of no moral character to advance their lust for power.
And since NONE of you sit in with Bush as decisions are made, NONE of you are qualified to speak to his motives. All that cr*p is just that. I am NOT saying he is all that is good, just that YOU DON'T KNOW. Again, just because you FEEL it's true doesn't make it so.
Since you dems seem to think you can negotiate your way out of this, why don't you go over there and try 'talking' with some of these terrorists? Perhaps as they slit your throat on live TV, your last opinions might be different, eh?
What an ignorant pipe dream!
I'll bet you still believe in the Tooth Fairy!