U.S. Strikes In Somalia Reportedly Kill 31

Official Says Dead Were Civilians From Village Targeted In Hunt For Alleged Al Qaeda Suspects

(CBS/AP)  Attack helicopters strafed suspected al Qaeda fighters in southern Somalia on Tuesday, witnesses said, following two days of air strikes by U.S. forces — the first U.S. offensives in the African country since 18 American soldiers were killed here in 1993.

In Washington, a U.S. intelligence official said American forces killed five to 10 people in an attack on one target in southern Somalia believed to be associated with al Qaeda. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the operation's sensitivity, said a small number of others present, perhaps four or five, were wounded.

The U.S. military is ready to carry out more strikes, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports. But whether it does will depend on getting good intelligence on the whereabouts of any al Qaeda operatives left alive.

A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault by two helicopters near Afmadow, a town in a forested area close to the Kenyan border. The report could not be independently verified.

A Somali Defense Ministry official described the helicopters as American, but witnesses told The Associated Press they could not make out identification markings on the craft. Washington officials had no comment on the helicopter strike.

The U.S. is hunting down Islamic extremists, said the Somali defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

"These guys deserve to be dead," said CBS News consultant Michael Schueur, a former CIA officer. "I hope we did get them, but in the strategic sense of 'are we closer to winning this war?' I think that's probably not the case."

On Monday, a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship conducted an initial strike – part of a wider air offensive against suspected members of al Qaeda - Martin first reported.

The Pentagon confirmed Monday's strike targeting al Qaeda operatives late on Tuesday, but did not give any information on who was actually killed.

The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa, Martin reported. Those terror attacks killed more than 200 people.

Earlier, Somalia's president said that the U.S. was pursuing suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, and that the effort has his support.

Somali troops and their Ethiopian allies were attacked in the capital late Tuesday by gunmen riding in two pickup trucks who fired two rocket propelled grenades, witnesses said.

The rocket attack was followed by several minutes of rifle fire. One Somali soldier was killed and two other soldiers and a bystander were wounded, said minibus driver Harun Ahmed, who took the injured to a hospital.

Col. Shino Moalin Nur, a Somali military commander, told the AP by telephone late Tuesday that at least one U.S. AC-130 gunship attacked a suspected al Qaeda training camp Sunday on a remote island at the southern tip of Somalia next to Kenya.

Somali officials said they had reports of many deaths.

On Monday, witnesses and Nur said, more U.S. air strikes were launched against Islamic extremists in Hayi, 30 miles from Afmadow. Nur said attacks continued Tuesday.

"Nobody can exactly explain what is going on inside these forested areas," the Somali commander said. "However, we are receiving reports that most of the Islamist fighters have died and the rest would be captured soon."

In Washington on Tuesday, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman spoke of one strike in southern Somalia, but would not confirm any of the details or say whether any al Qaeda militants were killed.

The assault was based on intelligence "that led us to believe we had principal al Qaeda leaders in an area where we could identify them and take action against them," Whitman said.

[themooniac]

Good, blow em away wherever you find em. I hope they hit paydirt in Somalia for a change.

[jumkey]

Yeah, except that the "Islamists" in Somalia deny being al-Quaeda, with some validity.

The surprise was that after years of civil war where warloads ruled the streets and killed and attacked at will (remember "Blackhawk Down"? They were the bad guys then) when the Islamists took over they established order. Built schools, started a legal system, cleaned up the streets. By all accounts the were establishing civil order from chaos - without draconian measures.

I guess we liked the warloads better. I wonder if the average Somalia does as well? Or do we even care?

[lazman66]

Yeah, just ask all those Somalis beaten or killed for watching movies or the World Cup, or for listening to harmless music, how much they miss Al Queda...

[lazman66]

Yeah, jumkey, just ask all those Somalis beaten or killed for watching movies or the World Cup, or for listening to a little music how much they miss Al Queda! Insert some AU peacekeepers to install order and this place might find stability sans religious fascism yet...

[grazinggoat]

Any recent Oil discovery in Somalia? There we go again.

[agnim]

"..... when the Islamists took over they established order. Built schools, started a legal system, cleaned up the streets. By all accounts the were establishing civil order from chaos - without draconian measures.

I guess we liked the warloads better. I wonder if the average Somalia does as well? Or do we even care?
Posted by jumkey at 07:05 PM : Jan 08, 2007"

Just so you know, the powers of evil is ALSO capable of "establishing civil order". Don't you ever forget that!

Islam needs to be eradicated from the face of the Earth!
Therefore so we shouldn't be tolerating the creation of anymore islamic state ANYWHERE; because we know from history that the maniac muslim jihadists aren't intent on keeping their religious rubbish to themselves! They want to islamize the world; and the world should reject such insane islamic expansionism EVERYWHERE!

[ali_bg]

Horn Africa now.. I really don't believe there are any Al QAEDA fighters there could be slimiest extremist and it doesn't mean they are with Al QAEDA.. and saying that there are Already fighters or helpers in Somalia is the Lie that the president of the temporary government of Somalia is using to get a green light and get help from Ethiopia for him to become a president and Ethiopia to get paid from what War on terror funding..

[kevboom]

Well, I guess it's better than sending more troops into a foreign country, but you have to wonder how many women and children were among those killed this time around. The U.S. has grown quite immune to lobbing bombs into third world countries without repercussion. I guess our commander in chief and generals are quite proud of their accomplishments in this regard. It's worth pondering, however, when the "it's better them than us" policy will reap a nuclear response on our own soil from sowing the seeds of hate. Israel is a pretty good case study of how effective aggression is against aggression. Would be nice if we learned from their mistakes before it's too late.

[jumkey]

I'm not defending either side in this conflict. I'm simply saying that our supporting one side doesn't make it the "good" side. And mowing people down with C130 gunships really, really doesn't make us the good guys.

As I said, they deny being al-Quaeda. Perhaps you have a different source then LGF or WorldNetDaily for your biased news lazman66?

[ali_bg]

THAT FACT THAT EVERYONE NEED TO KNOW IS ALL THE WARLORDS THAT BEEN KICKED OUT WHE SOUTHERN SOMALIA WAS PEACEFULL FOR FEW MONTHS ARE ALL BACK TO THE GAME AND THEY SAFE WITH AMERICAN SECURITY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF SOMALIA .. EVERY SOMALI WANTS THE BEST FOR THE COUNTRY BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WITH ALL THW WARLOARDS ARE BACK TO THE CAPITAL...

[j-whitman]

It doesn't do 1 dam bit of good to strike a country with our forces spread thin in Iran & Afaganistan.... We have absoultly no ability to follow through.

[j-whitman]

Iran,, Iraq,, I made the same mistake Bush did,, missed it by 1 letter.... We still can't follow through with ground troops.

[jumkey]

"Islam needs to be eradicated from the face of the Earth!"

Yeah, lets kill a billion innocent people. Looks like your the "face of evil" in this discussion Agnim, in that you're advocating genocide to establish civil order.

[gusvansant]

There goes Bush again. why cant he leave al Qaeda alone already? no wonder Al Qadea hates us. maybe we wouldnt have any 9-11's or terror attacks if we reached out to Al qaeda and helped dismantle the Israeli regime.

[geo1671]

Surething Mr. Bushlet, bomb the cr@p out off some sheep herders.After 8 years it's all the bad guys that did USi in.
By the way what right does it give you to go into a country and bomb . Did you get UN approval or Congress. Why not pick on a bigger guy--go ahead try Iran. USi has always pickedon the little guys.
This area must be awful important to USi-- To Grow Bananas?

[nulife02]

You libs don't think there is any Al Queda in Somalia after our intelligence has been tracking these guys for months? If you are too dumb to read the above article, go watch "Black Hawk Down." These guys are tied to the US Embassy attack in 1998 were 200 people were killed. I say go Air Force, give em' hell boys. That is what it means to REALLY support the military.

[johnendwar]

Once again we attack a Muslim country for the sake of empire and Israel - thinly disguised as a war on terror.
Those U.S. gunships kill everything in their path and there is little doubt that many, many innocent Somali Muslims were slaughtered.
How much more blood, Muslim and American, will we spill for the sake of the right-wing Israeli government and those among the American elite who make money on war and have dreams of world empire.
Bush's kids and Cheney's kids and the kids of all the raving neocons do not go to war or spill their blood.
Enough.
jw

[gusvansant]

There goes Bush again. why cant he leave al Qaeda alone already? no wonder Al Qadea hates us. maybe we wouldnt have any 9-11's or terror attacks if we reached out to Al qaeda and helped dismantle the Israeli regime.

[johnendwar]

Once again we attack a Muslim country for the sake of empire and Israel - thinly disguised as a war on terror.
Those U.S. gunships kill everything in their path and there is little doubt that many, many innocent Somali Muslims were slaughtered.
How much more blood, Muslim and American, will we spill for the sake of the right-wing Israeli government and those among the American elite who make money on war and have dreams of world empire.
Bush's kids and Cheney's kids and the kids of all the raving neocons do not go to war or spill their blood.
Enough.
jw

[nyckate]

To johnendwar - have you not been keeping up with current events - how can you now know that the AQ in somalia have been engaged in brutal vicious genocide there for years against non-muslims in somalia?? Bombing AQ in Somalia is the right thing to do - invading Iraq wasn't -- afterall it was AQ not Iraq that attacked US.

[ltmit]

Thank God for a Commander and Chief that will do what is right to protect America and the future of our children. How we forget! I lost over 300 firefighting brother's on 9-11 and we MUST defeat the enemy anywhere it hides.

[j-whitman]

Jaydg,,, If Bush wasn't such a devious screw up maybe we wouldn't hate him,,,, Maybe if he didn't lie everytime he opens his trap we just might have a little respect for the dangerous idiot.

[johnendwar]

And how do you know that AQ is being attacked in Somalia? Or just AQ? They told us that we went to Iraq to get AQ and it was a pack of lies. Now do you trust them on Somalia.
We must get rid of our empire and our submission to the Israeli Lobby before our republic is destroyed.
That means that we need an alternative to the BOTH the Dems and Republicans - and I do not much care whether it is Greens or Libertarians since both are critical of empire and Israel.
The democracy we save may be our own.
jw

[nyckate]

To jaydg - we have thrown away 4 years in Iraq when all the while AQ was already in Somalia and committing terrible acts of genocide, operating training camps for AQ terrorists.

The whole point of the War on Terror was that Bush was supposed to go after AQ and other terrorists those 5.5 years ago - unfortunately he diverted from the War on Terror to his invasion of Iraq.

[j-whitman]

Bushloves,,, Try following the news once.... Cheney / Rumsfield has the Pentagon conducting ops directly interfering with our own CIA... Many ops have not been successful... We also gave Somalia the radical goverenment ever, Building Terrorism Not Defeating it.

[markster6]

jumkey: you said the Islamists established order "without draconian measures"?

I think you are seriously misguided about the intentions of the Islamists in Somalia. The people of Somalia would be controlled by strict Sharia law. I agree warlord control is not the solution. Somalia's official government should be supported by anyone concerned about the Somali people. If the Islamists had gained sufficient strength, they would have attempted to carve out parts of Ethiopia where many native Somali's live. Somalia would certainly also have been a training ground for terrorists.

[j-whitman]

Bush would say,, "It was roses not missiles,,, Don't worry be happy,, go shopping"

[jkf398-2009]

They didn't expect to see Specter, did they? HA! It's great to see us hitting the enemy without announcing our intentions or baby-stepping around! Hooray for the USAF! Hooray for the USA!!

[johnendwar]

And some are confusing Sudan and Darfur with Somalia. No genocide was committed in Somalia unless by the warlords whom we are now backing against the Muslims.
As for Sudan, 200,000 have died in the fighting there versus close to 700, 000 in the US invasion of Iraq.
Wake up America. The empire builders and the Israeli Lobby are treating you like a bunch of hillbillies and laughing at you the whole time. And W is among the ***---s laughing loudest. Jenna and Barbar are not in Iraq.
jw

[antoniof123]

Does anyone see a pattern here has the world gone insane? What is wrong with you people what has happened or should I say what is happening. You have all lost your minds. How many more must die for religion it is the *** in the world and that is what needs to be exterminated. Time to remove these religious leaders send them to their reward they are getting out of hand. Not people just the religions not God just the religions they have shown that they are the evil in this world. They lead and send to death those that follow.

[j-whitman]

It's all part of Bush's "Culture of Life"

[ushistorynut]

Possibly a correction needed... 3rd paragraph reads, "The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second". It does have a single 25mm GAU-12 Gatling gun, but only fires a mere 3,600 - 4,200 rounds per minute. Ah, the thought of those rounds in an al quada member... puts a smile on my face. Semper Fi!

[jkf398-2009]

Islamists are intent on martyring themselves for their fictional "cause". Fortunately, those of us in the American military are intent on the same thing -- martyring Islamists for their fictional cause! At last! Something we can all agree on! Bring on the AC-130s, boys! Lean on a wing and make that baby SING!

[j-whitman]

ushistory,,, We don't have the ground troops to verify we didn't kill anyone but civilians.... The Special Forces in the area are now hunted targets, & we are too tied up to help.

[j-whitman]

ushistory -- Willie nillie launching attacks in other countries isn't supported by any nations laws..

[forparity]

Back to BlackHawk down. Last time we saw the AC-130 Gunship in action was following President Clinton's colorful promise, as George Stephanopolous noted in his book: ....The "leader of the free world" waxing oh so eloquently: "'We're not inflicting pain on these f_____rs,' Then, with his face reddening, his voice rising, and his fist pounding into his thigh, he leaned into Tony [Lake], as if it was his fault. 'I believe in killing people who try to hurt you. And I can't believe we're being pushed around by these two-bit pricks.'" --George Stephanopoulos writing about the Somalia Crisis in "All Too Human," page 214, Clinton sent in the AC - 130 gunship to lay out the revenge killing for the loss of the American soldiers. The footage of the gunship circling the target, it's gattlin guns blazing, was a fearful sight indeed. Later, reports said that more than one thousand civilians had been mowed down in the massacre.

[agnim]

"And mowing people down with C130 gunships really, really doesn't make us the good guys.

Posted by jumkey at 07:41 PM : Jan 08, 2007"

Totally agree the points in this post of yours.
Our dear leader has time and again demonstrated himself to be dumb, myopic and evil incarnate, and so are the insane islamists whose minds are poisoned by the insane islamic rubbish.

We should be going after the insane islam and NOT PEOPLE!
However, our dear leader is too stupid and evil to make islam the enemy instead slaughtering so many people like a demon.

[j-whitman]

Yurpallid,,, Come on now, Bush told us our pants are on fire when we invaded Iraq,,, You believed him -- It's cost us over 3,000 American lives with more to come, as well as decimating our Armed Services.

[agnim]

"Bring on the AC-130s, boys! Lean on a wing and make that baby SING!

Posted by jkf398 at 08:05 PM : Jan 08, 2007"

You one sorry arse soldier; little wonder your 'commander in chief' care so little about wasting American lives like yours for his comical cause. Tsk-tsk.

[j-whitman]

"Culture of Life", "Family Values" -- WHAT A GD JOKE

[j-whitman]

GREAT EXAMPLE OF DEMOCRACY FOR OTHER NATIONS TO FOLLOW - ISN'T IT ??

[j-whitman]

Agnim,,, Don't you mean Liar & Thief ??? instead of commander ??

[emaginechild]

Unfortunately, we are the enemy. Do you really believe we were attacked on 9/11 because they don't like our MTV or our "way of life?"
This country utilizes over half of the world%u2019s resources. How?
Not by playing nice, that's how.
We put other countries into debt by lending billions of dollars they cannot ever payback.
If they don't borrow our money, then we send in the CIA to put someone into power to provide us with the resources we want. This has all been proven and none of it is commentary.
This is pure fact.
After awhile, people are going to become brave and say, "Enough is enough"

I love the constitution and will defend our beaches if attacked. I will not, nor send my children across the world in the name of a cold war with the USSR in Vietnam over the idea of preserving Capitalism. Nor spill blood for oil when all the power of electric vehicles is kept from us in the name of greed.
"Who Killed the Electric Car?" This movie is available at your local video store.
It goes further than you could want to imagine.

Love and light~

[j-whitman]

It seems to me the only bad guys we targeted & actually hit was the sons of Saddam.

Posted by Agnim: You one sorry arse soldier; little wonder your 'commander in chief' care so little about wasting American lives like yours for his comical cause. Tsk-tsk.

LOL! The mask is off! Whenever anyone from the left says they "support the troops", quote this to them.

[lum7]

Isn't it great to be an American? I would much rather kill the bums in Africa, instead of dealing with them at home. You guys just don't get it. Way to go GW!!!

[tdap2]

------The Diplomatic Alternative Profect---
The US government helps create and develop an organization (Al-Qaeda) to get
foreign military invaders (the Soviets) out of Muslim Lands. Today that foreign military
invader and occupier of muslim lands is the US in afganistan, iraq and soon somalia. Why should the US Government be surprised that Al-Qaeda and others are now fighting the US Military Occupiers of Muslim Lands.
After the cold war the US government/military/industrial complex searched for a
new world war and they think they have found one. Don%u2019t let them!! Contact Your Elected Official Today!!

[j-whitman]

oscura -- Whenever a Bush lover says support the troops,, Ask them to repare the equipment used in 2 other war fronts,, Pay our soldiers a living wage so thier family's can get off of food stamps,,, & above all give them a winning stratigy & the boots to carry it out.

[patriotic9]

Eventhough I don't like most of the steps taken by Bush administration but I fully support him in fighting against Alqaeda and Radical Islamist whereever they are.The thing which really pisses me off is Bush's strategy of removing a Secular Saddam from power who was fighting our war against Islamic Radicals and to give power to ISLAMIC RADICAL "MALIKI"and giving him our TAX MONEY and our WEAPONS to kill our soldiers.
There is a lesson in Post Saddam Iraq for United States.The greatest danger for our security is the Democracy in the Muslim world.Because of United States support to the Illegitimate and unjustified existance of Israel,people in the muslim world don't hate anybody more then Americans.Whenever those people'll be given chance to chose their leader,they'll definately choose the most Anti-American person like they did in Iraq and Palestine.We must never repeat the same mistake in Somalia or any other Muslim country otherwise we'll keep on killing our own soldiers by our own Tax money and wouldn't find any way out to get rid of that situation just like now it's impossible for us to stop killing our own soldiers every day by ourselves.

[kellertexas]

The protest movements in the US, just make us stronger......the terrorists started it, we will finish it. and in fact have already finished it for thousands of the terrorist jugheads. Get all the little terrorists to come to one spot, where our military can effectively wipe them out, pre-empting their attacks on my grandkids here in the USA. Keep up the good work US military and AC 130s......remember 9-11