U.S. Missile Strike Hits Town In Somalia

Attack Aimed At Al Qaeda Suspect; Officials Say 8 People Seriously Injured

(CBS/AP)  The U.S. launched a military missile strike Monday targeting a terrorist suspect in a Somali town held by Islamic extremists, officials said. Residents and police in the town said a home was destroyed and at least eight people, including four children, were seriously injured.

"It was a deliberate, precise strike against a known terrorist and his associates," one U.S. military official said in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the record.

The targets were believed staying in building known to be used regularly by terrorist suspects, he said. Last year, the U.S. shelled suspected al Qaeda targets in Somalia, using gunfire from a U.S. Navy ship offshore.

In Dobley, some four miles from the Kenyan border, Fatuma Abdullahi told The Associated Press she woke to a "loud and a big bang and when we came out we found our neighbor's house completely obliterated as if no house existed here.

"We are taking shelter under trees. Three planes were flying over our heads."

Remnants of an Islamic force that had once ruled much of southern Somalia took over Dobley last week.

A police officer in Dobley who gave only his first name, Siyad, because he was not authorized to speak to the media said the eight wounded were hit by shrapnel. An aid worker in Dobley said up to six people were still trapped in the rubble by midday. It was not clear if these victims were included in the police officer's tally.

"A minimum of two bombs were dropped," the aid worker, who asked that his name not be used because he is not authorized to speak to the media, told the AP by telephone. "Between four and six people are in the rubble."

Clan elder Ahmed Nur Dalab said a senior Islamic official, Hassan Turki, was in town Sunday to mediate between his fighters and a militia loyal to the government. Turki's forces took over Dobley last week.

In early 2007, Somali troops and their Ethiopian allies drove out a radical Islamic group to which Turki is allied that had taken over much of southern Somalia. The Islamic forces have fought to regain power.

Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other.

The current government, led by President Abdullahi Yusuf, was formed in 2004 with the support of the U.N., but has struggled to assert any real control.

On Monday, a rights group said all sides in Somalia's long-running conflict are united in at least one goal - trying to curtail independent media by "killing, arresting and threatening" reporters.

The report by London-based Amnesty International was released a day after government raids shut down three independent radio stations in Mogadishu. The soldiers forced the stations off the air, arrested a journalist and seized equipment.

"The troops came in, took our equipment and arrested our boss without explanation. We do not know why they are targeting us," Mohamed Abdullahi, a Shabelle radio staff member, told the AP. Shabelle's director, Muqtar Mohamed Hirabe, was arrested.

At least nine journalists have been killed since February 2007 and death threats and arrests have forced at least 50 others to seek refuge in neighboring countries, Amnesty said.

[ioweign]

Posted by libsrweak at 04:33 PM : Mar 04, 2008


The United States has a more secretive way to do it...

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001:

SEC. 9528. ARMED FORCES RECRUITER ACCESS TO STUDENTS AND STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION.

http://www.rcnv.org/counterrecruit/optout/

[erasmus6]

You also might want to actually LEARN from your mistakes.

[libsrweak]

They do not want their people learning our immoral ways.


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Posted by erasmus6 at 03:12 AM : Mar 04, 2008
+ report abuse


************

can we just tell them to stop watching liberal hollywood??

[erasmus6]

"You remind me of the history of American genocide against the original natives, the Europeans would wipe out a village to the last person, then when the natives retaliated, the Euros conveniently forgot that theirs was the original "cassus belli", and instantly labeled the victims "savage injuns", and felt they had the right to commit genocide.
posted by brianbwb

There is absolutely no question that you have brought it on yourselves, that you are indeed the original problem. BUT the fact remains is that they are after you now, so what are you going to do? Sit back and let it happen?

[libsrweak]

Perhaps the children were "terrorists", eh Bush?

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Posted by brianbwb at 01:19 AM : Mar 04, 2008
+ report abuse

***********************

in all possibility..YES! they train thier kids to kill..they teach them to hate..they tell them that you are a piece of sh*t because you dont worhsip allah. YOU DONT UNDERSTAND (or simply do not care because you sit there all safe and comfy)..THEY HATE YOU WITH THE SAME PASSION AS THEY BESTOW ON EVERYBODY..

[libsrweak]

Bull. They only want those people who call themselves our "leaders" to stop trying to impose "our way of life" upon them at the point of a gun. You speak of millions dead, but fail to mention that most of the dead are directly from "western" hands, or indirectly from "western" meddling.

You remind me of the history of American genocide against the original natives, the Europeans would wipe out a village to the last person, then when the natives retaliated, the Euros conveniently forgot that theirs was the original "cassus belli", and instantly labeled the victims "savage injuns", and felt they had the right to commit genocide.


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Posted by brianbwb at 05:13 AM : Mar 04, 2008
+ report abuse


************

spare me your benevolent ranting.. these "people" are imposing thier religion on everybody and they would use a gun, a bomb, a sword, a 747 to do it. your "people" do not come to a battlefield to wage a war..they hide among civilians..as well documented in palestine, lebanon, iraq, pakistan and afghanistan. They operate and launch attacks within a civilian proximity BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE NAIVE AND STUPID TO KNOW THAT THEY USE CIVILIAN AS SHIELDS.

you feel bad about the ''american native'' cause?? either you willingly return the land where you residence is sitting on and pay your back rent to them or you are about as bad as everybody.

[lilvinnyb]

1. Some of the people on this board are proof-positive of why I dont want liberals running this country. Their attitude is .... let the terrorist strike, THEN take action.

2. Terrorists deliberately HIDE among civilians, trying to shield themselves....including children.

Way to go BUSH! One less terrorist who can plot murder against US citizens...including many of the same CLOWNS on this board criticizing the same policy that protects ..... EVEN THEM!

[realpatriot1]

brianwb,

We have no declared hostilities with Somalia? I seem to recall certain citizens of Somalia dragging the burnt corpses of Americans through the dirt like it was some kind of game.

It''s always regretable when innocent civilians, especially children are the casualties of war but
both sides in the battle share responsibility for this.

[brianbwb-2009]

"After millions killed since this all started, do you still not get that what they want is to kill YOU, and your FAMILY, and your FRIENDS?"

Bull. They only want those people who call themselves our "leaders" to stop trying to impose "our way of life" upon them at the point of a gun. You speak of millions dead, but fail to mention that most of the dead are directly from "western" hands, or indirectly from "western" meddling.

You remind me of the history of American genocide against the original natives, the Europeans would wipe out a village to the last person, then when the natives retaliated, the Euros conveniently forgot that theirs was the original "cassus belli", and instantly labeled the victims "savage injuns", and felt they had the right to commit genocide.

[erasmus6]

"After millions killed since this all started, do you still not get that what they want is to kill YOU, and your FAMILY, and your FRIENDS? Do you still think you can "talk" with people who use suicide bombs, people who hijack planes, people who will kill YOU and your KIDS simply because you are not also a radical Muslim?" posted by michaelt302

I agree. Normally, if I recall, I usually don''t agree with much you say. But on this I will agree.

These people hate everything that we are. They do not want their people learning our immoral ways.