Africa News
US launches strike against al-Qaeda in Somalia: report
Jan 9, 2007, 9:39 GMT
Washington - The US military has launched a strike in Somalia against al-Qaeda operatives suspected of playing a role in the bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, according to US television reports Monday.
An AC-130 gunship flying from Djibouti carried out the attack in southern Somalia sometime over the past 24 hours after US intelligence tracked the operatives with an unmanned aerial drone, CBS news first reported.
CBS cited reports of dead bodies in the area, but there was no verification as to whether al-Qaeda agents were among them. One of the targets was believed to be al-Qaeda's senior leader in East Africa.
The Washington Post later reported that unnamed sources said initial reports showed the attack may have been successful and a senior al-Qaeda leader may have been killed.
Sources told the newspaper that one target was Abu Talha al- Sudani, a Sudanese described as an al-Qaeda explosives expert believed to have been sheltered by Islamists in Somalia.
CNN reported that the US Navy moved the aircraft carrier, USS Eisenhower, into the Arabian Sea so it could support the attack if necessary.
The US had expressed concern that Somalia could become a staging ground for terrorists. Last week State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the US had stationed forces off the coast of Somalia and was working with other countries in the region to ensure that Islamists linked to terrorism are not able to flee the country.
The leadership of a group known as the Islamic Courts, which had seized Mogadishu and large parts of Somalia in recent months, was driven out in recent days after Ethiopian forces, backing Somalia's internationally recognized transitional government, launched a series of military attacks to drive the Islamists from power.
The explosion at the US embassy in Tanzania in 1998 killed 11 people, and another bombing, of the US embassy in the capital of neighbouring Kenya, killed 213 people, most of them Kenyans.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
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Hope all the Oil corporate and weapon manufacturing corporate shareholders are happy with their blood money!
There is no democracy in America, only GREED!
Good one Bush! Follow, Mr. Clinton's footstep. He launched a strike in Iraq, Yemen and Somalia every time they brought up Monica Lewinsky.
Bush needs to keep Americans away from focusing on Iraq so he can increase the troop level in Iraq!
1950-2000: Communists were coming!!! Run Run!!!
2000-Present: Islamists are coming!!! Run Run!!!
Meanwhile, the Rich American Shepherds are stealing the American sheep tax money in the name of military spending!!!!
Those countries without any natural resources should be happy. Or else, the greedy rich West will be in your backyard bringing you democracy while killing your people and stealing your resources!
Did USA get permission from Somalian government before entering their air space??!!
Atrocities are committed in the name of War on Terror!
The left wingers have but one mantra; it must be about oil.
Have these idiots forgotten that Islamic extremists want them dead too?
They put politics above country. That sickens me.
Yes, Violet...the US received permission from the Somalia government to conduct the strike.
Any other questions?
To the pro-Zionist, Christian Crusader George W. Bush the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. Either a people of color submit to Occidental economic and social domination or they die.
Your hatred of Jews shows you to be just another Muslim terrorist sympathizer.
Run along, boy. You might get hurt.
sally-forth great satan . sally-forth you gorgeous infidels . watch-out binladin ; the dark-lord of rock n roll is gonna git cha ! getin closer and closer now . ha ha ha !!!
You sheep can kiss my American ass.Sick of you 3rd world losers.Show me pictures of those dead islamo facious scumbags laying in the craters of american bombs so I can smile big for the guys no one had a problem taking pictures of in 1993 of American Marines bodies being dragged thru the streets.PLEASE,TAKE ALOT OF PHOTOS SO i CAN PARADE IN THE STREETS OF THE USA!!!!!!!And by the way,was run by the American whacky Clinton Administration the first time you stupid idiots!
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There we go!!Jan 9th, 2007 - 15:02:45
First of all there is no Somalian government. Only armed tribes controlled by 3 major oil companies (Shell, BP and Exxon)! YES! Somalia is an oil rich country! Americans did what they are doing to Iraq right now. Take out all the official government instituions and infrastructure so they can steal the oil! The Islamists taking over and chasing them away is all an eyewash!
This bombing sure will boost the dropping oil price back!
Currently production of a barrel costs 13.50 but the price they are selling at is $56 and they want to boost the price by killing innocent people!
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