January 08, 2007

US Goes After African Taliban

No word on just who the high value targets were today, but we know that the US is seeking several people thought to be behind the bombings of our embassies.

Via CBS News: 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 reports. Those terror attacks killed more than 200 people.

The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, and sources say a lot of bodies were seen on the ground after the strike, but there is as yet, no confirmation of the identities....

Once they started moving, the al Qaeda operatives became easier to track, and the U.S. military started preparing for an air strike, using unmanned aerial drones to keep them under surveillance and moving the aircraft carrier Eisenhower out of the Persian Gulf toward Somalia. But when the order was given, the mission was assigned to the AC-130 gunship operated by the U.S. Special Operations command.

If the attack got the operatives it was aimed at, reports Martin, it would deal a major blow to al Qaeda in East Africa.

Rusty has speculated that Bin Laden is in Africa. One can hope.

But USA Today reportedon Dec. 31 that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan and Abu Taha al-Sudani were the men thought to be hiding there.

USA Today Dec 31:Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said government troops were going after three al-Qaeda terror suspects wanted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in east Africa that killed more than 250 people.

He said Islamic militants in Kismayo, Somalia's third-largest city, were sheltering accused bombers Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan and Abu Taha al-Sudani...

..."We would like to capture or kill these guys at any cost," Gedi told the AP. "They are the root of the problem."

Looks like the problem is solved.

More here from Mary Katharine Ham at Michelle Malkin's blog.

Update: My condolences to Steve Innskeep, who was audibly depressed over the defeat of the African Taliban. I thought he was going to cry. The sad, sad, Yoyo Ma cello music was a nice touch though.

Update: We're doomed, Doomed I say!

By Howie at 07:37 PM | |