January 09, 2007

Somalia : "We gave permission for actions that are more than airstrikes"

From Monsters&Critics:

An AC-130 gunship flying from Djibouti carried out the attack in southern Somalia after US intelligence tracked the operatives with an unmanned aerial drone, CBS news reported.

White House spokesman Tony Snow confirmed the US military operation took place Sunday, but did not offer details. ...

A close aide of Prime Minister Ali Gedi had earlier confirmed that one of those responsible for the 1998 attacks was killed, according to a Washington Post report, and also said authorization for further operations had been granted.

'We gave permission for actions that are more than airstrikes,' Abdirisak Hassan told the Post in an interview conducted early Tuesday.

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.

UPDATE: Jihadi durka-durkas?- Meet the AC-130 Spectre:




By Ragnar Danneskjold, R.I.N.O. Hunter at January 9, 2007 05:53 PM | | l digg this