The American have struck—again

ARTICLE: “U.S. Says Strike Kills Leader of a Somali Militia Suspected of Ties to Al Qaeda: A Blow to Islamists In the Horn of Africa,” by Eric Schmitt and Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, 2 May 2008, p. A10.

SOCCENT (Special Operations Command, Central Command) finally nails Somali militia leader and Al Qaeda operative Aden Hashi Ayro. I had written about SOCCENT’s previous attempts to nail him in southern Somalia in the Esquire July 2007 article, “The Americans Have Landed.” He escaped that time, hurt, and soon popped up back in Mogadishu, allegedly after recouping a bit in Yemen.

Comments

[Mike Frager]

Unfortunately, we've killed dozens of Al Qaeda #2's thoughout the past few years. Each time there are plenty of #3's itching to take their place.

You cannot bomb an ideology, you can only remove the conditions in which this ideology thrives. (As Tom has been recorded saying)

Also, this bombing creates waves of collateral damage by angering other people in the country in which the bomb was dropped. This encourages more people to join the cause. Often, innocent people are killed in these bombings, further inflaming the population. This is why they really hate us in Pakistan, and not without good reason.

[Phil]

Who is really crafting diplomatic and military policy for the Horn of Africa, particularly with respect to Somalia? It befuddles me how our country is bombing that country, supporting the weak Transitional Federal Gov't of Somalia (which is in tatters) and backing Ethiopia which is clearly guilty of human rights violations (not to mention fomenting instability- intentionally or not).

Seriously, why are all these mistakes being made? Thomas, any idea? It frightens me the we are making blunders that might cost the US dearly in the future. Thoughts?