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Stuart Price / AP
The Somali National Army and the government-allied Ras Kamboni Brigade militia wave the Somali national flag from the former control tower of the airport in Kismayo, southern Somalia, Oct. 2, 2012.
Loud explosions shook the Somali port city of Kismayo Tuesday as Somali government troops and African Union forces took control of the last major stronghold of the al-Qaida-linked militia group al-Shabab, the BBC reported.
According to the report, the army claimed it had captured all strategic points of the city.
"We have full control of the city. The residents of the city have welcomed us warmly," commander of the Somali government army in the Juba region, Ismael Sahardid, told the BBC.
Al Jazeera reported that three explosions occurred Tuesday, two of which the African Union troops said they had set off. The third blast, which went off at a Kismayo administrative building, was claimed by al-Shabab, according to Al Jazeera.
A spokesman for al-Shabab's military operations, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the bomb was planted inside a district administration office building now housing Somali troops, and he warned of more attacks.
"This is only an introduction to the forthcoming explosions," he told Reuters. The militants had succeeded in "killing many," Musab said.
The government said the explosion caused no casualties.
Kenyan troops fighting under the AU flag entered Kismayo for the first time on Tuesday after launching an offensive against the port on Friday, forcing the rebels to flee. According to the BBC, al-Shabab had used Kismayo as its main base for more than a year.
Al-Shabab's strength is hard to gauge. Mohamud Farah, a spokesman for Somalia's government forces, said between 4,000 and 5,000 fighters were hiding in southern regions.
Hundreds of foreign fighters had joined the insurgency at its peak from countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya andTanzania as well as the United States and Britain, Somalia's last government said.
"Foreign fighters (also) started leaving when they saw their space was shrinking," a Nairobi-based security adviser said, referring to the offensive by African Union and Somali government troops that has steadily won back rebel-held ground over the past 14 months.
After the surrender of Kismayo, defection rates among foot soldiers were also expected to pick up, with the rebel group seen as a losing proposition.
What will be left behind, analysts say, is a hardline core.
Whether al-Shabab is able to wage a prolonged campaign of guerrilla attacks on Kismayo will largely hinge on the Mogadishu-based government's success in establishing a regional administration that satisfies competing clan interests in the south.
"If you have marginalized clans, al-Shabab will find allies in them. If all clans are on board, it will be hard for al-Shabab to infiltrate Kismayo," the security adviser said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Hopefully they will be able to keep the terrorist out and bring peace to the Somalia.
I didn't even realize Somalia still had a govt, never mind a functioning army. Way to go, guys! You may yet make an actual country out of Somalia instead of a terrorist haven.
Hopefully we won't send Somolia 500 millions dollars of US taxpayer money to congratulate them.
It is time for the AU troops to "fix bayonets" and hunt down the four or five thousand murderous outlaws and parasites that have fled into the countryside. There will be no peace until every one of these terrorists has been sent to his or her maker for a face-to-face interview.
No we just need them to head over to Timbuktu and do the same thing over again.
These guys, the Army, weren't Somali. They were African Union troops, largely Kenyan and Ethiopian.
Also I doubt they 'took' very much if anything at all. The terrorists just hide their guns and melt into the general population when faced with defeat. Then come right back out once the tanks and troops leave. If you don't attack the source, which is degrading radical Islamic sects and Imams then you never solve the problem.
the SoLdier holding the flag and the soldier facing him are from SNA or somali national army led by colonel sahardiid and other militias in the tower on the left are from raskamboni brigade . there were No ethiopian army in this operation or in kismayo. i recognize a somali from a mile and this guys are SOMALI. the kenyans are giving press conference in the runway at this time.
How come so many Democrats are posting close to 16 hours a day ?
This needs to be said, I think there at least 20 of them on the Dem payroll to post campaign propaganda.
out of the woods ... just follow the bread crumbs back into the woods
out of the woods
now you want "Democrats" to be limited to certain posting times? I suppose you've never heard of vacation, or insomnia. Why does it concern you?
You can tell a Dem by what, their accent when they type?
Somalia what a hell hole.
you may well find out how actual hell feels if you keep acting like spoiled prat and look down on other countries that are in a situation that many prosperous countries were once in for example Germany,Japan, US and many others WERE once in devastating civil and other wars. ever heard of American civil war? i think not.
well actually the american civil war was about as civil as a war can get. it was not hell on earth for the civillians so much as it was for the soldiers.
Actually, with the exception of some early years when civilians used to watch some battles, the civil war, besides being complete hell for the troops and POWs, was hell for the civilians in the south. Most southern cities were razed and farms proscribed during Sherman's march to the sea. It pitted brother against brother and sons against fathers and there was absolutely nothing civil about it.
Great! Now go after the pirates!
These are the pirates, or what few are left. I have no doubt there are more out there still, but most of the major shipping lines have hired contractors of the Blackwater type to travel on and protect their ships in this area. The pirates have discovered that is not profitable or fun, to be a few miles out at sea on a skiff and come under a hail of accurate .50 cal gunfire.
I hear so many people disparaging the African nations on here in other stories. But in THIS story, we have a coalition of 6 African nations coming to the aid of a beleaguered fellow government to punt a pack of outright terrorists right out on their collective asses. Somalia needs a freakin' break. Two famines, an incredibly destructive civil war, the warlords taking over chunks of the country, Blackhawk, then terrorists moving in. 20 years of sheer hell for them.
And to be honest, what the Kenyans and their allies in the coalition did here is exactly what WE should have done to the warlords 14 years ago. Land on the beach, advance and crush them like bugs. Instead, we went in like policemen, and tried to single target and capture just the warlords. Lot of good THAT did us. I was enraged watching corpses of Americans being dragged through the streets. How is it that African nations, with not even a tenth the resources, came up with a better plan? Congratulations to them, and maybe America can look at what they did and remember how to fight a war. Don't half step, shoot em in the lips. Like we used to know how to do.
Rob,They had a better plan because they are ruthless whereas the U.S. doesn't want to hurt naybody's feelings.Like your post by the way.
Part of having the "better plan" probably had to do with just simply being African, native to the continent, knowing the lay of the land, understanding cultural and linguistic nuances, etc.
America trying to do the same smacked too much of "white foreign colonialism", automatically creating larger cultural obstacles, misunderstandings, deeper grudges, and various baggages to overcome.
Amen.
Rob7183,
Your post is limited in scope in knowledge. UN Mission Somalia I (Restore Hope) and UN Mission Somalia II (Continue Hope) aka Battle of Mogadishu, one Operation resulting in Blackhawk Down.
You honestly believe that the African Union (UA) came rushing to help the Somalis. I have had the unfortunate experience of serving (surviving) with them and the UN at Somalia and Sudan before President Bush's 2006 formation of US AFRICOM. Diverted from deployment back to Afghanistan again, currently at US AFRICOM, Northwest.
After President Clinton's Cut to the Bone Reduction In Forces of the US Military there were a few of us left after Operation Cyclone that had been rotated from the US Military Training Teams attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG sent to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars. This is why we were going from Mission to Mission with no replacements to replace our dead. Due to the President Clinton Gutting of the Intelligence Agencies we had to Improvise* and extensively vetted (experience from Operation Cyclone) and recruited our own Intelligence Assets.
*One of the "I"s of our Life or Death Teams. Unlike the Sports Teams saying "there is no "I" in Team", that if they lose they can go home and get drunk.
The Nations of the African Union (UA) are asking us to train them in Asymmetric Warfare, as they are finding out that Conventional Warfare does not will not work. I have in writing stated my opposition like I did before as a young Team Leader of the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, rotated to Operation Cyclone, and from the thousands of us that started back then and the few of us that have survived all the Missions since then, that for many reasons training them in Asymmetric Warfare is not a good idea.
It is better that the situation was handled by the people being directly victimized, even if it did take an extra decade or two. It is great to begin seeing proof that the U.S. no longer has to be the world's policemen at all.
What took them so long!!? Those central governments that have terrorists living among them, should follow suit here!!
What took them so long? You realize the average wage in Somalia yet is $87.00 a month, right? How much money do you think they had to fight funded terrorists? They needed help, and AFRICAN nations stepped up to the plate. Kenya and her coalition, the African Union, launched the attack. Somali troops finished off the runners after their stronghold was overrun. Dirt poor or not, they did their duty. No way in hell am I going to knock their efforts here. This government isn't even two years old. They had the brains to ask for help, and the balls to follow through when the help came. That is a far cry from the African governments of a decade ago. More power to them.
Rob7183,
Stop tryiing to compare $87.00 a month to what you can buy Stateside.
You pay us, the US Military, Below Minimum Wages compared to US Civilian Counterparts. And do NOT start Ranting about the "Benefits" deducted from our paychecks.
Actually, Dave, your comment has nothing to do with the situation. Unless you behaved as a mercenary and joined the military for profit, you should understand that service to your country should not be based on monetary gain. And as far as I know, there are actually no civilian counterparts to the fighting units in the military.
Xe
About time someone stepped in willing to sacrifice lives to help out Somalia, instead of just sending in cash and empty promises. Nice job Kenya and AU.
Shows how much you do NOT know what is going on at Somalia and US AFRICOM.
Just like the pirates operating out of Somalia, Al Shabaab is merely a bunch of cowards using their 'religion' or their 'cause' to justify the organized crime they are involved in. When confronted by a trained and equipped fighting force, once they realize they are about to be captured or killed, they always cut and run. Hopefully the government of Somalia can now start reigning in the warlords who operate above the law and assist the terrorists while padding their pockets with cash from helping the pirates and Al Shabaab for a percentage of the proceeds.
al Qaida loves impoverished countries with weak governments as long as there are natural resources that they can plunnder. al Qaida should have been wiped out a long time ago.I find them to be as disgusting as Hitler.
It would be nice we do it as we do with our people. Instead of honoring them by calling them alQueda. Why don't the world just call them thugs.
A front from the southern region should have been pushing north, in order to squeeze the group. By allowing the group to create a sanctuary in the southern region, or allowing them to cross the border to the west, or escape by boat to the east, will only allow them to come back at a later date and cause problems.
Should have been two fronts. This would have been over by the end of the year.
Keep believing in Conventional Warfare, the automatic Historical Loser against Asymmetric Warfare.
Armchair general.
I seem to recall Sun Tzu saying never surround an enemy on 4 sides... only 3 sides.
BS flag just got thrown. I'm willing to bet some of you (and I know for a fact one of you) have posted how Iraq or Afghanistan is terrible and horrible and we should mind our own business...BUT if Kenya and other African countries help out Somalia, to defeat Islamic Militants no less. you are all for it!!! And even though I agree that it's nice to see African countries get something right, the double standard should be embarrassing for some of you...
Somalia is another place that the US needs to stay out of. Let those people clean up their own act and then let them keep it clean. Just like we need to do right here in America.
well .. the real proof of the pudding will be whether or not hollywood picks up on this story and makes one of those action movies out of it.. I can see it now Cuba Gooding Jr. as the vile and corrupt al qaida leader and Denzel washington as the couragous Kenyan General..
I can hardly wait!!
Run cowards run......There'll be a day when you wont have anywhere to run................................
Good Job AU, burn those rats nests.
Congratulations to the brave soldiers who have restored a bit of freedom to this country. I am sure the honest, law abiding citizens appreciate your efforts.
Do not give up until the last of these terrorists is driven from your country.
Does Obama get credit for this since he always gets blamed when things go the other way?
Why would he get credit for this when no U.S. troops were involved ?
He's busy assisting the Taliban, and Al Qaeda Syrian rebels in Syria. Next week they will be killing American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Thanks for proving my point!
What point ? Are you retarded ?
The U.S. is not involved. Why would Obama get any credit for their victory ?
Here is something Obama can get a little credit for:
During Obama's term as president, people who had been working to label GMO (genetically modified =organism, GMF = genetically modified food) food and warn the public of its huge dangers were shocked to the core. They saw Obama had been pulling a bait and switch.
Obama filled key government posts with Monsanto people, in federal agencies that wield tremendous force in food issues, the USDA and the FDA.
At the USDA, as the director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Roger Beachy, former director of the Monsanto Danforth Center.
As deputy commissioner of the FDA, the new food-safety-issues czar, the infamous Michael Taylor, former vice-president for public policy for Monsanto. Taylor had been instrumental in getting approval for Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone.
As commissioner of the USDA, Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack. Vilsack had set up a national group, the Governors' Biotechnology Partnership, and had been given a Governor of the Year Award by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, whose members include Monsanto.
As the new Agriculture Trade Representative, who would push GMOs for export, Islam Siddiqui, a former Monsanto lobbyist.
As the new counsel for the USDA, Ramona Romero, who had been corporate counsel for another biotech giant, DuPont.
As the new head of the USAID, Rajiv Shah, who had preciously worked in key positions for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a major funder of GMO agriculture research.
We should also remember that Obama's secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, once worked for the Rose law firm. That firm was counsel to Monsanto.
Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court. Kagan, as federal solicitor general, had previously argued for Monsanto in the Monsanto v. Geertson seed case before the Supreme Court.
Obama was staking out territory on behalf of Monsanto, Bill Gates ( who also has controlling interest in biased MSNBC news) and other GMO corporate giants.
Oh! Now I know why out of the woods wants Democrats to have a limit for posting. He wants to change topics and post lies. Go for it out of the woods. We have become immune to lying republicans/conservatives/tea pottiers.
Amazing, nothing about US Troops presence for 2 months ...wonder why?Cost to US Taxpayers that doesn't include the bottom feeders of the 47% either--!
Where is the UN of which our gov forks out printed aka monitized debt dollars around the world-while the Communist Chinese pick up the deficits to interest that we owe them!
Because people like:
Are worse than the Islamic Jihadists and will defend President Obama Wrong or Right to their Deaths.
And refuse to listen to Facts, especially from those "experts" involved aka "Boots on the Ground".
Perhaps Rahm Emanuel should import some of these troops to Chicago. I think he needs the help to control the South side.
In reality, most Americans don't really care as we're weary of a decade of wars that have claimed at least 7,000 lives, injured 5 times that, and have cost trillions of $$$. The problem is with Islamic militants whose mindset is so insane that no one can stop them. We need to detach ourselves from these countries where we'll only send more soldiers to be killed and spend more of the little that we have for no results. Of course, the war hawks would feel powerful sending our troops there while the military contractors would reap in the profits.
It's time to protect our own country from terrorists who are working right here to destroy us.
That 92% of US Citizens have NEVER Served. And only 1% of US Citizens of the US Military ended up doing more than their "Fair Share".
The Islamic Jihadists conducting Asymmetric Warfare have won the Strategic Asymmetric Warfare Goal of "Defeating the Enemy's National Will to Maintain the Fight".
Your idea of Isolationism did not work before and will not work with them either.
As far as who is benefitting directly or indirectly from these Wars, go look in the mirror. It darn sure is not us, the 3% of the 1% of US Citizens of the US Military. 2012 President Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Penetta, "A 10% Defense Budget Cut will result in a Million (US) Civilians becoming unemployed".
david-475776:
You ARE a mercenary! You don't serve your country for patriotism or any altruistic reason. Everything you've said is all about how badly you are paid. Damn. I'll bet, that if you take a good close look inside, you could find a profession that pays you enough to satisfy you.
David,
RE: "That 92% of US Citizens have NEVER Served. And only 1% of US Citizens of the US Military ended up doing more than their "Fair Share"."
True but more than their fair share? I'd say way more as in giving your all and then some. We have asked far to much of you and the rest of our Military.
"The Islamic Jihadists conducting Asymmetric Warfare have won the Strategic Asymmetric Warfare Goal of "Defeating the Enemy's National Will to Maintain the Fight"."
Pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.
"Your idea of Isolationism did not work before and will not work with them either."
"Stop President Obama's Secret Wars (not Iraq, nor Afghanistan), outted by blabber mouth Senator Lieberman, and stop President Obama's use of not Budgeted for Discretionary Spending to fund his Secret Wars.
Reward the few remaining US Allies of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan (sometimes);
and no more US Aid of any kind, that includes US Military covert Assistance or CIA, US Aid thru "Front Organizations", or anything else paid by US Taxpayers to any "Potentially Hostile" Nations, including those Nations that even allow Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist Organizations to exist within their Borders (US Department of State Lists).
Withdraw from all of these Islamic Nations, and let them destroy their own infrastructures and burn themselves down. Stop building $1 Billion US Embassies that take $1 Billion a year to operate and require thousands of US Military to provide Security (example: 16,000-1,500 US Embassy personel to secure the 104 acre US Embassy at Iraq by conducting Combat Patrols outside the wire to keep snipers, rockets, mortars out of range.).
US needs to get out of the United Nations in protest until the Chinese and Russian Federation do their "Fair Share" of UN Nation Building, UN Humanitarian Assistance, UN Peacekeeping, UN Police Actions, UN Observer, etc. as UN Missions (majority paid by US Taxpayers)."" - The words of a wise man with real life HKU experience and a closet full of T-shirts to match. Though it does sound a tad like isolating......
"As far as who is benefitting directly or indirectly from these Wars, go look in the mirror. It darn sure is not us, the 3% of the 1% of US Citizens of the US Military. 2012 President Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Penetta, "A 10% Defense Budget Cut will result in a Million (US) Civilians becoming unemployed"."
Nuff said.
Piglizard420,
"You don't serve your country for patriotism or any altruistic reason. Everything you've said is all about how badly you are paid."
Read David's history and or anyone that has his job requirements and then say that. If someone had that education and discipline in the private sector they would at least end up a multi-millionaire if not a billionaire. Thats the exact type of person that I would hire or possibly work for (he might be a tough Boss if not on the same page:) ) "IF" available.......... based on my years of experience. There is only 2 reasons to do his job he is either crazy or he believes in what he does.
David ... "Defeating the Enemy's National Will to Maintain the Fight"...
Not to critique you too severely since I agree with much of what you have said, but I also thought a major goal (at least of 9-11 and al-Qaida--a portion of the jihadists) was to provoke a reaction that would cripple us economically.
Seems with the Cold War, the economics of Saudi's keeping oil prices relatively low along with Soviets not able to keep up with US military spending seems to have played a huge role in the demise of the Soviet bloc.
Does seem to be a madly successful asymmetrical tactic for an enemy like the Jihadists to spend a relatively small amount of money to cause massively disproportionate damage to our economy. (everything from the civilian & market panic, to huge spending on Homeland Security, to the invasion of Iraq, etc) Its like they want us to get pulled into a "Syracuse" the way the Athenians did in the Pelopponesian Wars, to kick the "tar baby". Of course our bloated social spending is not great help either.
Does it make America safer by engaging in overseas expeditions? Does it make America safer by spending money overseas in countries most Americans know so little about? Does it make America safer letting our education system, police, firemen, infrastructure and economic stability suffer while we send money and soldiers overseas?
Way to go Kenya and AU troops. You are 90% done. Now hunt down these other 4000 gutter rats. The only thing these so called al-shabad guys know is death. Good luck!
David, I doubt my "scope" is as limited as you think. I served 3 years in a combat unit of the US Army, my brother is currently recovering from a severe wound suffered in Afghanistan. Which is his SECIND combat wound, by the way.
I in no way disparaged our soldiers. I know firsthand how hard we train, and the quality of the raw material our leaders have to work with. American soldiers are, for the vast majority, the best trained, hardest hitting troops in the world. I am saying our LEADERS put them in a situation they were not well trained or equipped for. And note, I am NOT blaming one or the other political party. Neither party has been stellar in their use of the American military.
What I was saying is that African governments and soldiers, the butt of many jokes and disrespectful comments on this wall, chose a better time and did a better job of removing a cancer from their midst than we did. They deserve our respect and admiration for what they accomplished. And our leaders need to pay attention to how the AU limited the scope of their mission to something that made sense to their troops. They performed an amphibious assault, one of the most difficult military combat maneuvers to execute, and did it well. They put 10,000 troops on the beach, under fire, in a foreign city. America hasn't done that since Inchon in the Korean War (which the AU seems to have used as a model). Moving 27 ships and 10,000 troops is no joke, and costs a ridiculous amount of money. But they did it, without asking us or the Europeans for anything more than we had already given. I know that we provide some assistance and some military training to a few of the countries that make up the AU. But they did the vast majority of this action on their own. And it was their troops, their citizens who went in harm's way to accomplish it.
Once again, the jihadists were allowed to fade into the shadows.
"Run, run. run away, Live to fight another day."
This was not a victory. It was a strategic forfeit by the jihadists. They WILL be back. In the meantime, they will regroup and infiltrate ANOTHER region.
Let's face the facts - we have NO IDEA how to defeat this enemy. They are organized and deployed in such a way as to counter the fossilized strategies that are taught in our military academies.
The West needs to COMPLETELY rethink its approach to military organizaiton.
I think the West should consider targeting the radical clerics for death. Kill them all. Its not like they are quiet about calling for attacks on the West. Put a pig-blood coated bullet in the ones that do,