U.S SEAL team Seize Somali Militant

The SEAL team stealthily approached the beachfront house by sea, seizing the unidentified target in a predawn firefight that was the most significant raid by American troops on Somali soil since commandos killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a Qaeda mastermind, near the same town four years ago.

www.nytimes.com...

Lots of things happening in good 'ol Somalia this day,
Wonder if they'll make a movie out of this one. Sounds like an interesting raid..

Well, that'll be the last time a Somali beach doesn't have some poor goober stuck out there with a radio and nothing to do but watch for anything coming ashore.

At least the media wasn't there to greet them the way it happened during the first official US landing into Somalia. That was...um... embarrassing, even to watch on TV. My ears drooped in shame.

Gotta keep these kids on-top of killing people and invading other countries, it's only Africa so it's ok (insert eye roll smiley)

There are conflicting reports about whether the raid was successful.

www.bbc.co.uk...

the plot thickens..

Sounds to me like someone talked too soon to the media, thinking they had their man

Initial reports in the US media quoted unnamed US officials as saying that the suspect had been captured or killed by US Navy Seals in the pre-dawn raid on a villa.

However, the officials later said that the Seals failed to find the intended target, who was not identified.

But now just sounds like they got someone who looked similar

Al-Shabab earlier told the BBC that "white soldiers" had arrived by boat in Barawe and rebels had repulsed them, losing a fighter.

Source - BBC

So the original version of events that came out, was that commandos seized a leader of al-Shabab in Barawe, southern Somalia. However, that now looks to have failed

The official added that in Barawe the commandos had decided to abort the mission after encountering fierce resistance from al-Shabab fighters.

Even though the raid was "planned" a week and a half ago

"The Barawe raid was planned a week and a half ago," a US security official told the New York Times.

"It was prompted by the Westgate attack," added the official, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity.

So what did they "plan" for? To just roll up and take him with no resistance?


This is all ok though, as the elite commandos managed to save face, by actually getting the right man in Libya. They managed to capture Anas al-Liby in Tripoli, an al-Qaeda leader who is accused of the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Although this mission was a success, it was hardly the beech storming headlines they wanted

He was parking outside his house when three vehicles encircled him, his car's window was smashed and his gun was seized before he was taken away, his brother Nabih was quoted as saying by AP.

He added that Liby's wife also saw the attack, describing the abductors as foreign-looking "commandos".

Which leaves me thinking, maybe these commandos would be best served on Capitol Hill. At least they seem to be capable of successfully boxing in a car, smashing a window and detaining the driver.



QUOTE SOURCE = BBC