UPDATED: AC-130 airstrikes on Al Qaeda in Somalia (2 updates)
That’s what Fox News just reported. From what I can tell, Somali national and allied forces have the Islamic Courts and its Al Qaeda compatriots trapped in Somalia’s southern corner. Somali national forces (what StrategyPage calls Transitional National Government, TNG, or federal forces) and Ethiopian Army forces pushed the Islamic Courts militia south. The TNG and Ethiopians have the Islamic Courts boxed on land. The US Navy and coalition naval forces are covering the sea. I haven’t read anything about Kenya’s special police and border security units, but it’s reasonable to assume these forces are positioned along the Kenya-Somali border, acting as a blocking unit to stop Islamic Courts exfiltrators.
StrategyPage’s Jim Dunnigan and I discussed the “Ethiopian blitz” last week on StrategyTalk. We’re near-certain the US has provided intelligence data to the Ethiopians (probably real-time Predator imagery and target analysis for airstrikes). We rated it as “highly likely” US Special Forces and other special operations units were (are) on the ground, if only to coordinate with the naval vessels. In my mind the AC-130 attack and another reported helicopter attack confirm the presence of special ops forces — the AC-130 is a special ops airframe and typically special ops troops “in the area” help coordinate the AC-130 strikes.
Another tv follow-up — Fox is reporting that there are casualties in the area struck by the AC-130. This may be one of those rarities, a victory over Al Qaeda that will have releaseable television footage.
The AC-130 is a weapon of choice when you want pinpoint fire that also limits collateral damage. The plane also has a comparatively long “on station” capability (it can loiter). I’ll guess that the plane is flying out of Djibouti, but that is a guess.
As of this moment the story has yet to move on a wireservice. This report is available — a US “political setback” vis a vis Somalia. The US wants the Somali TNG to include moderate Islamists in a political settlement.
The US is offering cash as a diplomatic carrot:
If southern Somalia is to stabilize, it is essential that the transitional government hold substantial power-sharing talks with the Hawiye clan elders and Islamic Courts officials,” Prendergast said.
Trying to sweeten the deal, the U.S. has pledged $40 million in new aid to Somalia, including $14 million to support a proposed African peacekeeping mission. Frazer said the money wasn’t conditional on the transitional government negotiating with the Islamists.
Al Qaeda called for jihad in Somalia. Looks like it got it.
I’ll look for an update on the AC-130 strikes.
UPDATE: CBS has a report on line. David Martin handled the report. Here’s the lede:
A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports exclusively.
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. 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.
The gunship flew from its base in Dijibouti down to the southern tip of Somalia, Martin reports, where the al Qaeda operatives had fled after being chased out of the capital of Mogadishu by Ethiopian troops backed by the United States.
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…
This report confirms that the AC-130 flew out of Djbouti. I’ve visited the base there and the CJTF-HOA headquarters (Coalition Joint Task Force– Horn of Africa). I wrote this column after the visit.
UPDATE 2: More info. Includes names of Al Qaeda suspects.
I remember a couple of months ago some people were talking about how the US lost Somalia. I guess their reports were a bit premature.
Comment by David Pinto — 1/8/2007 @ 7:46 pm
CBS: U.S. Strikes Al Qaeda In Somalia… I was just reading about this on Hot Air when 1stCav emailed to make sure I knew about it. Go Air Force! Give ‘em hell!U.S. gunship attacks Al Qaeda in Somalia Allahpundit The left gets a new root cause, the…
Trackback by Bill's Bites — 1/8/2007 @ 8:02 pm
CBS: U.S. Strikes Al Qaeda In Somalia… 1stCav also notes: I feel pretty sure that the CBS boy got their nomenclature wrong on the ‘thousands of rounds per second’. S/B 1,000’s/minute …
Trackback by Old War Dogs — 1/8/2007 @ 8:07 pm
Good analysis, Prof. Bay. You called this one first. Do you think the French are working with our military and/or military intelligence?
Comment by DRJ — 1/8/2007 @ 8:07 pm
Spooky Finally Visits Somalia… CBS/AP writes that “A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia”:The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in……
Trackback by Ed Driscoll.com — 1/8/2007 @ 8:09 pm
[…] From Austin Bay, via Instapundit: From what I can tell, Somali national and allied forces have the Islamic Courts and its Al Qaeda compatriots trapped in Somalia’s southern corner. Somali national forces (what StrategyPage calls Transitional National Government, TNG, or federal forces) and Ethiopian Army forces pushed the Islamic Courts militia south. The TNG and Ethiopians have the Islamic Courts boxed on land. The US Navy and coalition naval forces are covering the sea. I haven’t read anything about Kenya’s special police and border security units, but it’s reasonable to assume these forces are positioned along the Kenya-Somali border, acting as a blocking unit to stop Islamic Courts exfiltrators. […]
Pingback by Infidels Are Cool » Blog Archive » Breaking: U.S. Bombs Al Qaeda In Somalia — 1/8/2007 @ 8:18 pm
http://drmelissaclouthier.blogspot.com/2007/01/al-qaeda-getting-hit-in-somalia.html... Justice in the Horn of Africa….
Trackback by Dr. Melissa Clouthier — 1/8/2007 @ 8:32 pm
US Attacks Al Qaeda In Somalia… From CBS News, The gunship flew from its base in Dijibouti down to the southern tip of Somalia, Martin reports, where the al Qaeda operatives had fled after being chased out of the capital of Mogadishu by Ethiopian troops backed…
Trackback by Sensible Mom — 1/8/2007 @ 8:48 pm
[…] UPDATE: This one is going asymptotic in the blogosphere: Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Captain's Quarters, Gateway Pundit, SevenStripes.com, Right Voices, Ace of Spades, Austin Bay, MK Ham (pinch hitting at Michelle Malkin’s), Mac’s Mind, 186KPS, Sensible Mom, Webloggin, […]
Pingback by Blue Crab Boulevard » US Airstrike On Al Qaeda? — 1/8/2007 @ 8:54 pm
Payback. US AC-130 Strikes Al Qaeda in Somalia:… Specter “A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia…. The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, and sources say a lot of bodies were seen……
Trackback by Pajamas Media — 1/8/2007 @ 8:55 pm
Those two embassy bombings were ghastly sneak attacks–it’s great if the good guys nailed the perp(s). Long may they roast.
Comment by buddy larsen — 1/8/2007 @ 9:52 pm
[…] Austin Bay said: “The AC-130 is a weapon of choice when you want pinpoint fire that also limits collateral damage. The plane also has a comparatively long “on station†capability (it can loiter). I’ll guess that the plane is flying out of Djibouti, but that is a guess.” […]
Pingback by Don Surber » Blog Archive » Somalia is not a good place to hide — 1/8/2007 @ 10:06 pm
I hope no one got hurt — I want the targets Dead.
Comment by donsurber — 1/8/2007 @ 10:08 pm
Never been on a Spectre mission, but did a Spookie mission once (C-47 platform ’stead of the C-130). Whan the miniguns open up you know what firepower means. Awesome is the only word that comes to mind. I’m glad we were abe to get these guys in our crosshairs. F
Comment by FSO(r) — 1/8/2007 @ 10:16 pm
Oak Leaf, who is aghast at the cost/kill ratio in Iraq, is pleased with the Somalia operation: Jiahdis Killed In Somalia Cost Effectively. Could this operation, in conjunction with the Eisenhower, and the B-1 strike today in Diyala province be Admiral Fallon’s calling cards?
Comment by allen — 1/8/2007 @ 10:18 pm
The rate of fire on the new AC-130U is considerably slower than earlier models. The first AC130s had 4 7.62mm miniguns (4000 rounds per minute) 2 20mm M61 cannons (up to 6000 rpm) and 2 40 mm Bofors cannons (120 RPM each). Then they got rid of the minigun and went with 2 20mm, one 40mm and a 105mm howitzer. Then they replaced the fixed 20mm cannons with one trainable 25mm cannon. Now they’re replacing that and the 40mm with 2 30mm cannons, each putting out 250 rpm. So now they’ll only have to carry 2 kinds of ammo - 30mm and 105mm, and won’t have any more gattling guns. But the impact of each round is huge. ED NOTE: A total of 500 rpm of 30mm is a very lethal rain. Thanks for the info.
Comment by Richard R — 1/8/2007 @ 11:11 pm
Looks like Al Qaeda……. ….got their ass kicked in Somalia. You would think that this is something all Americans could celebrate. You would be …
Trackback by Media Lies — 1/8/2007 @ 11:17 pm
well, I’m celebrating–this victory didn’t just fall off a turnip truck. Way to go, unsung soldiers who did it!
Comment by buddy larsen — 1/9/2007 @ 12:29 am
How sweet it is. Nice to know we’re not just training the Ethiopians, but actually providing some them firepower. Get some!
Comment by Dick Stanley — 1/9/2007 @ 1:27 am
Who will be first to scream imperialism, the Dems or the international community.
Comment by davod — 1/9/2007 @ 1:35 am
How sweet it is… Our special operators on the ground are bringing in fire from a C-130’s gatling guns and 105mm howitzer to nail the Jihadis of al Q in Somali, in aid of the Ethiopians and friendly Somalis. Explained in detail here…….
Trackback by THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER — 1/9/2007 @ 1:35 am
[…] Austin Bay, in setting the scene for the rest of the story about the AC130 strike, comes a lot closer — though he does not lay the lesson out in so many words: From what I can tell, Somali national and allied forces have the Islamic Courts and its Al Qaeda compatriots trapped in Somalia’s southern corner. Somali national forces (what StrategyPage calls Transitional National Government, TNG, or federal forces) and Ethiopian Army forces pushed the Islamic Courts militia south. The TNG and Ethiopians have the Islamic Courts boxed on land. The US Navy and coalition naval forces are covering the sea. I haven’t read anything about Kenya’s special police and border security units, but it’s reasonable to assume these forces are positioned along the Kenya-Somali border, acting as a blocking unit to stop Islamic Courts exfiltrators. […]
Pingback by Strangely Silent: De Doc… · Learning From Somalia — 1/9/2007 @ 3:38 am
The Wizard Wars have returned, now in Somalia. INTEL, Special Forces and savvy native forces prove to be a winner, first in Afghanistan and now in Somalia. From PJM’s Richard Miniter we learn that other fixed and rotary wing assets have been used throughout the Ethiopian campaign. Integrate operational capability with air cover and precision ground cover and things can change rapidly against such as the Taliban and Islamic Courts. The Wizards have left their calling cards calling up Specters and other creatures against enemies of the Union. We may not know their names for decades if ever, but all honor to those who fight from shadows to bring evil to an end. Because this is an across-the-board war and we had best soon begin to treat it as such.
Comment by ajacksonian — 1/9/2007 @ 7:48 am
And it can do those things well above RPG range — no more Blackhawks down, let’s hope. Damn, I wish I could buy the U.S. forces likely involved in this a beer. That’s unlikely, so I’ll just look for any American soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine in uniform for that purpose the next time I’m at an airport.
Comment by Beldar — 1/9/2007 @ 8:55 am
Well gee, huh, couldn’t you have taken prisoners? Why couldn’t you just shoot the guns out of their hands? What if they wanted to surrender? War crimes! Bruce Springsteen is gonna hear about this! /pinhead off Way to go boys! (and girls if any) If there isn’t a Buy a Soldier a Beer website, there needs to be one.
Comment by Nichevo — 1/9/2007 @ 11:48 am
More seriously, are the Kenyans firmly on board? I had understood they have internal divisions and strife themselves. I would certainly think Kenya is their only out. But everyone seems to think differently, so maybe I am off.
Comment by Nichevo — 1/9/2007 @ 11:50 am
Well, I’m very happy about the bombing of the Al Qaeda in Somalia. They hate Americans and what they stand for. I’m so glad that the U.S. killed these stupid bastards. I hope the Al Qaeda in Somalia involves the ones who were responsible for 9/11 because they have wounded our country by killing lots of innocent people.
Comment by James Daniel Reid — 1/9/2007 @ 12:57 pm
Lethal is an understatement for an AC-130. It’s one tremendous platform. A good win today, not only in Somalia but also in Iraq (B-1 strike in Diyala province).
Comment by David — 1/9/2007 @ 3:01 pm
There appears to be nil evidence that al-Qaeda is actually involved in this. However, just as well to get rid of the Islamic Courts. ED NOTE:Â The Somali TNG just announced the death of a major Al Qaeda operative in Somalia.
Comment by Anon — 1/10/2007 @ 12:54 am
Gotta love those AC-130s. Congress, PLEASE BUY MORE!!! And here’s an idea: Why not make an AC-17?
Comment by Harold C. Hutchison — 1/10/2007 @ 9:12 am
A fun thought…but what would it achieve? Fly higher, faster? Who needs that? Carry more amo, maybe, or conceivably more guns if that were ncessary; but C-17s run $200MM a crack. Who wants to get one of those shot down? It might be, as the Brits say, ‘over-egging the pudding.’ Whereas we have C-130s to burn, too, I believe we need C-17s for cargo. The C-17 might do useful service as a tac bomber. All the payload and loiter in the world. But they could throw bombs out the back of the -130 too.
Comment by Nichevo — 1/10/2007 @ 2:50 pm
Now the head of the ICU is the Prime Minister. What was that all about? Comment # 1 now seems “premature” as he put it!
Comment by anonymous — 2/22/2009 @ 7:55 pm
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