Fazul Abdullah Mohammed The Associated Press is now reporting that a U.S. airstrike on suspected al Qaeda militants early Monday morning was, in fact, a success, resulting in the death of Fazul Abdullah Mohammed. From the AP:
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, who allegedly planned the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, was killed in a U.S. airstrike early Monday morning local time, according to an American intelligence report passed on to the Somali authorities.
“I have received a report from the American side chronicling the targets and list of damage,” Abdirizak Hassan, the Somali president’s chief of staff, told The Associated Press. “One of the items they were claiming was that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed is dead.” If confirmed Mohammed’s death would be a major victory for the U.S. in its hunt for the 1998 embassy bombers. The strike was part of the first U.S. offensive in the African country since 18 American soldiers were killed there in 1993.
Further reports indicate as many as 10 other terrorists may have been killed in that strike. Following that success, U.S. aircraft have reportedly been engaged in at least 3 separate attacks in Southern Somalia. What happens when we get the bad guys? From Deutsche Welle:
Europe Critical of US Airstrikes in Somalia
UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said new UN chief Ban Ki-moon was distressed by Washington’s move.
“The secretary-general is concerned about the new dimension this kind of action could introduce to the conflict and the possible escalation of hostilities that may result,” Montas said.
Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema said Rome opposed “unilateral initiatives that could spark new tensions in an area that is already very destabilized.”
Norway, a member of the international contact group on Somalia along with Italy, said it was not satisfied with Washington’s explanation of its conduct in Somalia and stressed that terrorism should be fought in a court room and not with military hardware.
The European Commission also slammed US moves to hunt down al Qaeda operatives in Somalia.
“Any incident of this kind is not helpful in the long term,” a spokesman for the EU Commission told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday. “Only a political solution can bring any serious prospects of peace and stability in Somalia.”
Would the Norwegians have us arrest Fazul? And try him where? Surely not at Gitmo. These comments are absurd, but not so absurd as the caption accompanying one of the photos in the article:
The EU fears that the US airstrikes may destabilize Somalia.
That’s right. The U.S. Air Force is bringing instability to the Horn of Africa by killing terrorists.
