Writing at Pajamas Media, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has broken a major story revealing the extensive cooperation between American military personnel and the Ethiopian armed forces during that country’s recent invasion of ICU-controlled areas of Somalia. According to Gartenstein-Ross, “U.S. ground forces have been active in Somalia from the start, a senior military intelligence officer confirmed. ‘In fact,’ he said, ‘they were part of the first group in.”

Many observers were surprised by the rapid advance of Ethiopian troops, and the hasty retreat of the ICU, despite assurances by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi that the Islamists could be displaced in “one to two weeks.” Gartenstein-Ross has now confirmed the involvment of American aircraft, including American-piloted helicopter gunships, in the assault, which largely explains the success of the campaign. From Gartenstein-Ross: