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Obama opens another bloody front in the war on terror, Somalia

By Gene Healy
Published October 7, 2013 4:00am ET
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Obama opens another bloody front in the war on terror, Somalia
Al-Shabaab is a repugnant and evil bunch, formally allied with al Qaeda, but the group's focus thus far has been regional: the creation of an Islamic state in Somalia, and, as an AS spokesman put it in 2010, "sending a message to every country who is willing to send troops to Somalia," like Uganda and Kenya. (AP File) | Farah Abdi Warsameh

Before dawn Saturday, U.S. Navy SEALs launched an amphibious assault on an al Shabaab facility in Somalia, turning away under heavier-than-expected fire.

The SEALs didn’t get their man, a top commander of the Islamic terrorist group that carried out the horrific massacre at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, two weeks ago. But the aborted raid raises an important question: Are we now at war with al Shabaab?

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Tag:

Al Qaeda Analysis Gene Healy Islamic Jihad Middle East Terrorism