I think the Ethiopians are making a mistake. There is little to be gained from "winning" Mogadishu when you are facing an Islamist enemy, who has probably decided to cede it anyway. Once they take over, they will find themselves victimized by IEDs and car bombings every single day. The only way to win for real is to comb the entire countryside, house to house pretty much killing every Islamist you find, and their families.
"I think the Ethiopians are making a mistake. There is little to be gained from "winning" Mogadishu when you are facing an Islamist enemy, who has probably decided to cede it anyway."
Ethiopia says they are going to kick out the Islamic courts and hand it back to the interim government. By then the Interim govt (ie coalition of warlords willing to do business) will be tanned and rested, so to speak, and the Islamic Courts (al Qaeda) will be routed.
IEDs and car bombings cannot defeat any military.
IEDs and car bombings are only useful in generating propaganda or assassinations.