Posted on 12/26/2006 6:58:34 AM PST by meg88
Ethiopian troops advance on Mogadishu
December 27, 2006
ETHIOPIAN troops are advancing on the Somali capital and could seize it within two days.
Somalia's envoy to Ethiopia said yesterday: "Ethiopian forces are on their way to Mogadishu. They are about 70 kilometres away and it is possible they could capture it in the next 24 to 48 hours."
Addis Ababa has vowed to protect Somalia's weak interim Government from rival Islamists based in Mogadishu, and a week of artillery and mortar duels between the two sides has spiralled into open war that both sides say has killed hundreds.
Islamist fighters have retreated from the front line, with troops loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts withdrawing more than 50 kilometres to the south-east from Daynuney, a town just south of the Government's headquarters of Baidoa.
Ethiopian jets fired missiles at the retreating soldiers yesterday, after bombing Somalia's two Islamist-held international airports on Monday.
While the Government hailed the retreat as a partial victory, the Islamists insisted their withdrawal and re-grouping was a tactic in what they vowed would be a long war.
The Islamist forces also abandoned their main stronghold in Bur Haqaba and were forming convoys heading towards the capital Mogadishu, reported residents in villages along the road.
"We woke up from our sleep this morning and the town was empty of troops, not a single Islamic fighter," said Ibrahim Muhammad Aden, a resident of Bur Haqaba. Another resident said locals were looting the food left behind.
Islamic fighters were also reportedly retreating on two other fronts in the war for control of Somalia. On the northern front, Government and Ethiopian troops entered the town of Bulo Barde, where two weeks ago a Muslim cleric said anyone who did not pray five times a day would be executed.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi announced on Saturday that he had sent troops into Somalia to fight international terrorists, defend Ethiopian interests and prop up the besieged UN-backed Government, which has only a small military force.
But Mr Zenawi has said he does not intend to keep his forces in Somalia for long. He has told visiting dignitaries in Addis Ababa that his goal is to severely damage the Islamic Courts' military capabilities, take away their sense of invincibility and allow both sides to return to peace talks on an even footing.
The Islamic group, which wants to rule the country by the Koran, has been a source of grave concern for Ethiopia. Since June, it has seized control of the capital and much of southern Somalia.
No reliable casualty reports are available. Both sides claim to have killed hundreds of their enemy, but independent observers were not given access to the battlefield. The Arab League, which has mediated several rounds of talks between the Somali Government and the Islamists, called for all parties involved to "immediately hold a comprehensive ceasefire".
Many Somalis are enraged by Ethiopian involvement - the countries have fought two wars over their disputed border in the past 45 years.
Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, plunging the country into chaos.
AP, REUTERS
I know that.
But, the Admin allowed the MSM/Dems to wrestle the event from them and make it into somethe else -- a recurring weakness with this Admin. It keeps allowing the MSM and opposition party to frame the debates; then it tries to catch up by playing defense.
Ethiopian was an adequate air force and have been using it effectively.
And, for what it's worth, an unmarked AC-130 has been spotted in the area.
I hear it everyday, "it doesn't take four years to train an army".
Maybe it doesn't take four years to train a soldier but the military isn't run by trainees. It's run by crusty old master sergeants with 20+ years of experience and career officers with a lifetime of service. Many of our military are second and third generation, and you are not going to get that kind of commitment overnight.
I believe we are progressing very well and the problem is the unrealistic expectation that are being promoted by the opposition within the USA.
Carthago delenda est.
"Let's hope they don't have a Democratic Party."
They won't need one of their own - they'll have ours.
Can somebody enlighten us Freepers a little about Ethiopia? I thought all the people there were starving because of the repressive government. But now they are Christian warriors? What's the deal?
Well, I can't disagree with you on that one.
How do you fight a war against an enemy that considers running away to be a tactic, and who doesn't care if you kill them and everybody else around them?
How do you make someone surrender when they want to die, and have nothing on this earth they care about?
How can you remove islamic terrorists from a country once they are infiltrated, when they hide among the people you are trying to save?
Islamic fundamentalism is like a cancer you simply can't beat. You can kill it, but only by killing the patient.
Remember the stories about robots taking over the world, and how you couldn't beat them because they had no soul, no reason, no compassion, and no sense of preservation? That's what this war against islamic fundamentalism is all about.
Borg or (original) Cylons
They may be from science fiction, but there are parallels, and maybe lessons we can learn from them.
Leave it to the the MSM and the islamics. They will find some ludacris way to rewrite history to make it a victory for Somolia.
It looks like we are already in a world war, just not a conventional one.
Target rich environment for Apaches and Warthogs. Perhaps we could temporarily loan them a few dozen.
Good news.
I hear James Baker needs work...
That's why some here on FR liked the term "Islamozoid" over "Islamofascist". At least a fascist is human...sort of.
It would seem we have our own form of PC here as well. :^)
Islamism delenda est. Iustus amo cartago.
I see that this morning, the MSM are predictably trashing Ethiopia for doing this claiming its so the "america-backed" Prime Minister of Ethiopia can stay in power by attacking the peaceful nation building somolis.
Seattle-Times did a total hit piece on the Ethiopian PM this morning.
"Well, just to set the record straight, we won the war in Iraq in mid 2003."
Right.
Unfortunately we didn't expand it to Iran and Syria and are now paying the consequences.
As for reconstruction, we should have left it a smoldering ruin, along with Iran and Syria, and let the Euroweenies and Coffee Annan worry about the clean-up - or maybe the oil rich Saudis to the south.
We shouldn't have been suckered into playing their nurse maids. One of Bush II's biggest mistakes.
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