Somalia gets an owieeeeeeeeeee

[Erich]

ok guys heard that a couple of A 130's are rippin it up on Al Queida scum that participated in the 1998 mess

yes ?

also what are the gun packages on this gun ship ? I know we have talked about this in the past with pics

[Matt308]

7.62mm minigun, 40mm and 105mm if I recall correctly.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Depends on the Varient.

AC-130A Surprise Package and Pave Pronto and AC-130E Pave Spectre
4× 7.62 mm GAU-2/A miniguns
2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
2× 40 mm (1.58 in) L60 Bofors cannon

AC-130E Pave Aegis and AC-130H Pave Spectre II
2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
1× 40 mm L60 Bofors cannon
1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer

AC-130U "Spooky" Gunship
1× 25 mm (0.984 in) GAU-12/U Equalizer gatling gun
1× 40 mm L60 Bofors cannon
1× 105 mm M102 howitzer

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Here is some info on it:

By SALAD DUHUL, Associated Press Writer
15 minutes ago



MOGADISHU, Somalia - Attack helicopters strafed suspected al-Qaida fighters in southern Somalia on Tuesday, witnesses said, following two days of airstrikes by U.S. forces — the first U.S. offensives in the African country since 18 American soldiers were killed here in 1993.

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In Washington, a U.S. intelligence official said American forces killed five to 10 people in an attack on one target in southern Somalia believed to be associated with al-Qaida. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the operation's sensitivity, said a small number of others present, perhaps four or five, were wounded.

A Somali lawmaker said 31 civilians, including a newlywed couple, died in Tuesday's assault by two helicopters near Afmadow, a town in a forested area close to the Kenyan border. The report could not be independently verified.

A Somali Defense Ministry official described the helicopters as American, but witnesses told The Associated Press they could not make out identification markings on the craft. Washington officials had no comment on the helicopter strike.

The U.S. is hunting down Islamic extremists, said the Somali defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Earlier, Somalia's president said that the U.S. was pursuing suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, and that the effort has his support.

Somali troops and their Ethiopian allies were attacked in the capital late Tuesday by gunmen riding in two pickup trucks who fired two rocket propelled grenades, witnesses said.

The rocket attack was followed by several minutes of rifle fire. One Somali soldier was killed and two other soldiers and a bystander were wounded, said minibus driver Harun Ahmed, who took the injured to a hospital.

Col. Shino Moalin Nur, a Somali military commander, told the AP by telephone late Tuesday that at least one U.S. AC-130 gunship attacked a suspected al-Qaida training camp Sunday on a remote island at the southern tip of Somalia next to Kenya.

Somali officials said they had reports of many deaths.

On Monday, witnesses and Nur said, more U.S. airstrikes were launched against Islamic extremists in Hayi, 30 miles from Afmadow. Nur said attacks continued Tuesday.

"Nobody can exactly explain what is going on inside these forested areas," the Somali commander said. "However, we are receiving reports that most of the Islamist fighters have died and the rest would be captured soon."

In Washington on Tuesday, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman spoke of one strike in southern Somalia, but would not confirm any of the details or say whether any al-Qaida militants were killed.

The assault was based on intelligence "that led us to believe we had principal al-Qaida leaders in an area where we could identify them and take action against them," Whitman said.

Somali Islamic extremists are accused of sheltering suspects in the 1998 embassy bombings. American officials also want to ensure the militants no longer pose a threat to Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has arrived off Somalia's coast and launched intelligence-gathering missions over Somalia, the U.S. military said. Three other U.S. warships were conducting anti-terror operations.

U.S. warships have been seeking to capture al-Qaida members thought to be fleeing Somalia by sea after Ethiopia's military invaded Dec. 24 in support of the interim Somali government. The offensive drove the Islamic militia out of much of southern Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu, and toward the Kenyan border.

President Abdullahi Yusuf, head of the U.N.-backed transitional government, told journalists in Mogadishu that the U.S. "has a right to bombard terrorist suspects who attacked its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania."

Other Somalis in the capital said the attacks would increase anti-American sentiment in their largely Muslim country. Many Somalis are already upset by the presence of troops from neighboring Ethiopia, which has a large Christian population.

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday reissued a terror warning to Americans living in or visiting the Horn of Africa.

It was the first overt military action by the U.S. in Somalia since it led a U.N. force that intervened in the 1990s in an effort to fight famine. The mission led to clashes between U.N. forces and Somali warlords, including the battle, chronicled in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," that killed 18 U.S. soldiers.

Mohamed Mahmud Burale told the AP by telephone that at least four civilians were killed Monday evening in Hayi, including his young son. His report could not be independently verified.

Government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said it was not known how many people were killed, "but we understand there were a lot of casualties. Most were Islamic fighters."

Another attack by an AC-130 gunship reportedly occurred Monday afternoon on Badmadow island, in a group of six rocky islands known as Ras Kamboni — a suspected terrorist training base.

Thickets provide dense cover and the only road to the area is virtually impassable, locals said.

The U.S. military's main target on the island was thought to be Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, who allegedly planned the 1998 attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 225 people.

Leaders of Somalia's Islamic movement have vowed from their hideouts to launch an Iraq-style guerrilla war, and al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden's deputy has called on militants to carry out suicide attacks on Ethiopian troops.

In an interview published Tuesday in the French newspaper Le Monde, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that suspected terrorists from Canada, Britain, Pakistan and elsewhere were among those captured or killed during recent military operations.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The warlords turned on each other, creating chaos in the nation of 7 million people.

You see the part in bold as well. I know exactly who that it is. I will not devulge any info though... All I have to say is I will have to send an email to a friend of mine but considering this I probably will not recieve an email any time soon back from him.

[timshatz]

Heard that last night around 9pm on Fox. First thought was, "There must be some Americans on the ground in Somalia. Nobody else in that end of the world has the trust and ability to pull something like that with the SOG groups".

Makes you wonder how often our guys have been running around over there in the last 15 years. Probably a lot.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

We have had troops in the countries surrounding Somalia for years now. The unit that is flying those helicopters is not an all that top secret unit I will tell you that much. I hope I can get an email soon from him.

[Erich]

and in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, we are thick in Israel, Jordan, etc ..........

rip em up guys ! Somalia better get a much wiser attitude or Ethiopia may just walk in and take heated revenge which could get really nasty

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The Ethiopian Army is allready in Somalia and has been there for weeks now. They have been supporting the Somalian Interem Governments fight against the Islamic Fundamentalists who wish to start a Taliban type regime in Somalia.

The Ethiopian and Somalian soldiers (If you can call the Somalian soldiers even soldiers) have pretty much defeated the Islamists.

US soldiers have been in Ethiopa training the Etheopian's.

[Matt308]

And providing that Christian country materiel.

[Emac44]

Watched on the news here about the reported aircraft attacks in Somalia. but media was more intent on relaying the UN was pissed off. some how not surprised by that comment coming from both areas UN and Media etc

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The UN can go and stuff it where the sun does not shine.

[lesofprimus]

Amen brother...

[Gnomey]

The was some black woman on BBC News 24 ranting about how the US was wrong to go after them in Somali and that, she was talking out of her arse quite simply...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah I saw that as well and look what she was wearing. Her whole face was coverd in her islamic clothing. If she had a taste of what women wear and what what freedoms they have in other places she would not be complaining.

[mkloby]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

The UN can go and stuff it where the sun does not shine.

but the UN is such a vital organization genuinely interested in US interests - the US should not act w/o its consent