Happy Boxing Day!
Islamic forces, under assault by the Ethiopians, are on the retreat in Somalia, a.k.a. Afghanistan-by-the Sea.
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Islamic fighters retreated Tuesday as Somali government and Ethiopian troops advanced on three fronts in a decisive turn in the battle for control of this Horn of Africa nation.
Somalia’s internationally backed government called on the Council of Islamic Courts to surrender and promised amnesty if they lay down their weapons, spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said from Baidoa, the seat of the interim administration.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose military openly joined the war Sunday after weeks of quietly aiding the Somali government, said his forces had completed about half their mission.
“As soon as we have accomplished our mission — and about half of our mission is done, and the rest shouldn’t take long — we’ll be out,” Meles told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
No rush, Mr. Meles.
Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, leader of the Council of Islamic Courts’ executive body, said the group had told its troops to withdraw from some areas.
“The war is entering a new phase,” he said. “We will fight Ethiopia for a long, long time and we expect the war to go everyplace.”
See what I mean?
From the Captain’s Quarters, observations on which horse the AP’s Salad Duhul is backing. This passage from earlier versions was edited out:
The Islamic militia, which grew out of a network of ad hoc Muslim courts, has brought a measure of law to a lawless country: The international airport reopened in July after being closed for a decade.
That’s right. A measure of Sharia law. No World Cup soccer, on pain of death, for example.
Michael van der Galien at the Moderate Voice would like to see the West re-engage in Somalia. I nominate Europe.
Trevino at Townhall and Joyner at Outside the Beltway caution that there are no good guys in this fight, only less bad ones.
Blue Crab cruelly mocks retreating Jihadis with a reference to an earlier generation of Holy warriors.
Topics: Uncategorized
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:02 am Comments (3) on Tuesday, December 26, 2006
3 Responses to “Happy Boxing Day!”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
December 26th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
I see one commenter on Trevino’s piece asked why Kenya isn’t jumping in.
I take the larger view that this isn’t just a Ethiopian op rather something that’s been planned for quite some time and includes Kenya and the US and probably the French and Germans in minor roles). As Trevino noted, its a virtual certainty the US is giving Ethiopia an assist with logistics and intel. When you read between the lines of a few years of CJTF-HOA bulletins, its becomes obvious we’ve been very busy showing the flag around in Kenya.
Kenya isn’t jumping in because they’re the anvil. Its more important for them strategically to stay put and provide a less-porous border. If the Islamists try to move south across the Kenyan border, then they can be crushed unmercifully by US and Kenyan forces.
Anyone want to bet that CVBG that Gates claims in nominally supposed to threaten Iran makes a detour and gets parked off the southern coast of Somalia?
December 26th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Did you see Article by Salim Lone? A Kenyen and former UN spokesman.
He says sharia is good for Somalia and the US is again the trouble maker.
December 27th, 2006 at 3:20 am
Yea, executing soccer players and people who watch TV always contributes to a healthy, vibrant, and educated society.
The US should have been executing TV viewers decades ago.