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US somalia airstrike missed all targets { January 11 2007 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e629d56a-a18b-11db-8bc1-0000779e2340.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/e629d56a-a18b-11db-8bc1-0000779e2340.html
Somalia strike ‘missed al-Qaeda targets’
By Andrew England in Cairo
Published: January 11 2007 18:40 | Last updated: January 11 2007 18:40
The controversial US air strike in southern Somalia missed all three top al-Qaeda members Washington alleges are hiding out in the country, a senior US official said on Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said eight to 10 “al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists” were killed in Monday’s attack, but gave no details.
On Tuesday the Pentagon confirmed that an AC130 aircraft was used to target “the principal al-Qaeda leadership in the region”. The attack marked the first overt US military intervention in the Horn of Africa nation since its doomed invasion in the 1990s.
The strike was criticised by the European Commission, as well as the Arab League which claimed it had killed “many innocent victims” and demanded that Washington refrain from further attacks. There were no accurate casualty figures.
Washington’s main accusation against a Somali Islamist movement was that it was sheltering three al-Qaeda members wanted in connection with the 1998 US embassy attacks in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam and 2002 attacks in Kenya.
The air strike was launched after an Ethiopian-led offensive forced the Islamists to abandon their major strongholds and flee south towards Somalia’s border with Kenya. Ethiopia, an important US ally in the region, deployed thousands of troops into its Muslim neighbour and backs the weak Somali transitional government.
The Islamists alliance, which had controlled much of southern Somalia before Ethiopia’s offensive, denied having any links to terrorism
Observers say the US strike and the presence of Ethiopian forces in Somalia could increase the unpopularity of the Somali administration and help stoke a potential insurgency.
But a more immediate concern is attempting to ensure that the transitional administration, which has little legitimacy or credibility among many Somalis, begins a process of genuine reconciliation. If not, the country is likely to remain in chaos and violence, observers say.
The 15 years of lawlessness was a key reason for the US to consider Somalia a potential haven for terrorists.
Faction leaders defeated by the Islamists have already begun moving back to Mogadishu, and the government was forced to abandon a plan to disarm clan militias.
“Ethiopia has to withdraw, the US has to stop its engagement and the government’s leadership has to offer real reconciliation which it is extremely reluctant to do and is very difficult to achieve,” said one western diplomat. “What is hindering this is the presence of Ethiopian troops and, more importantly, the arrogance of the government.”
Since it was formed two years ago at an UN-backed conference, divisions have racked the government, which is led by Abdullahi Yusuf, the president and a veteran warlord. Before Ethiopia launched its offensive, it had little influence outside of the central town of Baidoa and it is deeply unpopular among the important Hawiye clan that dominates Mogadishu, the capital.
The 275-member parliament and the government are supposed to represent Somalia’s complex clan system, but Hawiye claim that Ethiopia and its allied Somali faction leaders handpicked its representatives, including the prime minister.
The administration’s security is dependent on the presence of Ethiopian forces and it has few means of generating revenue – the European Commission, the UK, Sweden and Norway fund MPs monthly sitting allowances ranging from $1,000 to $1,500. Donors also provide financing in other areas, including establishing a new police force, transport and refurbishing buildings.
The debate among donors is whether to pour more funds into the administration in the hope that it produces benefits and encourages the government to broaden its base or whether its support should be dependent on conditions.
Days before its air strike, the US announced it would provide $40m to Somalia in political, humanitarian and peacekeeping assistance. Other diplomats want to see a more cautious approach.
“We want to say you must address the political situation or we will not stand by you, we must use the stick and carrot,” said one western diplomat.
Another diplomat said it was time the international community took risks in a bid to make the transitional institutions effective.
“We have no option but to give the transitional government our support and take a leap of faith that it will deliver,” he said.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
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