Splash two in Somalia: US hits AQ boss, Reuters weeps
posted at 6:56 am on May 1, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The US conducted a missile attack on a safe house in Somalia, and the regional al-Qaeda affiliate confirmed that the missile hit its objective. Aden Hashi Ayro, the leader of AQ in Somali, died with a dozen others in the house, including at least one other high-value target. We didn’t leave much to bury, either:
U.S. war planes killed an Islamist rebel said to be al Qaeda’s leader in Somalia and at least a dozen other people on Thursday in Washington’s biggest success in efforts to contain an insurgency raging since 2007.
The rebels said Aden Hashi Ayro — who led al Shabaab militants blamed for attacks on government troops and their Ethiopian allies — died in the first big hit for a string of U.S. air-strikes on Somali insurgents in the last year.
“Infidel planes bombed Dusamareb,” Shabaab spokesman Mukhtar Ali Robow told Reuters by phone, referring to a town in central Somalia, where body parts lay strewn round a wrecked house.
“Two of our important people, including Ayro, were killed.”
The death of the Afghanistan-trained militant is likely to bolster the Western-backed Somali government’s efforts to stem the insurgency that has been gaining ground in recent months. But it is sure to enrage Ayro’s fellow militants, who say they are fighting a jihad to eject Ethiopian troops.
Ah, al-Reuters — always looking for that cloud in the silver lining. Killing AQ leadership is “sure to enrage” other terrorists, eh? No kidding! Do it often enough, though, and a lot fewer are left to be enraged, and the coordination falls off enough to where their rage gets themselves killed rather than other people. Does Reuters believe that they would have lived lives of quiet contentment had Ayro been left alive?
In fact, later in the article, readers find out that Ayro was already a spread-the-rage-around kind of terrorist. He came from Afghanistan to lead the AQ organization in Somalia known as al Shabaab, and trained many of the terrorists in it. Ayro adopted the tactics used by AQ in Iraq, including suicide bombings, which had been unknown in the mainly Sufi Somalia until then. He had conducted a brutal terror offensive in Mogadishu, where thousands have died.
Oh, and Reuters also reports far down into the story that Ayro had targeted journalists reporting on terrorism in Somalia. One might think that ending the life of the terrorist leader who led that effort might make a news organization a little less concerned about whether his death would “enrage” his followers, but apparently not at Reuters.
The official count and identification of the bodies will take some time; the missile made the task so difficult that officials will have to count skulls to make an accurate count. However, Shabaab has been kind enough to inform the world that we got Osama’s man in Somalia and at least one of Ayro’s main lieutenants, and the confusion will likely force more of Ayro’s network to surface. We may see more success in Somalia in the days and weeks ahead as a result.
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Reuters is the British wire news service, isn’t it. The English on the whole have surrendered their bollacks long ago.
Blarg the Destroyer on May 1, 2008 at 7:02 AM
More evidence that the Long War on Islamism is being fought on many fronts. When are the Democrats going to recognize the world-wide effort, and applaud?
Their silence is deafening.
MrLynn on May 1, 2008 at 7:16 AM
“Smite them where ever ye find them.”
Tony737 on May 1, 2008 at 7:17 AM
Now if we could just identify the house where sadr is staying in iran…
peacenprosperity on May 1, 2008 at 7:18 AM
Reuters journalists are not against war.
They are on the other side.
Niko on May 1, 2008 at 7:26 AM
Reuters is nothing but a “right-wing” arm of Al Jazeera.
IfWhen CNN was in bed with Saddam to protect their “services”, Reuters was the sock-puppet that no one noticed. Meanwhile, AP’s “Jamil Husseins” have become better cloaked.Rovin on May 1, 2008 at 7:31 AM
I always thought it was a French guy but I just looked it up and Paul Reuter was a German. He moved to company from Berlin to London yonks ago. Its probably owned by Saudis now or something.
aengus on May 1, 2008 at 7:32 AM
Not to be mistaken for Al-AP.
malan89 on May 1, 2008 at 7:36 AM
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll!!!
gridlock2 on May 1, 2008 at 7:50 AM
That’s nice:
“Two of our important people, including Ayro, were killed.”
Which is to say that the other 10 people killed are not important. So… if 80% of the Muslims are not important, let’s take ‘em out. WE get to choose which 80%
JoeAvg on May 1, 2008 at 7:51 AM
Black Hearts Down..
Guardian on May 1, 2008 at 8:01 AM
Two down, many more to go.
Enragement is the results of making someone angry. Make them scared witless, and there is no rage, just fear.
OldEnglish on May 1, 2008 at 8:06 AM
So did I read this right, Reuters has the phone number to al Qaeda in somalia?
Lets use the wayback machine and change this story a bit.
Now ask what would Churchell Do?
Gwillie on May 1, 2008 at 8:10 AM
Ants get real mad when you put poison on their nest. Then they die and it doesn’t matter anymore.
Asher on May 1, 2008 at 8:13 AM
Darn typo and I previewed it and everything, please forgive me. Churchell = Churchill
Gwillie on May 1, 2008 at 8:15 AM
“… what would Churchell Do?” - GW
You answered that with your typo … (he’d give ‘em hell, he’d send them to hell) … or was it a Fruedian slip?
Tony737 on May 1, 2008 at 8:20 AM
I know it’s been said before, but it bears repeating.
Enjoy your virgins, beeeeyotches!
Bigfoot on May 1, 2008 at 8:27 AM
The last ‘airstrike’ was actually a SLCM. I guess from one of our supersecret flying nuclear subs. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least that the ‘U.S. aircraft’ had the odd designation of U.S.S.
Go Navy!
Limerick on May 1, 2008 at 8:33 AM
Great work, fellas!
argos on May 1, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Reuters is wrong, when you slap people they get enraged, when you kill their leaders they get scared.
right2bright on May 1, 2008 at 8:52 AM
We’re counting on their rage to make them noisy and clumsy and easier to target for the next go round.
Payback time for Black Hawk Down.
AQ will eventually mean All Quit.
Either terrorism or this planet.
profitsbeard on May 1, 2008 at 8:53 AM
I don’t think it’s possible to “enrage” terrorists any more that they already are. They seem to exist in a state of continual enragement.
jeanie on May 1, 2008 at 9:02 AM
I have to think that leadership succession for AQ is done by gunpoint Lately, the longevity factor for their “leaders” seems to diminish on a daily basis.
irongrampa on May 1, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Good shooting. Pour it on.
dogsoldier on May 1, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Score! Next!
CP on May 1, 2008 at 9:27 AM
There was no AQ in Somalia before the invasion. Getting Ethiopia out of Somalia will solve the problem. Al Shabaab is not really AQ. We’re just making more jihadis by engaging them there (Just thought I’d beat Code Pink/dKos to the punch).
Kafir on May 1, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Heh.
ronsfi on May 1, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Good shootin’ boys!
infidel4life on May 1, 2008 at 9:56 AM
When we deal a blow to AQ it enrages them and makes them more powerful.
If AQ deals a blow to us, then it empowers them and makes them more powerful.
That is pretty neat circle of logic all of the news wire services have.
jukin on May 1, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Old Chinese proverb? :)
abinitioadinfinitum on May 1, 2008 at 10:14 AM
“The Lord your God will send the [F/A-18] Hornet among them, until those who are left, who hide themselves from you, are destroyed.” - Deuteronomy 7:20
CurtZHP on May 1, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Remember when Eason Jordan smeared American troops as “targeting” journalists? Yet when Al-Qaeda does it somehow it isn’t “news”.
DANEgerus on May 1, 2008 at 10:37 AM
A large amount of their income is derived from providing wire service and editorial to arab countries.
It’s got nothing to do with bollocks - it is simple economics for them.
Ares on May 1, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Heh. Well played!
DCA on May 1, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Hmmm… how to fight the terrorists? Well, if killing their leaders enrages them and makes things worse, then, logically, if we were to send their leaders large sums of cash and food, and then provide them visas and free transportation to America, together with subsidized housing and dates with attractive women, we would probably cripple AQ within a few short days.
morganfrost on May 1, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Oh come on. Let’s ignore the parts about ‘biggest success’, let’s ignore the ‘bolster the Western-backed Somali government’s efforts to stem’, but let’s focus on the ’sure to enrage’ (which should only be noticed for stating the painfully obvious) instead.
Damn those one-eyed journalists!
Reaps on May 1, 2008 at 11:36 AM
1 part for each virgin
clghitis on May 1, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Yep, and the bomb was filled with pork…so how do you like us “infidels” now biatch!!
Oh yeah no Caliphate agenda here, they’re just poor oppressed freedom fighters fighting to eject the Ethiopian invaders! That excuse sounds familiar; they’re borrowing a play from the Hamas playbook!
As far as “enraging them” who gives a rats azz, they hate all of us “infidels” anyway therefore any excuse will do for them, something the leftards have yet to figure out because they’re so mired down in PC!!
Liberty or Death on May 1, 2008 at 11:56 AM
wow, I’d like to send a care package and my condolences. Anyone have the new mailing address for AQ in Somolia?
moxie_neanderthal on May 1, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Fixed!
Rovin on May 1, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Ok cool, so when our guys get killed we can all get ENRAGED and strike back in revenge. And best of all it’s not our fault that we retaliate because it was they that caused our rage.
I like this process of reasoning!
Riposte on May 1, 2008 at 1:39 PM
I think being merely enraged is an improvement over their current state: Psychopathicly murderous.
Kristopher on May 1, 2008 at 2:05 PM
Of course, the targets themselves are certainly not feeling much rage at the moment.
Kristopher on May 1, 2008 at 2:06 PM