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| Africa Horn |
| Obama: US forces assisted failed French raid in Somalia |
| 2013-01-14 |
| President Barack Obama today disclosed that the U.S. military played a role in a failed attempt by French commandos to free a hostage in Somalia on Friday. In a letter to Congress the president says service members “provided limited technical support” in the raid, but he denies the forces took any direct action in the assault on the compound. The NATO member state was attempting to free a French intelligence agent that had been captured by al-Shabab three years ago. The hostage and at least one French soldier died in the ensuing gunbattle, which also killed a reported 17 Al-Shabab says the French agent is still in their custody along with a soldier from the raid, but did not offer proof. Obama's letter also says that U.S. aircraft “briefly entered Somali airspace to support the rescue operation, if needed,” but did not deploy weapons. The letter does not mention whether the aircraft were manned planes or drone vehicles. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #8 Will the Bammer next say that US Milfors assisted JAPAN + PHILIPPINES, ETC. in their failed? war agz CHINA in the East, South China Seas??? Mainland Asia??? Iran??? * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS >[GlobalNation.Inquirer,net] NEW CHINA OFFICIAL MAP INCLUDES [130+] CONTESTED ISLANDS, + Islets, etc. includ those NOT mentioned before by the MSM-Net. RELATED WORLD NEWS > [Zee News] CHINA PUBLISHES NEW MAP CLAIMING [de facto]SOVEREIGNTY OVER DISPUTED AREAS. * SAME > [Same] AQUINO SEES STRONGER JAPAN AS "COUNTERWEIGHT" TO AGGRESSIVE ["threatening"] CHINA, in the West PHIL Sea aka South China Sea. * WORLD NEWS > [China Daily] A VERY RASH MOVE BY THE US, as per continuing illegal arms sales by the US to Taiwan + support by the US for Japan's claims on Chinese island territories in the East China Sea. * Also from WORLD NEWS > [Japan Defense] MINISTRY MAY BASE [JASDF] F-15'S NEAR MIYAKOJIMA TO COUNTER CHINESE [air]INTRUSION. RELATED SAME > CHINA: JAPAN AIRCRAFT DISRUPT ROUTINE [Chinese] PATROLS, over their own sovereign territory i.e. the Japan-claimed Diaoyus = Senkakus. * SAME > OPED NEWS: WORLD WAR IN ASIA? Vietnamese = SE Asian aspects of the US-China rivalry. * SAME > [Stars-N-Stripes] INCREASE IN MARINES NUMBERS AS MILITARY SHIFTS FOCUS TO PACIFIC, as due to changes in post-Cold War overall US strategies from WarFighting = War Readiness to proactive "Engagement". * CHINA DAILY FORUM > JAPAN TO SEND TWO MASSIVE PATROL SHIPS TO EAST CHINA SEA. RELATED SAME > JAPAN TO DEPLOY MORE SHIPS, FIGHTERS NEAR DIAOYU ISLANDS; + WORLD NEWS > [Japan Times}JAPAN COAST GUARD TO FORM DEDICATED GROUP FOR SENKAKU ISLANDS. * BIG NEWSNETWORK > JAPAN STATEMENT QUESTIONING RUSSIA'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER KURILES IS UNACCEPTABLE. Russian FM SpoxBabe Maria Zakharova. * CHINESE DEFENSE MASHUP > CHINESE NEWSPAPER ADVISES PLA TO BUILD OVERSEAS MILITARY BASES as required for China's antcipated future "Blue Water' Navy role, + to protect China's energy line into the Indian Ocean vee the Strait of Malaccas. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-01-15 00:08 |
| #7 "My prayers are with the poor bastid they captured :-( " Very true. Supposedly two French commando's now dead at the hands of Al-Shebaab, after being injured and captured. A bad way to go. |
| Posted by: Raider 2013-01-14 13:45 |
| #6 Leading from Behind™ some 5000 yards off through heavy lenses.... |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2013-01-14 13:28 |
| #5 How globalist of us to let the French take the lead, yet the US still kept its' hand in the game. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2013-01-14 13:26 |
| #4 provided limited technical support" in the raid, but he denies the forces took any direct action There, weaseled out nicely. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-01-14 09:42 |
| #3 My prayers are with the poor bastid they captured :-( |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-01-14 07:56 |
| #2 Zero linked to failure. Who would've thunk it? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-01-14 07:50 |
| #1 President Barack Obama today disclosed that the U.S. military played a role in a failed attempt by French commandos to free a hostage in Somalia on Friday. Must have been Black. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-01-14 01:02 |