U.S. strikes in Somalia

[thisficklemob]

U.S. 'targets al-Qaeda'in Somalia.

US air strikes in Somalia are aimed at al-Qaeda leaders in the region, and based on "credible intelligence", a Pentagon spokesman has said.

I wish I could have faith in the accuracy, timing, and wisdom of these strikes.

Comments

[jerrymcl89]

Assuming there actually are Al-Quaeda leaders in Somalia (which seems fairly likely, since it's the kind of failed state that makes a good haven for them), striking against them is certainly justifiable and quite possibly essential. But of course, at this point in time it's hard to have faith in the administration if they tell you the earth is round, so we don't have much choice but to hope for the best.

[thisficklemob]

Well, exactly. I believe there are Al Qaeda leaders in the country, but that doesn't really narrow it down. I'd like to think the intelligence was correct, but look how we were willfully deceived about Iraq. Look at the people we picked up in Afghanistan and took to Gitmo who, it turns out, were turned in for the reward money by rivals or somebody with a grudge? And even if we got the right place, who knows if civilians were killed too.

I don't really think it was done right before Bush's speech because it was right before Bush's speech, but we'd have to have a guy who didn't raise terror alert levels for political gain before I'd really be sure it wasn't.

But even if everybody involved in the decision making really believed, on the basis of good intelligence, that this was the right thing to do, it could still blow up in our faces. As you say, with this administration, it's hard to believe something's a nail, because they go around hitting everything with a hammer.