Navy Seals Kill Wanted Terrorist in Somali Raid

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: FoxNews

Navy Seals from U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a raid in southern Somalia on Monday that killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, one of 4 co-conspirators wanted in the 2002 bombing of an Israel owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, two senior U.S. military officials told FOX News.

Ten days ago President Obama signed the Execute Order for Nabhan, who since 2006 was on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists. He was also wanted for the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Kenya in 1998.

Two MH-6 Little Bird helicopters deployed from one of two U.S. Navy vessels near Somalia's coast strafed a vehicle Nabhan was using to go back and forth between meetings. Intelligence operatives had been monitoring Sabhan prior to the attack. The helicopters passed once, firing on the vehicle, and then circled back around to retrieve the body so they could make a positive identification, according to one official.

The attack in Mombasa took place on Nov. 28, 2002 — involving a bomber that blew up the lobby of the Israeli owned Paraise hotel. On the same day the attackers unsuccessfully attempted to shoot down an Israeli owned Boeing 757 civilian jetliner run by Arkia. They fired surface to air missiles and missed.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,550100,00.html

[proteus_lives]

1. Wow, actually fighting terror.

This is what a war on terrorism should look like. No bullshit wars in Iraq or Afghanistan but highly-trained, specialized teams IDing and taking out threats.

Obama > Bush.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Too true. Textbook way to deal with terrorist.

[subcomhd]

5. You nailed it. nt

[Posteritatis]

14. Ding! (nt)

[Lost-in-FL]

21. +1, nt

[BreweryYardRat]

24. Yup.

This is how you do it, ladies and gentlemen.

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. Ummm - aren't suspects supposed be tried in courts of law?

.
.
.

This slaughter under the guise of terrorism . . .

GUILTY? - without trial? - executed by "executive" order?

no problem I guess, once they are dead, they can't defend themselves.

The World notices these wee details.

and so do the surviving relatives, friends and followers.

Killing one or more persons that piss of the USA is making the USA a lifetime of enemies.

Sooner or later the World is gonna turn on the USA like a tornado.

Of course it won't be with bullets and bombs - We all know the USA has plenty of those . .

It will be trade and financial . . cut off the oil supply;

The War-Machne dies . .

We can do that . . .

[Pavulon]

4. Military Target. How do you know the operation was not sanctioned by the government

either way. There is nothing there the us needs, except apparently, a person who needed to die. He was a terrorist and getting shot is part of the risk of this job.

[ConcernedCanuk]

43. "operation was not sanctioned by the government" - now there's a comforting thought.

.
.
.

The "government says" - "take them out" - then it's okay?

I think not.

USA MUST stop it's belligerent dominating attitude toward the World,

or it will end up as all empires have in the past.

But I'm afraid it is too late for the USA to put itself into a decent light in the World.

Too many schools, wedding parties, hospitals , infrastructure have borne the wrath of the USA's War_machine to ever forgive them.

The only population that is fooled by the USA propaganda is the USAmerican electorate.

The rest of the World sees their carnage quite clearly.

USA/Obama missed it's last change for the USA to be considered decent when it did not pull out of the Middle East after Obama's election.

"Change you can believe in"

riggggght. . . .

[DissedByBush]

7. Do we put every enemy soldier on trial?

No, we shoot, bomb, strafe, or otherwise attack them in combat.

They do have certain rights if we manage to capture them. At least they did before Bush.

Unless this guy was putting his hands up to say "I surrender" he died in a legitimate combat action.

[Hugabear]

19. I missed the part where we declared war on Somalia

I agree with the respondent - we shouldn't be using our military as an international law-enforcement agency.

[Kurska]

20. Somalia has no government to declare war on.

If this was France we would have gone through the proper channels and had him extradited, but there isn't a government in somalia to talk to about things like this, which is probably why he went there in the first place.

[DissedByBush]

23. He was fair game

He was wanted in connection with deadly attacks against our country and was a member of Al Qaeda which has basically declared war on us.

He tried to hide in a country with no real government to avoid arrest and extradition, so we came and got him.

This isn't about enforcing international law. It is about hunting down and killing or capturing those who are trying to kill us.

If he wants to be a soldier of Allah then he can die like a soldier.

[paulsby]

34. no "basically" about it

al qaeda has declared war on us. no equivocation needed

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fat...

[ShortnFiery]

40. We "some people" from NYC declare WAR on say the rest of the USA cities ...

it's fair game for the SF to go in and bomb the place to flush out all suspected "terrorists?"

We're (USA inappropriately used special ops units) the THUGS of the world.

I'm ashamed of these "Execution Actions" and they are NOT making us safer.

[saigon68]

56. I imagine like the gang war in Central City LA CA

There will be a "payback drive by" initiated by the other side soon.

[Posteritatis]

30. I also missed that part, because the US isn't at war with Somalia

Hyperbole's fun though!

[Kurska]

31. Somalia doesn't have a international recongized sovreign government.

You can't violate sovereignty that doesn't exist.

[Posteritatis]

32. Oh, I don't disagree there

I'm just reacting to the hyperbolic "killing a known terrorist abroad means we're at war with the country he happens to be in" schtick.

[ConcernedCanuk]

45. "legitimate combat action" ??? - hmm - our INVASIONS in the ME are legitimate?

.
.
.

A bunch of unsatisfied people came to the "New World" - (that being North America) to make a new life for themselves - -

Then they spend trillions of dollars trying to take over the whole World while turning the "New World" into a slumlord economy and and ruin the ecology of their "New World" in doing so???

Old saying - -

"Sometimes in Victory, you lose that is which most precious"

USA had a pristine country, full of resources and potential - they raped the land(and the natives) - abused(and is still abusing) the rest of the World for its quest in materials they wasted in greed, and flaunting its Military might by invading and occupying other countries at will.

Counties that behave like that generally do not hold their power for long.

Peasants revolt against the strongest empires.

USA's government would do well with a 5 year sabbatical just reading history.

Problem is - they'd have to UNDERSTAND it to gain any real knowledge.

I wouldn't bet on a success in that area - - -

(sigh)

[Aragorn]

10. I'm with you

but seems to be a minority.

[Kurska]

11. Somalia doesn't have a central government to extradite him for trial. n/t

[Igel]

36. You forgot to mention

"hit squads" and "how many new terrorists did we create by killing this one?" Or the ever popular, "What, an American sits in an aircraft and drops a bomb on somebody, and that's considered fair?"

On the other hand, I'm still reluctantly in favor of the guy's execution. And, as ever, amused by asymmetry of attitudes and rhetoric, and respectful when the attitude and rhetoric isn't asymmtrical but principled.

[ConcernedCanuk]

44. Let's face it - the USA is in the ME for one reason "OIL" - without oil their war-machine would die

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something to ponder.

[prostomulgus]

6. Umm.... this is from FoxNews. How do you know it's real? n/t

[nsd]

8. NY Times has it too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/world/africa/15raid.h...

NAIROBI, Kenya – American commandos killed one of the most wanted Islamic militants in Africa in a daylight raid in southern Somalia Monday, according to American and Somali officials, an indication of the Obama administration’s willingness to use force against Al Qaeda’s growing influence in the region.

[DissedByBush]

9. Obama scores against the terrorists

And without an invasion, collateral damage or the loss of American lives.

I'm surprised they even reported it.

[ShortnFiery]

38. I wouldn't be celebrating. There was "collateral damage" ...

there always is when you take a Cal 50 and use fire along a line of vehicles.

The helicopters, with commandos firing .50-caliber machine guns and other automatic weapons, quickly disabled the trucks, according to villagers in the area, and several of the Shabab fighters tried to fire back. Shabab leaders said that six foreign fighters, including Mr. Nabhan, were quickly killed, along with three Somali Shabab. The helicopters landed, and the commandos inspected the wreckage and carried away the bodies of Mr. Nabhan and the other fighters for identification, a senior American military official said.

These Presidential EXECUTION orders are, IMO, both immoral and unsound. There is NO Rule of Law here, just executions. Killing suspected TERRORISTS in foreign lands will NOT keep us safer.

If anything it's fomenting MORE hatred for the USA.

But no worries, the ultra wealth within the Military Industrial Complex view this as a WIN-WIN. None of their children will be in the Middle East killing and dying for The American Empire.

[DissedByBush]

49. Armed combatants in a convoy with a known terrorist.

Not exactly what I would call collateral damage. More like nine for the price of one.

"If anything it's fomenting MORE hatred for the USA."

Oh like they'll stop hating us if we stop killing their fighters. Kumbaya, peace and love for all.

They will hate us because they are raised to hate us. They are taught every day to hate us. They teach their kids that the greatest thing they can do with their lives is to die while killing us.

Nothing we can do will make them hate us more.

[IDFbunny]

54. If the opportunity to kill Osama bin Laden came up again,

you'd let it go?

[Posteritatis]

12. Because most real news agencies covered it too. (nt)

[Historic NY]

13. "Executive Action."

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

15. So not really SEALS but a helicopter pilot.

[DissedByBush]

25. Yes, but not *just* a helicopter pilot

The pilot would have been with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Probably not a SEAL but still specifically trained for special operations, usually insertions and extractions of SEALs, Rangers and other special operations personnel.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

26. I didn't say he wasn't a special ops soldier, just that he wasn't a SEAL.

[DissedByBush]

27. The SEALs get all the credit

When they're just the ones who picked up the bodies.

The guys at the 160th probably like you for realizing they did the work here.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

29. To be fair they likely gathered the intelligence that identified the vehicle.

[ShortnFiery]

39. Yes, and the women and children in the other ones, were just collateral damage.

I'm sure that there are no family members mourning their SENSELESS deaths, and thus, won't seek revenge until their last dying breath.

[DissedByBush]

48. Where do you get that?

I see no mention of women and children on the news. I wouldn't be surprised though, since using women and children as human shields is normal for these animals.

Bush liked to lob missiles from hundreds of miles away to indiscriminately kill, or just what the hell invade the whole damn country.

Obama sends Special Forces in to deal with the target in a close in surgical strike.

I like Obama much better.


My apologies to animals for the second sentence.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

51. I missed the report of collateral damage. Can you link to it please?

[CHIMO]

16. God

Has acted!

[Kurska]

17. On the 8th day god looked down on the rod's from god kinetic impact weapon system.

And saw it was awesome



Oh man rods from god are cool.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/0...

[CHIMO]

18. I Am

THerfore no other.

[ShortnFiery]

41. Always a phallic symbol?

[Pavulon]

47. We can all get on our collective knees.. Lets see how that works.

[TacticalPeek]

22. Oorah.

[Art_from_Ark]

28. So is this like the tall guy in the cornfield who "looked like" OBL

or the guy in the restaurant in Baghdad who was "definitely, probably, maybe" Saddam?

[The abyss]

33. Maybe – but most likely this guy – again!

"Abu Musab al Zarqawi"

You remember Musab's dad, the guy from Zarqa?

Or rather in colloquial terms. Fred’s dad – that guy from Brooklyn.

[davepc]

35. Does no editor possess a style guide? It's SEAL an acronym. plural is SEALs.

[ShortnFiery]

37. No, navy SEALs didn't slash his throat, he was killed by munitions fired from a MH-6 helicopter.

Gee, the above doesn't sound near as MACHO or as laudatory ... kind of ruins the "keeping us safe" national orgasm, aye?

No, the actual SEAL personnel helped MOP UP the shit, I guess that may be less than awe inspiring as well as a little PTSD inducing?

No disrespect to the Navy SEALs - their training is rigorous and when properly tasked, they are OUTSTANDING. However, these INSANE missions - "Summary Executions" are not the a result of hand to hand combat.

In addition to killing far too many civilians, I submit, they are not making AMERICANS safer.

Yes! God Bless America whose mighty SEAL units and Drone Planes can function as Judge, Jury and Executioner!

Now remind me again why the average citizen in these Middle Eastern Lands HATES America's guts?

[Pavulon]

46. Killing assholes a great option when saying please dont kill

us does not work. We dont do hand to hand combat. No one does. Short of free tugjobs for life for all in the region they are going to hate us. They have hated us for quite a while. They hate us because we sell weapons to the evil jews. Some do, most just dont care.

So you know what, fuck em. This guy was a murdering piece of shit and guys just like him who fund and act to kill americans can die. Those are the rules, they can choose not to play. If they stop doing shit like killing people at the Olympics and blowing up embassies they we will stop killing them.

Know who holds the world record for longest kill with a rifle, a Canadian in Afghanistan. Pretty fucking cool, eh?

[Nihil]

50. Team America F*ck Yeah!

> If they stop doing shit like killing people at the Olympics ...



This guy wasn't even born when people were being killed
at the Olympics!



> They have hated us for quite a while.

And you have provided plenty of supporting evidence for why this is so
in this thread alone. Gung-ho morons cheering for the latest dose of
the daily hate ...

[Pavulon]

53. Or you can just take it on your knees..

see the round kicking up the dirt. He is cut from the same cloth. But i am sure if we ask really nice he will just be cool and stop killing civilians.

[Nihil]

55. Like I said ...

Gung-ho morons cheering for the latest dose of the daily hate.

[ShortnFiery]

58. He and some of the innocent civilians in the convoy were cut in half with 50 cal = no trial.

I'm not proud of our country since we believe ourselves so God Almighty powerful that we serve as Judge, Jury and Executioner.

Is it any wonder that most of the Middle East HATES OUR GUTS?

[ShortnFiery]

59. Who's "THEY?" Did THEY have a trial? eom

[Nihil]

61. ? Did you mean to post that to me ?

[ShortnFiery]

60. Who determines who IS or IS NOT "an asshole." This can come back to domestic policy.

It starts overseas with "certain authorities" labeling "certain persons" TERRORIST ... but JUDGMENT and summary executions without trial are very dangerous precidents and you can bet it will COME HOME if we don't demand otherwise.

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

42. Life's a bitch when you're a terrorist (EOM)

[Sezu]

52. Yep. Jihad sucks. n/t

[Imagevision]

57. umm... geeez I wonder if Cheney would have apporved this contract/type take out...?

more! this sounds like the start of getting to the root of the problems. They tool out JFK- RFK - MLK and we never seemed to learn...