Updated: U.S. Strikes al-Qaeda in Somalia

You can get a good look at Somalia's known terror camps, including the area in question by clicking on the map at the Fourth Rail.

At right is a satelite image of the area courtesy of Google Earth. I've been looking over Somalia throughout the current conflict and it's a very handy tool.

Looking at the land that juts out into the sea will give you a sense of place regarding where the attack took place when compared to the Fourth Rail map. It's the red dot on map at right. Also here is a larger map. The notched coastal area between Kismaayo and the Kenyan border is the area in question.

Notice that very small white area at top. On the left below is an expanded view of that area. It looks as though it may be the training area mentioned in the CBS piece. Click to enlarge.

Mary Katherine Hamm has the details at Michelle's blog.

The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second minute. I have it on good authority CBS has it wrong, as usual ; ).

Just what the doctor ordered, thousands of rounds a second right up al Qaeda's ass.

Sweet!

A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports exclusively.

The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa, Martin reports. Those terror attacks killed more than 200 people.

The AC-130 AC130 Gunship is armed variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

The primary missions of the United States Air Force's AC-130H Spectre and AC-130U Spooky gunships are close air support, air interdiction, and force protection. Missions in close air support are troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense.

These heavily armed aircraft incorporate side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated sensor, navigation and fire control systems to provide surgical firepower or area saturation during extended loiter periods, at night and in adverse weather. The sensor suite consists of a television sensor, infrared sensor and radar. These sensors allow the gunship to visually or electronically identify friendly ground forces and targets any place, any time. The AC130 U employs synthetic apertures strike radar for long-range target detection and identification. The gunship's navigational devices include the inertial navigation systems and global positioning system. The AC130 U employs the latest technologies and can attack two targets simultaneously. It also has twice the munitions capacity of the AC130 H.

Comments

[Purple Avenger]

Meh, Now we're going to have to send the Somalis millions in sponges and mops to clean up the mess. Bush never think this sort of thing through and considers the ramifications!

[Steven Den Beste]

Those gunships have the ability to fire thousands of rounds per minute, not per second.

[Bill Faith]

Steven's right, of course. One of my Old War Dogs pointed out the same thing --- http://www.smalltownveteran.net/bills_bites/2007/01/cbs_us_strikes_.html

[Purple Avenger]

...and cannon. It has a 105.

[Dan Riehl]

Those gunships have the ability to fire thousands of rounds per minute, not per second.

So shoot me, I lifted the quote directly from CBS. lol Should have known better, huh?

[Phoenix]

"So shoot me.."

hahahaha... Okay - bend over and take your licks for not checking your sources.... ha ha ha

[Cindi]

Those gunships have the ability to fire thousands of rounds per minute, not per second.

HEH. It's an AMERICAN SHIP. We can claim it fires millions of rounds per second, if we wish.

[Purple Avenger]

"I lifted the quote directly from CBS."

Layers man, layers.

[Darth Malice]

About time.GW might be learning.

[old trooper]

Justice does not always fly on swift wings. The AC 130 can fly close to stall speed and deliver justice at leisure.

Thank You USAF!

[Phoenix]

I'm weeping... haha...

Dan,

I know why I love your blog. Just scrolling through your posts is like doing a brain assessment to see if all the gears are working. Like, the post above this one - about 'well damn - it's your DUTY to fix Islam's image, Ellison, so get on it'... that post makes spit drool down my chin in fury. Then I come to this sandbox warriors gleefully fighting about Rounds-Per-Second-Over-Somalia and I laugh so hard I drool some more.

We wimmens have it down: It's an AMERICAN SHIP. We can claim it fires millions of rounds per second, if we wish.

Posted by: Cindi | Tuesday, January 09, 2007 at 01:23 AM

Ha. Ha. Ha. oh, yeah.. and 'deliver justice at leisure'. Priceless. :)