Qaeda Chief in Somalia Killed by U.S. Airstike

New York Times by Jeffrey Gettleman, Eric Schmitt | May. 2, 2008 (News Report)

Aden Hashi Ayro, long identified as one of Al Qaeda's top operatives in East Africa and the leader of the Islamist comeback in Somalia, was killed Thursday morning by an American airstrike, according to American and Somali officials.

Mr. Ayro was one of the most feared and notorious figures in Somalia, a short, wispy man believed to be in his 30s who had gone from lowly car washer to top terrorist suspect blamed for a string of atrocities, ... Full Story »

Posted by Dale Penn

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Eben Kaplan
3.3
 by Eben Kaplan - Oct. 1, 2008

This is an incredibly difficult area to report on and Gettlemen's work in recent years has been some of the best by any Western reporter. This story offers many details but leaves other things very vague. Its lack of context raises additional questions. For instance, Gettleman says the Somali government has given the US permission to launch strikes on its soil and cites "Somali intelligence" as a source. Somalia's transitional government is non-functioning, so how it employs intelligence agents or grants permission for airstrikes (what country would do that!?) remains a bit of a mystery.

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Eben's Rating

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3.3

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from 13 answers
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