Kenya getting help from West in attack on Somalia

Independent:

Kenya has confirmed that Western allies have joined its war on Islamic militants al-Shabaab despite denials from the US and France that they are involved in fighting in southern Somalia. Foreign military forces have carried out air strikes and a naval bombardment close to the militant stronghold of Kismayo, a Kenyan army spokesman said yesterday.

“There are certainly other actors in this theatre carrying out other attacks,” said Kenya's Major Emmanuel Chirchir.

The Kenyan invasion has already caused a major rift between Somalia's interim prime minister and president, who yesterday condemned the presence of foreign troops inside his country. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed described as “inappropriate and unacceptable” the Kenyan presence. Nairobi previously insisted that its offensive had the backing of Somalia's UN-recognised government. Sources close to the Somali prime minister said yesterday's condemnation by the president came as a “huge surprise” and would have “major implications” for the offensive against al-Shabaab.

Meanwhile fears of a backlash of terror attacks against Kenya were underlined by a blast at a nightclub in Nairobi in the early hours of yesterday morning, that seriously injured 12 people. The grenade attack was immediately linked by local police to al-Shabaab. It came only a day after the US embassy warned expats in the Kenyan capital of a “credible threat” of an imminent attack.

Wary of a repeat of its 1993 debacle in Mogadishu, the US has remained one step removed from the conflict in Somalia – paying for African Union troops to fight al-Shabaab and limiting itself to air strikes. Other Western allies have joined the naval effort against Somali pirates offshore but any direct involvement in Kenya's offensive against the al Qa'ida linked militants would represent a major shift.

Kenyan army spokesman Maj. Chirchir said that while he could not name the foreign forces assisting the offensive their identity was well known. “Everyone knows who is fighting the terrorists, they are the same partners who are always fighting al Qa'ida.”

Nairobi's Western allies insist they were not consulted over the East African nation's biggest military operation to date. The US has denied carrying out air strikes reported by local residents around the port city of Kismayo in the last week. Kenya said on Sunday that the French navy was bombarding al Qa'ida-linked militants from the sea but later backtracked on this after denials from Paris. France said it was helping to supply the Kenyan offensive but Col. Thierry Burkhard said there was “no French operation in Somalia.”

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I do not have a problem with supporting Kenyan operations against the Islamic religious bigots of Somalia who have contributed to the ruin of that country.   Al Shabaab poses a threat to all who do not agree with their weird religious beliefs.  that includes Muslims and non Muslims.  The key to such and operation is to move fast and destroy as much of the infrastructure of of the enemy as possible and then move out before they can launch insurgent attacks.

I am not aware of any carriers in the region, but the US does have several bases used by the CIA and special forces for attacking al Qaeda operatives.  The attack aircraft could have been Reaper drones operated by the CIA.