Some news excerpts of potential interest -
Ethiopian planes bomb Islamic-held airports in Somalia
by Mustafa Haji Abdinur
December 25, 2006
MOGADISHU (AFP) - Ethiopian warplanes have bombed airports in Somalia's capital and a southern town a day after Addis Ababa acknowledged its military was fighting the Islamist forces in the lawless nation. As rival forces pounded each with heavy artillery on several frontlines, witnesses said the planes bombed the runways at airports in the capital Mogadishu and Baledogle, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) to the northwest.
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Addis Ababa said it carried out the attacks to stop "unauthorised flights" some of which the Islamists were waiting for. "Unauthorised flights have been forbidden by the TFG (Transition Federal Government), but some unauthorised flights were observed and that is why the bombardement took place," said Solomon Abebe, the foreign ministry spokesman.
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http://www.somalilandnet.com/news/wn...13372367.shtml
Plane Cited in Arms Trafficking for Somalia Union Islamic Courts
Dec 12 2006 - A deeply disturbing report of a Ghana-registered plane being used by the most shadowy international arms traffickers the African continent has been ever plagued with.
A Ghanaian registered Boeing 707, suspected of being involved with Russian-Israeli mafiosi facilitator Viktor Bout's worldwide arms trafficking and smuggling network of charter flights, was recently spotted off-loading 40 tons of ammunition at Mogadishu Airport in Somalia.
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Somalia: Ethiopian Gunship Helicopter Shot Down in Bandiradley
Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
December 25, 2006
Aweys Osman Yusuf
Mogadishu
Islamic Courts Union has alleged its fighters have shot down an Ethiopian helicopter in Bandiredley, about 630 km (400 miles) northeast of the capital Mogadishu.