From the Horse's...

You'll have to decide how to finish the title of this post after listening to this Somalia insight from NPR's "senior news analyist Ted Koppel. Renee Montagne brings Ted on, assuredly telling us that "he’s been talking with a senior US military official with first hand knowledge of operations in Somalia." Wow, a "senior" official - and with first hand knowledge too!

Regarding the blistering air attack(s) attributed to the US in Somalia, Montagne asks Koppel, "and do we know exactly who is being targeted?" Based on information from his unnamed connection, Koppel answers decisively:

• Well they know that there are senior members of what they call the Council of Islamic Courts...and several members of that council are believed to have very close ties with Osama Bin Laden’s organization al-Qaeda and they believe that two or three of the members of that council were directly involved in the bombing of the US embassies in East Africa about eight years ago.

Okay, I don't know about you but I'm convinced! Koppel just overwhelmed me with evidence. I mean if US intelligence sources say there are direct ties to Osama Bin Laden's organization, they must know. In fact I bet they know right where Bin Laden is! And I'm sure if that vague "they" believes that two or three members of the council were "directly involved" it's because they've got the overwhelming evidence to prove it - just like before the Iraq invasion.

If it were a joke it would be amusing.