US Navy Seals in training (US Navy\/Specialist 2nd Class John Scorza\/Flickr)<\/em><\/p>\n

As many as 21 US military strikes in Somalia since 2007 have killed up to 169 people, new research by the Bureau indicates. Of those killed, between 11 and 59 people are reported to be civilians.<\/p>\n

US military intervention in war-torn Somalia is shown to be on a far lower scale than in Yemen or Pakistan.\u00a0However, US attacks escalated sharply against al Shabaab targets in 2011.<\/p>\n

The Bureau has carried out a detailed examination of reports of western military activity in Somalia spanning over more than a decade. These are drawn from credible media, from academic research, from US and UK military and diplomatic records and from other reputable sources.<\/p>\n

The research team has sought to untangle often conflicting original reports, and to confirm where possible all incidents. Although over 70 US strikes have been reported since 2007, for example, the Bureau believes that fewer than a third of such claims appear credible.<\/p>\n

The findings reveal a complex web of shifting enemies, of invasions and proxy wars, and secretive and deadly US Special Forces attacks.<\/p>\n

Strikes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bureau\u2019s database<\/a>, released today,\u00a0chronicles more than 50 documented events dating from 2001. These range from surveillance and counter-piracy operations in Somalia, to heavy airstrikes and drone attacks on alleged Islamic militants.<\/p>\n

Somalia is one of the most challenging areas of the world\u2026 And it is an area that al Qaeda has tried regularly to exploit\u2019
<\/strong><\/em>\u2013 John Brennan<\/strong><\/p>\n

The research reveals that between nine and 21 US counter-terrorism attacks have taken place in Somalia between 2007 and 2012. Between\u00a051 and 169 people are reported killed in these events, mostly alleged militants.<\/p>\n

However between 11 and 59 of those killed were reported to have been civilians.<\/p>\n

The total number of casualties may be higher. \u00a0Some reports simply state \u2018many killed\u2019, and other attacks may be unrecorded.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Bureau\u2019s findings in brief
<\/strong>Although US Special Forces have been active in Somalia since the September 11 attacks, the Bureau\u2019s investigation indicates that US attacks only began in January 2007. Although more than 70 claims of US military strikes have been reported since then, only a smaller number can be fully substantiated.<\/p>\n

\n
• Nine attacks have been directly confirmed by US spokespeople or unnamed US officials. Between\u00a051\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a067<\/strong>\u00a0people are reported killed in these attacks, of whom between\u00a011 and 13<\/strong>\u00a0are reported as civilians.<\/li>\n
• A further four strikes are reported by multiple credible media sources, though they have not been verified by the US military. These reportedly killed a further\u00a013-45<\/strong>\u00a0people of whom between\u00a04\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a031<\/strong>\u00a0were reportedly civilians.<\/li>\n
• Eight strikes are single-source only, via generally credible media.\u00a0These account for a further\u00a022-57 deaths<\/strong>, of whom\u00a015<\/strong>\u00a0were reported to be civilians.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  The US Department of Defense declined to provide corrections and clarification on strikes where original reporting is confused.<\/p>\n

  During its investigation, the Bureau also examined 56 \u2018US drone strikes\u2019\u00a0reported by Iranian broadcaster Press TV<\/a>, which it claimed had killed more than 1,370 people. No corroborative evidence could be found to support these claims, which are\u00a0reported separately here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  Covert surveillance<\/strong><\/p>\n

  The Bureau\u2019s study shows distinct phases in western military intervention.\u00a0Just weeks after the terrorist atrocities of September 11 2001, US Special Forces became active in Somalia. There were fears the failed nation might become another Afghanistan, supporting al Qaeda and other transnational terrorist organisations.<\/p>\n

  Between 2001 and December 2006, that US engagement consisted mainly of a number of covert surveillance operations. In March 2003, for example, US commandos planted a dozen concealed cameras<\/a> on the Somali coast to monitor militant activity.<\/p>\n

  The US also carried out extraordinary renditions of an estimated\u00a0eight\u00a0terror suspects during this period. The Bureau has so far identified two of the men as\u00a0Suleiman Abdallah,<\/strong>\u00a0taken in March 2003; and\u00a0Mohammed Ali Isse, <\/strong><\/strong>seized in June 2004.<\/p>\n

  Related story: Somalia \u2013 a bullet-riddled history<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

  Airstrikes<\/strong><\/p>\n

  December 2006 triggered a new phase of US involvement. The Pentagon\u2019s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) took advantage of Ethiopia\u2019s invasion of Somalia to launch a series of air, naval and ground attacks against alleged al Qaeda militants.<\/p>\n

  In this second phase, according to Dr Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations<\/a>,\u00a0such strikes \u2018weren\u2019t about shaping Somalia but about going after particular individuals tied to specific terrorist plots, who happened to be there.\u2019<\/p>\n

  In January 2007, US Special Forces AC-130 gunships struck militant camps up to four times. Between 26 and 61 people died in the attacks \u2013 including between 6 and 35 civilians. And in June 2007 the USS Chafee carried out a rare naval bombardment<\/a> on Islamic militants in northern Somalia, killing a dozen.<\/p>\n

  
  <\/a><\/em>US AC-130 gunships have been primary platform for attack in Somalia (Lockheed Martin\/ Flickr)<\/em><\/p>\n

  In the third and present phase, which began in late spring 2011, the US began targeting al Shabaab directly, with the militant organisation now perceived as a key threat to US homeland security. As\u00a0President Obama\u2019s chief counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan spelled out last October:<\/p>\n

  Al-Qaida traditionally has taken advantage of areas that are wracked by conflict, turmoil and lack of government, it is a safe haven they see to launch attacks\u2026 Somalia is one of the most challenging areas of the world because it has this internal conflict, it has such a devastating famine, and it is an area that al-Qaida has tried regularly to exploit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

  Drone strikes: 2011 to present
  <\/strong>The Bureau\u2019s research shows that, after a reporting gap of 18 months, the US definitively returned to the offensive in Somalia with its first drone strike<\/a>\u00a0on June 23 2011. The strike was aimed at senior al Shabaab leaders, though it remains unclear how many \u2013 if any \u2013 died.<\/p>\n

  The Special Forces drones \u2013 independent from the CIA\u2019s fleet \u2013 operate from bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia and possibly the Seychelles. By February 2012 between four\u00a0and 12<\/span>\u00a0drone strikes had reportedly taken place.<\/p>\n

  Though the Bureau has striven to untangle confused reporting of western military activity in Somalia, much remains opaque \u2013 something the US seems keen to see continue.<\/p>\n

  \u2018We cannot provide specific operational details,\u2019 senior\u00a0Pentagon spokesman Lt Col James Gregory recently told the Bureau. \u2018Regarding\u00a0Somalia, we are supportive of the African Union Mission there and the Transitional Federal Government efforts as they continue to fight terrorism.\u2019<\/p>\n

  The Somalia data compares with some 316 CIA drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004 which have killed between 2,400 and 3,000 people,\u00a0according to the Bureau\u2019s data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  Additional reporting by Emma Slater, Alice Ross and David Pegg<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

  Follow Chris Woods on Twitter @chrisjwoods<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

  This article was last amended February 25 2012 after US officials confirmed a drone strike on February 24<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":61548,"template":"","tags":[477,471,470,478,481,479,480],"country":[436],"belligerent":[430],"authors":[559],"class_list":["post-61549","news_and_analysis","type-news_and_analysis","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-drone-warfare","tag-stories","tag-tbij-covert-drone-wars-archive","tag-us-civilian-harm","tag-us-legal","tag-us-policy","tag-us-transparency","country-somalia","belligerent-us-forces","authors-chris-woods"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_and_analysis\/61549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_and_analysis"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news_and_analysis"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61549"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=61549"},{"taxonomy":"belligerent","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/belligerent?post=61549"},{"taxonomy":"authors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/authors?post=61549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}