Somali Troops Backed by Ethiopia Enter Mogadishu

December 28, 2006 -- Eyewitness: 'Everything is Unpredictable'
Somali human rights activist Ali Said Omar, 27, describes the mood in his country's capital, Mogadishu, after Islamist fighters flee and Ethiopian-backed government forces arrive. (BBC)

FAQ: War between Somalia and Ethiopia
Conflict goes back to 1964. (The Guardian)

Iraqi Qaeda Allies Urge Backing For Somali Islamists
An al Qaeda-backed group in Iraq has urged Muslims to support Islamists in Somalia fleeing the capital Mogadishu under siege by Ethiopian and Somali government forces. (Reuters)

Seventeen Die In Baghdad Blasts
At least 17 people are killed in a number of explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, Iraqi police say. (BBC)

4 Kidnapped Contractors Still Held
The U.S. Embassy said Thursday it believes four American security contractors and an Austrian remain in captivity after their kidnapping in southern Iraq six weeks ago. (AP)

Snipers Stalk Marine Supply Route In Western Iraq
The battle for this desolate stretch of road east of Fallouja is relentless: Twenty-four hours a day, Marines lumber up and down the six-lane freeway in 23-ton amphibious assault vehicles, looking for bombs and dodging snipers. (LA Times)

Iraq Qaeda Suspect Blamed for U.S. Kidnap Captured
Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. advisers have captured an al Qaeda cell leader believed to be behind the kidnap in June of two U.S. soldiers who were found tortured and dead, the U.S. military said on Thursday. (Reuters)

Moscow Links Poisoning Inquiry to Yukos Case
Russia is investigating a link between the poisoning of Alexander V. Litvinenko and former Yukos Oil executives. (NY Times)

Dropping of Terror Charges Against Briton Stayed In Pakistan
A Pakistani court has stayed dropping of terror charges by a lower court against a Briton held in Pakistan for alleged involvement in a plot to blow up transatlantic jets, his lawyer said. (AFP)

700 Pakistanis Missing Since Start of War on Terror
Sitting against a small table in her home in Pakistan's northern city of Rawalpindi, 10-year-old Ayesha Janjua writes a letter to President Gen Pervez Musharraf. (Pak Tribune)

The Trials of Occupation
By Burhan al-Chalabi
Executing Saddam will not bring peace to Iraq. That can only come when US forces leave. (The Guardian)

Sectarian Ties Weaken Duty's Call for Iraq Forces
By Marc Santora
U.S. forces are struggling with the task of trying to build up Iraqi security forces that are being used as proxies in a spreading sectarian war. (NY Times)