Somali Troops Backed by Ethiopia Enter Mogadishu

December 28, 2006 -- SOMALIA

Troops Enter Mogadishu; Refugees Drown

Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces rolled into Mogadishu without firing a shot Thursday, a striking gain in its bid to recapture the country from an Islamic movement that had once seemed nearly invincible. (AP)

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)

IRAQ NEWS

Saddam Lawyer Seeks To Prevent Handover

Saddam Hussein's chief lawyer implored world leaders on Thursday to prevent the United States from handing over the ousted leader to Iraqi authorities for execution, saying he should enjoy protection from his enemies as a "prisoner of war." (AP)

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)

RUSSIA

'Hijack' Drama on Russian Plane

A Russian passenger plane has made an emergency landing in Prague after a man tried to enter the cockpit, saying he had an explosive device. (BBC)

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)

IRAN

Iran to 'Revise' Any Relations With Monitors in Nuclear Area

By an overwhelming vote, Parliament passed a bill on Wednesday that could limit Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations monitor. (NY Times)

PAKISTAN

Death to U.N. Workers Urged in Pakistan

Kill all employees of the United Nations is among the instructions issued to followers in a new fatwa that was issued in Pakistan this week. (ABC News)

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)

VENEZUELA

Inside Story of A Regime of Terror

Foreign inmates face daily fight for survival in Venezuelan jail. (The Guardian)

BRAZIL

Rio Hit By Deadly Gang Violence

Gang attacks on buses and police stations in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro have left at least 18 people dead, officials say. (BBC)

ON THE WEB

ABC News Extremist Website Monitoring

Al Sahab releases an interview with Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah conducted while visitng an "al Qaeda center" in Afghanistan. Al Sahab also releases a book written by Ayman al Zawahri in 2002. (ABC News)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Rough Justice

The prospect of Saddam Hussein's hanging may focus Iraqis' minds on what kind of nation they want. (LA Times)

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)

In Praise of Lebanese Sectarianism

By Michael Young

Praising Lebanon's sectarian system may seem odd this end of year, as sectarianism seems closer than ever before to devouring the society. But that's precisely what we should do, because political developments in recent weeks have shown that sectarianism, for all its demonstrable shortcomings, is the only system. (The Daily Star)

The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Elizabeth Sprague of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.