Islamic Forces Abandon Somalia's Capital

Can we please learn a lesson from Ethiopia? Ethiopian troops crossed the border into Somalia on Sunday and after a strong show of force, the Islamic radicals who were in control of much of southern Somalia have fled.

The Council of Islamic Courts seized the capital in June and went on to take much of southern Somalia, often without fighting. They were later joined by foreign militants, including Pakistanis and Arabs, who supported their goal of making Somalia an Islamic state.

The Islamists seemed invincible after capturing the capital, but they have been no match for Ethiopia, which has the strongest military in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopian forces crossed the border Sunday to reinforce the internationally recognized Somali government, which was bottled up in Baidoa, 140 miles northwest of Mogadishu.

On Wednesday, Ethiopian and Somali government troops drove Islamist fighters out of Jowhar, the last major town on the northern road to Mogadishu. As troops entered Jowhar, an independent radio station began blasting Western music, which the militias had banned. Women selling qat — the popular leafy stimulant banned by the militias — crowded the streets.

It just proves that force is the only thing the Islamofascist thugs understand and when it is applied to them without reservation they will turn tail and run. Like every enemy of freedom before them, the Islamofascists are cowards at the very core.