but they have been there, have provided pinoint intelligence on targets and movements, softened Kismayu in earlier days..

only that its election year and Obama's policy is very little direct forefront (troops or diplomatic) involvement as possible...

The Americans and the Brits have only offered intel support. Its the French and the Israelis who have really been on the ground. But as @pound points out, this could be very tricky for Obama in an election year. What with the hounds already accusing him of giving too much aid to .ke

That is what i would like believe. KDF did what they would never do. They just want to steal the thunder

its not that they defeated the shabab but its the way they did it that beach landing!
what could museveni be thinking ?
seems also the israelis dont want to be left behind in the victory party.
Kenyan army’s outstanding victory over Al Qaeda’s Somali Shabaab. Israeli advisers helped
http://www.debka.com/art...-Israeli-advisers-helped

People would love to chest thumb all they can but the truth of the matter is.. to avoid any backlash all the support was done in hush tones..

any loud bragging would have boosted the Al Shabaab morale and pulled in more fighters from Yemen, Afghanistan etc.. not to mention the help from Iran and Syria, just to shame the 'crusaders..'

Can you imagine the situation back at home in the USA, if another black hawk moment occurred.. It would be a Carter moment in 84 for Obama
Right now the West are in economic turmoil, translating into political turmoil.. that is why the French dont want long headaches.. they offer no excuses, they give a warning if its not heeded they do what they have to do.. rem them rigging in the president in Gabon and Guinea, with dire warnings to any dissenting voices within those countries.. sending soldiers in Ivory Coast.. Doing the same in Libya

uncle Sam has been more covert,Using the institutions on the ground to spin the Arab Spring, logistical support in Libya, Syria and Somalia... opposing any changes in Bahrain, while doing so amicably in Yemen.
A few years back, it would have been massive troops and long rhetorics on spreading democracy and freedom. UN resolutions et al that nonesense they used to invade sovereign states..