According to residents, troops from the transitional government, along with Ethiopian soldiers who had been backing them up, poured into the capital from the outskirts of the city while militiamen within Mogadishu occupied key positions, like the port, airport and dilapidated presidential palace.

"The government has taken over Mogadishu," a transitional government leader, Jama Fuuruh, told Reuters by telephone from Mogadishu’s port.

"We are now in charge."

Mogadishu’s new powers immediately had to deal with a rising level of chaos, as armed bandits swept the city and fragmented clan militia began to battle each other for the spoils of war. Witnesses said an intense gun battle raged around a former Islamist ammunition dump and that clan warlords had instantly reverted back to setting up roadside checkpoints and shaking down motorists for money. Many terrified residents stayed in their homes behind bolted doors and the few that ventured into the streets carried guns.

"No one is really in command," said one adviser to Western diplomats who has close contacts with both the Islamists and the transitional government. "Chaos is in command."

The ICU forces have "disintegrated." I hope the Ethiopian defense minister knows what an insurgency is.

Life imitates the Onion.
 Anderson | 9:17 AM

looks like Ethiopia is taking a page out of the US's playbook.
 Karim | 12:21 PM

but, as long as its ethiopia and not us, let them have at it and give the jihadists soemthing else to foment over
 Upstate Democrat | 3:08 AM

Seeing as the Ethiopian leadership is made up of people who once fought in the rebellion against the Derg government, it's likely that they won't approach this with the Rumsfeld/Cheney playbook in hand.
 Rob | 5:51 PM