Somalia – Uncle Sam’s testing area

At the moment, six military ships are moving from Germany towards Somalia. Therefore, this African country is the next target of the anti-terrorist operation.

In a statement, the leadership of the German military said that one of the fleet’s tasks is to take control over all vessels entering Somalia’s harbors. According to the anti-terrorist coalition’s participants, terrorists could hide themselves there. However, it is not specified what the ships should do if any suspicious vessel does not submit to the demand to stop for an examination.

The German military stresses that its activities are “closely co-ordinated with the United States.” It should be only added that Americans have not yet confirmed the rumors yet that they will now search for terrorists in Somalia. It is understandable: Washington does not need superfluous publicity, all the more since the UN Security Council has not approved the possible incursion into Somalia, so the Americans act at their own risk.

However, there is a small “but," that could justify the US actions in Somalia. The question is that Somalia’s government has itself officially asked the US to help it, because Somalia itself cannot settle scores with Al-Qaeda terrorists that filled the country.

One more country from Washington’s “black list” – Yemen – turned out to be more prescient. It decided to fight against terrorists with its own forces, though the fight was not very successful, so Uncle Sam again rendered assistance.

According to NBC TV, referring to sources in the Pentagon, US troops are planning to soon start training the Yemenite armed forces. Afterwards, the Yemenite Army is supposed to start the annihilation of Al-Qaeda terrorist camps. Now, the camps are located along the northern border of the country. US special subunits will execute only a subordinate role in the anti-terrorist operations.

The US does not intend to use large forces in this operation, as it was in Afghanistan: in Somalia, only mobile groups will work covered by aviation, which should gradually mop up the territories where the terrorist camps are situated.

In all large battles, if any take place at all, the US will not participate. Local rebels are the cannon fodder Washington intends to use. In Yemen, the situations will most likely be the same, but probably with some variations.

If everything goes off well, the same scheme could be used in any point of the world.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/03/35317.html