Marines forces landed on the Somali coasts

Arabic News.com, 5 June 2005

In one of the most provocative operation since the formation of the terrorism fighting force in the African horn in 2003, The American naval troops (the Marines) landed on the Somali coasts to chase extremists, according to Somali officials on Thursday.

Citizens of the area said that two boats transported 20 soldiers from the US Marines on Tiesday in Meid village in the state of the land of Somalia to the northern west of the country where they showed pictures “for suspected terrorists” before they left the area. The assistant for the commissioner of the region Ali Abdi said they had met “some fishermen and citizens and showed them pictures for terrorists they are trying to detain.” It was not clear what the American troops was searching for.

The landing of the Marines coincided with remarks to activities for the American army in other areas along the coasts of Puntland, a relatively stable area, that announced separation in 1991 to keep itself apart from the unrest hit other parts of Somalia. This country, however, is not internationally recognized.

Witnesses said that two American military choppers flew at low altitude on Wednesday over areas from the defected Barbara port on the Gulf of Adeb.

For their part, journalists indicated that three American ships including one helicopters carrier were monitored on Tuesday at Las Qouri port where the Marines questioned fishermen on local shipment operations.

As the minister of the interior in Puntland abstained from commenting, it was not possible to contact the officers of one American force positioned in neighboring Djibouti since December 2002 to comment.

Worthy mentioning that the activities of the American force in the region is very obvious and aim at preventing extremists from getting training for the national security forces and the air reconnaissance operation, checking shipment operations, as Washington alleges the possibility that al-Qaida cells are seeking new haven in the African horn.