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US backing Somali militia against local al-Qaeda
The United States is backing a new coalition of Somali militants fighting Islamic extremists for control of the lawless nations capital, a U.S. official said, as both sides prepared for a battle that could explode in widespread violence.Residents say both sides have recently received an infusion of cash and weapons as they face off for control of the country, which has had no central government since warlords divided it into clan-based fiefdoms in 1991. While there have been numerous reports of al-Qaida bombers hiding in the Horn of Africa nation, only recently have they been reportedly involved in fighting alongside Somali extremists. A U.S. official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said prominent al-Qaida leaders with large cash bounties on their heads are under the protection of the extremist leaders in Mogadishu. He did not name them, but eight men wanted in the embassy bombings are on the FBI most wanted list. Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi told AP that the alliance of clan leaders fighting the Islamic group was not acting on his authority, though he said his government was cooperating with the United States. The U.S. has long worried about al-Qaida and other terrorist groups finding a haven in Somalia. For years, though, clan rivalries may have kept outsiders from gaining a foothold. The Islamic extremists appear to be capitalizing on the Somali peoples frustration with disorder and instability. "Islam is itself a policy which God created for the people to rule each other," Aweys told the AP. "We will have to liberate our people from these warlords who have been shedding our peoples blood for the past 15 years." Aweys does not deny past contacts with Osama bin Laden , but says he has no links now with bin Laden or al-Qaida. Last month, the Islamic unions forces beat back militiamen loyal to warlords who have held power for most of the last 15 years and have joined the new government. The Islamic unions forces captured a small airport and a strategic road to the vital El-Maan port, through which almost all trade with Mogadishu passes. Since then, hundreds of heavily armed Islamic fighters have been building defensive positions in Mogadishu, residents said. They have threatened to kill anyone who cooperates with non-Muslims and several high-profile intellectuals have been slain for their contacts with Westerners, so witnesses agreed to speak with the AP only on condition they were not named. Aweys, who went into hiding following the Sept. 11 attacks and only re-emerged in August 2005, has condemned the new United Nations -backed transitional government. The top Cabinet members are a whos who of former warlords, but the transitional government has taken control only of a small portion of the nation of 7 million. In an apparent response to the Islamic extremist challenge, several key warlords in the new government have formed the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism. Hussein Gutaleh Ragheh, the alliances spokesman, said the groups goal is to capture known al-Qaida members who have come to Somalia from Sudan, Yemen and other countries. "Were not fighting against any tribe or clan, were hunting down a few terrorists who are hiding among our people," he said. "We know that these terrorists are using some Somalis after brainwashing them ... to kill the innocent, the intellectuals and the former military officials of the country under the pretext that they work for foreigners," he added. In a few months, the alliance has gone from a disparate group of clan-based warriors to one of the most powerful militias in Somalia. Residents of alliance-held areas report trucks full of new weapons arriving from neighboring Ethiopia for the anti-extremist alliance. The source of the weapons was not clear. Ali Garaare, an alliance commander, said hundreds of new fighters have joined the force. "Our leaders used to pay us $60 dollars (a month), but after the formation of the new anti-terrorism alliance they increased our salary to $160," Garaare said. Most Somalis live on less than $1 a day and the country has few natural resources, making it one of the poorest countries on earth. Somalis with connections to the alliance have said that U.S. officials have frequently visited Mohamed Dhere, a governor in the new administration, and other alliance leaders. Aweys said he believes they are CIA agents who have financed the alliances sudden increase in cash, a rumor widely accepted among Somalis. The CIA declined to comment on any matter concerning Somalia. There have also been rumors of U.S. troops from neighboring Djibouti operating in Somalia. The U.S. official said the reports of military personnel in Somalia are untrue, but would not go any further. The official did say that U.S. officials have met with many community leaders and provided them with information about al-Qaida suspects living in Somalia and have asked them to expel such people from the country. Dhere, who along with other alliance leaders declined to speak to the AP, told his troops on Monday to prepare for battle. "You must prepare yourselves for a real war against terrorism," local journalists quoted him as saying in the central town of Jowhar. "When you cut a camels neck, you know it struggles for its life as it kicks everywhere, and thats what these terrorists are doing ... get ready for your last blow against terrorism, we will have to eradicate them from our Somali soil." Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-04-10 |
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