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Ethiopian troops on Somali soil
A column of Ethiopian trucks, more than 100-strong and including armoured cars, have crossed into neighbouring Somalia. A BBC reporter has seen Ethiopian troops in uniform in Baidoa, the base of the weak interim government. Ethiopia denies it has sent in troops, but had warned it would crush Islamists who had moved to within 60km of Baidoa.
"Troops? What troops?"
The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which control much of southern Somalia, say they never intended to attack Baidoa and have pulled troops back.
"Wow, look at the time. Gotta go now."
The UIC have rapidly expanded their control since they took control of the capital, Mogadishu, but observers fear it is only a matter of time before there is a confrontation.

Ethiopian presidential adviser Bereket Simon told the BBC that they were closely watching the situation but denied troops had crossed into Somalia.
The BBC's Yusuf Hassan Mursal in Baidoa says 25 vehicles including lorries carrying soldiers and armed pick-up trucks known as technicals entered the town on Thursday morning.
Sounds like the Ethiopian army and some warlords linked up.
He says their arrival has calmed tensions in the town as residents feared an attack from the Islamists.

The column was reported to have crossed over into Somalia overnight and Ethiopian troops have also stationed themselves in the town of Luk in Gedo region, he says. Ethiopia's Information Minister Berhan Hailu told Reuters news agency in Addis Ababa that they would use "all means at our disposal to crush the Islamist group if they attempt to attack Baidoa". Mr Bereket told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that "Ethiopia is in a position to defend itself to ensure the stability of the Horn of Africa".

"If the Islamic courts led by the Jihadists are attacking Baidoa, we have told them we will not let them do it. "So far the Ethiopian government has not sent any troops," he said.

The Islamists insist that an attack on Baidoa was never planned. "We have no such military plan as claimed by the non-functioning government," the UIC's security head Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad told the AFP news agency. "The prime minister's claims are a ploy to attract Ethiopian intervention."

Additional: Residents of central Somalia said Thursday that hundreds of Ethiopian troops were patrolling the town of Baidoa in armored vehicles, less than a day after Islamic militants moved near the base of the weak, U.N.-backed government. An Ethiopian government spokesman had said his country would protect Somalia's transitional government from attack by Islamic militias. Numerous witnesses told The Associated Press that Ethiopian soldiers arrived Thursday afternoon in Baidoa, 150 miles northwest of Mogadishu.

The Ethiopian troops have set up a camp near the transitional president's home in Baidoa, residents said. "People were prevented from walking on the road that leads to the building," one resident said on condition of anonymity because of fears of reprisals. Ethiopian and government officials were not immediately available for comment.

More: Hundreds of Ethiopian troops in armored vehicles rolled into Somalia Thursday to protect their allies in this country's virtually powerless government against possible attack by Islamic militants, witnesses said.

The militia began pulling back on Thursday as more than 400 troops in Ethiopian military uniforms entered Baidoa. The troops smiled and waved to residents before setting up a camp near Yusuf's home in Baidoa or at an airport outside town, according to the witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Got the airport to bring in supplies and more troops, and covering the Somalia presidents house.

Posted by: Steve 2006-07-20
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=160216