U.S. officials said on Friday that the U.S. military has stepped up aerial surveillance along the coast of Somalia to keep an electronic eye on suspected extremist training camps and sites where Osama bin Laden and his top aides could take refuge.
While admitting to Reuters reporters that Somalia was considered among the top centers for extremist activities, the officials cautioned that the reconnaissance by U.S. Navy P-3 surveillance planes did not mean the African state was the next U.S. target after Afghanistan
However, American officials told the Associated Press they knew that dozens of al-Qaeda members fleeing the fighting in Afghanistan have arrived in Somalia, where the terrorist group already had a small presence, the officials said, speaking Thursday on the condition of anonymity.
The previous American attempt to deal with opposing forces in Somalia ended in stinging defeat in 1993, when in one cataclysmic battle Somali forces shot down several attacking American helicopters and killed 18 Elite U.S. Special Forces soldiers.
Following this bitter defeat, the U.S. rushed out of Somalia, and have not returned in force since – but the new war on terror may provide the U.S. with an opportunity to settle the score and restore the reputation of its military once again. (www.albawaba.com)
