U.S. providing weapons to Somali government, officials say.US Providing 'Urgent' Arms Aid to Somali Government.U.S. more firmly embraces shaky gov

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is providing weapons and ammunition to Somalia's transitional government as it fights al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Thursday.At the request of that government the State Department has helped to provide weapons and ammunition on an urgent basis," he said."This is to support the Transitional Federal Government's efforts to repel the onslaught of extremist forces which are intent on destroying the Djibouti peace process."Kelly said the weapons shipments are in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, which ban some arms shipments to Somalia.There is growing concern that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said that the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda operatives."Our concern right now is that likely safe haven.s are areas in the Horn of Africa, like Somaliaand Yemen, that are countries that because of their political status can be attractive to al Qaeda in order to operate there," Panetta said earlier this month."We are focusing on those countries as well in order to ensure that there is no safe haven for al Qaeda as we continue to pressure them, continue to push them, and hopefully continue to make the effort to destroy them, not only in Pakistan but throughout the rest of the world."Somalia is not new territory for al Qaeda, according to CNN's terrorism analyst Peter Bergen."Al Qaeda was running training camps in Somalia in the early and mid-1990s," he said. "If this is now coming back, this is something that al Qaeda has already done and it's worrisome for the future. ...more..http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/25/us.somalia.weapons/index.html?eref=rss_latest

".US Providing 'Urgent' Arms Aid to Somali Government"

The State Department said Thursday the United States is providing urgent military aid to Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, the TFG, to help it repel what is termed an "onslaught" by Islamist rebels. U.S. officials are also renewing their criticism of alleged Eritrean support for Somali extremists. The Obama administration, which has given strong political support to the besieged Somali administration, is backing that up with an emergency shipment of weapons and ammunition help prevent a militant takeover of the chronically-unstable African state.mmunition help prevent a militant takeover of the chronically-unstable African state...more..http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-25-voa43.cfm

U.S. more firmly embraces shaky government in Somalia

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