AFP - Comoros: Foreign troops land on the island of Mohéli (Leaflets say U.S. Army response to 9/11)

AFP via Babelfish ^ | Wednesday December 19, 2001 - 4h43 GMT

[HAL9000]

The Comoros: foreign troops unload on the island of Mohéli

MORONI, 19 déc (AFP) - foreign troops unloaded Wednesday morning on the island comorienne of Mohéli, and took control of the army, the gendarmerie and the police force, according to testimonys' on the spot, of which that of a former minister, contacted on the telephone.

The attackers launched leaflets affirming that they were "the army of the United States" and that their intervention was related to the fight against terrorism, according to inhabitants' of the capital, Fomboni, of which the former minister Mohamed Hassanari.

Military formation, of almost a hundred men, among whom "of the white, of which some masked", unloaded towards 5h30 local (2h30 GMT), according to these testimonys. It took the control of the army, the gendarmerie, the police force and the post office, according to these sources, which do not specify if the unloading gave place to engagements, and if there were victims.

The leaflets which the soldiers distributed explain in substance why this quota is "the army of the United States", and that its intervention is a response to the "attacks from September 11" in New York and Washington.

"Your president collaborates with the terrorists, we are there to protect you", still indicate the leaflets, which invite the population to return the weapons it would have.

[HAL9000]

Update - http://www.afp.com/ext/francais/compuserve/der/011219052142.0yksoycw.html -

The Comoros: foreign troops unload on the island of Mohéli

Wednesday December 19, 2001 - 5h21 GMT

MORONI, 19 déc (AFP) - foreign troops unloaded Wednesday morning on the island comorienne of Mohéli, and took control of the army, the gendarmerie and the police force, according to testimonys' on the spot, of which that of a former Prime Minister (well Prime Minister), contacted on the telephone.

The attackers launched leaflets affirming that they were "the army of the United States" and that their intervention was related to the fight against terrorism, according to inhabitants' of the capital, Fomboni, of which the former Prime Minister Mohamed Hassanari, contacted on the telephone at the beginning of morning. The communications with Mohéli were then cut.

Military formation, of almost a hundred men, among whom "of the white, of which some masked", unloaded towards 5h30 local (2h30 GMT), according to these testimonys. It took the control of the army, the gendarmerie, the police force and the post office, according to these sources, which do not specify if the unloading gave place to engagements, and if there were victims.

The identity of the troops which unloaded in Mohéli remains dubious, but leaflets of local origin were distributed here two or three weeks to Moroni, the capital of the Comoros, showing the head of the State, colonel Azali Assoumani, to be related to terrorism.

The leaflets which the soldiers distributed explain in substance why this quota is "the army of the United States", and that its intervention is a response to the "attacks from September 11" in New York and Washington.

"Your president collaborates with the terrorists, we are there to protect you", still indicate the leaflets, which invite the population to return the weapons it would have.

The island of Mohéli forms with Large Comore and Anjouan the Islamic federal Republic of the Comoros (RFIC). Anjouan proclaimed its independence unilaterally in 1997.

This military unloading intervenes at one week of the constitutional referendum envisaged in the Comoros on December 23, 2001, with a little more than three months of the presidential election, fixed at March 31, and the shortly after a visit in the archipelago of the secretary-general of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Man from the Ivory Coast Amara Essy.

The referendum must submit to Comoriens a project of constitution, envisaging a framework of the federalistic type granting a very broad autonomy the three islands.

The visit of Mr. Essy, who also went to Mohéli and Anjouan, aimed at "encouraging the comoriennes parts to persevere in their efforts for the implementation of the Outline agreement of Fomboni and, therefore, to put a term at the double separatist crisis (Anjouan) and institutional", specifies the text.

The Outline agreement of Fomboni is an agreement of reconciliation which was signed in February 2001 by the three islands of this archipelago of the Indian Ocean.

The election of the future president of the Republic of the Comoros is fixed at next 31 March, according to the calendar established by the Committee of follow-up in charge of the implementation of the Outline agreement of national reconciliation comorienne and which closed its work last Friday.

The OAU must soon deploy a military mission of observation in the Comoros to supervise the collection of the weapons there on the separatist island of Anjouan.

[Travis McGee]

Perhaps Delta or others are in the Comoros to "snatch" Fasil and others? They are only islands, so if a terrorist thought he was living quietly off US radar, he'd have few options if the Delta boys showed up suddenly.

And it sounds like this boy Fasil knows a LOT about OBL and Al Qaida.

[John H K]

Germany has had troops in the Former Yugoslavia for years now.

It's Japan with all the Constitutional restrictions now.

[LarryLied]

German Navy To Be Deployed Off Somalian Coast

A joint effort with the USA, blocking terrorists from getting out of Somalia.Perhaps Das Kriegsmarine took a detour a little south.

[HAL9000]

From BBC News -

Wednesday, 19 December, 2001, 05:30 GMT

Armed men take Comoros island

Reports from the Comoros islands off the east coast of Africa say a group of unidentified armed men has landed on one of the islands and seized control.

Journalists contacted by telephone say that the men took over the smallest island in the chain, Moheli, disarming the local police force.

Reports suggested that at least some of the attackers were white and wore masks.

Details of casualties are not known.

The Comoros islands have been politically unstable for several years.

Moheli, together with the island of Anjouan, both declared independence from the rest of the island chain in 1997.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

[July 4th]

With Freeper fire and manpower, I would bet anything that we would be able to the Comoros islands. Places like that are such a joke...

I bet the weather there is pretty nice. What are you guys doing this weekend?

[xm177e2]

That French mercenary was once in charge if I remember

I think his name was Bob Denard.

[John Jamieson]

6,000 people. Hum we've got many? On a good day? I'm ready....

[newsperson999]

if true this sould be a good trivia question in a few..the second country we attacked in the war in terrorism was...... Comoros!

[hinckley buzzard]

There was a person from Comorro implicated in one of the terrorist attacks. Not 9/11, as far as I can recall, but it would appear that there is a terrorist cell either known or suspected on the island.

The approach seems unorthodox, but given the vagaries of babelfish and the unorthodox nature of the fight, anything is possible--maybe civilians from the CIA?

Then again, it may be just some of that famous "fog of war."

[Arkinsaw]

A question I have is, if we were moving in to take out a terrorist supporting leader, why would we move into the smallest island in the chain rather than moving on the island with the capital city?

[HAL9000]

Unidentified troops take control of Comoros

MORONI ( AFP ) -- Troops claiming to be US soldiers landed on the Comoran isle of Moheli early Wednesday, seizing control of the security forces on the island, a former prime minister said by phone.

The invaders announced themselves as "the army of the United States" and said their intervention was linked to the fight against terrorism, said residents of the capital Fomboni, including ex-prime minister Mohamed Hassanari.

Telephone links with the island were cut shortly afterwards.

Around 100 armed men described as "white, some of them masked," disembarked at 5:30 a.m. (0230 GMT). They quickly took control of the army and police services on the island, the sources reported, without saying whether any fighting took place.

The troops distributed tracts saying they were a US army force and that their intervention was linked to the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. "Your president is collaborating with terrorists, we are here to protect you," the statements read, calling on the local population to surrender their arms.

The identity of the troops remained unclear but a few weeks back locally-produced leaflets were distributed in the Comoran capital Moroni accusing head of state, Colonel Azali Assoumani of having terrorist links.

Moheli is the smallest of the islands in the Comoro archipelago.

A key referendum has been scheduled for December 23 in the Indian Ocean state as part of a reconciliation plan for the islands, which have long been riven by splits and coup attempts.

In the referendum, Comorans will be asked to approve or reject a constitution that gives the country's three islands -- Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli -- a greater degree of autonomy.

Anjouan unilaterally declared its independence in 1997.

Between the referendum and a presidential election due in March, a transitional regime is set to govern, to organise a donor conference and to finalise the devolution of powers to the islands.

[d4now]

bump

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The head of the armed group which controls Mohéli "speaks French without accent"

Wednesday December 19, 2001 - 6h39 GMT

MORONI, 19 déc (AFP) - a man presenting himself as the head of the group of armed men which took control Wednesday morning of the island comorienne of Mohéli speaks French without accent, announced with the AFP a sure source which discussed on the telephone with him since Moroni.

The man contacted with the seat of the gendarmerie of Fomboni, the "capital" of the island of Mohéli, "was presented in the form of a head of the group and speaks French without accent", ensured this source, under cover of anonymity.

"Of the armed men unloaded this morning on Mohéli", confirmed with the AFP an officer of the army of the Comoros, from which all the men early had in the morning to gain the great military base of Kandani, to six km in the north of the capital.

The government requisitioned a plane of the private company the Comoros Aviation to take along troops on Mohéli, one learned near the company.

Armed, white and black men, of which some carrying of the hoods, early unloaded Wednesday morning on Mohéli and took the control of the buildings of the army, of the gendarmerie and of the police force, to the AFP inhabitants contacted on the telephone indicated, including one former Prime Minister, Mohamed Hassanari.

The attackers launched leaflets affirming that they were "the army of the United States" and that their intervention was related to the fight against terrorism, according to inhabitants' of Fomboni. The communications with Mohéli were then cut.

The man who presents himself as the head of the group is satisfied to read this leaflet with his interlocutor before hanging up again, specified the source.

[HAL9000]

A hundred armed men take the control of the island of Mohéli

Wednesday December 19, 2001 - 7h15 GMT

MORONI, 19 déc (AFP) - a hundred men armed directed by French man speaking without accent unloaded Wednesday morning on the island comorienne of Mohéli and took the control of the army, of the gendarmerie and of the police force, indicated to the AFP concordant sources.

A sure source with Moroni affirmed with the AFP to have discussed on the telephone with a man who is presented in the form of a head of the armed men, contacted with the seat of the gendarmerie of Fomboni, the "capital" of the island of Mohéli. "It speaks French without accent", ensured this source, under cover of anonymity.

"Of the armed men unloaded this morning on Mohéli", confirmed an officer of the army of the Comoros, from which all the men early had in the morning to gain the great military base of Kandani, to six km in the north of the capital.

The government requisitioned a plane of the private company the Comoros Aviation to take along troops on Mohéli, one learned near the company.

A hundred men armed, white and black men, of which some carrying of the hoods, early unloaded Wednesday morning on Mohéli and took the control of the buildings of the army, of the gendarmerie and of the police force, to the AFP inhabitants contacted on the telephone indicated, including one former Prime Minister, Mohamed Hassanari.

The attackers launched leaflets affirming that they were "the army of the United States" and that their intervention was related to the fight against terrorism, according to inhabitants', information that a spokesman of the Pentagon in Washington refused to comment on.

"Your president collaborates with the terrorists, we are there to protect you", indicates the leaflets, inviting the population to return the weapons, specified these inhabitants. The communications with Mohéli were then cut.

The Comoros became independent of France in 1975. The fourth island of the archipelago, Mayotte, remained French.

The forces of safety in Mohéli count only one small man hundred, divided between the army, the gendarmerie and the police force. The island does not count that only one military base, in Fomboni. Mohéli smallest and is populated of the three islands of the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros (RFIC), which also counts Large Comore and Anjouan.

The identity of the troops which unloaded in Mohéli remains dubious, but leaflets of local origin were distributed here two or three weeks to Moroni, the capital of the Comoros, showing the head of the State, colonel Azali Assoumani, to be related to terrorism.

[Vigilanteman]

Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros and Mayotte

The Comoros has a lovely tropical climate, rich soil covering over one-third of the islands for producing every varitey of tropical fruit, vanilla, nutmeg and flora of every description. It has sparkling sandy beaches and-- thanks to being under the heel of Islamists-- is a third world s***hole despite having blessed by nature. Its neighboring island of Mayotte, claimed by Comoros, voted to become an overseas territory of France which has administered it for the past 30 years. Mayotte is everything that Comoros could be without the Islamists to keep it perpetually in dunghill status. (Click on the map to learn more)

[Harp]

Fox news has someone up at this hour reporting from the Pentagon, but still not a peep about this. If it were the US doing this, it makes me wonder what point it serves to be quiet about it still.

Demmit, I'm going to have to turn over to see if CNN is reporting anything. This is a travesty.

[Harp]

WORTH NOTING, AFP UPDATES ITS STORY:

"As the Comoran army prepared to fly troops by commercial jet to Moheli, the smallest of the islands making up the Indian Ocean chain, the US embassy in Nairobi and the Pentagon both said they had no knowledge of the incident early Wednesday."

[Arkle]

BBC now reporting four killed in "fierce fighting".

[R. Scott]

Reminds me of a book I read long ago – "The Dogs of War".