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International Campaigns and Operation Against Terrorism

Campaigns and theatres of operation

Africa

Horn of Africa

In October 2002, the Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) was established in Djibouti at Camp Le Monier. It contains approximately 2,000 personnel including US military and Special Operations Forces (SOF) and coalition force members, Coalition Task Force 150 (CTF-150). The Primary goal of the coalition forces is to monitor, inspect, board and stop suspected shipments from entering the Horn of Africa. The regions and areas of Operation Iraqi Freedom Included in the operation is the training of selected armed forces units of the countries of Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia in counter terrorism and counter insurgency tactics. Humanitarian efforts conducted by CJTF-HOA include rebuilding of schools and medical clinics as well as providing medical services to those countries whose forces are being trained. Somalia became the mother of all operations as the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), an Islamist faction campaigning on a restoration of “law and order” through Sharia Law, had rapidly taken control of much of southern Somalia, displacing other militia and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia. On July 1, 2006, a Web-posted message purportedly written by Osamam bin Laden urged Somalis to build an Islamic state in the country and warned western states that his al-Qaeda network would fight against them if they intervened there. On December 14, 2006, the US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer calimed al-Qaeda cell operatives were controlling the Islamic Courts Union, a claim denied by the ICU After seeing their power limited to the city of Baidoa, the TFG was attacked in a final ICU offensive aimed at destroying it in December 2006. But Ehtiopia intervened, defending the TFG and forcing the ICU to retreat. The ICU abandoned conventional warfare, instead opting for guerrilla combat, turning the battle to an insurgency as Ethiopia began aiding the TFG restore order. The Prime Minister of Somalia claims that 3 terror suspects from the 1998 Embasssy Bombings were in Kismayo. On 30 December 2006, al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri called upon Muslims worldwide to fight against Ethiopia and the TFG in Somalia. The United States carried out several strikes against al-Qaeda targets within Somalia during 2007.

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