Djibouti, December 22, 2007 (Somaliland Times) – The government of Djibouti has been hosting around 1800 US Anti Terrorist task force since early 2002. As their name indicates, the purpose of the US forces based in Djibouti is to monitor and destroy terrorist cells in the region. But there has been some intriguing developments that have raised some questions about the seriousness of US counter terrorism policy in the region.

Foremost of these developments which has raised many eyebrows is that the tiny country of Djibouti which is where the American anti-terrorist forces are based, has substantial and undeniable links to radical Islamic groups. For instance, Ahmed Nur Jim’ale one the owners of Somalia’s al-Barakat Group which was branded by the US as a terrorist financial organization now lives in Djibouti. Similarly, Abukar Omar Adani (one of the major financiers of Mogadishu’s Islamic Courts, a terrorist organization according to the US) has moved to Djibouti.

More recently, there has been reports that the Bin Laden group is going to build a bridge linking Yemen and Djibouti. There is also evidence that Djibouti deliberately looked the other way as members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (an extremist group that has committed many atrocities against civilians) who finished their military training in Eritrea, slipped through its borders into Ethiopia.

The links between Djibouti and radical Islamic elements goes as far back as the days before the events of September 11 when Djibouti’s dictator Omar Guelleh went through a religious phase and started growing a beard (many people at the time said it was only a ploy to help him tap into Arab money). But once September 11 took place, Omar Guelleh quickly seized the opportunity and offered his country as a base for American troops, while at the same time he kept his old links with radical groups.

So now we have the odd situation where Ahmed Nur Jim’ale and Abukar Omar Adani who are terrorists by US definition are now living in Gabod residence of Djibouti city, near the home of Djibouti’s president, while anti terrorism US forces are based at Djibouti’s airport just few meters from there. No wonder a lot of people are confused about the United State’s anti terrorism policies.

Source: Somaliland Times