European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes Somalia sunday december 13, 1992relief workers fear roving gunmen by Bob Klose staff writer Barbera Somalia a famine Relief workers Here fear being caught in a crossfire Between warring somalian clans if american forces attempt to secure key cities on a piecemeal basis rather than simultaneously a Unicof official said Friday. A we Are a bit concerned. The troops Are pushing the gunmen ahead of them a said Mats Norlen a Unicof official from Sweden. A we just Hope they strike at All places at the same time a he said. Norlen expressed his concern As . Marines were reported to be escorting convoys to Bairoa but not elsewhere in the country. Norlen 39, and Relief workers from three other agencies provide food and care for an estimated 30,000 somalian who fled civil War and famine and Are encamped at Barbera. Barbera is a stronghold of Gen. Mohamed Siad hero Morgan who is a son in Law of the former somalian dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Morgan drove opposition troops of Gen. Mohamed Farrah aided from Barbera in october. Aided a a troops Are now reported to be holed up in Bairoa Northeast of Barbera. So far according to Norlen the two clans forces have not crossed a front line running East and West Between the two cities. But Norlen said workers in Barbera fear the reported movement of . Marines into Bairoa without simultaneous action elsewhere could drive Aidados troops across the front and spark new fighting. A it could become much More dangerous a said Norlen. A a lot of these gunmen Are being pushed into the front by .  he said Many gunmen Are spreading into other hostile clans across the territories to avoid capture or loss of their weapons to the advancing americans. That was the Case last week in the town of Gal Alassi where the organization save the children was operate reports of hostages called unsubstantiated Washington apr reports that humanitarian Relief workers in the somalian port City of Kis Mayo arc being held hostage Are a unsubstantiated a the Pentagon said. A the Only confirmed Case of a Relief worker being held hostage was the italian . Staffer in Mogadishu last week a spokesman it. Col. Don Gersh said saturday. His comments came after Relief officials in Mogadishu said saturday that they were in radio Contact with their people in Kisayo and knew of no hostage taking. On Friday rear adm. Michael w. Cramer chief intelligence officer for the joint chiefs of staff told reporters that a a Small number of Relief Agency workers were being held apparently As part of a turf Battle among somalian factions. Cramer also had said that negotiations for their release were under Way. However Gersh said that the Pentagon had since a determined the earlier reports of Relief workers being held hostages in Kisayo Are  the . Relief worker was taken hostage in Mogadishu a few Days before american marines arrived last week. The worker was released thursday. Ing a Center for refugees. Armed thugs and armed vehicles called a technic also fleeing Mogadishu made conditions so hazardous in Gal Alassi that the four foreign save the children workers were evacuated Friday. The three women and one Man the last Relief team in Gal Alassi were picked up by a German air Force transport plane after a Supply run to Barbera. Pitt Hart 48, of Florida said she and her colleagues decided to leave after All their food was stolen thursday night and their somalian staff Felt it could no longer protect them. In Barbera Norlen said somalis anxiously look for american troops each time an aircraft passes Over or lands at the Dusty Airstrip of this South Central somalian town. A people Are waiting eagerly for the troops to come in. Id say eight of 10 favor the arrival of the americans. They Are fed up with looting and shooting a said Norlen. Barbera Relief workers interviewed while unloading 11,000 pounds of blankets delivered by the German air Force Friday said looting has intensified. . The rusher Righta Marine doctor from Bennett colo., and it. Michael Aubut of Barre vt., Aid a 2-year-old somalian child at a meal Center in Mogadishu on Friday. Thrasher treated sores on the child a legs. Misery hits some marines on personal level Mogadishu Somalia apr it. Michael Aubut was patrolling one of the capitals countless meal centers Friday when the reality of Somalia a misery hit him Square on. Struck by the cries of a child the Marine from Camp Pendleton calif., picked up the 2-year-old, who was suffering from malnutrition. While Aubut comforted the child Marine doctor . T thrasher applied bandages and Salve to the sores on the child a legs. Since . Marines arrived in Somalia on wednesday they have been seen mainly on City streets at the Airport and the port securing those areas for Relief shipments. Aid agencies say As much As half the food destined for the people has been stolen by looters. A people Are trying to loot whatever they can before the americans come a said Gael Duchatellier a 24-year-old French worker for care. The looting began to increase when . Troop movements were Only a Rumor and intensified further when the marines entered Mogadishu. Norlen said he and other Relief workers in Barbera have been assured personal safety by Morgan whom he identified As the a Boss of Bosses in his role As Leader of 26 subclass in Somalia. A but they done to have any control Over undisciplined soldiers and when hunger strikes they loot warehouses a he said. Meanwhile the death rate among famine victims is holding steady. One Hundred people die every Day in Barbera Norlen said and he said he anticipates no change in the death rate soon. Norlen does not think arrival of american troops a will make any difference in the death rate  but he said it will begin the process of restoring order and increasing  gis to get airline refunds by the los Angeles times san Diego a yes Virginia there will be Holiday airline ticket refunds after All for marines whisked Olf to Somalia despite the airlines earlier assertions that no refunds were due military people because they weren to going off to a War. After pressure from travel agents and inquiries from the Media several . Carriers said Friday that for certain cases they had changed their nonrefundable policy for tickets bought in Advance. The move was in response to dozens of requests from marines and their family members who suddenly found themselves holding airline tickets with either no Opportunity or no desire to use them. A it seems like the reasonable and right thing to do a said american airlines spokesman Tim Smith. A we did get Calls last week from enough people who inquired about the refunds. So we decided to change our  Smith said american notified its ticket agents of the policy change monday. By Friday most major carriers had followed americans Lead. Industry and Marine corps officials said they had no estimate on How Many military personnel and their family members would be Able to take advantage of the policy changes. A a i can Tell you that its a substantial number a said Delta air lines spokesman Rick Beckett Dod says Marine related to somali factional Leader Washington apr the Pentagon said Friday that a member of the Marine corps is a relative of somalian Gen. Mohamed Farrah aided Leader of a principal faction involved in the violence there that has paralysed food Relief efforts. It. Gen. Martin l. Brandtner asked about reports of a somalian family connection said a Marine corps reservist is a relative of aided. He would not identify the reservist a for his own personal  i he Marine corps Public affairs office said later that the Marine reservist is on Active duty but would not say whether the reservist is in Somalia