European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday saturday december 25/26, 1992 Somalia the stars and stripes b Page 9marines assume control of Barbera Barbera Somalia apr a reinforced battalion of about 1,000 american marines swept into the Central Somalia town of Barbera thursday bringing a Christmas eve present of Hope to thousands of starving people. Two companies of French foreign legionnaires and one company of marines were approaching still another vital Aid distribution Center Oddur and planned to enter it at sunup Friday. Col. Fred Peck the Marine spokesman told reporters in Mogadishu that Barbera was secured by the battalion from the 7th regimental combat team about 4 . The marines were in one of two Well armed convoys that rumbled out of Bairoa after Dawn thursday with the battalion heading for Barbera to the South and the joint French american Force going North to Oddur. In the capital marines set up roadblocks and began checking somalian vehicles for guns reintroducing a get Tough approach on weapons that they abandoned just a few Days after their arrival on dec. 9. The United states suffered its first casualty of operation restore Hope just outside of Barbera on wednesday when a civilian army employee was killed by an antitank mine during a scouting Mission. Three state department Security officers were Hurt in the blast. As they did in Bairoa and Mogadishu the marines and legionnaires were to secure Barbera and Oddur to protect Aid convoys from the bandits and clan militiamen who have ruled the towns with guns for weeks. Famine across Somalia has claimed 350,000 lives and is threatening 2 million More. The Barbera Convoy preceded by minesweepers included 20 heavily armed am Esibious fighting machines and dozens of Lum vees mounted with Light and heavy machine guns and Tow missiles. Helicopter gunships provided air cover. Tows Are tube launched optically tracked wire guided missiles. A Motley caravan of reporters in cars vans and Utility vehicles followed the Marine battalion As it rumbled out of Bairoa. The marines were expected to seize the towns dirt Airstrip and begin extending their control Over the town of about 6,000. About 8,000 displaced people live in a Camp just outside the town. Oddur is closer to Bairoa than Barbera but the joint French american Force was taking a roundabout route to avoid mines on the main Road. It planned to Camp 20 Miles outside Oddur thursday night then move into the town to sunup. In Mogadishu weapons searches were the order of the Day. The two rival warlords who control the divided halves of Mogadishu moved their heavy weaponry out of the capital earlier this week and residents were warned that any remaining armed vehicles were at risk. Shortly after the first marines came ashore in Mogadishu they and the French set up roadblocks in some parts of the City and began confiscating weapons. But the roadblocks came Down after a Van loaded with somali civilians lost its brakes ran a checkpoint and was fired on by both French and american troops. Two somalis were killed and seven injured. . Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali wants All of Somalia a roving gunmen disarmed. But Washington says its responsibility is Only to ensure the Security of food Aid and disarm gunmen while fulfilling that role. Washington Hopes that a conventional . Peacekeeping Force will swiftly replace the . Troops. President Bush Hopes to pull out americans next month and militia officials indicate their goals Here Are being quickly of America starting broadcast to Somalia from wire reports Washington a the voice of America will broadcast a 15-minute news program every morning to Somalia beginning sunday officials said wednesday. Chase Untermeyer director of the . Government overseas broadcasting service said the somali language program a will concentrate on providing the somali people with news and information that is accurate and Voa Africa division chief Margaret Binda said the daily shortwave program at 5 45 . East african time would a to provide news of the world and especially news about what is going on in Somalia As efforts Are made to distribute food and bring stability throughout the cover for thieves Mogadishu Somalia a As Jet engines roared the thieves worked. Using the noise of planes to conceal their pounding bandits banged at a Hole in a hangar Wall a few feet from where marines sleep a Marine officer said. A bag of gear and some clothing have been stolen through the Hole a about 2 feet wide and 3 feet High. The thefts were apparently done at night As troops slept. A a it a entertaining until you remember you be got gear Here you done to want pilfered a first it. Patrick Campos of Twenty nine Palms Calif., said phone Calls offered Morristown . A at amp to is offering military personnel stationed aboard Navy ships involved in operation restore Hope free three minute Calls to the United states this week. The offer began thursday and expires Jan. 1. Military personnel can place ship to Shore Calls using at amp to High seas radiotelephone service through new years Day. Starting Jan. 2, military personnel can place collect Calls using the at amp to service which costs $4.98 a minute with a three minute minimum. Marine staff sgt. John Didominico of Monroeville pa., looks Over a Somalia grown Christmas tree adorned with messages to Home photos pop cans and other improvised ornaments in tree fails to deflate their spirit Bairoa Somalia apr marines stationed at a Idoa a Airport Are looking for a few Good Christmas Trees. So far their Only specimen is covered with vicious spines. Staff sgt. John Didomenico 29, of Monroeville pa., said tuesday that several men had been a a punctured trying to decorate the scrawny desert tree that sits among tents next to a parking lot. That Hasni to deterred the marines. The first tree is Hung with plastic water bottles cans of c Oke Mountain Dew or. Pepper and Copenhagen snuff an assortment of coloured ribbons trinkets and messages scrawled on cardboard. Lance Chi. . Chavez of Denver wrote a merry Christmas from Somalia. Love you Arline Anil attached was a photo of a baby boy presumably Vincent. A to Ellen i baby i miss you and i love you. Merry Christmas and Happy new year Quot was writ ten in Felt pen by Chi. Dave Karp of Van nuts Calif. A and even though the Only Trees in sight were As prickly As the first the soldiers were hoping to find others to decorate. A a we re sending out a tree detail tomorrow a Didomenico translates language into commitment by Tina Susman the associated press Bairoa Somalia a when people ask staff sgt. Marwan Binni How he Learned to speak somali he tells them in Somalia. When they ask How Long he has spent in the country he says 10 Days. Binni from Oceanside Calif., has combined an insatiable interest in somali culture with an aptitude for languages to become an unofficial translator for . Marines in Bairoa. His fluency in arabic from a childhood in Beirut helps. The somali he Speaks is far from fluent but a there Are quite a few people Here who speak arabic and some people mix arabic and somali so we can usually make each other understand a said Binni 32. A relaxed soft spoken Man Binni describes himself As a child of the world. Born and raised in Beirut he came to the United states in 1978 and settled in Toledo Ohio. He Snow based at Camp Pendleton Calif. Binni makes it a Point to learn 20 somali words each Day. But his commitment does not Stop there. A learning a language is nothing without knowing the traditions the sayings and habits of a people a he said. A i like to fit although he wears a uniform Binni tries to mingle with the somalis greeting them with their traditional greetings and entertaining their children. He appears to have adapted better than most of the troops who have been deployed in this chaotic country of stifling heat rambo Force mosquitoes preteen gunmen and nonstop mud. One tiling he Wasny to prepared Lor was the condition in which Somalia a War and famine victims live. A a in be worked with refugees before but this is a whole lot worse that what i expected a he said. A it seems like Africa is condemned but everybody is human a everybody deserves the Chance to sitting at a Idoa a Airport thursday he chatted with somali children and taught a reporter the proper somali greeting. A was Shmu ulu Ykum Quot he said. That so peace be with
