US Marines Cause Stir in Garissa

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
NEWS
December 5, 2003
Posted to the web December 5, 2003

By Victor Obure
Nairobi
The Government was yesterday pleading with Garissa residents to turn up for
free medical treatment set to be offered by US marines.
It followed speculation that the soldiers' actual mission was the war on
terrorism.
There were increased fears that the scene in this largely muslim town would be
no different from last week's Wajir visit by the US team, which elicited angry
reactions from muslim leaders.
Then, the leaders demanded that such exercises be carried out by the government
in order to buoy public confidence.
The marines arrived in Garissa Town yesterday.
The North Eastern Provincial Commissioner, Mr Abdul Mwasera said the 49 marines
based in Djibouti would offer both humanitarian and veterinary health services
starting next week.
The soldiers have offered similar services in Ethiopia, Yemen and Eritrea.
The PC denied claims that the troops were an advance team to lay strategies in
the fight against terrorism.
Earlier, word had it that the marines were a component of the Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI) agency and were allegedly bringing their operations
against terror to the region owing to its close proximity to Somalia.
In last week's Wajir incident, officials of the Supreme Council of Kenya
Muslims (Supkem) complained that the marines were offering medicare while
armed, scaring away would-be patients from the camps.
Meanwhile, security was tightened at a Garissa hotel where the marines were
expected to stay.

   

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