Several hundred US Special Forces troops are ready in East Africa to make commando raids on al-Qaeda and other targets as a new weapon in the US war on terrorism. Between 200 and 500 Special Forces are among 800 US soldiers moved in recent weeks to a French military base at Djibouti, according to intelligence sources quoted by US media. The force also has several dozen attack helicopters. US military officials have confirmed that there is a presence but have not said how large it is. Djibouti is strategically placed on the Horn of Africa at the meeting point of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, within striking distance of Yemen and Somalia, two hot spots for followers of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

Yemen has denied that US forces will be allowed to stage operations in the country, saying there was only cooperation in the security and intelligence domains. But An anonymous US military official quoted by The New York Times said: "We are paying close attention to that part of the world. We have forces ready, pre-positioned and waiting for actionable intelligence."

The United States also has the USS Bellau amphibious assault group in the region with helicopter and vertical takeoff Harrier fighters. The elite Delta Force commandos and army Green Berets are also in the force.

According to media reports, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is preparing a vast anti-terrorism operation. It has deployed specialized units in the region, similar to the ones involved in the raid in Pakistan that snared top al-Qaeda member Ramzi bin al-Shibh, accused of organizing the September 11th attacks.

Special Forces have already been used in Pakistan and have trained armies in Yemen, the Philippines and Georgia. The deployments are part of a change of policy in the post-September 11th campaign that saw major military force used against the Taleban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Now there is a greater apparent preference for well-targeted commando raids.

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has sent a secret memorandum to General Charles Holland, head of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), seeking more underground strikes on al-Qaeda, The Washington Times reported recently. But this would require a major change in the command structure of US forces.

SOCOM has been based at Tampa, Florida with the Central Command led by General Tommy Franks. It was equipping and running Special Forces, which were then allotted to the army, navy, air force or marines. Now SOCOM will have more control of the special units. In some cases, SOCOM will be the supported command. In many other cases, it will not, said US Defense Department spokeswoman Victoria Clarke. SOCOM's responsibilities will inevitably see its duties and means increased, especially as General Franks, now in charge of the Gulf and Afghanistan region, will increasingly have to focus on Iraq.

The arrest of four suspected Al-Qaeda members in Sana'a on September 20th followed the killing of one Al-Qaeda member during an exchange of fire with Yemen security forces. Security personnel stormed the compound of a suspected terror cell in the Rawdah district of Sana'a, resulting in a 90-minute firefight in which one suspect was shot and killed, one was injured, and two security officers were wounded. The raid marked the culmination of a manhunt stemming from investigations into Al-Qaeda connections.

The three arrested Al-Qaeda suspects have been identified as Abeid, Saif, and Al-Habbabi. The killed suspect was identified as Yehya Saleh Al-Mujalli, also known as Abu Saif: because one of the captured suspects, Saif, is his son. The sources indicated that security forces searching the Rawdah compound uncovered a number of documents videos of Al-Qaeda speeches and training. A cache of small arms was also found.

Lebanese President Emil Lahoud is to arrive at Sana'a on September 28th for a two-day official visit at the invitation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The delegation includes the Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport, Minister of Interior and Minister of Trade. The two leaders are expected to hold official talks about the situation of the Arab World in the light of the grave Israeli escalation against the Palestinians and their legitimate leadership, as well as about the Iraqi cause.

Aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly republics will be a key point of the discussions. Hassan Salmani, Lebanese Ambassador to Yemen, remarked, "The visit is only intended to promote bilateral relations, mainly economic ones. While meeting, the presidents will sign a number of cooperation treaties concerning land, air and sea transport, tourism, higher education and vocational education, as well as double taxation."