 C00098714
 INQUIRE-DOC33D
 ITEM NO-00563722
 DTG   -                         252238Z JAN 96
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 CONTROLS
 UNCLAS 8B
 BODY
 COUNTRY: SOMALIA
 SUBJ:     SOMALILAND PRESIDENT EGAL SPEAKS ON MYSTERIOUS BOMB BLAST
 SOURCE:   LONDON BBC WORLD SERVICE IN ENGLISH 1705 GMT 25 JAN 96
 TEXT:
 FBIS TRANSCRIBED TEXT THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS THIS WEEK OF
 MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSIONS IN THE REMOTE EASTERN REGION OF THE SELF-
 DECLARED REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND.   THEY APPARENTLY OCCURRED IN
 DECEMBER, BUT BECAUSE OF THE REMOTE NATURE OF THE AREA HAVE BEEN
 SLOW COMING TO LIGHT.   THE BLASTS HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO VARIOUS
 CAUSES FROM UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS, UFO'S, TO ROCKET TESTS.
 WELL,  SOMALILAND LEADER, MOHAMED EGAL, HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THE
 Approved for Release
 Date  MMAR   1997
 C00098714
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 MATTER.   ON THE LINE TO HARGESA, TIMOTHY ECOTT ASKED HIM WHAT HE
 THOUGHT HAD BEEN GOING ON.
 BEGIN RECORDING EGAL WE HAVE THESE MYSTERIOUS REPORTS FROM
 OUR NOMADIC POPULATION THERE, AND THEN, I SENT A FOUR-MAN
 COMMISSION, TWO DOCTORS, A VETERAN DOCTOR, AND ONE MINISTER, AND
 THEY HAVE SUBMITTED TO US A REPORT, WHICH IS VERY, VERY ALARMING.
 THEY SAID THAT THEY WENT THERE ALMOST A FORTNIGHT AFTER THIS THING
 HAS TAKEN PLACE AND THEY FOUND MOST OF THE ANIMALS IN THE AREA ARE
 STILL IN A SORT OF A DEMENTED STAGE.   THEY WERE NOT GRAZING, THEY
 WERE JUST STAMPEDING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
 ECOTT YOU SAID THE ANIMALS WERE DEMENTED.   WHAT ABOUT THE
 PEOPLE LIVING THERE?
 EGAL SOME OF THEM, WHO WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE AREA, HAVE GOT
 SKIN RASHES, AND SOME OF THEM ARE HAVING VERY, VERY BIG PROBLEM.
 THEY ARE ALMOST (?SHEDDING THEIR OUTER SKIN), THERE ARE WORDS
 INDISTINCT BOILS ALL OVER THE PLACE,   AND SOME OF THEM ARE HAVING
 STOMACH ACHES, YOU KNOW, AND VERY UNUSUAL MOTIONS -- STOMACH MOTION
 -- AND A LOT OF SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.   WE ARE SENDING BACK
 SOME DOCTORS TO ACTUALLY EVALUATE THE HUMAN DAMAGE AND THE ANIMAL
 DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
 ECOTT DID ANYONE GET AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF WHAT THIS
 EXPLOSION MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY?
 EGAL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE, YOU KNOW, THE STORIES THEY TELL
 IS THAT THEY HEARD NO NOISE.   APPARENTLY WHATEVER EXPLODED WAS
 MOVING AT A SUPERSONIC SPEED, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PRIOR NOISE OR
 ANYTHING LIKE THAT.   YOU KNOW, THEY JUST HEARD A VERY, VERY, VERY
 LOUD EXPLOSION WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE AND THE LIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE
 LIGHT OF THE EXPLOSION IN THE AIR.   THE AREA IS SO BIG THAT THEY
 DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY OR THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE THE WHOLE
 -GROUND AND TRY AND PICK UP ANY DEBRIS THAT MIGHT HAVE FALLEN.   THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
 ECOTT WHATEVER YOUR AUTHORITY IS CLAIMING THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE
 BEEN,  SOME OF THE NEWS AGENCIES ARE TALKING ABOUT UFO'S.
 EGAL NO, NO, NO, NO, WE ARE NOT MAKING ANY CLAIMS OF THAT OR
 ANY FANTASTIC CLAIMS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW.   WHAT WE THINK HAPPENED IS
 THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A MISSILE FIRED FROM SOMEWHERE, WHICH HAS
 EXPLODED EITHER DELIBERATELY OVER OUR COUNTRY OR WHETHER IT HAS
 EXPLODED INADVERTENTLY, WE CAN'T TELL.   SO, WHAT WE ARE ASKING NOW,
 PEOPLE LIKE THE ENGLISH, AND FRENCH, AND ESPECIALLY THE AMERICANS
 WHO MONITOR THE WORLD, THEY MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW.   THEY
 DEFINITELY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, THEY ARE MONITORING THE WHOLE WORLD,
 RECONNAISSANCE 24 HOURS A DAY, YOU KNOW.   AND THEY KNOW WHAT
 HAPPENED. IF IT WAS SADDAM HUSAYN WHO FIRED THE MISSILE,  IT WOULD
 HAVE BEEN IN THE HEADLINES ALL OVER THE WORLD.   BUT APPARENTLY
 WHOEVER FIRED THE MISSILE IS STILL IN THE GOOD BOOKS OF THOSE WHO
 KNOW, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO PUBLICIZE IT.   BUT WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT
 HAPPENED TO US SO THAT AT LEAST WE WILL KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.
 ECOTT IS ANYBODY OFFERING YOU HELP TO INVESTIGATE AND TO LOOK
 AFTER THE PEOPLE YOU SAY HAVE BEEN INJURED?
 EGAL WELL, WE HAVE SENT IT -- YES -- TO THE AMERICAN EMBASSY,
 YOU KNOW.   WE HAVE SENT IT TO THE BRITISH EMBASSY, WE HAVE SENT IT
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 TO THE FRENCH EMBASSY, AND WE HAVE SENT TO THE BBC, AND TO THE
 REUTERS AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW.   NOBODY HAS YET RESPONDED,
 BUT WE HAVE MADE THE APPEAL AND WE ARE STILL MAKING IT. END
 RECORDING
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 OWNERS.

