1. (U) Summary: The international Saudi newspaper Al Sharq Al
Awsat reported on October 25th that the brainchild of the
latest series of European aid workers killings in Somaliland
has been caught. The Somali terrorist, who is said to be an
activist of Al Ittihad Al Islamiya, a terror group linked to
Al Qaeda, was caught in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian authorities
handed him over to the self-proclaimed Government of
Somaliland. Both the Al Sharq Al-Awsat and BBC Somali reports
claim the U.S Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa based
in Djibouti, participated in the extradition operation. End
Summary.



2. (U) On October 25th the London based Saudi newspaper
reported a press conference given by the Somaliland Minister
of Interior, Ismail Adam Osman, who stated that there are new
developments in the cases of European aid workers killed in
Somaliland in late 2003 and early 2004. The minister stated
that Ethiopian forces has handed over a Somali national
suspected to be behind a number of terrorist operations that
took place in Somaliland. The man called "Mohamed Ali Issa" is
suspected to have arranged the assassination of one Kenyan
national and one German national, working in the German non-
governmental organization "GTZ" in early 2004 and the killing
of two British teachers in the Somaliland city of "Sheikh" in
October 2003. The minister said in his statement to the press,
"the suspect fled to Mogadishu, he was caught there and
sustained injuries to his leg during the pursuit. He was moved
to Djibouti to get necessary medical treatment. After that the
Ethiopian forces handed the suspect to us." The report did not
indicate if the minister identified those who arrested the
suspected murderer.



3. (U) Al Sharq Al-Awsat also reported information gathered
from Somali news sources, which allege that CJTF- HOA,
described as U.S counter-terrorist forces based in Djibouti,
aided in the capture of Mohamed Ali Issa. The press conference
reported that Somaliland authorities have indicted Al Ittihad
Al Islamia (AIAI) and Al Qaeda networks for being responsible
for the assassinations. The Minister continued that ten people
have now been arrested in Hargeisa under the same charges and
are waiting trial. Al Sharq Al Awsat ended its report by
reminding that AIAI has been designated as a terrorist
organization by the United States after the 9/11 events and
considers it as Al Qaeda's arm in the Horn of Africa region.