Military

DATE= 11/18/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= PENTAGON/HORN DEATH (L ONLY)

NUMBER=2-296586

BYLINE= ALEX BELIDA

DATELINE= PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: A U-S Army soldier deployed with Special Operations troops on a secrecy-shrouded mission in Djibouti has died, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pentagon Correspondent Alex Belida reports the death occurred last month but has only now been confirmed by military authorities responding to a V-O-A inquiry.

TEXT: A U-S Army spokesman says the apparent suicide victim was a 19-year-old Army Private Second Class assigned to a military police unit stationed in Djibouti.

The spokesman tells V-O-A the soldier died of a single gunshot wound on October 14th. The spokesman says the incident is still under formal investigation. But he says there is no indication of any foul-play.

It is the first known fatality among the 800 or so Army personnel deployed in Djibouti, most of them Special Operations troops.

It was not previously known that military police were among those also dispatched to the Horn of Africa. But Army officials say such police deployments are routine for security purposes during foreign deployments. They say it does not necessarily indicate any type of detention facility is being operated in Djibouti.

The presence of U-S troops in the small Horn of Africa country was only confirmed by the Pentagon in September, although senior officials of Djibouti's government have said American soldiers had arrived in the small Horn of Africa country five months earlier.

The Pentagon recently disclosed some 400 U-S Marines will join the Army troops in Djibouti to set up a new Horn of Africa Task Force headquarters. In addition to supervising the activities of the Army soldiers, the command will take over operational control of Marine amphibious units deployed in the waters off the Horn.

Defense officials have shared few details on the activities of the Djibouti contingent. But it is understood to be focused mainly on training activities with neighboring African countries and possible anti-terrorist operations in Yemen.

Recent news reports say the Central Intelligence Agency is also using facilities in Djibouti to fly unmanned Predator spy drones over Yemen, some of them equipped with missiles.

One such aircraft is believed responsible for an attack on suspected al-Qaida terrorists in Yemen that left six people dead. (Signed)

NEB/BEL/MAR