C00098714 INQUIRE-DOC33D ITEM NO-00563722 DTG - 252238Z JAN 96 FROM FM FBIS ABIDJAN IV TO TO RUCWAAA/FBIS RESTON VA RHDLCNE/CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2// RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI RHIUFAA/CDR JPOTFSWA//AOCP-POG/ANALYST// RUCLBBA/USCENTAF SHAW AFB SC//A2// RUCLBMA/330SS EGLIN AFB FL//OSN// RUCMACC/CDR PSYOPGP FT BRAGG NC//ASOF-POG-SB// RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL RUCWAAA/FBIS RESTON VA//POLCH// RUDHNIS/DIRNAVCRIMINVSERV WASHINGTON DC RUDHSIC/CDRUSASOIC WASH DC//DIS// RUDMQAN/MARCORINTACT DET QUANTICO VA RUDPMAX/FAISA FT BRAGG NC RUDPWDC/DA AMHS WASHINGTON DC RUEABND/DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMIN HQ WASHINGTON DC//POL// RUEAIIS/STORAGE CENTER FBIS RESTON VA RUEALGX/DEFINTAGNCY WASH DC RUEBFGA/VOA WASHINGTON DC RUEDADA/AFISA AMHS BOLLING AFB DC RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI RUETIAV/MPC FT GEO G MEADE MD RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK//DOAM// RUFQBBA/US SURVEY SEC SHAPE BE RUWTAEA/NAIC WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH//TAI// 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 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE: 0010 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 C00098714 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE: 0011 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 THIS REPORT MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND DISSEMINATION IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNERS.