[CA struggle for indepenEritrea has reached a stage…]

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CA struggle for indepenEritrea has reached a stage. Forcibly by Ethiopia in 1962, aler a decade vi regeration on deal imposed by the UN, the exItalian and ex-British colony occupies a . key strategic position in the Middle East.

Its 500 miles of coastline, Ethiopia's only access to the sea, lie at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Israeli and US military aid to Ethiopia protects their interests in the only Red Sea coastal area "friendly" to Israel.

The oil rights to the coastal area and 10,500 square miles off Eritrea were shared out between Standard Oil (New Jersey) and Mobil Oil. Many other US countries have interests inland, and thousands of US "advisers" have trained the Ethiopian forces being uscu m int subjugalon ui curca. 1A0A in tha of Daituna The Eritrean Liberation Front, which captured the honorary British Consul last month, also holds four Americans from the Kagnew communications base in Asmara, 'the Eritrean capital. This "irreplaceable US communications and surveillance facility" is part of the US spy satellite system, snooping for signals throughout the Middle East and deep into the In 1971 the ELF was split into two factions, apparently because of personal, religious, _and geog orientation of the soldiers, the "heroes" of many of them being Marx and Lenin.

The Eritreans fear that Ethiopia having desolated the area around Asmara, will now destroy their harvests by air strikes. But the increase in popular support for the ELF, and the training of 10,000 more recruits since February, allows the ELF to have 25,000 men around the city against 20,000 Ethiopians.

Classical guerrilla war tactics may be replaced by set piece engagements, where the ELF is expected to be able to isolate Asmara, Keren, and Massawa on the ground. Arms arriving from Syria and Iraq will include anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft guns, and some SAM missiles - which were used to devastating effect against Israeli aircraft in the October war. Sudan Ethiopia Sa to Gulf Arab United Arab •Yemen 500 mls iMosendam Emirates •Peninsular Oman Masira Island Dhofar Indian Ocean The Middie

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