ARAB-US RELATIONS - Jan 4 - US Helps Contain Somalia's Islamist Forces.

A US-led naval task force off the Somali coast has been boarding ships in recent days as part of efforts to prevent Islamist militants fleeing the country. The task force is taking part in a broader US military effort to stop Islamist fighters in Somalia moving into neighbouring countries following a rout by Ethiopian forces. Kenya has officially closed its border with Somalia on in an effort to stem the transit of militants, officials said. The US has offered tacit support to the Ethiopian-led offensive in support of Somalia's transitional government and State Sec Condoleezza Rice, hailed the military victory as a "historic opportunity" for the war-ravaged country. The US has also said that it is determined to prevent terrorists escaping from the aftermath of the fighting. "We...are going to be working closely with states in the region to ensure that these individuals aren't able to transit those borders and exit Somalia", Sean McCormack, State Department spokesman, said on Jan 3. Officials from Europe, the US, Africa and the Middle East are due to meet in Nairobi on Jan 5 to discuss deployment of a peacekeeping force for the region. Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan president said on Jan 4 at a joint news conference in Addis Ababa with Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian PM, that Uganda is ready to provide peacekeepers for the force. "The troops are ready but I have to consult the speaker of parliament. As soon as parliament approves, they will be sent to Somalia", he said. Earlier Jendayi Frazer, the US assistant secretary of state who was also visiting Ethiopia, said Museveni had promised to provide between 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers. She hoped a peacekeeping force could be ready by the end of the month. Zenawi has pressed for the rapid deployment of peacekeepers, seen by international and regional diplomats as providing an exit strategy for Ethiopia. Ethiopian officials said fighting with Islamists continued in Somalia's southern tip on Jan 4, near the Kenyan border. The US ships are operating in international waters off the Somali coast. A spokeswoman for US Central Command said that while a number of boardings had taken place she could not confirm that any individuals had been apprehended. A Kenyan official was quoted by AFP saying that four Ethiopian helicopters, operating on information from a US satellite, had attacked three vehicles possibly carrying Islamist leaders close to the Kenyan border. The individuals apparently escaped, and US officials could not be reached to confirm any American role. A separate US-led task force has been operating out of Djibouti since 2003 with more than 1,500 military and civilian personnel aimed at helping countries in the Horn of Africa to deal with terrorism. The force has provided military help to Ethiopia to bolster its ability to protect its border and ports. However, a spokeswoman said that the "internationally recognised" transitional government of Somalia had not invited US forces into the country and no US troops were operating there.