Friday, April 02, 2010
The offensive, repeatedly delayed for months, would be the government's biggest attempt to restore control over an anarchic nation where an Islamist insurgency has taken root and whose coastline is dotted with pirate lairs.
Officials familiar with the offensive's planning said the delays are partly due to the army's lack of equipment, training and a reliable system to pay its soldiers – problems the European Union hopes to address by training 2,000 troops under a plan approved Wednesday.
Pouring cold water on perceptions the offensive will begin with an all-out assault, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said it will be a slow expansion of the small area under government control.
"It is not a big push. It will be gradual and well-planned," Sharmarke said.
Source: AP