<HTML><HEAD>
<TITLE>ClariNews: US Troops Leave for Possible Zaire Evacuation</TITLE>
<META HTTP-EQUIV=Refresh CONTENT=3600>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR=white>
<CLARI-ITEM HEADER>
<!-- <CLARI-ITEM XINFO>
<TABLE CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0>
<TR><TD VALIGN=top ALIGN=right><B>Newsgroups:</B>
<TD><CLARI-ITEM NEWSGROUPS>
<A HREF='clari.web.usa.top' CLARI-XGN='clari.web.usa.top'>clari.web.usa.top</A>,
<A HREF='clari.web.news.conflict' CLARI-XGN='clari.web.news.conflict'>clari.web.news.conflict</A>,
<A HREF='clari.web.usa.gov' CLARI-XGN='clari.web.usa.gov'>clari.web.usa.gov</A>,
<A HREF='clari.web.news.front_page' CLARI-XGN='clari.web.news.front_page'>clari.web.news.front_page</A>,
<A HREF='clari.web.usa' CLARI-XGN='clari.web.usa'>clari.web.usa</A>
</CLARI-ITEM NEWSGROUPS>
</TABLE><P>
</CLARI-ITEM XINFO> -->
<IMG SRC='0323top.gif...@web.clari.net?part=2' CLARI-XFN='xws/bc/0323top.gif' ALIGN=right WIDTH=56 HEIGHT=56 ALT='Logo [Mar 23]'>
<I><A HREF='http://www.clari.net/'>ClariNet</A> <CLARI-ITEM TYPE>story</CLARI-ITEM> <B><CLARI-ITEM SLUGWORD>NEWS-ZAIRE</CLARI-ITEM></B> from <CLARI-ITEM FROM>Reuters</CLARI-ITEM></I><BR>
<H1><CLARI-ITEM HEADLINE>US Troops Leave for Possible Zaire Evacuation</CLARI-ITEM></H1>
<I><B><CLARI-ITEM COPYRIGHT>Copyright 1997 by Reuters</CLARI-ITEM></B></I> / <I><CLARI-ITEM DATE>Sun, 23 Mar 1997 4:11:31 PST</CLARI-ITEM></I><P>
</CLARI-ITEM HEADER>
<CLARI-ITEM STORY>
<P> AVIANO, Italy (Reuter) - The first contingent of U.S.
solidiers left Italy for Africa Sunday to prepare for a possible
American evacuation from Zaire.</P>
<P> The 27 servicemen, primarily from the Southern European Task
Force based in Vicenza, Italy, left from an air force base in
Aviano, air force Major Bryan Holt said.</P>
<P> He said more troops would be leaving from Aviano, north of
Vicenza, throughout the day. Most were headed for Brazzaville,
Congo.</P>
<P> Among those who left Sunday was army Major General Edwin
Smith, commander of the Southern European Task force and
commander of the joint task force for Operation Guardian
Retrieval.</P>
<P> Friday the U.S. Department of Defense directed the U.S.
European Command to deploy forces, consisting of several hundred
personnel, as part of contingency planning for a possible future
evacuation from Zaire.</P>
<P> The U.S. forces will join French troops and planes already in
nearby Gabon and Congo in case evacuations from strife-torn
Zaire become necessary. Belgium is also sending troops.</P>
<P> Zaire's long-time ruler President Mobutu Sese Seko, 66, is
ill with cancer and rebels led by Laurent Kabila have seized
about a fifth of the sprawling central African country.</P>
</CLARI-ITEM STORY>
<BR CLEAR=all>
<CLARI-ITEM TRAILER>
<HR>
<A HREF='0323bottom.html...@web.clari.net' CLARI-XFN='xws/af/0323bottom.html'>
<IMG SRC='0323bottom.gif...@web.clari.net?part=2' CLARI-XFN='xws/af/0323bottom.gif' WIDTH=137 HEIGHT=47 BORDER=0 ALT='bottom [Mar 23]'></A>
<A HREF='0323extra3.html...@web.clari.net' CLARI-XFN='xws/ag/0323extra3.html'>
<IMG SRC='0323extra3.gif...@web.clari.net?part=2' CLARI-XFN='xws/ag/0323extra3.gif' BORDER=0 ALT='Icon [Mar 23]'></A>
</CLARI-ITEM TRAILER>
