The following text is courtesy of Brian Cleary, press officer for the Irish Defense Forces. Occasionally, The Irish American Post will present reports from Irish military stationed around the globe on its various peace-keeping missions.

Below find text of a recent press release from my office of an operation conducted by members of the Defense Forces Army Ranger Wing (SF troops) who are based in Monrovia Liberia. An 800-man (and -woman!) battalion of Irish Infantry (the 90th Infantry Bn) are based a few kilometers outside Monrovia, in Camp Clara, (so called because there is a township in Monrovia called Clara Town and the Battalion Commander , Lieutenant Col. Paddy (Puck) Moran, just happens to live close to Clara, Co. Offaly. 

The Ranger Wing are the Irish Defense Forces Special Forces element and a platoon of 40 were deployed in addition to the 90th Inf Bn. (more info available on www.military.ie)

ARW personnel were tasked with the following missions for their tour in Liberia:

1. Special Recce.
2. Human Intelligence Missions
3. Liaison Tasks
4. Extraction and Hostage Rescue operations.

Patrols have concentrated on the more remote areas of Liberia particularly in the border regions and where UNMIL forces had not been previously been deployed. They have been inserted and extracted by MI 26 Heli's and MI 8's. They have also used the HNLMS Rotterdam for these as they have an amphibious landing capability.

In the best tradition of Special Forces ops, they have tried to vary our operational methods in order to create an impression of unpredictability and deception. This has worked to date so much so that the local militias (MODEL, LURD and GOL) have the impression that ARW personnel seem to just pop up everywhere and without warning.

They have also started to use MI 24 attack helicopters (supplied by Aviation Battalion of the Ukrainian military ) to provide air support on recent missions as it again offers another dimension to the patrolling pattern and also the physiological impact of these things turning up is significant. Information gathered by the patrols is all collected and analyzed in the FHQ to help plan future operations unit deployments and timing schedules. 

When out on patrols contact is made with the local leaders both civil and militia and meetings are conducted with them. ARW personnel try to assist the local civilian administrators - empowering them by supporting both civilian and local law enforcement personnel - this has been quite successful to date. ARW Medical Officer and his team of patrol medics have also run medical clinics in the local hospitals and health centers. This assistance has included conducting medical operations in these locations and has even resulted in people from Guinea traveling to one clinic in particular. 

Some patrols have lasted for over nine days and are resupplied by air with the MI 26's and MI 8's, we keep in constant contact with HQ via HF communications and sat phone. In some instances, and based on intel gathered by ARW personnel, Force HQ have deployed Civ Pol personnel out to flashpoints to conduct investigations of suspected crimes or collect information for future investigations.

DEFENSE FORCES RANGER WING DETAIN RENEGADES IN LIBERIA

The Defense Forces Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) based in Liberia detained members of the renegade Government of Liberia (GOL) forces in an operation 300 KM northeast of the capital Monrovia yesterday (6th Jan 04) . 

The patrol, consisting of members of the Defense Forces Army Ranger Wing (ARW) was inserted by Mi26 helicopter, at 1200hrs yesterday, to Gbapa in the northern sector of Nimba County, close to the border with Guinea. Local civilians reported that there were over thirty (30) people being held captive against their will by renegade Government of Liberia (GOL) forces, in a 20-foot container near the town of Yekepa. 

On foot of the information received , the Army Ranger Wing patrol secured the release of the 35 captives (male and female) and detained the commander and deputy commander of the GOL force. Other militia members are believed to have fled into Guinea. 

As there were such a large number of captives in such a confined space it was decided by the ARW commander on the ground to initially engage in a non lethal intervention. Heavily armed members of the patrol swooped on the location where the captives were being held using the elements of surprise and a major show of force which effectively caught the renegades off guard. Nobody was injured during the intervention. 

The renegades are currently being held in a local police station which is being secured by the Army Ranger Wing patrol. 

Many of the 35 persons released were brought to the local medical facility for treatment as a result of alleged beatings and rapes inflicted upon them while in captivity. 

The Army Ranger Wing continue to secure the area and their Medical personnel are providing on going medical assistance. 

Followup patrols were conducted in mid January in the area during which more arrests were made in relation to the original incident at Yekepa. The suspects (eight in total) were all flown to Monrovia and placed in custody with the Liberian National Police (under the supervision of Civ Pol). They still remain in custody awaiting trial.