4 Jan (conflnued)   Spanish frigate intercepts and diverts Soviet-flagged cargo ship DIMITRIY
                          ~ in Northern Red Sea after multinational boarding
                          team, including Navy personnel from USS MISSISSIPPI (CGN-40),
                          discovered improperly-manifested military equipment on board. DIMI-
                          TRIY FERMANOV, enroute from Odessa, USSR to Aqaba, Jordan,
                          anchors while manifest awaits reconciliation and is found to be in accor-
                          dance with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
                    SECNAV activates 438 additional Naval Reservists from 55 units.

5Jan                                       N      , the U.S. Ambassador, the Soviet
                          ambassador, and 193 additional foreign nationals evacuated in four
                          helicopter roundtrips from U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia to
                          USS GUAM and USS TRENTON. The rescue operation was initiated
                          from a range of 460 miles. and inyolved the first in-flight night refueling
                          of helicopters by USMC KC-130s. 60 U.S. Marines provided rear secu
                          rity until 48-hour evacuation completed. Evacuees taken to undisclosed
                          location for processing and return to respective countries.

6 Jan               USS SARATOGA (CV-60) transits Suez Canal en route Red Sea for the fifth
                          time, a record canal transit by any Navy ship during a single deployment.
                    USS MISSISSIPPI diverts a freighter in the N. Red Sea.

7 Jan               In Operation SHARP EDGE, USMC Fleet Antiterrorist Security Team (FAST)
                          relieves Marine Amphibious Readiness Group at U.S. Embassy in
                          Monrovia, Liberia providing security.

8 Jan               DOD announces new U.S. troop strength at over 360,000 in region (540,000+
                          Iraqi troops); updates numbers of intercepts - 6566; boardings - 785;
                          diversions -34; 147,300 Reserves/National Guard recalled: 9939 Navy,
                          18,155 USMC.
                    Navy ship strength in region - 63:18 (Arabian Gulf), 21 (North Arabian Sea/
                          Gulf of Oman), 12 (Red Sea), 12 (Mediterranean).
                    Sealift update: 245 ships in support, 218 under MSC operational control;
                          253 offloads completed (12 billion pounds of equipment/fuel).
                    Soviet-flagged DIMITRY FERMANOV remains in the Red Sea. Cargo ship
                          will be allowed to proceed to its destination of Aqaba when the intercept
                          force has determined the cargo is properly manifested.

9 Jan               Anti-ship contact mine discovered in Arabian Gulf, the 9th in last week. USS
                          MISSOURI (BB-63) explosive ordnance dispos~ team retrieved/de-
                          stroyed.
                    USS NASHVILLE (LPD-13) de~arts Liberian coast ending Operation SHARP
                          EDGE.
                    USS ELMER MONTGOMERY boards 100th ship, designated MIF Centurion
                          as first ship in theater to reach this milestone.
                    SECNAV activates 1868 additional Naval Reservists from 333 units.

10 Jan              USS MISSISSIPPI diverts a freighter in the N. Red Sea.

                                            A-12

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