Somalia 'may be next US target'

Somalia is being considered as the next target in America's war on terror, vice-president Dick Cheney has confirmed.

The news comes as it emerged that US special operations experts have been sent to Somalia to talk to warlords about joint military action against terrorists.

Mr Cheney said conditions in Somalia are similar to those in Afghanistan before the collapse of the Taliban and could provide sanctuary to terrorists.

He told the Washington Times: "Clearly, that is one country we will look at. We don't know how al Qaeda will work once you chop off its head. How will those cells around the world function and will they be able to function? My guess is they probably will, so we've got to go wrap them up too."

US warships are in position in the Indian Ocean near the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Officials said any US military action would be aimed at destroying t e r rorist training camps and smashing terrorist cells. The risk is that such a move will spark turmoil among the Muslim population and trigger fighting between rival warlords.

Mr Cheney said Osama bin Laden "could be in Pakistan" but would not say whether the war on terrorism would expand to Iraq.