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January 1972
finer points of sabotage. lt wouldn't
surprise most sourccs if the groups
sought to coordinate their activitics.
One thing is certain, the Arab guer–
rillas have taught the ELF recruits the
art of airliner hijacking. Three Ethio–
pian Airlines' aircraft have been seized
on domestic Aights and flown to South
Yemen, the Sudan and Libya; and two
ELF men were killed in Madrid during
an abortive attempt to seize another
Ethiopian Airlines' aircraft.
Meanwhile, revitalized ELF guerrillas
are launching hit-and-run raids
tn
Eritrea-blasting bridges, mining roads
and wrecking trains. In response, the
Ethiopian government has assigned
L5,000 of its 40,000-man army to hunt
guerrillas in thc provincc.
Independence for the Arabs
Initially, the ELF attempted to create
a non-religious political front. But as
the Front grew more activist, its radical
Moslem face became more apparent.
Officials at its Damascus headquarters
taJk of an "Arab Eritrea" conforming to
the "principies of Arab socialism."
Eritrea's population of two million is
about evenly divided betwecn Christians
and Moslems. Christians find little com–
fort in the current ELF line, especially
after L,300 years of dcep, Christian–
Moslem animosity in that parl of the
world.
The rebellion at times has had ele–
ments of
fihad
or Moslem Holy War.
Severa! massacres by the ELF guerrillas
in Christian villages have not helped
improve Christian attitudes toward the
movement.
The troubles in Erilrca indicate divi–
sions that may surface in other parts of
Ethiopia after the reign of the 78-year–
old empcror, Haile SeJassie, ends.
Selassie has hcJd this rcstless, under–
developed empirc togcther by the
force of his own will and personality.
He has maintained Ethiopia as a pro–
Western bastion, despite repeated at–
tempts of communist infiltration into
the Middle East and North Africa.
A Coming Religious War?
Jt is not fashionable lo speak of reJi–
gious wars in the twcntieth ccntury -
with the possible exccption of a continu–
ing con.Aict in Northern Ircland. But
The
PLAIN TRUTI-1
EGYPT
SUDAN
Bab el Mandeb, the
norrow southern en–
tronce to the Red
Seo, con eosily be
políced from Eritreo.
The lsland of Perim,
belonging to the Peo–
ple's Republic of
South Yemen, divides
Bob el Mandeb into
two channels and is pres–
ently the troining ground
for the Eritrean Liberotion
Forces. lf the Arob Federotion
con monage to "liberote" Eritreo
from Ethiopio the Arob choin ocross the
SAUDI
ARABIA
straits will be forged -
o potentiol block ogoinst sh ips bound
for Israel from the Gulf of Aden and the lndian Ocean.
35