Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 5, 1993 TAG: 9310050257
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Q: What was the point of sending troops to Somalia in the first place?
A: To restore order, so that hundreds of thousands of starving people could be fed. At the time, last December, Somalia had no government and armed bandits were making relief deliveries impossible. President Bush dispatched the troops, acting on a request by United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
Q: Did the troops finish that job?
A: Mostly. Food distribution resumed after order was restored in much of the country.
Q: Why only `mostly'?
A: The United Nations wanted the Americans to take on the job of totally disarming Somali warlords but the Bush administration refused. So the potential for violence remained.
Q: Now that people are eating again in Somalia, what's the point of keeping troops there?
A: To help rebuild Somalia's government.
Q: Why is that our problem?
A: The United Nations believes that, without a stable government, there could be civil war and renewed starvation.
Q: Rebuilding the government doesn't sound like such a challenge. Why so much violence?
A: There's at least one person who clearly doesn't want it to happen - warlord Mohamed Farah Aidid. He seems to think he and his clan will lose their chance to acquire power. He's also well-armed with, among other things, surface-to-air missiles.
Q: When were American troops originally supposed to leave?
A: The U.S. government originally hoped to have many of the troops out by the time Bush left office in January, and even expected to bring some forces home by the end of last December. In fact, withdrawal didn't begin until mid-January.
Q: How many are there now?
A: Under 5,000, compared with an original deployment of about 24,000.
Q: Wasn't this whole thing supposed to be turned over to the United Nations?
A: Yes. And it was. But the United States never intended to withdraw completely right away. The United States planned to keep support troops in Somalia to help the United Nations, plus a quick-reaction force offshore that could be called in by the United Nations in emergencies. As of now, 28 nations are participating in the U.N. force.
Q: Has President Clinton's policy changed?
A: Yes. Originally, he supported the goals of the Bush administration. Later, he allowed U.S. combat troops to play a key role in Somalia, even after overall control had shifted to the United Nations. A month ago, Clinton's policy was to keep combat troops there until south Mogadishu had been brought under control. Then last week, the president indicated he wanted a definite date for withdrawal. And Sunday, he authorized reinforcements.
by CNB