Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5632x7680 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

Clinton's punt: more marines, for a short time
By GENE GIBBONS
WASHINGTON: In his first ma
jor military move as commander
in-chief, US President Bill Clinton
is sending 5300 more American
troops and marines to Somalia with
orders to finish the job of stabilising
the country - and then withdraw
by March 31.
Mr Clinton announced his poli
tically risky decision in a televised
address from the Oval Office de
signed to define American policy
and quiet the clamour for an imme
diate pull-out from the internation
al peacekeeping operation.
Pressure for a rapid withdrawal
was triggered by a weekend firefight
in the Somali capital, Mogadishu,
in which at least 13 US soldiers
were killed, scores wounded and at
least one taken prisoner by forces
loyal to fugitive warlord Mohamed
Farah Aideed.
It was the worst bloodying of
American peacekeeping troops
since the bombing of a Marine bar
racks in Lebanon in 1983.
But Mr Clinton said the US could
. not afford to "cut and run".
"If we were to leave today we
know what would happen," he said.
"Within months, Somali children
would again be dying in the streets.
Our own credibility with friends
and allies would be severely dam
aged.
"Our leadership in world affairs
would be undermined at the very
time when people are looking to
America to help promote peace and
freedom in the post-Cold War
world. And all around the world,
aggressors, thugs and terrorists will
conclude that the best way to get us
to change our policy is to kill peo
ple. It would be open season on
Americans."
General Aideed defied Mr Clin
ton's decision and rallied followers
to fight back.
"Defend yourselves against US
aggression," General Aideed's clan
destine radio message blared across
the bombed-out city.
Mr Clinton said he had ordered
1700 fresh army troops to Somalia
equipped with 104 armoured vehi
cles, and a further 3600 Marines
aboard amphibious vessels to stand
offshore with the aircraft carrier
Abraham Lincoln and its more than
60 jet fighters.
The additional troops would pro
tect those already there, secure
roads, ports and lines of communi
cation, keep marauding gangs from
interfering with relief operations
and help make it possible for the
Somali people to restore their own
government.
Secretary of State Warren Chris
topher said that even if these objec
tives are not met by March 31, "the
commitment the President gave for
the withdrawal of all our troops by
that time is one that will be met."
House of Representatives Speak
er Tom Foley said he thought Mr
Clinton had acted "wisely and effec
tively" and Senate Republican
Leader Bob Dole urged "broad bi
partisan support" for the policy.
But Republican Representative
Dick Armey said Mr Clinton had
not been tough enough in his warn
ing that no harm must come to any
Americans held by Somalis and his
pledge to recover them.
"Are you going to tell me I should
be prepared to wait for six months
before he recovers those prisoners?"
Mr Armey said in a CNN interview.
"I am not prepared to wait for that."
Parliamentarians called for De
fence Secretary Les Aspin to resign,
because last month he rejected a
request to send protective armour
to the Somalia force.
"Had I known at that time what 1
knew after the events of Sunday, I
would have made a very different
decision," he said.
$