In a message dated 3/11/1999 2:59:05 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< The pressure on President Bush to get food to the starving Somali people
was enormous, and could be measured, frame by frame, in the recurring pictures
of emaciated Somalis, stomachs paradixically swollen by famine and listless
eyes blankly gazing out of skin-covered skulls, foreshadowing deaths to come.
We sent aid, and personnel to distribute it, and quickly found out that there
were warring juntas with bhat-crazed mercernaries driving "technical vehicles"
(jeeps with mounted machine guns) all demanding a piece of the foreign aid
pie. When we attempted to confiscate the weapons with which these groups were
killing both each other and any one else (including the rest of the Somalis)
between them and aggrandizement (including the unarmed aid workers from whom
they were armed-robbing everything that wasn't nailed down) and stanch the
eastward flow of the narcotic bhat from Kenya and Ethiopia, we were attacked
by the juntas for interfering with their drug and extortion rackets, and when
we attempted to capture one of their leaders (Aidid) >>
Adeed was a firmly american trained leader who just didn't behave as American
planned him to do so. Those troops lovingly sent in, were also found to be
highly abusive to the population which included stun gun attacks, beatings of
unarmed civilians and numerous rapes - alongside the hefty focus they placed
on encouraging prostitution and propositioning young somali women with money.
The Italian troops even got a nice magazine spread from some foolhardy person
taking pictures of gang rapes and beatings.
So yes, some of the Somali population really didn't appreciate them.
Where did the weapons come from - who is the biggest weapons seller in the
world, with countries like China, Bulgaria and Russia following up the tale
end?
Lots of those unarmed aid workers were found to have committed some unarmed,
though very succesful thieving and civilian abuse themselves. They also
weren't all the selfless committed people they claimed to be in the posters.
There is a lot more to the story of aid workers in Africa than superficial
impressions.
I don't know your level of knowledge about Somali history, about the issues of
clan fighting, or even about politics in Somali - or the attempts of colonial
entities, but you certainly right as if you feel you have some substantial
knowledge.
Mind if I forward this to some Somali people I know, who I am sure would - if
the mood to dabble with such mentalities was around - definitely provide some
"perspective" on the what you have written.
Nicole
