From: perlman@qso.Colorado.EDU (Eric S. Perlman)
Subject: Re: Somalia: The REAL U.S. mission
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 20:09:43 GMT

In article <92364.133649U38026@uicvm.uic.edu> <U38026@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:
>I happen to locate some interesting information on Somalia.  I think
>most people would find this most interesting in light of the so called
>"humanitarian" mission, Restore Hope.  The issues that are most
>pertinent to issue of U.S. military intervention are marked with a "**".
>If you know anything about US imperialism, here's more fuel for the
>fire. I obtained this information through The Software Labs (a shareware
>distribution company based in Los Angeles, California), 1-800-359-9998,
>"The World Factbook 1990 Electronic Version, 3 disks (3316,3317,3318)".

I am no fan of George Bush's - in fact anything but - yet I find it
humorous how some can immediately sieze on an intervention with broad
multi-national support - indeed UN sponsorship - and call it an
excercise of imperialism.  The following post did absolutely *NOTHING*
to demonstrate that.

The starred areas were:

>[...]
>**Natural resources: uranium, and largely unexploited reserves
>of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt

Natural resources (of various kinds) are always convenient excuses.
However, one reason why they were a persuasive reason for our
involvement in Kuwait (Desert Storm) is that the resources were
*developed*.  In other words, the infrastructure is already there to
take it out of the ground and use it.  In Somalia's case, there is just
about no infrastructure at all, and also no mining.  This just plain
doesn't wash.  Especially when the effort is almost unanimously
supported at the UN.

>**Environment: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern
>plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

So?  Admittedly under Bush and Reagan the USA was anything but an
environmental saint, but this explains *nada*.

>**Note:  strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches
>to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal.  [also
>Somalia is good location for a military base to launch air strikes
>against independant countries like Libya and Yemen and protect US
>colonies like Saudi Arabia.]

This last line shows just how far out in the ozone whoever wrote this
piece was.  Saudi Arabia is hardly a US colony.  Indeed, it's
essentially a society closed to foreigners, especially certain cities
(Mecca and Medina).  I think that his/her definition of "colony" would
not be found in any dictionary of the English language, in fact.

>**Economy
>Overview: One of the world's least developed countries, Somalia
>has few resources. In 1988 per capita GDP was $210. Agriculture is the
>most important sector of the economy, with the livestock sector
>accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads
>and seminomads who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihoods
>make up about 50% of the population. Crop production generates only 10%
>of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main export crop is
>bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic market. The
>small industrial sector is based on the processing of agricultural
>products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP. At the end of 1988
>serious economic problems facing the nation were the external debt of
>$2.8 billion and double-digit inflation.

Yes, so?  What are you trying to say here?

>**Agriculture: dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep,
>goats); crops--bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient
>in food; fishing potential largely unexploited

Ditto.

This article was one of the least well-supported I've ever seen on the
net, and I've been a regular reader and contributor for well over 2
years.  It took a document (an excerpt about Somalia from the CIA's
factbook, which contains info on various contries), pointed out specific
portions specifically relevant, and then gave no supporting evidence as
to why they were relevant, except to imply a typical conspiracy theory.
They'll have to do better than this.  Orders of magnitude better, I
should add.

I will be out of town December 31-January 7.  Please mail copies of
responses to the address below.  Thanks in advance.


-- 
"How sad to see/A model of decorum and tranquillity/become like any other sport
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee." -Tim Rice,"Chess"
     Eric S. Perlman 				 <perlman@qso.colorado.edu> 
  Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder
Xref: sparky alt.current-events.somalia:700 alt.politics.org.un:205 alt.president.clinton:1226 talk.politics.misc:65057 alt.politics.bush:14846