From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOMALIA: U.S. denies disarmament is part of mission/RELATE/
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 01:19:30 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: North America; United Nations
Title: SOMALIA: U.S. denies disarmament is part of mission/RELATE/


/att editors: please relate the following to 'somalia: u.n. head
says disarmament is a prerequisite', moved from new york/

washington, dec 14 (ips/jim lobe) -- u.n. secretary-general
boutros boutros-ghali's statement in new york monday that u.s.
troops should disarm somali militias and gangs is intensifying
debate and concern here over the precise mission of the soldiers
who began arriving in the east african nation last week.

at issue is whether creating a ''secure environment for
humanitarian relief operations in somalia'' -- the words of the
dec. 3 security council resolution authorising the u.s. deployment --
implies or includes the commitment to disarm somali militias and
gangs.

at the united nations monday, the secretary-general asserted
that ''disarmament is very important to obtain and provide the
security'' that will permit the u.s. force to be replaced by a
u.n. force which washington hopes will keep the peace and begin
rebuilding the country.

over the weekend, the u.n. head said he will soon release a
letter he sent president george bush dec. 3 which purportedly
outlines bush's own commitments in undertaking the mission,
presumably including disarmament and mine-clearing.

but his understanding appears to contradict statements by
officials here that the u.s. mission is limited to ensuring that
relief supplies can get through safely to those who need them.

''my goal is not to disarm somalia,'' said maj. gen. robert
johnston, the commander of the u.s. task force in somalia, when
asked about his understanding of the mission on a television
network programme sunday.

''i think that kind of issue (disarmament) is down the road,
and it's really going to be one that the u.n. will have to deal
with,'' he asserted, adding, ''the whole disarmament issue is a
massive undertaking, and somebody needs to change my mission
before we pursue that one.''

that message was reinforced by washington monday, when white
house spokesperson marlin fitzwater told reporters that disarming
somali groups has ''never been part of our mission and has not
changed.'' (more/ips)

somalia: u.s. denies disarmament is part of mission/relate/(2)

somalia: u.s. denies (2)

in practice, u.s. forces have so far seized or destroyed only
those weapons which they consider pose a ''direct threat'' to
their safety. johnston said sunday his troops will also take
custody of weapons stockpiles they find cached in their areas of
operation.

thomas mcnaugher, a military analyst for the brookings
institution, a major think tank and recruiting ground for the
incoming clinton administration, said last week disarmament is
''simply not feasible''.

and he warned that any attempt to disarm the militias, in
particular, will clearly ''be a political act'' that will involve
washington directly in an ongoing power struggle which washington
understands only dimly.

similarly former secretary of state henry kissinger argued in
the 'washington post' sunday that any disarmament effort ''could
turn into a messy affair with significant casualties, especially
on the somali side''.

''when blood has been shed, support for the american military
action may evaporate, especially in africa,'' he wrote.

worse, it could unify now-warring somali clans and sub-clans
against u.s. -- or u.n. -- forces, said one u.s. official, who
predicted that some compromise between washington and boutros-
ghali on a joint disarmament effort will be struck.

''fear of the military consequences of such an operation is not
the issue,'' the official told ips monday.  ''the issue is doing
it in a way that does not make things worse politically.''

many relief groups here, however, take boutros-ghali's position
that u.s. troops must disarm at least those parts of the country
affected by famine and social chaos.

if u.s. troops leave without taking guns out of circulation,
according to these voices, the fighting which caused the current
crisis could easily resume at any time.  they do not consider that
the united nations can bring in the firepower it needs to force
reluctant groups to hand over their weapons.

at the same time, rakiya omaar, a somali who was fired two
weeks ago as director of the human rights group africa watch for
opposing the u.s. deployment, warned that any forcible disarmament
could expose weaker clans who turn over their weapons to stronger
ones who may already have hidden theirs or taken them elsewhere.

she recommended in the 'post' that the united states and the
united nations should try to buy up as many weapons as possible
while sealing the border between somalia and surrounding states,
especially kenya, which has been supporting one of the clan
armies, that of gen. mohammed said hersi morgan. (more/ips)

somalia: u.s. denies disarmament is part of mission/relate/(3-e)

somalia: u.s. denies (3)

another concern voiced by some analysts is that any coercive
disarmament process may have the effect of ''spreading the
violence'', much as the arrival of the marines in mogadishu last
week appears to have spurred many of the more violent elements in
the capital to move inland to baidowa ahead of the u.s. troops.

a tenuous peace in the baidowa area reportedly collapsed with
the arrival of the 'technicals' late last week, throwing the
district into chaos and violence. (end/ips/jl/yjc/92)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african