The circumstances were seductive: having helped to save Somalia from itself, the Americans were persuaded to finish the job by providing a strong logistical backbone - headquarters staff, engineers, supply and maintenance and so on- to the UN force under its Turkish commander, General Cevik Bir.

"How to Save Somalia", Washington Post, December 1, 1992, A19.

When policy makers are asked how they can send American troops to save Somalia from its warlords but not to save Bosnia from its Serbian aggressors, the reply is straightforward: Somalia is easy, Bosnia is hard.

I know you never said in any where that you would treat Somalia like the countries above but it is my take of things that nothing short of that would save or redeem Somalia.

Have the foreign powers now claiming to be on angelic mission to save Somalia ever been supportive of the nation in its well-intentioned cause?

The problem with that, a senior official said, is that it could effectively mean "going to war with Somalia in order to save Somalia."