Battle of Mogadishu

aka Black Hawk Down

The Lead Up

• Jan. 1991- Somalian President Barre overthrown resulting in civil war

• Total of 4 opposition groups competing for political control

The Lead Up

• June 1991 agreed upon cease fire fails with a 5th rebel group joining the fight

• Sept. 1991- fighting from Mogadishu spreads throughout country (20,000 killed by end of the year)

• Farm land destroyed leading to a massive starvation crisis

The Lead Up

• International community sends food supplies but this fails

• 300,000 die from starvation and another 1.5 million affected by fighting from 1991-1992.

• July 1992- another ceasefire brokered

The Lead Up

• Aug. 1992- Operation Provide Relief to aid more then 3 million starving people

• 500,000 dead, 1.5 million displaced• Dec. 1992- US launches major coalition op to

assist and protect humanitarian activities

The Lead Up

• March 1993- UN states their presence and operations have created a positive impact

• March 15, 1993- Conference on National Reconciliation in Somalia held in Ethiopia all agreeing to peace

• May 1993- Mohammed Farrah Aidid’s faction no longer cooperates

The Lead Up

• Aidid begins broadcasting anti-UN propaganda on Radio Mogadishu

• Aidid orders his SNA militia to attack Pakistani troopers inspecting arms cache

• June 1993- UN Security Council passes Resolution 837 declaring total war on Aidid and his forces

The Lead Up

• US troops start attacking targets in Mogadishu hoping to find Aidid

• July 1993- US led op launches on what is believed to be a safe house where Aidid is hiding in Mogadishu

The Lead Up

• Op lead to deaths of 4 journalists, killed by angry mob when they go to cover the incident

• “Is this an America attack?!” many Somalis ask themselves

The Lead Up

• Aug. 1993- Aidid’s militia detonated a remote controlled bomb against a US military vehicle

• Aug. 1993- President Clinton approves the deployment of a special task force

• Sept. 1993- Task Force Ranger captures Aidid’s financier, Osman Ali Atto

The Operation

• Sept. 1993- Aidid’s men shoot down 101st Airborne Division Black Hawk, killing 3 crew members

The Operation

• Sept. 1993 early AM- Combined task force sent to rescue trapped soldiers

• Objective: rescue trapper soldiers and capture 2 of Aidid’s high ranking officials

The Raid

• Problem after problem• Under heavy enemy fire• Timing problems• Incorrect locations

The Operation

• Early AM- combined task force sent to rescue trapped soldiers

• 1st crash site reached • 2nd crash sit overrun by hostile Somalis during

the night

The Aftermath

• Exact number of Somali causalities unknown

• At time of the battle was the bloodiest involving US troops since the Vietnam War

• July 1996- Aidid was wounded during a firefight between militia and forces loyal to warlords

The Aftermath

• Loss of US military personnel during the Black Hawk Down op evoked public outcry

• TV images of American soldiers being dragged through the streets by Somalis were too graphic for American public to endure

• Clinton Admin. responded by scaling down US humanitarian efforts in the region

The Aftermath

• Mission seen as failure• Decision to leave the region before

completing the operation’s humanitarian and security objectives

• Perceived failure to recognize the threat Al-Qaida elements posed in the region

To Intervene or Not to Intervene?

• Critical Humanitarian Intervention (CHI): generally the use of force by external interveners to rescue or assist populations in dire need, due to collapse of any internal governance or the inability of such to address the catastrophic events• Done with and without OK of the host

country

To Intervene or Not to Intervene?

• Sovereignty?• High risk worth it?• Expensive• Lose/lose proposition• No exit• Success stories?• No thanks

• Ferocious and vicious wars

• US seen as having a “glass ceiling”

To Intervene or Not to Intervene?

• So why do this?• Because you can’t ignore lest it spreads to

your country.• By sitting aside you signal to the world, and

enemies, that you are OK with it.• Is the life of 1 person worth more then the

life of another?• By picking winners and losers you make more

enemies and stand for….?