The Unknown War

I have never heard of the Battle of Mogadishu until watching the film Black Hawk Down and I suspect there are many other people have never heard of it either; but why? Was it an insignificant military mission or an embarrassment to American foreign policy?  American soldiers went into Somalia and saved many innocent lives yet not many people have heard about this heroic act. The reason for this is probably because the majority of citizens did not view the operation as being a success. Dominic Tierney in his article "Black Hawk Up: The Forgotten American Success Story inSomalia" claims, "The mission in Somalia became widely seen as one of the greatest military disasters since Vietnam. In October 1993, 66 percent of Americans thought the operation to provide humanitarian relief in Somalia was a failure. Congressmen angrily demanded U.S. withdrawal." Hollywood movie makers in Black Hawk Down depicted the humanitarian mission as a failure.  Consequently, the Battle of Mogadishu shaped U.S. policy going forward and has limited our involvement in humanitarian crises.  However, a deeper understanding of the events leading to the mission and the aftermath could present a different opinion of something other than a failure.

After the Cold War ended, Somalia suffered widespread famine and fell into clan-based warfare.  Thousands of innocent Somalians were being murdered or dying of starvation. President George H. W. Bush sent American troops to deliver humanitarian relief, arriving in December 1992.  The troops rebuilt roads and repaired schools.  It is estimated that 100,000 Somalian lives were saved and the number of refugees was cut in half.  There were plenty of journalists on hand to report to the world the success of this U.S. humanitarian effort. 

Public opinion took a drastic change for the worse in October, 1993.  American troops turned their efforts toward eliminating the warlord, General Aideed, who was blamed for attacking international troops.  The mission was supposed to be swift with a few military helicopters flying into the region to arrest or neutralize their targets.  However, Aideed and his militants were waiting for the attack and shot down two military helicopters. The battle ended with 18 American soldiers dead and hundreds of Somalians.  The press coverage of the humanitarian mission in Somalia suddenly became a tragic story with images of mutilated American soldiers.  The media ignored the pro-American demonstrations in Somalia and the accomplishments already made to restore order in the region.  Osama bin Laden was quoted in Tierney’s article, “You left the area carrying disappointment, humiliation, defeat and your dead with you.”  His comment reinforced the perception of failure and embarrassment among the American public. The American troops left the region shortly after the tragic mission.

The consequences of the Battle of Mogadishu were pronounced.  The U.S. government was shocked at the outcome and demanded that numerous officials in President Clinton’s administration explain how a humanitarian effort could become such an embarrassment.  Alexander Burns, in his article “The Battle of Mogadishu: Why It Still Matters” states “the immediate lesson drawn by the United States was of the need for humility in international affairs.”  Foreign policy changed towards a more cautious involvement in international humanitarian efforts.  Burns also reveals that the 9/11 Commission following the terrorist attacks on the United States uncovered that Osama Bin Laden and the Al Queda network were involved in the attack on the American military in Mogadishu.  He states, “When President Clinton swiftly drew back from Somalia, he hardened Bin Laden’s dim view of American resolve.”  Calling the efforts in Somalia as a total failure may be short sighted.  Yes, American lives were lost but thousands of Somalian lives were saved.  Perhaps by standing our ground and continuing our mission in Somalia, the perception of America as a strong and worthy force would have been maintained.  However, by being so quick to withdraw and admit defeat, one could also conclude that our admitted weakness led the way for a more costly price to be paid later, most notably September 11, 2001.