Could the Press Grow a Spine?

George Z. Bush wrote:

Unless my foggy memory is again playing tricks on me, I seem to recall that
the
people who profited most from the relief supplies that we sent to that
unfortunate country were the very war lords who kicked us out of it.

The militias ate along with your average Somali, but how were you going to
differentiate? Until The US forces began to withdraw, and the war lords resumed
their feuding (not coincidental events) the food distribution was orderly
(well, as orderly as you can expect when feeding masses of starving people) and
did save the lives of millions. Once the warlords began battling, both the U.N.
forces and U.S. forces struggled to maintain control of the food once relief
workers began handing it out. If all you know about Somalia is what you've seen
in "Black Hawk Down", you're missing nearly the first two years of the
operation.

seem to
recall that they sold the relief supplies we sent over there to whichever
starving Somalis had something of value to trade for those supplies.

No, usually the war lords attempted to either a.)seize the food once it reached
the distribution point so they could hand it out to loyal militia followers and
recruit more or b.) set up a series of militia controlled check points and only
allow those loyal to get to the food. It was the increasing insecurity of the
food that convinced Clinton administration officials that in order to prevent
another famine, a stable government needed to be established.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"