Reply #35: I think you got the wrong idea [View All]

al Qaida attacked the U.S. before Somolia. I am sorry but Somolia was a failure.

The US had committed 25,000 troops to a peace keeping only mission in Dec of 1992. By Jan of 1993 that mission was a success and as many as 4 million people were saved.

Then all but a token force was withdrawn from Somolia while the mission changed dramaticaly to one that is very similar to the mission in Iraq today.

Several mistakes were made. One of the biggest was the denying several requests for armour. Clinton said " I dont want to see US tanks rolling through a civilian neighborhood on CNN". At the time that seemed a sage call from a public relations stand point. It was a critical failure that was acknowleded and Clintons Sect of Defense resigned over that failure.


Another key failure was that ex-Pres Carter was being used to negotiate with the biggest Somolian warlord for his peaceful exit from Somolia. Clinton never informed the military command in Somolia and they launched the attack known to most as "Black Hawk Down".


The US negotiating while attacking was a critical mistake as was not informing the military of the negotiations. This caused irreprable harm to the view of the US and possible diplomatic negotiations amongst Islmaic countries.

The loss of two black hawk helicopters and 18 US service men followed by the immediate with draw of US troops sent a few bad messages
- US and their technology can be beaten
- kill a US soldier and put it on TV and the US will run
- beat the US with public opinion easier than with bullits


I hated listening to idiot GOP ranting about Clinton for 8 years. Turned my stomach. That does not mean the man was perfect. Compare a bj in office to illegal NSA wire taps, utter failure of Katrina, failure to plan for insurgency or have an exit plan in Iraq for Bush.


The ability to know the good and bad of a candidate trancends party lines. I am American first. I try to know what candidates do well and what they do badly. Party alone does not define a candidate, actions do.


I behoves us to know our weaknesses better than are opponents do. Denial is not a strategy or a strength.