I'm not so sure that oil was a direct reason behind why the United States got involved in Somalia.
Though US troops (in the form of SEALS) were the first to land in Mogadishu, the US was actually part of a larger UN mission to try to bring peace and order to a country that was falling apart. The mission itself was therefore pretty openended and was supportedly half heartedly by the administration of Bill Clinton which was concentrating on domestic issues and also because the US involvement in Somalia was one of the final acts by the outgoing POTUS George Bush.
Failure (the US and all UN troops eventually withdrew from Somalia without accomplishing any of their goals) in Somalia, could be a reason behind the indecisiveness that the US showed in getting involved in other conflicts around Africa and also in the Balkans.
There are two interesting connections between the current US involvement in Afghanistan and Somalia. 1. The militia in Somalia that succeeded in shooting down the BlackHawks were supposedly trained by Osama Bin Ladin. 2. The US is again involved in a UN mission of nation building in a lawless country divided by warlords.
The US obviously did not get involved in Afghanistan because of Oil, but it could be one of the prizes for the involvement. Afghanistan can now be a viable option for a pipeline to bring oil from the Central Asian formere Soviet Republics out to the Indian Sea. Somalia, was not for oil, but was a mission without any direction that was supposed to bring order to a country that was not ready or willing to have any.
But, don't take my word for it. ..a couple of easy reads would be "Black Hawk Down" and "War in the Time of Peace", neither books are scholarly, but they are easy enough to read.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm not so sure that oil was a direct reason behind why the United States got involved in Somalia.
.a couple of easy reads would be "Black Hawk Down" and "War in the Time of Peace", neither books are scholarly, but they are easy enough to read.
Though US troops (in the form of SEALS) were the first to land in Mogadishu, the US was actually part of a larger UN mission to try to bring peace and order to a country that was falling apart. The mission itself was therefore pretty openended and was supportedly half heartedly by the administration of Bill Clinton which was concentrating on domestic issues and also because the US involvement in Somalia was one of the final acts by the outgoing POTUS George Bush.
Failure (the US and all UN troops eventually withdrew from Somalia without accomplishing any of their goals) in Somalia, could be a reason behind the indecisiveness that the US showed in getting involved in other conflicts around Africa and also in the Balkans.
There are two interesting connections between the current US involvement in Afghanistan and Somalia. 1. The militia in Somalia that succeeded in shooting down the BlackHawks were supposedly trained by Osama Bin Ladin. 2. The US is again involved in a UN mission of nation building in a lawless country divided by warlords.
The US obviously did not get involved in Afghanistan because of Oil, but it could be one of the prizes for the involvement. Afghanistan can now be a viable option for a pipeline to bring oil from the Central Asian formere Soviet Republics out to the Indian Sea. Somalia, was not for oil, but was a mission without any direction that was supposed to bring order to a country that was not ready or willing to have any.
But, don't take my word for it. .