[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 152 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 152

     Authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces in Somalia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 1993

Mr. Gilman (for himself, Mr. Michel, Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Armey, Mr. Hyde, 
   Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Spence, Mr. Goodling, Mr. 
Bereuter, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Rohrabacher, and Mr. Walsh) introduced the 
  following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
     Authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces in Somalia.

Whereas an estimated 300,000 Somalis reportedly have died of hunger or as 
        casualties of widespread violence since the fall of Siad Barre in 
        January, 1991;
Whereas international relief agencies were unable to deliver adequate assistance 
        to those most in need due to increasingly difficult and dangerous 
        security conditions, including pervasive banditry and looting;
Whereas the Congress expressed its support for a greater United Nations role in 
        addressing the political and humanitarian situation in Somalia through 
        Senate Concurrent Resolution 132 and House Concurrent Resolution 370 of 
        the 102d Congress;
Whereas the United Nations Secretary General and United States officials 
        concluded that intervention in Somalia would be necessary to avert 
        further massive starvation;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council on December 3, 1992, adopted 
        Resolution 794, authorizing the use of ``all necessary means to 
        establish as soon as possible a secure environment for humanitarian 
        relief operations in Somalia'';
Whereas President Bush on December 8, 1992, began deploying United States Armed 
        Forces in Somalia in response to United Nations Security Council 
        Resolution 794;
Whereas on December 10, 1992, President Bush formally reported to the Congress 
        on the deployment of United States Armed Forces in Somalia;
Whereas on January 15, 1993, the Department of Defense announced the beginning 
        of the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Somalia;
Whereas as of mid-March 1993, more than 13,000 American servicemen and women 
        remain in Somalia as part of the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) and have 
        been joined by some 14,000 troops from many other nations;
Whereas President Bush emphasized that United States Armed Forces would be 
        withdrawn from Somalia and that the security mission would be assumed by 
        a new United Nations peacekeeping operation (UNOSOM II) as soon as a 
        ``secure environment'' was created for the delivery of food and other 
        humanitarian assistance;
Whereas the deployment of United States Armed Forces in Somalia, together with 
        those from other countries, has led to a substantial increase in the 
        delivery of humanitarian assistance and has opened up access to more 
        remote areas of the country;
Whereas further starvation on a massive scale has been averted in Somalia, but 
        there remains a need for continuing humanitarian efforts under UNOSOM 
        II;
Whereas in a report dated March 3, 1993, the United Nations Secretary General 
        proposed that the transfer of command from UNITAF to UNOSOM II take 
        place on May 1, 1993;
Whereas as outlined in the Secretary General's report, it is expected that 
        United States Armed Forces will play a key role in the UNOSOM II 
        operation;
Whereas United States Armed Forces in UNOSOM II will be under the command of a 
        United Nations official;
Whereas United States Armed Forces in UNOSOM II will be asked to fulfill a 
        mission in Somalia that is much broader and more open-ended than the 
        mission originally outlined by President Bush;
Whereas United States Armed Forces in Somalia are not now in a situation of 
        hostilities or a situation in which imminent involvement in hostilities 
        is clearly indicated by the circumstances within the meaning of the War 
        Powers Resolution, nor is it contemplated that they will be in such a 
        situation while participating in UNOSOM II; and
Whereas the Congress has not been adequately consulted on the new United Nations 
        mission in Somalia and has not had an opportunity to debate and consider 
        what United States policy should be in the context of a broadened United 
        Nations mandate for that country: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Authorization for Use 
of United States Armed Forces in Somalia Resolution''.

SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES IN UNOSOM II.

    (a) Authorization.--The President is authorized to deploy United 
States Armed Forces in Somalia in order to participate in UNOSOM II, 
subject to subsection (b).
    (b) Expiration.--The authorization provided in subsection (a) shall 
expire 6 months after the date of enactment of this joint resolution, 
unless Congress extends such authorization.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS.

    (a) Transition to UNOSOM II.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the President, in close consultation with the Secretary General of the 
United Nations and the other members of the United Nations Security 
Council, should ensure that the transition from UNITAF to UNOSOM II 
occurs not later than May 1, 1993, as proposed by the Secretary 
General.
    (b) Restoration of Somali Self-Government and Withdrawal of Foreign 
Military Forces.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the restoration of self-government to Somalia and the 
        withdrawal of all foreign military forces from Somalia at the 
        earliest date consistent with the humanitarian situation in 
        that country are fundamental objectives of the international 
        community;
            (2) to achieve these objectives, the United Nations should 
        foster the establishment of competent local authorities in 
        Somalia that will enable the Somali people to reclaim control 
        of their country; and
            (3) the size and scope of UNOSOM II should be reduced as 
        quickly as local institutions and the humanitarian situation 
        will permit.
    (c) Withdrawal of United States Armed Forces.--It is the sense of 
the Congress that--
            (1) United States Armed Forces have performed a 
        humanitarian service in Somalia that the armed forces of very 
        few other countries could have performed;
            (2) increasingly, however, the security needs of Somalia 
        can be handled by the armed forces of other countries; and
            (3) the mission of UNOSOM II as set forth in the Secretary 
        General's report of March 3, 1993, is considerably broader than 
        the original United States objective of creating a secure 
        environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
For these reasons, and consistent with the objectives of promptly 
restoring Somali self-government and withdrawing foreign military 
forces from Somalia, the Congress declares that all United States Armed 
Forces should be withdrawn from Somalia not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this joint resolution and their functions 
assumed by UNOSOM II forces from other countries to the extent required 
after that date.
    (d) Reimbursement of Costs Incurred by the United States in 
Somalia.--It is the sense of the Congress that the President should 
seek to ensure that incremental costs incurred by the United States in 
connection with UNITAF and in connection with UNOSOM II are reimbursed 
to the maximum extent possible by the United Nations and other members 
of the international community.

SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    Not later than 2 months after the date of enactment of this joint 
resolution and at least once every 2 months thereafter until 2 months 
after all United States Armed Forces have been withdrawn from Somalia, 
the President shall submit to the Congress a report on developments 
related to Somalia. Each such report shall include--
            (1) a statement of United States policy objectives in 
        Somalia and an assessment of the progress that has been made in 
        achieving those objectives;
            (2) an assessment of the progress that has been made in 
        fostering the establishment of competent local authorities in 
        Somalia;
            (3) the projected date for withdrawal of all United States 
        Armed Forces from Somalia and an assessment of the progress 
        that has been made toward completing that withdrawal;
            (4) a full accounting of all United States incremental 
        costs in connection with UNITAF and UNOSOM II;
            (5) a full accounting of the estimated incremental costs of 
        other countries in connection with UNITAF and UNOSOM II;
            (6) a full accounting of all contributions that have been 
        made to the United Nations Somalia Trust Fund, and all 
        disbursements from the Fund; and
            (7) a statement of the steps that have been taken and 
        assessment of the progress that has been achieved in obtaining 
        reimbursement of the incremental costs incurred by the United 
        States in connection with UNITAF and UNOSOM II.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this joint resolution--
            (1) the term ``UNITAF'' means the Unified Task Force 
        established pursuant to United Nations Security Council 
        Resolution 794 (1992); and
            (2) the term ``UNOSOM II'' means the international force, 
        under a United Nations commander, established pursuant to a 
        United Nations Security Council resolution implementing 
        recommendations contained in the report of the United Nations 
        Secretary General dated March 3, 1993.

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