[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 36 (Friday, March 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           EXIT FROM SOMALIA

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today, March 25, 1994, Maj. Gen. Thomas 
Montgomery, U.S. Army, officially ended United States participation in 
the United Nations operation in Somalia. As the last of our combat and 
logistics forces withdraw from that troubled nation, we should pause to 
commend them for performing a difficult mission with professionalism, 
valor, and heroism.
  In December 1992, President Bush announced the deployment of U.S. 
forces on a humanitarian mission to ensure that relief convoys could 
deliver food to tens of thousands of starving Somalis suffering the 
combined effects of famine and war. After almost 2 years of constant 
civil strife, all authority in Somalia had broken down and anarchy 
reigned, making it impossible for relief agencies to meet the basic 
human needs of the Somali people. Finally, the world decided to act, 
and, here in the United States, the President's decision to join the 
effort enjoyed broad support.
  We all know the unfortunate events that occurred between December 
1992 and October 1993. This noble humanitarian mission degenerated into 
a foolish and fatal game of cat and mouse between the United Nations 
and General Aideed. During this time, 29 U.S. soldiers died and at 
least 170 more were injured. The futility of the policy became 
increasingly apparent. The final straw came on October 3, 1993, when 18 
U.S. soldiers died in a firefight with Aideed's forces. President 
Clinton quickly announced that all U.S. troops would leave Somalia by 
March 31, 1994. That date was codified when the Congress adopted an 
amendment that I offered to the 1994 Defense Appropriations Act--the 
first time the Congress had used a funding cutoff to end a foreign 
military involvement since the end of the Vietnam War.
  I do not intend to rehash the debate of last October. Rather, I 
applaud the men and women of the U.S. military who tackled a very 
difficult mission and performed admirably. They went to Somalia to stop 
the mass starvation and suffering, and they accomplished that mission. 
Somalia today is not a perfect place, but there is at least a glimmer 
of hope. Today's Washington Post reports that the two principal Somali 
warlords have signed a cease-fire agreement and have scheduled a 
reconciliation conference for May. It remains to be seen if this is 
really the end of the bloodshed, but certainly Somalia could not have 
reached this point without the efforts of the military forces of the 
United States and the many other nations that participated in the 
humanitarian mission.
  Throughout this deployment, the men and women of our armed forces 
have maintained the highest standard of military professionalism. 
Nothing illustrates this better than the tragic firefight of October 3. 
According to the accounts made public since that day, soldiers involved 
in that 15-hour battle showed extreme bravery and heroism. An article 
in the February 28, 1994, issue of Time recounts this dramatic episode, 
and reports that the Secretary of the Army has recommended that M. Sgt. 
Gary Gordon and Sfc. Randall Shugart posthumously receive the 
Congressional Medal of Honor for heroically defending the crew of a 
downed helicopter. This will be the first time the Medal of Honor has 
been awarded since the Vietnam War.

  I also commend President Clinton for making the very tough decision 
to pull out of the U.N. operation in Somalia. It is much more difficult 
to end such an involvement than to begin one. The President and his 
military commanders deserve credit for implementing an orderly 
withdrawal and a smooth turnover of responsibilities to the United 
Nations. He has worked through diplomatic channels to make sure that 
the Somalis at least have a chance at success, while at the same time 
returning the U.S. military force to its original humanitarian mission 
and avoiding any additional loss of life in pursuit of unrealistic 
goals.
  We will have ample opportunity in the future to discuss the lessons 
learned by this experience, but today I rise to commend the men and 
women of the U.S. Armed Forces for the job they did and to thank them 
for the sacrifices they made.

                          ____________________