    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [October 13, 1993]
    [Pages 1739-1740]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting a Report on Somalia
    October 13, 1993

    To the Congress of the United States:
        In response to the request made by the House and Senate for certain
    information on our military operations in Somalia, I am pleased to
    forward the attached report.
        In transmitting this report, I want to reiterate the points that I
    made on October 6 and to the American people in remarks on October 7. We
    went to Somalia on a humanitarian mission. We saved approximately a
    million lives that were at risk of starvation brought on by civil war
    that had degenerated into anarchy. We acted after 350,000 already had
    died.
        Ours was a gesture of a great nation, carried out by thousands of
    American citizens, both military and civilian. We did not then, nor do
    we now plan to stay in that country. The United Nations agreed to assume
    our military mission and take on the additional political and
    rehabilitation activities required so that the famine and anarchy do not
    resume when the international presence departs.
        For our part, we agreed with the United Nations to participate
    militarily with a much smaller U.S. force for a period of time, to help
    the United Nations create a secure environment in which it could ensure
    the free flow of humanitarian relief. At the request of the United
    Nations and the United States, approximately 30 nations deployed over
    20,000 troops as we reduced our military presence.
        With the recent tragic casualties to American forces in Somalia, the
    American people want to know why we are there, what we are doing, why we
    cannot come home immediately, and when we will come home. Although the
    report answers those questions in detail, I want to repeat concisely my
    answers:
        We went to Somalia because without us a million people would
                have died. We, uniquely, were in a position to save them,
                and other nations were ready to share the burden after our
                initial action.
        What the United States is doing there is providing, for a
                limited period of time, logistics support and security so
                that the humanitarian and political efforts of the United
                Nations, relief organizations, and others can have a
                reasonable chance of success. The United Nations, in turn,
                has a longer term political, security, and relief mission
                designed to minimize the likelihood that famine and anarchy
                will return when the United Nations leaves. The U.S.
                military

    [[Page 1740]]

                mission is not now nor was it ever one of ``nation
                building.''
        We cannot leave immediately because the United Nations has
                not had an adequate chance to replace us, nor have the
                Somalis had a reasonable opportunity to end their strife. We
                want other nations to assume more of the burden of
                international peace. To have them do so, they must think
                that they can rely on our commitments when we make them.
                Moreover, having been brutally attacked, were American
                forces to leave now we would send a message to terrorists
                and other potential adversaries around the world that they
                can change our policies by killing our people. It would be
                open season on Americans.
        We will, however, leave no later than March 31, 1994, except
                for a few hundred support troops. That amount of time will
                permit the Somali people to make progress toward political
                reconciliation and allow the United States to fulfill our
                obligations properly, including the return of any Americans
                being detained. We went there for the right reasons and we
                will finish the job in the right way.
        While U.S. forces are there, they will be fully protected with
    appropriate American military capability.
        Any Americans detained will be the subject of the most complete and
    thorough efforts of which this Government is capable, with the
    unrelenting goal of returning them home and returning them to health.
        I want to thank all those who have expressed their support for this
    approach during the last week. At difficult times such as these, when we
    face international challenges, bipartisan unity among our two branches
    of government is vital.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,
    October 13, 1993.