Hanging Tough on Somalia Aid

Somalia is on a precipice. Mogadishu threatens to descend again into anarchy if rival warlords are allowed to resume their murderous internecine fight. So far, the United Nations--with ample support from the United States--refuses to allow the civil war to escalate. President Clinton is hanging tough.

The current target is Mohammed Farah Aidid, Somalia’s most powerful clan leader. He thumbed his nose at the world when his followers ambushed Pakistani peacekeepers, killing 23. The murders prompted the U.N. leadership, which traditionally opts for a non-aggressive peacekeeping role, to go on the attack.

In his press conference Thursday night, President Clinton explained: “ . . . The purpose of the operation was to undermine the capacity of Aidid to wreak military havoc in Mogadishu. He murdered 23 U.N. peacekeepers and I would remind you that before the United States and the United Nations showed up he was responsible for the deaths of countless Somalis from starvation, from disease and from killing. The back--the miliary back--of Aidid has been broken.”

The United Nations also wants to question Aidid. He must answer for the deaths of the peacekeepers, and the deaths of his countrymen. Aidid, however, is not the only warlord with arms caches and depots. The superpower competition over Somalia during the Cold War armed clan leaders, many of whom still have stockpiles of weapons. All must be disarmed to encourage a lasting peace and a return to a functioning government.

Tragically, the U.N. raids have killed women and children. Several relief workers were among the dead on Friday. An investigation is warranted. Any peacekeeper who deliberately fired at innocent civilians must be punished.

Somalis were starving to death until the international community finally responded with food and medicine. Thugs made off with much of the first shipments, before U.S. troops put a stop to the thievery and black-market profiteering. Sent by President George Bush in December on a strictly humanitarian mission, the Americans also opened roads so relief could reach the needy masses.

The United States transferred command of the mission to the United Nations last month. But Clinton has said Americans will not abandon the suffering people of Somalia. Indeed, we must not.