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Bill Somalia
By Jess Jesperson
[Printer-Friendly Version] Jess Jesperson
Midwest Coordinator
Once again American troops are being dilled. Once again our government is not prepared to support these troops properly. Once again the largesse of the U.S. military has evaporated from providing emergency food and, medical supplies, and protection for its own troops and civilians so dependent on someone's protection.
Once again, we have involved our troops without giving them the leadership necessary to properly defend themselves. A relief operation has now turned to war. Americas have no business in another country's internal affairs. Like Vietnam, we are fighting the wrong war for the wrong people at the wrong time for the wrong reasons.
There is the issue of national strategic importance here. The presence of off-shore oil has been known for decades. Is our military doing the dirty work for the oil companies again? What better place to build a naval port. From Somalia, we're posed so much closer to the "hot spots" of Iraq and Iran. Controlling the Straits of Hormuz will certainly be easier as U.S. military presence increases.
Our government has not learned a damn thing from previous conflicts. Our operations against Iraq resulted in casualties, mostly from "friendly fire." Saddam is still in power, and hell bent on destroying the Kurdish population. Did I forget to mention that we supplied Iraq in its war with Iran? The wise men in Washington also supplied war materials to Iran back when they had a Shah. Then there was Reagan supplying arms to Khomeini.
Before the last election, people wondered if Bill Clinton's lack of foreign policy experience would hurt him. Ask the relatives of those killed in Somalia if it hurt them. Ask the people of Haiti if it has hurt. Bill's lack of experience hasn't bothered him at all. He's not being shot at by friendly troops who made a mistake. He hasn't been shot down and captured. You didn't see his dead body being dragged through the streets and mutilated by angry civilians.
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