United States Military Intervention: Somalia (Outline)

Seth Ross Day A Block 1

United States Military Intervention and Effects: Somalia

I. Introduction

A. Mogadishu, Somalia; 1991

B. Civil war breaks out; country is left devastated

C. The United States Military intervention in Somalia had both positive as well as negative effects on both of the countries.

II. Somali Civil War

A. In May of 1991, the northern portion of the country declared its independence

as Somaliland

B. December 3, 1992; Coalition of UN peacekeepers led by the US was tasked

with ensuring humanitarian aid being distributed and peace being established

in Somalia

C. UN humanitarian troops landed in 1993 and started a two-year effort to

eliminate famine conditions

III. Mogadishu

A. Several gun battles in Mogadishu between Somali gunmen and peacekeepers

resulted in the death of 24 Pakistanis and 19 US soldiers

i. Battle of Mogadishu later became the basis for the book and movie

Black Hawk Down

B. United States “Task Force Ranger” sent to capture Somali warlord Mohamed

Farrah Aidid.

i. Army Delta Force

ii. 4 US Navy SEALs

iii. Ranger teams

iv. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment

v. Air Force Para Rescue/Air Force Combat Controllers

C. The assault force was composed of nineteen aircraft, twelve vehicles and 160

men

D. Two US MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by RPG’s (rocket-

propelled grenades), and three others damaged

E. Both US and Somalia angered; U.S. questions decision to be in Somalia

IV. Casualties

A. Somali casualty figures are unknown: America estimates that between

1,000 and 1,500 Somali militia and civilians were killed