Page 83 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo II

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ActA
transition, General Bir assumed command
of forces in Somalia on 4 May 1993 as UN-
OSOM II assumed the mission. In support
of UNOSOM II, the United States provided
a substantial logistics structure (consisting
of about 2,600 troops) and a small special
operations element. The U.S. military also
provided a 1,100-soldier ground-based
quick reaction force (QRF) for UNOSOM
II, consisting of a brigade-level headquar-

th
ters from the 10 Mountain Division from Fort Drum, under General Montgomery’s
tactical control but under the operational control of US Central Command in Florida.
12
Jonathan Howe, a retired U.S. admiral, was appointed the new UN envoy to Somalia, the
personal representative of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, with wide-ranging powers.
It quickly became apparent that at least one of the warlords, Mohammed Farah Aid-
eed, had little respect for the new military organization, the UN, or Admiral Howe.
Here are just a few of the key attacks that took place almost immediately after the
transition. The worst of these was on 5 June when Aideed’s Somali National Alliance
forces ambushed and killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounded another 44 in an ambush
at a feeding site. The following day, the United Nations Security Council approved
13
Resolution 837 adopting a more aggressive military stance toward Aideed and asking
member states for more troops and equipment. In Mogadishu, Pakistani and Italian
forces conducted heavy armored patrols throughout the city, concentrating on the areas
near the ambush site. Also in early June the U.S. sent four Air Force AC-130 gunships,
special C-130 cargo planes (see photo) modified for direct ground support, to carry out
air strikes against the Somalis. The gunships conducted 32 missions in six weeks in sup-
port of the UN including attacks on Aideed’s weapons cantonments and cripple Radio
14
Mogadishu, his propaganda station.
On 17 June Admiral Howe issued a warrant for Aideed’s arrest and authorized a
$25,000 reward. This only served to harden the already strained political lines in Moga-
dishu.
15
Skirmishing between UN and U.S. elements and Aideed’s Habr Gidr subclan con-
tinued and on 12 July in a direct challenge to Aideed’s leadership, the American QRF
attacked a major Aideed compound with helicopter gunships. After the raid, a hostile
crowd near the compound killed four western journalists covering the action, displaying
their bodies for the world to see. This was followed by more attacks, including the use
of land mines on UN travelled roads starting in early August.
Immediately, UNOSOM II Command focused its intelligence and operational ca-
pability on locating, capturing, and arresting Aideed and any of his supporters whom it

12 Ibid., p. 105.
13 Ibid, p. 127.
14 Ibid. p. 130.
15 Ibid. p. 150.