'OPERATION Restore Hope' - the bitterly ironic cover name for last week's US-led multinational military takeover of famine-ravished Somalia - owes more to hardline imperialism than humanitarian intervention.
No one on the left should be fooled by US prestdent George Bush's mocking words that the 36,000 troops set to occupy "doing God's work tions of Somalis have already begun. to 80 per cent of aid is being looted by Somali war loras ana te armea torces are necdea to ensure tat elief gets through to the dying. But aid workers or he spot argue this is simply untrue, and that rea losses, at under 10 per cent, are easily sustainable.
The United States is cynically acting to secure its military position in a country strategically located near the Gulf states, the Indian Oman and Egypt, now on the brink of Islamic revolution.
it does not opt for permanent occupation, it ong term goal will be to re-establish the sort o Uses hopes of a the country by Christmas are stooges. The roadside summary execupuppet government it enjoyed under he brutal regime of Siad Barre, which changed alignments from the USSk to the US almost overnight in 1977.
Overthrown in 1990, Barre still nurcomeback, although there are a number of other leaders who would be happy to act as US There are no signs that the invasion has yet speeded up supplies of aid to the interior, where there are at least 300 deaths a day, and two million human beings desperately need food, medicine, seeds and tools.
Yet the shortages have not been caused by natural disasters. Somalia has escaped the worst of Africa's drought. A year ago the country grew enough food to meet everybody's needs, and even today food is being exported to Kenya and Mozambique.
Given the almost complete absence of a working class, let alone an organised labour movement, in for them. Aimost. head of the established Somalia, the chances of succssful internal opposition to the latest US moves are minimal. This situation makes the solidarity of anti-imperialists in the West even more of an elementary duty than usual.
trom the attitude of Lenin