LAST WEEK a three-hour massacre of more than 100 Somali civilians, mostly women and children, gripped the attention of the They were not gunned down by Somali "warlords', but by UN 'peacekeepers' - in this case American troops.
But the US assassins weren't doing anything new. They have already committed staggering atrocities against non-combatants.
Something new has caused the hoe and cry trom the bosses press and the US Congress. The bosses now real- they are facing an ise the UN cannot win. economic slump -What was behind the UN's they want to ensure 'Operation Hope'? Certainly that a strong regime not to disarm the warlords doesn't prevent big and to bring democracy to the business reaping sucountry. per-profits from SoThe US refused to support the holding of peace talks The other Westwhich discussed disarma- ern powers are comment. Belgian troops have ing to see that the taken arms from one armed US can't win. The faction only to hand them Italian contingent over to another. has been withdrawn The Us-run invasion has from the country and German the goal of ensuring none of support is waning. the armed gangs alone con- Desperate to win a quick trols the whole country. So- victory, the UN troops are usmalia has valuable mineral ing more and more indiscrimiand oil reserves. nate force.
While the US doesn't need But against a population these reserves now - when united against the invasion, impote pressw Stop US/UN war machine the UN can't win. Already they have spent more than the cost of the war in ex-Yugoslavia.
Losing the war will be a massive blow against the American ruling class, who are trying to remain the censee as
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 49. 18 September 1993, Page 8 THUN ERS
to supper. cen that any chac the highn