No offense taken. Yes, I was 13 when Somalia happened. Watched the coverage on CNN. Though I didn't know it at the time, to answer your question, Secretary of Defense was Les Aspin.

Now if I may, I'd like to clarify my previous post.

Being so young, I don't remember Somalia very well, but I do remember it.
With more clarity, I remember the whole Bosnia debate, which I intensely followed back in 95-96.

What Aspin did or didn't do is besides the point. I think that both Somalia and Bosnia and later Kosove help to illustrate a trend of military intervention by the US during the Clinton administration that was supported by the Democratic party.

Yet now, when there is a country that wants democracy and wants to improve their way of life and actually needs our help (politically, economically and militarily), the left is loathe to give it at the expense of supporting a President they don't like.

Respectfully,
Aric
P.S. PM Inbound

Les Aspin was SecDef for WJC at the time...we were deployed during the elder Bush presidency...his SecDef is the current VP...given that whole period of time, it is best to say mistakes were made, both by the outgoing GOP administration and by the incoming Dim administration...hell, we went there without the SAWs for the gun Hummers...don't know who thought that up, obviously someone who didn't have to cruise October 19th Boulevard looking for information and passing out handbills...

my sons were 15 and 11 respectively...

now i feel old...almost as old as 12B4S... :D

And now I see the humor in my first post.

While I knew that Cheney was SecDef during Bush 41's term, the deployment to Somalia during his term had to this point escaped me.

At this point, I'll just shut up. :o

seems to escape a lot of folks...some of us know better...

Many of us in MTV world knew you guys were there. I was 22 and had a keen interest in such affairs unlike most of my friends.

I for one appreciate your efforts in Somalia. When all the troops came home it was like it never happened and now barely makes a damn paragraph in a US history book. But the losses were real and still felt today. One of the reasons I have such an interest in the events in Somalia is the way dad was treated when he came home from Vietnam in 70. Like he said "We were winning our part, someone above my paygrade dicked it up."


I do remember the Republicans being pissed and calling for troops to be pulled out of Somalia in Oct of 93. However in their defense I dont think most of them were aware that it had gone from a humanitarian mission to covert ops. I'm sure them finding out from CNN didnt sit well and they didnt like President Clinton anyway.

I dont think you can compare the actions of the left over Iraq and Afghanistan to 93 fairly the missons are different. I also remember some protestors ( I have a pic somewhere) holding signs reading "No Vietnam in Somalia" :rolleyes: But it certainly was not on the scale we see now which I attribute to the fact they had "thier guy" in office.

Damn! Maybe you are Steve. My daughter was 12 then. :D

Colin Powell had requested armor, Aspin denied that request. They went in there without any plan of backup or proper support. But, I'll leave it at that, isn't the place to rehash that Op.

Aric, after rereading your post and your PM, looks like I misread or misunderstood. Yes, The libs are hurting this country and our people in uniform.

Not to mention brainwashing our children. They didn't get to mine however. I taught her about this Country and Patriotism longgggggggg before the lib teachers had thier chance. I never spoke politics with her. No dem/Republican/lib/conserative stuff with her. Oddly enough she figured that out on her own. Just common sense and a love for this Country......

jason. You're right and your Dad KNOWS!