Word: clan
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...mini-war against Aidid. But at the time, they thought he posed a serious threat and could be contained most efficiently by military means. As late as Aug. 10, Madeleine Albright, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., wrote that "failure to take action ((against Aidid)) would have signaled to other clan leaders that the U.N. is not serious" and called those who took a contrary view "advocates of appeasement." This view changed in part because Aidid proved much harder to run down than the U.S. and U.N. ever bargained for. Howe took to using an American Quick Reaction Force for what...
...that General Joseph P. Hoar, commander of the U.S. Central Command in Somalia, was proposing a March 31 deadline. White House officials admit that the date is arbitrary, but they think it provides -- maybe -- sufficient time to contain (though perhaps not capture) Aidid and negotiate a political settlement among clan elders and militia leaders without committing the U.S. to a dragged-out effort. Clinton agreed Wednesday morning -- even before his inappropriate happy talk at the bill-signing ceremony -- and the plan was firmed up at two more meetings. During the third, which did not include Clinton and lasted six hours...
Clinton intends to downgrade, though not officially call off, the hunt for Aidid. The President dispatched Oakley to try to bring together rival clan leaders and warlords for what amounts to a peace conference. Aidid's acceptance of a nonexistent cease-fire offer from the U.S. on Saturday may have been simply an attempt to wedge himself into the negotiations. "Oakley has not been sent out to negotiate with Aidid," a senior Administration official told TIME. "We'll judge him by what happens on the ground...
...countryside the U.N. has managed to organize three dozen councils of elders and other community representatives, and there are many reports of food moving to hungry people, of crops being planted and growing once again. It might be possible -- barely -- to promote a settlement among the councils and clan leaders that would include Aidid without anointing him, allowing the U.S. to pull out and claim, Mission accomplished...
...worse. Demonstrating blissful ignorance about Somali politics, we tried to impose a ready-made TV dinner of a political settlement on the country. Then, when one clan leader called our bluff, we got all red in the face and tried to destroy him. All we destroyed was our credibility...