European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday december 10, 1992 a Somalia the stars and stripes Page 5 it is greeted by Media circa glaring to lights draw growls from Pentagon Cut t c f / a no a a a a. Mogadishu Somalia a when the first wave of . Forces came ashore in Somalia on wednesday they faced no bullets a Only blasts from television lights and barrages of questions fired by reporters. About 300 foreign correspondents have arrived in Mogadishu in the past week to cover the troops Landing. Scores were at the Airport As an Advance squad of Navy divers and marines came ashore shortly after Midnight. The scene of troops in full Battle gear being greeted by to cameras produced the words a Media circus from both disgruntled marines and reporters themselves. But there was a serious Side As Well. Many of those at the Airport wrote the stories or took the pictures and videotapes that aroused the worlds sympathy for Somalia a and probably brought the . Forces to the famine racked country. Others were newcomers to Somalia and the Story even brought out Media stars a network Anchorman Dan rather of lbs Tom Brokaw of Abc and abcs nightlife Host Ted Koppel. In Washington Pentagon officials complained about the coverage of the Landing saying Bright to lights put troops at risk. But Marine maj. Gen. Frank Libutti briefing reporters in Mogadishu had told them they were Welcome to cover the Landing and did not say anything about prohibiting to lights. The peaceful arrival of the american troops contrasted with the random gunshots that reporters hear regularly in the somali capital. On tuesday three american journalists said they were fired on by a Young gunman but no one was hit. The three Kyunghi Kim of the Boston Globe Chris Walker of the Chicago Tribune and free Lancer Cheryl Hatch a said a militiaman about 15 years old fired on them near the so called Green line dividing the City Between the forces of Mogadishu a two main rival warlords. Kim a photographer said their Driver was fearful about being in the area and kept stopping to talk to militiamen from the faction of one warlord Gen. Mohamed Farrah aided probably making the fighters nervous. A the have done that. We took off Back Here when the Guy shot a she said. The incident was a larger version of what has been happening to journalists the pointing of weapons to scare them away. Two reporters said they had a rocket grenade launcher levelled at them to frighten them out of Mogadishu a open a. A a. _ _ _ the Sacramento boo John Trotter surrounded by reporters and photographers . Troops assemble their gear after Landing on a Beach near Mogadishu Airport. Air gun Market. It worked. The largest number of correspondents is from the United states. But some have come from Brazil Japan and India. They have lugged in tons of equipment on chartered planes a everything from satellite dishes that provide the Telephone service totally lacking in Somalia to pens and notebooks cans of tuna and Candy bars. Passengers of the scheduled Kenya airways flight from London to Nairobi the jumping off place for Somalia found themselves diverted to Warnaca Cyprus to pick up an important financial customer. It turned out to be reporters and technicians from Cable news network. Colleagues said can paid More than $50,000 for the flight to be diverted. The journalists have also done their part to bolster Somalia a devastated Economy. Many reporters hired cars at a Cost of $100 per Day including pay for the gunman to protect the vehicle. Aided a a militia insists on reporters getting press credentials a at a Cost of $10 for two weeks stay. Before the White House offered to intervene in a nov. 25 announcement Only a handful of journalists was in Mogadishu at a Given time. In fact one room in an Aid Agency a Headquarters was enough to accommodate them All. Now journalists have essentially financed the refurbishing of a 56-room, unused hotel named the Al Farid by paying a huge Advance. News agencies came up with several thousand dollars toward the remodelling of the hotel. Reporters have dubbed it the hotel Sohafi a the arabic word for in uniform glad to be helping africans by William Kates the associated press like other Black service members bound for Somalia Petty officer Carl r. Small says he considers saving starving africans More than a militate Mission. A i think every Black Man wants to go to Africa a said Small among 124 Seabee scheduled to leave wednesday from the Coronado naval amphibious base near san Diego. A plus its the first time we re getting a Chance to help people As a military Force. For me it feels about 10,000 army soldiers from fort drum n.y., also have been getting ready to join the multinational Effort to deliver food. A a in a hoped someday to see Africa and this is a Chance but not with people dying at this scale. I wanted to see the Good part a said sgt. Donald Moore whose unit will improve and protect food transportation routes. A this is going to be worse than on to. Its not some thing in a looking Forward to seeing but its a Job that needs to be a Large number of . Troops in Somalia will be Black. Blacks account for nearly 21 percent of the armed forces although they make up about 14 percent of the 18 to 24-year-Olds in the United states. Nearly 30 percent of the army a soldiers Are Black. Many placed Little personal significance on the Mission to Africa. To them its simply part of the Job. A the United states helps a lot of people. Helping the people of Somalia is a Good thing that should have happened earlier a said sgt. Darryl Mingo of the 41st engr in at fort drum. A a it a a Good humanitarian Effort. We re american soldiers helping starving people that show i Sec it a Mingo said tuesday As he stood in line filling out medical financial and personal forms needed to Clear him for overseas duty. A a there a got to be something that can be done a said Petty officer Charles Cole at Coronado. A they we have people in our country who Are h6ving a hard time. I think the military could be used for that he and other Coronado based Seabee Are to unload Supply ships and set up a base Headquarters in Mogadishu the capital of Somalia. A a in a excited and scared at the same time a said spec. Craig Walker at fort drum. A i like the idea of going to Africa. I done to like the situation we re going into but we re going Over to do a Good Walker said he would have no problem firing on somalis if ordered. A if you re at peril its an easy decision to make. War is Colo Blind a he said. More of a concern some Black service members said is facing the scale of human misery in Somalia. A fall those starving people wasting away begging you to help them a said Cpl. Jerome Taylor. A and you know even the ones you help a a lot of them will die
