European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 5, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 continued from Page 5. Dans battled for control of the Ica Verless country 1. Fighting themselves to a stalemate in the devastated and starving Countryside of Southern Somalia. Quot innocent people always Bear the Brunt of a War a said Morris who spent a year in Northern Somalia during the 1988 uprising. Quot they get terrorized robbed raped beaten. And it s through no fault of their own. The tactics of War arc that soft targets Are the Best  1 trying to hold on to Power Baric attempted to destroy the fabric of somali culture by wiping out clans and elders. Quot the people i saw killed were men women and children particularly elders a Morris said. The Simio jets of Barre s air Force  bombed towns. Wells were poisoned villages Mas sacred. Wonick setting out Tea for the victorious aided army would be massacred by the desperate. Retreating Baric troops. And Morris said Quot Nomad Hunting was the favorite sport of the  while Baric tried to wipe out somali tradition aided a a strategy was just the opposite. Quot aided s a Brilliant tactician a said Elliott the for Mer Green Beret. Quot his idea was just to put everything the Way it was originally. A National Trade. Lions All government records were destroyed. His idea was to All Start from scratch destroy All remnants of colonialism. His people were Tough people a in a War without victors both sides  country is gutted. Except for guns radios and vehicles every single manufactured item has been destroyed and scavenged. And the elders who used to sit beneath Trees in groups of a dozen have in Many villages been reduced to one Man sometimes a As Young As 30. _ Quot it did t take people Long to realize that there s no clean solution to overthrowing the government with guns a Morris said. And now with the uneasy peace imposed by the United nations the War weary somalis arc gradually rebuilding. Quot Somalia is very unique because i think it s the first time there has been a Complete breakdown in a country s government a Elliott said. But he added the world cannot ignore the Pride and resilience of the somali people. Quot this is the first time in 62 years that every person that owns a piece of land that it is their own Tel Tilott said. Quot nobody can Tell them what to do. So its very important for the , to understand this. They. Fought their civil War to gain control of their country then a second War Between clans and factions. People want to get on with their  one Farmer asked Morris what her Cut would be of the summer  what do you mean a she asked. Quot you gave us seeds and tools Quot the Farmer explained. Quot it was a gift a she answered. Elliott is concerned that the United nations might be tackling More than is possible by trying to install democracy on a 15-month deadline. It after feeding the hungry planting crops and putting people to work Rushing into a National govern mint Quot is going to put at risk everything that we be done in this country a Elliott said. Although they consider themselves one people somali family tics Are stronger than patriotism. A a somali will die for his clan the Way other people will die for their country a says a reporter who has covered the somali tragedy for three years. = one of the greatest problems facing the somalis is their destroyed culture. Young men often drafted by Force into barrels army have kept their rifles and have lost touch with the ways of their elders. Quot arms Are a Way of life. It s like you were going to disarm american indians or american cowboys. Its part of manhood a Elliott said. Quot that a going to be the problem with some of these Youg Crouns and intellectuals. They have forgotten some of these old  and Elliott said the country is not As ruined As it appears to be. A network of shortwave radios called Quot the somali Telephone system a Means that for 12 cents a paid to the person who owns the shortwave set a you can reach anyone in the country albeit slowly. Commercial banking is also done by radio and the Drivers who Cross the Countryside will hand deliver mail. By sheer Faith and belief in their Money system the somali shilling has traded 4,000 to the Dollar for a year a with no inflation and no government a de tying the Laws set Down in economic textbooks. Also because of the italian colonial tradition a you can go into the furthest reaches into the Bush and get a really Good pasta meal a Elliott said. Quot when you get out into the Countryside and done to.5as Vine Crawley Ann Morris Quot innocent people always Bear the Brunt of a War. They get terrorized robbed raped  see a wrecked tank you would never have thought there d been a War of this magnitude.�?�. _ much of the rebuilding is being done by women. A it seems the Western world is a place where men work a Elliott said. Quot everywhere else the women work. The real Money people in this country Are the  it is also Quot one of the few countries in this part of the world where the women have  like Many who care about Somalia Elliott is concerned that the world is paying too much attention to the failures in the capital of Mogadishu where aided and the United nations have been engaged in a six month standoff Over the future of the country a unborn Gove Mient. A a there a a lot More to Somalia than one Man and one town a Elliott said. But As the women and men in the Countryside continue their Long process of rebuilding a country from scratch the standoff in Mogadishu continues. A girl Sells food in Bairoa. Says care s Kent Elliott Quot the real Money people in this country Are the women a Sas Vince Crawley sunday december 5, 1993