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Article: For Britain, echoes of Somalia: The weekend abduction of 11 peacekeepers sparks debate over 'mission creep' in Sierra Leone.(World)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- August 30, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In West Africa, Britain is facing a situation similar to what confronted the United States seven years ago in Somalia. The weekend abduction of 11 British peacekeeping troops by rebels in Sierra Leone has uncanny echoes of the American experience on Africa's east coast in 1993. Whether its response also echoes the US's remains to be seen.
During a bid to intervene in a battle among Somali warlords, 18 American peacekeepers were murdered and television footage of their bodies being dragged through the streets was broadcast worldwide. Public outcry led to a virtual zero-tolerance attitude toward American losses, and the US government largely has avoided committing ...