
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, October 8, 1993                   TAG: 9310080150
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From The Associated Press and The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

U.S. FORCE TO EXPAND BY 5,300

President Clinton ordered 5,300 more troops, heavy armor and naval firepower to Somalia on Thursday to "finish the work we set out to do." But, facing growing demands for immediate withdrawal, he pledged to pull out all Americans by March 31.

"We started this mission for the right reasons and we are going to finish it in the right way," Clinton said in a nationally televised speech. "If we stay a short while longer and do the right thing, we have a reasonable chance of cooling the embers."

He said 1,700 soldiers would be dispatched to Mogadishu and 3,600 Marines to ships offshore, backed up by an aircraft carrier.

After a week in which 14 Americans have been killed and scores more wounded, Clinton warned that to withdraw now would relegate Somalia to the violence and starvation that the Bush administration had vowed to avert when it sent troops there 10 months ago.

But Clinton's advisers made clear that the United States no longer intended to make faction leader Mohamed Aidid the principal target, as he has been since June in the United Nations-led operations.

Clinton appointed an experienced diplomat, Robert B. Oakley, as his special envoy to Somalia. He also sent messages to African leaders asking them to set up a peace conference.

The plan won a pledge of bipartisan support from Senate Republican leader Bob Dole.

"I would urge my colleagues that this is not a time to pick a partisan fight over Somalia," Dole said. "On this particular issue I believe the president has earned the day and deserves our support and I believe he will have broad support across the aisles.

The president painted a dire picture of the consequences of an immediate withdrawal:

"Within months, Somali children again would be dying in the streets. Our own credibility with friends and allies would be severely damaged. Our leadership in world affairs would be undermined.

". . . And all around the world, aggressors, thugs and terrorists will conclude that the best way to get us to change our policies is to kill our people. It would be open season on Americans."

Secretary of State Warren Christopher made clear that American forces would be pulled out by March 31 even if Somalia is still plagued by lawlessness and chaos.

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by CNB