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Mogadishu Effect

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Mogadishu Effect
What effect did US involvement in Mogadishu have on US foreign policy?

Internal Assessment - HL History

Plan of the investigation
The sole intent of this investigation is to determine the effect which US involvement in Somalia 1992 - 1994 (more exactly Mogadishu) has had on United States’ foreign policy in the following years. To assess the impact had on US foreign policy a review of the events which transpired in Somalia between 1992 and 1994 will be conducted followed by an assessment of any policy changes made following excursion. Two sources, one taken from ‘The United States Army in Somalia 1992 - 1994’ by John S. Brown and the other taken from ‘The “Mogadishu Effect” and Risk Acceptance’ (http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishu-effect-and-riskacceptance/) …show more content…
Brown, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Chief of Military History. Taken from ‘The United States Army in Somalia 1992 - 1994‘ The source offers the perspective of a historian under military command who was alive at the time. With both hindsight and first hand knowledge the source allows for a more-complete over view of the situation. With the purpose of education, the source is trustworthy to have usable information, however it could very well contain altered information as it has been assembled by a member of the armed forces involved. This source in particular is valuable in that it provides an overall evaluation of US involvement in Somalia from incursion to excursion. With this being written by a member of the US armed forces there is a clear bias towards US service members. This is evident in the statement “The American soldier had, as always, done his best..”. The source highlights the scope of the blow to US forces during the operation and validates the US’s later decision to refrain from providing military aid on humanitarian missions to come. “fortytwo Americans died and dozens more were wounded”. While the source serves as an accurate recount of what happened during the operation and provides a brief insight into the events following (Bosnia) it is limited by failing to directly address the topic at hand. The source does not address United States foreign policy changes as a result of the conflict. Benjamin Runkle. August 27, 2011. Taken from ‘The “Mogadishu Effect” and Risk Acceptance’ http://www.commandposts.com/2011/08/the-mogadishu-effect-and-risk-acceptance/ The above source is an extract from an article written specifically concerning policy changes as a result of incidences during the US lead operations in Somalia. It has been taken from a site focusing on military history and policy. “CommandPosts.com was launched October 5, 2010, by St. Martin;s Press as a site for military history, current events, and fiction” 3. The purpose of this source is
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