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Thursday, March 24, 1994
5 U.S. Marines Remain To Keep An Uneasy Vigil In The Capital Of Somalia
By Rick Atkinson
Washington Post
MOGADISHU, Somalia - The 50 U.S. Marines who will be left behind this week are the final vestige of an American military force in Somalia that once numbered 28,000.
While their comrades depart, this last platoon is strengthening its perimeter defenses, stockpiling supplies and refining evacuation plans in case Mogadishu again erupts in violence - as many here expect.
Fewer than 200 U.S. troops now remain in the battered capital Mogadishu from a force that last November numbered more than 28,000.
Some officers say the Marines already are on a limb by virtue of their location and predicament. The U.S. diplomatic mission occupies several acres within the vast compound of the U.N. Operation in Somalia, which for months has been the target of sporadic attacks.
A Marine security evaluation in January noted, "There are serious concerns that the platoon's current capability is not sufficient for continuing operations (after) 31 March."
The evaluation also quoted the departing U.S. commander here, Maj. Gen. Thomas Montgomery, as predicting that violence in Mogadishu "will rapidly escalate," making the U.S. diplomatic "presence in Mogadishu virtually untenable after 31 March."
Consequently, the Marines have tried to make the best of their precarious situation. Five fortified watchtowers have been built around their compound. The platoon's arsenal now includes a Mark 19 grenade launcher, capable of firing scores of grenades.
