Somalia: The Legacy of Black Hawk Down

Smithsonian published in its January/February issue an article titled "The Legacy of Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden, the author of the book Black Hawk Down.

Bowden argues that most of the money now being spent by the United States on special forces and drones in an effort to kill members of al-Shabaab could be spent more effectively on rebuilding Somalia and paying salaries of the Somali National Army.

Somalia: A Flashback to Black Hawk Down

The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training has an oral history program where it asks members of the US Foreign Service to recall memorable aspects of their careers for the historical record.  This interview conducted in 1998 with Richard Bogosian, head of the US Liaison Office in Mogadishu during the international intervention in 1993, is titled "Picking Up the Pieces after Black Hawk Down." 

Bogosian describes the situation in Mogadishu and the challenges facing US policy in Somalia in the aftermath of the ill-fated US Army Rangers confrontation with the forces of Mohamed Farah Aidid in Mogadishu on 3-4 October 1993.  The battle became known as Black Hawk Down, popularized by a movie of that name.