Somalia Affair (1992-1997)

Journalist Ray Bonner lived in Africa from 1988 until January of this year. He has a new article in "Mother Jones" about why the U.S. sent Marines into Somalia. He questions our role as the world's "missionary." Bonner also reported from Central America. Just recently he was exonerated for reporting on a massacre in El Salvador. Officials denied the event, but archeologists have since uncovered a mass grave.

New York Times journalist Jane Perlez has been covering Africa since 1988 and has been credited with recognizing stories before the rest of the media. She was reporting on the trouble in Somalia, and the threat of famine a year ago, long before it became the focus of world attention.

One of the most respected war surgeons, Dr. Chris Giannou. He was director of surgical operations in Somalia with the International Committee for the Red Cross from February '92 until January '93. He helped set up field hospitals, and taught and performed war surgery. Before that, Giannou spent over two years in a Palestinian Refugee Camp, which was under constant siege. Giannou wrote a book about it, called "Besieged: A Doctor's Story of Life and Death in Beirut."

Nachtwey was in Somalia in October, and photographs of his visit were the cover story in The New York Times Magazine section on December 6, 1992. Terry talks with him about his trip to Somalia: why he took the pictures he did, how he was received, why he wanted to go, etc. Nachtwey has been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal three times. He's been to areas of conflict in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Lebanon, the West Bank, Sudan, the Philippines, Northern Ireland and more.

Associate Director for International Communications for the American Red Cross, Ann Stingle. Terry talked with her about three weeks ago the day before she was on her way back to Somalia. She was also there last spring before international attention was focused on the starving. Stingle just returned from Somalia; she'll talk with Terry about what she saw there after the arrival of American troops.

Author Nuruddin Farah came from a long line of poets and storytellers; he was one of first to use Somalia's written language, which was developed in the 60s. Prior to that, he wrote in English. He's recently had several books published in the United States. Farah, who's currently in exile in Nigeria, will discuss Somalia's culture and history.

Military policy expert Carolyn Becraft joins Terry to discuss how women soldiers will participate in the U.S.'s humanitarian mission in Somalia.

Associate Professor of Peace and World Security Studies Michael Klare at Hampshire College. He's also Defense Correspondent for "The Nation." Klare talks with Terry about the new role of the U.S. military in Somalia, requiring a balance of force and negotiation.

Associate Director for International Communications for the American Red Cross, Ann Stingle. She was in Mogadishu in May and also worked in several refugee camps, as well as crisis areas around the world with the Red Cross. She'll talk with Terry about what she saw and what it's like to reconcile your own life to the suffering you see.

Director of TransAfrica, Randall Robinson. His group works to influence American policy in Africa. He'll talk with Terry about his group's concerns about the American military going into Somalia to insure the delivery of food to the starving. He says there are areas of Somalia that are not as bad off as in the south and we should consider the country as a whole before going in.