Pg-#6-
An Italian paratrooper, interviewed about the atrocities taking place in Somalia responded, "What's the big deal? They are just niggers anyway."
Sadly, his comment speaks to the treatment that the Somalis received under United Nations Italian forces as well: "Two generals who led the Italian forces to Somalia resigned in June following publication of graphic reports of sexual violence against a Somali woman, electric torture of a young man and allegations that an officer had murdered a young boy." No wonder the Somalis were cheering in the streets when the United Nations finally pulled out of their country! (August 8, 1997, Washington Post)
The I.M.F. -No Strings Attached?:
Still, many are impressed by the United Nations' committment to giving to less fortunate nations through the International Monetary Fund. But the nations involved may be getting more than they bargained for...
And its expensive! The white house made requests to congress totalling $17.5 billion in March of 1997 to support the I.M.F's operations,but, could that money have been better spent at home? Yes.
A Heritage Foundation study found that of the 89 less developed countries that received money between 1965 and 1995, 48 are no better off today in terms of per capita wealth, than they were before receiving the loans and 32 of those nations were actually found to be poorer!.
Steve Henke, a currency expert at John Hopkins University states, "Once someone goes bad and gets on the IMF dole, they have a terrible time getting off... Whatever they're prescribing doesn't seem to encourage these countries to get off the IMF's credit line." Perhaps it is because the IMF dictates social and economic policy once loans are in place? (U.S. News Online, Feb.2, 1998)