| Eighteen American soldiers, members of the United Nations peace-keeping forces, were killed in a 15-hour gun battle with Somali rebels in Mogadishu between October 3 and 4. The UN troops were sent into Somalia to maintain order in the face of civil unrest that was causing wide-spread famine and interfering with international aid relief. As a result of the incident, the US Congress put pressure on the administration to withdraw American troops. On October 7, President Clinton announced a March deadline for the withdrawal of most US troops in Somalia. |
