War correspondent’s chilling tales

Chris spoke about his experiences covering the involvement of Australian troops in the civil war in Somalia in the early 1990’s.  In 1991 the dictator Mohammed Siad Barre, who had ruled the Somali Democratic Republic since 1969, was forced to flee when the capital of Mogadishu was captured by rival clan militias.

 

A power struggle ensued between two warring clan lords.  As a result of this struggle, thousands of Somali civilians are killed or wounded.  By 1992 an estimated 350,000 Somalis had died of disease, starvation, or civil war.  International efforts to supply aid were thwarted by the theft of up to 80% of food brought in to the country.

 

In 1993 Australian troops took part in the UN military mission, Operation Restore Hope, led by the United States to try to help the starving country by protecting food shipments from the warlords.  Chris described his arrival in Mogadishu after a six-day trip in a Hercules aircraft and the difficulties of operating in a country with no government, no police and very little food and water.  Malaria, snakes, scorpions and snipers part of the everyday risks face by the soldiers and the journalists.  Unfortunately Somalia is still wracked by civil strife and insurgency today.

 

In 1991 Chris also covered the first Gulf war.  This war was sparked by the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990.  Australia was part of a Coalition led by the US.  The ground assault in February 1991 was a decisive victory for the Coalition forces, who drove the Iraqi military from Kuwait and advanced into Iraqi territory.  Chris reported the war from Tel Aviv that was subject to daily attack by Scud missiles from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

This war was considered to be the first reported on using the ‘new’ technologies and was notable for CNN’s live coverage from a Baghdad hotel.

 

Chris Adams