Also undetermined was whether the United Nations and the United States' allies would subscribe to the plan, which would place the Somali operation firmly under American control.

Before the Somali operations in 1993, when soldiers engaged in deadly combat in the streets of Mogadishu, the Army ordered few armored Humvees.

But Professor Simon said the Somali operation and the initial reaction to it resonated with the nation's historic sense of itself.

An important aspect of the new Somali operation is that for the first time American soldiers have been prepared to serve under a non-American chief.

The European countries may decide not to spread themselves thin by committing further resources to an expanded Somali operation.

A12 Second thoughts on Somali operation from some in Congress.

The United Nations announced on Thursday that it planned to decentralize its Somali operations, bypassing the capital as much as possible.

What Mr. Clinton really needs to do is find out how to return the Somali operation to its originally intended course.

No More Blank Checks These concessions, while unlikely to alter American predominance in the Somali operation, do create an important precedent, some diplomats contend.

At African countries' urging, the Council sought to give the United Nations a stronger role in the Somali operation than the United States accepted today.