The Pentagon is refusing to release a military videotape of the battle between U.S. troops and Somali forces that left 18 Americans dead, saying it would jeopardize national security, The Boston Globe reported today.
The Defense Department rejected Freedom of Information requests from ABC and the National Security News Agency for the video, the newspaper said.The Oct. 3 battle led President Clinton to set an early pullout date for U.S. forces and was a factor in Defense Secretary Les Aspin's resignation last week. The debacle was blamed in part on Aspin's refusal to send more armor to Somalia.
The Globe also quoted unidentified military sources who speculated about another possible motive for keeping the video confidential: Military commanders were able to watch the video as the battle unfolded, raising questions about why it took hours for reinforcements to arrive.