Here are the first exchanges between Dr. Qaasim and Henry Kissinger.
PARTICIPANTS:
SOMALIA
Hussien Abdulkadir Kassim, Minister of Mineral and Water Resources
Ambassador Abudllahi Adu Addou (DC) Abdurahman Jama Barre, Director General, MU, Mohamed Mohamud, Counselor
The Secretary Under Secretary Habib Acting Assistant Secretary Seelye Frank Wisner (Notetaker)
US
DATE: TIME: PLACE: Secretary's apartment at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York
October 8, 1976 3:45 p.m.
KISSINGER: What does "Acting Foreign Minister" mean?
KASSIM: I am the Minister for Minerals and Water, but I have represented the Government at a number of international conferences ADDOU: He is the de facto Foreign Minister.
KISSINGER: How long have you been in New York?
KASSIM: Over two weeks. In a few days I will return home, but. I may not go straight back. I may stop en route.
KISSINGER: It sounds like you have already made your mind up to stop.
KASSIM: I try to take care of the interests of my country and do so without fanfare.
KISSINGER: For a medium-sized country, you make a lot of news.
KASSIM: It all depends on the way the wind blows. Is it we who make the news or others who create conditions that force us to act?
KISSINGER: You should see me when I am trying to make news.
ADDOU: With the press following you so closely; you always make news.
KISSINGER: What is the state of our relations?
KASSIM: I would like to comment on that. I believe thereis room for improvement.
KISSINGER: I agree with you.
KASSIM: Yes, there is room for improvement. You made a good point during your toast at lunch. You are learning about Africa.
KISSINGER: I have learned a lot from watching African politics. You Somalis are rough. I do not mean that as a criticism, but you play tough internal politics.
KASSIM: We speak our hearts and minds.
KISSINGER: I don't believe that the African states as a group are hostile, but if you look at the actions of the Somali Government, you can hardly judge them to be non- aligned. On almost every international issue you oppose us. We can't be wrong all the time. The law of averages does not work that way.
KASSIM: From our point of view, Somalia and the United States should have relations which are devoid of hostile feelings. On specific questions or policies, a matter of judgment enters in and not all our expressions are hostile. Had you not felt hostility, we would not have reacted. We believe we are non-aligned.
KISSINGER: We are not against non-alignment. Every African state is non-aligned except possibly for Angola. Fifteen thousand foreign troops present a powerful argument for taking sides. While you say there is no hostility on the part of Somalia, you disagree with us regularly and sometimes you work against us.
KASSIM: That is not an unfair picture but it is an incomplete one. We follow the actions of the United States as they affect us and of the Somali nation is at stake. Your actions have not always indicated neutrality.
Here is that full exchange:
http://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/or ... /67025.pdf
