Somalia's Anarchic History

-- History of Somalia since the collapse of the last effective central government:

_ January 1991: President Mohamed Siad Barre is overthrown by clan-based rebels, who quickly turn on each other.

_ April 1992: Massive U.N. relief operation begins to help thousands of civilians left starving because of fighting. More than 100,000 people died between 1991-92.

_ August 1992: U.S. planes begin delivering food to Somalia, within a month U.S. Marines arrive to guard it.

_ January 1993: U.S. stages first airstrike on warlord's headquarters.

_ October 1993: Militiamen shoot down Blackhawk helicopter, 18 servicemen die in crash and subsequent rescue attempt. U.S. troops reduce combat operations against warlords.

_ March 1994: U.S. troops withdraw from Somalia, leaving a U.N. peacekeeping operation in place.

_ March 1995: U.S. Marines escort the last U.N. peacekeepers out of Somalia, ending a two-year, $2 billion relief operation.

_ August 1998: Simultaneous suicide bombings destroy the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing more than 200 Africans and 12 Americans. The ringleaders flee to Somalia.

_ November 2002: An al-Qaida cell attacks an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya, killing 15, and attempts to shoot down an Israeli-owned airliner. Investigators believe the same men responsible for the embassy bombings planned the attacks, and again fled to Somalia afterward.

_ March 2003: Warlord Mohammed Dhere captures a suspect in the 1998 bombings and turns him over to U.S. authorities, via Kenya. There are reports he has captured other suspected al-Qaida members and turned them over to U.S. authorities as well.

_ October 2004: After two years of U.N.-sponsored talks, Somalia warlords and civilian leaders meeting in Nairobi agree on a new government with former Col. Abdullahi Yusuf as president.