Somalia is Rough, the US is Insensitive, Kissinger and Minister Kassim Banter in 1976
Somalilandsun: The sour relations between Somalia and the United States then prevalent during the 1970s was on the menu at a rare meeting in 1976.
The meeting between US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and Somalia minister of minerals and water cum acting foreign affairs minister Hussein Abdulqadir Kassim .
Hosted by Kissinger at his Waldfor Astoria hotel residence in New York, the meeting of the 8th October 1976 had apart from the two principals the following
From Somalia Ambassador Abudllahi Adu Addou (DC) Abdurahman Jama Barre, Director General, MU, and Mohamed Mohamud, Counselor while those from the US were Under Secretary Habib, Acting Assistant Secretary Seelye and Frank Wisner (Notetaker)
Sample excerpts of the discussion
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: What is the state of our relations?
KASSIM: I would like to comment on that. I believe there is room for improvement.
KISSINGER: I agree with you.
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.
This conversation which revolved around US -Somalia realations, USSR-Somalia, US-Ethiopia in the context of disputed territories which is now declassified, below in full
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