That’s why we believe that it is very important to look at the security situation and see what can be done to help improve it. The challenge is the Ethiopians want to leave and the Somalis would like them to leave. The Transitional Authority says they should leave. The opposition groups, including those who are fighting there, would like them to leave. But how is the security situation going to be dealt with?

We need to look at the whole range of options. How to strengthen Somali forces, what kind of an international force can come in, whatever it’s called, you know peacekeeping, stabilization. You need some external force to come in and whether it is sort of from lead country or putting a coalition together or a UN. But if you are serious about promoting peace and security in Somalia-keeping the lessons of the past in mind, it’s not an easy place - how to contribute. We have asked the Secretariat repeatedly for some planning of options. Could it be an option that looks only at Mogadishu – how to secure the Mogadishu area. Broader objectives and what forces would be required making sure that the risks are manageable and that the forces would be available.

So we hope that by August 15th we will have that planning done by the Secretariat and then based on that planning and looking at the options there can be a serious discussion. So far the discussions in the Council are a bit theoretical, it’s abstract, because we don’t have concrete plans, to evaluate, to respond, to judge.

But the fact that we’ve had this discussion today, at least as long as I was there, was a useful discussion. I think people are coming around that we need to do something. But the question is what? And what’s prudent? What’s manageable? To assist I think we will have to wait a few more weeks.

Reporter: Would the United States lead a coalition of countries?

Ambassador Khalilzad: Well you know that we are quite busy as you know, number one. Number two, that there are always issues with the U.S. leading a coalition. So, there are other capable powers. This is not such a huge mission necessarily so that could play a role. We are willing to help, certainly, we are already helping in the training of Somalis, with logistics. We think it is important to assist Somalia. The parties who signed the agreement in Djibouti have asked for help. As I said the security situation is bad, the humanitarian situation is bad. You’ve seen the Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda related group attacking humanitarian assistance, disrupting it. Thirty-five percent of the people of Somalia are dependant on humanitarian assistance from outside. There cannot be impunity. The case of Karadzic indicates that you can run away but eventually your past catches up with you and these people are responsible for attacks against humanitarian worker, international workers - have to be held accountable for their actions.

Reporter: But Ambassador isn’t there a sense of urgency? Shouldn’t the Council start moving on this? You do have options from the SG…

Ambassador Khalilzad: We don’t have real detailed DPKO options. That’s why we have said no later than August 15th we want to see those options in detail, that there is a good ends and means relationship. It is no good to have a military plan that is ambitious in terms of goals and is weak in terms of means. In order for a strategy to be robust there has to be a strong, balanced relationship between ends and means. We want to see what the ends are and what forces realistically can be generated to carry out the goals. We want to subject them to a good discussion and assessment of our own.

Thank you very much.