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The U.S. has not always gotten along with Somalia's rulers; it regarded the guerrilla fighting as wasteful and dangerous and looked askance at the Somali willingness to bring in scores of Russian technicians, along with Communist military hardware. Vice President Hubert Humphrey expected to have a rough time on his visit to Somalia during his African tour in January, but was so surprised by the warmth of his reception that he proffered an invitation to Egal to visit the U.S. The U.S. already gives some $4,000,000 a year in aid to Somalia, has a 98-man Peace Corps contingent at work there. In Washington, Egal is expected to discuss his country's requests for U.S. surplus food and for a second batch of Peace Corpsmen. Even if he does not come bearing frankincense and myrrh, his pleas are sure to fall on sympathetic ears.
