In 1993, the United States handed over command of multinational forces in Somalia to the United Nations.

CNN: Monday,

Soon thereafter, France, Italy and the United States formed a multinational force to help stabilize the country -- as differing factions of Arabs and Christians as well as the Israelis and Syrians were in a tangled web of conflict -- and allow PLO fighters to leave the country.

CNN: Before taking on Syria, U.S. should heed lesson of the past

While the Bush Administration made it clear that it was up to the Saudis to invite the USSR to send ground troops to participate in the multinational force, it noted that the United States would have no objection if Saudi Arabia did so.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center for Security Policy | Post-Mortem On The Helsinki Summit: Soviet Cooperation Like This We Can��t Afford