MOGADISHU, Somalia (Reuters) -- Somali insurgents dragged soldiers' bodies through the streets of Mogadishu before burning them on Wednesday in heavy fighting that killed at least 13 people and injured scores more, witnesses said.
The corpses of five soldiers -- either from the Somali government army or their Ethiopian allies -- were desecrated during some of the worst clashes in the lawless capital since the interim government took over in December, witnesses said.
In one place, men dragged two semi-naked corpses by the feet while members of a crowd chanting "God is Great" kicked and pelted them with stones, a Reuters reporter said.
Scene similar to aftermath of Black Hawk downing
In another, three bodies were hauled round by rope, kicked and then also set alight, witnesses said.
The grisly scenes recalled the aftermath of the 1993 shooting-down of a Black Hawk helicopter by Somali militiamen during a failed U.S. operation to hunt down warlords.
How are we supposed to reach out to people who seem to feel that this type of action is appropriate? It's one of those never ending situations where you wonder what if anything can the U.S. or the UN do? Or is this a hopeless situation where those who cannot find a way to come together for what common benefit exists are doomed to failure no matter what we do.
2 comments:
You can't win those people or even work with them, you just need to minimize their role and power. We had the chance in '93 and got scared. Since then, they have grown stronger and spread to neighboring countries. Pulling out then also sent a message that there is a point past which Americans cannot stomach violence and bloodshed
In the old days, you just wrote them off and exterminated them.., ALL of them.
Since then, we have become so civilized that we cannot bring ourselves to doing what is necessary, so the savages win...
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