Bloody Somalia

(Mogadishu, Somalia) After 15 years without a national government, Somalia is a battlefield. Tribal militias and Islamic fundamentalists, allegedly tied to al-Qaeda, are struggling for control and many people are dying.

From KhaleejTimes.com:

Islamic militiamen and secular fighters battled Wednesday for control of Somalia's capital despite promises of a cease-fire, as the death toll rose to at least 90, with nearly 200 others wounded.

The sounds of heavy weapons echoed through the city, but the fighting was not as intense as it had been in the previous three days. The battle between the Islamic Court Union and the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism has centered on the northern neighborhood of Sii-Sii, with neither side gaining an advantage.

Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed of the Islamic Court Union called for a ceasefire, but the tribal militias suspect that it's only because they ran out of ammunition. Both sides have been jockeying for position in anticipation of a major battle for control of Mogadishu. And, sadly, caught in the crossfire and dying are the civilians.

It's worth noting that every time I read of Somalia, I think of Blackhawk Down. I think of how the media plastered breaking news images of starving Somalians in front of the public, day after day, until the politicians were forced to send help. Food was sent and U.S. military units were there to distribute the food in the lawless country. Fighting started and the American forces soon were overwhelmed. Reinforcements were requested, but too little came, too late.

Some of the finest American fighting men ever to have lived died in Mogadishu. Needlessly, I think. And it all began with media reports of starving Somalians.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.