4 American hostages killed by Pirates in Somalia

[RacerX]

You guys are aware we have SOF on every continent and almost every country except Antarctica, right? We stop shit like this on an almost hourly basis and you never hear about it, just the way it should be.

Yeah, I watch that TV show "The Unit"

That's all based on true stories, right?

[DRM]

Yeah, I watch that TV show "The Unit"

That's all based on true stories, right?

http://www.soc.mil/UNS/Releases/2011/February/110220-01.html

Too true.

[Newc]

They're still holding quite a few Westerners as hostages, collecting ransoms and whatnot for them. Stop pointing the Hubble at Orion's dick and point it at the oceans to find these fuckheads. When you locate them, surround them with heavily-armed vessels and destroy them. No prisoners, no trials, just kill them and sink their boats.

Yes, charging off into dangerous waters armed only with the Word is risky. Some say stupid. Whatever the case may be, there's not one person on the planet who has been granted the right to take another person hostage. Go get a fucking job. No infrastructure in your country? Stop being a dickhead and earn the trust of companies so they'll invest in your country and provide jobs.

[DRM]

The problem with the Horn of Africa is that their practice of strict Sharia Law inhibits them from ever actively participating in the 21st century. Al Shabaab will never allow free trade with other nations. You'd think the world would've learned its lesson about Somalia back in '92-'93, but as always, our bleeding heart gets the best of us.

Co-existence with Somalia (and other radical-Islam nations) is impossible.

[Nightbat]

"Sir, Pirates sighted"





"Where?"

"Heading towards the ocean floor now Sir"

[Rsmacker]

The only reason most Americans even know about Somalia is because of Mark Bowden's journalism in the 90's and Ridley Scott.

And those videos of dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets by their ankles off the back of a pickup truck, after getting a rather humiliating beating (including the odd helicopter shot down).

That was the time to stomp on these insects, not pull out and let them degenerate into a total bandit state for nearly 20 years. That gave the impression that primitive tribesmen with ancient weapons could give the world's Superpower a kicking and they'd run away (again), that resistance wasn't futile. It's why every raghead now thinks the US is going to pull out of their particular shithole at any moment and let them get on with it, all they need do is resist for a little bit longer, the Yanks will scuttle off with their tail between their legs and it's game on with the stonings and beheadings.

Eeh, hindsight, it's a wonderful thing.

[Buslady]

Thats sucks, they were locals...

But its damn stupid to go sail around to pass out bibles...screw that! Theyre a bunch of Muslims over there, they probably killed them cos they go sick of hearing them go on about their bible stuff.

[tonemonster]

they probably killed them cos they go sick of hearing them go on about their bible stuff.

Your probably right. that is the reason we have so much hate in this world......organized religion. everyone thinks THEIR beliefs are the ONLY way, and everyone else is wrong. Organized religion and greed, one or both of them has been the cause of every war since the beginning of time.

[DRM]

And those videos of dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets by their ankles off the back of a pickup truck, after getting a rather humiliating beating (including the odd helicopter shot down).

You'd be amazed at how many people have never seen the footage of Bill Cleveland being dragged through Mogadishu.

Operation Gothic Serpent wasn't a beatdown. Given the fact we A) accomplished the goal of capturing Aidid's lieutenant's, B) managed well over a 100:1 ratio of Americans killed vs. Somali, and C) opened the door to the assassination of Aidid, I'd say job well done on our part.

And for what it's worth...3 Oct 1993 wasn't the only day helicopters were shot down in Somalia in '93. There were 2 others that were supporting the 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne that were shot down in the months leading up to Gothic Serpent.

[RacerX]

managed well over a 100:1 ratio of Americans killed vs. Somali,

You mean vice versa

[Nightbat]

And here I was thinking it was a humanitairy mission, trying to bring "peace" and "freedom" to a "Rogue state"


...Oh well

[Rsmacker]

You'd be amazed at how many people have never seen the footage of Bill Cleveland being dragged through Mogadishu.

Operation Gothic Serpent wasn't a beatdown. Given the fact we A) accomplished the goal of capturing Aidid's lieutenant's, B) managed well over a 100:1 ratio of Americans killed vs. Somali, and C) opened the door to the assassination of Aidid, I'd say job well done on our part.

And for what it's worth...3 Oct 1993 wasn't the only day helicopters were shot down in Somalia in '93. There were 2 others that were supporting the 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne that were shot down in the months leading up to Gothic Serpent.

I secede to your superior knowledge of the military operation, but in the eyes of a dumb rag-head living in squalour in a mud hut, it appeared that the US got its arse kicked. (Um, and to other people living in the affluent West watching on telly). I didn't know there was a distinct operation called Gothic Serpent, I thought it was just one "humanitarian" operation which "changed focus" . I just recall being shocked at the time that these fucking primitives were dropping helicopters. One might be a fluke, but 3 seems outrageous, Terry Taliban would cum in his djelaba to down 3 helicopters in such quick succession today.

The other thing that shocked, and still shocks me today, was the footage of the dead American(s). I recall it was filmed by television cameras, so was crystal clear, and far more shocking than any beheading video taken with a cameraphone. I've looked for it just now, can't find it, and I can appreciate the reasons it's disappeared, but maybe if more people saw that footage, it will hit home that sending our troops into any warzone is something that shouldn't be done lightly. We kind of see the US (and the UK) as being all-conquering, which is true in an overall sense, but we forget that individuals do get killed, and then their bodies defiled by laughing mobs that our countries were originally trying to save from lingering starvation. I remember thinking that these dumb fuckers jumping about whilst they dragged a soldier's body around would all end up slotted, that they didn't even have the intelligence to cover their faces while a news cameraman got clear film of them. Savages.

[DRM]

Of course they had pro footage. The radical Islamists most powerful weapon is propoganda.

The funny thing about Somalia was that Aidid played it smart while the Marines were there. After the Red Cross/Marine effort pulled out of Mogadishu, he killed the remaining humanitarian workers from Pakistan. That's why we went on the offensive by sending TF Ranger in addition to two battalions of Infantry back to Mogadishu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Takur_Ghar - On 3 March 2002, two CH-47's were shot down on Takur Ghar during a recovery mission for a SEAL who had fallen off his Chinook and onto the peak. Lack of ability to relay intel to the birds while they were en route to the mountain led to the firefight.

Helicopters get shot down. Even a "dumb rag-head" can operate an RPG. They're not as primitive as people like to believe they are. In fact, the only KIA from my company during our year in Afghanistan was from an RPG. We had 41 out of 138 soldiers in my company receive Purple Hearts (myself included) and I'm pretty sure that our enemy know what they're doing.

Still, there's a lot going on all over the world to fight shit like this. Occasionally it makes it on the news. However, and thankfully, most of it never makes it to the mainstream media and therefore the public don't think twice about it. And to be honest, it makes us more effective at what we do when you don't know what we do.

[Twitch]

In fact, the only KIA from my company during our year in Afghanistan was from an RPG.

I know this is off topic, but thats got to be rough. How do you cope with a situation like that? With such a tight nit group as a company of soldiers, its got to be like watching a close friend be killed.

[DRM]

And here I was thinking it was a humanitairy mission, trying to bring "peace" and "freedom" to a "Rogue state"


...Oh well

The world cried foul when Time magazine ran a piece on the genocide in Somalia. Everyone demanded blood. 13 nations as well as the Red Cross sent personnel to Mogadishu and other parts of the country in an effort to provide healthcare and food for the people of Somalia. It wasn't until Aidid, in an act of cowardice, attacked an unarmed Red Cross food point and skinned/beheaded the Pakistani relief workers that we went on the offensive. Most Americans didn't even know we were still in Somalia until Clinton addressed the nation on October 4th to announce the death of 18 (which unfortunately became 19) dead American soldiers.