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Dying For Clean Underwear
October 11, 2007: Fighting in Mogadishu caused
nearly 400 casualties last month, and the fighting continues, although at a
reduced pace. The Transitional Government, however, has negotiated a truce with
the Hawiye clan, which has long dominated Mogadishu. The Ethiopian and
government strategy of attacking neighborhoods (usually Hawiye) that hostile
gunmen were hiding out in, was forcing hundreds of Hawiye out of the city each
day. With the truce, some calm has returned to the city. Several of the Hawiye
militias are now gunning for the Islamic terrorists, who appear to have fled
the city, or gone into hiding. In return, the government has called on its
troops to stop looting, and shooting, in Hawiye neighborhoods. The terrorists
appear to be concentrating on assassination attempts, against senior government
leaders. A suicide car bomber tried to get at the Transitional Government prime
minister, and failed. The Hawiye leaders insist that much of the violence against
police or soldiers is caused by criminal gangs, angry at their business
operations being interfered with. This may be the case, for there is a decline
in obviously terrorist operations, like the recent murder of two women, accused
of being too close to Ethiopian soldiers (as prostitutes or doing laundry is
unclear, either is a capital crime to Islamic radicals).
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