A Parting Shot

Have a look at this article when you have a few minutes to read. If that means bookmarking it, then do it. It chronicles the parts of the story that were left out of the film "Black Hawk Down", and assigns blame where blame is due: the Clinton Administration, the United Nations, and Hollywood. That's my kind of article. I rail on MSN/Slate almost as much as I rail on the BBC, but Mickey Kaus (have I heard that name before?) deserves credit for what was, overall, a good article.

There is one money shot that needs to be refuted, though, and it comes at the end of the article. Keep in mind that the film was released, and the article published, in early 2002, so it's more than three years old; in other word, take the following paragraph in its proper historical context.

American soldiers may soon be back in Somalia, if they're not there already, in pursuit of al Qaida. Couldn't this have legitimately been used to promote the film? Sure. The only trouble is that our most likely ally in the anti-terror fight will be Hussein Aideed, leader of the Habr Gidr clan and son of the "Hitler-like" villain in Black Hawk Down. No wonder the film's promoters chose not to play up the post-9/11 "return to Somalia" angle.

Hussein Aidid, the son of Mohammed Farah Aidid (the unseen villain in the film), was a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, and served in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope. He was instrumental in the American military operations in Somalia. I can understand Kaus' intention, but I think that it shows either ignorance, or (more likely) a bit of impropriety not to acknowledge this. If he knows enough about the situation to known the guy's name, he probably knows Hussein Aidid's background.

I may post more about this later. Right now, I'm going to finish up my laundry for the evening and rack out. More tomorrow, folks.