What Rep. Omar Gets Wrong About 'Black Hawk Down'

Earlier this week, a 2017 tweet from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) surfaced in which she attacked the men who helped defend from starvation and civil war the country she abandoned in the early 1990s. In her tweet, Omar blasted “American forces” for killing “thousands of Somalis” during the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993. “#NotTodaySatan,” Omar wrote.

I take special exception to Omar’s disgusting comments because I served in the Battle of Mogadishu, which was later portrayed in the movie “Black Hawk Down.” If you aren’t familiar with the real story behind “Black Hawk Down,” let me set the scene for you.

In late 1992, President George H. W. Bush launched Operation Restore Hope in support of United Nations initiatives to restore some semblance of law and order to Somalia, which was wracked by devastating famine and violent warlords eager to use the chaos and hopelessness to establish corrupt fiefdoms.

The purpose of American involvement in Somalia was to protect the peacekeepers tasked with the near-impossible mission of delivering vital food and medical supplies to the starving, war-torn population. As the aid grew, so did the opportunities for graft from warring clans who saw the humanitarian crisis as a way to cement their power throughout the country.

The Habar Gidir clan, one of the more powerful clans around Mogadishu, was led by the notorious warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid, who made the distribution of international aid to those who needed it nearly impossible. Instead of equitably spreading food and medical supplies, Aidid and his henchmen spread terror and death.
by is licensed under
ad-image

Get latest news delivered daily!

We will send you breaking news right to your inbox

ad-image
© 2013 - 2024 Constitutional Rights PAC, Privacy Policy