Attackers Tweet As They Assault UN Development Program Compound

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Attackers Tweet As They Assault UN Development Program Compound

Posted by timothy on Thursday June 20, 2013 @04:55AM from the live-tweet-hardly-seems-the-term dept.

Koreantoast writes "In another interesting example of the increasing use and sophistication of social media by non-governmental organizations, the Somali-based Islamic insurgency al-Shabab live tweeted their latest attack, a suicide assault against a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) facility in Mogadishu which left 15 dead. During the event, they denounced UNDP, tweeting during the attack that the UN is 'a merchant of death & a satanic force of evil, has a long inglorious record of spreading nothing but poverty, dependency & disbelief' and proceeded to mock newly appointed UN Representative Nicholas Kay who is to arrive in Somalia later this month. Also of note is their initiation of communications with various press entities including the AP, BBC and IHS Janes through Twitter. Hat tip to Foreign Policy magazine for the story."

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Given the UN's track record in Africa... by intermodal · 2013-06-20 04:59 · Score: 5, Insightful

I have to say, I can understand how they would view the UN in such a way. The UN's policies are pretty firm in their pushing of dependence, which is unsurprising given the way the wealthier and more influential nations are able to control it.

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1. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by Sponge+Bath · 2013-06-20 05:03 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  It's clear the spreading of disbelief is the real motivator here. Kill in the name of God.
2. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by PRMan · 2013-06-20 05:56 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It's clear the spreading of disbelief is the real motivator here. Kill in the name of God.
  Exactly. When I read this: "a merchant of death & a satanic force of evil, has a long inglorious record of spreading nothing but poverty, dependency & disbelief", for a moment I thought they were talking about their brand of radical Islam.
  
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  Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
3. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by Antipater · 2013-06-20 06:21 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  All "holy books" call for violence. Except for one, Buddah does not call for it in any instance.
  And yet, Buddhists have committed and still commit violence in the name of their religion. People are funny creatures, aren't they?
  
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  Everything is better with chainsaws.
4. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by gmuslera · 2013-06-20 06:38 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Is easier to believe in gods or devils than that complex multinationals controlling governments and international organizations to make money from them, or in intangible things like having a future or freedom.
5. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by ackthpt · 2013-06-20 06:40 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  It's clear the spreading of disbelief is the real motivator here. Kill in the name of God.
  It's really about pursuit of power, as in: They who are not in power want to be and will use any means to achieve their ends, including corrupting interpretation of their own "faith" to achieve these ends. It really isn't anything about spreading the good word of the Prophet, who would probably be outraged at the practices these people engage in, recruiting people to become suicide attackers/bombers.
  Never attribute to religion what greed and malice can easily explain.
  
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  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
6. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by gmuslera · 2013-06-20 06:44 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Why not starting at home? Someone had no tolerance for their beliefs, their way of life and their resources, and are invading them, with armies, global economy or/and factories. They just fight back the best they know, after the damage was done. But at home you have your big quota of religious extremists and people in power that see foreigners as tools with no rights, that even push their own governors on them to get easier to become even richer.
7. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by Lumpy · 2013-06-20 07:14 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  That is NOT what christian churches teach.
  And don't even try to tell me that the bible has not been used for the justification of murder. See the history of the Roman Catholic church for a plethora of examples.
  I know intimately what Christ said and taught, that has nothing to do with what Christians believe and do. And his teachings are certainly not being followed in any large organized churches.
  
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  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
8. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2013-06-20 07:42 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  People are complicated, but the delusions are simple. Anyway, you don't punish people for having delusions; you treat them.
  
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  Ezekiel 23:20
9. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by cayenne8 · 2013-06-20 08:17 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Where would we attack? Even if we wanted to take military action against these idiots, they are spread out across so many nations that it would be the start of a world war and give credence to their teachings.
  Well, you gotta start somewhere...
  Sadly, it might seriously be time for considering a modern version of the crusades. But without the religious slant on our side. These islamists are basically invading again like before, heck, look at what its doing to Europe right now. In the past, well, there was push-back against that. Perhaps it is time to rethink all the political correctness, and call a spade a spade, and say enough, and quit giving in so readily and tolerating everything they want and do. If our western customs don't work for you...fuck it, go back to a muslim country where it is the norm. I'm not seeing a lot of Catholics nor Baptists suicide bombing anything. So, why don't we quit pretending and searching them so closely and turn our attention more directly on islamists around us in our countries and focus more on containing and pushing back against their countries that are openly antagonistic against us. Let's decide on the worst offender, and think seriously about helping many of them see allah in a quick fashion.
  :) And to others..we do know where some of these folks live and if they're surrounded by others that support and condone them, then, they're fair game too.
  
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10. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by ultranova · 2013-06-20 09:07 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  You know...when are we in the western world, going to finally have enough of these 'peace loving' islamic asshats, and just start stomping them...HARD?
  
  Hopefully never, since the stomping won't stop there. Once you have your jackboots on, everything starts to look like a human face.
  
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  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
11. Re:Given the UN's track record in Africa... by odigity · 2013-06-20 09:10 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I can't believe I'm seeing genocide advocated on slashdot... and up-voted.
  Do you not understand that western governments, and particularly the U.S. and U.N., have been fucking with the entire african and mid-east region for centuries? Colonization, genocide, propping up dictatorships, mass-depopulation, stealing resources, military occupations, institutionalized rape and slavery...
  How the hell do you justify your "fuck these guys, they're annoying me, kill them all" attitude to yourself? You want them to leave you alone? It's really simple. Leave *them* the fuck alone.
  I don't know how much more of this world I can stand. The ignorance and stupidity and *immorality* of even the intellectual elites of modern society disgust and frighten me.
Re:Why... by Reverand+Dave · 2013-06-20 05:24 · Score: 3, Insightful

This is exactly my thoughts. If the people do want the help then they should help themselves first by trying to eliminate these radical elements of society. Of course, you can crow all day about "innocent bystanders" and "the extremists are the minority" but the real question should be: Are they really? Are the majority of the people so in favor of aid that they would do something if it would help? I think the clear and resounding answer to that is "no". No they wouldn't, won't, and will not help because they simply don't care.

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I got here through a series of tubes
Re:Seriously? by operagost · 2013-06-20 05:59 · Score: 3, Insightful

Whoever runs this Twitter account has better grammar and spelling than 99% of Millennial Americans

FTFY

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Re:dammit slashdot by Affenkopf · 2013-06-20 07:36 · Score: 3, Insightful

This is what living in a totalitarian country is like, being afraid of getting caught reading the wrong thing.