Two black hawk helicopters down. 18 US soldiers killed.

November 15, 2003 10:53 PM

Two black hawk helicopters down. 18 US soldiers killed.
No, not today.
October 3rd, 1993.
Mogadishu, Somalia.
posted by insomnia_lj (21 comments total)

?
posted by davidmsc at 11:11 PM on November 15, 2003

I smell a sequel! Who's with me? I'll get Ridley on the phone!
posted by keswick at 11:16 PM on November 15, 2003

Good, As a Meatafiler poster, I hate American troops and LIKE IT when they die.
posted by crunchburger at 11:17 PM on November 15, 2003

10.03.1993
11.16.2003

What's the numerological significance of this?
There's gotta be sumphin!
...Okay I got nuthin'.
Maybe if we carried the one...
posted by ZachsMind at 11:19 PM on November 15, 2003

None.. Unless you take the actual date of the 15th..

3 x 15 = 45 (the products of time)

45 * 10 (where it all began) + 45 * 10 (2003 - 1993 = how little things have changed) = 900

+ 11 (the mess we're currently in) = 911

omg

/pithy phrase here.

Back to linear algebra with me..
posted by Mossy at 1:58 AM on November 16, 2003

my god! it's all becoming clear now!
posted by quonsar at 2:23 AM on November 16, 2003

CautionaryTaleFilter?
posted by alumshubby at 2:31 AM on November 16, 2003

DUN DUN DUN!°
posted by zerofoks at 2:54 AM on November 16, 2003

Only someone with a pathological hatred of the Bush Adminstration would find this surprising or suspect.
posted by rushmc at 4:13 AM on November 16, 2003

Soldiers of the future, stay off your BlackHawks on December 27, 2013! You have been warned!
posted by briank at 4:39 AM on November 16, 2003

why do you hate america?
posted by timb at 5:05 AM on November 16, 2003

I pointed this out because Somalia is a textbook example of a modern US military disaster. Today, we are faced with a similar crash and a similar disaster, probably with the same number of fatalities, and yet the context was such that withdrawl was deemed necessary in Somalia.

We were there in Somalia primarily to feed starving people, while we seem to be in Iraq in order to install a pro-US government. And, of course, there's the oil, too.
posted by insomnia_lj at 5:15 AM on November 16, 2003

I blame Clinton.
posted by Stan Chin at 6:30 AM on November 16, 2003

always excellent resource:
Mark Bowden's original BHD newspaper series (Philadelphia Inquirer) plus exclusive photos, video, audio


As a Meatafiler poster
Meat-A-Filer is sheer genius
posted by matteo at 6:45 AM on November 16, 2003

The only thing similar between the two incidents is the body count and that there were helicopters involved. You are right that the public attitude to military casualties has changed a lot, which is interesting to note, but to blame it all on imperial adventurism is a bit of a stretch.
posted by cardboard at 7:03 AM on November 16, 2003

We were there in Somalia primarily to feed starving people, while we seem to be in Iraq in order to install a pro-US government. And, of course, there's the oil, too.

*ponders* Right, right. I see what you mean... they are SIMILAR, yet different. Tell me more about this oil point of view.
posted by Witty at 7:04 AM on November 16, 2003

Are these the helicopters shot down by those dastardly Somali warlords in 1993? You know those guys the Americians are now *paying* to help them catch terrorists?
Its kind of like Blade 2.
posted by Damienmce at 7:38 AM on November 16, 2003

GRASSY KNOLL!
posted by Hankins at 7:46 AM on November 16, 2003

It's been a tough weekend. I don't need a Nineties Flashback right now...
posted by wendell at 8:04 AM on November 16, 2003

Begone, numerology!
posted by spazzm at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2003

//
+ 11 (the mess we're currently in) = 911
//

Finally! evidence of a link between Iraq and the war on terrorism. Bush & Blair were right all along.. and there was I being a cynical liberal anti war peace-nik type.

Where should be invade next?
posted by keno at 4:08 PM on November 16, 2003