After I mentioned the movie, the e-mail box filled up with notes saying, “If the movie made you mad, you ought to read the book. That will really infuriate you, and you’ll learn why the Clinton administration denied the requested support,” which, by the way, was denied because we didn’t want to appear racist. All this reminded me of Yousef Dahir Mo’Alim, the local militia leader who held Michael Durant, pilot of the second Black Hawk shot down, hostage for 11 days.
Right before one of the Somali town folk was to execute Durant, Mo’Alim said, “This prisoner is claimed alive by Mohammed Farrah Aidid.” When they were attempting to get information out of Durant, who volunteered nothing, Mo’Alim said something that columnist Matthew Maddox called profound. Quote, “Without victory, there is no peace.” I read parts of his column on the air, because this really hit home with me.