More than 10 gunmen, damn that's a bad sign. :(
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/02/africa/kenya-university-attack/
Quote
(CNN)—Gunmen attacked a university in south central Kenya on Thursday morning, wounding at least seven people, CNN affiliate NTV reported.
The casualties included at least two officers and a student, NTV said.
The gunshots started going off "like fireworks" at Garissa University College around 5 a.m., at the time of morning prayers, witness Milka Ndung'u told the affiliate. She and others escaped to a field, but gunshots followed them, so they continued fleeing.
Augustine Alanga told CNN he woke up to the sound of gunfire and described students running around the dormitories seeking shelter.
It's not clear how many gunmen were on campus.
"We don't know how many there were, but there are probably more than 10," said Robert Alai Onyango, a blogger in Nairobi. "We believe the attackers were wearing something close to military fatigues."
Onyango said the gunmen appeared to be shooting indiscriminately and "basically from all angles."
"They surrounded the mosque ... we don't know why they were surrounding the mosque," Onyango said.
Garissa University College is in an area where Al Shabaab militants have sometimes led raids.
What is Al-Shabaab, and what does it want?
Onyango said there have been fears that the violent extremists would attack a college like Garissa. But so far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last month, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi warned of possible attacks "throughout Kenya in the near-term" following the reported death of a a key al-Shabaab leader, Adan Garaar.
"Although there is no information about a specific location in Kenya for an attack, U.S. citizens are reminded that the potential for terrorism exists," the warning said.
CNN's Brian Walker contributed to this report.
At least it wasn't gundams.
So, terrible. :(
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/kenyas-garissa-university-attacked-masked-gunman-breakingnews-com-n334386
QuoteAt least 14 people were killed, 65 injured and hundreds were unaccounted for Thursday after gunmen stormed a college campus in Kenya, officials said.
Masked attackers "shot indiscriminately" and "heavy gunfire and explosions" could be heard during the hours-long standoff at Garissa University College, authorities said. The Red Cross confirmed that an unknown number of students were being held hostage.
At 6:30 a.m. ET, some 535 students of the 815 believed to be at the university had yet to be accounted for, according to a tweet sent by the country's National Disaster Operation Center. It cited Kenya's internal security minister.
Terrified students streamed out of buildings, some young men shirtless, as arriving police officers hunkered down, taking cover.
Collins Wetangula, the vice chairman of the student union, said he was preparing to take a shower when he heard gunshots.
When the gunmen arrived at his dormitory he could hear them opening doors and asking if the people who had hidden inside whether they were Muslims or Christians. "If you were a Christian you were shot on the spot," he told The Associated Press. "With each blast of the gun I thought I was going to die."
Augustine Alanga, a 21-year-old student, added that he saw at least five heavily armed, masked gunmen. He described "running barefoot" to escape through barbed-wire fencing.
Authorities said the attackers were holed-up inside dorms after a lengthy gunbattle with security services. Officials said the town had been "locked down" during the incident.
Reuters quoted an unidentified police officer at the scene as saying he'd counted 14 bodies being removed from the campus, with two colleagues among the victims. "We are finding it difficult to access the compound because some of the attackers are on top of a building and are firing at us whenever we try to gain entry," he added.
A mortuary attendant in the town of Garissa told The Associated Press that at least 15 people had been killed. Varying death tolls are common in the aftermath of such events.
The Interior Ministry said one "suspected terrorist" had been arrested trying to flee the scene.
Red Cross Kenya spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu told NBC News that 50 students had been "safely freed" from the college compound after the attackers struck.
Shiundu said the attack began at around 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. Wednesday ET) with an explosion at the university's gate. The masked gunmen then forced their way into the compound and moved toward accommodation for female students, she added.
The attack comes three days after President Barack Obama announced he would visit the East African country in July. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi said via its Twitter account: "We are saddened & angered by today's terrorist attack @ #Garissa Univ. Our deepest condolences 2 family/friends of victims."
The country's National Disaster Operation Center said two people had been killed in the incident, according to Reuters. The Kenya Red Cross said 30 people had been injured, four of which were "very serious."
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabab — the al Qaeda-linked terror group based in Somalia, whose border is around 100 miles from the college — has carried out past attacks in Kenya.
In 2013, it claimed responsibility for an assault on Nairobi's upscale Westgate Mall that left more than 60 dead.
This is such a horror show. The African nations are going to have to put more emphasis on fighting these groups, as I don't see how any political accommodation can be made with such extremists to be part of any government. Such as how several African nations are contributing to battling Boko Haram in Nigeria. It's a start.
The African countries need to set their resources to persecuting Muslims and Islam at home. They don't need to worry about immigration, so surely it's just a matter of cleaning up a few hives, right?
I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya. :(
Quote from: KRonn on April 02, 2015, 07:09:09 AM
The African nations are going to have to put more emphasis on fighting these groups, as I don't see how any political accommodation can be made with such extremists to be part of any government.
Yeah but how much can they really do? AK-47s and psychos willing to kill are cheap, security is expensive.
Ah, the religion of peace strikes again.
Quote from: Iormlund on April 02, 2015, 08:10:12 AM
Ah, the religion of peace strikes again.
Yeah it is getting a little ridiculous. I saw this and I was like 'Oh God can it not be Muslims this time?'
It is like whenever there is a mass shooting by some lone nut in the US 'Oh God can it not be a lonely angry white dude?'
I remember a day when horrible violent crimes had more diversity.
Yeah, when I was growing up news of entire villages massacred in Algeria were accompanied by bombings by IRA, ETA, the Italian mob and the like. No more.
Perhaps we need some affirmative action for terrorists.
Quote from: Iormlund on April 02, 2015, 08:25:03 AM
Perhaps we need some affirmative action for terrorists.
No quotas! A more proactive outreach program should do the trick.
Quote from: Monoriu on April 02, 2015, 08:05:55 AM
I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya. :(
Damn, you will have to come up with another ploy to get rid of her, now.
Quote from: Martinus on April 02, 2015, 10:04:38 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on April 02, 2015, 08:05:55 AM
I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya. :(
Damn, you will have to come up with another ploy to get rid of her, now.
I think she's safe as long as she makes more money than she spends.
Quote from: Neil on April 02, 2015, 07:57:30 AM
The African countries need to set their resources to persecuting Muslims and Islam at home. They don't need to worry about immigration, so surely it's just a matter of cleaning up a few hives, right?
Yeah, seriously. This is their civil war (which also, notably, looks a lot like European reformation period wars of religion so the "Muslim Reformation" everybody was hoping for is finally here). Now they need to get their shit together and stop blaming the West or gays.
Elites will never stop blaming foreigners. The CIA is responsible for the impacts of incompetence and corruption of governments around the world.
Quote from: Valmy on April 02, 2015, 08:07:37 AM
Quote from: KRonn on April 02, 2015, 07:09:09 AM
The African nations are going to have to put more emphasis on fighting these groups, as I don't see how any political accommodation can be made with such extremists to be part of any government.
Yeah but how much can they really do? AK-47s and psychos willing to kill are cheap, security is expensive.
Yeah, it's going to take time and money but mostly they need the will to want it. I think they're seeing often enough the nasty impact of these groups so African nations have some will to fight it. They've already been involved in many events like this. African Union troops in Somalia, several nations now in Nigeria vs the extremists. They can do it. Plus I'm sure they can get some financing from the US and Euro-nations for security issues.
It's really too bad that Ghaddafi is no longer around as he would have been helping fight this scourge, and probably would have been a strong leader against it. Instead Libya is now a nation with these same radical groups vying to take over.
Quote from: Martinus on April 02, 2015, 10:06:23 AM
Quote from: Neil on April 02, 2015, 07:57:30 AM
The African countries need to set their resources to persecuting Muslims and Islam at home. They don't need to worry about immigration, so surely it's just a matter of cleaning up a few hives, right?
Yeah, seriously. This is their civil war (which also, notably, looks a lot like European reformation period wars of religion so the "Muslim Reformation" everybody was hoping for is finally here). Now they need to get their shit together and stop blaming the West or gays.
their civil was has been going on since Ali was murdered. And there's no muslim-reformation going on either since the reformers appear to be nothing more than a very tiny minority
Since I posted last night the death toll has risen ten fold. :(
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/update-garissa-attack-death-toll-rises-147-four-gunmen-killed
QuoteUPDATE: Garissa attack death toll rises to 147, four gunmen killed - See more at:
BY STAR REPORTER | April 2, 2015
The death toll in the attack by al Shabaab on a university in Garissa on Thursday has risen to 147 and the siege has ended, the country's disaster response agency said.
"UPDATE: 147 fatalities confirmed in the Garissa Attack," The Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre said on its official Twitter feed, adding that the operation had ended.
Four gunmen were killed and some police officers from the Recce squad injured during the operation.
Police have announced a curfew in four counties following the attacks that targeted Christian students.
Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett announced that Garissa, Tana River, Mandera and Wajir counties will be under dusk to dawn curfew starting Friday to April 16.
He addressed the press in Garissa town flanked by Interior CS Joseph Nkaissey and other local leaders.
At least 79 people were injured and over 500 students rescued during the attack that Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility.
Most of the students were killed during morning prayers.
Quote from: frunk on April 02, 2015, 10:06:13 AM
Quote from: Martinus on April 02, 2015, 10:04:38 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on April 02, 2015, 08:05:55 AM
I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya. :(
Damn, you will have to come up with another ploy to get rid of her, now.
I think she's safe as long as she makes more money than she spends.
Or forces Mono to spend on himself.
Once again it is not the poor and opressed getting recruited, but the well off and well educated. :(
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/05/mohammed_abdirahim_abdullahi_gunman_in_kenya_massacre_was_the_son_of_government.html
QuoteA Gunman in Kenya Massacre Was the Son of Government Official
By Daniel Politi
One of the gunmen who murdered 148 people at a university in Kenya had been a Kenyan law school graduate known for his straight-A's and his influential father, who is a government official. More specifically, Mohammed Abdirahim Abdullahi's father is a "chief" in Madera, a town near the Somali border. As the Guardian explains, "chiefs are officials retained by the national authorities to solve disputes at local level and their remit includes identifying criminals."
The 24-year-old "will likely go down in history as the mass murderer with the most innocent face," notes Kenya's the Daily Nation. Known as Ababmo by his classmates, he was known for his good grades as much as for his tailored suits. "But below the nice suits and the veneer of normality was a cauldron of hatred and religious fanaticism which culminated in mass murder last week," adds the paper.
Blogger Yassin Juma says that it was well known when he disappeared that Abdirahim had gone to join al-Shabab after his initial plan to join ISIS failed because "he had no passport." A relative who spoke to Kenya's Standard claims Abdullahi went missing shortly after receiving his law degree and his family reported his disappearance immediately. The Guardian managed to speak briefly to his father before he was rushed to the hospital, apparently overwhelmed by the reports of his son's involvement in the massacre. "This is a young man who disappeared in 2013 and I have not heard from him since," Abdullahi Mohammed said. "If it is true and it is confirmed that he was one of them, then he deserves the most painful death. This is so inhuman what they did to the innocent students. It is so wrong."
A government official confirmed Abdullahi's family was trying to help authorities locate him. "The father had reported to security agents that his son had disappeared from home... and was helping the police try to trace his son by the time the Garissa terror attack happened," Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka told Reuters.
The involvement of a well-educated Kenyan in the attack served as a shocking reminder of just how successful Islamic extremists have been in recruiting young people across the country. "The news that one of the gunmen was Kenyan highlights the challenges faced by the government in preventing terrorist attacks," notes the Associated Press. "The danger comes not only from neighboring Somalia but also from within Kenya."
The government also identified Mohamed Mohamud as the mastermind of the attack. He is Kenyan and has three wives, reports CNN.
Hey timmay, we have known for a long time that jihadis are mostly middle and upper class.
The idea that jihadis are poor is a western media consturct because most journalist have a marxist education and want to see everything through the lense of class warfare.
The dirt poor have dreams of gettin electronics and nike shoes. The ones that are from well off families are the ones looking for the deep meaning of life, and turn to islam.
Whoops...
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/14/police_plane_sent_on_personal_trip_during_kenya_garissa_attack.html
QuoteKenyan Police Chief Sent Commando Transport Plane on Family Holiday During Garissa Attack
In the weeks after the Garissa University massacre in Kenya, carried out by the Somali-based militant group al-Shabab, horror at the brutality of the loss of nearly 150 lives morphed into anger at the Kenyan government's woefully slow response to the attack. On Tuesday, the government's ham-handed reaction looked even worse "after a police chief admitted that a plane meant to transport commandos to the scene was instead being used to fly his family back from holiday on the coast," according to the Guardian.
The plane's crew had been sent to Mombasa on the morning of the attack to pick up police official Rogers Mbithi's daughter-in-law and her child, according to the Daily Nation. The plane did, eventually, return and transport commandos to the site of the attack, but that was hours after the siege began. Making things worse "some of the victims had initially managed to hide from the killers after the assault began at dawn, but were discovered and murdered in the afternoon, many hours later," the Guardian reports. "The police commandos only arrived seven hours after the attack started, finally breaking the siege in the evening."
Quote from: Siege on April 05, 2015, 07:27:36 PM
Hey timmay, we have known for a long time that jihadis are mostly middle and upper class.
The idea that jihadis are poor is a western media consturct because most journalist have a marxist education and want to see everything through the lense of class warfare.
The dirt poor have dreams of gettin electronics and nike shoes. The ones that are from well off families are the ones looking for the deep meaning of life, and turn to islam.
Siege is right. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. :)