Death toll in Nairobi at least 39

[Warpy]

with more than 150 injured. A gun battle between police and religious nuts in Al-Shabab, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, is ongoing. Armored vehicles have just been brought in.

Earlier live coverage at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24189669

[cali]

1. still ongoing. terrorists (I have no compunction about labeling them thus)

barricaded in supermarket in mall. Americans among the casualties.

[malaise]

2. I want to know who are the members of President Kenyatta's family

who were killed and injured. They may have been the primary targets.

[Warpy]

3. Could be, although it's hard to see what stake Somali militants

would have in slaughtering the Kenyan president's family members. I doubt they were the primary target, it seems to have been non Muslims of all countries.

It looks like Somalia is on track to be the next country attacked by the world, for its piracy as well as its militant religious screwballs.

Let's just hope the rest of the world starts the process. The US can't afford to go it alone anywhere.

ETA: The BBC page I linked to has a live feed on the left hand of the page. It's after 9 PM there and this is still happening.

[malaise]

4. Kenya has 5,000 troops in Somalia

Live coverage here
http://www.nation.co.ke/

[Warpy]

5. Thanks, I didn't know that

Apparently it was Kenyatta's elder sister and she escaped without being hurt.

[jberryhill]

6. Westlands in Nairobi has a lot of Somali pirate money

What has been going on in Westlands is that it has become something of an enclave for Somalis who have bought up a lot of the commercial real estate in Nairobi to convert Somali piracy cash into hard assets.

Al-Shabab has been "the gang that couldn't shoot straight" for a number of years among AQ affiliate wannabee's. This will give them some cred, but I really don't understand the point of them shitting where Somali transplants to Nairobi eat.

[malaise]

7. Did not know that

Interesting

[HipChick]

8. I was just coming to post that..

a friend was telling me the piracy money has enabled them to buy almost any weapon you can imagine, and acquiring other assets to cycle through the cash..she lives and just posted on her FB that she and her family are safe

[malaise]

10. Glad your friends are OK

Hubby has relatives and friends there but they hate all malls so he's not worried.

[jberryhill]

9. Oh yeah, this is some kind of inside baseball

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34661327/ns/world_news-africa/t/somali-pirates-behind-kenya-property-boom/#.Uj4lQFPJKXs

In a neighborhood of Nairobi now called "Little Mogadishu" because of its Somali community, large business and apartment buildings have sprung up. A similar explosion of real estate development can be seen in higher-income areas of the city.

------

Somebody wasn't paying the "rent".

[malaise]

11. Thanks for the link

You know dogs never shit in their own yards unless they can't escape. Strange indeed.

[gopiscrap]

12. wow I pray for the families of all injured and killed.