Shabab: 137 hostages buried in Kenya mall rubble

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- The militant group behind the four-day takeover of a Nairobi mall claim Kenyan government forces used explosives in carrying out "a demolition" of the building, burying 137 hostages.

In a Tweet Wednesday from an account believed to be genuine, al-Shabab also claimed that "having failed to defeat the mujahideen inside the mall, the Kenyan govt disseminated chemical gases to end the siege."

Government spokesman Manoah Esipisu immediately denied the claim, saying that no chemical weapons were used and that the official civilian death toll remains 61. He says three floors of the building collapsed after a fire started by the al-Shabab attackers caused structural weakness.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_KENYA_MALL_ATTACK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-09-25-05-20-43

[JDPriestly]

1. Yet another horror caused by extremism.

[Lasher]

2. Now al-Shabab is trying to assume moral authority.

Calling them hypocrites is inadequate but I am at a loss for words.

[Posteritatis]

3. And people are going to believe that, too. Ugh. (nt)

[question everything]

4. Not directly related, but why are we talking "hostages?"

Have Al Shabbab ever set any demands? We usually are talking about individuals being taken hostages until some demands are met, even if at least a safe passage to another state/city/country.

Just asking.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Diplomacy

The terrorists didn't expect to escape.