Two teenage girls executed by Somali militants

[oberliner]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A Somali militant group publicly executed two teenage girls Wednesday after accusing them of being spies for the Somali government, according to the group, eyewitnesses and a relative of one of the girls.

"Those two girls were evil and they were spies for the enemy (the Somali government), but the mujahedeen caught them and after investigation, they admitted their crime, so they have been executed," said Sheikh Yusuf Ali Ugas, commander of Al-Shabaab in Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia.

The teens were blindfolded with their hands behind their backs against a tree, and shot, according to a local journalist.

A resident of Beledweyne told CNN that Al-Shabaab called on the town's residents to come out and watch the execution.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/28/somalia.teens.executed/?hpt=T1

[iverglas]

1. "executed"

(I know it wasn't your word.)

Distasteful as the concept itself is, "execution" implies a killing by an entity with legitimate authority, after a process that meets minimal requirements of fairness.

This killing doesn't begin to meet those standards. (No, not even under the Shar'ia these thugs pretend to want to impose.) The appropriate term would be "murder".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shabaab

[oberliner]

3. Yes - horrible

I agree with your comments.

[Taverner]

11. That's just it - these Fundie Scumbags THINK they have the authority of ALLAH

They don't even have the authority to shove bacon up their asses

[iverglas]

12. but it was CNN

that called it an execution ...

[Taverner]

13. I know - - and for a country with no real government, it was an execution

Because they are nation of 'sovereign individuals'

Seriously!

That's what the whole Sovereign movement leads to!

[Pavulon]

16. Sharia law is their basis. Same for playing queen of hearts

with that nice reporter on liveleak.

[iverglas]

18. yeah, just like the Bible is some others' basis

Except, like, it really isn't.

Know anything about Shar'ia?

CLAIMING something as one's basis -- which is, I noted, what this group does -- is entirely different from something actually BEING one's basis.

So it doesn't really do for you to say something is what it is merely claimed to be.

[iverglas]

17. sorry, but no, really

Individuals, "sovereign" or no, have no authority to kill other individuals (barring a legitimate excuse/justification such as self-defence). Perhaps some would claim otherwise, but they'd just be making it up as they go along. The whole essence of human rights is that no individual has authority to interfere in another's exercise of those rights, unless they are acting on behalf of the holder of the collective authority.

This has nothing to do with any "Sovereign" movement, I don't believe. It has to do with the failure of a state, and the collapse into warring groups battling over the power to exercise authority, and in the meantime acting without authority.

They do claim authority, obviously, they just don't have any authority that would be recognized by any consensus in the modern world.

What I assume you're referring to is the loonytarian branch of the US right wing and its "sovereign" nonsense, but that is really totally unrelated to these people, and in fact at opposite ends of what politicalcompass.org calls the libertarian/authoritarian access of the compass. The people in question here actually recognize no authority in the individual over themself.


Of course, there are instances when entities exercising legitimate (by current definition) authority do quite awful things to individuals, too.

[Taverner]

19. NO this has nothing to do with the Sovereign movement but...

It is the likely outcome if these folks get to make laws

[blackspade]

2. Scumbags. (nt)

[Xithras]

4. Killing children....

Sometimes, when I read stories like this, I find myself hoping that the Christians are right, and that there is a fiery hell for these bastards to burn in someday.

[somone]

5. 16 y/o and 15 y/o school girls

Barbaric.

[iverglas]

6. I'm struck

by the parallel to the Omar Khadr case (see thread currently on front page of this forum).

He was 15 when he was captured, illegally detained, mistreated and then held for many years on charges that are very likely false. Huh. Only in Somalia, you say?* Nope.


(* A note for the foreigners ;) -- a well-known Canadian tea commercial had Queen Victoria sipping the tea, liking it, and saying "Only in Canada, you say? ... Pity." No person present here being addressed; just indulging in a little Canadian idiom.)

[mcollins]

10. and yet;

regardless what we did to him, we didn't tie him to a tree and shoot him.

[iverglas]

14. I appreciate differences of degree

For instance, I don't think this is what the US would look like under Tea Party rule, which would nonetheless be unpleasant and similar in principle in many ways.

But hey, congratulations on merely imprisoning and torturing a 15-year-old exploited child on trumped-up charges, and now coercing him into pleading guilty to the trumped-up charges to avoid the possibility of being convicted by a kangaroo court and sentenced to life in prison.

[Pavulon]

15. Do you want your shit back, you can have it.

he killed a medic. personally he can hang for all I care. But hey maybe he can come live on your sofa. Live in your house, bang your sister, drink your tea.

I call your bluff, you dont want him do ya?

[iverglas]

20. and I care what you care

even less, believe me. I've had the pleasure of your unpleasantness on this point once already. It was enough.

But hey, you've called my bluff!!

Did you actually read the thread in which you posted, regarding Khadr?

The universal consensus of decent people is that Khadr should be returned to Canada. No, actually: that Khadr should have been returned to Canada long ago.

Here; I posted this in the Canada forum today:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/392/FAAE/Reports/RP3572352/faaerp07/faaerp07-e.pdf

THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
has the honour to present its
SEVENTH REPORT
Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(2), the Committee has studied the case of Omar Khadr and has agreed to report the following

... RECOMMENDATIONS

In light of these findings, the Subcommittee:

1. Recommends that the Government of Canada demand the immediate termination of Military Commission proceedings against Omar Khadr.

2. Expresses its objection to the position stated by the United States that it reserves the right to detain Omar Khadr as an “enemy combatant” notwithstanding an acquittal or the possible termination of proceedings.

3. Recommends that the Government of Canada demand Omar Khadr’s release from US custody at Guantanamo Bay to the custody of Canadian law enforcement officials as soon as practical.

4. Calls on the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate, and, if warranted, prosecute Omar Khadr for offences under Canadian law.

5. Recommends that the Government of Canada take such measures as are necessary to ensure that possible security concerns are appropriately and adequately addressed upon the repatriation of
Omar Khadr.

6. Calls on the Government of Canada to take appropriate measures that are consistent with Canada’s obligations under Article 7 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and with Canadian law.

7. In particular, the Subcommittee calls on the relevant Canadian authorities to ensure that an appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration program is developed for Omar Khadr, which takes into account legitimate security concerns. To the extent necessary, such a program could place judicially enforceable conditions on Omar Khadr’s conduct.

The entire report (2008) makes interesting reading.

Since we currently have a right-wing government (which received not much more than 1/3 of the votes cast in the last election), Canada as a state has not acted on those recommendations. Notwithstanding what the Supreme Court of Canada said about it:

http://csc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/2010/2010scc3/2010scc3.html

K is entitled to a remedy under s. 24(1) of the Charter. The remedy sought by K — an order that Canada request his repatriation — is sufficiently connected to the Charter breach that occurred in 2003 and 2004 because of the continuing effect of this breach into the present and its possible effect on K’s ultimate trial. While the government must have flexibility in deciding how its duties under the royal prerogative over foreign relations are discharged, the executive is not exempt from constitutional scrutiny. Courts have the jurisdiction and the duty to determine whether a prerogative power asserted by the Crown exists; if so, whether its exercise infringes the Charter or other constitutional norms; and, where necessary, to give specific direction to the executive branch of the government. Here, the trial judge misdirected himself in ordering the government to request K’s repatriation, in view of the constitutional responsibility of the executive to make decisions on matters of foreign affairs and the inconclusive state of the record. The appropriate remedy in this case is to declare that K’s Charter rights were violated, leaving it to the government to decide how best to respond in light of current information, its responsibility over foreign affairs, and the Charter.

So, my dear, if YOU feel so strongly about this, how about YOU lobby your elected representatives to put an end to the kangaroo court proceedings and send Omar Khadr home?

I promise to say "thank you".

[Pavulon]

30. Right I know thats like your opinion man, but do the real people in charge in canada

want this turd back?

[iverglas]

33. so

how's the hangover?

[Kennah]

7. Somalia provides a glimpse of America under Tea Party Rule

[timo]

8. ooooffffff

what a fabulous culture, so warm and caring,full of understanding and love, who couldnt get behind that kind of organization and wish them all kinds of luck in their "struggle"!!!

[iverglas]

21. ick

Kinda like the culture that produces people who revel in bigotry and racism on internet discussion boards?

Kinda.

[timo]

22. HA

i will take a an army of internet tough guys over a culture that stones people,condones "honor" killings treats women and kids like shit....the tea partys no great shakes but you dont see them lining up to bounce rocks of heads!!

[iverglas]

23. you seem to have missed my point

[timo]

24. no biggie

you missed mine to, its all good!! well except for the backwards ass rock bouncers that believe in honor killing and jihad and all that lame shit!!

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[timo]

27. lame lame lame

nice with the name calling internet tough guy!! but if you really think that honor killings, stonings,and treating women like shit are all that and a bag of chips move your ass on over there and see where it gets you!!

[iverglas]

28. when it comes to calling names

I think you're in the lead here.

I "really think that honor killings, stonings,and treating women like shit" are intolerable.

I also think that crude, obnoxious, stupid, ugly remarks like

"what a fabulous culture"
"a culture that stones people,condones 'honor' killings treats women and kids like shit"

are exactly what I said they are, and are made only by exactly what I said you are.

But then, you come from a culture where GLBT people are regularly beaten and murdered because of who they are (and excluded from many of the benefits of membership in their society available to others), women are regularly sexually assaulted and assaulted and murdered because of who they are (and discriminated against in a host of ways), people of colour are subject to systemic discrimination and imprisoned and executed in unbelievably disproportionate numbers, immigrants and members of various ethnic and religious minorities live in fear, radio personalities regularly incite hatred of all of the above ... shall I go on?

So I guess I should just expect you to be what you are. It's your culture. It's so ... how did that go? ... "warm and caring, full of understanding and love".

Fortunately, I'm an intelligent and decent person. I will blame you for what you are, because it's vile. Just like I'll blame the people who committed these murders for what they did, and not wander around the internet making pig-ignorant statements about someone else's "culture".

[timo]

31. oh noes11111111!!!!!!!

pffffffffffffffffffffffttttttttttttttttttttt big whoooopty do, I will take the AMerican culture with all its flaws over stonings beheadings and honor killings every day, I will take our fat lazy bloated mtv death culture over qat chewing backwards ass killing people for jihad any day....what YOU say wont make it any better/worse/different....and as far as how things are here and how its going jim dandy for me, I have no real complaints..no honor killings on my block lately, no suicide bombers or martyrs, everythings rosy!!

[DavidDvorkin]

9. "Executed" means "murdered"

But it always does.

[Old Troop]

26. Once again the victims get lost in the discussion on DU. NT

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[UndertheOcean]

32. Animals ANIMALS ANIMALS ANIMALS ANIMALS

how can anyone , even a monster destroy the life of two defenseless innocent girls in cold blood with people watching like worthless sacks of meat, too afraid for their own lives to help , or maybe some of them approving , despicable disgusting awful awful awful no words adequate to describe the barbarity and depravity of this EVIL horrific deed.

hope the people who did this , whose dirty hands pulled the triggers and whose foul machinations caused this , I hope they die the most horrible painful excruciating death possible in the whole history of the universe

no words , no words to describe the vomit inducing disgust that is permeating my being right now