News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Black Hawk Down - The True Story

Date: January 18, 2002

"THE TRUE STORY OF BLACK HAWK DOWN
On October 4, 1993, the world was witness to the graphic images of dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets of Somalia. What had been planned as a 30-minute military mission had erupted into one of the most intense gun battles of recent U.S. history. Join us Monday, January 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (8 p.m. CT) as The History Channel presents The True Story Of Black Hawk Down. Based on Mark Bowden’s best-selling book Black Hawk Down, . this program takes an in-depth look at the Battle of Mogadishu by presenting the first-hand accounts of Army Rangers, Delta Force members, UN officials, and Somali militiamen. Bowden shares his knowledge and research throughout the program, guiding the story from the arrival of the UN peacekeeping force through the events of October 4, 1993.

On October 4, 1993, the images of Somali militiamen desecrating dead American soldiers were on every television. The battle was over. Approximately 73 U.S. soldiers were wounded, 18 were dead, and Mike Durant was still missing. The exact number of Somalis killed is estimated anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000, and includes many women and children who had participated in the battle as heavily armed combatants. The Battle of Mogadishu led to one of President Clinton’s most controversial military decisions while in office—a decision with political ramifications that last to this day."