Somaila: Hearts Minds and Holy War

Westerners are completely absent from Mogadishu, with the situation even more precarious for journalists following the murder of cameraman Martin Adler, shot by an unidentified hit man at an anti-American public rally in June. Reporters Barnwell and Hartley are forced to work under constant threat of assassination from various factions. Beginning their journey in Mogadishu, it's immediately clear that militants, known as the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), have seized the capital and are extending their power using force and religious persuasion. While Western powers failed to bring law and order to even a few blocks of Mogadishu and rescue Somalia from years of anarchy - and 500,000 deaths - the UIC has been winning the hearts and minds of ordinary Somalis by quickly-brought, real improvements to their lives.