Security Lapses in Washington and Mogadishu: A Tale of Two Capitals

Charles Dickens, the author of the literary classic, A Tale of two Cities, based his historical novel in both Paris -facing the turmoil and upheavals of the French revolution- and in the serene and tranquil London. Dickens begun his novel with this intriguing and capturing paragraph; “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

In our modest case here, we have the tale of two capitals. One –Washington D.C- represents the most powerful nation in the world, and the other –Mogadishu, Somalia- perhaps the most failed state in the planet.

I will not indulge in comparing these two cities in a rather comprehensive manner because that will be an exercise of futility. I am only interested in one aspect that caught my attention. In a span of ten days, these two odd capitals had one thing in common; each experienced an egregious security breach. One security breach created a buzz and a great deal of mockery whereas the other resulted in bloody carnage.

A couple named Tareq and Michaele Salahi crashed President Obama’s first State Dinner honoring the visiting Prime Minister of India. This married couple had no invitation to attend the dinner in the White House; ostensibly the most secure residence in the world. They were properly introduced, shook hands with both Obama and his honorable guest, hugged and took pictures with Vice president Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel and other dignitaries.

Fortunately, to the relief of the U.S Secret Service, no one got hurt. No shoes were thrown. The dinner guests, about 300, had a sumptuous meal and afterwards returned safely back to their homes. The White House Social Office and the Secret Service were obviously embarrassed but, alas, no one has lost his/her job because of this glaring security breach. Then again, no one was ever fired due to the debacle that led to the 9/11 tragedy! There will be, of course, official reviews and Congressional investigations. Some Republican and Democratic elected officials were boisterous and demanded for answers.

How could a security breach like this happen in the country that had experienced the 9/11 tragedy?

Representative Peter King, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, was appalled. According to the New York Times, he lashed at the United States Secret Service after its spokesman claimed that Obama was never in danger. “The fact that they [the Salahis] went through the magnometer is incidental. They could have had anthrax on them. They could have grabbed a knife from the dining room table,” King scoffed.

But the Salahis were less sinister. Michaele Salahi was hoping to land a part in an upcoming reality show called “The Real Housewives of Washington, D.C”. They were interested in making news to promote their profiles and brag about their bold and daring adventure. They were there to show off, kiss and tell. Now that they are likely to face indictments, the world will see how charming they are in court.

Then, there is the case of the security breach in Mogadishu on December 3rd, when a deranged al-Shabaab suicide bomber from Denmark, dressed in a woman’s attire, killed himself and 26 other people. Most of the people who died were medical student graduates, but there were also three government ministers (and later another) who also perished.

The concept of suicide bombing is something alien to Somalia. Somalis have a long history of internecine feuds among themselves, but this phenomenon of suicide killing has brought a new dimension to the current conflict. The terrorist bomber had no regard to the lives of the young graduates who had shown perseverance and determination in attending college in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. These graduates were in school long before Sheikh Sharif and his TFG ministers were installed. They were hoping that their education would be the key to a better future. They were neither politicians nor soldiers, and yet they paid with their lives. The terrorist, an abject coward so cavalier about human life, was a paragon of a dysfunctional personality who left a path of destruction.

Meanwhile, al-Shabaab terrorists have shown the world what have been their hallmark; shallowness, cruelty, and utter disregard of the welfare and well-being of Somali youngsters. These thugs and Khmer Rouge look-alikes want to destroy and not build Somalia. Radicalism and militancy in the name of religion has never succeeded in Somalia and, inevitably, al-Shabaab will be doomed.

The TFG has also shown its own inadequacy. The suicide bombing at Hotel Shaamow was an example of the state of affairs in Somalia where violence seems as natural as gravity. The government failed to protect its own four ministers who, in all fairness, were capable individuals. I was never confident that the TFG, pockmarked with a long list of failures and limited control of Mogadishu, will be in a position to protect Mogadishu residents, in general, and the young graduates, in particular.

The White House fiasco was perhaps an incident that provided comic relief because the security breach there showed limitations in the concept of ‘absolute security’. It was tantalizingly surreal because ineptness does not discriminate based on sex, color, religion, or national origin.

The Mogadishu incident, meanwhile, was the essence of tragedy. It was an apocalypse now. It was the tragedy of the loss of young people who were destined to be the future leaders of their country. It was the tragedy of a government that could not even protect the less-than one hundred people who were sequestered in a small section of a hotel to attend the graduation. It was the tragedy of a disturbed, cold-blooded loser who was given the platform to wreck havoc.

One security breach can be mocked while the other brings a mood of sadness. In retrospect, I hope this suicide bombing will unite many Somalis in opposition to these two-legged beasts called al-Shabaab.