Posted on 09/24/2013 11:38:04 AM PDT by neverdem
The UK Daily Mail recounts the astonishing deeds of a man who must remain nameless for security reasons: a British ex-marine who was having coffee at the Westgate Shopping Center when a gang of cowardly terrorist thugs attacked. He drew his gun, leaped into action, and never stopped leaping:
A former marine emerged as a hero of the Nairobi siege yesterday after he was credited with saving up to 100 lives.
The ex soldier was having coffee at the Westgate mall when it was attacked by Islamists on Saturday.
With a gun tucked into his waistband, he was pictured helping two women from the complex.
His story emerged as sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from inside the mall early today as Kenyan security forces battled Al Qaeda-linked terrorists into a fourth day.
Despite Kenyan police assurances that they had taken control of the building, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 hostages were still being held by a band of attackers, possibly as many as 13.
The former soldier is said to have returned to the building on a dozen occasions, despite intense gunfire.
A friend in Nairobi said: ‘What he did was so heroic. He was having coffee with friends when it happened.
‘He went back in 12 times and saved 100 people. Imagine going back in when you knew what was going on inside.’
The siege was finally broken with a furious battle between Kenyan forces and the terrorists, causing three floors of the mall to collapse, presumably from bomb and grenade blasts. According to CNN, five of the terrorists have been killed, with 11 more people in custody. There is mounting speculation that British terror recruit Samantha Lewthwaite, aka the “White Widow,” was involved in the attack.
CNN’s report includes a harrowing eyewitness account from a survivor:
Mwagi Dorcas told CNN’s “New Day” on Tuesday that she hid behind luggage in the mall’s ground-floor grocery store, memorizing a Muslim prayer sent to her by family in a desperate bid to save her life should attackers find her. Al-Shabaab and some witnesses have said the attackers quizzed shoppers about their faith before deciding whether to kill them, releasing Muslims and targeting many others.
“I was praying the whole time,” she said. “I believed that, you know, if I got out, I would be rescued.”
Some were spared despite not being Muslim. In one remarkable case reported by The Sun newspaper in Britain, terrorists spared a 4-year-old boy who confronted them, saying, “You’re a very bad man.”
Among the children these murderous scum did kill was the 8-year-old son of a bank branch manager, and the baby carried by pregnant malaria expert Elif Yavuz, gunned down alongside her husband despite being only a few weeks away from giving birth.
When devils ride into town, a good man with a gun can make all the difference in the world.
Why are they blurring out his face now? His face has already been published.
ONE brave man with a gun. One HUNDRED LIVES SAVED.
The LSM will bury this story, of course.
When devils ride into town, a good man with a gun can make all the difference in the world.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tell THAT to Diane Feinstein.
Because OPSEC is like a slider switch, not a two-pole switch.
In WWII, both the breaking of the Japanese naval code and the function of Los Alamos and the name of its director were published in American newspapers.
Once.
Fortunately, nobody succumbed to the logic you describe, which is plausible on first glance, since it errs on the side of our free speech traditions.
I think this paper is doing its part to preserve this heroic man’s anonymity. Will it work? Probably not, but it’s worth a try.
Been thinking that the number one reason we don’t have many such attacks in the US is precisely that they fear the numbers of gun-toting citizens. The one or two mall incidents I recall both ended badly for the bad guys. One was in Utah, and maybe one other. An armed citizenry is the only defense.
how did he use his firearm?
Been thinking that the number one reason we don’t have many such attacks in the US is precisely that they fear the numbers of gun-toting citizens. The one or two mall incidents I recall both ended badly for the bad guys. One was in Utah, and maybe one other. An armed citizenry is the only defense.
>how did he use his firearm?<
leapingly.
A NYT photog, Fisk, just happened to be next door picking up some framed pictures. He jumped into action and was allowed to follow the Kenyan police around all day.
I might as well say it. There is an Australian, Lowy, who owns lots of Westgate Malls in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and some in Asia. His son is in charge of the American Westgate Malls. Lowy and Silverstein were partners when the WTC went down and collected all that insurance.
Lowy or American Westgate has plans drawn up for a beautiful new mall on the WTC site. All I can find about the Kenyan Westgate is that is owned by Israelis which may not be true, and many owned shops in the mall. May be only a rumor but it all started in a coffee shop owned by an Israeli.
Now that I read floors have collapsed, even without that, there will be a huge insurance claim I would wager. I doubt they will leave that one standing. It was a beautiful mall, nicer than a lot of ours.
I'm curious about that, too. No question he's a hero, and that he saved a lot of people at risk of his life. But the story assiduously avoids the question of whether he shot at, or maybe shot, any of the terrorists. The gun always seems to be tucked into his belt, if you believe the writers.
I suspect that they admire his heroism, but don't like the idea of a gun actually helping in such a situation.
As Freedom Destroys Itself: Laws can’t protect a society that has lost its way.
The Path to Victory Senator Ted Cruz
Senate GOP Con Job: Opposition to Obamacare
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Re my post. It wasn’t Fisk. It was Tyler Hicks.
Interesting. Thanks.
Logically, if he had to use it, he shot at terrorists. They either fled, or died. If they died, logically, he picked up their weapons and used them against them. So then he would have fully auto rifles and grenades, which is how he would be able to successfully go back a number of times and save people.
Yes, he could have just gone back with a pistol, or even empty handed, for that matter. But to get so many people out from going back many times, being military he surely would have been thinking about maximizing his weapons.
And that's why the MSM really doesn't want to talk about what he did - it's literally the story of how a single gun can win a war.
And think about that - what if Homeland Security requested all American be armed at all times, and did *real* "terror drills" where they walked civilians through emergency defence tactics against MUSLIMS shooting people in a public space - how to hide, how to get a fire position, how to get their weapons and use it against them. How about the ATF teaching Americans familiarity with typical Middle Eastern weapons and explosives, so that they can be used against the MUSLIMS in an ISLAMIC mass-murder attempt?
DAMMIT
/r
This headline seems kind of misleading to me. What role did his gun play in the rescue? Did he even brandish it? ... Although I suppose you would be more willing to risk your life if you were armed with a gun and, thus, with a fighting chance.
>>His son is in charge of the American Westgate Malls.<<
That’s interesting. There’s a Westgate Mall in my boring Chicago south suburb of Chicago Ridge. It sure ain’t luxurious. More on the dreary side.
I suppose they're built according to the type of clients they expect to shop there.
They have a website but I couldn't get it to work last night.
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.