Once again we see the mainstream media’s tendency to avoid naming an actor when that actor is an Islamic jihadist. This car bomb didn’t decide to go off and murder eleven people in Mogadishu. It was set by someone. By whom? Al-Shabab. So why not “Al-Shabab sets off car bomb,” or “Islamic jihadists set off car bomb”? Because that would portray Islamic jihadis in a bad light, which the mainstream media always goes out of its way to avoid doing.
“Somalia: Car Bomb Kills 11 in Somali Capital,” from the VOA via AllAfrica.com, February 27
A car bomb has exploded at a cafe in Somalia’s capital, killing at least 11 people.
The blast happened Thursday near the headquarters of the National Security and Intelligence Agency in Mogadishu.
The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was targeting security forces.
Al-Shabab once controlled Mogadishu, but was pushed out in 2011 by African Union forces and the Somali government.
The al-Qaida-linked group has carried out periodic attacks in the city, including last week when militants set off a car bomb at the presidential palace and stormed the compound with guns. At least 17 people were killed in the attack, but the president was not harmed.
Earlier this month, an al-Shabab car bomb killed at least six people, including three Somali soldiers.