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| Arabia | ||
| Yemen troops shoot it out with each other | ||
| 2003-12-30 | ||
Last Wednesday, a serious violent incident took place near the presidential palace crossroads in Taiz City when Republic Guard members exchanged fires with soldiers belonging to the inspection department of the Public Works Authority. According to eyewitnesses, the incident started when soldiers from the Public Works Authority were intercepted by Republican Guard members and prevented from carrying out their work, which was to inspect buildings that were built without prior authorization. After a verbal dispute, both parties began using live ammunition to settle their differences, killing one of the guards, and injuring others. The vehicle of the Public Works team was also damaged in the shootout.
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| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #14 This'd never work in Boston. All the DPW guys here ever get out of the trucks for is Dunkin Donuts and lottery tickets. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-12-30 1:07:31 PM |
| #13 I would recomment the works of Hernando de Soto, the Peruvian economist, for anyone wishing to understand why a third world DPW might have armed troops and why they might have firefights with the Army. His The Mystery of Capital is a good place to start. In the first world, getting title to property and a building permit is taken for granted. In the third world, it is a means of control. I lent my copy to someone, but I believe there were over 700 steps involved in buying and improving property in Cairo. Only the priviledged few can own titled property since they are the only ones that can pay the bribes. The rest live in shanties or government controlled housing. In a third world country, when DPW sends out inspectors, that means that they are out to extort bribes or evict squatters from land someone wealthy wants. If the land is contested by two powerful factions, then there might very well be a fire fight. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2003-12-30 12:16:33 PM |
| #12 Doesn't really matter now who said what to who and when. Blood has been spilled; we move to the next phase...Dire Revenge™. |
| Posted by: seafarious 2003-12-30 12:03:43 PM |
| #11 There was much insulting of mustaches and gnashing of teeth, followed by sliding of bolts and dancing of smoky, hot brass on steamy pavement, accompanied by the high-pitched shrieking of "Ow! Ow! Damn! Ow!" |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-12-30 12:01:58 PM |
| #10 Okay.. come clean.. the post and all the comments are really part of the grand plan to gaslight Shipman... right? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-30 11:50:55 AM |
| #9 Sounds more like a matter of Honor™. The lowly Department of Public Works commandos probably had their Dignity™ offended when they were Insulted™ by the Elite Republican Guards. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-12-30 11:30:36 AM |
| #8 Anyone care to bet that this was a matter of family business? |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-12-30 11:21:49 AM |
| #7 here at the City of San Diego Engineering Dept we are all issued AK's, Claymores, and red staplers... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-12-30 9:55:55 AM |
| #6 It started like, "Hey, Mahoud. You Public Works guys don't no chit!" "What'd you say, Abdul?" "I said you and your buddies don't know CHIT!!" "Ja hear that guys? Abdul said we don't chit!" (the sound of AK47s). |
| Posted by: ScottAK 2003-12-30 9:44:49 AM |
| #5 I'm still stuck trying to figure why the public works department has soldiers I was wondering that too, Fred, but then I remembered that the Dept. of Streets and Sanitation in Chicago has "soldiers", too (mostly for collecting votes, though!). |
| Posted by: Spot 2003-12-30 9:03:22 AM |
| #4 Maybe some could help me out here. I strongly suspect that the Yemeni president (strong man) is a shiite and the shiites won the civil war but have been unable to confirm this. If so it would help make sense of what is going on in SA. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2003-12-30 2:01:46 AM |
| #3 The incident has also resulted in a turbulent relationship... Turbulent? Bad pun time? |
| Posted by: Raj 2003-12-30 1:03:15 AM |
| #2 The elite Public Works Authority commandos prove their mettle once again. |
| Posted by: Paul Moloney 2003-12-30 12:43:04 AM |
| #1 The Public Works dept has to secure the perimeter when they go down the manholes. The Republican Guards say that is their jurisdiction. It is just a jurisdictional dispute. Maybe it will now go to the |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-12-30 12:14:25 AM |