Hard to do SysAdmin by proxy
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 12:06AM 
WAPO story on AMISOM's difficulties in avoiding civilian casualties in Mogadishu as it fights al Shabaab:
An African Union peacekeeping force, funded by hundreds of millions of dollars from the United States and its allies, has killed, wounded and displaced hundreds of Somali civilians in a stepped-up campaign against Islamist militants, according to medical officials, human rights activists and victims.
Led by Ugandan and Burundian troops, the force has intensified shelling in recent weeks as Somalia's al-Shabab militia, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has pushed closer toward the fragile government's seat of power. The shells are landing in heavily populated areas, in some cases even neighborhoods controlled by the government. Al-Shabab leaders say the peacekeepers and the shelling are the key reasons it bombed two venues in Uganda's capital last Sunday, killing 76 people watching broadcasts of the World Cup final.
More to the point, the ultimate blame, as far as the locals are concerned, still lies with us:
"When one kilogram of mortars are fired by al-Shabab, AMISOM replies with 100 kilograms of artillery," said Abdulqadir Haji, director of a volunteer ambulance service, using the acronym for the African Union force. "It is America and the West who support them. America and the West are the silent killers in Somalia's war."
In the Long War, you may escape the casualties--on your side--by contracting out, but you cannot escape the blame when things go badly.
Bottom line: the Gap's high demand for SysAdmin services will not be going away any time soon. The only question is who is actually on the front line and what is the level of their professionalism.
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