On October 3, 1993, the Battle of Mogadishu began and it was a pivotal moment in the Somali civil war where US forces aimed to capture top aides of warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. Originally a humanitarian mission to restore food supplies, US objectives had expanded, compounded by political incoherence from the transition between Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.

Clinton’s lack of foreign-policy experience further muddled the mission's goals. During the operation, both the air and ground strategies unraveled. Ground vehicles lost their way, and a helicopter was downed by a rocket-propelled grenade. The ensuing chaos lasted through the night, culminating in another helicopter crash, the deaths of nineteen American soldiers, and over a thousand Somali casualties. So, what truly went wrong that day? Let’s find out…

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