A SOMALI GUNMAN STANDS NEXT TO THE RUINS OF MOGADISHU CATHEDRAL, 1993-10-03 (photo)

A Somali gunman stands next to the ruins of the once picturesque Mogadishu Cathedral which stands on the city's green line dividing North and South Mogadishu and which was destroyed during fighting between rival Somali factions after the overthrow of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991. Neighbourhood patrols by gunmen answerable to local elders and Islamic courts rather than militia bosses have sprung up in the past year in the lawless capital of one million Somali people.The firefight on October 3, 1993 destroyed any U.S. appetite for further military involvement in Somalia with the deaths of 18 U.S. special forces supporting a UN force called UNOSOMII. Picture taken September 23, 2003. TO GO WITH SOMALIA BLACKHAWKDOWN FEATURE REUTERS/ Antony Njuguna AN/WS