For a military establishment acutely conscious of its vulnerability to post-cold-war budget cutters, the landing at Mogadishu was the ultimate photo opportunity.
But having finally secured an elusive spotlight, the marines discovered that they had too much of a good thing. As Navy Seals and Marine reconnaissance teams came shore under the glare of television lights, the spotlights and flash attachments gave away their positions, interfered with their sophisticated night-vision equipment and gave night blindness to commandos who wanted to have their eyes fully adjusted to darkness in case they were attacked from the dunes and scrub.
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