One of my correspondents is a Marine Scout Sniper.  He was attached to a U.S. Embassy in one African country that had decended into total chaos.  As he tells it:

 

"One of the local warlords got really uppity abour harassing the Americans in the embassy with small arms fire.  He'd told his guys to let off a blast through the gates of the embassy as they went past in their "urban assault" Toyota pickups with fancy camo paint jobs (and bullet holes).

 

The word came down from the Ambassadors' office to the Marines [paraphrasing]: "Warn the natives to cut that crap out or we will shoot to kill."

 

And so it came about that the local warlord decided to prove he had great manly "ju-ju."  His pickup came roaring up to the gate after the announcement had been transmitted in every manner possible to the population.  He got out with an AK and started hosing the embassy. 

 

A Marine scout-sniper team put a .308 caliber hole through the middle of his forehead.  Some of his admirers from the pickup sprang out, grabbed the dead guy's rifle, threw it in the truck, others picked up the recently deceased and threw him in the truck, and roared off with everyone making no aggressive moves.

 

After "Mr. Big" took the dirt nap, the locals became very respectful of the Marines in the embassy.  They even went so far as to remove magazines and belts from weapons as they passed with arms slung, muzzles down, and hands raised to show no weapons were present or aggressive intent.  Some made a great point of moving to the opposite side of the street from the gate.  Things got downright quiet around the American compound thanks to one 173 grain M118 Special Special ball round."