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December 11, 2008
Behind ‘Fighting Piracy’

The guy who probably knows best about piracy around Somali is Andrew Mwangura. He has been involved in many negotiations of ransom payments for captured ships. His view (h/t b real who does a great job in keeping MoA readers informed of the issue):

"Piracy can't be solved by a military solution," Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenyan branch of the East African
Seafarers' Association, told journalists in Nairobi. "We need to go back to the origin. Don't call them criminals … let's have dialogue, sit down and talk."

…
"If you are not going to invite the local community, it is not going to work," he said. "We need to come up with a regional piracy information centre, security in Somalia and a regional action plan on illegal fishing and toxic dumping."

Fishermen began targeting ships in the early 90s, saying they were defending their coastline from illegal fishing and boats dumping toxic waste in Somali waters.

The Somali informal coast guard, aka the pirates, seem to be somewhat successful with regards to illegal fishing. David Axe is currently in Mombasa, Kenya. He writes:

Mombasa itself is safe from pirates: the distance is too great, and the Kenyan navy is out in force. But Mombasa-based shippers, mariners, shipping agents and myriad others who depend on regional sea trade have suffered greatly from the steady rise in Somali piracy in the last decade. Habib Hakem operates a deep-sea fishing company whose boats can range as far as the Somali border. But piracy has put a dent in his trade. Last year he had 60 clients. This year, just 15. He pins the decline on fishermen’s fear of kidnapping.

Habib Hakem may "suffer greatly" now that his illegal fishing business is down. But this is a great success for Somalia's informal coast guard. Others have helped. The Indian navy sunk a Thai trawler which was illegally fishing in Somali waters. They thought it was a pirate mother-ship. It was not, but from the Somali point of view, the Indians hit the right target and created a good deterrence effect .

Fighting the pirates does not make sense from an economic standpoint. Of some 20,000 ships going through the area only some 100 have been attacked this year and only some 40 were actually captured. Nobody was killed. Ransom was payed and the ships went back to the oceans.

Galrahn calculates the cost and benefit for the European Union fleet just sent to 'fight the pirates':

[T]he starting point to estimate the cost of the whole operation should be around $129 million. Other costs associated with a heightened operational tempo could increase the cost by another $20 million or more.

As of the first part of October this year, pirates have collected an estimated $30 million in ransoms in 2008.

It is cheaper to pay the toll the pirates demand, than to fight them. But the EU does not care about the cost or about piracy at all. It is happy it finally managed to launch some military action, even if senseless, without a U.S. lead. The whole idea behind this action is to prepare its population for a more military interventionist and imperial EU attitude.

The U.S. would not have that for long. It now presses for a U.N. resolution to intervene on Somali grounds:

It proposes that for a year, nations "may take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia, including in its airspace, to interdict those who are using Somali territory to plan, facilitate or undertake acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea and to otherwise prevent those activities."

That is carte blache for anyone to kill Somalis. The AP is not shy about the U.S. motive:

Without committing more U.S. Navy ships, the Bush administration wants to tap into what officials see as a growing enthusiasm in Europe and elsewhere for more effective coordinated action against the Somali pirates.

Read: The U.S. wants to use the EU as a proxy force to press its own imperial designs on the Horn of Africa.

The pirates are a nuisance, not a danger to world commerce. They have a grievance that pushes them into the business. If one intends to solve the problem helping Somalis to keep foreign illegal fishing and toxic waste dumping away from their coast would be the best approach.

But no one but the pirates themselves seems to have that intention at all. World powers simply use the issue to press their various designs to snap up African resources.

Posted by b on December 11, 2008 at 08:40 UTC | Permalink
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Islamist rivals talk reconciliation on eve of Ethiopia pullout

MOGADISHU, Somalia Jan 15 (Garowe Online) – The last remaining soldiers from the Ethiopian army withdrew from Somalia’s capital Mogadishu overnight Wednesday, leading to reconciliation efforts among Islamists, Radio Garowe reports.
…
Rival Islamist leaders have reportedly spoken on the phone with each other about reconciling differences after the Djibouti peace process divided the Islamist movement in mid-2008.
Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, chairman of the Djibouti-based Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) faction, has secretly met with delegates from Eritrea-based ARS hardliners in Dubai, sources said.
Zakariye Mohamud Haji, a member of ARS-Eritrea, told reporters the meetings focused on “establishing a united position” following the pullout of Ethiopian armed forces.
Inside sources said Sheikh Sharif has spoken directly on the phone with Sheikh Omar Iman, who chairs the rival ARS-Eritrea faction. The two men had reportedly strengthened ties following the conversation, according to the sources.
Sheikh Iman is a close ally of Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who has rejected the Djibouti Agreement signed between the Somali government and Sheikh Sharif, on behalf of ARS-Djibouti.
Mogadishu bases vacated by the Ethiopian army have fallen into the hands of Islamist factions, but there were no reports of violence.

again, no reports of violence in mogadishu as ethiopian troops have made a visible show of pulling out. the ARS is making inroads on addressing their differences.
yet the western propaganda system continues to portray the somali insurgency as fanatics & extemists while casting the ethiopian troops, brutal war criminals, in a favorable light. al shabaab, they say, wants to impose sharia law on somalia, however they omit that there is little rejection to such. the TNG charter, as i’ve linked to multiple times previously, makes clear that the national legislation is to be sharia. PM nur adde says somalia must be ruled under sharia.
ethiopian troops have left the capital, but not the country. we can probably expect the armed militias to start cleansing mogadishu of any fifth columnists or other collaborators left behind. no doubt the western press will make plenty of column inches for that in their propaganda war.

Posted by: b real | Jan 16 2009 6:09 utc | 101

the AU is spreading disinformation now
AMISOM Concerns Negative Media Reports on Somalia

PRESS STATEMENT
Friday, January 16, 2009
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) wishes to express its concerns over the negative media reports on an alleged occupation of key areas vacated by the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) by elements opposed to the peace process.
It is sad to note that positive developments in Somalia are always overlooked while emphasis is put on negative events. It is in this context that the alleged occupation of Pasta Factory, Mogadishu Stadium and Ex-Ministry of Defence by Al Shabab are being propagated in the media while the correct information indicates otherwise. AMISOM wishes to clarify that areas vacated by ENDF have been occupied by TFG and ARS forces.

ha ha. bullshit.
but it got picked up by all the western press
for instance, reuters reported on friday

The AU, which has 3,500 soldiers in Somalia, took particular issue with some local media reports — citing witnesses — that al Shabaab group had taken over bases in Mogadishu.
Addis Ababa pulled its troops from the city this week, two years after going in to oust a sharia courts movement that it saw as a threat to regional stability and linked to al Qaeda.
The AU statement said the old Ethiopian bases had, in fact, been occupied by forces of the government and a moderate wing of an opposition Islamist group. The United Nations is pressing those two sides to form a power-sharing administration.

yea, yea… and the AMISOM forces never fired on civilians. not! look, these type of psyop perception mgmt tactics only work as long as the intended audience maintains a deficit of information on the subject. it’s sure not fooling those in the region.
meanwhile,
Jubilant Somalis Celebrate the Withdrawal of Ethiopian Troops from Mogadishu

Friday, January 16, 2009
Mogadishu, Somalia (HOL) – Thousands of jubilant Somalis have gathered in Mogadishu’s main soccer stadium to celebrate the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia.
The gathering which was organized by religious leaders in the city took place after Friday prayers. Thousands of people of all ages attended the gathering. Among the speakers at the gathering was Sheik Bashiir Ahmed Salaad who is the chair of the Reconciliation Committee. He asked the people in the gathering to thank Allah for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops and added that it is only with the blessing of Allah that Ethiopian troops left Somalia and that no single group can claim sole responsibility for the victory.
Sheik Bashiir thanked all those who participated in the struggle against Ethiopian occupation and sent condolences to the families of those who died in the struggle and wished speedy recovery for those who are wounded.
Sheik Mohamed Nuur Baaruud who is also among the religious leaders of the city also spoke and said that yesterday which is when Ethiopian troops left Mogadishu has been named as “Victory Day” and asked people to praise Allah and repent. Sheik Baaruud also said that the people of Somalia have participated in expelling Ethiopia from Somalia either through direct involvement in the fighting or through financial and expertise contribution.
Sheik Baaruud added that the Somalia people have been subjected to war for a long time as result of their desire to practise Islam and said that the ultimate solution for Somalis lies in the implementation of Islamic Sharia and the election of a government that will implement Islamic Sharia.
…
Poet Ba’adle read the following short poem at the gathering:
Gaaladii haddey naga baxday – If the infidels (invaders) have left
Guushu ina raacday – victory is ours
Guryihiina dega – peace has returned to our homes
Oo rabigey mahad ka gaarsiiya – and we have thanked Allah
Nin walba waxa uu galo – (let) each man’s contribution
Iyo wuxuu gudana geliya taariikhda – be recorded in history
Mujaahidiintii maalmahan – Mujahadeen, freedom fighters
Kala maroortayey midow – come together in unity
At the end of the gathering, senior members from the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) spoke at the gathering. They told the people to thank Allah for his blessings and that Somalis should not allow ignorance and short-sightedness to lead to the loss of their victory and the blessings Allah has bestowed on them.
UIC leaders also admitted that mistakes were made during the rule of the UIC that preceded the Ethiopian invasion and that all human beings err. They added that the important thing is to realize the errors, repent, and avoid making similar errors in the future.
The UIC leaders said that there will not be fighting among resistance forces and called on all sides to avoid any provocation that may lead to war.
The one theme that all speakers at the gathering emphasized is the importance of unity and avoiding further bloodshed among resistance forces and Somalis in general.

Posted by: b real | Jan 17 2009 8:11 utc | 102

this goes w/ #96
al jazeera

An investigation into the murder of Ilaria Alpi who was investigating arms trafficking and the illegal disposal of toxic waste off the coasts of Somalia

People & Power – The toxic truth – 17 January 09 – Part 1
People & Power – The toxic truth – 17 January 09 – Part 2

Posted by: b real | Jan 20 2009 5:43 utc | 103

russia today: Captive sailors call home from pirate ship

The crew of a cargo ship captured by Somali pirates four months ago have been allowed to speak to their loved ones by telephone. After the calls on Sunday, relatives of the sailors said all the men were in good health.
Editor-in-chief of the Maritime Bulletin Sovfracht, Mike Voitenko, spoke to the families of the sailors after the calls.
“In general, the crew’s health is satisfactory,” he said. “There is water and food and all relatives say that the sailors sounded optimistic and upbeat.”
He denied previous media reports that many among the crew of 17 Ukrainians, two Russians and a Latvian were ill.
It was reported at the weekend that a ransom fee had been agreed with the pirates to release the ship and the captives.
There’s growing frustration among the relatives, directed at the Ukrainian government, over why the sailors are still being detained.
…
Shapovalov [,a spokesperson for the families of the crew,] said: “Never before have the pirates seized a ship with such cargo. We believe that this incident is politicized and this may be the reason why negotiations have been continuing for so long.”
He says the families are worried about a cover up: “We fear freeing our children may cause problems for somebody. Someone might be interested in keeping them there not to let the truth about the cargo come out.”
In the four months of the Faina stalemate, the families have tried virtually everything to get their next of kin back – from picketing the presidential administration to spreading leaflets in downtown Kiev. They’ve even collected money for the ransom. But all they’ve managed to get so far are broken promises from the authorities.
“We heard assurances from our foreign minister that our boys would be released by New Year. It didn’t happen. So we don’t know anymore who to believe,” Shapovalov said.
Mother of a detained sailor, Olga Girzheva, said: “The people who made us promises, it seems that they themselves don’t believe in what they’re telling us.”
According to the negotiating team, the ransom has been finalised and the sailors could be freed any time.

Posted by: b real | Jan 26 2009 15:35 utc | 104

for the longest time, the TFG only controlled parts of two cities in somalia – mogadishu, the capital, which the TFG was never even able to move into w/o the assistance of the u.s.-ethiopian invasion, and baidoa, the seat of the parliament & base of the TFG.
when ethiopian forces pulled out of mogadishu last earlier this month, the islamists quickly moved in and took over a number of police stations (weapons cache) and the vacated military camps. i haven’t seen any solid figures on the number of somali govt security forces inside mogadishu, but i get the impression that it is small. there is some form of collaboration b/w those forces and the some of the ARS and ICU factions, supported by AMISOM forces numbering around 2,400. there are reports that both uganda and burundi are going to send additional troops, but the past two years has seen lots of similar noise/vapor.
earlier on monday, ethiopian forces pulled out of baidoa. this was after the remnants of the TFG parliament had been flown (courtesy of the u.s.) to djibouti to hold session on electing a new so-called unity govt. (news out of djibouti is that the parliament voted to add another 275 members, doubling its size, and there’s some conflicting info on whether or not the vote for a new prez will be delayed – the u.s. wants their selection named pronto, apparently)
so now the latest reports are that the islamists have defeated some small govt forces & paid militias left behind by the foreigners & have taken control of most of the last remaining major town in central & southern somalia not already under their power
Islamists seize Somali parliament seat

BAIDOA (Sh. M. Network)-Al-Shabaab Islamist insurgents have taken control of Baidoa, the seat of the transitional parliament, witnesses said on Monday.
The seizure comes after the Ethiopian troops vacated the town early on Monday.
Reports from Baidoa say that Al-Shabaab insurgents captured some Somali MPs including a minister, Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade, but they released them later and now the town is calm.
Local militias looted ADC, the centre of the parliament and other government offices.
Locals say at least four people were killed and ten others injured in after insurgents hurled a grenade at government soldiers near a bus-stop.
The government soldiers then opened gunfire to many directions which prompted civilian casualties.

so where will the next govt rule from? djibouti? or will the ethiopians turn right around (or commence air attacks?) & continue the occupation?

Posted by: b real | Jan 26 2009 20:24 utc | 105

I learned a lot from this thread.

Posted by: slothrop | Jan 27 2009 4:18 utc | 106

well, what else should we expect from VOA…
the headline reads “Africa Union Condemns Al-Shabaab Takeover of Somali Parliament Building” but, other than that headline & only the very first sentence of the article, there are zero other references to the AU
in fact, of a total of the ten grafs that make up this article, the final eight focus entirely on the account of a local former education minister & paint a very popular reception of the takeover
here are those eight grafs, buried under the unimportant headline –

Mohammed Ali Ahmed, a former education minister, told VOA that residents of Baidoa welcomed the Al-Shabaab takeover.
“The residents believed that they (Al-Shabaab) will come after the withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops. They were expecting that they will come because there were contacts between the civil societies and especially the chiefs and elders and intellectuals as well as religious leaders. They all said if you (Al-Shabaab) come to Baidoa but now there are no Ethiopian troops so we are Islamists and we will welcome you if you do not conflict with us,” Ali Ahmed noted.
He said the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) failed to adequately provide security in Baidoa before the seat of parliament was prior to moving the seat of parliament there.
“Before the TFG came to Baidoa there was a quarrel between members of the TFG and because the government was weak so they were not able to settle security matters, and that really undermined the confidence of most residents of Baidoa because they were expecting changes. But when the Ethiopian troops left, there were few members of parliament and soldiers left who were trying to fend off Al-Shabaab. So the community asked the members of parliament to go away and not fight with Al-Shabaab because it would cause a distraction in the lives of people in the town,” he said.
Ali Ahmed said the Islamic group promised to soon institute sharia law in Baidoa.
“They said they would implement sharia law and urged everybody to remain calm. They also said they would not harm the people who were supporting the Ethiopian troops or other factions adding that everybody would be free to do what they want, except that they would implement the Sharia law or obey the Sharia law,” Ali Ahmed pointed out.
He said residents of Baidoa have hailed the Islamic takeover of Baidoa and the subsequent promise to institute the Islamic sharia law.
“The people are welcoming it because they are fed up with the troops of Ethiopia and the TFG supporters, who were not able to maintain or enforce law and order in the town. So, they think that if Al-Shabaab comes to Baidoa they will have good security and there would be peace. So they expected that and they will thank the Al-Shabaab people,” he said.

it’s a pretty big event for the resistance in somalia – seen as a reverberating victory by somali freedom fighters, who now control essentially all but the northern republics. ethiopian forces are now back on their side of the border. the TFG is in djibouti, serving at the whim of meles & uncle sam as they attempt to pull another ruling power out of their asses. this is more ground than the islamic courts union ever held by late 2006.

Posted by: b real | Jan 27 2009 5:36 utc | 107

the reuters headline is accurate, though the content omits the main architect behind the scenes
Opposition MPs sworn in as Somali plan advances

DJIBOUTI, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Somalia’s parliament swore in new opposition members on Wednesday as it prepared to elect a president this week in a long-awaited step towards ending 18 years of conflict.
Meeting for security reasons in neighbouring Djibouti [ — meaning that the puppeteers were too afraid to venture into somalia themselves — ], the parliament [a crude group of selected persons paying $2000 USD each for a seat in a rubber-stamp parliament] voted to extend its [their] mandate until August 2011 [, thus getting around the issue of the general elections slated for this August as the TFG’s mandate expired, which would have permitted sovereign control of the country’s form of governance] and swore in nearly 150 out of 200 new members from the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS).
The United Nations and African Union (AU) have been cracking the whip [on behalf of their master] to get a more inclusive [presentable] parliament up and running and a [to officially select the u.s. choice for Somalia’s next phony] president elected in time to attend an African summit in Ethiopia on Sunday. [Why this timing is so critical is left to the reader’s imagination.]
…
Presidential hopefuls have until Thursday morning to apply. The candidates are due to address parliament later that day and the [phony] election will take place on Friday afternoon.
“We are going to tell the Somalis to take their responsibilities,” said U.N. envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah. “I expect Somalia to form its government and return to Mogadishu.”

AFP:

The internationally-backed[imposed] TFG was formed in Kenya in 2004 in a fresh bid [the 14th attempt] to restore stability in war-wracked [exert foreign control over] Somalia, but it has been unable to exert authority across the country.
Its expiry would have meant fresh elections, but already lawmakers have increased the size of parliament from 275 to 550 to include [a narrow clan-based coalition labeled as] moderate Islamists to try and resolve [reinstitute control in] the country’s leadership crisis.
“We wanted the term of the TFG to be extended until August 2011 so that we can facilitate [again delay anything resembling an opportunity for] free and fair elections [while pretending that we are legitimately interested in sharing any powers leftover to us by Addis Ababa and Washington],” parliament speaker Aden Mohamed Nur said.
“We cannot continue with this huge parliament for more than two years,” he said.

Posted by: b real | Jan 28 2009 17:39 utc | 108

editorial at garowe online
Mogadishu must seize this moment

The international community’s effort at restoring national order in Somalia is commendable, but remains far removed from realities on the ground. The current peace process in Djibouti is a prime example of the world’s continued lack of insight into Somali affairs – even after studying this conflict for 18 years! Essentially, the Djibouti process is an impractical method to bring peace to Somalia. For starters, an oversized parliament with 550 MPs will not function in Somalia. Secondly, the composition of the TFG Parliament sought clan balance by allowing various clans to appoint delegates. However, the Djibouti Agreement permits the ARS faction to unilaterally appoint 200 MPs to expand the new parliament. Of course, this presents a challenge to clans who know that the ARS is primarily dominated by Hawiye politicians.
This is Mogadishu’s moment – not a time for a new president or an oversized parliament. A historic moment like this happened before, in 1991, as Gen. Barre’s Darod-dominated regime was violently chased out of the capital by Hawiye clan militias. The Hawiye leaders – at the time, Gen. Mohamed Farah Aideed and Mr. Ali Mahdi – became divided after Somalia’s first peace conference in Djibouti elected Mahdi as president. Gen. Aideed, using Habar Gedir sub-clan militia, declared war on Mahdi’s Abgal sub-clan, plunging Mogadishu into 16 years of intra-Hawiye violence that ended recently with the rise of the Islamic Courts.
If Abdullahi Yusuf was another Darod tyrant, he is now gone and is no longer an “obstacle to peace.” If Ethiopian troops were the only problem, they have now returned to their own land after learning an important lesson in Somalia. If Mogadishu does not seize this historic moment, and uses its time and resources on electing a new president with no authority, the future will largely look like the past – only this time, there will be Islamist fighters instead of clan militia.
That is no progress at all.

Puntland warns against misrepresentation at Djibouti talks

GAROWE, Somalia Jan 27 (Garowe Online) – Government leaders in Somalia’s semiautonomous northeastern state of Puntland have warned that the Djibouti peace process might lead to deeper clan divisions, Radio Garowe reports.
…
[Warsame Abdi “Sefta-Bananka,” Puntland’s new information minister] spoke about Somalia’s new parliament, which will be expanded to 550 seats under a peace deal with Islamists, saying: “We warn against new MPs [in expanded parliament] who have no support from the Somali clans, especially the people of Puntland.”
Mr. Sefta-Bananka said there are only three politicians from Puntland currently in Djibouti who are part of the Islamist-led ARS opposition faction, but he did not name them.
Under the Djibouti Agreement, the ARS receives 200 out of the additional 275 seats in an expanded parliament that will elect a new president following last month’s resignation of ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf, a former Puntland ruler.
ARS leaders had decided to divide the new 200 MPs according to the 4.5 formula, in accordance with the clan-based system the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is based on.
The Puntland information minister’s concerns echoed a letter Puntland President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed “Farole” sent to UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, demanding appropriate representation at the Djibouti talks.
In Somalia, the ARS and its core leadership is primarily seen as a political entity that is largely representative of the Hawiye clan-family, which is predominant in the central regions and Mogadishu.
The government of Puntland, home to the northern Darod clans, has not directly sent representatives to join the Djibouti peace process, which began in mid-2008 and is now in its final stage.

Posted by: b real | Jan 28 2009 17:45 utc | 109

selected excerpts from some of last week’s ecoterra international press release updates
jan 18

Counter-checked, reliable reports from the acting captain of MV FAINA, from the captors as well as from sources on land confirmed the ailments of the seamen and that the food supplies for the crew are not only extremely low – they have allegedly run out altogether now. Ukrainian officials, though, state that “according to our information there is enough fuel and food on board” and that such information would be a tool used by the pirates to increase pressure.
A closer look, however, revealed that the Ukrainian owner through middlemen paid since the abduction of the vessel nearly four month ago just four instalments (2, 3, 4, 4) with a total of only 13,000.- USD for the upkeep of the crew incl. the fuel for the electricity generator, which all together amounts to an allocation of around 5 Dollar per crew member per day, an amount which hardly buys a cup of coffee anywhere in the world. The intention – as believed by the Somalis – is thereby clear: Starve the crew and their captors on the vessel to death ! This echoes a statement from the Kenyan Government, whose Foreign Minister – after first having opted for an attack and a military solution – later was quoted as saying: “…those guys can keep those tanks and weapons on that ship as long as they wish. We will not pay ransom, we will eventually get them”.
What those deciding on the application of such ill-advised policies in a hostage-crisis situation are obviously not taking into consideration is the fact that Somalis will always find some meagre resources from “new investors” to keep the captors going and the crew from dying of starvation, while the negotiations for the release will get more and more complicated with new share-holders – and therefore then new stake- and stick-holders providing for such funds and thereby getting involved and having a say in the negotiations and final agreements.

jan 19

New Pirate-Guantanamo-Bay in Kenya? US to sign Kenya deal to prosecute Somali pirates, revealed Lloyds list and published that the US-American government is understood to be nearing a deal with Kenya to detain and prosecute pirates captured off Somalia. It would be the second country after the United Kingdom – the former colonial power of Kenya – to secure such a deal. If successful, the deal will join a growing number of bilateral agreements between countries engaged in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and states willing to take pirates into custody. [it’s a done deal,though there was very little press on it. nothing i saw in either of nairobi’s “east african standard” or “daily nation”.]
Many European countries object to such solutions, since Kenya has not yet abolished the death-penalty and its maximum security prisons Shimo-la-Tewa and Kamiti are infamous for atrocities and human rights violations against priisoners. Critics of such developments include business-leaders in the tourism industry, which has in Kenya seriously declined after the post-election-violence with 1.500 people killed, who maintain that any such move like serving as a regional detention centre, would tarnish Kenya’s reputation and affect tourism. Others fear that Kenya would further move into the crosshair-sights of potential terrorist attackers.
The British warship HMS Portland has been ordered to track down gunmen before they can hijack merchant ships. Once pirate boats have been identified, Lynx helicopters filled with snipers will be scrambled from the Type 23 frigate. The British Royal Marines will then board for close combat with the pirates — who use machine guns and grenade launchers to overpower crews then blackmail ship owners. The US-led mission — expected to involve ten nations — is an assault on the chaos in waters off the Somali coast, the Sun reports.
Russia is to set up a military base on Socotra Island but the timing for the establishment of the base has not been identified yet, Russian military officials have said. The officials were cited as saying Russia has decided to set up three navy bases in three Arab countries including Yemen. The other two bases would be in the Syrian city of Tartus and the Libyan city of Tripoli. The move comes with the goal to protect Russian interests in the region, the officials said, pointing out that the base on the Yemeni Socotra Island will provide security to Russian civil vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, a number of Russian sources denied the news but said that the naval base would be set up “within a few years”. “It is premature to name any countries as possible locations for naval bases”, said an official from the office of the military´s chief of staff. The announcement was made at a time when Yemeni-US relations are somewhat tense due to different views over many issues related to the war on terror, piracy, democracy and human rights. Socotra, which is much closer to Somalia than Yemen, has a long and troublesome history. Socotra considered as the “jewel” of biodiversity in the Arabian sea, is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa. The island was recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world natural heritage site in July 2008. The islands passed under the control of the Mahra sultans in 1511. Later, in 1886 it became a British protectorate, along with the remainder of the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra. For the British it was an important strategic stop-over.
In October 1967 the Mahra sultanate was abolished. One of the last living direct descendents of the ruling Mahra sultanate, Dushi Parameswaran, is currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, USA. On November 30th Socotra became part of the People’s Republic of South Yemen (later to become the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen). Today it is part of the Republic of Yemen. Russia’s involvement in Somalia became infamous in the time after 1973, when it cleansed the so called Bajuni Islands off the South coast of Somalia from its ethnic Bajuni people of Shirazi origin, who had settled there and persued their livestyle as skilled fisher-people for hundreds of years.

jan 20

The Italian Ministry of Defence has been prosecuted on 17th December 2008 by a court of law in Florence / Italy and was charged to pay over half a million Euro in damages to a soldier. The amount was defined by the court as compensation to be paid to an Italian soldier, who had been contaminated during Operation IBIS in Somalia with radioactive substances – uranium – and fell sick thereafter. The ruling clearly points out the given direct correlation between the inhaled uranium-dust and the development of a Hodgkin Lymphoma. The scientific background to the ruling, elaborated by a medico-legal expert appointed by the court, has been published together with the ruling (see: http://www.vittimeuranio.com). The court found it to be a gross-violation, that the precautionary principle was not taken into consideration by the Italian Ministry of Defence. At a daytime temperature of 40 degrees the US soldiers had to wear protective clothing, masks and gloves, while the Italian soldiers were allowed to wear short trousers and tank-shirts during the handling of the ammunition.
Falco Accame, who founded an association to assist soldiers with ailments due to the handling of ammunition with depleted uranium, stated concerning the ruling: Since 1984 the Italian Ministry of Defence had been provided with scientific documents concerning the use of ammunition containing depleted uranium – as most likely also in other NATO countries. During the Gulf War the precautionary principle had not been implemented yet by the United States of America, but already 1993 during the Somalia operations it was standard practice for most armies. It was only in 1999 that this danger had been exposed in Italy publicly by KAFOR troops operating in the Balkan. The failure to implement the precautionary principle in context with the exposure to depleted uranium ammunition in Somalia therefore must be seen as a criminal act, the court ruled.

Posted by: b real | Jan 28 2009 19:59 utc | 110

last week it was
DHS, Intelligence Agencies Analyzing ‘Potential Threat’ From al-Shabaab

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued a joint bulletin to community partners and state and local law-enforcement agencies Monday night describing the potential threat of members of the militant Somalia-based group al-Shabaab traveling to America to interfere with the inauguration. The group was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Department of State in February 2008.
“The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security [including the Secret Service] and the intelligence community are coordinating with other law-enforcement authorities to investigate and analyze recently received information about a potential threat on Inauguration Day,” said DHS spokesman Russ Knocke. “This information is of limited specificity and uncertain credibility. Authorities at all levels are vigorously pursuing any lead relating to this threat information. The Transition Team has been briefed and is fully integrated into the process.”
The threat did not result in any adjustment to the national threat level or changes to the overall security surrounding the inauguration, which has been designated as a National Special Security Event, putting the Secret Service in charge of coordinating participating agencies.

and

In a bulletin issued Monday night to state and local law enforcement, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and intelligence officials said they are analyzing information received in the last few days that people affiliated with al-Shabaab, a radical group fighting an insurgency in Somalia, may try to stage an attack at some point Tuesday, U.S. officials said.
…
Another U.S. counter-terrorism official said intelligence agencies were “not dismissive” of the threat but stressed the lack of corroboration and detail. The tip appears to have originated with U.S. law enforcement agencies, as opposed to overseas operatives.

i didn’t come across anything futher on the story after tuesday, and no mentions of it in the somali media. obviously the threat was bogus.
this week, however, there was finally a followup
Inauguration terror threat debunked

WASHINGTON (AP) — A potential terror threat just before last week’s presidential inauguration turned out to be a ruse, a top military commander said Tuesday.
However, Gen. Gene Renuart, chief of U.S. Northern Command, warned that ongoing security concerns still face the Obama administration during its early days.
Renuart, the military commander in charge of domestic defense, said reports pointing to a possible threat from an East Africa terrorist group were the result of claims by another faction and turned out to be untrue.
“It was more a function of two factions who didn’t like each other setting the other up,” Renuart told the Associated Press. He did not identify the other faction.

my guess would be somebody related to either cia or fbi

Posted by: b real | Jan 29 2009 4:26 utc | 111

another sign that sheikh sharif is going to be name the next president in several hours
ARS leader takes training for president

As preparations for the Somalia´s presidential election are under way in the neighboring country of , Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, the leader of the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) who running for the presidency is now being trained for president style, sources confirmed Waagacusub Media.
Arab experts began teaching english language the moderate Islamist leader and how he would deal with the international community if he wins the presidency.
…
Reporters in Djibouti confirmed Waagacusub Media that Sheik Ahmed is behaving as a figure prepared to be the president of Somalia and he narrated some of them that he will attend the African Union summit which will take place in Addis Ababa in the near future.
Nor Hassan Hussein, the prime minister of TFG and Sheik Ahmed, ARS leader both running for the presidency had crucial close doors meeting over how one of them could show consention to the presidential run up but it is yet unknow whether they agreed and or not on this issue.
United nations diplomats told Waagacusub that they would have liked if Sheik Ahmed would be elected as president till Augost this year to test his talent to improve the current situation in Somalia.

Posted by: b real | Jan 29 2009 19:58 utc | 112

i don’t necessarily trust voitenko, but there have been rpts of a pending release for the mv faina
$3M arms ship ransom for Somali pirates

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A ransom has been delivered to Somali pirates who seized a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks, heavy weapons and about 20 crew members, a spokesman for the ship’s owners said Wednesday.
Mikhail Voitenko did not say how much was paid, but Russia’s ITAR-Tass news agency put it at $3.2 million. The pirates originally demanded $20 million.
The MV Faina carrying a cargo of tanks, other weaponry and about 20 crew members was seized by bandits in September off the Somali coast. The hostages include 17 Ukrainians, two Russians and a Latvian.
“The ransom has been delivered to the Faina. The owners of the ship so far don’t want to comment on this, but I’m getting information on this just about every half-hour,” Voitenko said in comments on Russian TV. “A pile of pirates are counting the haul on the Faina. I hope that nothing will be disrupted and the sailors will soon be able to disembark.”
Voitenko did not answer repeated phone calls seeking further comment.
A person involved in the negotiations told The Associated Press that a plane carrying the ransom left Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, Wednesday afternoon and dropped it on the Faina. The man spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

reuters adds

A Kenyan-based piracy monitoring group, the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, could not confirm the ransom payment or the imminent release of the highest-profile of a dozen ships in the hands of Somali pirates.
“That’s what we are hearing but there’s no confirmation yet,” the group’s coordinator, Andrew Mwangura, told Reuters from Mombasa port.

will be interesting to hear what the crew (or their families/spokespersons) say of their role in this international intrique

Posted by: b real | Feb 4 2009 22:59 utc | 113

typepad has a specific problem w/ me posting in this thread, so i’ll strip out the url to the original article
Somali pirates free Ukrainian arms ship

MOGADISHU (AFP) — Somali pirates on Thursday freed a Ukrainian ship they had held since September with battle tanks and other weaponry on board after receiving a ransom of more than three million dollars.
The release of the ship and its crew of 20 seamen — a Latvian, two Russians and 17 Ukrainians — marked the end of one of the longest and most dramatic sea-jackings in recent years.
“We have released MV Faina. There were only three boys remaining on board and they delayed the release for one hour, but now the ship is free,” Sugule Ali, a spokesman for the pirates, told AFP by phone.
…
Sugule Ali confirmed a ransom was paid but would not reveal the amount, describing it only as “not huge… something to cover our expenses.”
The Ukrainian presidency also confirmed the ship’s release in a statement and said the vessel had resumed its journey to its initial destination, the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
“On February 4, the ship was freed after a very difficult operation carried out by the Ukrainian special services in cooperation with foreign special services,” the office of President Viktor Yushchenko said.
It was unclear what part the special services played but according to sources close to the pirates, the ransom money was flown from Nairobi and dropped to the pirates by parachute at approximately 1200 GMT on Wednesday.

[since this thread is getting old, i’ll continue posts on this & related somalia coverage in other threads, such as this one]

Posted by: b real | Feb 5 2009 16:06 utc | 114

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