Brief History of Tyrant Isaias Afewerki

Medeshi April 15, 2009

Brief history of Tyrant Isaias Afewerki
Isaias Afewerki
President of Eritrea
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 May 1993
Preceded by
Position established
Born
2 February 1946 (1946-02-02) (age 63)Asmara, Eritrea
Political party
People's Front for Democracy and Justice
Spouse
Saba Haile
Signature
Isaias Afewerki (Tigrinya: ኢሳያስ ኣፈወርቂ; born 2 February 1946), is the first and current President of Eritrea, attaining that status after Eritrean independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Prior to that, he was the leader of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, an armed movement determined to secure Eritrean independence. Afewerki's rule has been characterized by an emphasis on Eritrean self-reliance.

Guerrilla experience
He joined the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) in 1966 and in the following year he was sent to china to recieve military training. Four years later he was appointed a commander. Eventually he split from ELF (Eritrean Liberation Front) and joined a small group of combatants which became known as the Eritrean People's Liberation Front(EPLF). Soon he allied himself with another two groups that had splintered from the ELF: PLF1, led by Osman Saleh Sabbe, and a group known as Obel. In 1982 he split from Sabbe after the latter signed a unity agreement with the ELF (the Khartoum Agreement).

Leader of independist movement
Isaias Afewerki was the leader of the EPLF, which eventually won Eritrea its independence from Ethiopia. In April 1993 a United Nations-supervised referendum on independence was held, and the following month Eritrea was declared independent. The EPLF renamed itself the People's Front for Democracy and Justice in February 1994 as part of its transformation into Eritrea's ruling political movement.The PFDJ is the only legal political entity in Eritrea. It is nominally Marxist, but is often considered African socialist and holds itself open to nationalists of any political affiliation. There is some debate as to whether PFDJ is a true political party or whether it is a broad governing association in transition.

After Independence
After Eritrean independence was achieved de facto in 1991 and de jure in 1993 after a referendum, Isaias became the first head of state. During the first years of his administration the institutions of governance began to be rebuilt. This included a top to bottom restructuring of the structures of governance from providing for an elected local judicial system to expanding the educational system to as many regions as possible.

The Eritrean constitution was ratified in 1997 by a constituent assembly but never fully ratified by the National Assembly.

Criticism
External relations
The once-firm friendship with the new Ethiopian government however deteriorated into a fierce border and economic dispute that turned into the deadly Eritrean-Ethiopian War 1998 - 2000. Armed conflict claimed more than 150,000 lives and ended with the signing of the Algiers Agreement on December 12, 2000. In 2002, in an effort to mitigate the effects of the prolonged stalemate with Ethiopia, the President's Administration created the Wefri Warsay Yika'alo. It is a comprehensive, revolutionary, national economic rehabilitation and development program in the aftermath of the destructive war with Ethiopia. Due to his frustration with the stalemated peace process with Ethiopia, the President of Eritrea wrote a series of Eleven Letters to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Despite signing the Algiers Agreement, Ethiopia refused to accept all details of the boundary proscribed by the international boundary commission. The tense relations with Ethiopia have led to regional instability due to Ethiopia's lack of acceptance of the Algiers agreement it had signed.
His government has also been condemned for allegedly arming and financing the insurgency in Somalia; the United States is considering labeling Eritrea a "State Sponsor of Terrorism," however, many experts on the topic have shied from this assertion, stating that "If there is one country where the fighting of extremists and terrorists was a priority when it mattered, it was Eritrea." This accusation has also been labeled a reckless move by others.

Under his rule, Eritrea has had one of the worst rates of press freedom in the world, and since 2007, the worst.
Afewerki ranked No. 8 on Parade Magazine's 2009 World's Worst Dictators list, behind Ayatollah Khamenei (Iran) and ahead of Muammar al-Qaddafi (Libya).
Isaias quotes
- Isaias Afewerki-
"What is a free press? There is no free press anywhere. It's not in England; it's not in the United States. We'd like to know what free press is in the first place.
"There is no victory without its people, no development without its people, who triumphed decisively through their national unity."
"Democracy is very important. Democracy meaning allowing majority or population to participate in the politics of every country. That is part of the software that we need to develop. But it should not polarize society."
"Sometimes when you have large population it becomes a liability. People speak about big populations. But they underestimate the fact that it is not numbers. It is not only the productivity of the population in one country that matters; it is also the quality of the productivity."
"Even when we are disappointed, we have to fight this war for peace and we have no other choice of brokers. The brokers are there, whether we like them or not. Whether we are happy or disappointed with what they are doing, we have to live with that to finally give peace a chance."

Eritrea : Silenced nation

Medeshi April 15, 2009

Silenced nation
Once seen as a model of new Africa, Eritrea is now the continent's most paranoid state, says Xan Rice
Xan Rice (from the archives)
The Eritrean president, Isaias Afewerki. Photograph: AP"Don't call me on this line again," said 'Matthewos'. "Set up a Yahoo! chat account and we'll communicate that way."
A few hours later, he came online. "Sorry about earlier. But if they hear us talking, they will hunt me."
Welcome to Eritrea, Africa's most paranoid state. Talk about the football, talk about the 30p beer and 10p cappuccinos in the capital Asmara, but if you want to talk about the government, do it over the internet.
Behind locked doors, and in hushed tones, Asmarinos trace the beginning of real paranoia to 2001, when 15 senior politicians were jailed for suggesting that President Isaias Afewerki was not a democrat. Eleven of them have not been seen since. Shortly afterwards, the independent media was shut down. At least 13 journalists remain in prison. Only North Korea has a worse record on press freedom.
Evangelical groups were the next targets. All churches outside of the Catholic, Protestant, orthodox Christian and Islamic mainstream were banned. More than 1,800 Christians are believed to have been locked away since 2003.
Jail often means a shipping container in the desert and the threat sufficient incentive to keep your lips sealed. "You can't talk democratically here or you will end up there," whispered one man at a pavement cafe.
Today's stifling reality was unimaginable a decade ago. Back then, western tourists were flocking in to see Africa's newest independent country. Economic growth was 6%. Money was pouring in from the diaspora. With its plan for rapid self-reliance, the government was praised as a model for the continent, and Mr Afewerki for being an enlightened leader.
Today you could walk down Asmara's main boulevard at midday and not see a single tourist. The transport links to landlocked Ethiopia - which were the mainstay of the economy - no longer exist. Inflation is rampant, remittances from abroad have dropped off and Eritrea is a political pariah.
For many people the only dream left is to leave: even though there are a little over four million Eritreans, they form one of the largest groups of asylum seekers to Britain. "No dollars are coming into the country, so everything is expensive," said Petros, a 24-year-old soldier. "We cannot even afford to buy kerosene to cook. It is so hard to live here now."
It's especially hard for young people with ambition. Before the border war with Ethiopia in 1998, all men aged between 18 and 40 and women from 18 to 27 were required to do 18 months' national service, with the first six-months in the army. Now schoolchildren complete their final year at a military camp before entering open-ended national service.
Those not in the army build roads, dams or hospitals; teach in schools; or work in government-owned businesses as part of Eritrea's own "Great Leap Forward". Pay is typically £20 a month, forcing many people to work second jobs.
One afternoon, my 37-year-old driver, who was on annual leave from the military, told me matter-of-factly that he had been forced to quit his £100-a-month job in the private sector in 2003 to return to national service at a fifth of the salary. He had previously served in the army from 1990 to 1994.
Even the greatest of patriots find the sacrifice difficult to bear. "We Eritreans have something inside us that makes us willing to defend our country," said Jonas, a young, aspiring musician who has already served four years in the army. "But the problem is that there is no end to this service." With hundreds of young people crossing the border into Sudan each month to avoid the draft, the authorities have come up with a chillingly effective deterrent: jailing the father or mother instead.
The government is unapologetic about the crackdown on civil liberties and obsession with military might. It is completely consumed by the unresolved border conflict with Ethiopia, which lasted from 1998 to 2000 and cost more than 70,000 lives, and could still reignite. In 2002, Mr Afeworki and the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, agreed that an independent commission would redraw their disputed mutual boundary. This decision was to be "final and binding".
But Mr Meles refused to accept it. To this day, Ethiopia continues to occupy territory awarded to Eritrea, in defiance of international law.
Mr Afeworki's government - and most Eritreans and independent analysts - argue that Ethiopia is favoured by the west because of its role as the hegemon in a volatile Horn of Africa and as a key ally of the US in the global war on terror.
Anger at the United Nations and especially at the US is already great, and the government's patience is showing signs of snapping. Extending its domestic crackdown to foreign nationals, it has placed severe restrictions on the UN peacekeeping mission and western aid agencies, and recently imposed a rule requiring that all expatriates in Asmara - including diplomats - apply for official permission before leaving the capital.
And while another war would be folly - Ethiopia is far stronger militarily - government officials refuse to rule it out. "If we keep getting pushed into a corner, do we have any alternative?" said Yemane Ghebremeskel, director of Mr Afeworki's office. "We have shown maximum restraint, but if it is imposed on us..."

Ethiopia to boost arms production: PM

Medeshi April 15, 2009
Ethiopia to boost arms production: PM
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Ethiopia will boost arms production to cut weapons imports and save its dwindling foreign exchange, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said.
"Our main objective is to reduce our defence expenditure and its pressure on availability of foreign exchange," Meles told reporters late Monday, without giving details.
"In order to do that, we have to reduce our imports and improve our exports. The objective is to take care of our defence requirements, primarily in terms of ammunition and partly in terms of armaments."
Ethiopia currently produces assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades, small arms and hosts an assembly plant to manufacture tanks.
The country's foreign reserves this month stood at 800 million dollars (598 million euros), down from two billion dollars last year.
The Horn of Africa country has one of the largest armies in Africa and last year increased its defence budget by 50 million dollars to 400 million for "stability reasons."
Ethiopia's army is estimated to comprise around 200,000 soldiers and imports arms mainly from China and eastern European countries.

Somalia: Separating Fact from Fiction

Medeshi April 15, 2009
Somalia: Separating Fact from Fiction
Jerry Griswold talks about how real-life pirates affect a child's world of 'make believe.'
By Greg Block
The dramatic events off the coast of Africa this past week, pitting Somali pirates against the United States Navy, was the sort of story you might find in a history book, rather than every television news network and newspaper front page.
Real pirates and 'make believe'
As unbelievable and remarkable as the attack, capture and eventual saving of the cargo ship's captain was, it's the type of story that, according to Jerry Griswold, director of the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature at San Diego State University, is central in the world of childhood make-believe."The pirate has been relocated from history and become a stock character in the 'Theater of Childhood,'" Griswold recently wrote in an article for Parent's Choice. "A figure from general casting under the category of outlaw, and someone who has counterparts in other game-like scenarios known as 'Cops and Robbers' and 'Cowboys and Indians.'"
Separating fact from fiction
But separating fact from fiction, Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow from real, modern-day pirates, may have some parents worried about their children romanticizing pirates in the face of the story that just unfolded."I don't suppose events off the coast of Somalia will have much effect upon video rentals of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' or youngsters saying, 'aargh,'" said Griswold, quick to credit children's imagination and intelligence. "Despite what adults may think, kids know differences between fact and fiction."
Hollywood on hiatus?The International Maritime Bureau's Live Piracy Map shows dozens of similar attacks by pirates so far this year. There are still more than 200 hostages being held by gangs of pirates in the region. Whether or not Hollywood will take a hiatus from making pirate movies remains to be seen. But, according to Griswold, children should be allowed to continue to act as they always have."When Tom Sawyer and his friends are playing pirates and enacting 'The Black Avenger of the Spanish Main,' he stops them at one point and insists 'That's not the way it is in the book.'"

U.S. At a Crossroads in Somalia

Medeshi
U.S. At a Crossroads in Somalia
Posted by Laura Heaton on Apr 14, 2009
The Obama administration’s stated goal to break with the Bush administration's approach to counter-terrorism faces an early test in Somalia, and an intense debate over how to address the threat of terrorism and piracy emanating from Somalia is playing out in an ongoing policy review. While Somalia presents its own set of unique challenges, the discussions over strategy are occurring in the context of a broader foreign policy conundrum: How will the Obama administration deal with perceived threats in weak and collapsed states where the United States lacks a capable partner?
There are a number of global hotspots where the Bush administration’s counterterrorism approach seemed to have made matters worse, not better, and Somalia is perhaps the poster child of this phenomenon. In Somalia from 2006 to 2008, the Bush administration chose to partner with Ethiopia, a historic rival of Somalia, in attempts to destroy the shabaab militia, which has been affiliated with al-Qaeda. However, the missile strikes employed by the Bush administration were often a blunt instrument causing collateral damage and feeding a nationalist backlash. Any kind of hearts and minds strategy was noticeably absent. As Ken Menkhaus noted in a strategy paper for Enough:
Thousands of Somalis became radicalized by their treatment at the hands of the TFG and Ethiopian forces, and, despite deep misgivings about the insurgents’ indiscriminate use of violence, became either active or passive supporters of the increasingly violent shabaab and other armed groups.
Two recent stories out of Somalia, namely the recent rash of pirate hijackings and the reported expansion of terrorist training camps - unrelated for now – have again brought the discussion of U.S. military strikes to the forefront of the policy debate.
Of course, the Somali pirate drama that ended on Sunday when U.S. Navy SEAL snipers fired on the three pirates holding the captain of the Maersk Alabama hostage has set off a barrage of arguments both for and against targeting the pirates’ inland bases with strikes. Most administration officials commenting (albeit anonymously) on the prospect of attacks on the pirate bases seem to be erring on the side of caution and acknowledging that, for now, the pirates don’t seem to have any larger political aims. Planning for a military response is undoubtedly ongoing, but this is to be expected -- the president will want to consider every option and is under pressure to act from people justifiably outraged by the piracy epidemic. And so far President Obama has remained (intentionally?) ambiguous about his preferred tactics: "To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes," he said in a statement. What's missing from these words is an acknowledgment of the bigger picture: piracy off Somalia's coast is in many ways a byproduct of statelessness and lawlessness on land. A military quick fix is temporary at best, and potentially counter-productive. As U.S. military officials acknowledge, this week's operation against the pirates is already viewed as an escalation that may have violent consequences.
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold got it about right in his statement on the situation in Somalia:
While the episode involving the crew of the Maersk Alabama had a happy ending, piracy off the coast of Somalia will assuredly continue since it is a symptom of the state collapse in Somalia, which presents a much greater and more dangerous problem… We must commit to a comprehensive strategy that helps stabilize the country while also establishing effective governance and the rule of law.
This piece in the Washington Post on Saturday highlights the ongoing debate within the administration about the merits of renewed U.S. strikes on shabaab training camps. This is an evolution of earlier stories that noted a number of young Somali Americans had returned to Somalia to fight with the shabaab, raising concerns they might also be engaged in planning for transnational terror attacks. Some at the Pentagon have complained that the ongoing policy review has prevented the administration from taking urgent military action. Others feel there are some intermediary steps to take -- like conditioned support for Somalia's fragile transitional government -- and see the administration’s review as a chance to break with the Bush administration’s policies and take a more comprehensive approach to the challenge of weak states and transnational threats such as terrorism and piracy.
With these recent developments, the administration’s Somalia policy is in the spotlight with renewed urgency. However, given the complex array of considerations on the ground -- a new, fragile, transitional government; widespread poverty; and a long history of failed external intervention, to name a few -- it seems clear that Somalia demands far more than a purely military solution.
John Norris and Colin Thomas-Jensen contributed to this post.

Democracy Now: Somalia Piracy Began in Response to Illegal Fishing and Toxic Dumping by Western Ships off Somali Coast

Medeshi
Democracy Now: Somalia Piracy Began in Response to Illegal Fishing and Toxic Dumping by Western Ships off Somali Coast
By Heather Tuesday Apr 14
Analysis: Somalia Piracy Began in Response to Illegal Fishing and Toxic Dumping by Western Ships off Somali Coast
President Obama vowed an international crackdown to halt piracy off the coast of Somalia Monday soon after the freeing of US cargo ship captain Richard Phillips, who had been held hostage by Somali pirates since last Wednesday. While the pirates story has dominated the corporate media, there has been little to no discussion of the root causes driving piracy. We speak with consultant and analyst Mohamed Abshir Waldo. In January, he wrote a paper titled “The Two Piracies in Somalia: Why the World Ignores the Other?” [includes rush transcript]
Guest:
Mohamed Abshir Waldo, a consultant and analyst. He joins us on the line from Mombasa. He is Kenyan of Somali origin. He wrote a piece in January titled “The Two Piracies in Somalia: Why the World Ignores the Other?”
Rush TranscriptThis transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution. Donate - $25, $50, $100, More...
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"The Two Piracies in Somalia: Why the World Ignores the Other?"
AMY GOODMAN: President Obama vowed an international crackdown to halt piracy off the coast of Somalia Monday soon after the freeing of US cargo ship captain Richard Phillips, who had been held hostage by Somali pirates since last Wednesday. Three Somali pirates were killed in the US operation.
While some military analysts are considering attacks on pirate bases inside Somalia in addition to expanding US Navy gunships along the Somali coastline, others are strongly opposed to a land invasion. US Congress member Donald Payne of New Jersey made a brief visit to the Somali capital of Mogadishu Monday and said piracy was, quote, a “symptom of the decades of instability.” His plane was targeted by mortar fire as he was leaving Somalia, soon after a pirate vowed revenge against the United States for killing his men.
Former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Fox News over the weekend that the US should assemble a, quote, “coalition of the willing” to invade Somalia.
Meanwhile, local fishing and business communities along the Somali coast are suffering as a result of the increased American and international naval presence in their waters.
SOMALI FISHERMAN: [translated] American Marine forces always arrest us as we continue fishing. We meet their warships, and at times they send helicopters to take photos of us, as they suspect we are pirates. And we are not.
SOMALI BUSINESSMAN: [translated] People are worried about the troops, as it is becoming more and more difficult to do business. There’s a lot of warships patrolling the sea, and merchant ships are getting more and more checked, thinking they are operated by pirates.
AMY GOODMAN: While the pirates story has dominated the corporate media, there has been little to no discussion of the root causes driving piracy.
Mohamed Abshir Waldo is a consultant and analyst in Kenya. He is Kenyan of Somali origin. In January, he wrote a paper called “The Two Piracies in Somalia: Why the World Ignores the Other?” He joins us on the phone right now from Mombasa.
Welcome to Democracy Now!
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Hello. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: Good to have you with us. Can you talk about what you think the two piracies are?
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Well, the two piracies are the original one, which was foreign fishing piracy by foreign trawlers and vessels, who at the same time were dumping industrial waste, toxic waste and, it also has been reported, nuclear waste. Most of the time, we feel it’s the same fishing vessels, foreign fishing vessels, that are doing both. That was the piracy that started all these problems.
And the other piracy is the shipping piracy. When the marine resources of Somalia was pillaged, when the waters were poisoned, when the fish was stolen, and in a poverty situation in the whole country, the fishermen felt that they had no other possibilities or other recourse but to fight with, you know, the properties and the shipping of the same countries that have been doing and carrying on the fishing piracy and toxic dumping.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain what IUUs are?
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: IUUs are—I don’t remember now, but it’s uninterrupted an unreported fishing, unlicensed, unreported, uncontrolled, practically, fishing. Without [inaudible]—
AMY GOODMAN: In your article, you say—in your article, you say it stands for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing fleets from Europe—
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Correct.
AMY GOODMAN: —and Arabia and the Far East.
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Correct, correct. And this has been known to both the countries in the West that had these fishing fleets, which included Spain, Italy, Greece, and eventually UK and others who joined later, as well as Russian. And, of course, there were many more from the East. And this problem has been going on since 1991. And the fishing communities and fishermen reported and complained and appealed to the international community through the United Nations, through the European Union, with no, actually, response in any form at all. They were totally ignored.
AMY GOODMAN: Mohamed Abshir Waldo, explain how what you call “fishing piracy” began.
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Fishing piracy means fishing without license, fishing by force, even though the community complains, even though whatever authorities are there complain, even though they ask these foreign fishing fleets and trawlers and vessels that have no license, that have no permit whatsoever, when they tell them, “Stop fishing and get out of the area,” they refuse, and instead, in fact, they fight. They fought with the fishermen and coastal communities, pouring boiling water on them and even shooting at them, running over their canoes and fishing boats. These were the problems that had been going on for so long, until the community organized themselves and empowered, actually, what they call the National Volunteer Coast Guard, what you would call and what others call today as “pirates.”
AMY GOODMAN: So you’re saying illegal fishing is happening off the coast of Somalia. What countries are engaged in it?
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: The countries engaged include practically all of southern Europe, France, Spain, Greece, UK. Nowadays I hear even Norway. There were not many Scandinavians before, but Norwegian fishing now is involved in this, you know, very profitable fishing business. So, there are others, of course. There are Russian. There are Taiwanese. There are Philippines. There are Koreans. There are Chinese. You know, it’s a free-for-all coast.
And to make things worse, we learned that now that the navies and the warships are there; every country is protecting their own illegal fishing piracies—vessels. They have come back. They ran away from the Somali volunteer guards, coast guards, but now they are back. And they are being protected by their navies. In fact, they are coming close to the territorial waters to harass again the fishermen, who no longer have opportunity or possibility to fish on the coast because of the fear of being called pirates and apprehended by the navy, who are at the same time protecting the other side.
So the issue is really a matter of tremendous injustice, international community only attending and talking and coming to the rescue of the—of their interests and not at all considering or looking from the Somalis’ side. This does not mean I am condoning or anyone is condoning piracy or endangering the life of innocent sailors and crews or damaging the property of others, but these people, these fishermen-turned-pirates, had no alternative but to protect themselves, to protect their turf, to—you know, an act of desperation, you might call it.
AMY GOODMAN: What do people in Somalia feel about the pirates, the issue of pirates off the coast?
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: A mixed reaction, I think, in Somalia. The people do not want the innocent sailors to be harmed. They don’t want any major environmental disasters to happen by blowing up chemical- or oil-carrying vessels. And they urge the pirates, or fishermen pirates, they urge them not to do any such things.
On the other hand, since there’s no sympathy, there’s no understanding, there is no readiness for dialogue with the coastal community, with the community in general, with the Somali authorities or the regional government or the national government on a joint action for solving these problems, then it’s each for his own way of doing. But the people are very concerned. On the one hand, they would like this to be resolved peacefully; on the other, they feel very sad for injustice being done by the international community.
AMY GOODMAN: A little more on the issue of toxic dumping, if you would, Mohamed Abshir Waldo. I don’t think people in the United States understand exactly what it is you’re referring to and how it affects people.
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Well, toxic dumping, industrial waste dumping, nuclear dumping, as you are probably aware and have heard and many people know, for quite some time, in the ’70s mainly, in the ’80s, in the ’90s, there was a lot of waste of all these kinds that companies wanted to get rid of, following very strict environmental rules in their countries. So where else to take but in countries in conflict or weak countries who could not prevent them or who could be bought? So these wastes have been carried to Somalia. It’s been in the papers. It has been reported by media organizations like Al Jazeera, I think, like CNN. Many had reported about the Mafia, Italian Mafia, who admitted it, dumping it in Somalia for quite some time, for quite a long time.
And as we speak now, I heard yesterday, in fact, another vessel was captured in the Gulf of Aden by community—this time not pirates, by the community, when the suspected it, and it was carrying two huge containers, which it dumped into the sea when they saw these people coming to them. They have been apprehended. The vessel had been apprehended. Fortunately, the containers did not sink into the sea, but they are being towed to the coast. And this community has invited the international community to come and investigate this matter. So far, we don’t have action. So this dumping, waste dumping, toxic dumping, nuclear waste dumping has been ongoing in Somalia since 1992.
AMY GOODMAN: When I read your article, Mohamed Abshir Waldo, it reminded me of a controversial memo that was leaked from the World Bank—this was when Lawrence Summers, now the chief economic adviser, was the chief economist at the World Bank—in which it said, “I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest-wage country is impeccable, and we should face up to that. I’ve always thought that under-populated countries in Africa are vastly under-polluted.” He said he was being sarcastic.
MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDO: Actually, the more formal official concerned with this UN habitat has also confirmed in various reports that this has been dumped in Somalia. The special representative of the Secretary-General, Ould-Abdullah, who is now working with the Somali authorities, has also, I think, made a statement to that effect. So it is very well known. It’s not something hidden. It’s not something we are making up. The world knows, but it doesn’t do anything about it.
AMY GOODMAN: Mohamed Abshir Waldo, thank you for joining us, a consultant in Kenya, speaking to us from Mombasa.

Inside the (Hypothetical) Somalia War Room

Medeshi
Inside the (Hypothetical) Somalia War Room
By Nathan Hodge April 14, 2009
Inside the U.S. government, there's a growing sense that the problem of East Africa's ocean-going pirates is only going to be solved on land, perhaps by doing some nation-building in Somalia.
Last year, I got a chance to see how such a project might work. I paid a visit to Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, to observe part of Unified Quest 2008, an Army wargame that tests the U.S. government's response to fictitious crises in the not-so-distant future. Last year's Unified Quest focused on an the potential ways in which globalization, competition for energy resources, population growth and failing states could create a recipe for "persistent conflict" in different parts of the world; it included a Somalia scenario that took place in 2025.
The 2025 wargame was supposed to test how the newly-formed U.S. Africa Command could respond to a crisis in the Somalia's neighborhood, the Horn of Africa. James Embrey, a retired army colonel with the Army's Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, played the head of a task force that leads the Somalia nation-building coalition; he said the scenario showed how a unique command like AFRICOM could employ soft power (diplomatic skills and conflict prevention) instead of resorting to force. And to drive home the point, the exercise included representatives from academia, foreign militaries and other agencies of government.
"The supposition that we are making here is that the whole-of-government interagency planning and framework has been cured, there have been the proper structures built in terms of a special co-ordinator for reconstruction and stability -- a planning element, if you will -- and, in turn, the requisite civilian expertise in terms of civilian response corps, additional subject matter experts that are almost like an interagency reserve force, have come online," he said.
To translate the Pentagonese, Embrey was talking about a civilian nation-building reserve that would be on standby to support reconstruction missions overseas. The State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization in the process of creating an active and standby force, but a true civilian reserve is still in its embryonic stages.
The whole point of the exercise was to intervene in the hypothetical crisis before it spiraled out of control. As Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman suggested yesterday, lots of "non-kinetic" options are available in Somalia, from humanitarian aid to military training. “If that last couple of days have taught us anything, it reinforces the fact that [piracy] is a complicated and international problem that needs to be addressed broadly," he said. "I am fairly certain in the days ahead that this will be an issue that not only this department, but the government at large … could be doing as a national [effort] and with other international organizations, and with allies in the region as well."
Whitman's talking points could have been drawn from last year's Unified Quest exercise. In an Army news article, Lt. Col. John Miller, deputy chief of future warfare at the Army Capabilities Integration Center, said the main lesson was better understanding how to coordinate and solve problems before the shooting starts."If we have to put troops on the ground, something has failed," he said.
[PHOTO: U.S. Army]

Somali business

RP seamen unfazed by threats of piracy Inquirer

Medeshi

RP seamen unfazed by threats of piracy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

04/14/2009Filed Under: Waterway RP seamen unfazed by threats of piracy
‘MANILA, Philippines—More Filipinos than any other nationality are being held hostage by Somali pirates, but there was no dearth of seafarers looking for jobs Monday in Manila despite the threat of more confrontations.
With dozens of cargo vessels anchored empty and idle in most ports around Asia because of the financial crisis, hundreds of sailors were gathered at the city’s Luneta Park, around which many recruitment centers for seafarers are located.
“Those pirates are the least of my concern,” said Joel Estabio, 48, a chief steward on an oil tanker.
“I’ll take the risk rather than see my family die in hunger. If something terrible happens to me aboard any tanker, my wife and children would get something from my insurance and from my employer. Here, they get nothing.”
About 40 percent of 800,000 seafarers around the world are Filipinos. And of nearly 250 sailors being held by the pirates, almost 100 are from the Philippines.
Although the hostages have been treated relatively well so far, the pirates have threatened repercussions after Sunday’s dramatic rescue of a US cargo captain by special forces, who killed three pirates and took one into custody.
Aware of dangers
Most job seekers said they were aware of the dangers in waters near Somalia and around the delta region in Nigeria where pirates are active.
But there was no mistaking their eagerness to get back to sea.
“The risk we face is really worth it,” Bong Alejandro, 35, a second mate on bulk carriers.
“We get extra pay and the chances of getting caught by pirates either in Nigeria or Somalia are really slim. We have come to accept these pirate attacks as part of our job.”
Although Estabio and Alejandro said they were concerned about Filipinos held captive by Somali pirates, they believed the sailors would not be harmed because their kidnappers were only interested in ransom.
“As long as you obey them, you do not resist or attempt to escape, you’re just fine,” Estabio said, recalling what his ship’s captain had told them in case pirates would capture them.
“Just give them what they want, there’s no point in arguing with them. They just want to get your cargo, your money and other valuables.”
RP gov’t prefers peaceful means
There have been calls for tougher measures against pirate gangs, but the Philippine government has favored more peaceful means to free the captives.
In any case, Manila, largely lacking the resources the United States or Europe could bring to bear, is effectively helpless in dealing with the problem.
Ed Malaya, foreign office spokesperson, said the government was “relieved to learn about the rescue” of the American ship captain and assured families of 98 Filipinos held in Somalia that Manila was doing its best to secure their release.
Some sailors did plan to play it safe.
“The best way to avoid crossing the path of these people is to stay away from them,” said a 45-year-old tanker captain at the Luneta Park who gave his name only as Butch.
“So, I’m looking for vessels that operate only around Asia or in Europe. Before I sign in, I would ask if the shipping company operates worldwide. Then there’s a chance the vessel would come near Somalia, so I’d rather be on the safe side.”

U.S., Somali pirate action to raise maritime insurance

Medeshi

Tuesday April 14, 2009
ANALYSIS - U.S., Somali pirate action to raise maritime insurance
By Nick Carey
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The dramatic rescue of an American sailor from Somali pirates by the U.S. Navy this weekend will likely make marine insurance more expensive, not least because the killing of three pirates could lead to an escalation of violence against unarmed crews.
Crew members of the American container ship Maersk Alabama speak to the media at the Kenyan coastal sea port of Mombasa, 500 km from the capital Nairobi, April 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Antony Njuguna)
It is also seen forcing more ship owners to carry insurance -- as the pirates have become more mobile and have a greater reach -- and lead to lawsuits between underwriters over who has to pay ransoms.
"The rescue of the American sailor at the weekend has raised the stakes," said Peter Townsend, executive director of Marine Aon, a unit Aon Corp, the world's largest insurance broker. "Pirates may be more willing to resort to violence than previously."
Four pirates seized the Maersk Alabama container ship last week. But its unarmed crew of 20 fought back and the pirates were forced to flee with the ship's captain, Richard Phillips, in a lifeboat. After a tense standoff with the U.S. Navy, Phillips was rescued, with three pirates shot dead by snipers.
Although these events have thrust the issue of Somali piracy into the public eye, this is a long-standing problem.
"Piracy has been an issue for some time and it has already lead to higher insurance premiums," said Paul Keane, a partner at Cichanowicz, Callan, Keane, Vengrow & Textor LLP, who specializes in maritime cases. "Premiums are going to go up because the pirates are going to become a little more vicious and hold out for more money."
"The U.S. Navy was right to take action against the pirates," he added. "But, I fear the pirates will now take more drastic action as a result."
That action could include executing some of the 250-plus hostages held by pirates on other vessels, Keane said.
Hijackings off the coast of Somalia rose nearly 200 percent to 111 in 2008. So far this year, there have been around 40 incidents.
Experts on these hijackings say Somali pirates have avoided deliberately harming captured crew members so far, because for them this is just business -- some $100 million was handed over for crews and vessels in 2008.
"Hitherto, Somali pirates have merely treated hijackings as a business transaction and have been fairly consistent about not purposely harming anyone," said James Gosling, a London-based partner at Holman Fenwick Willan, who has advised ship owners in nearly 30 ransom negotiations off the Horn of Africa. "My hope is they will just continue as before ... But obviously we are very concerned about what impact the latest events will have."
CHANGING BUSINESS MODEL
Industry insiders frequently refer to the pirates in corporate terms and in particular their "business model."
"There is no political agenda at play here," said Michael Marks Cohen, a lawyer at Nicoletti Hornig & Sweeney, who specializes in marine insurance and maritime arbitration. "The pirates are only in this to get as much cash as they can."
The pirates have worked to upgrade that model. According to Aon's Townsend, the pirates have "reinvested much of the money they've made in better equipment" including rocket-propelled grappling hooks, faster boats and higher-quality weapons.
That has expanded their reach to 500 miles (800 km) from the Somali coast, forcing an international flotilla of navy ships to patrol a vast area of 1 million square miles.
"Catching pirates in an area like that is like trying to grab a bar of soap in the bath," Townsend said. "They can just keep slipping through your fingers."
Townsend said that in March 1,429 ships passed through the Suez Canal, a 16 percent decrease from March 2008. Part of the drop is due to the global recession, but some is because many ships are sailing around the Cape of Good Hope instead to avoid the risk of capture, he said.
But he estimated that detour could cost up to $2 million for a Suezmax -- the largest vessel allowed in the canal -- so "the economic costs far outweigh the ransom costs."
A "significant number" of ship owners have so far not bothered getting insurance against attacks, but the greater reach of the Somali pirates and coverage of the Maersk Alabama drama may force more of them to buy coverage, Townsend said.
"The events off the Somali coast have heightened awareness and upped the ante," he said.
Nicoletti Hornig & Sweeney's Cohen noted more insurers are classifying Somali piracy as a war risk rather than a general risk, as war risk premiums can be raised regionally.
The rise in the number of ransoms being paid has also intensified an unresolved 400-year-old insurance industry debate on who covers the release of hostages, Cohen added.
At the moment, insurance underwriters who cover cargoes and vessels end up covering crew ransoms, but argue that underwriters who cover crews should foot some of the bill.
"There has been a lot of discussion in the market recently over the fact that there is no provision for splitting up the ransom between property and life," Cohen said. "There are definitely going to be lawsuits coming out of this."

Undeterred Somali pirates hijack 4 more ships

Medeshi April 14, 2009
Undeterred Somali pirates hijack 4 more ships
Play Video AP – Maersk crew departs ship; replacements arrive
Slideshow:Somali Pirates
Play Video Video:Kidnapped US captain freed, pirates killed AP
Play Video Video:Family 'relieved' at captain's release BBC
AP – The crew of Maersk Alabama, react on as they leave for the Serena Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya, after leaving …
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writers Elizabeth A. Kennedy And Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press Writers – 11 mins ago
NAIROBI, Kenya – NATO says Somali pirates have hijacked another cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the fourth ship seized in the last two days.
NATO spokeswoman Shona Lowe says the Lebanese-owned MV Sea Horse was attacked Tuesday off the Somali coast by pirates in three or four speedboats. She had no further details.
Earlier, Somali pirates captured the MV Irene E.M., a Greek-managed bulk carrier sailing from the Middle East to South Asia. The Irene was seized in the middle of the night Tuesday — a rare tactic for the pirates.
Somali pirates appear undeterred by U.S. and French attacks that have killed five pirates in the past week during hostage rescues, including that of an American sea captain.
Pirates have vowed to retaliate for the killing of their colleagues.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Undeterred by U.S. and French hostage rescues that killed five bandits, Somali pirates brazenly hijacked three more ships in the Gulf of Aden, the waterway at the center of the world's fight against piracy.
Pirates have vowed to retaliate for the killing of their colleagues — and the top U.S. military officer said Tuesday he takes those comments seriously.
But Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "we're very well prepared to deal with anything like that."
The latest trophy for the pirates was the M.V. Irene E.M., a Greek-managed bulk carrier sailing from the Middle East to South Asia, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.
The Irene was attacked and seized in the middle of the night Tuesday — a rare tactic for the pirates.
U.S. Navy Lt. Nathan Christensen, spokesman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said the Irene was flagged in the Caribbean island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and carried 23 Filipino crew. Choong reported a crew of 21, and there was no immediate way to reconcile the figures.
A maritime security contractor, speaking on condition of anonymity because it is a sensitive security issue, said the ship put out a distress signal "to say they had a suspicious vessel approaching. That rapidly turned into an attack and then a hijacking."
"They tried to call in support on the emergency channels, but they never got any response," the contractor said.
On Monday, Somali pirates also seized two Egyptian fishing boats in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's northern coast, according to Egypt's Foreign Ministry, which said the boats carried 18 to 24 Egyptians total.
A flotilla of warships from nearly a dozen countries has patrolled the Gulf of Aden and nearby Indian Ocean waters for months. They have halted several attacks on ships this year, but say the area is so vast they can't stop all hijackings.
Choong said pirate attacks this year had risen to 77, with 18 of those ships hijacked and 16 vessels with 285 crew still in pirates' hands. Each boat carries the potential of a million-dollar ransom.
The latest seizures come after Navy SEAL snipers rescued American ship captain Richard Phillips on Sunday by killing three young pirates who held him captive in a drifting lifeboat for five days. A fourth pirate surrendered after seeking medical attention for a wound he received in trying to take over Phillips' vessel, the Maersk Alabama.
Phillips is aboard a Navy vessel at an undisclosed location, Christensen said Tuesday. He was initially taken aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based USS Bainbridge and then flown to the San Diego-based USS Boxer for a medical exam.
In Washington, President Barack Obama appeared to move the piracy issue higher on his agenda, vowing the United States would work with nations around the world to fight the problem.
"I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of piracy in that region and to achieve that goal, we're going to have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks," Obama said at a news conference Monday.
The 19 crew members of the Alabama celebrated their skipper's freedom with beer and an evening barbecue Monday in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, said crewman Ken Quinn.
The vessel's chief mate was among those urging strong U.S. action against piracy.
"It's time for us to step in and put an end to this crisis," Shane Murphy said. "It's a crisis. Wake up."
The U.S. is considering new options to fight piracy, including adding Navy gunships along the Somali coastline and launching a campaign to disable pirate "mother ships," according to military officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no decisions have been made yet.
In Burlington, Vt., Phillips' wife, Andrea Phillips thanked Obama, who approved the dramatic sniper operation.
"With Richard saved, you all just gave me the best Easter ever," she said in a statement.
The four pirates that attacked the Alabama were between 17 and 19 years old, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.
"Untrained teenagers with heavy weapons," Gates told students and faculty at the Marine Corps War College. "Everybody in the room knows the consequences of that."
U.S. officials were now considering whether to bring the fourth pirate, who surrendered shortly before the sniper shootings, to the United States or possibly turn him over to Kenya. Both piracy and hostage-taking carry life prison sentences under U.S. law.
The French navy late Monday handed over the bodies of two Somali pirates killed in a hostage rescue operation last week to authorities in Somali's semiautonomous northern region of Puntland and locals buried the bodies.
___
Jelinek reported from Washington. Associated Press writers who contributed to this report include Mohamed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu, Somalia; Michelle Faul, Malkhadir M. Muhumed, Tom Maliti and Todd Pitman in Kenya; Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Adam Schreck in Manama, Bahrain, Lara Jakes, Anne Gearan and Devlin Barrett in Washington; and John Curran in Burlington, Vermont.

Washington Wrestles the Somali Pirate Problem — On Land

Medeshi
Washington Wrestles the Somali Pirate Problem — On Land
By Mark Thompson / Washington Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2009

Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged Monday that the kind of Navy snipers who took out the three captors are only a stopgap way of dealing with pirates now sailing the Gulf of Aden. "There is no purely military solution to it," Gates told an audience of the Marine Corps War College in Quantico, Va. "It is a serious international problem, and it's probably going to get worse." (See pictures of the U.S. and the France fighting the Somali pirates.)
There's been talk in the Pentagon of dispatching more warships to the region to beef up protective patrols. And President Barack Obama talked tough on Monday, saying, "I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of piracy in that region." But Gates made it clear that the real solution isn't on the high seas. Instead, it's back along the Somali coast in the impoverished villages and towns that the pirates call home. "As long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small," he said, "there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids."
Responsibility for changing that equation belongs to the new U.S. African Command (Africom), set up 18 months ago to help provide security to permit the rebuilding of shattered nations like Somalia. But don't look for quick action. "We do not have a military presence in Somalia," the command's chief, Army General William Ward, told Congress last month. In fact, the military's in no rush to head back to that lawless nation in the Horn of Africa. That's where President Clinton's Pentagon was first bloodied when 18 soldiers died in a 1993 firefight memorialized in Black Hawk Down. As a reminder of the volatile environment, local insurgents on Monday fired mortar rounds at a private plane ferrying U.S. Congressman Donald Payne out of Mogadishu after he had visited with the head of the country's weak new transitional government. (See pictures of the brazen pirates of Somalia.)
Even if the Pentagon had the stomach for this kind of fight, the confused command structure for the region would make it hard to succeed. You might think, after all, that Africom would be front and center in battling the piracy now rampant off Somalia's coast. But in fact Africom deals only with African territory, and not the seas surrounding it. Those are monitored by U.S. Central Command, also responsible for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This disconnect — Centcom if by sea, Africom if by land — highlights the challenge facing the Pentagon as it tries to grapple with 21st century pirates who thrive amid chaos.
Africom's only role in battling pirates is helping Centcom hand over the captured ones — 130 so far this year — to east African nations for trial. Africom still has a lot of kinks to work out. At that House hearing on March 19, Ward acknowledged that he has only a "very small command" — headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany — to deal with Africa, and not a soul on Somali soil. But things are getting better. "Every day improvements are made," Ward said. "I count it a victory when I can pick up the phone or — and send an e-mail and it goes to the same address, and we are getting more and more that way." (See the top 10 audacious acts of piracy.)
The growing piracy problem highlights Gates' smarts — it was only a week ago that he boosted the Navy's buy of the small and fast Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) from two to three next year, with a total planned buy of 55. The defense chief termed the LCS "a key capability for presence, stability and counterinsurgency operations in coastal regions." With its ability to sail into shallow waters, an LCS vessel can chase pirates into places bigger warships could never go. The LCS is "an ideal platform" for unconventional Navy missions, including "counterpiracy operations," Rear Admiral Victor Guillory, director of the Navy's surface-warfare division, told a House panel on March 10. But at 400 feet in length and $500 million each — and initial production plagued by problems — the Navy's not going to be able to buy enough to stamp out piracy anytime soon.
The pirates, largely from lawless coastal Somali towns, have basically turned the heavily traveled route through the Gulf of Aden into a toll road that shippers' insurance firms have been willing to pay for (up to $3 million for a single vessel). About 20,000 merchant ships traverse the waterway each year; there have already been 74 attacks and 15 hijackings in 2009, compared with 111 attacks last year. The pirates generally have wanted cash, not trouble. They've treated their hostages well, and violence has been rare. All of that changed, of course, last week when a quartet of Somalis seized Phillips from the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. In the wake of the U.S. action, some pirates and Somali warlords pledged to take revenge on some of the more than 200 international sailors currently being held captive on the seas. (See a brief history of pirates.)
Somalia's extreme poverty and lack of effective central government make it an ideal breeding ground for piracy, and the Cold War's end helped make it possible. Like Afghanistan, Somalia was a rope for decades in a tug-of-war between the Soviet Union and the United States, abandoned and left to rot as the superpower rivalry ebbed. It's the latest warning that the 21st century's dangers are more likely to come from failed states and their desperate young men, rather than modern militaries boasting flotillas of warships, formations of tanks and fleets of aircraft.
See pictures of modern-day pirates.
See TIME's Pictures of the Week.

Aisha, "I am addicted to khat and still on the market"

Medeshi

Aisha, "I am addicted to khat and still on the market"
HARGEISA, Somliland ,14 April 2009 (PlusNews) - Aisha*, 24, lives in Hargeisa, capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia, where she puts food on the table for herself and her child by trading sex for money and khat, a herbal stimulant. Aisha told IRIN/PlusNews about her life during a conversation frequently interrupted by customers calling to make appointments.
"When I was younger I got married in Burao [a town 340km east of Hargeisa] and had two children, but I did not get along with my mother-in-law - we quarrelled so much that I asked my husband to divorce me and left with the kids.
"When I moved to Hargeisa I couldn't find any work or a way to feed my kids ... one of my children got diarrhoea and died.
"I met some girls who were sex workers and they said it was an easy way to make a living. The first time my friends introduced me to a man he gave me some gifts for the children; he also gave me khat to chew. That was four years ago - now I am addicted to khat and still on the market.
"I normally call the men when I need khat, or they call me to make appointments with me on the phone. Most of my customers are hotel workers, telecom executives, businessmen - even one minister [of religion]!
"The best time for business is the end of the month, when people have been paid and come to spend their money with me. Sometimes I even sleep with them on credit and they pay me when they get their salary.
"I try to use condoms, but if they don't have one and I have run out, then I will do it without one. I know about HIV, and recently when I got sick I thought I had it, but the test said I was negative.
"Sometimes the work can be dangerous; recently I was picked up by a rich businessman in town, who took me to his house. When we got there he wanted to have anal sex, but I refused. He beat me up so badly that I was in bed for days.
"I would like to leave this work. If Allah gives me a chance, I'll change, but if not, I'll be doing this for ever."

Pirates seize two Egyptian fishing boats off the coast of Somaliland

Medeshi
Pirates seize Egyptian fishing boats
CAIRO (AFP) — Pirates have seized two Egyptian fishing boats off the coast of the Somali breakaway region of Somaliland, a senior Egyptian official said on Monday.
"Our ambassador in Somalia has confirmed the boats were captured off the coast of Somaliland," Ahmad Rizk, deputy foreign minister for consular affairs, told reporters.
Rizk was unable to say when the boats, with a combined crew of between 18 and 24 sailors, were captured, but said that the Egyptian foreign ministry was investigating the incident.
Rizk earlier told state television that Egypt's ambassador in Somalia said it was the first time boats were seized off the coast of Somaliland, which is considered one of the safest coastlines in the region.
Somali pirates have increased attacks in recent days despite the presence of an international task force gathered to defend shipping in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Close to 150 attacks by Somali pirates on foreign ships were reported in 2008, most of them in the Gulf of Aden, where 16,000 ships bottle-neck into the Red Sea each year on one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.
Somaliland, located in north Somalia, proclaimed its independence in May 1991, five months after the start of civil war in Somalia.

Somali Pirates Vow Revenge on U.S., France on Rescues

Medeshi
Somali Pirates Vow Revenge on U.S., France on Rescues (Update1)
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By Hamsa Omar and Gregory Viscusi
April 13 (Bloomberg) -- Somali pirates vowed to target American and French ships to avenge the death of five colleagues in two recent rescue operations, including the freeing of a U.S. captain yesterday.
“France and the U.S. will encounter unforgettable lessons,” Mohamed Hashi Yasin, a self-declared pirate spokesman, said by mobile phone from the port town of Eyl. “We will treat every country as they treat us.”
U.S. snipers yesterday killed three Somali pirates and rescued a U.S. ship captain who had been held for five days aboard a lifeboat. Two days earlier, French snipers killed two Somali pirates and commandos stormed a captured yacht to arrest three others and free four French hostages. One hostage died in that operation.
“We will take quick revenge on American ships if we don’t receive apologies,” Yusuf Mohamed Mahdi, who identified himself as a pirate commander, said in a separate telephone interview today from Eyl. “We will not only target ships and crew in the sea, but also American agencies’ staff in Somalia.”
The French and U.S. operations didn’t deter pirates from striking elsewhere. An Italian tugboat was seized two days ago with 16 crew, including 10 Italians, five Romanians and one Croatian. It’s being shadowed by the Italian frigate Maestrale, which is in the area as part of the European Union’s Atalanta anti-piracy mission, the Italian defense ministry says.
Pirates May Change Methods
“It is obviously good news that hostages are being rescued, but it may lead to changes in the way the pirates operate,” said Giles Noakes, head of security at Copenhagen- based Bimco, the world’s largest shipping organization. “Our advice remains that if you don’t need to transit the zone, don’t. And if you do need to, alert the navies in the area, or stay well east of the Seychelles.”
Attacks have surged this past month as pirates strike off the east coast of Somalia to avoid naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden. Pirates have assaulted 64 ships so far this year, taking 19 of them, according to the U.S. Navy. A total of 15 ships and more than 230 seamen are being held by Somali pirates in various ports along the country’s lawless coasts.
The three pirates holding 53-year-old Richard Phillips were shot from the fantail of destroyer USS Bainbridge. A fourth pirate was onboard the U.S. boat receiving medical treatment and was arrested.
Puntland Region
Omar Jamal, director of Somali Justice Advocacy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, said Somali press reports identified the captured pirate as 16-year old Mohamed Abdi from the breakaway Puntland region.
Yasin said pirates are angered by the U.S. operation because talks were underway to release Phillips.
“The Americans broke the peace process and killed our teenagers aggressively,” Yasin said. “They tricked us and opted out of the peace deal.”
Yasin’s version of events agreed with that of Ecoterra, an East African environmental group, and of an elder reached by phone. In an e-mail, it said negotiations between elders in Somalia and the U.S. Navy were stalled because the Americans insisted on arresting the pirates, while the elders refused though they promised to punish them themselves.
Ali Suriyan, an elder in the town of Gara’ad, said elders were waiting for a U.S. boat that was to carry them to the lifeboat to exchange Phillips for the pirates
“As we were waiting, the Americans preceded the decision with this terrible action,” he said.
U.S. Snipers
The U.S. snipers were ordered to shoot because a gun was being pointed at Phillips, said Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
“The captain’s life was in immediate danger,” Gortney said by teleconference from his headquarters in Bahrain, adding the on-scene commander “had seconds” to make a decision. The pirates were picked off with three shots -- one each by snipers using night-vision scopes at dusk.
The Maersk Alabama was the first American-operated ship to be seized in a spate of hijackings in the waters off Somalia, which hasn’t had a central government for more than 17 years. The Maersk Alabama’s crew had managed to repulse the hijackers when they boarded the vessel on April 8.
Attempted Escape
Phillips agreed to go with the pirates to ensure his crew remained safe. He jumped overboard once in an effort to escape, only to be recaptured after being shot at, Gortney said.
President Barack Obama had given standing orders for a rescue effort if Phillips’s life was in danger, Gortney said.
In the case of the French yacht, French negotiators never bothered to involve village elders, Ecoterra said. Defense Minister Herve Morin said at a press conference that the French commandos attacked because they picked up threats that the pirates might execute the hostages. Ecoterra said the pirates would have only harmed the hostages in the case of a French assault.
The four surviving hostages, who included a 3-year-old boy, arrived back in France yesterday. At the request of their families, no TV cameras were present as they landed at an army base near Paris.
The body of the fifth hostage, Florent Lemacon, 27, the father of the child, will be returned to France later this week. An autopsy should determine if he was killed in crossfire during the three-minute operation, or if he was executed by the pirates.
No Functioning Government
Somalia has lacked a functioning central government since the ouster of Mohamed Said Barre in 1991, and pirates are able to operate out of its lawless seashore, which is almost as long as the U.S.’s Eastern seaboard.
Captain Shane Murphy, the Alabama’s second in command, asked at a press conference today that Obama take further steps to combat piracy.
“I appeal to President Obama to use all resources to end this scourge of Somali piracy,” the 33-year-old said in Mombasa. “It’s a crisis, wake up.”
The Maersk Alabama is operated by the Maersk Line, a Norfolk, Virginia-based U.S. unit of A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, based in Copenhagen. The boat is in Mombasa, Kenya and the crew isn’t being allowed to return home yet because Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have deemed it a crime zone. Murphy wouldn’t give details of how the crew wrestled back control of the boat from the pirates.
Halting Piracy
“We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region,” Obama said in a statement. “To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes.”
About 25 warships from the EU, the U.S., Turkey, China, India, Russia and Malaysia are in the Gulf of Aden to protect a shipping route that carries about one-tenth of world trade.
The Alabama is the first U.S.-flagged vessel hijacked since a maritime protection corridor was set up near Somalia in August, according to the U.S. Navy. Pirates attacked 165 ships last year between Yemen and Somalia, seizing 43 for ransom.
“It’s such a vast area,” Gortney added. “We simply do not have enough resources” to prevent all attacks. There have been 18 or 19 attempts on ships in the past three weeks, he said.
The Norwegian chemical tanker Bow Asir, which was seized March 26 and released April 10 for an undisclosed ransom, arrived today in Mombassa. Members of the mostly Filipino crew, who wouldn’t give their names, said they were unharmed.
To contact the reporters on this story: Hamsa Omar in Dar es Salaam via Johannesburg at abolleurs@bloomberg.net; Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@bloomberg.net.

Insurgents Fire at Rep. Payne's Plane in Somalia

Medeshi April 13, 2009

Insurgents Fire at Rep. Payne's Plane in Somalia
Rep. Donald Payne's trip to Mogadishu, Somalia, on Monday to meet on international assistance to that war-torn country and the issue of piracy was marred when Islamist insurgents fired mortars at the airport as his plane was leaving.
The State Department said that the congressman had safely left the country, though his spokeswoman could offer few details.
Kerry McKenney said the House sergeant at arms office heard from the State Department and informed her of his status. She said she did not speak with Payne, but as far as she knows the plane was headed to Nairobi, Kenya, and that the congressman was not hurt in the assault.
"All we know is that his plane was fired on. We, of course, feel that it was in retaliation" for the U.S. Navy's attack on Somali pirates on Sunday that resulted in the rescue of freighter Capt. Richard Phillips, McKenney told FOX News.
Somali police told Reuters that the attack came as Payne was planning to depart Mogadishu after meeting with the interim president and prime minister. He flew into the city on a small jet accompanied by the Somali foreign minister.
"One mortar landed at the airport when Payne's plane was due to fly and five others after he left and no one was hurt," officer Abukar Hassan told the news agency.
Residents nearby the airport told Reuters that three people were wounded when one of the mortars hit a nearby neighborhood.
The congressman, a New Jersey Democrat serving in his 10th term in the U.S. House, was accompanied by six bodyguards on the trip. Additional security was provided by African Union soldiers in the country on a peacekeeping mission.
Payne "felt that it was important that he go to Mogadishu to see firsthand what was happening on the ground there. So he traveled over there with bodyguard protection," McKenney said.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said the failure to address instability in Somalia is largely responsible for much of the recent unrest.
"I am elated by the safe rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama and I thank and congratulate the Navy Seals and others whose remarkable efforts resulted in a successful end to this troubling situation. I am also relieved by this morning's reports that Congressman Donald Payne is unharmed after coming under fire from insurgents in Mogadishu," he said in a statement.
"For years, Somalia's growing instability was neglected by the Bush administration and the international community. The new administration must not make the same mistake," Feingold said.