World - Somali Piracy Backed by International Network

"The dramatic spike in piracy in African waters this year is backed by an international network mostly of Somali expatriates from the Horn of Africa to as far as North America" Another reason why the West or 'North' as its called today, should NOT allow African Immigration into their states. Not only will they destroy your state from within, but aid in destroying you from outside. Where is the good ol' days where the American Navy would have none of it and simple annihialate pirates ( I refer to the Barbary war). Janolifant

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MOGADISHU, Somalia – Ahmed Dahir Suleyman is cagey as he talks about the global network that funds and supports piracy off the coast of Somalia.

"We have negotiators, translators and agents in many areas ... let me say across the world," said Suleyman, a pirate in the harbor town of Eyl, where scores of hijacked ships are docked.

"These people help us during exchanges of ransom and finding out the exact person to negotiate with," he told The Associated Press. Before cutting off the cell phone call, Suleyman snapped: "It is not possible to ask anymore about our secrets."

The dramatic spike in piracy in African waters this year is backed by an international network mostly of Somali expatriates from the Horn of Africa to as far as North America, who offer funds, equipment and information in exchange for a cut of the ransoms, according to researchers, officials and members of the racket. With help from the network, Somali pirates have brought in at least $30 million in ransom so far this year.

"The Somali diaspora all around the world now have taken to this business enterprise," said Michael Weinstein, a Somalia expert at Purdue University in Indiana. He likened the racket to "syndicates where you buy shares, so to speak, and you get a cut of the ransom."

Weinstein said his interviews with ransom negotiators and Somalis indicate the piracy phenomenon has reached Canada, which is home to 200,000 Somalis.

John S. Burnett, a London-based author working on a book about hijackings off the Somali coast, said there is no doubt Somali pirates are part of "transnational crime syndicates." He said information from sources, including people involved in ransom negotiations and payouts, indicates the money goes as far as Canada and capitals in Europe.

"Places like Eyl are getting only a portion of the millions in ransom being siphoned off," he said. "The Somali diaspora is huge."

Sheik Qasim Ibrahim Nur, director of security at Somalia's Interior and National Security Ministry, said evidence points to Somali expatriates in Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, but declined to give further details. He said there is "no doubt" the pirates have links outside Somalia.

Kenya's government spokesman, Alfred Mutua, said the issue was under investigation. In Dubai, a police officer at the Interior Ministry denied claims that anyone was funding piracy. He asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The deals with "investors" appear to be fairly informal, with family or clan networks stretching overseas. The lack of a proper banking system in Somalia, which has not had an effective government in almost 20 years, makes it difficult to trace how much funding the pirates get from overseas or how it is channeled.

Somalia is a failed state with no banks, only a cash-based, informal transfer network called hawala. A hawala operator takes in money on one end, then instructs a relative, friend or another agent in another country to hand a like amount to someone else. The paperless system, based on trust and oral agreements, is commonly used in the Middle East, parts of Asia and Africa.

There is some concern that the system is used for overseas payments to and from the pirates — especially now that they are getting their ransoms in cash, sometimes dropped in burlap sacks from a buzzing helicopter.

The pirates acknowledge using foreign help.

"All I can tell you is we have people in Nairobi, Djibouti, we have people in Dubai and many other countries," said Gamase Hassan Said, a pirate in Eyl speaking by telephone.

Aden Yusuf, another pirate in Eyl, told The AP that foreigners in Dubai, Nairobi, Djibouti and elsewhere help pirates get sophisticated equipment, such as money-counting machines seen at foreign exchange bureaus, in exchange for a cut of the ransom.

Roger Middleton, an expert on East Africa at Chatham House think tank in London, said ransoms in the past have been "channeled to expatriate Somalis around the world." But pirates appear to be opting for direct cash payouts more often now — bypassing even the hawala tranfer system — because of concerns about scrutiny by governments, he said. In one instance at the beginning of this year, he said, the pirates wanted the money delivered through the Gulf but nobody was prepared to take it.

"That may be an indication that the (UAE) government was stepping up pressure," said Middleton, whose information comes from private security firms and people party to hostage negotiations.

In the Emirates, hawala operators have been ordered to register with the Central Bank and to report transfers larger than $550, but it is unclear how many actually do so.

The Somali pirates also rely on a local network of corrupt officials and villagers eager for money in a region with no real economy. Somali pirates generally dock hijacked vessels near the coast in the northern Somali region of Puntland as they negotiate ransoms. Rogue security and government officials there allow the pirates to use ports and move freely around towns while they restock ships, said Abdullahi Said Aw-Yusuf, a district commissioner in Eyl.

"This is the main reason why pirates are stationed in Puntland," Aw-Yusuf said.

Piracy has turned many tiny fishing villages off Somalia's coast into boomtowns, where pirates build sprawling homes, cruise in luxury cars and marry multiple wives. Often dressed in military fatigues, the pirates are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades. The weaponry is readily available throughout Somalia, where 20 years of anarchy means nearly everyone owns a gun and a bustling arms market operates in the capital.

The pirates have attacked more than 90 vessels this year and successfully seized more than 36.


By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN and ELIZABETH KENNEDY
Associated Press

Date Posted: Tuesday 14-Apr-2009
Anyone asking the question, "Cui Bono?" Now is it possible that the Somali Piracy story being told to us is a half truth? Could it be a false flag operation to gain control of the shipping lanes? Who would want to place blame on "Muslim" nations? Find it odd that the U.S. Navy did nothing at all while these attacks were increasing and only acted after a photo op, John Wayne style performance by Barak Obama?

Ask some real questions here, I think the real story has yet to be uncovered.

Gaelphadraic
Houston

Date Posted: Sunday 14-Dec-2008
To Chi0ne1,
There is a solution to most piracy and other crimes all over the globe, stop the criminal nature of vice. Stop treating vice as a crime and you will see a far more peaceful place. When organized criminals get into profit making, that is when good people suffer for the law that enabled the criminal venture.

In the U.S., we have seen the prohibition of intoxicating liquors go through the actual ammendment process. Powerful forces were at work. The continued prohibitions of other intoxicants were the pay off for legalized alcohols for the nationally organized crime syndicates.

We also have what we call the bill of rights, and this contains an article number nine that reads,

"The enumeration in the constitution of (intoxicating liquors) certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others (intoxicants) retained by the people".

Seems any law that prevents any other intoxicant from an American citizens use is an illegal law and should be ignored at will. But then you are faced with the other side of organized crime the enforcement branch aka police.

Get it? Todays governments are a collection of organized criminals period.

Meatwad
San Diego Ca
usa

Date Posted: Saturday 13-Dec-2008
You might want to read about the declining years of the Roman Republic, when there was a terrible problem with pirates in the Mediterranean. The Roman Senate appointed the triumvir Pompey to deal with the pirates, and gave him an enormous force and three years to eliminate them. He did it in sixty days. Pirates and bandits generally fold up when put under real pressure. The question is whether any of the major powers possess the political will to go to Somalia and deal with the pirates.

Hereward
Mankato, MN
USA

Date Posted: Saturday 13-Dec-2008
After being ripped off by oil companies and others for our lifetimes, I APPLAUD the pirates for not being willing to continue to live in total poverty while others plunder steal and prosper.

Most anyone in gov't or finance has proven they are criminals who care only for themselves. Why should we expect the poorest of the poor to not do the same?

Viva La Pirates!!!!

the dave
San Diego

the dave
San Diego
USA

Date Posted: Saturday 13-Dec-2008
These so-called pirates could be taken out in a few days, but aren't. Don't be fooled, these pirates didn't just materialize by accident out of thin air. They are orchestrated and funded, not by a rag tag band of investors but by a ruling elite whose ultimate goal is to establish a world government using a world army to enforce its brand of peace on earth. It will fail and so will they.

Jubilee

Date Posted: Saturday 13-Dec-2008
36 seized ! wow, we haven't heard that figure here in usa, or even the 200 attacked amount. the tv news is kinda dead on that subject, their more concerned about obama. where is the usa navy you ask ? good question, maybe if an american ship with great booty got captured, we might see them step in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6ZIHbFQAzU&fe...

goldieshouse.piczo.com

rich
pittsburgh, pa
usa

Date Posted: Saturday 13-Dec-2008
These people are backed by the same people that back the Muslim terrorists, "Jewish" terrorists, illegal immigrants, the mafia, street gangs, religious zealots, etc.
These backers go back to Gen 3:16, they are the serpent seed of Cain, Ham(Naamah), Canaanites, Esau(married into Canaanites, he also wants his birthright back(Gen 27:40)). Esau also married into Hittites, Hivites, Ishmael's daughter, Khazars, Spanish(Sephardic "Jews"), tribe of Dan(serpent symbol), and other middle eastern nations. Since the African people are suppose to be from Ham, they are also governed by the serpent seed. These backers control the "east" and the "west", which are really only an illusion. This is really a global problem.
This is why these terrorists and all terrorists are allowed to do what they do, they terrorize the masses. If they were to turn on their masters they would be exterminated like vermin. These terrorists are only puppets like all the "leaders" of the various "nations".
They are only one tree in the forest of evil. Get rid of one tree and the forest only grows another tree. Disabling the forest is the only way to get peace of some kind. The only problem is figuring out how to disable the forest. As long as the masses keep fighting each other the forest will continue to grow and thrive, unless they implode on themselves.

Chi0ne1
USA

Date Posted: Saturday 13-Dec-2008
The Good old days?
Americans will attack with zeal and as you put it"annihilate the Pirates" when you can show them where there is oil to be had in Somalia.
AS we can see the case for Dafur it is much higher on their agenda .

David
Canada