NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia's Prime Minister says his government has identified many pirate leaders and would be willing to share that information with other countries, including the United States, to get the resources needed to go after them.Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, speaking Thursday to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview, said the pirates have become so wealthy and powerful that they threaten his government."We have information on who is behind this, who is involved," Sharmarke said in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. "There is a lot of money flowing in ... we are following very closely how money is distributed here."He was referring to the fact that pirates can earn $1 million US or more in ransom for each hijacked ship. Forty-two ships were hijacked by pirates from Somalia last year, and so far 19 have been taken this year.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday announced new diplomatic efforts to freeze the pirates' assets and said the Obama administration will work with shippers and insurers to improve their defences against pirates."These pirates are criminals, they are armed gangs on the sea. And those plotting attacks must be stopped," Clinton said in Washington.Clinton did not call for military force, although she mentioned "going after" pirate bases in Somalia. She urged the U.S. officials and others to "explore ways to track and freeze" pirate ransom money and other funds used in purchases of new boats, weapons and communications equipment.Sharmarke said the Somali government was presenting a plan to envoys from the European Union, the United States and a regional authority to fight pirates by building up military forces and establishing intelligence-gathering posts along its coastline."The best way to actually deal with this is to prevent (the pirates) from going into the waters," Sharmarke said. "We are planning to establish at least ten or more observation posts on the coastline."Still, it was not clear how this plan could cover the 3,100-kilometre Somali coastline, since his government controls only a few square blocks of the capital, Mogadishu, with the aid of African peacekeepers.Donors have also been reluctant to fund a government with little accountability but the recent spike in piracy attacks may change that. Pirates are holding more than 280 foreign crewmen captive on 15 ships - at least 76 of those sailors captured in recent days.Meanwhile, the American sea captain held hostage for five days by pirates reached port in Kenya on Thursday, hours after his crew held a joyous reunion with their families at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland...more..http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/what-piracy-this-is-the-same-old-jihad/
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Somalia's prime minister says government knows pirate leaders .??he’s one of them
NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia's Prime Minister says his government has identified many pirate leaders and would be willing to share that information with other countries, including the United States, to get the resources needed to go after them.Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, speaking Thursday to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview, said the pirates have become so wealthy and powerful that they threaten his government."We have information on who is behind this, who is involved," Sharmarke said in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. "There is a lot of money flowing in ... we are following very closely how money is distributed here."He was referring to the fact that pirates can earn $1 million US or more in ransom for each hijacked ship. Forty-two ships were hijacked by pirates from Somalia last year, and so far 19 have been taken this year.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday announced new diplomatic efforts to freeze the pirates' assets and said the Obama administration will work with shippers and insurers to improve their defences against pirates."These pirates are criminals, they are armed gangs on the sea. And those plotting attacks must be stopped," Clinton said in Washington.Clinton did not call for military force, although she mentioned "going after" pirate bases in Somalia. She urged the U.S. officials and others to "explore ways to track and freeze" pirate ransom money and other funds used in purchases of new boats, weapons and communications equipment.Sharmarke said the Somali government was presenting a plan to envoys from the European Union, the United States and a regional authority to fight pirates by building up military forces and establishing intelligence-gathering posts along its coastline."The best way to actually deal with this is to prevent (the pirates) from going into the waters," Sharmarke said. "We are planning to establish at least ten or more observation posts on the coastline."Still, it was not clear how this plan could cover the 3,100-kilometre Somali coastline, since his government controls only a few square blocks of the capital, Mogadishu, with the aid of African peacekeepers.Donors have also been reluctant to fund a government with little accountability but the recent spike in piracy attacks may change that. Pirates are holding more than 280 foreign crewmen captive on 15 ships - at least 76 of those sailors captured in recent days.Meanwhile, the American sea captain held hostage for five days by pirates reached port in Kenya on Thursday, hours after his crew held a joyous reunion with their families at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland...more..http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/what-piracy-this-is-the-same-old-jihad/
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