What I learned from the Somali pirates

03 December 2008

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Aidan Hartley says that Somali piracy is very well-organised and efficient and is opposed publicly only by militant Muslims — who may yet seize power in Mogadishu

This all seems extremely odd unless American forces assume that the pirates are in some way linked to the Puntland authorities with whom they are allied. US intelligence works closely with the Puntland Intelligence Service, known as PIS, which has helped with anti-terrorism operations in the region. Last month al-Shabaab suicide bombers blew themselves up in two vehicles in Puntland’s main port town of Bossaso. Their target was the PIS headquarters and at the time of the attack there were almost certainly American agents in the building.

The West has given the authorities in Mogadishu and Puntland tens of millions of dollars and shared intelligence resources. Yet these Somali leaders claim they cannot stamp out piracy because they lack the resources. In 2006, when Mogadishu was ruled by Islamist militants, I witnessed forces of the Islamic courts jump into speedboats, zoom out to sea and arrest a gang of pirates who had seized a cargo ship. The Islamists paraded gang members on the portside before taking them off for harsh punishment. That was the end of piracy in that part of Somalia until Abdullahi Yusuf’s government was installed during an invasion of Ethiopian troops, when attacks on shipping resumed.

The only group in Somalia today that publicly declares it will end piracy is the militant al-Shabaab, because it says such crimes are forbidden under Islamic law. Al-Shabaab is a Salafist group that was founded earlier this decade as a militia attached to an Islamic sharia court housed in a derelict Mogadishu shampoo factory known as Ifka Halane — which means ‘Clean and Shiny’.

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M

December 4th, 2008 6:57pm Report this comment

Just a question. You said that the private security on board jump overboard as soon as pirates are sighted. Is this because they are afraid of the pirates or because International Law ties them down so much that if they were to shoot the pirates then their civilian lives would be interrupted/would be punished?

PDL

December 5th, 2008 4:05pm Report this comment

Mr. Hartley, who has often been critical of "international development" projects, has negected to mention a rare example of success of donor funding. In the 1980's, the Danish government funded a boat-building project in Mogadishu which included setting up a small factory to fabricate fiberglass fishing boats from molds. These are the boats, not very big but virtually unsinkable, that venture far out into the Gulf of Aden to hunt their prey.

S.A.

December 6th, 2008 12:00am Report this comment

I came across your article in VF.COM, i was so stunned to see someone writing about the perils of my country, and the headline being in a major media outlet. Finally, i had no clue there was a reporter covering this. I am going to Somalia inshallah in 2010, that is if 1988 doesn't repeat itself. I attempted to raise funds for relief aid but no one in my community wanted to help, all because of tribal politics. So disheartening, a child is a child, it embarrasses me when Somalis shun each other because they believe one Qabil is better and one is sub- human. I plan to change that.

oliver

December 6th, 2008 5:24am Report this comment

SA good luck for the effort and I pray for you. Adrian, your articles are to the point and very educational to those who have no clue to the Somali misery and state-failure. Al-shabaab was founded by Somalis educated and indoctrinated in Saudi religious schools. Their leaders number not more than 200 active violent men but they got funding from rich Saudis. The west can easily counter that with its educated Somali Diaspora groups. A quarter-million Somalis now hold European, Canadian and America passports. Thousands of them are college graduates with degrees in every field. why not invest in them, repatriate them back to their homeland, promote them as the leaders since they understand democracy and individual freedom. Somalis shun extremism. they love music, sports and poetry. Appeal to the Somali poets in the process of peace too. I am sure if 5000 Somalis with western education went back to Somalia and become the mayors and government officials, anarchy and extremism would be history.

kiffa

December 6th, 2008 4:33pm Report this comment

And the 'harsh punishment' in 2006 which stopped piracy Hartley refers to, was hanging or beheading.

The death penalty deterred crime. Hmmmmnnn. Funny, that

Riaz Ahmad

December 7th, 2008 8:28pm Report this comment

In an age where western journalism has sold itself to corporate media, national vested interest, spin and sensationalism,It is welcome news that Aidan Hartley has risen above pettiness to inform us about the true state of affairs.
THREE CHEERS AIDAN, KEEP IT UP.

Riaz Ahmad

December 7th, 2008 8:43pm Report this comment

Oliver, I can see you have peaceful intentions like all peace loving people and I love to agree with you, Sadly, If I point out the political realities of international affairs, the 5000 or so who will be guiding Somalia to normalcy, any failure in complying with the political regional ambitions of European and American masters, no matter how good they are, will end up in the dust bin of history, just like many others before them. Sadly, this is the reality of westren behaviour in the third world.

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