99jonnny100,

Where did you find the information on the toxic dumping? I’m very interested in this factor and would do what I can to publicize it.

Same goes for your assertion that black Africans are genocide victims of Islamic rule. I have no special sources re Somalia, but what I’ve read implies that Somali’s Muslims are black, rather than Arab, and that the population has suffered for a long time because both the government and the warlords are black and Islamic, and both use aid food as a political weapon. Could you steer me to more thorough accounts on this topic? If my impression that people are dying there because of continuous warfare between groups both willing to let people starve while they joust for power is not accurate, I’d definitely appreciate better information.

Russian Paul:
‘The way I see it, if the ships and their crew are there illegally, then they should expect local resistence. I guess coast guards don’t usually hold hostages for ransom, but they are in a desperate situation.’

What law?  I have never heard of a law prohibiting tankers and freighters from passing through the Red Sea.  In any case, unless you’re talking about some sort of Natural Law or something like that, a stateless territory doesn’t have laws.

‘And there isn’t necessarily a contradiction here - on one side of their coast nuclear materials have been dumped, and on another side illegal fishing is responsible for $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster being stolen every year. Read about it in Jeremy Scahill’s article….’

The article and others like it have been widely publicized.  Originally, the contradiction appeared in the same sentence.  Maybe it is being fixed now, since a lot of people pointed it out.  Meanwhile the Left in general has been made to look morbidly foolish, as if we smiled upon armed robbery, kidnapping and other serious crimes of violence.

“A Muslim fundamentalist movement grew up half a dozen years ago” in Somalia which not only “pacified the country” but completely stamped out piracy. The Islamic Courts Union (ICU) under Sheikh Sharif Ahmed defeated the fractious warlords and took over power in June 2006 and ruled but a scant six months instituting Sharia law, the only peaceful period in Somalia’s turbulent post-colonial history. They were quickly overthrown when “the United States paid Ethiopia to once again invade Somalia” proving “once again” that the U.S. generally favors - and does more to facilitate - “guerrilla war, refugees, drought, famine”, etc., than do it’s designated adversaries. The hard-line Al-Shabab Muslim insurgent movement in Somalia today that is rapidly gaining ground (politically and territorially) is intent on restoring the rule of the ICU; which,, if it were to occur, would solve the piracy problem, anyway. The Shebab have condemned piracy as an offense to Islam. The only thing that is really standing in their way now in winniing power, after the departure of the American-sponsored Ethiopian mercenaries in January, is the presence of a large African Union peace-keeping force. It’s unlikely, however that the U.S would accept such a solution to the piracy problem and indeed, may have ulterior motives for keeping it boiling. There are growing apprehensions in Arab states in the region that piracy may be used as a convenient pretext to internationalize the Red Sea by the U.S and certain of it’s malicious allies, i.e. Israel. Last fall. Nawaf Al-Meshal Sabhan wrote in the Saudi daily newspaper Al-Iqtissadia: “What is happening in the Horn of Africa is not a simple case of piracy. These acts of piracy raise various questions about the capabilities and equipment of simple outlaws who are seeking ransoms ... “These acts triggered statements on the internationalization of the Red Sea, in which the enemy state of Israel would be a crucial element,”  The Red Sea is the only waterway in the world where Arab states are dominant and the security of these states and the Red Sea are inseparable. Much of global crude oil from the Gulf states passes through the Red Sea, as well as many other everyday imports and exports of the region. Additionally, vital desalinated water resources come from the Red Sea.  So, if zionist dupe Obama’s “promise that the United States and its allies will put an end to Indian Ocean piracy had the forceful ring to it that”  bad Israeli citizens like to hear, don’t be surprised. It’s very likely part of a larger plan, using fighting piracy as a pretext - just like fighting drugs is used as a pretext in Latin America - to ‘internationalize’ and control the Red Sea as an integral component of controlling the entire region. Any such outcome would of course, along with other initiatives in Iraq and Iran, make it possible for the outlaw Jewish State to rule the region, using the power of it’s American client state.

But, really, people who seize ships and kidnap their crews at gunpoint and hold them for ransom are pirates.

The way I see it, if the ships and their crew are there illegally, then they should expect local resistence. I guess coast guards don’t usually hold hostages for ransom, but they are in a desperate situation.

And there isn’t necessarily a contradiction here - on one side of their coast nuclear materials have been dumped, and on another side illegal fishing is responsible for $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster being stolen every year. Read about it in Jeremy Scahill’s article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-scahill/putting-todays-pirate-att_b_184752.html

As usual Mr Pfaff has written an interesting and informative article,
but in the accustomed manner of all Truthdig bloggers, he has
omitted some very pertinent information—This doesn’t negate the
value of his blog, but it comes close.

1)African Piracy is a direct result of illegal dumping of toxic waste
into waters off the Somali coast, and is a response to it.
2) Somalia, the “failed”, “rogue” or whatever, State is the same one
comitting genocide against its black African population in Darfur.
Black Africans are indeed starving to death under Islamic rule,
failed or not.

After all the clever wordplay and solliipsistic mental masturbation
we see on this site, I, for one, despair of ever finding TRUTHFUL
‘digs’ here, as anywhere else in the coopted US press.

Robert Scheer(Mr.Left,Right and Stupid) knows by now how little respect I have for his
pointless efforts. I ask myself, Why bother? This is the last time.
You buggers—oops, I mean bloggers—have fun…

Will Limbaugh feel a backlash to Dissing the navy Seals. Fro someone who has spent so much time condemning Liberals as Soft on Terrorism and anti patriotic- he sure showed his ‘Fair Weather’ allegience to our Armed Services, their families and those who support their service.
As a Lefty I never blame the enlisted for the orders they are legally compelled to carry out. I would never protest a military funeral, nor judge those who volunteer to put themselves in harms way. The duties they carry out are the sole responsility of those at the top.
But Rush is so blind with Rage over Obama’s victory he’s willing to throw our Navy Seals under his Bloated Bus.
Now whos Unpatriotic Rush? You’ve just proven your Fame and Fortune is more importatn than any ideology you may spew.

’... They are a volunteer coast guard trying to protect their natural resources. China, Europe, and probably those of us in the western hemisphere as well are stealing their fish and dumping our toxic waste in THEIR waters. ...’

Again, there is something of a contradiction there, although the total lack of specific facts is comfortably befuddling.  Or, who knows, maybe the Chinese really do like to eat fish that glow in the dark.

But, really, people who seize ships and kidnap their crews at gunpoint and hold them for ransom are pirates.  That’s what you call people who do that sort of thing.  If you think it’s admirable, fine, but then why use a silly euphemism?

Dear, Trithoverlies/Truthoverlies.
          John R. Bloxson Jr.

Your rage is exactly what those manipulating all this madness want every occidental to feel and thereby sanction, support, indeed step up or offer up their own flesh and blood as cannon fodder to the Global War Of Terror. It appears your indoctrination is complete. The saddest thing you may ever face is learning that many of the men and women serving have and will fall victim to DU poisoning - Gulf War Syndrome - worsening by the day, as the entire region becomes evermore contaminated.

Russian Paul,
You seem to think that every thing is the fault of the dirty Americans why we have freed 18 million from a murdering dictator who killed 300,000 after being thrown out of another country. We have done good thing we tried to feed the Somalians and what did we get worlords stealing the food at gunpoint, so that many starved. I don’t guess you have ever had to go without food or you would think differanty. Is there illegal fishing going on off the coast of Somalia probably, but it does not give them the right to rob other countries. You overstated the Ethiopia deal calling them Christians I think if you check it out they are about equaly split between Muslim and Coptic Christians. Piracy is illegal in international waters so they still have no right to become theives. And about treating their captives nice what a load of manure If I took you at gun point and locked you up or tied you up and asked for ransome would I be in the right of course not, so stop spewing victolic garbage. and It is not Fundamentalist Islam it is Radical Facist Islam and they are being backed by Wahabi’s, and Shi’ites, and the Talhaban, and Al Quada. Your lumping Israel in as terrorist is also bologna If every few days a bus in downtown Washington was blown up killing Hundreds and wounding thousand over one years time I think you would see differantly. And American Common Law can not stand side by side with Sharia Law which allows honor murders of daughter, wives, and others. They are diametrically opposed so again you speak without thinking it through. If a City in America introduces Sharia Law soon it will be the only law aloud there, just as what has happening today in one of Swedens cities you can say let em alone but then what wait till they aquire some nukes and committ another 911 only instead of 3000 it will be 4 million are you prepared for that?  We are in this war on terrorist, and I mean WAR and the Muslim Pirate are no less terrorest than Hamas, or Hezbullah, and deserve no better than a nice cell at Getmo where they are fed a diet of Islamic cleansed foods daily they can read their Quran and dream of the day when Atorney General Halder releases them so they can continue their war on civilization. How will you feel the day the gun is pointed at you and you are told bow to Allah, or die if we lose this WAR on terorist that day will come, not might come, but will come.
          Trithoverlies/Truthoverlies.
              John R. Bloxson Jr.
P.S. The vast Majority of Muslims do not fall into the catogory of Radical Facist Islam. The Talhaban threw acid into the faces of little girls whose only crime was they wanted to learn to read. The Talhaban Murdered 3 South Korean Christian Aid workers are have you already forgotten the Hezbullah terorist blew up our Embassy in Beruit and than murdered 241 United States Marines because we were trying to stop a blody four way Civil War, and they killed a young Navy Diver after he had helped fix up their Harbor His Name was Robert Steadham, so you can be high and mighty about not interfering with other cultures but when that radical Facist Culture is bent on doing three thing forcably converting or killing you, taking your economy apart, and establishing the international Caliphate, you can choose to keep your head in the sand or fight them as for me and My family we will fight they have no god given right to force me or mine into Radical Facist Islamic slavery. And By the way they are the ones that are causing the white slave trade to flurrish much more so than the Orientals, Europeans, and Americans. Radical Facist Islam believes heartily in slavery, so don’t be suprised if after they win you are put up on the block and sold as a slave.

Typically, Truthdig offers another limited hangout from a fringe MSM personage, as usual validating the War on Terror, e.g. “But the U.S. war on terror frowns on Muslim fundamentalism.”

Muslim Fundamentalism was virtually dreamed up in the chambers of Zbigniew Brzezinsky, while Robert Gates took notes. Since its launch in the 70’s, it has been funded, encouraged and literally nourished throughout the Middle East as the most effective agent of chaos and cause to make war; the goal: to fail all states therein.

And now, this horror that comes to light - dumping nuclear waste. When linked to the ubiquitous contamination of the region from Depleted Uranium, this all starts looking pretty genocidal.

Waging proxy wars is one thing, out and out genocide is another. What do you say to that Mr. Pfaff?

That is what I suspected. Its mostly bullshit.

Where is the one we “captured”? Where will he be
“tried”? Why havent we seen any pics of the shooting, of the boy who was captured? To hear the msm tell it, 4 Seals just “took them out”. AlerNet says that it was a virutal armada….now if we can just get rid of Castro! Talk about diverting attention from the real problems!~Doesnt anyone else want to see some tapes of this crap?

I see the AlterNet article so I wont quote it again.

The gloating on the part of the supposedly Left wing media really surprised me—Jon Stewart?? “Fucking awesome”! Really?  They were 16 and l7 yrs old…I guess they are just “evil terrorists”.

I know lets sign a free trade agreement with them and put in a Starbucks. It will probably be a long time before we know what actually happened,. and, when we do, we will be told to ‘move on” and we will…

They are a volunteer coast guard trying to protect their natural resources. China, Europe, and probably those of us in the western hemisphere as well are stealing their fish and dumping our toxic waste in THEIR waters. When they fight back, we have the audacity to call THEM pirates. Reminds me of Israel calling the Palestinians terrorists even though they are the ones who do most of the terrorizing…This is a trick the MSM uses on us all the time.

Now we will have the US navy patroling the Somali waters.  How many illegal fish factories and toxic dumpers will they intercept?

Speaking of pirates, how about the americans that invaded iraq returning the gold coins, sadaam’s mercedes, and everything else they responsible for being looted, to the Iraqis.

And, let u.s. remember, as usual, it was the american way to throw the first shots.

It was also been admitted, though not in america’s main news media, that wealthy industrialized countries have also been dumping toxic wastes, otherwise illegal to dump in their own countries, in the waters off the coast of Somalia.

Nice article!

I am surprised at how many of the commentators here have fallen for the spin on this subject. Things are almost never as black and white as the pols and the msm would have us believe The following is is taken from a story appearing on infowars.com

As soon as the government was gone, mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies. Then, after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, and more than 300 died.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the U.N. envoy to Somalia, tells me: “Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury - you name it.” Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia to “dispose” of cheaply. When I asked Ould-Abdallah what European governments were doing about it, he said with a sigh: “Nothing. There has been no cleanup, no compensation and no prevention.”

At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia’s seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish stocks by over-exploitation - and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other sea life is being stolen every year by vast trawlers illegally sailing into Somalia’s unprotected seas.

Ask yourself if this was happening off your shores what would you do. I know that I’d make someone pay thats for sure

http://www.infowars.com/you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates/

Ron Paul suggested today that private citizens be enlisted to ride shotgun for the ships in those shipping lanes.  Since Homeland Security has recently said that there is a concurrent huge rise in the purchasing of guns and other weaponry by radical right-wing extremists, maybe that means there is a good outlet for them:  Just provide some Zodiac boats to the neo-nazis and redneck new mooners and let them take on whatever pirates they can find -  they apparently already have all the AK-47’s and RPGs in their basements. 
    The sushi-eaters have long since scooped up every form of sealife that ever existed in those same sea lanes.  Between them and the ships that routinely dump their sewage and pollution along the Somali shoreline, there is nothing left to fish for.

This is not the 18th century pirate action where only those on the scene were involved.  The few pirates actually attacking the boats get only a small percentage of the total ransoms that are paid.  The pirates are supported by the other people in mother ships and/or in the pirates home ports, local warlords, local politicians, local governments, and the national government who support the pirates with radio communications, negotiators, food, fuel, ammunition, weapons, etc.  All of these various support parties share the greatest share of the ransom moneies. 

If the USA wanted to really stop the pirates, the US Navy could easily inflict damage onto the home ports of these pirates with aerial bombardment and naval gunfire.  The damage to these ports would also damage the property of those other Somali’s that were not involved in the piracy.  This would cause public animosity to the extent that the Pirates would no longer be welcome into these ports.  The US Navy could use these ports as military targets for gunnery practice for a specified time period, maybe the next 3 months. 

President Truman stopped the NAZI werewolfe’s activities after WWII by leveling the German town where one US soldier was assasinated after the German surrender.  President Truman gave the Germans 24 hour notice before destroying that town.  A 24 hour notice seems fair to me.  The other Allies conducted similar activities in order to protect the lives of the US Servicemen from the defeated Germans.

Does anyone believe that we should roll over and surrender to the Pirates?  The German Jewish Population disarmed themselves and then obeyed the German’s during WWII. 

Maybe Pirate Safari’s are a good idea, as long as Bubba does not ask for any taxpayer assisted rescue.  Make the fight equal with no US Navy back-up for Bubba.  Did they have safaris to hunt and kill the Austrailian Aborigines In the 19th Century?

EXTRACTS FROM A COMMENTARY ON ALTERNET.

“Already by this time, local fishermen in the coastline of Somalia have been complaining of illegal vessels coming to Somali waters and stealing all the fish. And since there was no government to report it to, and since the severity of the violence clumsily overshadowed every other problem, the fishermen went completely unheard. But it was around this same time that a more sinister, a more patronizing practice was being put in motion. A Swiss firm called Achair Parterns, and an Italian waste company called Progresso, made a deal with Ali Mahdi, that they could dump containers of waste material in Somali waters. These European companies were said to be paying Warlords about $3 a ton, where as in to properly dispose of waste in Europe costs about $1000 a ton.

In 2004, after Tsunami washed ashore several leaking containers, thousand of locals in the Puntland region of Somalia started to complain of severe and previously unreported ailments, such as abdominal bleeding, skin melting off and a lot of immediate cancer-like symptoms. Nick Nuttall, a spokesman for the United Nations Environmental Program, says that the containers had many different kinds of waste, including “Uranium, radioactive waste, lead, cadmium, mercury and chemical waste.”

But this wasn’t just a passing evil from one or two groups taking advantage of our unprotected waters, the UN Convoy for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, says that the practice still continues to this day. It was months after those initial reports that local fishermen mobilized themselves, along with street militias, to go into the waters and deter the Westerners from having a free pass at completely destroying Somalia’s aquatic life.

Now years later, that deterance has become less noble, and the ex-fishermen with their militias have begun to develop a taste for ransom at sea. This form of piracy is now a major contributor to the Somali economy, especially in the very region that private toxic waste companies first began to bury our nation’s death trap.

Now Somalia has upped the world’s pirate attacks by over 21 percent in one year, and while NATO and the EU are both sending forces to the Somali coast to try and slow down the attacks, Blackwater and all kinds of private security firms are intent on cashing in. But while Europeans are well in their right to protect their trade interest in the region, our pirates were the only deterrent we had from an externally imposed environmental disaster.

No one can say for sure that some of the ships they are now holding for ransom were not involved in illegal activity in our waters. The truth is, if you ask any Somali if they think getting rid of the pirates only means the continuous rape of our coast by unmonitored Western vessels, and the production of a new cancerous generation, we would all fly our pirate flags high.”

http://www.alternet.org/story/136481/why_we_don’t_condemn_our_pirates_in_somalia/

To me it is simple. If you are a Brink’s truck delivering money in blighted areas you might consider carrying a gun. Unless you think by calling the police you will be personally escorted. (With the taxpayer paying the bill, of course). Guaranteed it won’t happen. You might even be cited for negligence if you got robbed.

These companies have been bragging about how “cheap” it is to ship goods all around the world, as opposed to cultivating local goods, USA included.

It wouldn’t be that cheap if they took full responsibility for their deliveries, including protection. Very simple. After all, they get ALL the profits, all the fish, all the lobster, all the free dumping grounds, all the toll-free passage, etc.

Maybe offshoring free-traders should have to pay the TRUE cost of their commerce. Then maybe trade will become more local, the way it should be. Or grow up and pay the cost.

I am so sick of corporate free rides.

Obviously, Somalia has to be put back together again. Putting the US in charge of this is another story—it would be like asking Michael Jackson to babysit your 8- year old.

Sure, everyone stole their coastal fish and dumped radioactive waste on their waters—would Larry Summers think this is wrong?  Here’s the solution—they give up piracy and we(nations, x,y,z)give them whatever they take in on piracy—with the proviso that they have to start building up some legit economy. After a few years they might have something going. Heck, do this with Haiti as well. Moldova would be good too.

Slogans from the war front:

“Why are you a pirate?” “That’s where the money is,” said the young Somali native.

“Why do you turn toxic sub-prime mortgages into AAA rated securities?” That’s where the money is, answered the young Wall Streeter.

From Dr Wu’s latest book: “Your Pirates and Mine”

By Sepharad, April 15 at 2:46 am

It appears that ‘gerald4’s’ comment is the beginnings of that safari. How soon before what he hints as defensive tactics would become the safari that creates and hunts down those ‘god awful people’ while the real people who are the cause just sit back and ‘enjoy the entertainment’? And if what is stated in the post about the ‘chivalrous’ treatment of the kidnapped victims is true, it seems alot more humane way of them making money that anything the western world has produced.

If you arm the Merchant Marines with rifles, the pirates will arm themselves with RPGs and Bazookas.  This will become an small arms escalation race between the Merchant Marines and the pirates, until the Merchant Marines have deck guns that are too large for the pirates to mount onto their small boats.

I forgot about the 105mm Recoiless Rifle (4” projectile) that was typically mounted onto a jeep.  I guess that a 105RR could be mounted onto some small boat.

The Merchant Marines should be trained and then armed with all sorts of weapons, including deck guns larger than 105mm, that would enable the Merchant Marines vessels to outgun the pirates.

There should be sufficient firepower on each Merchant Marines vessel to confront several simultaneous attacks from multiple pirate vessels.

The Merchant Marines are generally men of all ages and varable physical conditions, but they all could be trained to operate military hardware, in addition to their shipboard duties. 

Ex-servicemen could start companies to train Merchant Marines to operate the weapons systems.

The US Government could allow sale of the necessary weapons to the Merchant Marines, after training and licensing for each weapons system.

samosamo,

What a horrifying prospect. You may be right. Safari-shoot-the-pirate trippers should be made illegal before anybody else thinks about it. But real special forces guys seem to be about as less-is-more as it gets in gunworld. Just an idea.

By Sepharad, April 15 at 12:52 am
***Meanwhile seems like the cheapest thing for the shippers whose ships are at risk should do is pay for a small group of special forces with sufficient weaponry to repel pirate attacks—much safer than handing out guns to everyone on the ships, much cheaper than paying ruinous insurance rates, and much cheaper and less irritating to the Somalis than merchant ships being protected by military convoys.***

You may be giving some of the wrong people a bad idea. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see advertizements for the all new ‘pirate safari’ where a boat load of beer drinking bubbanecks arm themselves to the teeth, dress up as poor helpless rich tourists to attract the pirates and when they get in range, open up on them. Great bubbaneck fun there. I really believe the world has reached that point of insanity.

If the Somalian fishermen never did anything but fish for a living (uninvolved in the exports named above in the article, cattle, ghee etc), and they themselves did not overfish the bluefin tuna to near extinction, seems fair that the countries whose industrial fishing did the damage that left the fishermen without a livelihood are responsible for the basic predicament and their governments should pony up to restock that part of the sea (which takes a long time), in the meantime pay a living wage commensurate to what the fishermen were earning when they were still fishing, and never do industrial fishing in their waters again. If the Somalian fishermen, given a choice, should opt for piracy over fishing, then they take the risks that go with said piracy.  Meanwhile seems like the cheapest thing for the shippers whose ships are at risk should do is pay for a small group of special forces with sufficient weaponry to repel pirate attacks—much safer than handing out guns to everyone on the ships, much cheaper than paying ruinous insurance rates, and much cheaper and less irritating to the Somalis than merchant ships being protected by military convoys.

High-end sellers and consumers of more and more sushi with bluefin tuna (because it supposedly has less mercury than other types of tuna) might turn down the demand somewhat by relying on sustainably-fished species, with the filip of feeling righteous while eating sustainable sushi.

I know the President wants to cooperate with other countries to “put an end to Indian Ocean piracy” but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Other countries as well as our own have bigger fish to fry just now (you should excuse the expression).

Is this a Dickensian moment of sentencing a man to life imprisonment for steeling a loaf of bread to feed his family?

Those into rabble rousing often enough object to attempting to “understand” an enemy. They call it “weakness.” This is the way of those who think that by punching blindly into the dark something will be accomplished. That attitude became highly prominent after 9/11 when the Bush administration was stoking up support for its war. Critics were tarred as traitors, effete intellectuals, naive weaklings.

But understanding a problem first greatly helps in solving it, I think we should all agree. Unless the appeal of blind force is so great that we only willingly leap into the dark, shooting. Hoping to hit our target.

So who are these Somali “pirates?” And why do they do it?

Well, we do know that they attack innocent seamen and take them as hostages and sometimes even take their lives and that this is not a good thing. This is simply another form of terrorism, terrorism on the high seas. And that it should be prevented.

That the solution for their (the Somalis) problems is not in attacking innocent seafarers.

But there are other questions we should ask. Like why do they do it? For unless we desire to be blind and to react blindly we must know what is involved. And that perhaps there are other solutions available other than military.

“”“President Barack Obama’s promise that the United States and its allies will put an end to Indian Ocean piracy had the forceful ring to it that good American citizens like to hear,....”“”

Just what those spoon fed veggies of the msm fisheries love to hear because that is their evidence america is doin’ the rite thang cause thar ain’t nutin wrong here a tall.