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19 Feb 2011 16:54

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World: Somali pirates have more than enough hostages to fill a Starbucks

  • 30 ships are currently being held by Somali pirates
  • 660 people are being held for ransom as we type
  • four U.S. citizens were captured on Friday source
  • » The latest incident: The people currently being held for hostage in the waters around Somalia were on a yacht called Quest, and included a couple known for traveling the world via yacht and handing out bibles to anyone who would take them on their journeys. If Americans get involved with this, they could damage the Somali’s business model of pilfering money from shipping and insurance companies. Because the U.S. won’t put up with this crap.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Feb 2011 13:26

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U.S.: Judge throws the book at pirate from Maersk Alabama hijack

  • 34 years in jail for Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, Somalian former pirate source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Nov 2010 10:33

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World: Rachel & Paul Chandler: Huge ransom needed to set them free

  • 387 days pirates held Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage source
  • » It wasn’t cheap to set them free: Why did it take so long to get them free? Well, there were some ransom issues. First the pirates asked for £4 million in ransom, around $6.45 million dollars. The amount was too much, but they still wanted something. A later ransom, for around £350,000 ($565,000) was intercepted by intermediaries who wanted a cut of the action. Finally, a third ransom, also in the hundreds of thousands range, was accepted, and the Chandlers were let go – but not after being separated and physically abused by their captors.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Aug 2010 10:43

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World: In Somalia, things are somehow getting even more violent

  • 32+ people died today in a bombing at a hotel near the Somali presidential palace in Mogadishu
  • six of the victims were members of Somalia’s parliament, which is funded by the West
  • 40+ people died in a similar attack yesterday, which were blamed on Al Shabaab source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Aug 2010 20:24

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U.S.: al-Shabab: Somali terror group the root of latest terror arrests

  • 14 the number of alleged al-Shabab supporters indicted for providing support to the group
  • three the number of states in which they were residing – Alabama, California and Minnesota source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Jul 2010 09:58

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U.S.: South Park terror threat guy on trial for (unrelated) terror charges

  • Remember this guy? He’s currently on trial for terror charges for attempting to go to Somalia to join the terror group Al-Shabaab. Zachary Adam Chesser, also known as Abu Talhah al Amrikee, has already hit radar screens this year after he made a veiled threat against the South Park guys for their infamous Mohammed episodes. Chesser, a Virginia resident, is being held without bond while a judge decides his fate. His trial continues today. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2010 10:55

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U.S.: Two dudes arrested before reportedly going to hang with terrorists

  • who Two American citizens, Mohamed Hamoud Alessa, 20, and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, 26. The terror suspects were both arrested at JFK Airport late last night.
  • what The duo were headed on separate flights to Egypt with the eventual destination of Somalia, where, reportedly, they were going to meet up with a terror cell. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

09 Apr 2010 16:01

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World: Somali militants think the BBC is evil, knock it off the air

  • BBC is owned by England and it spreads (a) colonial and Christian agenda in the Muslim world. BBC fights Islam … it is against the Islamic administration in Somalia.
  • A message from the al Shabaab militant group • Regarding their cutting off of BBC broadcasts in regions of Somalia controlled by the group. The broadcast service doesn’t have any studios in Somalia but broadcasts its main London feed to local FM stations in the war-torn nation. BBC’s Head of International Relations & Africa Region, Jerry Timmins, was upset about the actions. “We are disappointed in this interference with our broadcasts in Somalia as in the end,” he said, “it is the Somali people who are most affected.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2010 10:23

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World: Is the radicalized Somalia ready to turn a major corner?

  • I’m not saying Somalia’s going to be a modern state, but it won’t be a radical Islamic state either.
  • An unnamed U.S. official • Speaking about the current status of Somalia, a country that has spent most of the last 20 years under a militant radical Islam leadership. But a corner seems to be turning, and many people (particularly the weakened Somali government) are starting to fight back against the Shabab militants. Could this be the beginning of the end of the anarchy that’s peppered the African nation? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Mar 2010 12:07

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World: The U.S. is trying to help Somalia have a government again

  • There are limits to outside engagement, and there has to be an enormous amount of local buy-in for this work.
  • U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson • Regarding the off-in-the-distance assistance  the country is giving the Somalian government in re-capturing Mogadishu, its capital, block by anarchy-ridden block. Why now? Simple. The U.S. is scared about the anarchic country’s increasing ties to Yemen and al-Qaeda. (Oh, and the pirates.) But they’re trying to help in a way that doesn’t bring back memories of the U.S.’ 1994 retreat from the country, which led to the anarchic state of affairs in the first place. “This is not an American offensive,” Carson said. “The U.S. military is not on the ground in Somalia. Full stop.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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