Italian government pays millions to Somali TFG during hijack talks! August 2, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, somali pirates, Somalia
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The deepwater tugboat MV Buccaneer was slowly towing two large barges at 4-5 knots in the Gulf of Aden.
Because it was moving too slowly to join a convoy, and because its rear deck was designed to be low and to the water line–or low and slow–the crew of 10 Italians, 5 Romanians and 1 Croat was an easy target for Somali pirates. 2-3 weeks after being hijacked the Italian Navy ship San Giorgio arrived in the vicinity to take up a position approximately eight miles off the coast of Somalia. Italian Special Forces, who arrived on the San Giorgio, routinely positioned themselves and their small boats in close proximity to the Buccaneer so that they could react within 20-30 seconds to an assault by the pirates on the hostages.
The Italian Crisis Unit worked under the direct supervision of the “highest levels” of the Italian Government, using a “three-pillar approach of diplomatic, military and intelligence resources. Under Italian law, no ransom could be paid to release the sailors.
The owner of one of the barges offered to pay a ransom, but was informed that proceeding with that course of action would result in prosecution by the Italian courts. The Italian government had an aversion to a military operation because of the negative Italian public opinion that would likely follow any loss of life.
At some point–and this is where things get extremely blurred– Italian Special Forces were cleared to board the Buccaneer after all the pirates vacated the ship. The crew was believed to have been treated reasonably well with the exception of a “beating on one of the Romanians” by the pirates.
So what did the Italian government do and how much was paid? It paid financial support in 2009 dedicated to “Somali institutions and to the peace process” totaling 13 million Euros or $18.5 million USD. Additional monies have been distributed through the Italian Development Cooperation.
The official story on the Buccaneer release is a substantial but incomplete accounting of factors that brought this situation to a peaceful conclusion. Gaining the release of the Italian vessel and hostages was a top priority for the Italian government, and rightfully so, but how the situation got to where it was completely preventable. Prime Minister Berlusconi himself reportedly made many of the early critical decisions.
Think of the cost benefit ratio that a small armed security element could have provided at a fraction of the cost both economically and politically, for both the shipping company and the Italian government.
Rain adds misery to Somalia famine! July 31, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: armed security, Chris Mark, gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, somali pirates, Somalia
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Tens of thousands of famine-stricken Somali refugees were cold and drenched after torrential rains pounded their makeshift structures overnight into early Sunday in the capital, leading to appeals for aid.
Aid agencies have limited reach in Somalia where Islamist militants are waging an insurgency against the country’s weak U.N.-backed government.
The most dangerous group among the militants —- the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab —- has barred major relief organizations from operating in the territories it controls. The U.N. said tens of thousands already have died in Somalia in areas held by the Islamist rebels because food aid could not reach them.
The African Union peacekeeping force fears that al-Shabab may try to attack the camps that now house tens of thousands of famine refugees in Mogadishu, disrupting even further the distribution of food aid. The AU force launched a new offensive Thursday to push the militants’ front line farther back from the camps.
Special Ops chief warns of Al-Qaeda 2.0….Somalia named! July 28, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Armed escort, Chris Mark, gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, somali pirates, Somalia
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The top commander of U.S. special operations forces said Wednesday that Usama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda is bloodied and “nearing its end,” but he warned the next generation of militants could keep special operations fighting for a decade to come.
Navy SEAL Adm. Eric T. Olson described the killing of bin Laden by a special operations raid on May 2 as a near-killing blow for what he called “Al Qaeda 1.0,” as created by bin Laden and led from his hideout in Pakistan.
“It will morph, it will disperse,” he said. “It will become in some ways more westernized, (with) dual passport holders” and “fewer cave dwellers,” he said.
Olson said others like al-Awlaki (the American cleric in Yemen) will probably refine their message to appeal to a wider audience, and seek ungoverned spaces to operate from, where they can smuggle in weapons and train their followers. He described how current offshoots like al-Awlaki’s Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen are cooperating with militants in Somalia, who in turn are raising money for terrorist operations via ransoms paid to pirates, describing what he called an “invisible bridge” between the two.
He said the fight against all versions of Al Qaeda could keep U.S. special operations forces deploying at the same pace for another decade, even as U.S. conventional forces draw down from places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
Somalia offensive….300 new militants in Mogadishu! July 28, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Armed escort, Chris Mark, gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, somali pirates, Somalia
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Heavy fighting broke out in Mogadishu on Thursday. Al-Shabab, Somalia’s dominant militant group, has sent 300 reinforcement fighters to Mogadishu in recent days, said Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, spokesman for the African Union peacekeeping force.
The African Union force believes that al-Shabab is trying to prevent aid from reaching the tens of thousands of famine refugees who have arrived in Mogadishu this month.
The al-Shabab militants already have killed men who tried to escape the famine with their families, saying it is better to starve than accept help from the West. The World for Food Program says it cannot reach 2.2 million people in need of aid in the militant-controlled areas in southern Somalia because of insecurity.
Somalia has been mired in conflict since 1991 when long time dictator Siad Barre was overthrown by warlords who then turned on each other. Islamist militants led by al-Shabab are attempting to overthrow the weak U.N.-backed government that is being propped up by about 9,000 AU peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.
The hopelessness that young Somali men are experiencing will only make piracy a more enticing proposition that will ultimately lead to more attacks and greater ships being hijacked.
Al-Shabab in Somalia bans three sided pastry! July 27, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: armed security, gulf of aden, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, security, somali pirates, Somalia
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Al-Shabab, a powerful muslim extremist group, which controls roughly one third of the entire country, banned a three sided pastry because it may remind people of the Christian Holy Trinity.
Al-Shabab recently boarded trucks with loud speakers and announced that the popular pastry often filled with meat and vegetables was banned. The ban comes at a time when the U.N. estimates that 11 million people are being affected by the worst drought in decades.
Somalia’s prolonged drought became a famine in part because the Somali government nor many aid agencies can fully operate in many areas controlled by Al-Qaeda linked militants, and the U.N. is set to declare all of southern Somalia a famine zone as of Aug. 1.
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