Pirates on the High Seas in the 21st Century

Somali Pirates have been in the news often lately. Although these pirates appear to be equal opportunity thieves raiding ships from both the West and Islamic nations, I wish to point out they reside in a nation that has had close roots to both radical Islam and to warlord thugs.

Pirating has become a venture of illicit money making much like dealing in drugs, weapons or slavery. In other words it is dangerous business in which the only regulatory rules are who is tougher than whom.

It has been speculated the Somali Pirates have sent of some of their spoils to Islamic terrorists like al-Qaeda. The speculation is based on the known use of Islamic terrorists have used Sharia Finance practice known as hawala. Hawala is an Islamic money transfer practice that uses little to nothing of a paper trail; thus the suspicion of portions of the booty going to Islamic terrorists.

General William Ward of AFRICOM has made it known that there is no direct evidence linking the Somali Pirates to al-Qaeda. I suspect Ward’s opinion is closer to military Machiavellianism so that American pro-military and anti-Islamist groups do not call for a military expedition to Somalia to clean the vermin out.

There is harder evidence that the spoils have been redistributed within Somalia as part of the disorganized rogue nation’s economy.

Leslie J. Sacks has emailed a post to SlantRight regarding on how the Somali Pirates should be dealt with. His first solution was essentially to pay the Pirates for stolen oil to get it at a cheaper price than the Islamic oil nations provide. I’m still not sure how serious Sacks is about that solution. Due to what I have just researched I have a huge sense that some of that dough is going to America’s terrorist enemies. Yes Virginia there is a Global War on Terror (GWOT).

I tend to favor Sacks’ alternative. GO THERE AND READ IT. (OR at the end of this introduction SlantRight)

JRH 11/25/08

Non-Super Power Ethiopia Makes Islamofascists and al Qaeda Look Inferior

Al Qaeda’s al Zawahiri has called for Jihad in Somalia because the Islamofascist revolutionaries are close to defeat by the combined forces of Ethiopia and the legitimate government of Somalia.

The fascinating element of al Zawahiri’s jihad proclamation is the blaming of America for the Islamic Courts imminent demise. The actual truth is that the Islamic Courts are handily being routed by a Third World military force of the Ethiopian army. I suspect military arms have been received from America; however there are NO American troops in Somalia.

Jihad calls like al Zawahiri’s is the very reason that Ethiopia entered the fray to aid the legitimate government of Somalia. Ethiopia is a nation that is a Christian majority; however there is a significant minority of Mohammedans. Some have the Mohammedan ratio to between 40% and even 50%.

To date the Mohammedan population and the Coptic Christian population have interacted peacefully. The Ethiopian government fears the influence of radical Mohammedanism that al Qaeda and the Somali Islamic Courts would have represented to Ethiopia’s National Interests and National Security. Al Zawahiri has proven that concern to be accurate.

Ethiopia also has proven it does not take a Super Power military to defeat an Islamofascist military.

This is exactly why victory against jihadist forces in Somalia is so important. A major blow would be dealt to the global jihadist military and propaganda machine--and not by the mighty U.S., but by unheralded Ethiopia. This only doubles the jihadists' humiliation. (Erick Stakelbeck)

Fox News has the details.

Ethiopian Military Aid Has Almost Dethroned Islamist Courts of Somalia

The battling occurring in Somalia presents an international dilemma. Most of the global nations have recognized the Somali government (actually set up by the U.N.) as the legitimate government of Somalia.

The Islamist Courts that usurped rule of Somalia from its government has a predilection toward radical Islamofascism. The global fear is that a Somalia ruled by the Islamist Courts movement would create a new haven as a training ground for al Qaeda type terrorists.

Ethiopia’s Horn of Africa Mohammedan rival of Eritrea has supported the Islamic Courts as the new legitimate government of Somalia. Ethiopia is a majority Christian nation with a significant minority of Mohammedans. Christians and Mohammedans have been living together without conflict in Ethiopia for the most part. (There is currently persecution of Pentecostal Christians in both Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Christians in Ethiopia are predominantly Coptic Christians.)

Ethiopia views the Islamist Courts of Somalia as a threat to rock the boat between Christians and Mohammedans in Ethiopia. If Ethiopia senses the .... READ THE REST