Somalia wants to handle the pirates internally

[ColbertWatcher]

According to a snippet from today's LA Times, the Somalian Prime Minister wants to deal with the pirates themselves,

"We are not being utilized as much as we could be," Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said in an interview at the government's well-guarded compound in Mogadishu. "We need to fight pirates on land. We have information about how they function and who they are.

"I understand the short-term need to use warships in a crisis," he added, "but the long-term objective should be to build institutions that will deal with pirates from inside the country."

The article goes on to say,

Last year, pirates and their business partners netted at least $50 million in ransom. They're reinvesting the money in better weapons and entrenching themselves in coastal communities by hiring young people and bribing elders.

In short, Somalis say, pirates are becoming richer and more powerful than the government.

Said Prime Minister Sharmarke: "It's getting to the point where they are in a position to overthrow the government."

So, if the Somali government is too small to be able to effectively counter the pirates, how will they take care of the problem?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. Somalia has a prime minister?

[Fleshdancer]

6. That was my first reaction too

I honestly had no idea. :shrug:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. Yeah, I'm not being snarky either

I honestly had no clue.

[Renew Deal]

8. Yes, but he never goes more than 5 miles out of town.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. Hey, I'm the messenger here. I didn't know until I read the article!

I'm surprised they could find anyone to even say he was the PM.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

16. Now that's a man with a death wish

[sufrommich]

18. My first thought too. nt

[arcadian]

2. I didn't think there was an internally.

[xchrom]

3. if they could -- there wouldn't be pirates would there? nt

[ColbertWatcher]

19. Somalia is supposedly a Libertarian's paradise!

No government, free markets everywhere!

Even the pirates are an example of the opportunities unregulated business interests can create!

[glinda]

4. I don't think we should chance giving money or weapons to the internal government

[Hannah Bell]

11. We already fund the internal government. And arm it.

[glinda]

27. Lot of good that does. They probably are using that on that on the Pirate Ships.

[ColbertWatcher]

31. Hmmm, interesting.

I wonder if the pirates are from one group and think with one mindset?

Or, are there lots of different pirates all fighting over whatever resources that can be taken?

If the latter is true, does that mean the smaller groups of pirates would be battling against the larger groups of pirates for ships, resources, etc? Who would have greater influence over Somalia's limited government--the larger or the smaller group of pirates? Or is the Somalian government not picking sides?

Is there another civil war going on?

[glinda]

32. I heard a report that the Elders get a cut of like 30%. Are they the Government?

If so then they would do well to take from any group. As I understand it, the factions want the Country to remain without leadership. But maybe in reality, it is the richest of the Pirates that have the rule. Ya think?

[ColbertWatcher]

34. I don't know, but it would be a good conversation to have.

Gee, I wonder why the GOP-controlled media isn't discussing it?

[Hannah Bell]

35. According to the UN report from which the garbled media reports of "cuts"

came, cuts are roughly:

"Typical distribution of ransom payments:

- Maritime militia 30 per cent Distributed equally between all members,although the first pirate to board a ship receives a double share or a vehicle.

- Ground militia 10 per cent.

- Local community 10 per cent (Elders, local officials, visitors, and for hospitality for guests and associates of the pirate).

- Financier 20 per cent The financier usually shares his earnings with other financiers and political allies.

- Sponsor 30 per cent (*note: sponsors = higher-level financiers & protectors in gov't/administration)"

http://piratebook.blogspot.com/2008/12/somali-piracy-in-detail.html


The pirates in the boats are low-level employees akin to street-level drug dealers.

[ColbertWatcher]

37. There's a blog already!? Wow. n/t

[Hannah Bell]

39. He was writing a book on pirates before the latest peak of interest.

[ColbertWatcher]

41. Cool. I hope he gets all the fame that Mudflats got! n/t

[derby378]

5. The return of the Barbary Coast?

I mean, wow. Thanks to George W. Bush putting all his eggs in one basket (Iraq), we have this do deal with now.

[theboss]

7. That's a joke

Somalia's government can't manage a city block at this point.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

9. Somalia is a chaotic country and no one from inside could control even a kindergarten nt

[Hannah Bell]

13. Someone could, & we sent the Ethiopians in in 2006 to take them out.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. I've heard about this, but haven't read much about it. Do you have a link? n/t

[Hannah Bell]

17. start here,

about halfway down the page, then google "union of islamic courts"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5458672&mesg_id=5458672

[ColbertWatcher]

22. I'm starting to get a sense of deja vu here.

Is it just me, or is Somalia starting to sound like an African version of Nicaragua?

Thank you for the link.

Too much to process in one sitting.

I knew there was more to this pirate thing than what was being reported by the GOP-controlled media.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

20. But isn't that why the U.S. exists? To F*CK up everything on this planet to enrich the rich?

Maybe we could stop the lies once and for all and get the truth of these things taught to kids in school, but for that we'd have to extricate Repugnicans from every school board in the nation.

[ColbertWatcher]

38. I think we should extricate every GOPer from every public office. n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

42. Those are blessed words! nt

[Bucky]

10. Amid the stupidity, he said one smart thing

"but the long-term objective should be to build institutions that will deal with pirates from inside the country"

Great idea, Mr Sharmarke. You may begin fighting pirates internally at any time. You don't need anyone's permission.

[corruptmewithpower]

21. Need to cultivate ties with the more moderate pirate factions.

[ColbertWatcher]

23. I'm wondering how people can make a living there.

Are there jobs? Can people be subsistence farmers?

Apparently, there are telecommunications companies and security, but is there nothing else?

[corruptmewithpower]

28. From the encyclopedia of nations

Somalia's economy, one of the poorest in the world, is an agricultural one based primarily on livestock and, to a lesser extent, on farming. Livestock accounts for about 40% of GDP and a large percentage of export earnings, mainly from Saudi Arabia; bananas are the main cash crop and account for nearly 50% of export earnings. Other crops produced for domestic consumption are cotton, maize, and sorghum. There are plans to develop the fishing industry. Northern Somalia is the world's largest source of incense and myrrh.

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Somalia-ECONOMY.html

[ColbertWatcher]

30. The last date mentioned in that article is 2003.

How up-to-date can it be?

Alot can change in 6 years.

[corruptmewithpower]

33. Yeah, it's probably a totally different place.

What was life like here 6 years ago? Ancient history.

[Hannah Bell]

40. It is a bit different, as in 2003 Somalia was on the upswing (for it).

2006 = (US-sponsored) war with Ethiopia, which once again wiped out a lot of the rebuilding after the 1993 troubles & ensuing civil war.

[salguine]

24. "Pirates are becoming richer and more powerful than the government." Hmmm—

Sounds kind of like here.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. Good point. n/t

[Cha]

25. That totally makes sense and

it might behoove other nations to help them out with that.

[slackmaster]

29. Somehow that makes me think of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad

[ForrestGump]

36. Somehow it makes me think of a prostate exam

Hope they wear gloves.