An article today by Wolfgang H. Thome of eTurboNews (ETN) raises two disturbing scenarios: 1. It is only a matter of time before Somali pirates hijack a cruise ship, and 2. There are no plans in place to rescue the passengers when this happens. The article
UN Human Rights Expert Calls for End to Stonings in Somalia
An independent United Nations human rights expert condemned the series of stonings that have been taking place in Somalia. He called for an urgent end to such "cruel, inhuman and degrading" practices. Shamsul Bari said the public stonings, floggings, and
United States Likely to Be Last Holdout on Rights of Child
Currently, the United States and Somalia are the only members of the United Nations (UN) that have not ratifed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Last Friday, the Somali government announced its intention to proceed with ratification, which
Fighting Pirates
The Somali Government and the African Union force in the country need more help on land to fight piracy in the waters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report to the U.N. Security Council. Mr. Ban noted that the
Ethiopia Pleads for Aid
Friday's Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 25 years after a devastating famine killed one million of its citizens, Ethiopia on Thursday appealed for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people. The current need arises from a prolonged drought that has hit much of the
Supreme Court Will Review Somali Human Rights Case
From the Center for Justice and Accountability:U.S. Supreme Court to Review Human Rights Case Against Former Somali Defense Minister Somali Defense Minister Seeks to Evade Accountability for Atrocities;Survivors Continue to Seek Their Day in CourtWashington, D.C., September 30, 2009: The U.S.
Right Service to Combat Piracy – Coast Guard or Navy…How About Both?
Last week, I posted an Op-Ed from Newsweek asserting that the Coast Guard was the better service to address Somali piracy (post here). The “war” on drugs has required the use of Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs) embarked
Newsweek Article – More Opinions On Somali Piracy – Coast Guard vs. Navy
Found this interesting article in Newsweek which suggests that the U.S. Coast Guard and not the Navy is better suited to address the Somali piracy situation.The counterpiracy plan outlined Wednesday by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was short on specifics,
Op-Ed on Somali Piracy and International Law
The Pacific Business News published an Op-Ed I drafted on International Law and Somali Piracy. (PBN has published here). My text is repeated below: Until recently, we viewed “piracy” to be teenagers downloading internet songs or copying a DVD. Now, armed
Somali Pirate – Criminal Complaint Outlines Charges
The criminal complaint outlining the charges against Somali pirate, Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse is available here. Based on the charges, he faces life imprisonment.The four charges he faces are:1. Piracy, 18 U.S.C. 1651, related to the seizure and robbery