Tony K - prosecuting pirate in US not a good idea

Tony Karon of Time magazine was on NPR today talking about the pirate situation in Somalia.

He made a couple of interesting points (if I can remember them properly through the morning haze):

• Prosecuting the young pirate Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse in the US (he was brought to New York two days ago) could create an incentive for focusing Somali anger on the US and lead to countermeasures against the US specifically. Islamic elements with ties to al Qaeda are ready to help on that front. This kind of trial will make Muse a hero back home.

• The pirates have local support not only because they spend their money liberally but also because foreign vessels have been illegally fishing in Somali waters - literally stealing their livelihood. In addition, a UN report apparently claimed that ships have been dumping toxic waste in Somali waters, which has led to a spate of poisonings in Somalia.

It's a reprise of his piece for Time: Why New York is No Place to Try Somali Pirates.




Tony has a good blog too: Rootless Cosmopolitan, focusing primarily on Israel and Palestine.

pirates