From: wolda002@umn.edu
Date: Wed Jul 08 2009 - 02:02:02 EDT
News on piracy from ECOTERRA
ECOTERRA SMCM update
piracyWhile there was a time when the naval forces proudly reported every
incident they encountered on the waters around the Horn of Africa and even
naval vessels like the Portuguese warship Corte Real under her phony
captain were termed "the clutterbox" in journalist circles for giving away
insider information, the present situation has changed dramatically.
Within the next two days a US-American warship is expected in Puntland, the
semi-autonomous breakaway region in the north-east of Somalia, to deliver
up to 36 alleged pirates to the authorities in Puntland, while not a single
arrest in the last two week has publicly be made known. While Puntland
received now the "advance delivery note" neither the TFG Government nor the
special anti-piracy envoy or the UN have been informed about any incidences
leading to the arrests.
This follows not only numerous incidences, where the naval forces clearly
had not been acting clean in terms of international standards and not
according to their different national books, but also had blown vessels out
of the water including - in cases of mistaken identity - their innocent
crew, killed hostages and actually produced one problem after the other for
the legal eagles at their home-offices.
US-American journalists, which - factually also based on the Freedom of
Information Act - would have the chance to obtain the information have gone
underground or remain mum. British journalists seem to follow what has been
leaked is the JOINT DOCTRINE ON MEDIA OPERATIONS by the UK military - see:
http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/UK_MoD_Joint_Publication_3-45.1:_Media_Operations%2C_Sep_2007
or the more recent (not yet leaked) instructions concerning how to handle
the media in EUNAVFOR or NATO naval operations.
The apparently no longer existing US-American naval transperancy might have
to do with the fact that they gave exclusive rights to cable TV's Spike,
who secured a to produce a show about U.S. Navy pirate hunters. Are the two
crews for 44 Blue Productions already aboard two US warships (the USS San
Antonio and USS Boxer) patrolling in the "pirate-infested waters" off the
coast of Africa? The company is aiming to have a series ready to put on the
air by September, according to Rasha Drachkovitch, 44 Blue's president and
founder. Is thereby a violation of the UN demand to report all incidences
in operations under the four relevant UN Security Council Resolutions
given, while they are kept to allow for a juicier TV experience of
previously undisclosed operations? We will see if the alleged pirates which
will be brought to Puntland over the coming days actually are already stars
of a sick US TV series.Is their transfer into the overcrowded but homeland
prison in Bosaaso instead of being dumped into the HIV-infested dungeons of
Kenya's infamous Shimo-la-Tewa high security prison actually a reward for
their co-starring with the "Pirate-Hunters"?
The also for the British, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Italian and
Dutch relevant EU transparency regulation dates from 2001 but the
commission recently proposed to overhaul it after complaints from the EU
ombudsman and several court cases. Following MEPs' vote in march the
regulation has gone back to committee for discussion on sensitive issues
such as the extent to which commercial data can be excused from
disclosure.The updated law is expected to be approved in the second half of
this year, under the Swedish EU presidency.
For the Dutch already the instruction: "DO LIE!" seems to have been given,
since against better knowledge they lied to the media in the Netherlands
concerning the recent death of a seafarer on board of a sea-jacked vessel,
which was boxed in by a Dutch and a Spanish warship at the Gulf of Aden
coast.
While obviously already British, Australian and US-American as well as
South-African security contractors are openly operating inside Somalia in
best mercenary attitude, the official Somali government is told nothing and
if then watches helplessly or even closes eyes and ears. "Bi-lateral
agreements" are made nowadays not between the Somali Government and foreign
nations but between Somali individuals and foreign powers or undercover
outfits fronting for oil- and fishing-interests in order to press the last
Shilling out of the impoverished nation and keep it otherwise in turmoil.
Thanks to greedy grown-ups and the misguided youth that seems to be easy.
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