Somali-Americans Rally Against Extremism Tomorrow: But Who Cares?

That's unfair - but quite honestly, the Michael Jackson funeral and falling stocks seem to be crowding an upcoming protest off the front page, and often right out of the news. The Somali-American protest/rally planned tomorrow afternoon in Minneapolis isn't being completely ignored, though.

"Somali-Americans in Minnesota will protest a rash of suicide bombings in their homeland at a rally Friday in Minneapolis.

"Somalia has been at civil war for the past two decades, but suicide attacks began to surface only recently. Last month, the radical Islamic group Al-Shabaab struck again, killing a number of Somali government officials and tribal leaders...."

"...Shaair said [Shirwa] Ahmed's alleged role in the October attack is all the more reason why Somalis in Minnesota must condemn the violence. Shaair said many Somali-Americans were angered when they heard the news.

" 'They're wondering why would a Somali who's here and who came here to find peace and a safe haven would go back to commit these acts of terror? It doesn't represent us,' Shaair said. 'The community is against suicide bombings.'

"Some Somalis in Minnesota have been personally affected by the violence of their homeland. One Twin Cities woman lost some of her close relatives in a bombing last month in western Somalia...." (MPR)

Shirwa Ahmed is the Minnesotan who dropped out of sight in his home state, and showed up in Somalia: there were pieces of him large enough to identify by DNA analysis, which may have been some comfort to his family. What could be found of him was shipped back to Minnesota and given a decent funeral.

As for the "alleged role" - there was forensic evidence that Shirwa Ahmed had been the star in a suicide bombing. (March 10, 2009)

I discussed editorial preferences, unpleasant realities, and traditional journalism in another post. (July 1, 2009)

At least Minnesota Public Radio is giving some pre-event publicity to the protest: albeit with the old-school 'minority misunderstood and suspected by the FBI' angle.

Somali-Americans in Minnesota Apparently Don't Know Their Place

I suspect one reason why Somalis in Minnesota aren't getting as much press coverage of the rally is that many of them don't know their place.

"...Last week, Jamal participated in a protest accusing Minnesota’s only Muslim civil rights organization, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) of impeding an investigation into the missing Somali youth. The protest was organized by Abdirizak Bihi, Jamal’s colleague and an uncle of Burhan Hassan, one of the missing Somali young men.

"I, unfortunately, know Bihi all too well. When I ran for Mayor of Minneapolis, I caught Bihi, who was working for McLaughlin’s campaign, running around the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood telling Somalis not to vote for me because “she is a lesbian.”..." (Star-Tribune)

I could be wrong, but I think that black people - even if they're foreigners - who have the audacity to speak against an established civil rights group like CAIR, and have ideas which are distinctly not politically correct is something that traditional American journalists would rather not deal with.

And, judging from that Star-Tribune article, some of that uppity sort are making their voices heard.

For some people with long-standing traditional views, it's troubling times.

Related posts:

• "Somalia, Minnesota, Traditional Journalism, and Unpleasant Realities
  (July 1, 2009)
• "Kenya and Somalia: Getting Along with Crazy Neighbors"
  (June 25, 2009)
• "Another Minnesotan Dies in Somalia: Not Your Stereotype African"
  (June 7, 2009)
• "Somalia, Minnesota, and Common Sense"
  (March 22, 2009)
• "Minnesotans Recruited for Terror?"
  (March 10, 2009)

News and views:

• "Local Somalis holding rally to condemn violence in homeland"
  Minnesota Public Radio (July 2, 2009)
• "Farheen Hakeem: Who are the Gatekeepers of the Somali Community?"
  Minneapolis Star-Tribune (June 19, 2009)

Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.

Another Minnesotan Dies in Somalia: Not Your Stereotype African

The Abubakar As-Saddique Mosque in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is in the news again.

And, there's another Minnesotan who (very likely) is dead in Mogadishu, Somalia. He's Burhan Hassan, 17, a senior at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. His family hadn't heard from him in about two weeks.

Then, this Friday, Burhan Hassan's family got a very disturbing phone call.

"...'Someone who claimed (to be) a member of al-Shabaab called Burhan's mom Friday (afternoon) and said Burhan died Friday morning,' [Burhan Hassan's uncle Osman] Ahmed said. 'Burhan's mom got shocked and (threw) the phone when she heard the story.'

" 'Al-Shabaab assassinated Burhan and shot (him in) the head,' the individual said, according to Ahmed.

"A law enforcement official told FOX News on Sunday that one of the Somali-American men was recently killed in Somalia by artillery fire, but the official declined to release the man's name...." (FOXNews)

Burhan Hassan isn't the first Somali to return to the old country and then turn up dead. There was enough of Shirwa Ahmed left, after he starred as a suicide bomber in Somalia, for DNA to identify who he was. At least his family got to give him a decent burial. (December 4, 2008)

Mr. Ahmed was the first naturalized American citizen to be a suicide bomber, a detail which started U.S. intelligence people looking at Somalis in America. They seem to have arrived at some conclusions:

"...The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by 'a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men,' Andrew Liepman, deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center, said earlier this year.

"Many refugees, he said, 'lack structure and definition in their lives' and are 'torn between their parents' traditional tribal and clan identities, and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society.'..." (CNN)

At least Mr. Liepman said "Many refugees."

Let's look at the "despondent and disenfranchised" young man whose family got that disturbing phone call. His uncle, Osman Ahmed, had a few words to say about Burhan Hassan. (I don't know if he's related to Shirwa Ahmed. "Ahmed" isn't all that uncommon a name in America (U.S. Census).)

"...'(He) was a brilliant student with straight A's and on top of his class,' Ahmed testified at a Senate hearing in March focusing on recruitment efforts by al-Shabaab. 'He was an ambitious kid with the hope to go to Harvard University to study medicine or law and become a medical doctor or a lawyer.'

Ahmed accuses a local mosque of helping al-Shabaab recruit his nephew and others in the Minneapolis area.

'Like his peers, Burhan Hassan was never interested in Somali politics, or understood Somali clan issues,' Ahmed said during testimony. 'These kids have no perception of Somalia except the one that was formed in their mind by their teachers at (a local mosque). We believe that these children did not travel to Somalia by themselves. There must be others who made them understand that going to Somalia and participating the fighting is the right thing to do.'..." (FOXNews)

The "(a local mosque)" appears to be the Abubakar As-Saddiqu mosque in Minneapolis. It's been connected with missing Minnesotans before. (March 22, 2009)

I hope that American officials realize that not all Americans who were born in Somalia, or whose parents emigrated to this country, fit the "despondent and disenfranchised" description given by Mr. Liepman. And that not everybody from Africa is so mired in "traditional tribal and clan identities" that they can't manage in an up-to-date, civilized country like America.

Related posts:

• "Somalia, Minnesota, and Common Sense"
  (March 22, 2009)
• "The West and Today's Somali President: The Enemy of Your Enemy is Your Friend?"
  (March 19, 2009)
• "Minnesotans Recruited for Terror?"
  (March 10, 2009)
• "Al Shabaab May Be Running Somalia Now: Just What We Need"
  (January 26, 2009)
• "America to Unilaterally Attack Somalia!"
  (January 8, 2009)
• "Guinea, Military Rule, and Terrorism: Beware Hasty Judgment"
  (December 29, 2008)
• "Recruiting for Terror? Somali Minnesotans Missing, One Found Dead"
  (December 4, 2008)
• "Piracy, Terrorism, and a Changing World"
  (November 20, 2008)
• "Monkey Pirates, Jews, and Zionists? Get a Grip!"
  (October 14, 2008)

In the news:

• "Group Linked to Al Qaeda May Have Killed Minnesota Man Recruited in Somalia "
  FOXNews (June 7, 2009)
• "Somali teen from Minnesota reportedly killed in homeland"
  CNN (June 7, 2009)
• "Somali youth from Minneapolis dies in homeland"
  Minneapolis Star-Tribune (June 7, 2009)

Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.

Al Shabaab May Be Running Somalia Now: Just What We Need

Whether or not Al Shabaab is running Somalia is a bigger issue for Minnesotans - and for all of us than you might think.

It's been a week since Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States (twice).

One bit of good news about the inauguration was the nobody from Somalia blew up at the festivities: or somewhere else, in a spot calculated to cast a pall over the opening day of Obama's administration. There was reason to be concerned:

"The FBI was investigating two 'streams of intelligence' suggesting that Somalia-based terrorist organization Al Shabaab may have been plotting an attack timed to coincide with the event, the FBI and Homeland Security said in a joint threat advisory obtained by CNN...." (CNN)

Isn't that "Al Shibab?"

I've been over this before. Spelling names as used in one language in another is tricky: and it gets a lot trickier when the languages don't used the same alphabet.

"Al Shabaab" is one way of expressing the name of an Islamic 'militant' group, or 'Islamist' group in Sudan. "Al Shabaab" is roughly the way it sounds. Translated, it means "youth," or "the youth." Latinized spellings of the name that I've run into are: the Shibab, al-Shabab, the Shebab, or Al-Shabaab. I've tended to go with "Al Shabaab."

Americans: You Think it's Bad Here? Check Out Somalia

About ten days ago, Ethiopia was pulling out of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, and Islamic 'militants,' 'Islamists,' or whatever, were moving into the facilities Ethiopian troops had been using. I'm not clear on details, but today we've heard that Al Shabaab is holding key parts of Mogadishu. They've raided the Somali Parliament building, and apparently are demanding that several lawmakers surrender.

Al Shabaab may not get its way, though.

"...The situation left Somali lawmakers stranded in the neighboring country of Djibouti, where they often convene and where talks on forming a new government are under way...." (CNN)

I'm happy for them: Al Shabaab doesn't sound like a bunch any sensible person would surrender to, given a choice.

On the other hand, It says quite a bit about Somalia that its lawmakers - apparently all of them, except for the 'Islamists' - were meeting in another country. That'd be like the U.S. House and Senate meeting in Quebec.

Somebody Knocked Over Somalia's Alleged Government - So What?

Somalia is far from a major player on the world stage, but it's in an important position: that's why Somali pirates were - and are - such a problem. Who's running the country does make a difference. Particularly if the people running it decide to make it into another safe haven for terrorists.

And, I've got a more personal reason.

Quite a few people from Somalia come to Minnesota. It's not the climate that draws them here: It's the jobs. As far as I know, nobody from that part of the world's moved into my town yet, but I've run into some of these new Minnesotans in the nearest small city, about an hour down the road.

I haven't asked anyone, but my guess is that many of them are concerned about what's happening, back in the 'old country.' And, I'd be a lousy neighbor if I wasn't at least a bit concerned, too.

Al Shabaab: Not a Very Nice Group

Al Shabaab isn't the sort of organization that fits well in a civilized world. The top Al Shabaab leaders seem to be affiliated with Al Qaeda, it's killed Somali peace activists, and the American government has identified Al Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

And, Al Shabaab may be involved in the disappearance of a dozen or so Minnesotans. Some of them may have ducked out willingly. Others should probably, under the circumstances, be considered victims.

The Distressing Case of the Disappearing Minnesotans

One of the young men was found in Somalia. His name was Shirwa Ahmed. He was from a Somali-Minnesotan family, and apparently was the star performer in a suicide bombing back in Somalia. It took DNA testing to figure out who the pieces belonged to, but he's been returned to his family, and buried.

Victim? A suicide bomber?! As I wrote last December, "I think it's very possible that Shirwa Ahmed was a suicide bomber: and I'm not excusing that act. But I also think that people can be persuaded: Particularly if the persuader claims to be using the authority of their religious beliefs."

The last I heard, the Somali connection with the disappearance of between 10 and 40 young Minnesotans hadn't been established. But it's not all that unreasonable: particularly since what seems to be another bunch dropped out of sight after Homeland Security found out that one Somali suicide bomber had been a Somali-American:

"...One homeland security official told the Financial Times investigators were trying to ascertain whether it had any connection to a group of Somali-American youths who had gone missing from Minnesota. The men disappeared from their homes after authorities determined a suicide bomber who had attacked a target in Somaliland, east Africa, was a Somali-American...." (Financial Times)

It's not 'That Trouble Over There'

The odds are very good that Al Shabaab, or a like-minded group, convinced Shirwa Ahmed to leave Minnesota, and kill himself in Somalia. Units of the National Guard from Minnesota, and the other states, have been serving long, hard, tours of duty abroad. And, despite the best efforts of those who try to stop terrorists, it's possible that Al Qaeda or some other group will succeed in another attack like 9/11.

The War on Terror is very real, it isn't something that can be safely ignored, and it isn't 'over there.' It's every place where people aren't living quite the way that the Taliban or Al Qaeda - or Al Shabaab - think they should.

More-or-less related posts:

• "Recruiting for Terror? Somali Minnesotans Missing, One Found Dead"
  (December 4, 2008)
• "Somali Piracy, Islamic Law, and Maybe a Piece of the Action"
  (November 23, 2008)

In the news:

• "Islamist fighters seize Somali government seat"
  CNN (January 26, 2009)
• "TIMELINE-Ethiopians quit Somalia, Islamists seize parliament"
  Reuters (January 26, 2009)
  • "...a timeline of events since Islamists were driven from the capital, Mogadishu, in December 2006:..."
• "U.S. warns of possible attack on embassy in Yemen"
  CNN (January 26, 2009)
• "Ethiopia pulls its troops from Somalia"
  CNN (January 25, 2009)
• "Security tight, movement slow on Inauguration Day"
  (January 20, 2009)
• "Late threat probed by security agencies"
  Financial Times (January 20, 2009)
• "Security officials investigate Inauguration Day threat"
  (January 20, 2009)

Background:

• "Islamists Take Over Ethiopian Bases in Mogadishu"
  GlobalSecurity.org (January 16, 2009)
• "Somali Peace Talks Agreed to Tackle Issue of National Unity Government"
  GlobalSecuity.org (November 24, 2009)
Al-Shabaab"
National Counter Terrorism Center(2008)
• "Somalia's Islamic Courts Fighters Abandon Kismayo"
  GlobalSecurity.org (January 1, 2007)
• "The Supreme Islamic Courts Union / al-Ittihad Mahakem al-Islamiya (ICU)"
  GlobalSecurity.org (2006)

Recruiting for Terror? Somali Minnesotans Missing, One Found Dead

Minnesotans are disappearing. They're Somalis, young men. Anywhere from 10 to 40 or more have dropped out of sight in the last year.

One of them came back to his family recently, dead.

The odds are pretty good that he's one of the suicide bombers who went off in Somalia during October.

It took DNA tests to identify what was left as Shirwa Ahmed, 27, but now his body has been returned and his family could give him a traditional Muslim burial.

The executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, Omar Jamal, puts the number of missing men at between 15 and 20 over the last year. (Los Angeles Times" (November 27, 2008)

Somali Americans, Terrorism, Bias, and Common Sense

There's something odd going on in the Star-Tribune coverage of the disappearing Somali men in Minneapolis. About a week ago, an article explained why Somalis go back to Somalia:

"Many would like to return to their homeland someday. Some even do. But if they go, they say it's only to gain fresh perspective -- not to fight...."

Fair enough. That article led with what a clothing store owner, Ilyas Maye, had to say about going to Somalia for a visit. I found his situation familiar. Some Norwegians in the Red River Valley of the North, where I grew up, would visit the old country after they'd settled and started living the American dream.

That's not the America the Star-Tribune lives in, though. Later in the article:

"...Many [Somalis] have found only disappointment here -- lost jobs, trouble with the law, poor prospects. So, he said, they go back to Somalia for a fresh start or to reconnect with their culture. Or, he [Ilyas Maye, the store owner] said, 'to do something good.'

"But federal officials continue to investigate whether some young Somali men are returning to their homeland with more dangerous intentions, a source familiar with the case said, adding that several have left the Twin Cities in recent months. What authorities are trying to determine is whether they are participating in terrorist activities...."
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune (November 26, 2008))

"But federal officials continue to investigate...." I get the impression that the Star-Tribune thinks it's unreasonable for federal officials to investigate the possibility that terrorists are kidnapping or recruiting American citizens, because of what the clothing store owner said.

I believe that Ilyas Maye said that, and that there is an element of truth in his statement. I do not, however, accept the idea that Somalia is a land of opportunity for those fleeing a suspicious and hostile America.

And, I do not think that it's unreasonable for federal officials to look into whether terrorist organizations are recruiting American citizens.

Now that what was recoverable of Shirwa Ahmed has come home, the Star Tribune published a moving description of his burial, and this interesting statement:

"...But his death -- and the reported disappearance of as many as 10 young Somali men -- continues to fuel rumors, fear and anger among Minneapolis' Somali community. Some worry that local men have been indoctrinated at local mosques to return to the land of their families to fight. Others question the motives of those who have raised alarm without providing hard proof...."
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune (December 3, 2008))

The Star-Tribune is down to 10 missing Somali men. And, "...Others question the motives of those who have raised alarm without providing hard proof...."

What, it's not nice to talk about terrorist organizations talking American citizens into becoming suicide bombers?

I know: there are those who think of themselves as 'real Americans.' They see more recent immigrants as "those people." Bias is a very real human phenomenon. People can be biased against Somali immigrants; immigrants in general; and the FBI.

Minnesotans are Disappearing - This is a Problem for All of Us

I think it's doing Somalis in Minnesota a disservice to maintain a polite silence while young men go missing. Sure: someone here or there will think that all those Somalis are terrorists. Odds are, they'll think that no matter what's in the news.

The fact remains that Minnesotans are dropping out of sight, and that one of them showed up very dead: probably as the star player in a suicide bombing.

I'm with Omar Jamal, when he says of Shirwa Ahmed, " 'Honestly I look at him seriously as a victim and not as a criminal, I think of him as a young victim,'..."
(FOX 9 (December 3, 2008))

I think it's very possible that Shirwa Ahmed was a suicide bomber: and I'm not excusing that act. But I also think that people can be persuaded: Particularly if the persuader claims to be using the authority of their religious beliefs.

There is no way of knowing what was in his mind. What is certain is that he is dead, and that others may be killed if terrorists are recruiting young men for what they see as a holy war.

Minnesota isn't the only state where terror recruiting seems to be going on: but it's where I live, which makes the targeting of Minnesotans a rather personal matter for me.

A Little Common Sense, Please

I'd be a happy camper, if more news services got a grip and realized that:

• Somalis in America are people - not a socio-ethnic mass
• People disappearing is important, and should be discussed: even if a few bigots will make wild statements
• Somalia is probably not a better place to find work than America - even these days
  • Unless you're a pirate

Happily, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune isn't the only news outlet around. Some seem a bit more willing to see people as worthwhile individuals, not ethnic and economic masses.

I found this a touching comment on the farewell Shirwa Ahmed's family gave him:

"...During the funeral Wednesday, Shirwa Ahmed was neither celebrated as a martyr, nor condemned as a killer. He was buried simply as a Muslim man, who died so close, yet so far, from home."
(FOX 9 (December 3, 2008))

News and views:

• "Minn. Star Tribune Leaves Out Important Parts of U.S. Terror Recruiting Tale"
  Stop the ACLU (December 4, 2008)
• " 'Missing' Somali man is brought home"
  "A Minnesota Somali man's funeral highlights continuing questions about other 'missing' men."
  Minneapolis Star-Tribune (December 3, 2008)
• "One of Five Suspected Somali Suicide Bomber Laid to Rest"
  FOX 9 (December 3, 2008)
• "Terrorism link feared in Somali disappearances"
  Los Angeles Times (November 27, 2008)
• "Somaliland govt blames al Shabaab for suicide bombings"
  Garowe Online (November 27, 2008)
• "MN Man Possibly Behind Recruiting Somali Terrorists"
  WCCO (November 26, 2008)
• "For Somalis, going home has its risks"
  Minneapolis Star-Tribune (November 26, 2008)
• "Mpls. Somali community reacts to terrorist reports "
  KSTP (November 26, 2008)

Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.

---

Background: Somalis in Minnesota

Quite a few people coming to America from Somalia move to Minnesota. It's not the climate that attracts them: it's the jobs.

Minnesota has produced the most turkeys per year in America five times during 2000-2007 (USDA). That means that over 40,000,000 Minnesota turkeys have to be processed each year.

There are a lot of chickens around here, too: 46,600,000 in 2007. That's not in the same league as Georgia's 1,471,000,000 cacklers, but the Minnesota birds have to be processed, too. (USDA)

What Does This Have to Do With Somali Immigrants?

Getting a job in any country is a bit challenging, if you don't speak the local language. Most people in America speak English: and many of the Somali immigrants are, at best, less than fluent in that language.

Some jobs, like taking chickens and turkeys apart, don't need well-developed language skills, so quite a few Somali wage-earners get jobs in Minnesota packing plants. It's not exactly a glamor career: but it puts food on the table.

Negotiated End to Somali Piracy - This Just Might Work

I wasn't very hopeful when I read that Somali pirates holding the Saudi tanker had stopped talking to the Saudis and wanted to negotiate with a wealthy Virginia woman. It looked like they wanted to deal with someone with lots of money, a big heart, and not much knowledge of the area.

At that point, I didn't know about Michele Lynn Ballarin. And, I'm a trifle dubious about people who are chiefly known for having a lot of money. Think Paris Hilton.

I was even more dubious, when I found out that she not only planned to free the ships and the hostages. She plans to end Somali piracy altogether.

Now, I think she has a better chance of ending the Somali piracy mess than the Saudis, India, America, or the United Nations. And, may be able to do it without running that part of Somalia through the meat grinder of a military operation.

Mommy Warbucks

Michele Lynn Ballarin runs SelectArmor, that designs and makes body armor and provides security services. She's certainly part of the "military-industrial complex," but probably isn't a CIA spook. People related to American intelligence and military communities are on the board of another of her companies, though. That company's name is Black Star.

She says that she's out to profit by ending piracy, helping Somalia get on its feet, and then marketing Black Star's services to other failed states.

Sounds good to me.

Impending Death Encourages Clarity of Thought

Ballarin says that Al Shabaab's threat to hunt down the Somali pirates "has concentrated the minds of the pirates," as an article in military.com put it.

"She says the pirates understand the gravy train they have ridden for the last few years from their ill-gotten gains is coming to an end.

" 'They have snatched too many ships. They have too many navies watching them and now Al Shabab enters the picture,' she explained. 'So they know they're not going to be able to maintain this activity.' "
(military.com)

But, She's Unclean!

Ballarin certainly isn't a peacemaker of the Code Pink or Cindy Sheehan stamp. Which is why I think that she's got a chance of succeeding.

It's nice to want to "give peace a chance," but it helps to know a little bit about people, what motivates them, and what doesn't. I think that Ballarin has that knowledge: You don't run a successful business if you don't.

As for her close ties with the American military and the CIA, that may disqualify her from speaking at some of the 'better' American colleges and universities. On the other hand, I'm used to the idea that people with colorful backgrounds can do some good. And have: like Jean Lafitte.

In the news:

• "Prosecuting Captured Somali Pirates Poses Challenges"
  FOXNews (November 26, 2008)
• "Somali Pirates Call on American Benefactor"
  Military.com (November 25, 2008)
• "Islamists on trail of Somali pirates"
  Reuters (November 22, 2008)

Somali Piracy, Islamic Law, and Maybe a Piece of the Action

I should have seen this coming.

When Somali pirates hijacked the Sirius Star, they ticked off the House of Saud ("Pirates Hijack Saudi Supertanker: Not the Brightest Idea?" (November 18, 2008)).

They also offended an Islamic 'militant' group in Sudan. It's name translates as "youth," or "the youth," and gets Latinized as the Shibab, al-Shabab, the Shebab, or Al-Shabaab.

It seems that, under (their version of) Islamic law, piracy is

• A capital offense
• If the ship is from an Islamic country
  • "...it is impermissible to detain the ship of an Islamic country..."
    (Mareeg Online)

That makes sense, sort of, in an antique sort of way: You don't pillage or kill your own people; but outsiders are fair game. Some of my ancestors, a thousand years or so back, experienced that sort of law - from both sides.

High Ideals, High Finance, and Spiritual Warfare

Since countries don't get much more "Islamic" than Saudi Arabia, Al-Shabaab is seriously ticked with the pirates. They've issued an ultimatum: release the ship, or get attacked.

Someone living in Harardhere, where the excitement (and the ship) is, thinks that what Al-Shabaab actually wants is a piece of the action. Which, considering that there's a multi-million-dollar ransom involved, is quite possible. The armored personnel carriers that Al-Shabaab uses to practice its form of spirituality cost money.

Piracy: From Boom Times to 'Kaboom?'

The Somali pirates may not be in the best position. Sure, they're living like kings with the ransom money that's flowing in.

But they've made shipping in the Gulf of Aden so dicey, that companies are diverting cargo around the Cape of Good Hope: longer trip, more expensive, but safer. Shipping companies don't like that, and neither do their customers: who get stuck with higher shipping costs.

Which makes countries like Russia, India, and America upset with the pirates. Saudi Arabia went on the list when their supertanker was hijacked.

The Somali government, for what it's worth, has threatened military action.

The United Nations is remarkably clear about not approving of what the pirates are doing.

And now, at least one bunch of Islamic militants is coming after the pirates.

My guess is that, if anyone wants to try the 'let's sit down and talk' sort of diplomacy, they'll have to hurry.

In the news:

• "Somali Pirates Move Saudi Tanker as Islamists Warn of Attacks"
  Bloomberg (November 23, 2008)
• "Tension mounts in Somali pirate lair as ransom clock ticks"
  AFP (November 23, 2008)
• "Islamist Fighters Threaten to Attack Pirates in Clash Over Hijacked Supertanker"
  FOXNews (November 23, 2008)
• "Islamic fighters vow to rescue hijacked Saudi tanker"
  CNN (November 23, 2008)
• "Somalia: Somali official says ready to act militarily if Saudi tanker's owners agr"
  Mareeg Online (November 23, 2008)
• "Tankers Rerouted From Pirates"
  Wall Street Journal (November 21, 2008)