A few weeks ago for my Modern African History final, I had to answer a question about the ‘piracy’ situation in Somalia. This lead to some eye-opening research into some of whats really going on behind the scenes. Here are my findings.
First and foremost:
There are no Somali pirates. There is however, a makeshift Somali Coast Guard trying to fight off Western ships dumping nuclear waste into their fishing water. Nuclear waste normally gets dumped in cold water, slowing down the containers erosion time. The Somali waters are warm. This means, within 10 years these containers will probably start breaking down, severely poisoning the water, and killing all the fish.
Why then, would the US do something like this, and why is this story nowhere on mainstream US media?
I’ll tell you why:
Because the United States is at war with Somalia.
In 2004, after years of being without proper government, Somalia’s local Islamic courts joined the Union of Islamic Courts. Moderates and hardliners divide these courts. The hardliners want to curb foreign influence, which they believe to be immoral. This means banning foreign films and music from playing at theaters and on the radio. It also means harsh punishments such as public flogging and execution if caught selling drugs or committing murder. While harsh, after years of lawlessness most Somalis gladly accepted the order and stability. The US and Ethiopia however, are not so giddy about the new government
In retaliation, the US is arming Ethiopian troops to invade Somalia. Since the United Islamic Courts are Muslim, and the opposing forces to American economic interest are hard-line fundamentalist Muslims, this makes it very easy for them to be tagged terrorists. With the justification of terrorism, anything goes—including military intervention. The UIC poses a threat to the US’ continued media influence in Somalia, yes, but more importantly it is an obstacle to exploiting the newly-found oil within the region.
By supporting the Ethiopian forces trying to overthrow the UIC and returning Somalia to its lawless anarchic state, they then have an opportunity to erect a pro-America client regime that will go along with whatever the US wishes. This has succeeded. Immediately after US aerial attacks on Somalia in January of 2009, the new Somalia “president” came out in support of the US attacks, despite acknowledging that many people with no ties to terrorism had been killed.
After years of lawlessness, the UIC wouldn’t want to compromise what little stability they’ve fought so hard to earn. Creating a state with ties to Al-Qaeda would be *asking* to get pounced on by the US with every other Western superpower covering the US’ back. Logically, if there was ever any ‘terrorist’ action going on, it would be while Somalia was a violent anarchy, with no one to stop them. Debasing Somali stability, interfering in their religious goals, and returning Somalia to a state of total chaos not only gives fundamentalist muslims reason to get militant (revenge), but then creates a space where it can happen unwatched.
To report the “piracy” situation for what it is would do two things, neither in the US’ best interest. The cultural perception of Africa, especially Somalia is of being anarchic, primitive, prone to tribal-warfare and soul-crushingly poor. To report that the US is dropping bombs on Somalia would create an image of the "Big guy picking on the little guy", hence suspected terrorism is the excuse. Americans are beginning to awaken from the trance of terrorism propaganda (much like we did with communist propaganda after the Cold War) and many wouldn’t buy it. Further investigation into US involvement in the area would show, yet again, another major motivator here is Oil. Not only would this do serious damage to our public moral, but can easily trigger dangerous responses from the other world super-powers who are completely against what the US is doing (i.e.; Italy and Russia).
And its only the tip of the ice-burg. This only begins to explain the socio-political spheres of the situation.
What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments section.
@insidethegod- terrorism propaganda
“Americans are beginning to awaken from the trance of terrorism propaganda… “
man, let’s hope this is true. for realsies, can’t we all just get along? respect for your report Julian. it’s never quite as simple as television officiates it but ultimately it reminds me of this great thot-post, “what the world needs now, is love…”
peace brother.
Repetition
Unfortunately the US government has been doing this since, well, since it was even a nation, and many nations are guilty of the same thing. Exploitation of countries that don’t have the means to protect themselves. Any time you have a country that is developing or poverty-stricken nations it’s more often than not because of an identified resource (oil, gold, drugs, you name it). Look at what’s happening with Mexico and the whole narco situation. These countries can’t keep up with outside influences. It wasn’t surprising to me at all to hear that Ethiopia is being supplied by the US.
I’m sure there is more to the story and this was an attempt by some young Somalian guy tricked and pressured into doing something not of his own accord. Kids like the one that was detained for keeping that captain (I’m sure he was captain, I apologize if I am wrong) hostage is just another tactic used for war. You think he hasn’t been brainwashed? Children are malleable and easy to manipulate. But honestly, one is just as bad as the other. Like other African countries there will be war, but they’ll pull it together.
You should read this book I’ve read it’s called “The Dispossessed” by Alfred Molano and see this documentary it’s pretty good and not too long, try and get a hold of it. It’s called “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”
-Luisa
With all due respect, you need to reexamine your research. If there “are no Somali pirates” and there really is an ongoing conflict between US ships and Somalia’s unofficial “cost guard” to prevent US dumping, then why wouldn’t there be more skirmishes between US ships and the “Somalian Coast Guard”? There have only been two real instances of pirates attacking US ships, the vast majority of the attacks have been directed towards European ships. If the “coast guard” was really preventing dumping, then why are they attacking cargo ships and kidnapping sailors for ransom rather than attacking the ships that are dumping nuclear waste?
Under the internationally recognized definition of piracy, these people are not serving as a coast guard and are engaging in piracy.
That being said, you are completely justified in accusing countries of dumping nuclear waste off the Somali coast. There is actual evidence of numerous EUROPEAN companies doing this. I’m sure some American companies have been involved and I wouldn’t be surprised if the US government was complacent in this, but again the vast majority of the dumping has been conducted by European companies. It’s easy to blame the US for everything that’s wrong in the world, but maybe we need to recognize that there are 191 other countries in the world, all of which engage in the same time of actions that the US does. The Somali pirates are pirates, they are not protecting their coast for nuclear waste, they are kidnapping people and holding ships for ransom. Please don’t try to defend their actions, they are as much the unofficial coast guard as the 9/11 hijackers were volunteer interior decorators.
The US has tried to bring about regime changes in numerous countries throughout the world for political and economic reasons countless times, but that in itself is a completely unrelated questions. I am not addressing it here because it requires a much larger discussion but I will say that it would be naive to decry a policy prima facie, without examining it fully, regime change is sometimes completely justifiable.
Yes, upon re-examination, a majority of the ships dumping nuclear waste in Somali waters are European. However, Somalis attacking US cargo ships and kidnapping sailors for ransom could be simply to prove a point.
This is nothing we haven’t done before — attacking suspects to flex our muscles and show we aren’t a force to mess with. There is also an entire ideological dimension that also must be taken into consideration when in trying to explain their attacks.
Not just the US (as you pointed out) but the Western World in general is viewed as the “infidels”; The immoral secularists who consistently interfere in their attempts at creating an Islamic theocracy. Somalia has been in total chaos, and they blame the Western world. Stealing cargo and taking hostages for ransom is probably an attempt at making money — a type of forced reparations.
I’m not justifying their actions as being right, just, or moral. But, I also don’t believe their actions came out of a vacuum– they have reasons and motivations, and only by examining their side too could any real solution arise.
Also, the UIC is as bad as the Taliban so please don’t try to paint it as some innocent force just trying to bring about peace.