Furthermore, take the recent outcry in the Maldives where incumbent President Nasheed was forced to resign by gunpoint.  The follow-up and ascension of the Vice President was constitutionally sound; hence, internal manipulation and a legitimization of an effective coup.  What we have in cases such as these is an emerging trend toward hypodermic democracies; democracies by title and manipulation, but not by actual nature; a fact further complicated in that no reliable model for a democracy exists, no way to effectively export one exists, as seen in Afghanistan and Iraq, and democracy, and, arguably, in its finest form it’s nothing more than political utopianism.   Yet as Twain illustrates- “democracy is bludgeoning of the people, for the people, by the people.” A transparent, actual participatory democracy in these times would devolve into dystopia.    

Hypodermic democracies are further aggravated and induced by lofty concepts like national identity, which are entirely artificial to begin with.  The irony is that national identity, which is considered a solvent for conflict, has actually become a rallying cry for militants and armed groups, i.e. Somalia.  Militants use the concept of national identity to further entrench their movements and portray them, not as seditious or factional, but as an alternative form of national identity to that imposed on the populace by external authorities, i.e. the UN, attempting to solidify borders and keep peace. 

Combined, it’s all a bloody mess.  Democracy, national identity, and other political taglines used as objectives in stabilizing Afghanistan and Iraq totally backfired.  Democracy is a non-tradition, national identity is irrelevant, and now, through reform attempts, both have become further utilities for despotic groups to justify either their regimes or quarreling.  The solution is to begin a global approach that doesn’t attempt to recreate antique concepts or powder up abstract macro-ideals, but focus on the actual: human identity and basic needs.  All else is without measurement by default. 

The organization estimates that the worst drought in 60 years has cost the past year, tens of thousands of lives. At the height of the crisis, 750,000 people were threatened with starvation.
In six regions declared famine

In the summer of 2011, the United Nations had declared in six regions in southern and central Somalia’s famine. The areas are largely dominated by the radical Islamist militia Al Schabaab that allows Western aid organizations is limited.

Hundreds of thousands of desperate Somalis fled to neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya.

However, the FAO warned that the crisis situation in the country remains still precarious. “We can not prevent droughts, but we can take steps to ensure the future of them are no more starvation,” said Graziano.

International said in November that famine threatens 250 thousand Somalis (French – Archive)

The United Nations announced today that the agricultural crop is unusually good and heavy amounts of rain, in addition to food aid distributed by relief organizations, eliminated famine in Somalia, although the situation remained fragile, with a possibility to escalate.

The United Nations said that the crop was twice the size of crops throughout the past seventeen years, and this helped to lower the prices of food, although the mortality rate in southern Somalia is among the highest in the world.

However, the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia, Mark Bowden emphasized that “gains remain fragile and will turn to the contrary, without the continued support.”

Warning of Famine
The United Nations announced last July for the existence of a famine in the two regions of southern Somalia, and then extended the warning of famine in the September / September to include six regions of eight.

The organization said that initially 750 thousand Somalis are at risk of imminent death from hunger, and then reduced the figure to 250 thousand last November.

After six months of the announcement of the Somali famine areas, there were four million are in need of assistance, the United Nations said that this number is now reduced to two and thirty-four thousand.

In spite of that the provision of assistance to some 180 thousand people living in camps in the capital Mogadishu has improved the situation but the fighting in the south and center of the country disrupted the arrival of food aid to most affected areas.

Government forces are battling al-Shabab Mujahideen fighters linked to al Qaeda five years ago, despite the entry of Kenyan and Ethiopian troops to Somalia last year to participate in the battles against the movement.

Red Cross
And expelled youth movement last Monday the International Committee of the Red Cross – which is among the few international agencies that distribute food in areas under the control of young people – the international organization is accused of distributing expired foods on women
And children.

And crossed the International Committee of the Red Cross regrets the decision that halted the program distributed food to 1.2 million in the period from June to December / December 2011.

The Committee noted that 6% of the food supplies were spoiled withdrawn or destroyed by the youth.

The Director-General of the Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Jose Graziano da Silva, “The crisis is not over and will not be deducted unless rainfall and consistently coordinated action over a long period to improve the speed of adaptation linked to population and development aid.”
 

Source: Reuters

Al Shabaab controls large parts of central and southern Somalia, where the UN claim that the region is suffered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with three areas that they categorize as the famine zone that affects 250,000 people, as reported by Al Jazeera. Al Shabaab said that the ICRC has betrayed the trust of the fighters. Mujahideen also said that they had burned nearly 2,000 metric tons of expired food that want distributed.

On Twitter, Al Shabaab reported that the Oversight Office Foreign Affairs Agency said a thorough examination of the ICRC warehouse revealed that 70 percent of the food stored for distribution is considered unfit for human consumption.

If the thought of pirates conjures up the image of a bluff old seaman with one leg and a parrot on his shoulder then think again. Pirates are very much a modern phenomenon and the scourge of busy sea lanes.The seas off the coast of Somalia are rife with highly organised gangs of pirates. They use high speed skiffs to intercept commercial and private shipping. The pirates are well armed with modern automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade launchers. By utilising mother ships as a sea base they are able to extend their operations deep into international waters. The seas surrounding the Arabian peninsular are no longer safe. Commercial shipping has responded by moving further out to sea away from the usual trade routes. However, resourceful and well organised pirate gangs have reacted by extending their sea borne operations accordingly.

Pirates off Somalia

Collapse of Government

Pirates can only operate where there exists no organised central government. After decades of civil war Somali’s central government exists in name only. Warlords control most of the country and the government lacks authority and power to establish the rule of law.The cost to the international community is staggering to contemplate and difficult to calculate with accuracy. Piracy has disrupted shipping and deliveries causing increased global trade costs to the value of $10 billion a year; this represents only one aspect of the economic burden imposed by Somalian piracy.Piracy is a lucrative, although hazardous, occupation for dispossessed young Somalian men. Pirates make their money from ransom. Valuable cargo or the lives of the captured bring in millions of dollars every year. In 2010 an estimated $230 million dollars was obtained by Somalian pirates in income.The international response to the problem has seen a rare degree of cooperation from the world’s naval forces that is historically unprecedented. The global economic burden of piracy has forged unlikely international alliances. To date, naval vessels from 28 nations are cooperating on anti-piracy patrols. Legally vessels are only able to detain and prosecute pirates if they are caught actively engaged in piracy. This has lead to the frequent release of pirates due to judicial impotence.

The Economic Cost

The Income

International Response

Generally peace time maritime regulations do not allow merchant vessels to carry weapons. The US government has recently allowed ships sailing under the American flag to carry armed security guards. Non-lethal measures and anti-pirate training is also being introduced by an increasing number of nations. Measures such as lining the deck with razor wire and high pressure hoses are being introduced to repel pirate boarders. Smaller vessels are being equipped with laser devices which dazzle and cause temporary blindness at the distance of several miles.

No End in Sight….

There are no easy solutions to the Somalian piracy problem. Combined and continued operations by multi-national forces by sea and land are needed to provide security for merchant vessels plying their trade in international waters. These measures however offer no long term solution. Ultimately the solution will come from within Somalia itself. The establishment of a strong and stable national government is needed for the effective control of its shore and territorial waters. Economic viability is also a key requirement to restore the rule of law to this war torn country. I suspect this prospect will be a long time coming and piracy will continue to be a problem in this region well into the twenty first century.

Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted held hostage in Somalia since three months ago.

“Jessica’s health deteriorated. And the president has given permission,” said Bidden. The BBC’s Frank Gardner reported this operation is the largest U.S. military operation in Somalia since the country’s troops withdrawn in 1994. Sources at the Pentagon told the BBC said the team was deployed SEAL Team Six, the troops who killed Osama bin Laden in May last year.

Kidnapper asleep

When Jessica’s ongoing military operations and Poul detained in a place located 40km east of the city Adado. A government official said the troops Seals parachuted from a plane flying to the nearby location of two hostages were held. The kidnappers reportedly had a kind of leaf called qat chewing is intoxicating, so they fall asleep when troops arrived Seals.

The official claimed the kidnappers could fire when the troops had approached the location of detention Seals. In the shootout that nine kidnappers were killed and three others were arrested the invading army. The operation to free hostages lasted approximately three hours and the hostages are freed immediately flown to the U.S. base in Djibouti.

The families of the hostages welcomed the release of this operation and thanked the government of the United States.

In what will be seen as a bold move by the President two Western hostages have been rescued from the clutches of Somali pirates.

US forces pulled out of Somalia in 1994 and the security situation has steadily deteriorated with local pirates mounting attack after attack on shipping in the region. Oil tankers and their cargoes are valuable resources which in the past have had little or no protection. They have been seized and ransomed by Somali pirates in what has been a lucrative trade for them.

The pirates have extended their activities, realising that taking hostages is often easier and just as profitable as seizing cargo. Yachts have been seized and civilians taken to Somalia while ransom is demanded.

Now the US has struck back. In a daring attack in the heart of the country US forces have rescued an American woman and a Danish man who were being held.

Helicopter attack

Landing by helicopter US forces killed nine pirates and saved the hostages who were unharmed. No US troops were injured and the entire attack lasted just an hour. The hostages were flown to the safety of a US base and will be reunited with their families as soon as possible.

It was announced by Vice President Joe Biden that the attack had been personally ordered by President Obama and was a complete success.

After the killing of Bin Laden last year there were attempts to portray the President as a man who hesitated to take decisive action and that the attack had been ordered by his military chief of staff. This was far from the case and a simple case of political spin by opponents.

Now this surprise move, at a critical time at the beginning of the election campaign will wrong foot opponents. It is decisive action by a President who is the Commander in Chief.

Above all, two innocent victims have been rescued from the hands of a ruthless criminal gang that would not have hesitated to murder them.

Image via Wikipedia

In addition to the seized cargo ships – although that is rare – the main purpose of the pirates was actually a ransom. They understand well that the ships passing by the boat business, which includes large corporate-owned merchandise.

That’s why they call numbers easily billions if requested ransom. If the employers do not want to, they hit the ship’s country of origin. The goal is yes only ransom.

Although the ships that pass in the international sea, the hijackers were going to drive them into the sea of ​​Somalia. And that’s troublesome. The Somali government can not be expected in this condition, although the world forcing them to act.

The reason is that the country was facing the open sea, constantly dogged by problems. Let alone take care of the fate of the ships were hijacked, the ruling power there is always at the edge of the abyss. Can coup anytime.

Transitional government is still facing hassles anarchic power struggle and mass action, since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Murder, kidnapping incident so commonplace there.

In a sense, become pirates are the new jobs for young people of Somalia. Consider just one of recognition of the pirates, Muse Abdulrashid Mohammed told Al Jazeera.

“I want to say to the media and the international community that we do this because the needs and conditions without a job. Our lives are destroyed, the cause is the collapse of Somalia.”

However, undeniable, a pirate is the way to a luxurious life wallowing in wealth. For example, Adani, in the age of 19 years he had a mansion and a large truck due to be pirates.

Whereas the previous two years, he lived on the streets of Bossaso. “If you do not have anything, people will hate you. But you will be honored if you have money,” said he, like loaded AP.

The new gap is created, between the wealthy pirate groups with non-pirates are getting poorer.

This is the lifestyle of Somali pirates: big houses, cool cars, beautiful women, and narcotics – which has been criticized both religious leaders and villagers.

“The use of illicit drugs such as marijuana, drinking alcohol, sex, and other annoying behavior so common to the pirates. This led to social problems,”

Anshud businessman said Thursday that the entry of millions of dollars in illicit money makes the prices of shoes, clothes, and cosmetics creeping up.

The new credit system applies, the pirates do not have to pay cash when buying goods. They were allowed to take goods on credit, with a high price, and pay off their debt if the ransom money was in hand.

“The pirates pay in dollars and do not bother bargaining,” said Khadra Abdullahi, a seller in Bossaso. “They often do not take my change, as if money does not mean.”

Leading elders Bossaso, Suldan Mohamud Aw-nor said, clerics and village elders did not approve the pirate lifestyle. However, they are powerless, magic words ‘I’m going to be a pirate’ is often used by teenagers to threaten their parents, if they will not be met.

Mating systems have also been affected by pirates with a fat wallet. “Hundreds of cars escort the bride to the location of the reception, the newlyweds a house crammed with expensive furniture, and the bride wore expensive gold jewelry,” said Shamso Ahmed, the owner of a beauty salon. Thousands of dollars paid to the family of the bride as a dowry.

The pirates are not a waste of time to seduce women, but pay them a lot,

“Yesterday they celebrated the eighth wedding, the groom are all pirates,” said a hotel owner.

Most pirates have three or more wives. their number depends on the amount of loot. Marrying a pirate has become a dream for most of the local women.

The pirates are not accessible to enjoy the convenience of other residents Harardhere. Their houses are one of a handful of residential electricity, using a generator that was stolen from the ship.

“Women need love and money, and pirates have money, and they show their love,” said Khabibo Salad, wife of a pirate.