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Given the state of their socio-political wherewithall, it takes no stretch of the imagination to see that Somalian recreation, and their sense of peace have been tied to their waterways. We can assume that their beaches have provided space "for the nourishment and strength of their bodies," and their relationships.

We can imagine, that for those who are teachers or parents - or both - the sea has been a proverbial classroom for their youth.

In the meantime, talking-heads, and most infuriating of all, Black-faced ones, gaze into the corporate camera feigning to be engaged with the problem. In reality, they are trained like puppies to give the appearance of being a scripted inquisitor - which is an oxymoron. Prepared concern is a square peg - authenticity, a round hole.

In fact, if these propaganda-regurgitators were concerned, they would take twenty minutes from their long, arduous hours working behind the scenes to focus on the dirt under the leaves of a given story.

So, the moral of this one is that we must seek independent sources to hone the information we receive. And, we must work to reject idolization that leaves many of us falling for those searing looks, that appearance of somber reflection, and that seemingly genuine chuckle - all of which camouflage ruthlessly dishonest renditions of the news. Mainstream reporting kicks the truth, like a can, down the road.

We don't know what will occur in this present instance, and we hope for the best. But, to date, these African men along the Somalian coast, wrongly labeled as "pirates," are well known to be peaceful souls who release their captives unharmed. Let's hope this whirlwind of corrupt reporting and attention to anything but the details doesn't change that for the worse.

UPDATE, APRIL 12: Corporate Cable News-Readers report, "Happiness Sweeps The Nation" because four Africans, Somalians, known for having never caused harm to a single captive, are dead, and the ship's captain has been rescued.

News-readers report that unlike all other captives taken and released by the Somalians, this particular captain was in "imminent danger."

So, the question becomes did he not have guns trained on him from the beginning, or was there a talking-head-hyped adrenaline push to kill - making honorable intentions look evil, and giving evil the appearance of being appropriate and victorious.

Pirates Seize Saudi Super Tanker

"Turning to piracy to make a living" . . . . "previous exploitation of the waters, toxic dumping."

Prelude To Piracy

The Poor Fishermen of Somalia

"The intruders, Hussein and Shaykh Abdi complained, used nets with very small mesh sizes and fished with banned dragnets, and with dynamite in some cases. The foreign fishing boats would ram local fishing vessels, pour boiling water on them and, if they still refused to budge, shoot at them. It was not unusual for the intruders to hire Somali militias to drive away the local fishermen."

The Poor Fishermen of Somalia

Toxic Scandal in Somalia Gave Birth to New Piracy

"But despite the evidence uncovered by the tsunami, an investigation into the practice of toxic dumping was dropped. There was no compensation and no clean up."

Toxic Scandal in Somalia Gave Birth to New Piracy

World Only Cares About Pirates

"These problems have been going for sometime and the world knows about it. The Americans have been here in the region for a long time now - they know about the pollution.

Instead, no, the world is only talking about the pirates and the money involved."

World Only Cares About Pirates

Somalia: Food Crisis Threatens Millions of Lives

"Up to 70 per cent of the rural population in the south are threatened by food shortages, and some 36 per cent of children in Somalia are underweight, with one in six is suffering from acute malnutrition, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"We have never been in a situation so severe. Never, ever before," said UNICEF representative in Somalia Christian Balslev-Olesen in a statement issued yesterday."

Food Crisis Threatens Millions of Lives

Piracy and West's Ravaging of Somali Sea Must End

"While the western media has often focused its attention on Somali pirates, the international community has paid a blind eye to the ravaging of Somali seas by foreign vessels that either fish illegally or dump toxic material, including nuclear waste in Somali territorial waters in flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia."

Piracy and West's Ravaging of Somali Sea Must End

Somalian Born, K'naan on Somalian "Pirates"

Interview With Davey D, Part 1

Part 2

US Role in Somalia Calamity

"US policy not only has displayed a callous disregard for the basic human rights of Somalis, but it has failed on its own terms, breeding the very extremism it sought to eliminate."

US Role in Somalia Calamity

Somalia Called "World's Most Neglected Crisis"

"In its report, entitled "Proceed with Caution," RI also raised some serious questions about Washington's role in the conflict and demanded the U.S. Congress investigate why the United States decided to provide military aid to Ethiopia, whose troops are currently bogged down in urban conflict in Somalia."

World's Most Neglected Crisis

London is Profiting from Somalia's Piracy

"We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas. We are simply patrolling our seas. Think of us like a coast guard." In Somalia, pirates claim that they only impose heavy "fines" as opposed to claiming "ransom" when seizing ships that illegally enter Somali seas."

London is Profiting from Somalia's Piracy

Security Firms Hired to Take on Pirates

(" . . . who say they're trying to defend their waters against foreign fishing ships" . . . "and to protect Playstations etc." So the question becomes why are probably hundreds of thousands of Playstations floating along the coast of Somalia).

Somalia: State Collapse

Toxic Dumping and (So-Called) Pirates

"While the hijackings have been described as the work of criminals, (UN) officials admit the problem of waste dumped off the coast of Somalia may be a reason why ships have been commandeered."

Toxic Dumping and (So-Called) Pirates

Now, Pirates Are Terrorists . . . Give Me a Break

"Killing is not in our plans," he said. "We only want money so we can protect ourselves from hunger."

Now, Pirates Are Terrorists . . . Give Me a Break

Toxic Waste Behind Somali Piracy

"The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas."

Toxic Waste Behind Somali Piracy

Somalia as The Next Afghanistan

Riz Khan

Somalia pirates are an American policy blowback

Somalia pirates are an American policy blowback

Somalia: 'Robin Hood' pirates stealing from the rich

"The Pirates of Puntland are social bandits in the tradition of Robin Hood, not buccaneers. They steal from the rich and share the cash with extremely poor communities."

Somalia: 'Robin Hood' pirates stealing from the rich

Somali Piracy Connected to Toxic Dumping, Illegal Fishing

"The Somali toxic waste dumping issue is of great concern to me because it spills over to other African nations" . . . "Did you know that when the Islamic Courts Union was in charge of Somalia, piracy had come to a virtual halt?

But thanks to the Bush administration and Ethiopia after the ouster of the ICU in 2006, the phenomenon returned . . . . "

Toxic Dumping, Illegal Fishing

Pirates as Somalian Coast Guard

"You don't hear about the three-hundred million dollars annually that's lost by Somali fisherman in illegal fishing done by foreign interests . . . you also never hear about the costs that can not be estimated in terms of the negative costs of toxic waste dumping"

Somalia's Piracy Offers Lessons in Global Governance

(Scavenger nations).

"Lack of sufficient governance not only breeds criminals, it also encourages the exploitation of a country's resources by stronger powers."

Lessons in Global Governance

You Are Being Lied to About Pirates

"As soon as the government was gone, mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies.

Then, after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, and more than 300 died."

You Are Being Lied to About Pirates

"Pirates" Strike a US Ship Owned by Pentagon Contractor, But, is The Media Telling The Whole Story?"

(Never)

"Over $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, and lobster are "being stolen every year by illegal trawlers" off Somalia's coast, forcing the fishing industry there into a state of virtual non-existence." . . .

"This is the context in which the "pirates" have emerged. Somalian fishermen took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers, or at least levy a "tax" on them. They call themselves the Volunteer Coastguard of Somalia -- and ordinary Somalis agree."

They never tell the whole story

UN Envoy Decries Illegal Fishing, Waste Dumping Off Somalia

""It is a disaster off the Somali coast, a disaster (for) the Somali environment, the Somali population," he added."

UN Envoy Decries Illegal Fishing, Waste Dumping

Pirate as Robin Hood

(This not the most useful video, but it captures some discussion by the Somalians about why they're doing what they do).

Greenpeace to Expose Illegal Fishing on African Coast

"The expedition, a partnership with the London-based Environmental Justice Foundation, is part of a wider campaign to help save the world's oceans and follows two months of confrontations with Japanese whalers in the icy Antarctic seas.

"There is pirate fishing in every ocean every day," Greenpeace spokeswoman Sarah Holden told reporters aboard the group's flagship vessel, Esperanza, in Cape Town's harbour.

"There is a good chance that the fish that is on your plate was stolen from someone else," she said."

Greenpeace to Expose Illegal Fishing on African Coast

There Are Two Piracies in Somalia

"There are two piracies in Somalia, the well publicized attacks on shipping by pirates from Somalia, and the much more expensive, damaging, and long lived piracy in Somali waters, the Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing fleets there from Europe, Arabia and the Far East, and the dumping of toxic waste in Somali waters.

Both of these are violations of international law, but because Somalia has had no real government for close to two decades, no one has listened when Somalis ask for help with these two piracies."

There Are Two Piracies in Somalia

Economic and Environmental Impact of Illegal Fishing

The most obvious economic impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on developing countries is the direct loss of the value of the catches that could be taken by local fishermen if the IUU fishing was not taking place.

These losses include not only the loss to GNP, but revenue from landing fees, licence fees and taxes payable by legal fishing operators. In addition, there are indirect impacts in terms of loss of income and employment in related industries; any loss in income will also have impacts on the consumer demands of families working in the fishing industry.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)
Fishing usually has a significant impact on the sustainability of both the targeted species and the ecosystem.

Fishing generally has the capacity to damage fragile marine ecosystems and vulnerable species such as coral reefs, turtles and seabirds. In fact, all eight sea turtle species are now endangered, and illegal fishing and hunting are two major reasons for their destruction. Regulating legitimate fisheries is aimed at mitigating such impacts, but IUU fishers rarely comply with regulations. This is likely to reduce productivity and biodiversity and create imbalances in the ecosystem.

This in turn may lead to reduced food security in communities heavily dependent on fish as a source of animal protein. (Italics mine).

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

Poverty, Political Instability and Somali Piracy

"Why stay on land and fight Ethiopia's [America sponsored] occupying forces (and for what?) when one can rule the seas for riches?" . . . "The underpinnings of Somali piracy are Somalia's poverty and political instability. The key, then, to solving the seas is to promote a humanitarian agenda on land while ensuring good governance within Somalia's transitional federal government."

Poverty, Political Instability and Somali Piracy

Azikiwe on Somalia and Sudan

"After the United States military massacred over 50 Somali elders holding a meeting in Mogadishu on July of 1993, the Americans were on a collision course with large sections of the population.

A clash on Oct. 3, 1993, in Mogadishu resulting in the deaths of many U.S. soldiers sent shockwaves through the country and led eventually to an American withdrawal from Somalia in 1994."

Somalia and Sudan

Getting tough on foreign vessels to save local fishermen

"Local fishermen go out late at night to set their nets, but discover in the morning that they have been cut or stolen. 'They are no longer satisfied to take our fish, but they are forcing us to abandon fishing altogether . . . '"

they are forcing us to abandon fishing altogether"

Piracy off the Promised Land: Ramming of the Dignity with Clear Lethal Intent

"The Zionist entity greatly resents anyone coming to the aid of the native population, whatever its depth of suffering, and war lust was growing by the day."

Ramming of the Dignity with Clear Lethal Intent

"Of Pirates and Piracy"

From political prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal

Corrupt Prosecutions as Acts of Terrorism in the Case of Mumia Abu Jamal.

The Rape of Somalia By European Illegal Fishers

The Rape of Somalia By European Illegal Fishers

Somali "Piracy" Began in Response to Illegal Fishing and Toxic Dumping by Western Ships Off Somali Coast

Democracy Now

(Audio)

The Original Piracy

European Pirates in Somali Waters

(Audio, Blackagendareport.com)

European Pirates in Somali Waters

K'naan

The Making of Soobax

(And an opportunity to see images of the Somali people)

K'naan, Soobax

Why We Don't Condemn Our Pirates

"It is time that the world gave the Somali people some assurance that these Western illegal activities will end, if our pirates are to seize their operations.

We do not want the EU and NATO serving as a shield for these nuclear waste-dumping hoodlums."

Why We Don't Condemn Our Pirates

"Pirtes" Somalies Desean Enviar a Haiti Lo Confiscado a Paises Ricos

(Somali "Pirates" Want to Send Loot Confiscated From Rich Countries to Haiti)

"”The humanitarian aid to Haiti can not be controlled by the United States and European countries; they have no moral authority to do so.

They are the ones pirating mankind for many years,” said the Somali spokesman."

Somali "Pirates" Want to Send Loot Confiscated From Rich Countries to Haiti

(Stay abreast of the Haiti Earthquake aftermath at this link).

Pirates Take Corporate Oil Tanker

"In November 2008, pirates hijacked the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star, which held 2m barrels of oil valued at about $100m (£60m).

The tanker was released last January for a reported $3m ransom."

Pirates Take Corporate Oil Tanker

Also See:

It's Hard Out Here For a Fisherman

"Here is what I found in that process thusfar, which includes the plight of African and Black fishermen around the world - and as always this is a mere work in progress."

It's Hard Out Here For a Fisherman

"According to the UN special envoy for Somalia, various international companies, mostly European, have taken advantage of Somalia's anarchic state to pay off the warlords and be able to illegally dump unlimited amounts of toxic waste, including radioactive materials, into the waters off the Somali coast, resulting in widespread devastating contamination of the fisheries and of the human settlements near shore, not to mention contaminating the world ocean with hundreds of tons of radioactive materials, resulting in untold long term devastation." - Daily Kos

Terry Howcott is a Master of Social Work, speaker, activist, thinker, and writer and your host at Terryhowcott.com

She can be reached at terryhowcott@terryhowcott.com

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