Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, the surviving teenage Somali pirate from last month’s Maersk Alabama hijacking, pleaded not guilty in court today. His lawyers complained about his solitary confinement, inability to communicate with fellow prisoners due to a lack of translators and single one-minute photo call with his mom. “He’s confused. He’s terrified. As you can imagine, he’s a boy who fishes, and now he’s ended up in solitary confinement here. He’s having a very difficult time.” |NYT|
A criminal complaint filed in court this week offers new details in the case against Abdiwali Abdukhadir Muse, the sole survivor among the teenage Somali pirates that hijacked the Maersk Alabama and held Captain Richard Philips hostage. The complaint alleges that Muse was the first pirate to board the ship, took a potshot at the Captain, and helped steal $30,000. Although the teenager bragged about hijacking other ships, he wasn’t the most savvy buccaneer: Read more »
Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse was all smiles as federal agents paraded him into New York City this morning, but that show of happiness didn’t last long. Muse, the only survivor among the group of teenage Somali pirates that held Captain Richard Philips hostage, is facing charges that could put him in prison for life. The teenage pirate’s mother appealed President Obama to release her son saying, “He has got nothing to do with the pirates’ crime…he is a minor. He is under age and he has been used for this crime.” Read more »
19-year-old Abdulwali Muse, the only survivor of Navy sniper attack on the group of teenage Somali pirates holding Captain Richard Philips hostage, is coming to New York. “Believed to be the group’s ringleader,” Muse “will face charges in New York’s Southern District,” which could put him in prison for life. Somehow we doubt he’ll get the same hero’s welcome that the Captain did. |CBS|
It turns out the Navy had some extra help to keep tabs on the the lifeboat where Somali pirates were holding Maersk Alabama’s Captain Richard Philips captive. The Scan Eagle, an unmanned spy plane, was launched from the USS Bainbridge to discretely record video from above. The USS guided missile destroyer also kept busy this week, rescuing a Long Island-based ship from a Somali pirate attack on Tuesday. Click the images above to engage the surveillance gallery and also check out photos as the Navy collects evidence from the pirate’s last stand.
As you may have heard by now—unless you’re being held hostage by Somali pirates in a fully enclosed lifeboat floating in the Indian Ocean—the Maersk Alabama’s union Captain Richard Philips was freed on Sunday when Navy snipers shot his three remaining captors dead, ending the five day ordeal. The merchant marine experts blogging over at G-Captain posted details about the lifeboat the courageous seaman volunteered to vacation on. Turns out it was actually kind of roomy and stocked with supplies. Click through the gallery to get a better glimpse of the 1st class vessel and go here to get a rundown of the inventory that included emergency food rations, a jack-knife, and one set of fishing tackle, among other luxury survival gear.
The courageous seafaring union captain held hostage by the Somali pirates attempted an escape by jumping into the water and swimming away but was quickly reeled back in with gunfire. His captors are now demanding $2 million for the return of Capt. Richard Phillips who is being held on a lifeboat like the one pictured. The FBI joined the negotiations and the U.S. Navy is ready to pounce, but the fearless pirates claim they’re not scurred of the maritime might, telling Reuters: “We are not afraid of the Americans. We will defend ourselves if attacked.” |NYDN|
It’s not U.S. warships or international flotillas that are going to stave off the onslaught of Somali pirates, it’s American unions. As Mother Jones points out, the crew of the Maersk Alabama, which was recently accosted, but later regained control of the ship are part of the Seafarers International Union* and they don’t mess around. Unlike non-union scabs, they’re well trained for any situation, after all they attended the “union-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education” according to a statement from SIU:
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