Do Somali pirates have links with al-Qaida?

Do Somali pirates have links with al-Qaida?

By Kang Hyun-kyung South Korea is facing a daunting task regarding how to deal with the five pirates they captured alive during the rescue operation for the hijacked cargo ship Samho Jewelry. Some African governments remain unwilling to bring five captured Somali pirates to justice in their territories on behalf of South Korea, fearing possible retaliation from al Qaida. This raises the question whether there is a link between Somali pirates and the international terrorist group responsible for the deadly Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. “So far, it has not been confirmed whether the two groups are linked,” a government official told reporters on condition of anonymity Monday. He made the remarks when asked to confirm if those African nations’ worries are based on fact. But some Western diplomats and security experts view it differently. They suspect that there might be ties between the two armed groups. South Korea successfully launched a military action against the Somali pirates that hijacked the chemical carrier Samho Jewelry earlier, rescuing 21 sailors onboard alive. But the 57-year old captain was seriously wounded, and has undergone surgery at a hospital in Oman. During the five-hour operation code-named “Gulf of Aden Daybreak,” eight pirates were killed and five others were captured alive. South Korea’s first military action on the pirates ended successfully. Retaliation threat After the rescue operation, some Somali pirates reportedly warned of retaliation against South Korean crewmembers if they hijack another ship. Reuters reported that Somali pirates threatened to kill all future South Korean sailors and set fire to their ships. “We shall never take a ransom from Korean ships. We shall burn them and kill their crew. We shall redouble our efforts. Korea has put itself in trouble by killing my colleagues,” a pirate who identified himself as Mohamed was reported as saying to Reuters. With the threat of retaliation looming and lack of precedents on dealing with captured pirates, South Korea faces limited options of what to do with the capture pirates. South Korea can bring them to Seoul for trial, or ask a third government to do the job. During the National Assembly’s Defense Committee meeting Monday, Kim Kwan-jin, minister of national defense, told lawmakers that the government may consider a pirate-for-hostages swap as an option. A South Korean ship, Geummi 305 was hijacked by Somali pirates last October and 43 sailors ― two South Koreans, two Chinese and 39 Kenyans ― have been taken hostage in Somalia since then. Later the defense minister denied the possibility of a pirate-for-hostages swap. In terms of efficiency, bringing the pirates to trial here entails significant costs. It would also require the government to look into a variety of aspects, such as whether the pirates are punishable under domestic law. Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has checked with several African nations, including Kenya, to see whether they would be interested in undertaking the legal process on behalf of Seoul. Many of them remain unwilling to do so. “Some governments rejected our offer, citing a monetary problem. If accepted, a third government needs to put the pirates in custody, hire legal interpreters for court trials, and put them behind bars if a judge orders so. All this requires the government to spend money,” an official told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. “Meanwhile, some nations refused to take up our proposal as they fear possible negative fallout following their cooperation with us in their ties with Somalia. And there were some who were concerned about possible retaliation from al Qaida.” Somali pirates-al Qaida link Back in April 2009, there was a debate in the United States whether Somali pirates are linked to terrorists’ group al Qaida. A senior Saudi Arabian al Qaida operative called on Somali jihadists to launch attacks on “crusader” forces in the Gulf of Aden at the time. In an audiotape acquired by CBS News, Sa’id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shjhri aka Abu Sufian al-Azdi said, “To our steadfast brethren in Somalia, take caution and prepare yourselves.” “Increase your strikes against the crusaders at sea and in Djibouti.” The audiotape sparked debate over the Somali pirates-al Qaida link. Diplomats and defense experts are divided over whether there is any connection between Somali pirates and the Islamist terrorist group. Gen. William Ward, commander of the U.S. African Command, was skeptical about the ties. Earlier, he was quoted as saying, “I do not have any evidence that the pirates have links with al Qaida. We may speculate and think about it, but I personally do not have any evidence,” he told reporters back in November 2008. Some media analysis supported the U.S. commander’s view. CBS News reported last April that “al Qaida does have links to Islamic extremist groups operating in Somalia, but thus far piracy and al Qaida’s brand of terrorism have remained largely separate.” Somali pirates have always sought ransom payments or loot, but they have not been motivated by Islamic fundamentalism, it said. The U.S. State Department, on the other hand, suspected that there was a link between Somali pirates and al Qaida. The State Department included al Shabab militia, an Islamist insurgent group fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia, in its list of terrorist organizations. It declared the Islamist group’s affiliations with al Qaida. Al Shabab reportedly controlled most of the southern and central parts of war-torn Somalia as of last summer. The discussion among Somali experts with regard to ties between al Shabab and some pirates is underway. Some locally sourced reports said that there is a developing link between some pirate groups and members of the Islamist insurgent group. ‘Piracy business’ In war-torn Somalia, piracy is said to be much more than hijacking vessels. It is considered as big business providing big income. A 2008 report produced by International Experts on Piracy off the Somali Coast, dubbed “Piracy off the Somalia Coast,” found that the high unemployment rate in Somalia after the civil war in 1991 has driven many young people there to join militias or other armed groups, including piracy. It said Somali people are affiliated with pirate groups in order to earn a basic income. “Piracy is flourishing in Somalia as it is a quick way for all involved to earn a large amount of money way beyond any other means of income generation,” the report said. A U.N. study released Monday said that Somali pirates are costing the world more than $7 billion a year. In 2008, the average ransom was estimated at somewhere between $500,000 and $2 million and estimated income from piracy for the year was nearly at between $18 million and $30 million. In Somalia, piracy began in 2000. At the outset, pirates targeted merchant vessels sailing off the Gulf of Aden. As ransom payments increased, Somali pirates equipped themselves better with GPS devices, and tracked ships through on board navigation information systems. They have reportedly built up a large network. The above experts’ report said that the epicenter of piracy is northern territory Puntland where it is penetrating all levels of society including government and government structures. “A number of Puntland ministers are suspected of being involved in piracy and its attendant activities,” the report said. The income from ransom payments appears to have a trickle-down effect on the local community. “Garoowe in Puntland is one place which appears to be benefitting from the new found income with the construction of large homes, and an increase in the price of dowries and more and more expensive vehicles appearing on the streets,” the report said. A pirate can earn in the range of $6,000 to $10,000 for a $1 million ransom, which is equivalent to a two to three-year income for an armed guard at a humanitarian agency and much higher than those hired by local companies are paid. According to a captured pirate, different portions of ransom payments go to four different groups: 20 percent goes to the bosses of the piracy organization; 20 percent investment in future missions; 30 percent to the gun men; and 30 percent to government officials. As piracy is gaining influence in Somalia as more people join the new business to make money, a growing number of experts have called for a fundamental solution to remove its root cause. They pointed out that now is the time for the international community to find ways to help the war-torn nation rebuild itself. Pirates: 소말리아 해적들, 럭셔리한 생활로 눈총 소말리아 해적들이 피랍을 통해 번 돈으로 럭셔리한 삶을 살고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 피랍된 선원을 풀어주는 댓가로 10억을 해적에게 지급할 경우, 해적 한명에게 돌아가는 돈은 최대 1천만원 정도 되며, 이같은 금액은 보통 소말리아 직장인이 2-3년간 받는 급여에 해당된다는 것. 실제 소말리아에서 해적활동이 활발한 것으로 알려진 북부 푼트랜드 지역의 경우 해적으로 벌어들인 돈으로 해적 및 가족들이 고급주택을 새로 짓고, 자동차를 구입하거나 결혼할 때 필요한 지참금을 많이 가져가는 것으로 알려졌다. 한편 생포한 소말리아 해적 국내이송문제를 정부가 고려하는 가운데, 일부 아프리카 국가들이 한국정부가 요청한 소말리아 해적처리를 국제 테러집단인 알카에다의 보복 가능성을 우려하며 거부했다고 알려졌다. 이들 국가들이 우려하는 것처럼 과연 소말리아 해적과 알카에다가 연계되어 있을까? 이 두단체의 연계에 대해 전문가들의 견해는 나뉜다. 미국 국방부측 인사들은 양자간에 연계를 입증할 만한 증거가 없다고 주장하는 반면, 일부 전문가들은 이들의 유착관계가 있을 가능성에 무게를 두고 있다.

hkang@koreatimes.co.kr