UPDATE: Responding to Pentagon claims that it had “grossly misrepresent[ed] the truth”, Al Jazeera has released extended, unedited footage from Brian Hughes recording the statements of US military in “Bible Study”. The footage supports the original claim that US soldiers were advocating evangelism in Afghanistan. We’ve posted the video and Hughes’ further comments in a separate blog.
This is the video report from Al Jazeera, compiled from footage taken by documentary maker Brian Hughes last year, that has sparked controversy over the last 48 hours:
The most sensational call to arms comes from Lieutenant-Colonel Gary Hensley, the chief of the US military chaplains in Afghanistan, who tells soldiers that they have a responsibility “to be witnesses for” Jesus Christ:
The special forces guys – they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down. Get the hound of heaven after them, so we get them into the kingdom. That’s what we do, that’s our business.
Last week, in a series of stories we featured on Somalia, the issue of dumping of toxic waste off the Somalian coast emerged. I have just discovered this story in Al Jazeera from 11 October 2008:
‘Toxic waste’ behind Somali piracy
By Najad Abdullahi
Somali pirates have accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and are demanding an $8m ransom for the return of a Ukranian ship they captured, saying the money will go towards cleaning up the waste.
The ransom demand is a means of “reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years”, Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates, based in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said. Read the rest of this entry »
Amidst general statements about the response to piracy off the Somalian coast, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s four-point plan announced earlier this week, Teri Schultz of Global Post assesses the possibility of the fight being taken into Somalia:
Leaders to discuss taking pirate fight to land
BRUSSELS — The dramatic tale of the Capt. Richard Phillips’ rescue in the Gulf of Aden earlier this week captured the attention of the world and trained unprecedented attention on the increasing problem of Somali piracy.
Now U.S. and European officials are increasingly discussing the possibility of bringing the fight on land to address the roots of the problem in Somalia. Read the rest of this entry »
Yesterday Tristan McConnell of Global Post and Enduring America’s Josh Mull offered analyses of Somalia, and the response to its political, paramilitary, and social situation, which went far beyond “Kill the Pirates” rhetoric. Writing for URB Magazine, K’Naan, a Somali-Canadian poet and musician, offers this perspective with the context of recent Somali history and ongoing “Western” activities off the Somali coast:
Why We Don’t Condemn Our Pirates in Somalia
Can anyone ever really be for piracy? Outside of sea bandits, and young girls fantasizing of Johnny Depp, would anyone with an honest regard for good human conduct really say that they are in support of Sea Robbery? Well in Somalia, the answer is: it’s complicated. Read the rest of this entry »
In the aftermath of the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates by US Navy SEALs, analysis has generally been dominated by cheerleading and a good bit of relief that the United States and (for supporters of the current Administration) President Obama have not appeared “weak”. The New York Times breathlessly wrote, “To Rescue Captain, U.S. Snipers Held Steady Despite Many Moving Parts”, while Watergate felon turned talk show host G. Gordon Liddy settled for, “Gman is joined by a former sniper who tells you what thoughts race through your mind when facing a killer“.
Tristan McConnell, writing for our partners Global Post, goes an essential step farther. While Captain Phillips and his crew might be safe, the naval lanes off Somalia are not secure: “Short of escorting every one of the estimated 20,000 ships that use the Suez Canal every year, it is an impossible task to end piracy with navy patrols.”
The obvious but difficult point? The piracy is connected to the economic and political instability in Somalia, and unless the US Government can dream up a military solution for the difficulties in Mogadishu — “no one so far has managed to defeat Somalis by outgunning them, either on land or at sea” — it’s going to have to find a different approach that is far removed from the temporary solution of one-bullet sniping a pirate.
HOW TO STOP THE SOMALI PIRATES
Analysis: More Gunships May Not Be the Answer
NAIROBI — After the dramatic rescue of American captain Richard Phillips from the clutches of Somali pirates, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his determination to end piracy: “We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region,” he said.
Easier said than done. Dozens of international warships patrolling the Indian Ocean coastline have done little to deter the pirates.
And pirates seized an Italian tug with impunity even as the the world watched a small lifeboat of Somali pirates with their one solitary hostage facing down a flotilla of U.S. warships.
Currently the pirates hold more than a dozen ships with more than 200 hostages from a range of mostly poor countries.
There is a very lively debate in the mainstream media on what should be done to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden. However, all of the solutions seem to focus on violence and military might. Are there any other options that have yet to be debated?
Did the recent Israeli air strike against Sudan actually benefit Hamas and Iran? Did it elevate Sudan’s president to honored Arab leader? And worst of all, did it exacerbate the crisis in Darfur?
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has declared that he will accept an insurgent demand for sharia law in Somalia. At the same time, he said that he will not accept a “strict” interpretation of the law, such as a prohibition on the attendance of women at schools.
The move is an attempt to abate the fighting around the country and establish some base of political support for the Government. Despite the violence, 40,000 Somalis have returned to Mogadishu in recent weeks, following the departure of Ethiopian troops and the installation of Ahmed as President.
Comments Off 
Last week, in a series of stories we featured on Somalia, the issue of dumping of toxic waste off the Somalian coast emerged. I have just discovered this story in Al Jazeera from 11 October 2008:
Amidst general statements about the response to piracy off the Somalian coast, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s four-point plan announced earlier this week, Teri Schultz of Global Post 
Yesterday 
In the aftermath of the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates by US Navy SEALs, analysis has generally been dominated by cheerleading and a good bit of relief that the United States and (for supporters of the current Administration) President Obama have not appeared “weak”. The 
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has declared that he will 
Entries (RSS)