Stavridis: Cooperation Key in Tackling Piracy Threat

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2012 – Hoping to build on successes over the past year in combating piracy, the top U.S. commander in Europe and other key stakeholders in the fight gathered in London this week to help chart the way forward.

Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, who also serves as the NATO commander, joined leaders from the NATO Maritime Component Command, European Union, shipping security officials and other experts to explore ways to improve their cooperation in tackling this transnational threat.

“We face a significant global problem that has caused extensive and expensive disruptions to the global maritime grid,” Stavridis noted in his blog post on the U.S. European Command website. “In particular, off the Horn of Africa in the northern Indian Ocean, we’ve seen hundreds of pirate attacks and dozens of successful hijackings over the past years.”

He estimated costs to the international community as high as $5 billion to $10 billion per year, noting that hundreds of mariners have been held hostage by pirates for ransom.

“Although the success rate and the numbers of attacks are down this year, we still have seven ships and more than 100 hostages held by Somali pirates on the largely ungoverned east coast of Africa,” the admiral said.

NATO, the European Union and a variety of other nations, including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Iran and the Gulf States, have come together to help address this problem, he noted. With a fleet that averages 20 to 30 ships, they patrol waters stretching from the Red Sea, past the Gulf of Aden and down into the northern Indian Ocean.

Shared concern about the problem led last week to the first bilateral counter-piracy exercise between the United States and China. Crew from the guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill and other Navy assets joined Chinese People’s Liberation Army sea elements, including the frigate Yi Yang, for training near the Horn of Africa.

The sailors’ focus was on bilateral interoperability in detecting, boarding and searching suspected vessels, as well as the ability of both Chinese and American naval assets to respond to pirated vessels, a USS Winston S. Churchill spokesman reported.

Meanwhile, the shipping industry has implemented best business practices: traveling in convoys, hardening their defenses such as stringing concertina wire along their decks, posting lookouts and hiring private teams, Stavridis reported. They appear to be paying off, he said, recognizing that although many ships with embarked private security teams have been attacked, none has been successfully hijacked.

Participants at this week’s conference, co-hosted by the U.N.-sponsored International Maritime Organization, discussed ways to increase cooperation between shippers and protecting forces and ways to move ashore to pre-empt pirate strikes and disrupt pirates’ bases and logistics systems.

Another focus, Stavridis said, was on building capacity within local coast guards and to applying a comprehensive approach to make piracy less attractive as an occupation.

Somali Hostage Negotiator in S/V Quest and M/V Miranda Marguerite Piracies Sentenced to Multiple Life Sentences

NORFOLK, VA—Mohammad Saaili Shibin, a/k/a “Khalif Ahmed Shibin,” a/k/a “Shibin,” the man convicted as the person in Somalia responsible for negotiating the ransom of an American yacht, the S/V Quest, and the Marida Marguerite, a German-owned vessel, was sentenced to 10 concurrent life sentences for piracy, two consecutive life sentences for the use of a rocket-propelled grenade/automatic weapons during crimes of violence, 10 years consecutive on six counts charging discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two 20-year sentences for the remaining counts of discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Shibin is also required to pay restitution in the amount of approximately $5,408,000.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar, Sr. Shibin was previously found guilty by a federal jury on April 27, 2012, of all counts of a superseding indictment.

“Mohammed Shibin was a key participant in two of the most heinous acts of piracy in modern memory: last year, his confederates seized the S/V Quest and murdered four defenseless Americans, and in 2010, the crew members of the M/V Marida Marguerite were brutally tortured by Shibin and his pirate conspirators to extract a $5 million reward. The Somalia piracy criminal enterprise could not function without skilled negotiators like Shibin, and his multiple life sentences should put all pirates on notice that the Justice Department will hold you accountable in an U.S. courtroom for crimes on the high seas. Shibin is the 18th Somali pirate my office has convicted.”

According to court documents and trial testimony, as the U.S. military attempted to negotiate the release of four American citizens being held hostage on board the S/V Quest, they were informed by one of the conspirators on the Quest that Shibin was the person responsible for negotiating the return of the hostages upon their arrival in Somalia. Evidence at trial showed that during this period of negotiation, Shibin conducted research on the Internet to learn about the hostages on the Quest and determine the amount of ransom to demand, along with the identity of family members of the hostages whom he could contact about the ransom. But while the military continued its negotiations to secure the hostages’ release, the four hostages were intentionally shot and killed.

Court documents and testimony also proved that Shibin was the ransom negotiator for conspirators who pirated the Marida Marguerite, a German-owned vessel with a crew of 22 men who were held hostage off the coast of Somalia from May to December 2010. Shibin spoke with the owners of the Marida Marguerite and successfully extracted a ransom payment for the vessel and its crew. Shibin received approximately $30,000 to $50,000 in U.S. currency as his share of the ransom payment. Crew members of the M/V Marida Marguerite testified that they were brutally tortured while being held hostage.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s New York Field Office and Norfolk Field Office, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch, Joseph E. DePadilla, and Brian J. Samuels from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Paul Casey of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

More Charges for Alleged Somali Pirates Indicted for Attack of the USS Ashland

NORFOLK, VA—A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia has returned a second superseding indictment charging five men from Somalia with engaging in piracy and related offenses pertaining to the attack on the U.S. Navy ship, the USS Ashland.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement.

As in the prior indictments, the second superseding indictment charges five men, Mohamed Ali Said, a/k/a Maxamad Cali Saciid; Mohamed Abdi Jama, a/k/a Mohammed Abdi Jamah; Abdicasiis Cabaase, a/k/a Ahmed Mahomood; Abdirazaq Abshir Osman, a/k/a Abdirasaq Abshir; and Mohamed Farah, a/k/a Mohamed Farraah Hassan, with a number of charges relating to the attack of the USS Ashland on April 10, 2010. The second superseding indictment adds allegations that three of the defendants went to sea in February 2010 for purposes of capturing another vessel but were instead intercepted by the HMS Chatham of the Royal Navy.

The charges alleged in the second superseding indictment and the maximum sentences are as follows: conspiracy to commit hostage taking (count one), carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; conspiracy to commit kidnapping (count two), carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; conspiracy to perform act of violence against persons on a vessel (count three), carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy involving firearm and a crime of violence (count four), carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; piracy under the Law of Nations (count five), carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; attack to plunder vessel (count six), carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; assault with a dangerous weapon on federal officers and employees (count seven), carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; act of violence against persons on a vessel (count eight), carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and use/possession of firearm during crime of violence (counts nine and 10), carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison if convicted of one count. A second or subsequent conviction adds an additional 25 years, making the prison term a minimum mandatory 35 years.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch and Joseph DePadilla, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Jerome Teresinski of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.

The public is reminded that an indictment only contains charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Priorities Set U.S. Africa Command’s Agenda

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

STUTTGART, Germany, June 11, 2012 – After a year of significant change sweeping the African continent – a wave of democratic movements, the emergence of South Sudan as the world’s newest nation and an increase in violent extremism, among them – U.S. Africa Command is using the new defense strategic guidance to shape its engagement in the theater.

“In line with the new strategic guidance, we’ve prioritized our efforts, focusing on the greatest threats to America, Americans and American interests,” Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, Africom commander, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March.

Ham’s strategy, encapsulated in an eight-page command strategy document published in September, is based on four top priorities:

-- Countering terrorism and violent extremist organizations;

-- Countering piracy and illicit trafficking;

-- Partnering to strengthen defense capabilities; and

-- Preparing for and responding to crises.

All support two guiding principles, Ham explained during an interview with American Forces Press Service at his headquarters here: that a safe, secure and stable Africa is in the United States’ national interests, and that Africans are best suited to address African security challenges.

No Africom effort gets higher billing than its initiatives aimed at eliminating terrorist safe havens and support for terrorist organizations intent on attacking the United States and its citizens, allies and interests abroad.

“Countering the threats posed by al-Qaida affiliates in East and Northwest Africa remains my No. 1 priority,” Ham said.

But for security to take hold in Africa for the long-term, Ham also recognizes the importance of strengthening African partners’ defense capabilities so they can address their own security challenges. He noted ongoing efforts to increase capacity in peacekeeping, maritime security, disaster response and other key areas. The general noted the value of this investment, from “train-the-trainer” sessions conducted at the tactical level to leader development programs that will have positive long-term strategic implications.

“We are planting seeds, if you will, and allowing those to develop and grow,” he said, noting that it’s all being done with no permanently assigned forces and limited forces on the ground.

“I think we get a disproportionate positive effect for a relatively small investment,” Ham said. “We don’t use lots of troops. Generally, our exercises and engagements are pretty small-scale.” They typically involve an individual ship, a small group of Marines, Seabees or veterinarians, or a maintenance detachment, he explained.

“But the effect is multiplied, because our focus is on training and enabling the Africans to do things for themselves,” he said. “So there is a compounding effect that results from our engagement.”

Army Maj. Gen. Charles Hooper, Africom’s director of strategy, plans and programs, said Africom’s small force structure, limited assets and relatively small budget makes it a Defense Department model as it puts into practice new strategic guidance that emphasizes leaner, more agile operations.

“If you look at the strategic guidance, it talks about a small footprint,” he said. “And I would say that Africa Command is the quintessential small footprint, providing the maximum return and the maximum impact for our national policies with limited resources. We have become masters at providing the maximum return on investment.”

Somali Hostage Negotiator in S/V Quest Piracy and Pirating of M/V Marida Marguerite Found Guilty on All Counts

NORFOLK, VA—Mohammad Saaili Shibin, a/k/a “Khalif Ahmed Shibin,” a/k/a “Shibin,” 50, of Somalia, was convicted today by a federal jury in Norfolk for his involvement in the pirating of an American yacht, the S/V Quest, and taking hostage four U.S. citizens who were ultimately killed before their release could be secured and of the pirating of the M/V Marida Marguerite.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office; and John Boles, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement. Shibin is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2012.

“Today’s verdict marks the conviction of the highest-ranking Somali pirate ever brought to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Mr. Shibin was convicted as a part of a hijacking that resulted in the summary execution of four Americans. He was among an elite fraternity of pirate negotiators—the vital link to any successful pirate attack. His skills were essential to obtain a ransom for those who attacked the vessel and the financiers who paid for the attack.”

“Mr. Shibin’s actions resulted in the cold blooded execution of four Americans aboard their own yacht, a form of terrorism on the high seas,” said FBI ADIC Fedarcyk. “Today’s verdict should send a clear message to pirate negotiators and financiers alike, no matter what your role—in a pirate skiff or demanding ransom from the shores of Somalia—you are not beyond the reach of American justice.”

Shibin was found guilty of all counts of a superseding indictment which charged him with serving as the ransom negotiator for conspirators who pirated the M/V Marida Marguerite, a German-owned vessel with a crew of 22 men who were held hostage off the coast of Somalia from May to December 2010. According to court documents and testimony, Shibin spoke with the owners of the Marida Marguerite and successfully extracted a ransom payment for the vessel and its crew. Shibin received approximately $30,000 to $50,000 in U.S. currency as his share of the ransom payment.

Shibin was also found guilty of all counts relating to the attack on the Quest. A full list of the charges and their penalties are provided below:

■two counts of piracy under the law of nations, which each carry a mandatory penalty of life in prison;

■two counts of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, which each carry a penalty of up to life in prison;

■two counts of hostage taking, which each carry a penalty of up to life in prison;

■two counts of conspiracy to commit violence against maritime navigation, which each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison;

■two counts of violence against maritime navigation, which each carry a mandatory penalty of up to 20 years in prison;

■conspiracy to commit kidnapping, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison;

■kidnapping, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison;

■three counts of use, carry, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, the first count of which carries a mandatory minimum 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, and the latter two counts of which carry mandatory consecutive life sentences.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s New York Field Office and Norfolk Field Office, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. In addition, U.S. Attorney MacBride expressed his appreciation for the close coordination and cooperation of German judicial and police authorities in building the latest charges involving the Marida Marguerite.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch, Joseph E. DePadilla, and Brian J. Samuels from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Paul Casey of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Pirate Capture Shows U.S. Commitment to Free Seas, Leaders Say

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2012 – The U.S.Navy’s Jan. 5 capture of 15 suspected pirates in the northern Arabian Sea demonstrates the Defense Department’s commitment to maritime freedom of navigation, DOD’s senior leaders said yesterday.

During a taped interview with Bob Schieffer for the CBS news program “Face the Nation,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey noted the pirates capture represents a routine U.S. Navy mission.

At about 12:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 5, an SH-60S Seahawk from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd, part of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing boat, Al Molai. The master of the Al Molai sent a distress call about the same time reporting pirates were holding him captive.

A visit, board, search and seizure team from the Kidd boarded the dhow, a traditional Arabian sailing vessel, and detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. The Al Molai had been pirated and used as a "mother ship" for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, members of the Iranian vessel's crew reported.

Dempsey told Schieffer U.S. sailors responded “as we do to calls of distress. We protect freedom of the seas, freedom of navigation.

“We … recaptured the ship, took the pirates into custody, and returned the ship to Iranian control,” he added.

The suspected pirates did not oppose boarding of the Iranian-flagged ship, and no injuries were reported in the incident, the chairman noted.

“I think in the face of the overwhelming combat power that was presented, the pirates made the right decision and surrendered,” Dempsey said.

The secretary said pirate interdiction is “what we do in that part of the world.”

The action “sends an important message to the world that the United States is going to abide by international rules and international order,” Panetta added.

The Stennis left the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in late December. Iran’s government in recent weeks has threatened to close or restrict passage through the strait, which is key to oil and other commercial shipping routes.

Defense officials have stressed that the U.S. government does not seek confrontation with Iran, but will protect safe and secure maritime passage for ships transiting the strait.

While the Iranian government “often [tries] to provoke us,” Panetta told Schieffer, “the United States, in this kind of situation, is going to respond – as we should – in a very humanitarian and responsible way.”

USS Pinckney Disrupts Piracy

By Ensign Elizabeth Kandt, USS Pinckney Public Affairs

USS PINCKNEY, Gulf of Aden (NNS) -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91), assigned to Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, disrupted a group of suspected pirates close to the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), south of Yemen, Dec. 19.

The Merchant Shipping Industry Best Management Practices, Version 4 (BMPv4) encourages merchant vessels to register with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) while transiting areas known to be high risk for piracy.

At approximately 8:40 a.m., the Motor Vessel (M/V) Nordic Apollo reported to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) they were under attack and been fired upon by pirates from a skiff.

Having registered their route with UKMTO in accordance with BMPv4, Nordic Apollo's position was relayed to counter-piracy forces operating in the region.

At approximately 11:00 a.m., the M/V Heather, operating 30 nautical miles from Nordic Apollo, reported suspicious activity by a skiff.

Pakistan Navy Rear Adm. Kaleem Shaukat, CTF 151's commander, authorized Pinckney to investigate.

Nordic Apollo confirmed the pirate attack, but stated they no longer had sight of the skiff. In response to the distress call, Pinckney made best speed to the area, issued a radio warning to other vessels in the vicinity, and launched its MH-60R helicopter.

The helicopter crew successfully tracked and located the skiff, observing nine suspected pirates and pirate paraphernalia on board, including several ladders, weapons and fuel containers. The suspected pirates were seen attempting to cover their weapons with blankets and throwing the ladders overboard as Pinckney closed their position.

Intercepted by the helicopter and Pinckney, the skiff stopped and the suspected pirates threw their weapons, identified as five AK-47 rifles, one rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launcher and three RPG rounds, overboard.

Pinckney was given authorization to conduct a boarding using their visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team and once aboard, the VBSS team confirmed there were nine suspected pirates, one grappling hook, 36 barrels of fuel, and 75 and 45 horsepower outboard engines. The VBSS team scuttled one outboard motor and left the skiff with enough fuel and water to return back to shore.

Cmdr. Matthew M. McGonigle, Pinckney's commanding officer, praised the crew for their efforts.

"My crew responded in an exceptional reaction time and with complete professionalism. With the helicopter in the air, acting in conjunction with the ship, we were able to have full coverage of the situation and stop them carrying out any further illegal activities.

"The operation was carried out in accordance with our pre-rehearsed responses to such an event, and I am very proud of the Pinckney's crew and all those involved."

Piracy is a threat to the security of all nations and requires an international solution. The presence of coalition navy vessels in the region demonstrates a commitment to regional security and stability. To continue to counter and deter piracy successfully, coalition efforts must be complimented by proactive measures by commercial shippers, regional governments, and the international community.

Pinckney is assigned to Combined Task Force 151, a multi-national, mission-based task force working under Combined Maritime Forces, to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean.

Somalis Sentenced to Life in Prison on Charges Relating to Piracy of the S/V Quest

Pirate Attack Resulted in Murder of Four U.S. Citizens

NORFOLK, VA—Mohamud Hirs Issa Ali, a/k/a Sanadaaq, 32, and Jilani Abdiali, a/k/a Ilkasse, 20, both of Somalia, were sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to life in prison for their acts of piracy against the S/V Quest, which resulted in the murder of United States citizens Scott Underwood Adam, Jean Savage Adam, Phyllis Patricia Macay, and Robert Campbell Riggle.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office; Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Mark Russ, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Norfolk, made the announcement after the men were sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Ali pled guilty to piracy under the law of nations and hostage taking resulting in death on May 23, 2011. Abdiali pled guilty to piracy under the law of nations on May 20, 2011.

“As Somali pirates expand their territory, they place more individuals’ lives at risk,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “These men willingly joined this group of pirates out of greed, knowing full well that their actions could—and did—lead to the death of their hostages. They will spend their lives in prison for what they willingly chose to do and the lifetime of suffering and pain they thrust on the victims’ loved ones.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Fedarcyk stated: “Piracy in its modern form is carjacking at sea. It is not glamorous; it is violent and often murderous. The crew of the Quest did nothing to antagonize their captors. They were a target of opportunity. The FBI is committed to stopping crime on the high seas.”

Ali admitted in court that he was the commander of the pirate ship when it left Somalia. They seized the Quest about 840 miles out of Somalia, and he transferred the pirates and a number of weapons over to the Quest via a skiff. He carried an AK-47, which he used for guard duty over the hostages, and he ordered a co-defendant to fire an RPG toward the Navy vessel while the Navy was attempting to secure the hostages’ release through negotiations with the conspirators. In his plea, he warranted that he did not personally shoot or order the shooting of the four Americans. He received two concurrent terms of life in prison today.

Abdiali admitted that he willingly engaged in piracy for financial gain and participated in the pirating of the Quest and the taking of the four Americans on board as hostages. He warranted in his plea agreement that he did not personally shoot any of the Americans, nor did he instruct any other person to shoot the hostages.

The investigation of the case is being conducted by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The prosecution in the Eastern District of Virginia is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch, Joseph DePadilla and Brian J. Samuels, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Trial Attorney Paul Casey from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.