somalia

Robert C. O’Brien: China Looks to Cement its Future in Africa by Turning to the Past

by on December 10, 2010

Nairobi, Kenya — Chinese archeologists are busy here in Kenya. They are working in the waters surrounding the Lamu archipelago on Kenya’s north coast. Their goal is to find evidence of Chinese trade with Africa in the 1400s. Demonstrating such a link would show the world that China was here as a commercial and military power before the Europeans arrived. The fact that the 15th Century Chinese missions were conducted by Admiral Zheng’s formidable “Treasure Fleet” is all the more important to the Chinese. As it seeks to rule the seas once again, China desires tangible symbols of its past as a naval power. Finding a sunken Chinese ship or coins in Kenyan waters would be powerful in this regard. While the well-funded Chinese archeologists dive for sunken Chinese treasure off the coast of Kenya, Chinese sailors and soldiers on its largest surface ship, the LPD Kunlan Shan, are patrolling the Somalia Coast ostensibly to protect Chinese ships from pirates. By interacting with NATO vessels on EU anti-piracy duty, the Chinese are gaining valuable insights in to Western naval doctrine. Their current naval mission in the region is laying the foundation for a Chinese permanent presence in the Gulf of Aden where Admiral Yin Zhuo stated China may build a base. Back in downtown Nairobi, China continues its multi-year road works project to repave Kenyan streets and build good will in this strategic capital. To the south, it is laying fiber optic cables in rural Rwanda. Chinese businessmen and tourists crowd the local hotels. A Kenyan taxi driver complained, however, about other Chinese initiatives in the continent that are less positive — the markets are flooded with Chinese counterfeit goods, China generously underwrites some of the continent’s worst dictators and often treats the locals shabbily. Nowhere outside of Southeast Asia is China’s rise as a global power more visible than in Africa. Africa’s growing population, huge mineral and oil reserves and vast agricultural lands promise an important future for the continent notwithstanding its troubled recent past. China understands this potential and is planning to stay longer this time and leave a bigger mark than Admiral Zheng did some 500 years ago. Robert C. O’Brien is the managing partner of Arent Fox Los Angeles. He served as a US Representative to the United Nations. He can be followed on Twitter @robertcobrien.

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Robert C. O’Brien: China Looks to Cement its Future in Africa by Turning to the Past

Corrupt Nation Rankings Released

by on October 26, 2010

Transparency international released their 2010 Corruption Perception Index , which compiles data on public sector corruption and perceptions of corruption around the world. A three-way tie between Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore topped the list, while Somalia, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Sudan were at the bottom. While some of the listings may seem obvious, others could surprise you. Check out the list below to see if your corruption perceptions match reality, and check out the full list here .

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Corrupt Nation Rankings Released

David Isenberg: How Far They’ve Come, How Far They Have To Go

September 16, 2010

Two new reports give us a detailed look at how far private military and security contractors have come and how far they have to go in terms of ensuring effective oversight and accountability for their actions. One from a transnational perspective, a United Nations working group, and the other from a U.S. nongovernmental organization (NGO), serve as a useful reminder that PMSC is not just a U.S. issue, but a global one. First is the just made public latest report of the U.N. ” Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination .” This group was formed in 2005 and its predecessor group dates back to the nineties. It is generally regarded by those in the PMC industry as being biased against them and given the name of the working group it is easy to understand why they think that. Nevertheless in recent years the group has become less polemical and more substantive and its reports usually have detail worth looking at. This report describes activities it has undertaken since it last reported to the Human Rights Council in March 2009. For example: The Working Group has recently received information suggesting that in some instances PMSCs are supporting warlords and rebel groups. For instance, allegations suggest that in Afghanistan a number of PMSCs contracted by the Government of the United States have a privileged relationship with the Taliban. Other suggest that a German PMSC is considering deploying a significant number of military guards to Somalia to train warlord groups close to the self-proclaimed but not internationally recognized President of Somalia, Abdinur Ahmed Darman. The first part of that is not news but the part on Somalis certainly is. With respect to Afghanistan the report notes: The presence and activities of PMSCs in Afghanistan are very much interconnected with the large number of unauthorized armed groups of various kinds on Afghan territory. The Ministry of Interior has estimated that no fewer than 2,500 unauthorized armed groups were operating in the provinces under governmental control, which represent less than half the territory of the country. There was a perception among interlocutors that many de facto non-State armed groups used the regularization process for PMSCs to disguise their groupings as private security companies, reinforcing the perception that PMSCs were a threat to peace and the stability of Afghanistan. Given that, it is small wonder why President Karzai wants to get rid of security contractors. Furthermore: The Working Group did not receive first-hand information that PMSC personnel have engaged in direct combat activities since the adoption of the Regulation. Nevertheless, the Working Group noted that by protecting Forward Operating Bases in conflict zones, a civilian contractor, by protecting legitimate military targets, becomes a military target and may lose protection under international humanitarian law. And then there was this: The Working Group visited the United States of America from 20 July to 3 August 2009. The Working Group found that the Government of the United States relies heavily on the private military and security industry in conducting its worldwide military operations. American PMSCs dominate this new industry, estimated to earn US$ 20 to 100 billion annually. Now a word of caution is in order here. The report does not say where that estimate comes from or what exactly it covers. If one is including both logistics and security contracting I could see $20 billion or even higher. But $100 billion? Let’s just say I’ll need to see some evidence. Still, we’re talking real money here. In terms of accountability the Working Group found that the international community still has a long row to hoe. As stated in its previous report to the HRC (see A/HRC/10/14/Add.2), the Working Group assessed the existence of a regulatory gap covering the activities of PMSCs at the international level. While a number of rules under international humanitarian law and human rights law could apply to States in their relations with PMSCs, the Working Group observed that there have been difficulties in the application of domestic laws, in particular for international PMSCs operating in a foreign State, as well as difficulties in conducting investigations in conflict zones. The effect of this situation is that PMSCs are rarely held accountable for violations of human rights. Although there have been efforts to address this glaring gap over the years, accountability of private military and security contractors continues to be a challenge, with a startling lack of prosecutions. The Working Group calls for the adoption of a new international legal instrument aimed at developing standards for the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of PMSCs. It says: The aim of a new binding legal instrument is not the outright banning of PMSCs but to establish minimum international standards for States parties to regulate the activities of PMSCs and their personnel. In addition, the Working Group, concerned about the extensive outsourcing of military and security functions and the growing role of PMSCs in armed conflicts, post-conflict and low intensity armed conflict situations recommends prohibiting the outsourcing of inherently State functions to PMSCs in accordance with the principle of the State monopoly on the legitimate use of force. You can find the addendums to the report containing reports from regional consultations at Asia and the Pacific ; Africa ; and Western Europe . See also Communications to and from Governments ; Mission to Afghanistan ; and Mission to the United States of America , which has gems like this: The Department also specifically authorizes its contractor personnel to “conduct or support intelligence interrogations, detainee debriefings, or tactical questioning” when such functions are specified in the contract. However, following the many accounts of the participation of contractors in detainee abuses in Abu Ghraib, Congress, in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, recommended a specific ban on the use of contractors in the interrogation of detainees. However, the Executive Office of the President explicitly rejected this limitation, stating that “in some limited cases, a contract interrogator may possess the best combination of skills to obtain critical intelligence”. The Act eventually reflected a compromise: it provides that “no enemy prisoner of war … or any other individual who is in the custody or under the effective control of the Department of Defense … may be interrogated by contractor personnel”. However, contractor personnel with proper training and security clearances may be used as linguists, interpreters, report writers and information technology technicians in interrogations provided (a) they are covered by the same rules governing detainee interrogations as government personnel performing the same interrogation functions and (b) that Department of Defense personnel will oversee the contractor’s performance. The prohibition may be waived if such a move is vital to the national security interests of the United States. The other report is by Human Rights First, a U.S.-based NGO. Its report ” In State of Affairs: Three Years After Nisoor Square – Accountability and Oversight of U.S. Private Security and Other Contractors ,” was released yesterday May of its 19 recommendations have been said before, both by Human Rights First as well as many other groups. But the portion of the report that provides snapshots of the legal and regulatory gaps in contractor oversight and accountability is worth reading. Here are a few examples. Clarification of U.S. Criminal Jurisdiction Over non-DoD Contractors Needed. Presently, MEJA [Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act] extends U.S. criminal jurisdiction to contractors abroad who are “supporting the mission of the Department of Defense.” In Iraq and Afghanistan, it is arguable that non-DoD U.S. contractors are all indeed working – at least in substantial part – in support of DoD’s mission. However, soon after Nisoor Square, former Bush administration officials asserted that “there is a hole” in U.S. law that prevented criminal prosecutions of non-DoD U.S. contractors. Any jurisdictional gap that may currently exist will only increase as the military draws down in Iraq and eventually in Afghanistan because it becomes more difficult to assert that Department of State (DoS) contractors are supporting DoD’s mission. With DoS reporting that it will need to more than double its use of private security contractors (PSCs) from 2,700 to 7,000 by the time the military exits Iraq, it is imperative that U.S. criminal jurisdiction over non-DoD contractors is fully clarified. Clarification of Iraqi Jurisdiction Over non-DoD Contractors Needed. Similarly, while immunity from Iraqi legal jurisdiction for DoD contractors effectively ended as of January 1, 2009 when SOFA came into effect, the status of non-DoD contractors remains uncertain. Significant Deficiencies Exist with Reporting Serious Incidents in Iraq. In 2009, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) found that while DoD and DoS established polices for reporting serious incidents were a significant improvement, the agencies still needed to improve the accuracy and consistency of the information captured. SIGIR found that DoD and DoS databases did not capture all reported serious incidents either as a result of database management problems or the failure of PSCs to follow reporting requirements. The DoD division (ACOD) responsible for tracking all serious incidents received did not track 57% of the serious incidents reported because it applied a more limited definition than required by DoD guidance; DoD and DoS guidance used different definitions of serious incidents; information for the same incidents were inconsistent among databases; and no organization appeared to have visibility over subcontractor PSCs. Moreover, the USAID’s Office of Inspector General 2009 audit report found PSC subcontractors for USAID in Iraq were not reporting all serious incidents. Afghanistan Lacks Systematic, Coordinated Reporting Process. In Afghanistan, the reporting process is less clear, and as it relates to non-DoD PSCs more problematic. While the requirements set forth by Congress apply to PSCs in Afghanistan, they have not been implemented by non-DoD PSCs because as of May of this year implementing instructions had not been issued. As a result, USAID/Afghanistan does not require implementing partners to report serious incidents and thus, there is no assurance that its reports are complete or reliable. Investigation Process for Serious Incidents Need Improvement. In 2009, SIGIR found that DoD’s investigation process for the most serious of incidents – those involving death, serious injury, or property damage over $10,000 – was not working as required. It found the Armed Contractor Oversight Branch (ACOB) – the DoD unit in Iraq responsible for ensuring all serious incidents recorded are reviewed and, when necessary, investigated and remediated – tracked less than half of the most serious incidents that required a formal investigation. For example, SIGIR found ACOB did not have a record of 5 incidents involving weapons discharge in which at least 1 of the incidents required an army investigation because of loss of life. Moreover, it found ACOB did not have the required supporting documentation in its database for 51% of the incidents involving weapons discharges. Therefore, SIGIR could not verify actions taken to investigate and remediate those incidents. SIGIR’s 2009 findings highlight troubling weaknesses in the serious incident investigation process in Iraq. Similar review of DoS’s serious incident investigation process in Iraq was not conducted. Nor has there been a similar audit conducted in Afghanistan. Agencies Have Little to No Oversight of Subcontractors. The recent June 2010 House Committee on Oversight and Governmental Reform report on private contractors in Afghanistan made clear that U.S. agencies have little to no oversight over its subcontractors. This was echoed earlier this year at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Paravant subcontractors in which Paravant subcontract employees were alleged to have killed Afghan civilians. Finally, the CWC in its June 2009 interim report highlighted the lack of oversight over subcontractors as an issue of concern. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) testified before the CWC that “the U.S. government has difficulty identifying and monitoring second and third tier subcontractors that are Afghan or third-country-owned businesses. Multi-tiered subcontracting is problematic and results in weak oversight, control and ac 77 The Senate Armed Services Committee included additional provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2011 to provide new measures to hold contractors accountable for any failure by their employees or subcontractors to comply with the requirements of law or regulation, or with directives from combatant commanders of oversight and accountability.

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Two New Jersey Men Charged With Terror Offenses After JFK Airport Arrests

June 6, 2010

By Dan Hart June 6 (Bloomberg) — Two New Jersey men were arrested yesterday at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and charged with conspiracy to kill, maim and kidnap people outside the U.S., the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey said in a statement. The men, Mohamed Mahmood Alessa, and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, were arrested yesterday as they attempted to board separate flights on their way to Egypt to join the Islamic al- Shabaab movement in Somalia, the U.S. Attorney said in the statement. The two are set to appear tomorrow in U.S. federal court in Newark, New Jersey, at 11 a.m. New York time, the office said in the statement. The statement was confirmed by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

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Oil Surges to 17-Month High on Signs of U.S. Economic Growth

April 5, 2010

By Margot Habiby April 5 (Bloomberg) — Crude oil surged to the highest level in 17 months as growth in American jobs and service industries signaled that the economy is recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s. Oil climbed 2.1 percent amid optimism that fuel demand will increase with an economic rebound. The U.S. is the world’s largest energy-consuming country. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose to an 18-month high. “The market is in full embrace of the recovery thesis and is pricing it in accordingly,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Round Earth Capital, a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on food and energy commodities. “It’s enthusiasm that we’re coming out of this recession.” Crude oil for May delivery increased $1.75 to settle at $86.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest closing price since Oct. 8, 2008. The contract has risen for five consecutive sessions, the longest stretch in six weeks. Crude has climbed 65 percent in the past year. Oil traded within a range of $68 to $84 a barrel in the six months ended March 31. Prices rose the past two months as improved investor confidence boosted world equity markets. The S&P 500 gained 0.8 percent to 1,187.44 in New York, also on the jobs report. U.S. payrolls rose by 162,000 last month, the Labor Department reported April 2, when U.S. financial markets were closed for the Good Friday holiday. The report included 48,000 temporary workers hired by the government to conduct the Census. Service Industries U.S. service industries in March also expanded at the fastest pace since May 2006, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s index of non-manufacturing businesses, which make up almost 90 percent of the economy. The index rose to 55.4 from 53 in the prior month, exceeding the median forecast of 54 in a Bloomberg News survey of economists. “The recovery is upon us,” said Carl Larry , president of Oil Outlooks & Opinions LLC in Houston. He said a rebound in manufacturing and transportation is spurring demand for diesel fuel, which supports heating oil prices. Heating oil for May delivery gained 5.08 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $2.2675 a gallon, and gasoline for May delivery increased 2.65 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $2.3502 a gallon. Both contracts are the highest since October 2008. The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 commodities advanced 1.1 percent to 279.51, the highest level in 10 weeks. Natural gas, heating oil and crude were the three top performers in the index today. Fundamentals “It’s 2008 redux,” said Tim Evans , an energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York. “The fundamentals don’t matter until they matter very much.” Prices surged to a record $147.27 a barrel in July 2008 as the recession worsened and demand waned. They subsequently fell to $32.40 a barrel in December 2008. U.S. crude oil stockpiles posted nine consecutive weekly increases through March 26, when inventories were at 354.2 million barrels. That’s the highest level since June and 6.5 percent higher than the five-year average for the period, the Energy Department said last week. Oil supplies probably rose by 1.55 million barrels last week, based on the median estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. A 10th weekly gain would make it the longest stretch of stockpile increases since a period ended in December 2004. All six analysts forecast supplies would rise. Oil for June delivery cost 51 cents more than for May delivery at the close, the widest premium between the two most actively traded crude futures contracts on the Nymex since Jan. 8. When the spread widens, it becomes more profitable to buy oil and hold it for later sale. $75 Floor Prices have established a floor of $75 a barrel, Venezuela’s Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said April 2 in Caracas. There’s no need for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase production and Venezuela seeks a price band between $80 and $100 a barrel, he said. OPEC, which pumps about 40 percent of the world’s oil, slashed output in January of last year to prevent a supply glut. The 12-member group left production quotas unchanged when ministers met in Vienna on March 17. Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest state-owned oil company, raised official selling prices for light crude grades for customers in the U.S. and Asia for May, it said yesterday. Aramco set the price for its Extra Light crude oil for May loadings for U.S. buyers at a premium of $1.35 a barrel over the Argus Sour Crude Index, 40 cents higher than April. The discount for shipments of light-grade crude to the U.S. narrowed 20 cents to 40 cents a barrel below ASCI. Hijacked Supertanker A cargo of Iraqi Basrah Light crude oil bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast was on a supertanker that was hijacked off the coast of Somalia yesterday, the Associated Press reported. Valero Energy Corp. , which owns the oil, valued at more than $200 million, said it can replace the cargo before the Samho Dream’s estimated arrival date of May 10. Brent crude oil for May settlement rose $1.87, or 2.2 percent, to $85.88 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, also the highest since October 2008. Oil volume in electronic trading on the Nymex was 436,408 contracts as of 3:28 p.m. in New York. Volume totaled 570,495 contracts April 1, 4.8 percent below the average of the past three months. Open interest was 1.35 million contracts. To contact the reporter on this story: Margot Habiby in Dallas at mhabiby@bloomberg.net .

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U.S. Representative Murtha Dies at 77; Backer of Troops, Foe of Iraq War

February 9, 2010

By James Rowley and Laurence Arnold Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Representative John Murtha , a staunch supporter of the U.S. military who became an outspoken opponent of the Iraq war, died at age 77 yesterday, ending a 36-year career in Congress. Murtha, a Democrat who unapologetically wielded power as chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee to benefit his congressional district in western Pennsylvania, died at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia, of complications after gall bladder surgery. In recent years, Murtha fended off charges of impropriety for approving expenditures that benefited firms whose officers contributed to his campaigns. His death will give Republicans a chance to pick up a House seat in a district that Amy Walters, a Washington-based nonpartisan political analyst, called “very marginal” for Democrats. Representative Norm Dicks , a Washington state Democrat who has been a key ally of Chicago-based Boeing Co ., the second- largest U.S. defense contractor, is next in line to chair the defense appropriations panel. President Barack Obama in a statement lauded Murtha’s “tough-as-nails reputation” in Congress as a “respected voice” on national security. Murtha was a political ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. In a statement, Pelosi called him “great patriot” and “champion of our national security” who in his actions was “always putting the troops and their families first.” Good Friend Murtha “understood the misery of war,” Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey , a Wisconsin Democrat, said in a statement. “Every person who serves in the military has lost an advocate and a good friend today.” A former Marine drill instructor who was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star during the Vietnam War, Murtha withdrew his support for the Iraq war in November 2005, expressing his concern about increased attacks on U.S. soldiers and criticizing what he termed “a flawed policy wrapped in an illusion.” In 2002, Murtha supported President George W. Bush ’s request for congressional authority to invade Iraq. Late last year, Murtha also voiced skepticism about Obama’s plan to increase troops in Afghanistan to help defeat Islamic extremists, saying he was “not sure that there’s a threat to our national security” posed by the turmoil in that country. Murtha argued that al-Qaeda operatives once protected by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks “can go any place, they don’t have to be in Afghanistan.” Special Election Under Pennsylvania law, Governor Edward Rendell , a Democrat, has 10 days to set a special election for a vacant House seat, a vote that must come at least 60 days after the announcement. Rendell could decide to schedule it for May 18, when the state holds a primary election. Rendell said he was consulting with Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , a Maryland Democrat, on a special election’s timing. Rendell said he would determine “how important it is to have” Murtha’s replacement in Congress and weigh that against the expense of a separate election. Political analysts said Murtha’s death gives the Republicans a good chance of taking back a seat they lost in 1974, when Murtha won a special election. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the seat as a “tossup.” The nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report moved Murtha’s blue-collar district onto its list of competitive races in this year’s midterm elections. Republican Challenger Republican William Russell, an Iraq War veteran whose 2008 campaign to unseat Murtha forced Democrats to shift resources into the race at the last minute, is running for the seat again this year. Rendell, in a conference call with reporters, said Murtha was “our go-to guy, someone that whatever the issue, could weigh in” and “make things happen” for Pennsylvania. “Jack and his office were the first calls we would make” on legislation, Rendell said. Murtha’s seat on the Appropriations Committee enabled him to become one of Congress’s most adept users of the so-called earmark process to send federal money to specific projects back home. The John Murtha Johnston-Cambria County Airport was among the more visible results of his clout. Murtha steered an estimated $150 million in federal funds to the airport, the Washington Post reported in 2009. The earmarks for Murtha’s district, and the congressman’s ties to a lobbying business run by a former staffer, subjected him to allegations of ethical lapses. Campaign Donations Defense contractors received millions of dollars for projects that Murtha helped shepherd through Congress. Some of those firms donated to Murtha’s campaign and gave jobs to his allies, the Post reported, creating a web of connections that drew the attention of federal prosecutors. FBI searches were carried out in January and February of 2009 at the offices of a Virginia lobbying firm and a Pennsylvania-based defense contractor that had benefited from Murtha’s earmarks. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington labeled him one of the “most corrupt” members of Congress. Murtha gave no ground. “If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in March 2009. “My job as a member of Congress is to make sure that we take care of what we see is necessary.” Majority Leader After Democrats won a House majority in November 2006 elections, Murtha ran for the chamber’s No. 2 leadership post, majority leader, with Pelosi’s support. Hoyer, though, won the vote among Democratic caucus members. Dicks, Murtha’s likely successor as chairman of the defense subcommittee, represents a district that is home to the U.S. Navy’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard that maintains the military’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarine fleets. Dicks, 69, was first elected to his House seat in 1976. He has criticized White House and Pentagon officials about bids for a $35 billion U.S. Air Force refueling contract that he said are skewed in favor of Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp ., a Boeing competitor. Boeing’s commercial airplane manufacturing facilities in Everett, Washington, are adjacent to Dicks’ district. Korean War John Patrick Murtha was born on June 17, 1932, in New Martinsville, West Virginia. He was a college student in Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1952 when he left school to join the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He served until 1955, becoming a drill instructor at Parris Island. In his second tour of active duty, in 1966 and 1967, he served in Vietnam as a Marine intelligence officer. He was a reservist from 1952 to 1990, and retired from the Marine reserves as a colonel. He earned a degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. Murtha began his political career as a member of Pennsylvania’s legislature from 1969 to 1974. He won election to the House by a few hundred votes in a special election held to replace a deceased Republican lawmaker. House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill , a Massachusetts Democrat, named Murtha to the Appropriations Committee, and he became chairman of the defense subcommittee in 1989. In 1982, O’Neill sent Murtha to Beirut to review President Ronald Reagan’s decision to deploy U.S. Marines there as part of a multinational peacekeeping force. Murtha concluded the American troops were too vulnerable. “I’d like to get them out of here as soon as possible,” he told reporters. In 1992, he was a leading congressional critic of President George H.W. Bush’s decision to send U.S. troops to Somalia on a humanitarian mission. “The danger is we won’t be able to get them out,” Murtha said. Murtha’s congressional Web site said of his role in the Somalia debate: “Although his advice was not heeded, history would prove him right.” Murtha and his wife, Joyce, had three children. To contact the reporters on this story: James Rowley in Washington at jarowley@bloomberg.net ; Laurence Arnold in Washington at larnold4@bloomberg.net .

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House Democrat John Murtha Dies at Age 77 After Complications From Surgery

February 8, 2010

By Laurence Arnold Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) — John Murtha , a former Marine drill instructor turned congressman who unapologetically wielded his power to benefit his Pennsylvania district, died today. He was 77. Murtha, a Democrat, died of complications after undergoing gallbladder surgery in late January in a hospital in Arlington, Virginia. During 36 years in the House, the Vietnam veteran from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, rose to chairman of the subcommittee that approves defense spending. That perch gave him a platform to exert his knowledge and strong beliefs about the proper use of the U.S. military. In November 2005, citing increasing attacks on Americans, he called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, a military engagement he had voted for in 2002. He was an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. “It’s the passing of a major political figure who was close to the speaker and always involved in Democratic legislation,” said Stuart Rothenberg , an independent political analyst based in Washington. Rothenberg called Murtha a major force in “forming American politics in jobs and spending.” Representative Norm Dicks , Democrat from Washington state, the senior most member of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee after Murtha, would be the “one most likely to succeed,” George Behan, a spokesman for Dicks, said in an interview. The House Appropriations committee headed by Representative Dave Obey , Democrat of Wisconsin, would make the final decision, Behan said. User of Earmarks Murtha’s seat on the Appropriations Committee enabled him to become one of Congress’s most adept users of the earmark process to send money to specific projects back home. The John Murtha Johnston-Cambria County Airport was among the more visible results of his taxpayer-funded largess. Murtha steered an estimated $150 million in federal funds to the airport, the Washington Post reported in 2009. Murtha’s town also became a popular place for defense contractors, which received millions in earmarks through the congressman. Some of those firms donated to Murtha’s campaign and gave jobs to his allies, the Post reported, creating a web of connections that drew the attention of federal prosecutors. Searches were carried out in January and February of 2009 at the offices of a Virginia lobbying firm and a Pennsylvania- based defense contractor that had benefited from Murtha’s earmarks. Abscam Investigation Earlier in his career, he was investigated — though not prosecuted — in the Abscam bribery scandal that led to the convictions of seven other lawmakers in the 1980s. Murtha’s use of earmarks and ties to lobbyists made him a top target of good-government groups. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington labeled him one of the “most corrupt” members of Congress. Murtha gave no ground. “If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in March 2009. “My job as a member of Congress is to make sure that we take care of what we see is necessary.” As his congressional Web site put it, Murtha “has worked hard to bring tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs to western Pennsylvania,” which had suffered “the widespread loss of coal and steel jobs that were the lifeblood of the area.” After Democrats won a majority of seats in the House in November 2006, Murtha ran for the No. 2 leadership post, majority leader, and was supported by Pelosi, the incoming House speaker. Murtha, who may have lost votes due to the allegations about his ethics, was defeated by Steny Hoyer of Maryland. ‘Racist Area’ Murtha won his 18th full term in 2008 even after seeming to insult his district by calling it “a racist area” where some voters might be reluctant to vote for Barack Obama . He later apologized. His committee was preparing to take up the latest war spending bill, which would fund the Obama administration’s troop buildup in Afghanistan. Murtha had expressed skepticism, saying in December he was “not sure that there’s a threat to our national security” in Afghanistan because al-Qaeda “can go any place — they don’t have to be in Afghanistan.” Murtha’s death likely creates another competitive race as Republicans try to retake the House in November. His district gave 49 percent of its vote to Obama in 2008 and 49 percent to Republican presidential nominee John McCain . John Patrick Murtha was born on June 17, 1932, in New Martinsville, West Virginia, and graduated from high school in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Drill Instructor He left Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1952 to join the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War, serving until 1955 and becoming a drill instructor at Parris Island. In his second tour of active duty, in 1966 and 1967, he served in Vietnam as a Marine intelligence officer. His honors included a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was a reservist from 1952 to 1990 and retired from the Marine reserves as a colonel. He earned a degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. He began his political career as a member of Pennsylvania’s legislature from 1969 to 1974. The death of U.S. Representative John P. Saylor, a Republican, in 1973 forced a special election in February 1974 that was viewed as a referendum on the unpopular Republican president, Richard Nixon , then beset by problems including inflation and the emerging Watergate scandal. Backed by organized labor, Murtha won by just a few hundred votes. ‘Tip’ O’Neill House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill took a liking to Murtha and named him to the powerful Appropriations Committee. He became chairman of the defense subcommittee in 1989. Murtha was often called upon by congressional leaders and presidents to travel overseas to assess security challenges or monitor elections. In 1982, O’Neill sent Murtha to Beirut to review President Ronald Reagan’s decision to deploy U.S. Marines there as part of a multinational peacekeeping force. Murtha concluded the American troops were too vulnerable. “I’d like to get them out of here as soon as possible,” he told reporters. In 1992, he was a leading congressional critic of President George H.W. Bush’s decision to send U.S. troops to Somalia on a humanitarian mission. “The danger is we won’t be able to get them out,” Murtha warned. Murtha’s congressional Web site said of his role in the Somalia debate: “Although his advice was not heeded, history would prove him right.” Murtha and his wife, Joyce, had three children. To contact the reporter on this story: Laurence Arnold in Washington at larnold4@bloomberg.net

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Danish Commandos Seize Cargo Ship Taken by Somali Pirates in Gulf of Aden

February 5, 2010

By Gregory Viscusi Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — Danish forces secured a merchant ship that had been seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the first such rescue carried by naval forces since a surge in Somali piracy started two years ago, NATO said. The 25-man crew of the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged cargo ship MV Ariella is safe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said in a statement today. The Danish naval commandos are still searching for the pirates, a NATO spokeswoman said. The MV Ariella sent a warning early today that it had been boarded by armed pirates. It was picked up by nearby Indian warship Tabar, which alerted forces in the area. A French plane operating out of Djibouti as part the European Union’s anti- piracy force sighted pirates on board, while Danish frigate HDMS Absalon sent a helicopter and steamed toward the merchant ship, said John Harbour , a spokesman for the EU fleet. The Danes made radio contact with the crew, and after being assured they were safely hidden from the pirates, sent special forces to board and seize the ship. “It’s the first time the international naval forces have found themselves in position to storm a ship after it had been taken,” Harbour said in a telephone interview. “The Ariella had registered its route and was in constant contact with the naval forces. The crew followed recommended procedures to lock themselves away safely.” The pirates have yet to be found. While the Danish commandos were boarding the Ariella, sailors from the nearby Russian naval ship Neustrashimyy detained suspected pirates aboard a skiff, Harbour said. “We suspect the two incidents are related, but we don’t have confirmation,” he said. NATO Forces About 20 warships are in the area combating an upsurge in attacks from pirates operating from Somali’s lawless coast. The Absalon is part of a four-gunship anti-piracy NATO fleet called Ocean Shield. The EU’s Atalanta mission has five ships plus maritime patrol planes operating out of Djibouti and the Seychelles. The U.S. coalition in Afghanistan operates another anti-pirate fleet, while countries such as India, Russia, China, and Malaysia have sent warships to protect their national merchant fleets. Somali pirates mounted 217 attacks last year, hijacking 47 ships and taking 867 crew members hostage, the London-based International Maritime Bureau said last month . The EU estimates that Somali pirates last year earned between $60 million and $80 million from ransoms. Pirates are still holding nine ships and about 225 seamen along the coast of Somalia, which hasn’t had a functioning government in two decades. The Ariella’s crew was made up of 15 Filipinos, seven Ukrainians and one each from Bulgaria, Solovakia and India, the EU said. To contact the reporter on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@bloomberg.net

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Republican Lugar Says Cheney Criticism of Obama Terror Response Is Unfair

January 8, 2010

By Viola Gienger Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) — Richard Lugar , the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defended President Barack Obama ’s handling of recent terrorism threats, taking issue with former Vice President Dick Cheney ’s criticism. “It’s unfair,” Lugar said in an interview for Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt ,” airing this weekend. “I think the president is focused.” Cheney, who frequently has led Republican attacks on the Democratic president since leaving office a year ago, told Politico on Dec. 29 that Obama “is trying to pretend we are not at war” with a “low-key response” to the Dec. 25 attempt to ignite a bomb aboard a flight to Detroit. To the contrary, Obama has demonstrated “firmness” and “decisiveness,” Lugar, who represents Indiana, said. “That’s been the antidote to the criticism.” Still, the U.S. may be focusing too much on Afghanistan at a time when al-Qaeda is finding havens in other hot spots such as Yemen and Somalia, Lugar said. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , the 23-year-old Nigerian indicted in the Detroit plane plot, allegedly received his training in Yemen. “I suspect that we will have to try to think through why we went to Afghanistan,” Lugar , 77, said. After eliminating the al-Qaeda training camps there, the U.S. undertook “nation-building” beyond traditional development aid, he said. Projects such as advancing democracy, ensuring girls can attend school and promoting agriculture to replace poppy cultivation, while laudable, have cost “tens of thousands of people, hundreds of billions of dollars,” he said. Progress Falls Short “And now we find even Afghanistan is not exactly making the progress we hoped,” Lugar said. U.S. intelligence agencies have heeded the potential threats from unstable states such as Yemen and Somalia, and will have to do more to understand the origins of terrorist attacks and why young Muslims get involved, Lugar said. “We have to see the comprehensive nature of this, how many countries have potentially failing governments or very weak governments in which al-Qaeda could” have some influence, Lugar said. As airline security improves, al-Qaeda and other terrorists targeting the U.S. will seek other ways to attack, Lugar said. Americans “may be inclined to feel that once you solve the aircraft problem, somehow or other you’re in better shape,” Lugar said. The administration has properly calibrated its support for the opposition in Iran, verbally and through activities such as ensuring they have access to telecommunications that allow them to maintain contact. Support Liberty “We ought to indicate that, as a matter of fact, that we support liberty,” Lugar said. “We support the building of institutions.” One pivot point in countries such as Iran or Yemen or Pakistan has been the young people, Lugar said. While some are leading the way in challenging autocratic regimes such as the one in Iran, others are susceptible to the lures of extremist ideology, he said. “Our intelligence focus has got to be very comprehensively on why young people would go in this direction, and if they do, who they are,” Lugar said. By contrast, in Iran, “the young people are well ahead of us” and taking charge of the situation, Lugar said. “With the young people, the promise is the best, I think.” To contact the reporter on this story: Viola Gienger in Washington at vgienger@bloomberg.net .

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Yemen `Failing State’, Brown Says, as U.S. Embassy Shut by al-Qaeda Threat

January 3, 2010

By Khaled Abdullah and Henry Meyer Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) — U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned that Yemen is a “failing state” as the U.S. and U.K. shut their embassies in the country because of the threat from al-Qaeda. The closures came a day after the top U.S. general in the region, David Petraeus , paid an unannounced visit to Yemen and pledged more assistance in combating terrorism. The U.K. and U.S. are offering more security aid for Yemen, an impoverished Arabian Peninsula nation, which is emerging as a base for al-Qaeda attacks as the terrorist group comes under pressure in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Brown has called a Jan. 28 aid conference on Yemen in London at which the U.K. hopes to enlist support from oil-rich Gulf nations. “The weakness of al-Qaeda in Pakistan has forced people out of Pakistan into Yemen and Somalia,” Brown told the British Broadcasting Corp. today. President Barack Obama said Jan. 2 that the U.S. would work with Yemen’s government “to strike al- Qaeda terrorists.” The Yemen branch of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Dec. 25 attack in which Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was charged with trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight with 278 passengers. ‘Fighting Terrorism’ The London conference will be “an important means by which we will help the Yemeni authorities who are fighting terrorism develop the means and will to do this even more,” Brown told the BBC. The conference should focus on Yemen’s $11 billion development needs as well as anti-terrorism assistance, Deputy Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf said by phone from the capital Sana’a today. The failed Christmas Day airliner bomb plot mounted by al- Qaeda’s Yemeni arm was “a wake-up call to help Yemen,” Sharaf said. A November 2006 donors’ conference in London led to pledges of $5.7 billion in aid for Yemen, almost half from Gulf nations, of which only $415 million has been received, Sharaf said. Petraeus held talks yesterday in Sana’a with President Ali Abdullah Saleh during which he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support anti-terrorism efforts in Yemen, the Yemeni presidency said in a statement on its Web site . The U.S. general told reporters in Baghdad on Jan. 1 that in the 2010 fiscal year the U.S. will almost double last year’s $70 million in security aid for Yemen. “The Yemeni president and parliament take this threat very seriously,” Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East and Central Asia, said in Baghdad. “And that is of enormous significance, especially in a country facing such challenges.” Secessionist Movement Yemen is struggling to subdue an insurgency by northern Shiite Muslim rebels that has drawn in neighboring Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, as well as a secessionist movement in the south. It is the poorest Arab nation and the government expects oil reserves that fund 70 percent of the budget to run out over the next decade. Obama and Brown agreed to fund a police unit in Yemen to target terrorism and will support coastguard operations in the Arabian Peninsula nation, according to an e-mailed statement from the two governments today. Petraeus conveyed a letter to Saleh from Obama on cooperation in anti-terrorism and combating piracy, the Yemeni presidential statement said. Ongoing Threats The U.S. Embassy said in a message on its Web site that it was closed today “in response to ongoing threats by al-Qaeda” to attack American interests in Yemen. The U.K. Embassy suspended operations today for “security reasons,” Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman Victoria Hibell said in a telephone interview today. Closing the U.S. Embassy in Yemen “was the prudent thing to do” John Brennan , Obama’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, said on ABC’s “This Week” program. Yemen has become an increasingly important base for al- Qaeda, which may have 200 to 300 militants in the country, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said on Dec. 29. He said the group may be planning further attacks. Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old, spent around three months in Yemen before leaving the country in early December. He told U.S. investigators he received training and the bomb-making materials he used in his attempt to blow up the airliner in Yemen. Yemen said Dec. 24 it had foiled an al-Qaeda attack on the U.K. Embassy a week earlier modeled on a twin suicide car bombing on the U.S. Embassy in September 2008 that killed 17 people, including seven security guards and seven attackers. To contact the reporters on this story: Khaled Abdullah in Sana’a via the Dubai newsroom at kabdullah2@bloomberg.net ; Henry Meyer in Dubai at hmeyer4@bloomberg.net ;

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U.S., U.K. to Jointly Fund Yemen Counter-Terrorism, Coast Guard Programs

January 2, 2010

By Clementine Fletcher Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. and U.K. governments will increase counter-terrorism efforts in Yemen and Somalia as they respond to a failed attempt to blow up an airplane over Detroit. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Gordon Brown agreed to fund a police unit in Yemen to target terrorism and will support coastguard operations in the Arabian Peninsula nation, according to a an e-mailed statement from the two governments today. They will also back proposals at the United Nations Security Council for a larger peacekeeping force in Somalia, the statement said. Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch claimed responsibility for the Dec. 25 attack in which Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight with 278 passengers on board. The U.S. is at war with “a far-reaching network of violence and hatred,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address yesterday, vowing to defend the nation. Obama said Abdulmutallab was trained and equipped in Yemen by an al-Qaeda affiliate. Obama blamed the group for earlier attacks on Yemeni government offices and hotels, including a 2008 attack on the U.S. embassy that killed one American. Obama said he’s working with countries across Africa, Asia and Europe to disrupt terrorist financing and recruiting. Brown will discuss the threat posed by terrorists operating out of Yemen and Somalia at the next European Union Council meeting, and has asked for the topic to be added to the agenda for the January EU General Affairs Council, the statement said. Brown is organizing an international meeting in London on Jan. 28 to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen, his office said on Jan. 1. To contact the reporter on this story: Clementine Fletcher in London cfletcher5@bloomberg.net .

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Homegrown Terror Challenges U.S. Officials as Cases Hit Post-Sept. 11 High

December 11, 2009

By Justin Blum Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) — The case of five Muslim Americans who traveled to Pakistan, possibly to train to fight against U.S. troops, may represent part of a growing threat: homegrown Islamic extremists. U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a proliferation of extremist Web sites and increased recruiting have inspired more Americans to train in overseas terrorist camps and plot attacks in the U.S., anti-terrorism specialists said. “It’s been brewing for a while as the Web sites and as the message becomes more extensive,” said Thomas Fuentes , a former assistant FBI director who headed the international operations office before leaving the agency in 2008. “It’s pretty clear it has picked up in the last year or two.” American-based extremists are a challenge for law enforcement because they’re harder to track than foreigners who travel to the U.S., said Frances Fragos Townsend , the former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush . Terrorists overseas are increasingly recruiting Americans because border security has been strengthened making it harder for them to enter the country, Townsend said. The number of incidents this year involving American Muslims who have been accused of planning terror attacks, carrying them out or leaving to join a Jihad, or holy war, has risen to the highest level since the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a tally by Brian Michael Jenkins , a terrorism specialist and senior adviser to the Rand Corp., a Santa Monica, California- based policy group. He said he counted 12 cases this year out of a total of 32 in the eight-plus years since the attacks. The rise of American extremists is causing concern among U.S. officials. ‘Threat Picture’ “Home-based terrorism is here,” said Janet Napolitano , the homeland security secretary, in speech this month in New York. “And like violent extremism abroad, it is now part of the threat picture that we must confront.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which says it has been developing relationships in U.S. Muslim communities, declined to comment. Law enforcement officials have repeatedly emphasized that most Muslim Americans don’t pose a threat. The arrests of the five men in Pakistan this week came after their families reported them missing from their homes in the Washington, D.C.-area. One of the men left behind a “farewell” video that showed images of conflicts in the Muslim world, “misused” verses from the Koran and suggested “young Muslims have to do something,” said Nihad Awad , national executive director of the Washington-based Council on American- Islamic Relations , who saw the video. Militant Contacts The men intended to fight against American troops in Afghanistan and had been in contact with a Pakistani militant with links to al-Qaeda before arriving in Pakistan on Nov. 30, the New York Times reported, citing Pakistani police. The men were rebuffed when they tried to join an extremist Islamic school and approached an extremist group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, because of their demeanor and inability to speak Urdu, the national language, the Times reported. The FBI is investigating and couldn’t confirm the Pakistani police allegations, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Other cases this year include an Afghan immigrant who allegedly plotted to set off bombs in the U.S. in what officials said may have been the most serious terrorist threat since Sept. 11. Earlier this week, a Chicago man whose father was from Pakistan was accused of attending a terrorist training camp and conducting surveillance before the 2008 attack in Mumbai that killed about 170 people. Minneapolis Recruits Young men from the Minneapolis area whose families are from Somalia were recruited this year to travel to Somalia to fight on behalf of al-Shabaab, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., according to the Justice Department. Authorities also said this year that a Jordanian citizen living in the U.S. had planned to blow up an office tower in Dallas, and a Muslim convert plotted to blow up a federal courthouse in Illinois. “We basically have had one a month, which is not an encouraging development,” said Bruce Hoffman , a terrorism specialist and professor at Georgetown University in Washington. Cases of homegrown terrorists and those in the U.S. found to be associated with terrorist groups are “off the map,” he said in an interview. U.S. Muslim leaders say they’re working on ways to prevent young Muslim men from being swayed by radical messages on the Internet. “Our big challenge is now to be able to compete, challenge and scrutinize things in cyberspace,” said Mahdi Bray , executive director of the Muslim American Society’s Freedom Foundation , which focuses on civic education. The group is based in Washington. To contact the reporter on this story: Justin Blum in Washington at jblum4@bloomberg.net

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EU Mission Against Somali Pirates May Need to Extend Range, Commander Says

December 11, 2009

By Gregory Viscusi Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) — The European Union’s anti-piracy operation may expand the area it patrols because Somali pirates have begun to threaten ships as much as 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from shore, according to the mission’s commander. “We’re looking at extending the area of our mandate,” Rear Admiral Peter Hudson said in an interview in Northwood, the fleet’s command center north of London. “We’re looking at whether we have the assets to do it, whether it would provide more security.” Atalanta, the EU’s one-year old naval mission to combat piracy off the Somali coast, operates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The area stretches from Somali territorial waters east to 60 degrees longitude, which runs south from the eastern tip of Oman and 250 miles east of the Seychelles. Atalanta, which has six frigates and works with fleets from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the U.S.-led coalition, has cut piracy in the Gulf of Aden, a choke point en route to the Suez Canal that’s used by 30,000 ships a year. The last successful hijacking along a corridor that the fleets patrol in the Gulf of Aden was in July. Instead pirates have shifted to the Indian Ocean, using skiffs launched from mother ships, often converted fishing trawlers, to attack commercial vessels hundreds of miles out to sea. There have been 12 attacks east of 60 degrees this year, with 11 of them since the summer monsoon ended in September, Atalanta officials say. Closer to India Four of those attacks were successful, including a Pakistani fishing vessel taken Dec. 9 and a Greek-owned cargo ship seized last week. Those attacks took place about 1,000 miles from Somali shores. “We’re now seeing attacks that are closer to India than to Somalia,” said Hudson, who is from the British navy. “In one case, my closest ship would have taken two-and-a-half days to arrive.” In the Gulf of Aden, a ship-borne naval helicopter can reach any commercial vessel within 30 minutes. Extending the mission’s area of operations would need to be agreed by leaders of the EU’s 27 member states. Last month, the EU extended the mission’s mandate for another year, to December 2010. Atalanta’s Indian Ocean operation covers an area 10 times the size of Germany. The patrols have intercepted 14 attempted pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean since the end of the summer monsoon, Hudson said. Limited Resources “There’s no fleet commander in the world who wouldn’t want more assets, but you have to be pragmatic about what member states are willing to contribute,” Hudson said. Several trade routes cross the Indian Ocean, making a single securitized corridor impossible. Sealing off the Gulf of Aden is easier because almost all passing ships are heading to or from the Suez Canal. The Atalanta mission costs about 500 million euros ($736 million) a year, Didier Lenoir , head of military operations at the EU, said at a conference Dec. 7 in Paris. Each nation pays costs for the ships it contributes. In total, there are about 25 warships off Somali waters. While the EU and NATO fleets carry out patrols and hunt for pirates, gunboats sent by Russia, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia mostly organize and protect convoys of their nations’ merchant ships. Somali pirates have attacked 160 times so far this year, seizing 44 ships for ransom. They still hold 11 ships and 283 seamen. Last year, 165 ships were attacked with 43 vessels hijacked. The pirates operate out of lawless ports on the east coast of Somalia, which has lacked an effective central government since the early 1990’s. To contact the reporter on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Northwood, England at gviscusi@bloomberg.net .

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Earthquakes Off Indonesia, Samoa Kill Hundreds; Victims Trapped in Rubble

September 30, 2009

By Gavin Evans and Achmad Sukarsono Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) — Rescuers in the South Pacific’s Samoan islands searched for victims of a tsunami that killed at least 141 people, while a magnitude-7.6 temblor in Indonesia left 75 dead and trapped thousands in crushed buildings. The Samoan-area quake was followed by the second temblor about 16 hours later, 6,000 miles (9,600 kilometers) to the west in an Indonesia region that the country’s vice president said had been rendered inaccessible by land. The quakes were unrelated, seismic analysts said. “This was indeed a major disaster,” said Craig Fugate , the administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, in a conference call on relief efforts in American Samoa. Emergency officials are sending aid to the U.S. territory even before they assess the damage and casualties, he said. The magnitude-8.0 earthquake south of Samoa, the world’s largest in two years , triggered yesterday’s tsunami and left 110 people confirmed dead in the island nation. The toll may rise as emergency workers search for bodies buried in the sand, Radio New Zealand said, citing the nation’s Disaster Management Office. Waves of at least 20 feet (6 meters) devastated area resorts, a Red Cross worker, Sati Young, told the station. At least 24 people were killed in American Samoa and as many as seven in Tonga, the station said. Thousands Trapped Indonesia’s government said that 75 people died on Sumatra in the city of Padang and that houses were destroyed by the quake, which hit off the island’s south coast at 5:16 p.m. local time today. Thousands are trapped in rubble, the British Broadcasting Corp. said, citing officials. A tsunami watch was in place briefly from Indonesia to India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and Australia’s Cocos Islands. The death toll may rise, Vice President Jusuf Kalla told reporters in Jakarta. “The condition there is very bad,” Kalla said in a press briefing. “Many houses were destroyed. There is a huge rain tonight and the lights are out. Access through land has been cut.” The government will provide food and other relief aid to survivors for two months, he said. A tsunami generated by a magnitude-9.1 earthquake off northern Sumatra in December 2004 left about 220,000 people dead or missing in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean as it traveled as far as Kenya and Somalia in Africa. Yesterday’s quake off Samoa was the deadliest since a magnitude-6.3 temblor struck Italy in April, killing 300. Villages Swamped The tsunami destroyed villages on the southern coast of Samoa’s largest island, Upolu, and left many people missing, the New Zealand station cited Disaster Management Office official Ausegalia Mulipola as saying. At least one of those killed is from New Zealand and other New Zealanders may be among the dead, the country’s government said. New Zealand schools are on vacation, with many families spending the break in southern Samoa, Radio New Zealand said. A 5-foot wave was reported within about 20 minutes of the quake at Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Waves may have been as high as 15 feet in other parts of the island, Eni Faleomavaega , the territory’s delegate to the U.S. Congress, told Agence France- Presse. The Pacific tsunami monitoring system worked well, alerting countries at risk “within minutes,” though Samoa’s proximity to the quake’s epicenter meant residents had little time to flee to higher ground, AFP reported, citing Badaoui Rouhban, director of the section for disaster reduction at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris. Tsunami’s Speed “The speed at which a tsunami moves can be considerable, it can be equivalent to the speed of a plane, at 800 kilometers per hour,” he told AFP. Changes in the sea level were observed in Japan and along the U.S. West coast. The occurrence of the two major quakes within 24 hours is “just coincidental,” Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder, Colorado, said in a telephone interview. The quakes were on different fault lines. “It’s approximately 6,000 miles between the two locations so there’s no connection between the two, and even if they were closer there still probably wouldn’t be any connection,” said Baldwin. “These are just very active areas.” President Barack Obama declared a “major disaster” in American Samoa, the White House said in an e-mailed statement. The declaration makes government funding immediately available for aid and rebuilding in the territory, which has a population of about 65,600. FEMA Aid FEMA is looking at sending aid to American Samoa by air and sea, and the territory’s airport has reopened, Fugate said. Emergency provisions in Hawaii will be sent as needed, he said. The quake struck shortly before 7 a.m. local time on Sept. 29 about 125 miles south of Samoa’s capital, Apia, at a depth of 11 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tsunami warnings were issued for Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga, the Cook Islands and 16 other nations. It may take another day for the final death toll to be known, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said. Bodies are being brought into Apia, while the sea along Samoa’s southern coast is being searched. “The majority of the deaths so far are elderly or children because they were less able to escape the tsunami as it came in,” he told Radio New Zealand. Airstrip Out At least five people are reported dead on Tonga’s northern island of Niuatoputapu , New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully told journalists in Wellington. The airstrip on the island is out of action and may have been damaged, he said. In Samoa, coastal residents were evacuated to higher ground after the quake. Tsunami drills earlier in the year may have helped reduce the death toll, Radio Polynesia journalist Jonah Tui Le Tufuga told Radio New Zealand. Cars and parts of houses were left floating in the sea, he said. The nation of about 180,000 people consists of 10 islands and lies about 1,740 miles north-northeast of New Zealand. It’s about 50 miles northwest of Pago Pago on Tutuila, American Samoa’s principal island. Australia will deploy a taskforce to Samoa within 24 hours, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told ABC Radio yesterday. One Australian was killed in Samoa, the ministry said. To contact the reporters on this story: Gavin Evans in Wellington at gavinevans@bloomberg.net ; Achmad Sukarsono in Jakarta at asukarsono@bloomberg.net .

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Samoan Tsunami Kills 141 Before Indonesian Quake Leaves at Least 75 Dead

September 30, 2009

By Gavin Evans and Achmad Sukarsono Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) — Rescue workers in the South Pacific’s Samoan islands and Tonga searched for more victims of a tsunami that killed at least 141 people, while a temblor of magnitude 7.6 leveled buildings in Indonesia. A magnitude-8 earthquake south of Samoa spawned yesterday’s tsunami, which left 110 people confirmed dead in the island nation. The toll may rise as emergency workers try to find bodies buried in sand, Radio New Zealand said, citing the nation’s Disaster Management Office. Waves of at least 20 feet (6 meters) devastated resorts in the area, Red Cross worker Sati Young told the station. At least 24 people were killed in American Samoa and as many as seven in Tonga, the station said. In Indonesia, authorities said houses were destroyed though there were no reports of deaths in the quake, which hit off southern Sumatra at 5:16 p.m. local time today. A tsunami watch was in place briefly from Indonesia to India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and Australia’s Cocos Islands. A tsunami generated by a magnitude-9 earthquake off northern Sumatra in December 2004 left about 220,000 people dead or missing in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean as it traveled as far as Kenya and Somalia in Africa. The quake near Samoa that caused yesterday’s tsunami was the deadliest since a magnitude-6.3 temblor struck Italy in April, killing 300 people. Villages Destroyed The tsunami destroyed villages on the southern coast of Samoa’s largest island, Upolu, and left many people missing, the New Zealand station cited Disaster Management Office official Ausegalia Mulipola as saying. At least one of those killed is from New Zealand and other New Zealanders may be among the dead, the country’s government said. New Zealand schools are on vacation, with many families traveling to southern Samoa for the break, Radio New Zealand said. A 5-foot wave was reported at Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Waves may have been as high as 15 feet in other parts of the island, Eni Faleomavaega , the territory’s delegate to the U.S. Congress, told AFP. A change in the sea level of 4 inches (10 centimeters) was recorded by a sensor south of Tokyo. Officials in Ofunato, a city in northern Japan, ordered the evacuation of about 10,000 residents, according to a notice on the municipality’s Web site. The tsunami alert in Japan and a warning issued for the South Pacific region were later canceled. Alerts were briefly in place for waves possibly hitting Japan and the U.S. West Coast. ‘Just Coincidental’ The occurrence of the two major earthquakes within 24 hours is “just coincidental,” Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder, Colorado, said in a telephone interview. The quakes were on different fault lines. “It’s approximately 6,000 miles between the two locations so there’s no connection between the two, and even if they were closer there still probably wouldn’t be any connection,” said Baldwin. “These are just very active areas; they are active on a daily basis.” President Barack Obama declared a “major disaster” in American Samoa, the White House said in an e-mailed statement. The declaration makes government funding immediately available for aid operations and rebuilding in the territory that has a population of about 65,600 people. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending a team to American Samoa to assist, administrator Craig Fugate said in an e-mailed statement. Emergency provisions in Hawaii will be sent south as needed, he said. 18 Kilometers Deep The earthquake struck shortly before 7 a.m. local time on Sept. 29 about 125 miles (195 kilometers) south of Samoa’s capital, Apia. The quake struck at a depth of 11 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tsunami warnings were issued for Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga, the Cook Islands and 16 other nations. It may take another day for the final death toll to be known, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said. Bodies are being brought into Apia, while the sea along Samoa’s southern coast is being searched. “The majority of the deaths so far are elderly or children because they were less able to escape the tsunami as it came in,” he told Radio New Zealand. At least five people are reported dead on Tonga’s northern island of Niuatoputapu , New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully told journalists in Wellington. The airstrip on the island is out of action and may have been damaged in the earthquake, he said. Tsunami Drills In Samoa, residents in coastal villages were evacuated to higher ground after the quake. Tsunami drills earlier in the year may have helped reduce the death toll, Radio Polynesia journalist Jonah Tui Le Tufuga told Radio New Zealand. Cars and parts of houses were left floating in the sea, he said. The nation of about 180,000 people consists of 10 islands and lies about 1,740 miles north-northeast of New Zealand. It’s about 50 miles northwest of Pago Pago on Tutuila, American Samoa’s principal island. Australia will deploy a taskforce to Samoa within 24 hours, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told ABC Radio yesterday. One Australian was killed in Samoa, the ministry said. Residents of Samoa , shocked by the strength of the jolt, heeded warnings of local police and moved inland, Radio New Zealand’s Samoa correspondent, Tipi Autagavaia, said on a broadcast. “My kids were preparing to go to school and were all crying and screaming,” he said in the broadcast. “It was a big, big shock to most people, because it is the first time they have experienced such a very strong earthquake.” The magnitude of the quake was revised higher from an initial reading of 7.9, the USGS said. The quake was followed by more than two dozen aftershocks of magnitude-5 or higher, the USGS said . To contact the reporters on this story: Gavin Evans in Wellington at gavinevans@bloomberg.net ; Achmad Sukarsono in Jakarta at asukarsono@bloomberg.net .

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Clinton Says Australian Terrorism Plot Shows Threat From Somali Extremists

August 6, 2009

By Ed Johnson Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a suicide plot in Australia allegedly linked to Somali militants is a reminder of the global threat posed by terrorists using Somalia as a training ground. Five people were charged this week with planning to attack an army barracks in western Sydney with automatic weapons in a plot prosecutors say is linked to the Somali Islamist militia al-Shabaab . “This week in Australia we have been reminded that there are those who would use Somalia as a training ground for attacks around the world,” Clinton told reporters in Kenya after meeting with Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Al-Shabaab sees Somalia as a “future haven for global terrorism,” she said yesterday. The Islamist militia is fighting to oust the United Nations-backed Somali government and controls much of southern Somalia. The group was designated a terrorist organization last year by the U.S., which accuses it of providing logistical support for al-Qaeda. “If al-Shabaab were to obtain a haven in Somalia, which could then attract al-Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States,” Clinton said, according to a State Department transcript. Australian police say the five men, aged between 22 and 33 and mostly of Somali and Lebanese descent, planned to kill as many soldiers as possible at the Holsworthy Barracks, one of the biggest military camps in the country. Civil War Some of the suspects may also have been planning to travel to Somalia to take part in hostilities, according to police. The Horn of Africa nation is in its 18th year of civil war. The men are charged with preparing an act of terrorism and face court again on Oct. 26. Al-Shabaab denied any connection to the suicide plot, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported today, citing a spokesman for the militia. “We have heard that Australia has arrested Somali men and suspect them of connections with our group,” the ABC cited Sheik Ali Mohamoud Rage as saying. “But I can tell you that the Shabaab doesn’t have” anybody in Australia. The broadcaster didn’t say where Rage made his comments. The militia is a fractured movement and Rage is unlikely to speak for all members of the group, the broadcaster said, citing the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. Jakarta Link Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda suggested al- Shabaab may be linked with the Southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, which is blamed for a six-year bombing campaign in Indonesia that left about 280 people dead. Suicide attacks on two luxury hotels in Jakarta last month killed nine people, including three Australians and the two attackers. “I believe that they are not directly connected, but they might be connected at the top,” the Sydney Morning Herald cited Wirajuda as saying. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said earlier this week there was no suggestion the army barracks plot and the Jakarta bombings were connected. While al-Shabaab has focused its activities within the Horn of Africa nation, terrorism analysts say its aspirations may be expanding to recruit people from overseas. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation says as many as 17 Somali-Americans have disappeared from Minneapolis in the past two years and one became a suicide bomber in Somalia. The FBI says it is concerned citizens may receive weapons and terrorism training there and return to America to plot attacks. To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net .

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