On Friday the 19th, my unseen friend drew our attention to Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Some people are dragging it out and simply taking this pirate thing too far. Some people are acting like pirates.

My friend the Governor, who refuses to start what would be a wonderfully readable blog, no matter how I prod and poke him, sent me these two stories. So since he ain't postin' 'em, I'm stealin' 'em:

Mystery Surrounds Hijacked Iranian Ship:

A tense standoff is underway in northeastern Somalia between pirates, Somali authorities, and Iran over a suspicious merchant vessel and its mysterious cargo. Hijacked late last month in the Gulf of Aden, the MV Iran Deyanat remains moored offshore in Somali waters and inaccessible for inspection. Its declared cargo consists of minerals and industrial products, however, Somali and regional officials directly involved in the negotiations over the ship and who spoke to The Long War Journal are convinced that it was heading to Eritrea to deliver small arms and chemical weapons to Somalia's Islamist insurgents...

Suspicion has also been cast on the ship's crew, half of which is almost entirely staffed by Iranians - a large percentage of Iranian nationals for a standard merchant vessel...

... Independent sources tell The Long War Journal that a number of pirates have also died. "Yes, some of them have died. I do not know exactly how many but the information that I am getting is that some of them have died..."

(Puntland Minister of Minerals and Oil Hassan) Osman also confirmed to The Long War Journal that during the six days he negotiated with the pirates members of the syndicate had become sick and died. "That ship is unusual," he said. "It is not carrying a normal shipment."

Why isn't the MSM covering this? It seems really important.

Then, there's this:

Somali pirates seize Tomex of Odessa owned carrier with 30 Soviet-era T-72 tanks

The carrier is owned and managed by Tomex of Odessa. On board the ship were 21 people on board: 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and a Latvian. The ship was shipping military hardware, including some 30 T-72 tanks and spare parts for armored vehicles for the troubled government of Southern Sudan...

Insurgents might pose the biggest threat ever to the Ethiopian soldiers supporting the TFG government. If they seize and use the arms which have been the case with some ships seized by the pirates, they will form a very powerful front and certainly overrun the government and the Ethiopian forces. This will lead to the return of Islamic courts Union which have been ruling the country before the Ethiopians came in.

All the emphasis in those two stories was mine.

I'd really like to have some idea why the MSM doesn't make an effort to really bring these things to our attention. This is a very unpredictable series of developments in very dangerous areas involving a number of warring factions.

It's important. Isn't it?

Labels: Media, News