http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11020147.htm
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
“Somali Pirates Shoot Retired Couple Sailing the World Delivering Bibles.”
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
SOMALIA
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http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/februaryweb-only/somalipirates.html
“Somali Pirates Kill Bible Distributors
Scott Adam, a graduate of Fuller Seminary, was killed with three others after they were taken hostage.”
by Sarah Pulliam Bailey | posted 2/22/2011 11:39AM
SNIPPET: “The pirates in northern Somalia are not hard-line Islamists and a yacht carrying Bibles is not likely to be a problem, the AP reports.”
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2011/02/somali_pirates_kill_four_us_ci.php
“Somali pirates kill 4 US citizens”
By BILL ROGGIO
February 22, 2011 10:38 PM
SNIPPET: “Earlier today, Somali pirates murdered four US citizens who were being held hostage as negotiations for their release were underway. Vice Admiral Mark Fox, the commander of Central Command’s naval forces, briefed the media on what is currently known about the murders.
The Somali pirates executed the four US civilians after opening fire on a nearby US warship with a rocket-propelled grenade. The naval task force then dispatched special operations teams using small boats (the special operators were without a doubt SEALs). Once aboard, the special operations forces discovered that the four Americans had been shot dead; they also found two dead pirates. Two other pirates were killed as the team cleared the yacht; one of the pirates was killed in a close-quarters knife fight. Thirteen pirates on the yacht surrendered as the special operations team boarded the yacht. Two other pirates, who were aboard a US warship to negotiate the Americans’ release, are also in custody.”
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http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62885
“Somali Pirates Kill 4 Americans on Hijacked Ship”
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2011 –
SNIPPET: “Somali pirates killed all four Americans they had held hostage aboard a sailing vessel in the Indian Ocean this morning, U.S. Central Command officials announced.
U.S. officials were negotiating with the pirates for the safe return of the captured Americans when the murders took place, officials said.
Centcom officials said that in the midst of negotiations, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the S/V Quest. When the forces reached the boat, officials said, they discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors.
Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.”
SNIPPET: “The pirates seized the boat Feb. 18 off the coast of Oman. Somali pirates -– often operating from mother ships far out to sea — have captured scores of ships and generally have held the ships and crews for ransom. News reports indicate Somali pirates currently hold 29 ships with more than 660 hostages.”
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http://www.centcom.mil/press-releases/u-s-forces-respond-to-gunfire-aboard-the-s-v-quest
“U.S. forces respond to gunfire aboard the S/V Quest”
CENTCOM Public Affairs
TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2011) —
SNIPPET: “US Forces have been closely monitoring the S/V Quest for approximately 3 days, once it became known to be pirated. Four U.S. Navy warships comprised the response force dedicated to recovering the S/V Quest: the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65), the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), the guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Bulkeley (DDG 84). The ships are deployed to the region to conduct maritime security operations and to provide support to operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.”
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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2011/s11020130.htm
Saturday, February 19, 2011
“U.S. considers military action after pirates ‘seize’ a yacht belonging to a Southern California Christian couple
They were on a worldwide voyage distributing Bibles”
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
SOMALIA
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stepping back in time to a separate incident:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31458
“The Somali Pirates Are Jihadists”
by Robert Spencer
04/15/2009
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Keywords of Interest:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/christianpersecution/index?tab=articles
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/killingchristians/index?tab=articles
ON THE INTERNET:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/killingchristians/index
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/killingamericans/index
11:58AM BST 11 Aug 2011
“Somali pirate ‘used mobile to surf web for US kidnap victim information’”
SNIPPET: “Mohammad Saaili Shibin, 50, was arrested by the FBI in Somalia after the four hostages were killed during negotiations with the US Navy in February.
He was transferred to the US where he is now facing trial for piracy and kidnapping along with 13 other Somalis and a Yemeni man.
US officials claim that Shibin was the most senior pirate in the operation and researched Jean and Scott Adam, the owners of the 58-foot yacht Quest, from land while his associates guarded them and their travelling companions Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay, on-board. The FBI reportedly has screen grabs taken from his internet searches for the value of the Quest and family contacts of the people kidnapped.
Mr Shibin then contacted the victims’ families and opened negotiations for their release in return for a ransom.
But five days into the incident and before the ransom demand was made, the pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the US warship negotiating with them then shot their hostages dead.”
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2011/yemeni-man-sentenced-for-acts-of-piracy-under-the-law-of-nations
Yemeni Man Sentenced for Acts of Piracy Under the Law of Nations
Pirate Attack Resulted in Murder of Four U.S. Citizens
U.S. Attorney’s Office
October 21, 2011
Eastern District of Virginia
NORFOLK, VA—Mounir Ali, a/k/a “Muner Ali,” 23, of Yemen, was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to life in prison for 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. Ali previously pled guilty to the piracy charge on July 7, 2011.
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 Ali was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis.
“Despite being a victim of piracy himself, Mr. Ali voluntarily joined his captors to attack and hold four Americans hostage for ransom,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “The greed for ransom money ultimately led to the cold-blooded murder of the hostages. Pirates who attack U.S. citizens on the high seas—whether successful or not, whether violent or not—must get the message that they will face lifelong consequences for their actions.”
“Even after being victimized by piracy himself, Mr. Ali couldn’t resist the temptation to plunder another ship in search of a cash payout,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Fedarcyk. “That selfish act resulted in the death of four Americans. Piracy is a scourge on our seas, disrupting trade and threatening Americans’ lives. The FBI will continue to do all in its power to maintain the rule of law and protect our citizens, wherever they may be.”
According to court documents, Ali is one of 14 defendants charged together with the piracy of the S/V Quest in February 2011 that resulted in the murder of four American citizens in the Indian Ocean. This defendant, the sole Yemeni, was part of the crew of another boat that was hijacked by a separate group of pirates some months earlier. The defendant had been taken on at least two piracy outings in his captured ship. On the second outing, the defendant was with other pirates when the Yemeni fishing boat, used as a mothership for the Quest hijacking, was captured. The defendant transferred to the Yemeni fishing boat and then chose to go with the pirates when they located the Quest in exchange for a share of the ransom. Ali is the seventh of the defendants to be sentenced of the 11 who have pled guilty to offenses related to the Quest piracy.
The investigation of the case is being conducted by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Eastern District of Virginia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch, Joseph DePadilla and Brian J. Samuels, and Trial Attorney Paul Casey from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.fbi.gov/norfolk/press-releases/2011/somalis-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-on-charges-relating-to-piracy-of-the-s-v-quest
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
U.S. Attorney’s Office
December 15, 2011
Eastern District of Virginia
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.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.fbi.gov/norfolk/press-releases/2012/somali-hostage-negotiator-in-s-v-quest-and-m-v-miranda-marguerite-piracies-sentenced-to-multiple-life-sentences
Somali Hostage Negotiator in S/V Quest and M/V Miranda Marguerite Piracies Sentenced to Multiple Life Sentences
U.S. Attorney’s Office
August 13, 2012
Eastern District of Virginia
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.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.