Treat Somali Pirates like Terrorists; Viewing Sea Raids as Law Enforcement Issue Hasn't Worked

Byline: John R. Bolton, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The recent kidnapping of a handicapped French woman from a Kenyan resort, initially attributed to Somali pirates, was the second such kidnapping in a month. Kenyan authorities now blame al-Shabab, the Somali terrorist group affiliated with al Qaeda.

Under prevailing international law theories, the kidnappings are law enforcement matters, subjecting the culprits to full criminal due process, trial and imprisonment if found guilty. By contrast, characterized as international terrorism, the abductions could be handled much differently, as Anwar al-Awlaki recently found out unpleasantly in Yemen.

But why should we treat the growing menace of Somali piracy differently from terrorism? Numerous sources already indicate that al-Shabab derives revenues from the pirates, or …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Treat Somali Pirates like Terrorists; Viewing Sea Raids as Law Enforcement Issue Hasn't Worked. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: The Washington Times (Washington, DC). Publication date: October 17, 2011. Page number: B01. © 2009 The Washington Times LLC. COPYRIGHT 2011 Gale Group.

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