Somali in Norfolk court accused of being pirates’ negotiator
Now this would be a great potential script for “The Unit”, and would have been a great announcement for GWB. Hell, it would have been a great announcement for Obama too, if he wasn’t so damned modest.
U.S. officials say they have captured their first pirate leader, an English-speaking Somali man accused of being the chief negotiator during a pirate attack in the Arabian Sea that ended with the deaths of four Americans.
“The Justice Department believes this indictment is a big deal,” said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride.
A grand jury indicted Mohammad Saaili Shibin on March 8 at the same time 14 others were charged in the February attack on the yacht Quest. Shibin’s case had been under seal until Wednesday.
According to the indictment, Shibin was responsible for negotiating the ransom for the four Americans aboard the hijacked yacht. Authorities say he also has a history of piracy involvement.
The Quest’s owners - Scott and Jean Adam of Los Angeles, and their friends Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle - were shot and killed by pirates as the Navy tried to negotiate their release, according to the government.
Shibin was hunted down inside Somalia last week by FBI agents and the U.S. military. His capture, arrest and even his initial court appearance in Norfolk on Friday were kept secret until Wednesday.