“Somalia” on The Daily Caller

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Somali pirates hijacked a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship with 23 crew onboard during an early morning raid Monday, the European Union Naval Force said. (more)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — African leaders are pledging thousands of new troops for Somalia to fight al-Qaida-linked militants responsible for the twin World Cup bombings that killed 76 people, and the U.S. says it will help bankroll the military campaign. (more)

The July 11 bombings in Uganda carried out by the al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab exposed the global terror threat emerging in the Horn of Africa – a region also plagued by destitution and authoritarian rule.  This week, however, about 3.5 million people in the region will celebrate a remarkable victory for democracy.  The government of a Muslim population just north of the territory controlled by al Shabaab will experience a peaceful transfer of power between opposing political parties one month after a free and fair presidential election.  The government conducted the multi-party election by its own initiative and with limited external assistance or pressure.  The feat, which has so far received little attention in the West, reaffirms the idea that democracy can take root in cultures of any religious and socio-economic background, and it occurs at a time when U.S. foreign policy has shied away from promoting democratic allies in strategic parts of the world. (more)

A Virginia man who once warned the creators of “South Park,” the cartoon satire television show, of the dangers of poking fun at the Prophet Mohammed was arrested Wednesday and charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist group. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is looking for ways to expand the training and equipping of African forces to help battle al-Shabab militants in Somalia who claimed responsibility for recent bombings in Uganda, a top commander said Tuesday. (more)

The United States Navy is drastically shrinking due to the serious cuts the Obama administration is making to the shipbuilding budget.  As set forth in the Navy’s Quadrennial Defense Review, the service requires a minimum of 313 ships to accomplish its many missions.  Today, however, the Navy is operating just 286 warships.  Given President Obama’s plans to further cut the defense budget, the number of ships in the Navy is certain to continue to decline below even the current number with very negative consequences for the United States; one area that is significantly impacted is America’s amphibious assault capacity. (more)

Key Points (more)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Investigators found an unexploded suicide vest with ball bearings in a disco hall in Uganda’s capital, suggesting that militants had planned a third bombing during the World Cup final, officials said Tuesday. Four foreign suspects were arrested in connection with the find. (more)

Somali Islamists carried out two bomb attacks in Kampala, killing at least 64 people as they watched the World Cup final, Ugandan authorities said on Monday. (more)

It took Christendom centuries, but religious tolerance eventually replaced persecution.  Today it’s hard to find a Christian society that genuinely persecutes. (more)

“The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or ruin.”—Sun Tzu from “The Art of War.” (more)

It’s been a tough few weeks for Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida’s 8th District. First, Daniel Webster, former speaker of the Florida statehouse, entered the race as a potential opponent. Then the FEC ruled that mycongressmanisnuts.com, a site critical of Grayson, isn’t violating any rules. Now the Democrat is coming under fire for a financial connection to the Florida Tea Party. (more)

HARGEISA, Somalia — As the United Nations Security Council expressed a “deep concern” on Wednesday over the continued use of child soldiers and a “readiness” to adopt sanctions against individuals who deploy them, an American lawmaker warned that the United States might have broken several laws by providing assistance to the Somali military, which uses children in conflict. (more)

Torture victims won a victory Tuesday when the Supreme Court ruled that federal law does not automatically protect ex-officials of foreign governments from lawsuits over the abuse. (more)

The British couple kidnapped by Somalian pirates more than seven months ago appealed directly to David Cameron last night to help free them and warned they are being treated like ‘animals’. (more)

The first European trial of alleged Somali pirates has opened in the Netherlands. (more)

Somalia’s al-Qa’ida-inspired Shebab rebels have attacked the presidential palace in Mogadishu, sparking a battle that left at least 14 civilians dead. (more)

The U.N. Security Council wants to make it easier to prosecute pirates, suggesting in a new resolution the possibility of international tribunals to try pirates. (more)

Mohammed Ali Samantar is the only living vestige of the Barre regime, the last government in two decades to exercise central control over Somalia and, not coincidentally, the last that was impudent enough to try. When Siad Barre was finally overthrown in 1991, Samantar, who had served as defense minister and prime minister, fled, in a storm of bullets, to Italy. He eventually made his way to Fairfax, Va., where he lived in suburban obscurity until a group of Somali nationals discovered him, hired a lawyer, and sued for damages. According to his accusers, the Barre regime committed unforgivable acts of violence against them and their families, offenses spanning a range of brutality from arbitrary detention, to torture, rape and extrajudicial killing. Samantar was allegedly aware of the crimes being perpetrated against civilians and yet failed to stop them. The suit was dismissed by a federal district court and then reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. It is now pending before the Supreme Court, where a peculiar coalition of defenders is urging reversal. Among them, to the confusion of some observers, are five prominent pro-Israel organizations, each with a professed interest in keeping Samantar out of court. In joint amicus briefs, the groups insist that as a former government official, Samantar should be immune from suit. To hold otherwise, they warn, would violate international law and set an inviting precedent for Israel’s enemies and their supporters in the human rights community. (more)

U.S. Navy ships have had two clashes with pirates in less than 24 hours. (more)