Who would have ever thought this link would be made—Somalia and Haiti in the same article. Get out of the way, US, we will aid Haiti say Somali pirates. From AOL news:
(Feb. 1) — Hordes of private-sector aid groups fighting to alleviate the disaster in Haiti may soon be joined by some motley new allies: pirates.
Somali pirates have vowed to redistribute some of the millions of dollars they have stolen in the past few years to those suffering from the earthquake in Haiti, reports Agencia Matriz del Sur, a Spanish-language Web site that says it seeks to counter the media influence of wealthy countries. Somali pirates often divide their booty and distribute it to family and local citizens — a tactic also used by American gangs to develop community goodwill.
With language worthy of Errol Flynn’s schmaltziest “Robin Hood” moments, an unnamed spokesman for the pirates accused the United States and Europe of having “no moral authority” to distribute aid, telling Agencia Matriz del Sur that “they have been the ones pirating mankind for many years.”
According to this author, they have the worldwide connections to pull it off!
The Somali pirates’ announcement suggests that they are keen to keep that image alive in popular culture. Their charity claims may have little value beyond the literary, however. According to pirate leaders, “connections in various parts of the world” will ensure that they are capable of delivering aid without detection or, conveniently, accountability.
Whew! I guess we can just stand down now.