From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Tue Jun 02 2009 - 08:01:59 EDT
Libyan leader defends Somali pirates
Sat, 30 May 2009 14:36:18 GMT
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has slammed representation of Somali
pirates as criminals, saying they act within their rights to "defend
their territorial water".
Speaking a two-day summit of Saharan states in the Sabrata City on
Saturday, Gaddafi said Western countries are to blame for the maritime
crisis off the Horn of Africa state, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Gaddafi says that the pirates are hungry men who only carry guns to
hijack those who are looting the Somali resources.
The Libyan leader, who was elected chairman of the African Union earlier
this year, went so far as to suggest Somali pirates were on an
anti-looting mission in their waters.
"They are not pirates but people who are defending their rights."
Gaddafi said the Somali pirates need real help and that Libya will
accuse several countries of violating the international law if they do
not stop their interference in Somali waters.
In the real world, Somali bandits have terrorized the waters with
attacks on trade ships in one the world's busiest shipping routes. The
pirates hold the vessels and onboard crewmembers hostage for ransoms,
made off with millions of dollars last year, prompting an international
anti-piracy mission.
Following his election as the new AU chairman in February, Gaddafi said
one of his priorities would be to claim to limit the power of Western
nations.
"It is a response to greedy Western nations, who invade and exploit
Somalia's water resources illegally . It is not a piracy, it is self
defense. It is defending the Somalia children's food,'' he argued during
his inaugural tour in Ethiopia.
HSH/ZHD/MD
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=96489
<http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=96489§ionid=351020506>
§ionid=351020506
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