Remember that story from a few weeks back, about a group of mercenaries being given $50 million to fight Somali pirates — the guys who attacked a cruise ship, and were sent running by a sonic blaster? Well, it gets weirder, as Kathryn Cramer has been discovering.
First, she found out that the firm, New York’s Top Cat Marine Security, sure looked like a front company, sharing a single suite with NyClubScene.com, “Animal Fair” magazine, MyHealingPrayer.com, and a law firm. Then, Kathryn dug into the finances of Top Cat chief Peter Casini, who seems to have a habit of bankrupting his companies. And security didn’t exactly seem like his forte. So the question was: who were the real guns-for-hire at Top Cat?
The answer, Kathryn’s found out, includes the former U.S. rep for Sandline International. That’s the private military company that has been involved in quite a few messy little wars, from Sierra Leone to Papua New Guinea to Liberia. The company often flouted international law and U.N. restrictions to supply weapons and mercenaries to African strongmen and shady revolutionaries alike. Now, at least one of their top guys is back, under Top Cat’s cover. But who hired Top Cat, in the first place?
THERE’S MORE: Check out MountainRunner, which has a whole lot more on the Somalia situation.
“…The company often flaunted international law and U.N. restrictions…”
Not to flaunt an immodest interest in matters lexical, but there’s a difference between ‘flaunted’ and ‘flouted.’
Good Afternoon Folks,
Maybe it’s time to start reflag these ships as what they are American and create “Sea Marshalls”.
Freedom of the seas is a basic right and the primary mission of the U.S. Navy. This just might be a job for the new “Navy Expeditionary Command” to tackle.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
‘But who hired Top Cat, in the first place?’ good question – hell i don’t know but good job they did as someone needs to sink those clowns before they end up injuring and killing alot of innocent people just looking to have a nice holiday or go about a days work. I’d hate to see another inncident like on that cruise ship – cant spell the name but where that old American fella in a wheel chair was pushed over board by some raving lunitic/jihadi (who was given safe haven in Iraq by Saddam too??) type who. Sonic protection weapons seem pretty good but what if the eneamy has counter measures – ie ear muffs? the crews of these big boats need arming or acess to very swift respone teams. Helo’s or light planes would seem like a good idea too.
Yikes! Fixed…
Let’s look back in history, the 1804 Barbary Pirates War. Send in the MARINES.
I’m wondering how insurance premiums would be affected for US flag carriers were they to invest in a moderate armament suite on vessels sailing in high-risk area. Nothing earthshaking, perhaps a brace of pintle mounted heavy machine guns with day/night sights and an arms locker with a supply of small arms and training for the ships crew.
“cant spell the name but where that old American fella in a wheel chair was pushed over board by some raving lunitic/jihadi (who was given safe haven in Iraq by Saddam too??)”
Just for the record, the name you are seeking is Leon Klinghoffer, whose tragic story is summed up briefly but accurately, as far as I can tell, at Wikipedia. The mastermind of the attack, Abu Abbas, was captured in Iraq in 2003 and died in American custody in 2004. I do not see enough information in the news to say for sure whether Saddam was harboring him or not.
The actual shooter was Youssef Magied al-Molqi, who escaped custody after being allowed a brief furlong for good behavior, but it seems that he was caught and put back in prison.
As for the original posting, label it as the latest in a long line of reasons why PMCs and their hiring needs to be better regulated than it is.
I was thinking the NRA should have “Somalian love cruise” for members, they could advertise the cruise as “a special event cruise for gay zionist gem cutters, jewelers, bankers and lawyers” with a multi million dollar gem auction as bait planted with an itenerary in middle east travel magazines.
Advertise in the middle east “a gay treasure booty cruise”.
Advertise in America as a real live pirate hunting expedition.
An irrestible target for the pirates and loads of fun for retired geezers lacking good ol cruise entertainment.
“Hi I’m Julie McCoy your cruise funmaster, if you make your way to the annihilation deck you can see the approaching criminal muslim pirates, if your Barrett .50 rifle is too heavy we have porters to carry your guns, don’t forget your safety glasses”