Life Sentence for USS Ashland Attacker
A 31-year-old Somali man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for engaging in piracy and other offenses in connection with an attack on a U.S. Navy ship seven years ago, the U.S. Justice Department said. Mohamed Farah, 31, of Somalia was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison for his role in the attack, the Justice Department said in a statement. Another five Somalis have already been tried and convicted for their roles in the attack and are serving prison terms, the Justice Department said.
Multi-million Dollar Deal for Somaliland's Historic Port Sparks Land Rush
The land along the road into Berbera is barren and empty. Somaliland's small, rusty Gulf of Aden port which for centuries made the town prosperous rises suddenly out of the ground as the road hits the coast. The crumbling town has languished for decades, but its fortunes look set to change following a multi-million dollar deal to revamp the port which has triggered a rush to buy land. Berbera, along the coast from Djibouti, has been a backwater since 1991 when Somaliland broke away from Somalia following a bloody civil war. The town's buildings, some dating back to the Ottoman era, stand neglected. Unemployment is rampant, exacerbated by a devastating drought that has decimated livestock, a backbone of the export economy.
DOJ: Second Indictment for Somali Pirates
More Charges for Alleged Somali Pirates Indicted for Attack of the USS Ashland. A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia has returned a second superseding indictment, charging five men from Somalia with engaging in piracy and related offenses pertaining to the attack on the Navy ship, the USS Ashland. Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement. As in the prior indictments, the second superseding indictment charges five men…
