Dirty Wars

by Jeremy Scahill

  468 “We are not generating good will”: Author interview, Dr. Emile Nakhleh, January 2010.

  468 “greatly exaggerated as a threat”: Author interview, Colonel W. Patrick Lang, February 2011.

  53: The Pink House

  469 “I salute you and your colleagues”: Hearing to Consider the Nominations of Lt. Gen. John Allen, Vice Adm. William McRaven, and Gen. James Thurman, Before the Senate Committee on Armed Services, 111th Cong. (June 28, 2011) (testimony of Admiral William McRaven), video available at www.c-spanvideo.org/program/300255-1.

  470 new counterterrorism center: Author interviews, Somali and US intelligence sources, June and July 2011.

  470 counterterrorism training program: Author interviews, Mogadishu, Somalia, June 2011.

  470 “It makes complete sense”: Author interview, US official, July 2011. All statements attributed to the US official come from the author’s interview.

  470 “are here full time”: Author interview, Somali intelligence official, June 2011. All information and statements attributed to the senior intelligence official come from the author’s interview.

  471 corrupt and untrustworthy: The corruption of the TFG administration at this time was well documented. See International Crisis Group, “Somalia: The Transitional Government on Life Support,” Africa Report No. 170, February 21, 2011: Despite hopes early on that President Sharif would clean up the government, by early 2011 the ICG [International Crisis Group] reported that “corruption has continued unchecked and is now, by most accounts, more pernicious and serious than ever, presided over by powerful establishment figures and permeating every tier of government,” p. 12.

  471 $200 monthly cash payments: Author interviews, Mogadishu, Somalia, June 2011.

  471 “do not bother to be in touch”: Author interview, Abdirahman “Aynte” Ali, June 2011. Unless otherwise noted, all information and statements attributed to Aynte come from the author’s interview.

  471 “Same thing is true for Somalia”: Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Hon. Leon E. Panetta to be Secretary of Defense, Before the Senate Committee on Armed Services, 111th Cong. (June 9, 2011) (testimony of Leon E. Panetta).

  471 “creating a monster”: Jeffrey Gettleman, Mark Mazzetti, and Eric Schmitt, “U.S. Relies on Contractors in Somalia Conflict,” New York Times, August 10, 2011.

  472 two white men: Author interview, former prisoner, June 2011.

  472 pace around constantly: Author copy of written testimony of Ahmed Abdulahi Hassan.

  472 A Somali journalist: Author interview, Somali journalist, June 2011.

  472 snatched from flights: Author interviews, Mogadishu, Somalia, June 2011.

  472 same building: Author interviews, Somali sources with direct knowledge of NSA operations, June 2011.

  472 “The Hole”: See United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, “Somalia: National Security Service Prison (Godka), Mogadishu, Somalia,” January 8, 1998, accessed November 15, 2012, www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3df0bc514.html.

  473 “shall close as expeditiously as possible”: Executive Order 13491, 74 Fed. Reg. 4893 (January 27, 2009).

  473 “further call into question”: Letter sent by eight organizations to President Obama, “Clarify Alleged CIA Role in Detention and Interrogation in Somalia,” September 6, 2011. Sent by the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International USA, Center for Victims of Torture, Physicians for Human Rights, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, The Open Society Foundations, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch. Accessed November 10, 2012, www.hrw.org/news/2011/09/20/letter-president-obama-clarify-alleged-cia-role-detention-and-interrogation-somalia.

  474 regular shelling: “Somalia: MPs Condemn Amisom for Shelling Mogadishu’s Populated Areas,” Shabelle Media Network, June 6, 2011.

  474 “We are like orphans”: Author interview, Mohammed Farah Siad, June 2011.

  474 “dual-track”: Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, “State Department: A Dual-Track Approach to Somalia,” speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 20, 2010, video available at http://csis.org/event/state-department-dual-track-approach-somalia.

  474 “new label”: Afyare Abdi Elmi, “Dual Track Policy in Somalia Misses the Point,” AlJazeera.com, June 9, 2011.

  475 “escalate operations in Somalia”: Gettleman, Mazzetti, and Schmitt, “U.S. Relies on Contractors in Somalia Conflict.”

  475 broadcast the execution: “Shabaab al-Mujahideen Announces Execution of ‘CIA’ ‘Cooperator,’” translation of communiqué released by al Shabab on February 3, 2011, coinciding with the broadcast of the execution, Flashpoint Partners, https://flashpoint-intel.com/inteldocument/flashpoint_shabaab-kataib0211.pdf.

  476 “I believe that the US should help”: Author interview, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, June 2011.

  476 “more resources than al Shabab”: Lauren Sutherland, “Inside Kenya’s Overflowing Refugee Camps,” Nation, August 15, 2011, www.thenation.com/article/162792/inside-kenyas-overflowing-refugee-camps#.

  476 “between one third and one half”: Matt Bryden, Jörg Roofthooft, Ghassan Schbley, and Babatunde Taiwo, “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1916 (2010),” UN Security Council, July 18, 2011, pp. 43–44.

  477 barely pay its own soldiers: Katharine Houreld (AP), “Unpaid Somali Soldiers Desert to Insurgency,” Hiiraan Online, April 28, 2010.

  478 few months earlier: Author interviews, Mogadishu, Somalia, June 2011.

  478 “One night I fired 120 AK-47 rounds”: Author interview, Yusuf Mohamed Siad, June 2011. All information and statements attributed to Indha Adde come from the author’s interviews, unless otherwise noted.

  478 Originally founded: International Crisis Group, “Somalia’s Islamists,” Africa Report No. 100, December 12, 2005.

  479 “preach a message”: Ibid.

  479 assassinations, desecrating the tombs: Author interview, Abdulkadir Moallin Noor, June 2011; International Crisis Group, “Somalia’s Divided Islamists,” Africa Briefing No. 74, May 18, 2010.

  479 much debate: Author interview, Abdulkadir Moallin Noor, June 2011.

  479 arming and financing: Matt Bryden, Arnaud Laloum, and Jörg Roofthooft, “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1853 (2008),” March 10, 2010, p. 12.

  479 boots on the ground: Matt Bryden, Jörg Roofthooft, Ghassan Schbley, and Babatunde Taiwo, “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1926 (2010),” July 18, 2011, p. 51.

  479 formal cooperation agreement: International Crisis Group, “Somalia’s Divided Islamists.”

  479 holy man: Author interview, Abdulkadir Moallin Noor, June 2011. The following details about Noor’s background and return to Mogadishu come from the interview with the author.

  479 “number one”: Ibid. All information and statements attributed to Noor come from the author’s interview.

  480 Mudug: Author interview, Abdulkadir Moallin Noor, June 2011.

  480 “appear to be proxies”: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 11.

  480 received support: Ibid., p. 269.

  480 “most egregious violations”: Ibid., p. 255.

  480 “production of narcotic drugs”: Ibid., p. 53.

  480 “change the balance of power”: Ibid.

  480 “so substantial,” four-wheel drive vehicles, “Philippine army-style”: Ibid., p. 268.

  480 “return to the ‘warlordism’”: Ibid., p. 11.

  481 close ties to the royals: Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, “Private Army Formed to Fight Somali Pirates Leaves Troubled Legacy,” New York Times, October 4, 2012.

  481 “pro-business and opportunity”: Kareem Shaheen, “Blackwater Founder Questioned in Abu Dhabi,” National (UAE), August 25, 2010.

  481 “harder for the jackals”: Robert Young Pelton, �
�Erik Prince, an American Commando in Exile,” Men’s Journal, November 2010.

  481 “make its mark in Somalia”: Author interview, Western official, December 2010.

  481 more than a dozen shipping companies: Philip Ewing, “Blackwater: Thirteen Firms Want Pirate Protection,” Navy Times, October 26, 2008.

  481 183-foot vessel: US diplomatic cable 09DJIBOUTI113, from Ambassador James Swan, US Embassy, Djibouti City, “Djibouti Approves Blackwater for Commercial Counter-Piracy Operations,” February 12, 2009, released by WikiLeaks, http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/02/09DJIBOUTI113.html. Other details about the vessel and its equipment come from the cable.

  481 “We could put vessels out there”: Author copy of recording, Erik Prince speech, January 2010.

  482 250 to 770: Cheryl Pellerin, “Piracy Challenges Maritime Security off Somalia,” America Forces Press Service, January 26, 2011.

  482 snatching three young Somali men: “‘US Marines’ Land in Central Somalia, Arrest Suspected Pirate,” Shabelle Media Network, January 21, 2011.

  482 “Al Shabab is responsible”: Lolita C. Baldor (AP), “Admiral Calls for Counterterror Approach to Piracy,” Boston.com, January 26, 2011.

  482 extorting from the pirates: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 283. “It is the Monitoring Group’s assessment that this arrangement [between the pirates and al Shabab] is local and, to a large extent, clan-based, and no evidence has been found to suggest any broader or more systematic involvement of Al-Shabaab in piracy.”

  482 thirty-three years: Press release from the United States Attorney, Southern District of New York, “Somalian Pirate Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 405 Months in Prison for Hijacking Three Ships and for Hostage Taking,” February 16, 2011.

  482 SOS: Jeffrey Gettleman, “Somali Pirates Hijack Yacht with Americans Aboard,” New York Times, February 19, 2011.

  482 275 miles: “Somali Pirates Seize American Yacht Crew off Oman,” bbc.co.uk, February 18, 2011.

  482 supported by helicopters: Kevin Dolak, Luis Martinez, and Jeremy Hubbard, “Warship Tracking Yacht Hijacked by Somali Pirates,” ABCNews.go.com, February 20, 2011.

  482 unarmed surveillance drones: Transcript, “DOD News Briefing with Vice Adm. Fox via Telephone from Bahrain on Somali Piracy Aboard the S/V Quest,” February 22, 2011.

  482 lethal force: David Jackson, “Obama Notified of Pirate Killings at 4:42 a.m.,” USA Today, February 22, 2011.

  483 willingly boarded: Eric Schmitt, “Seizing of Pirate Commanders Is Questioned,” New York Times, February 23, 2011.

  483 hand-to-hand combat: Transcript, “DOD News Briefing with Vice Adm. Fox.”

  483 too late: Adam Nagourney and Jeffrey Gettleman, “Pirates Brutally End Yachting Dream,” New York Times, February 22, 2011.

  483 took credit: “Pirates Could Face Trial in US over American Deaths,” BBC.co.uk, February 23, 2011.

  483 fifteen remaining pirates: Hanna Siegel, “Pirates Charged in Death of American Yachters,” ABCNews.go.com, March 10, 2011.

  483 inked a deal: Ambassador James Swan, “Djibouti Approves Blackwater for Commercial Counter-Piracy Operations.” Details of the arrangement and the ship come from the cable.

  484 “likely oil reserves”: “Somalia,” CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/so.html.

  484 counterpiracy/counterterrorism force: Associated Press, “One-Thousand-Man Militia Being Trained in North Somalia,” USA Today, December 1, 2010.

  484 later be revealed: Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, “Blackwater Founder Said to Back Mercenaries,” New York Times, January 20, 2011.

  484 Executive Outcomes: Ibid.

  484 offices and shell companies: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 274.

  484 Civil Cooperation Bureau: Desmond Tutu, Alex Boraine, Mary Burton, Bongani Finca, Sisi Khampepe, Richard Lister, Wynand Malan, Khoza Mgojo, Hlengiwe Mkhize, Dumisa Ntsebeza, Wendy Orr, Fazel Randera, Yasmin Sooka, and Glenda Wildschut, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report, vol. 2, October 29, 1998, pp. 138–139. Lafras Luitingh is described by the commission as a “core member” of the CCB who held the position of “administrative or production manager” on its management board.

  484 “seed money”: Ibid.

  484 officials from Abu Dhabi: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 274.

  484 also hired: Associated Press, “One-Thousand-Man Militia Being Trained in North Somalia.”

  484 1,000-member counterpiracy force: Ibid.

  484 “You cannot have oil exploration”: Ibid.

  484 well under way: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea.” The following details of Saracen’s work in Somalia are found pp. 53, 276–279, and 281–282.

  485 traveled to Mogadishu: Ibid., p. 275.

  485 at least five other private companies: Mohamed Ibrahim and Jeffrey Gettleman, “Parliament Takes on Contractors in Somalia,” New York Times, December 30, 2010.

  485 “unknown armed groups”: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 275.

  485 demanding the suspension: Ibrahim and Gettleman, “Parliament Takes on Contractors in Somalia.”

  485 “opaque web of affiliated entities”: Matt Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea pursuant to Security Council resolution 1926 (2010),” p. 53.

  485 “increased tension”: Ibid., p. 282.

  485 overcome the scourge of piracy: Katherine Houreld (AP), “Blackwater Founder Secretly Backing Somali Militia,” Salon.com, January 20, 2011.

  485 “anything to do with Blackwater”: Jeffrey Gettleman, “Somalia Is Likely to Cut Ties to Mercenaries, Official Says,” New York Times, January 23, 2011.

  485 negotiations around the Saracen deal: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 275.

  485 suspending Saracen’s operations: Ibid., p. 273.

  485 discreetly operating: Author interview, senior Somali official, June 2011.

  485 other private security companies: Bryden et al., “Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” p. 256.

  486 “American footprint”: Gettleman, Mazzetti, and Schmitt, “U.S. Relies on Contractors in Somalia Conflict.”

  54: “Total Savagery Throughout the Country”

  487 $5 million bounty: Malkhadir M. Muhumed and Jason Straziuso (AP), “Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Alleged U.S. Embassy Bomber, Dead: Somali Government,” Huffington Post, June 11, 2011.

  487 “We shall redouble our struggle”: Abdi Sheikh, “Somalia’s al Shabaab Vows to Avenge bin Laden,” Reuters, May 7, 2011.

  487 “He was criticizing them”: Author interview, Mogadishu, Somalia, June 2011. All information and statements attributed to the “Somali source” come from the author’s interview.

  487 finding it increasingly difficult: Author interview, Mogadishu, Somalia, June 2011.

  488 increased the size of its forces: Abdi Sheikh, “Burundi Sends 1,000 Extra AU Troops to Somalia,” Reuters, March 12, 2011.

  488 pushing into al Shabab territory: Agence France-Presse, “Amisom Pinning Back Rebels in Mogadishu,” News24.com, April 7, 2011.

  488 new technology: Associated Press, “Pentagon Sends Drones, Anti-Terror Equipment to Counterterror Forces Dealing with Somalia,” FoxNews.com, June 26, 2011.

  488 South African passport: Malkhadir M. Muhumed (AP), “Young Somali Soldier: I Killed Top al-Qaida Operative,” NBCnews.com, June 14, 2011.

  488 high on khat: Mohamed Odowa, “Fazul’s Last Moments; Soldiers Tell of Shootout That Killed Al-Qaeda Commander,” SomaliaReport.com, June 16, 2011.

  489 refused to comply with instructions: Author interviews, Somali militia members at the scene, June 2011, and a senior Somali intelligence official, June 2011.

  489 they discovered: Jeffrey Gettlema
n, “Somalis Kill Mastermind of Two U.S. Embassy Bombings,” New York Times, June 11, 2011.

  489 promptly looted the car: Author interview, Somali intelligence official, June 2011.

  489 “There was a lot of English and Arabic stuff”: Ibid. All information and statements attributed the Somali intelligence official come from the author’s interview.

  489 The men’s bodies were taken: Details of what happened after the raid are from the author’s interview with the Somali intelligence official.

  489 “significant blow to Al Qaeda”: Secretary Clinton’s statement to the press, “Death of Harun Fazul,” June 11, 2011, www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/06/165942.htm.

  489 “to take over as much land as possible”: Author interview, Abdirahman “Aynte” Ali, June 2011. All information and statements attributed to Aynte come from the author’s interview.

  490 United States carried out a strike: Malkhadir M. Muhumed (AP), “Somalia Says US Forces Snatch Militants Hit in Drone Strike,” Boston.com, July 2, 2011.

  490 three more US strikes: Aweys Cadde, “Airstrikes Hit Lower Juba...Again,” SomaliaReport.com, July 6, 2011.

  490 “Both at the same time”: Author interview, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, June 2011.

  490 “We will continue to pummel”: John Brennan, “Ensuring al-Qa’ida’s Demise,” prepared remarks for delivery at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, DC, June 29, 2011.

  490 extreme toll on Somali civilians: Daniel Maxwell and Merry Fitzpatrick, “The 2011 Somalia Famine: Context, Causes, and Complications,” Global Food Security 1 (1) (December 2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2012.07.002.

  490 flocking to the violence-rocked capital: Jane Ferguson and Moni Basu, “Amid Famine, Somalis Flock Back to the War-Torn City They Fled,” CNN.com, July 22, 2011.

  490 30,000 refugees had arrived: Lauren Sutherland, “Inside Kenya’s Overflowing Refugee Camps,” Nation, August 15, 2011.

  490 lost its ability to collect taxes: Dr. Afyare Abdu Elmi and Abdi Aynte, “Somalia: The Case for Negotiating with al-Shabaab,” Al Jazeera Center for Studies, January 16, 2012, http://studies.aljazeera.net/ResourceGallery/media/Documents/2012/2/16/2012216134314443734Somalia_The%20Case%20for%20Negotiating%20with%20al-Shabab.pdf.