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Young Somali Pirate Sentenced to 34 Years

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Wed Feb 16, 2011 at 03:14:00 PM EST
Tags: Abdulwali Muse, Somali pirates (all tags)
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Abdulwali Muse, the young Somali pirate, was sentenced in federal court today to 34 years in prison.

Muse pleaded guilty last May. As part of the agreement, prosecutors said they would seek a sentence of at least 27 years but no more than 33 years and 9 months. Today they asked for the maximum.

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    Young Somali Pirate Sentenced to 34 Years | 27 comments (27 topical)

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    Sucks to be the Example (none / 0) (#1)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Feb 16, 2011 at 04:27:36 PM EST
    Every time the political world gets in a huff over something, the sucker who gets caught, pays the price.

    "Today's sentence makes it clear that piracy on the high seas is a crime against the international community that will not be tolerated," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

    Indeed... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Wed Feb 16, 2011 at 04:39:16 PM EST
    most unsavory to turn human lives into "examples".
    Judging by the sentence you'd think this kid was behind every act of piracy in all the seven seas or something.

    Now how do I opt out of Preet's "international community", cuz I don't want my name on this sh*t.

    Parent

    And God Forbid... (none / 0) (#8)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 09:53:32 AM EST
    ... you aren't white collar and commit a crime against Big Commerce.

    Bro, we get opted into every pile of C laid, had they gave him 5 years, do you think any 'International Community' line would have been used, somehow they feel the necessity to include us all in as compliant in their non-sense.

    I will say that taking the hostage was really, really stupid, they had the cash, and a get away boat.

    What I am trying to understand is how the US keeps taking people from throughout the world and trying them here, maybe that budget needs a good overall, why not let Somalia or the UN or someone in that hemisphere bear the costs of the criminals they produce, judge their peers, they might not be so quick to give a person 35 years, or maybe death, either way Americans have no business judging people who are in no definable way, his peers.

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    Thats a very good point... (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:05:08 AM EST
    he had no peers on his jury...wonder if that is sufficient grounds for appeal of this cracked-out sentence.

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    Sorry, kdog (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 16, 2011 at 06:17:45 PM EST
    I can't develop any sympathy for people who attack ships, kidnap people and hold them for ransom,.

    It's not about the Somali kid... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 08:33:58 AM EST
    its about us Jim, and our reaction to his actions.  34 years, 1768 weeks, 12410 days...cruel overkill.  Civilized?  Surely you jest.

    Parent
    I cant believe (none / 0) (#5)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 09:00:58 AM EST
    I am agreeing with Jim

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    I'm used... (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 09:13:49 AM EST
    to being in the wilderness when it comes to issues of cage time.

    You ever been chained and/or locked up Capt?  I ask cuz I think its one of these things you have to experience to truly understand.  I've only known arrest and holding cells and I was going batty after a few hours of captivity...I can't imagine a year much less 34.  It is a form of torture, and rarely justifiable to the extent we the people do it.

    Parent

    The piracy of human lives... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 09:14:43 AM EST
    if you will.

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    I get ya. (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 11:27:11 AM EST
    Kdog. I've always marveled out how in this country you can get a whole lot more time for stealing $25 with a .357 than you get for stealing $25 million with a computer and/or a pen.

    Parent
    I have (none / 0) (#9)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 09:55:10 AM EST
    but only to await bail.  that was all I needed to be, if not scared (you will pardon the expression) straight, convinced that a life of crime was not for me.  

    Parent
    It's More bout American's Judging... (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:20:00 AM EST
    ... anyone in the world they want, a person is suppose to be judged by their peers, Constitution and all, yet we snatch people from every inch of the earth, and hold a trial, or threat of a trial with jurors that are in no meaningful way are their peers.  

    Maybe Somalia gives him the same sentence, maybe 5 years, or maybe death, but I am tired of bearing the costs to transport, defend, prosecute, and store criminals created and practicing crime on the other side of the planet.

    Imagine if you committed a crime off the coast of the Texas, and had to stand trial in Somalia, Columbia, Afghanistan, or China.  Fair trial, my A, this guy might not even speak English and yet he's suppose to understand our justice system, and now, he has to do 35 years in an American prison, where ever single aspect of his culture will be lost, this will tear this man down to his core, far deeper than the same sentence would an American.

    And as far as Jim's comment, you fell his shell game, having sympathy has nothing to do with anything, I don't have sympathy for him, for kids in detention, or the clown down the hall everyone hates.  It doesn't mean they deserve 35 years.  Jim would be cheering death to shoplifters if Fox News told him to.

    No one died except his accomplices, I don't believe a first time offender in the US would get anywhere near 35 years for the same crimes.  No early out in the Fed, he will do exactly 35 years, long enough, I suspect, so that when we release him, he is too old to take his frustrations of being tried and kept half way around the world, out on us plain old citizens.

    Parent

    he might prefer an american (none / 0) (#16)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:44:24 AM EST
    prison to one in Somalia.  yoiks to no early release.  still.  sh!ts gotta stop.

    Parent
    This ain't gonna stop sh*t... (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 11:06:29 AM EST
    only love can conquer hate, and only food can conquer hunger.

    All we've done is harden hearts further.

    Parent

    it will stop one of them (none / 0) (#18)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 11:08:47 AM EST
    Im sorry.  kidnapping is a serious crime all by itself.

    Parent
    Yeah... (none / 0) (#19)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 11:10:34 AM EST
    like locking up a drug dealer for 20 years stops one of them...but the vicous cycle continues.  

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    Maybe, but at What Cost (none / 0) (#21)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 12:45:45 PM EST
    Maybe the people back home aren't so happy with American non-sense. Maybe this pushes one of them to join the anti-American wave.  Maybe he get's hooked up with some extremists.  And maybe he decides that strapping a bomb to himself and killing people is the only way he can have his justice.

    Lots of maybes, but we keep pulling this S, it only increases the maybes.  Seems like lately, all we do is increase the maybes, enough of them and they turn into a certainly.

    It's why we are in this mess to begin with, meddling and policing people and places we have no business policing.  Why do we keep stamping the corners of the earth with big fat 'American Interference' and then wonder why the government is in our business trying to root out these maybes, from body scans to eavesdropping on our our citizens, all of it because we keep sticking our nose where it doesn't belong.

    The guy belongs behind bars fore sure, but not our bars financed in by me and you.  If it's too dangerous for Maersk to use those waters, maybe Maersk should not do business there or maybe Maersk should flip the bill for protecting those waters.  Why are my tax dollars financing Maersk's private enterprises on the other side of the planet.

    This whole endeavor benefits you and me how, getting a couple nickel's knocked off goods I probably don't need.  No way Maersk is transporting aid for free, they are making a profit, and financing the cost of security through you and me.  Non-sense.

    Parent

    look (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 12:57:18 PM EST
    I dont really disagree with any of that but the fact is we got people working on these ships who are not responsible for any of that beyond being perhaps american or western.
    those people should not have to fear they are going to be kidnapped or killed while doing their job.

    my response would be to blow them right out of the water on sight.

    Parent

    The Somali pirates apparently are not (none / 0) (#24)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 06:17:08 PM EST
    targeting Americans or Westerners, any nationality will do. They are equal opportunity murderers, kidnappers, ransomers and looters.

    Parent
    all the more (none / 0) (#26)
    by Capt Howdy on Fri Feb 18, 2011 at 08:29:57 AM EST
    reason to blow them out of the water on site IMO

    Parent
    Absolutely no arguments from me. (none / 0) (#27)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Feb 18, 2011 at 01:38:11 PM EST


    Parent
    honestly (none / 0) (#23)
    by CST on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 01:25:37 PM EST
    of all the cr@p we've pulled, I'm kind of okay with this.

    I think people in Somalia have much bigger problems than the fact that we put one of their pirates on trial.  In the grand scheme of bad $hit we do to other countries in that region, this doesn't really register.

    And... while 34 years does seem long, I don't really have a problem with us arresting him.  I don't like the fact that he has become the scapegoat.  I think he should probably have been tried as a minor.  But I don't have a major problem with putting him on trial here.

    At least he went to court...  This isn't a guantanamo situation.

    Parent

    I'm with you (none / 0) (#10)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:02:56 AM EST
    I don't see the justification for 34 years.

    Parent
    he wont serve 34 years (none / 0) (#12)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:07:38 AM EST
    right?

    Parent
    It's the Fed, No Early Release (none / 0) (#15)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:23:13 AM EST
    Not one day.

    Parent
    Not really correct (none / 0) (#25)
    by Peter G on Fri Feb 18, 2011 at 12:47:44 AM EST
    There is no parole from a federal sentence, but there is "good conduct time" of about 13.7% off the maximum sentence (assuming good behavior in prison), under 18 USC 2624(b), as interpreted by the Supreme Court.  So 34 years produces a little over 29 years to serve.

    Parent
    also (none / 0) (#13)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Feb 17, 2011 at 10:09:39 AM EST
    those guy did some pretty nasty stuff.  we are not just talking about corporate loses.  but I have explained before that this hits close to home for me because I could have been one of the crew of one of those boats.

    Parent
    Young Somali Pirate Sentenced to 34 Years | 27 comments (27 topical)

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