A Jan. 21 account from the pan-Latin American Matriz del Sur [2] agency claiming that Somalia [3]'s pirates [4] are seeking to send booty as aid to Haiti [5]'s earthquake victims has made an Internet splash, picked up by Venezuela's Aporrea [6] and translated into English on Metamute [7]. The report only uses the word "pirates" in quotes (prefaced with "so-called" on first reference), but the pirate leader who is quoted is not identified by name or organization. No alternative term for the pirates is offered.
The anonymous "pirate" (sic) leader says: "The humanitarian aid to Haiti can not be controlled by the United States and European countries; they have no moral authority to do so. They are the ones pirating mankind for many years." The account claims the "'pirates' typically redistribute a significant portion of their profits among relatives and the local population." They collect ransoms in cash as banks can not operate in Somalia. The report claims the "pirates" have established a network to "ensure the delivery of aid without being detected by the armed forces of enemy governments."
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