“To hell with the FBI,” said Councilman Charles Barron. “I’m telling the Barack Obama administration to be more humane.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Barron, along with the Rev. Dr. Herbert D. Daughtry of the National Religious Leaders, held a news conference outside of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in lower Manhattan before the eventual arraignment of Abde Wade Abdur Kadhir Muse, said to be the sole survivor among the pirates that hijacked an American ship earlier this month. Barron addressed the media coverage surrounding the Somali pirate and shed light on what he feels is the core issue at hand.
“This is not just about the issue of a 16-year-old being arrested for piracy,” said Barron. “This is about the issue of the genocidal killing of Somalian people by polluting the Somalian waters with toxic waste.” Barron claims that over $300 million in lobsters, shrimps and other kinds of fish have been illegally taken out of Somalian waters, leaving the main industry of the people bare.
Barron said,”15 to 20 years ago, the people of Somalia told the United Nations that they didn’t want anyone in their waters stealing their fish.
“He [Abde] indeed was doing this because he was hungry. And nobody is talking about the hungry, starving African people of Somalia,” said Barron.
“We ought to be concerned about whenever human beings are being killed. Sometimes they’re killed by dropping bombs and sometimes they’re killed by cutting off supplies,” said Rev. Daughtry.
“The point the councilman is raising ought to be investigated.”
Both Barron and Daughtry said none of what they believe has anything to do with endorsing piracy. “Be it far from us to support any kind of thuggery,” said Rev. Daughtry. “But the larger issue is being overlooked.”
“If you must, go ahead and prosecute,” he said. “Now after you finish prosecuting, deal with the issue of Somalia. The USA should first play a role in stabilizing this country. It hasn’t had a stabilized government in the past 18 years.”
Barron also felt that the debate about Wali-Musi’s age should’ve ended with the mother and father, who’ve already said he’s a minor. “His mother said he was 16. His father said he was 16,” he said. “The FBI said he was 18 so that they can try him here.” Barron ended his statement by bringing it back to America and the United Nations’ lack of punishment towards nations that illegally use the waters of a country with no government.
“If they didn’t destroy the Somalian fishing industry, they wouldn’t need humanitarian aid,” said Barron.