Somali pirates hijack the New Year…

..Sort of!  Pirates around the Gulf of Aden rang in the New Year by hijacking a total of four ships this week, according to CNN.

Pirates off Somalia have hijacked two more vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the European Union naval force said Saturday — the third and fourth vessels they have captured this week.The British-flagged Asian Glory was seized off Somalia late Friday, the naval force said. The nationality of the pirates was unclear, because the hijacking happened outside of the force’s operations area, it said.

Somali Islamists a threat to westerners in Kenya

Earlier this year I did some pieces on the Somali pirates who hijacked the Saudi-owned Sirius Star and the Shabab Islamists who pursued them, ostensibly to punish them for attacking a Muslim company, in reality to demand a share of the loot.

Now it seems that the Shabab have migrated to Kenya and are posing a threat to westerners there. Click here for story.

Midwestern “Lost Boys” refugees answer “the call to jihad”?

Well, this is jacked. Anyone remember the stories of the refugee boys from the Sudan and Somalia who were resettled in random, totally alien places like Minneapolis and subsequently pursued success and college educations?

Now the NYT reports that some of them are becoming radicalized within their adoptive cities and are returning to the countries of their birth to join al-Qaeda affiliate groups like Shabaab, whose mission is to overthrow the Somali government.

The (individuals mentioned) are among more than 20 young Americans who are the focus of what may be the most significant domestic terrorism investigation since Sept. 11.