If I’m reading this New York Times article correctly, the young pirate whose three cobrigands were all killed by Navy SEAL snipers may eventually live freely here in the United States. Talk about winning the immigration lottery!
Just how swiftly a trial would be held is uncertain, and much would depend on the defense strategy, which almost certainly would involve an investigation into the man’s background and the circumstances under which he became involved in the hostage-taking.
The suspect has been identified in news reports as Abduhl Wal-i-Musi, and is described as being in his late teens.
“We don’t know a thing about him,†said Joshua L. Dratel, a lawyer who has handled terrorism cases in federal court and Guantánamo Bay. “He may have been a conscripted child soldier. There may be a whole back story to his motivation that’s very different than just criminal behavior and criminal intent.â€
The defense could also seek to have him cooperate with prosecutors in return for being placed in a protected prison program, and even later relocated in the United States, if he could provide truly useful information about how the pirate networks operate, who runs them and who pays for them.
If he ever ends up living in America’s largest Somali community in Minneapolis-St. Paul, then I propose turning his life into a movie titled: “Abduhl, Abduhl: A young man’s strange journey from Mogadishu to Minneapolis.”
7 Comments