(Feb. 1) -- Hordes of private-sector aid groups fighting to alleviate the disaster in Haiti may soon be joined by some motley new allies: pirates.
Somali pirates have vowed to redistribute some of the millions of dollars they have stolen in the past few years to those suffering from the earthquake in Haiti, reports Agencia Matriz del Sur, a Spanish-language Web site that says it seeks to counter the media influence of wealthy countries. Somali pirates often divide their booty and distribute it to family and local citizens -- a tactic also used by American gangs to develop community goodwill.
With language worthy of Errol Flynn's schmaltziest "Robin Hood" moments, an unnamed spokesman for the pirates accused the United States and Europe of having "no moral authority" to distribute aid, telling Agencia Matriz del Sur that "they have been the ones pirating mankind for many years."
Somali pirates may have a considerable amount of cash to distribute, as well. As recently as Jan. 13, authorities gave out a record $5.5 million bounty on a captured Greek tanker. Pirates had a record year in 2009, attacking 214 ships and hijacking 47, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
In the years since they have become active, Somali pirates have garnered a huge amount of media attention, prompting several investigative articles and even a "South Park" episode. In April, the BBC ran an interview with Dahir Mohamed Hayeysi, a 25-year-old pirate who painted a heroic but troubled image of himself and his colleagues.
"Thousands of young desperate Somalis continue to risk their lives in the sea in search of a better life abroad," he told the BBC. "So it is no surprise to see us in the same water, pirating in search of money -- there is no difference. We have local support; most of the people here depend on pirates directly or indirectly."
The outpouring of media attention demonstrates the particular hold that the noble outlaw -- he might be a pirate, a gangster, a cowboy or an ex-Marine inhabiting a 10-foot-tall blue alien -- has on the popular consciousness. Announcements of Somali pirate attacks came while the country was watching Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow, but the idea of the honorable, romantic pirate dates back at least to 1814 with Lord Byron's "The Corsair."
The Somali pirates' announcement suggests that they are keen to keep that image alive in popular culture. Their charity claims may have little value beyond the literary, however. According to pirate leaders, "connections in various parts of the world" will ensure that they are capable of delivering aid without detection or, conveniently, accountability.
Somali pirates have vowed to redistribute some of the millions of dollars they have stolen in the past few years to those suffering from the earthquake in Haiti, reports Agencia Matriz del Sur, a Spanish-language Web site that says it seeks to counter the media influence of wealthy countries. Somali pirates often divide their booty and distribute it to family and local citizens -- a tactic also used by American gangs to develop community goodwill.
With language worthy of Errol Flynn's schmaltziest "Robin Hood" moments, an unnamed spokesman for the pirates accused the United States and Europe of having "no moral authority" to distribute aid, telling Agencia Matriz del Sur that "they have been the ones pirating mankind for many years."
Thomas Mukoya, AFP/Getty Images
Somali pirates have stolen millions of dollars in recent years, but one pirate leader said some of the take will go to help earthquake survivors in Haiti. Here, a Somali militant talks on his phone at a United Nations food distribution center in Mogadishu in 2006.
Somali pirates may have a considerable amount of cash to distribute, as well. As recently as Jan. 13, authorities gave out a record $5.5 million bounty on a captured Greek tanker. Pirates had a record year in 2009, attacking 214 ships and hijacking 47, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
In the years since they have become active, Somali pirates have garnered a huge amount of media attention, prompting several investigative articles and even a "South Park" episode. In April, the BBC ran an interview with Dahir Mohamed Hayeysi, a 25-year-old pirate who painted a heroic but troubled image of himself and his colleagues.
"Thousands of young desperate Somalis continue to risk their lives in the sea in search of a better life abroad," he told the BBC. "So it is no surprise to see us in the same water, pirating in search of money -- there is no difference. We have local support; most of the people here depend on pirates directly or indirectly."
The outpouring of media attention demonstrates the particular hold that the noble outlaw -- he might be a pirate, a gangster, a cowboy or an ex-Marine inhabiting a 10-foot-tall blue alien -- has on the popular consciousness. Announcements of Somali pirate attacks came while the country was watching Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow, but the idea of the honorable, romantic pirate dates back at least to 1814 with Lord Byron's "The Corsair."
The Somali pirates' announcement suggests that they are keen to keep that image alive in popular culture. Their charity claims may have little value beyond the literary, however. According to pirate leaders, "connections in various parts of the world" will ensure that they are capable of delivering aid without detection or, conveniently, accountability.
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