LIONZMAN.

A Map of the Horn of Africa. The Indian Ocean remains an international trade route, with Mogadishu being a coastal city, piracy was launched from Mogadishu for hundreds of years by British pirates, French pirates and other European pirates and powers. The modern piracy that is being perpetrated by the Somali’s is partially a European creation with impoverished Africans and some truly criminal African elements taking up the pirate trade as a viable means of economic sustenance. The effect piracy has had on Somalia and is still having is nothing short of anarchy and nihilism.   Due to its arid climate, Somalia is a very infertile country with few natural resources. Animal husbandry is the most important economic sector. The war of 1991 virtually crippled the economy and it has yet to recover. The bungling of the Americans in the armed conflict, in the early part of the 90s only worsened the Somali problem. The many clans and sub clans vying for power in Somalia...

St Peters Sint Maarten -- The US Department of State on Thursday warned US citizens against travel to Venezuela due to social unrest, violent crime, and pervasive food and medicine shortages. This latest travel warning also informed U. citizens that on July 27, the Department ordered the departure of family members and authorized the voluntary departure of US government employees from the US embassy in Caracas.   All US direct-hire personnel and their families assigned to the US embassy in Caracas are subject to an embassy movement policy that limits their travel within Caracas and many parts of the country. Inter-city travel by car during hours of darkness (6:00 pm to 6:00 am) is strongly discouraged and in some cases may be prohibited. US government personnel must also request approval for travel outside of Caracas. These security measures may limit the US embassy’s ability to provide services. The State Department said that the political and security situation in V...

ST PETERS--The Independence for St. Martin Foundation headed by Jose Lake JR,   said they welcomed the statement from members of the Dutch Second Chamber Andre Bosman (VVD) and Ronald van Raak (SP) about the Foundation’s intention to approach the United Nations (UN) to facilitate the exit of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Foundation sees this as a welcome development and agrees with the position of both Dutch legislators that the current constitutional arrangement within the Kingdom is not final. The Foundation referred to a report in De Antilliaans Dagblad newspaper of July 12, 2017, in which Bosman was quoted as saying: “The Kingdom Charter is not final but an intermediate solution to be seen as a transfer phase. The Netherlands is obligated by the UN charter to develop a system of self-government which would lead the countries into full independence.” “This has been our position since we were established in...

  The National Security Minister, Senator Hermangild Francis has described as “unfortunate” videos that surfaced on social media over the weekend, showing a young St Lucian man being held hostage and tortured overseas in an apparent drug move gone bad. Senator Francis said he plans to meet with the Commissioner of Police today to discuss the matter. However, he stated that the incident should serve as a warning to other youth that criminals in the drugs trade are vicious and the lure of quick money does not pay. In the video, the handcuffed youth is wearing what appears to be a blood-stained shirt and is pleading for his life. 18-year-old Scott Atkins, in a still shot from a YouTube video of him being tortured by Venezuelans, in Venezuela. “Mommy, tell Shawn pay the people for me – mommy, mommy, the people go kill me! The people go cut my head!” The victim says as automatic weapons are pointed at his head. In another video the victim is seen l...

This is an update on the torture video post from yesterday. Acting Police Commissioner, Milton Desir, has promised to issue a statement Monday on a ‘torture’ video that has gone viral on social media. Milton Desir. Desir is just back after accompanying National Security Minister, Hermangild Francis to a two-day  Franco-Saint Lucian Security meeting in Martinique. The Acting Police Commissioner told the Times that he was aware of the video. News reports have identified the victim in the video as 18-year-old Scott Atkins, originally from Desruisseaux. In the video, the handcuffed youth is wearing what appears to be a blood-stained shirt and is pleading for his life. “Mommy, tell Shawn pay the people for me – mommy, mommy, the people go kill me! The people go cut my head!” The victim says as automatic weapons are pointed at his head. In another video the victim is seen lying on the ground while two men, one with an automatic weapon and another...

In another potent example of the reality that the masses of Caribbean people are faced with, on a daily basis. Saint Lucian, Scott Atkins young drug dealer from that island, went to Venezuela and found himself in serious problems. Atkins was kidnapped by several men, viciously beaten and tortured, in a viral video released on Social Media. In the video the Venezuelans can be seen with one man’s foot on Atkins’ back, pointing high powered automatic rifles at his head. The men demanded a ransom for the return of Atkins, in the video Atkins begs a man he calls Shawn to pay the Venezuelans for his safe return. Scott Atkins reportedly left Saint Lucia in late January or early February 2017 and has been seen in Venezuela. FB photo of 18-year-old Atkins.  Middle Atkins and some Venezuela cohorts. Atkins lying on the ground after having been viciously beaten and tortured by his Venezuelan captives. An American made M16 is being pointed at Atkins' head in the phot...

The United States' Government has confirmed that Trinidad and Tobago had the highest per capita rate of ISIS recruitment in the Western Hemisphere in 2016 but says there are no known indigenous or foreign terrorist groups operating in Trinidad and Tobago. The Information forms part of the 2016 Country Reports on Terrorism, released by the US Department of State today. The report states that more than 70 nationals of Trinidad and Tobago are believed to be fighting with ISIS in Syria . It says the Financial Intelligence Unit uncovered 182 suspicious transactions involving possible terrorist financing in 2016, all of which were under investigation at year’s end. But the US notes that Trinidad and Tobago is a willing U.S. counterterrorism partner and quickly accepted offers of assistance to share border security information, develop a strategy to counter violent extremism, and prosecute terrorists. The following is the portion of the report that relates to...