Captured Somali Pirate Was Ringleader, Not Dupe

You don't say. Crew members of the Maersk Alabama have gone on the record saying that Wal-i-Musi (aka Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse), the Somali pirate captured by the US Navy in connection with the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips, was not merely some guy along for the ride, but was the leader of the group.

That directly contradicts claims made by his supporters yesterday.

Crew of the Maersk Alabama say he was the leader.

[ATM "Zahid"] Reza said he was steering the Maersk Alabama when it was attacked April 8.

"When I first saw him, he carried himself as the leader. He was asking for directions, how to start (the) engine, and asking for all the crew," Reza recalled of Muse.

Muse spoke in broken English, and mostly spoke to the captain, Reza said.

"He was surprised he was on a U.S. ship. He kept asking, 'You all come from America?' Then he claps and cheers and smiles," Reza said.

Reza, who immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 1999, said Muse was friendly and smiling at first.

"He was the one who was nice to us because two of the other pirates tried to shoot us and he stopped them from shooting," Reza said.

But Muse eventually lost his patience as other pirates failed to arrive, Reza said. Reza and his shipmates lured Muse into a darkened engine room.

During a noisy struggle there, Reza stabbed Muse in the hand with a knife.

Well, now we know how Muse got injured in the first place and why he was on board the USS Bainbridge when the snipers finally freed Capt. Phillips and killed three of the pirates holding him.

This is going to make it even more difficult for Ron Kuby to defend this guy. Kuby's a good lawyer, but Muse is not going to walk. He was caught literally red-handed.

Kuby's trying to torture a reading of international law claiming that the US was somehow violating a truce of warfare in high seas.

Ron Kuby, a New York-based civil rights lawyer, said he has been in discussions about forming a legal team to represent the Somali.

"I think there's a grave question as to whether America was in violation of principles of truce in warfare on the high seas," said Kuby. "This man seemed to come on to the Bainbridge under a flag of truce to negotiate. He was then captured. There is a question whether he is lawfully in American custody and serious questions as to whether he can be prosecuted because of his age."

As noted yesterday, age is not a problem since it's been shown he was at least 18 years old. While Musi may have boarded under a flag of truce, his compatriots continued to threaten Capt. Phillips and the US Navy is obligated to protect the life of the American captain. The US Navy owes a pirate nothing but the business end of a gun or missile.