The ESL Free Press

Pirate Gets 30 Years

A Somali man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for piracy. Like the pirates who were found guilty of attacking the USS Nichols, he attacked a U.S. Navy warship thinking it was a merchant ship.

Jama Idle Ibrahim is also known as Jaamac Ciidle. He pleaded guilty in August. Ibrahim admitted he and five other Somalis sailed the Gulf of Aden, looking for a ship to capture. They found the USS Ashland and thought it was a cargo ship. They fired at it, hoping the crew would surrender and the ship could be held for ransom.

Instead, the pirates lost the fight and were taken to the U.S. for trial.

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printable:Download Pirate Gets 30 Years.pdf (18.4K)

 

U.S. Freezes Government Workers' Pay

Workers for the U.S. government will not get any pay raises in 2011 or 2012.

President Obama has ordered this as a way to cut government spending. It should save $2 billion in 2011.

The White House says, "This freeze is not to punish federal workers or to disrespect the work that they do." It says everyone must give things up to help the country's economy.

Soldiers and other servicemembers will not have their pay frozen -- only civilian workers.

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printable:Download U.S. Freezes Government Workers' Pay.pdf (20.0K)

Links to November 30th's Top News Stories

Japan has had a 6.9 earthquake off its southern coast -- but there are no reports of damage or injuries. Read more.

Six people have been killed by a suicide bomber who attacked a police van in northwestern Pakistan. Two of the dead are children, reports say. Read more.

A poll of Jewish Israelis has found that 53% think the government can urge Arabs to leave the country. Read more.

A new video game stars Mickey Mouse. Read more.

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Mosque Set on Fire in Bombing Suspect's Hometown

A mosque in Corvallis, Oregon, was set on fire Sunday night. This came two days after a young Muslim man from the town was arrested and charged with planning a bombing. (See the post below.)

The fire at the Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center started sometime after midnight. The building's office was damaged.

There is a reward up to $10,000 for information on who was responsible.

The FBI says it will not tolerate anyone trying to strike back at Muslims.

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printable:Download Mosque Set on Fire in Bombing Suspect's Hometown.pdf (20.1K)

Christmas Tree Bombing Stopped

A Somali-American teen is charged with trying to bomb a Christmas ceremony in Portland, Oregon, on Friday as an act of jihad (Muslim religious war).

The charges say Mohamed Osman Mohamud planned to set off a car bomb at a gathering where a Christmas tree would be lit up for the holidays.

Mohamud is 19. He was born in Somalia and later became an American citizen. FBI agents say he told them he started thinking of violent jihad when he was 15.

In 2009, the charges say, Mohamud began emailing a man in Pakistan about joining in jihad. FBI agents, posing as jihadis, got in touch with Mohamud. They say he asked them to help him plan an explosion.

The agents say they helped Mohamud build a fake bomb and "set it off". Then they arrested him.

The FBI agents say they gave Mohamud chances to drop his plans. They reminded him there would be many children at the ceremony. They said they would not look down on him if he changed his mind. But, they say, Mohamud said he wanted to attack people who were spending the holidays with their families.

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printable:Download Christmas Tree Bombing Stopped, FBI Says.pdf (21.6K)

Links to November 29th's Top News Stories

An Afghan border policeman has shot and killed six U.S. soldiers. The gunman was also killed. A police official says, "I think the Taliban has worked on him." Read more.

An Iranian nuclear scientist has been killed, and another has been injured, in two car bombings in Tehran. Read more.

The U.S. government has ordered its agencies to be more careful with secret documents, after Wikileaks put many State Department messages online. Read more.

Former President George W. Bush will appear on Facebook Live this afternoon at 2 PM Eastern time. He will answer questions from Facebook's founder, workers, and users. Read more.

No Printables Today

We are sorry, but we are not able to create PDF's today, so there will be no printable versions of articles.

Albanian Extradited

An Albanian man charged with drug dealing and violent crimes has been extradited (sent for trial) to the U.S.

Almir Rrapo had been in the U.S., then gone back to Albania to get away from the charges. He had gotten a job as assistant to Albania's Deputy Prime Minister.

His country's police arrested him in July.

Rrapo is charged with belonging to a criminal gang, the Krasniqi Organization. The charge says this group sold marijuana and used violence to protect its business. For example, Rrapo and other members are said to have kidnapped a rival drug dealer and threatened to kill him. They are also accused of killing another dealer, Erion Shehu, in a drive-by shooting in New York.

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ISAF Says Helicopters Didn't Fly Into Pakistan

China's Xinhua news agency says two NATO helicopters crossed the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan on Friday. It says they fired at a village and injured three people. But the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan says this is not true.

ISAF says no aircraft crossed into Pakistan, no one was hurt -- and Xinhua did not talk to ISAF before making its report.

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Links to November 26th's Top News Stories

Saudi Arabia has arrested 149 people accused of belonging to Al-Qaeda. Read and watch.

People who live on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea, are leaving after the North Korean attack. Some of their homes were destroyed, and they say they expect a war. Read more.

An Afghan official blames British agents for bringing a fake "Taliban commander" to peace talks. As we told you earlier, the man turned out to be a store owner from Pakistan. Read more.

It's "Black Friday" in the U.S. -- the day after Thanksgiving, when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. At one mall in California, there has already been a fight. Read more.