TFG Topcat Security Sign $50m Deal

[Xoogsade]

Duufaan, Recognition comes from somalis like me is as clear as daylight unless you discount me as a somali. I have an outsized stake in this matter and not only shall I critique and vehemently oppose anything unwarranted from these henchmen in Jowhar, but will be at the forefront in ensuring their bigotry doesn't affect me or those whom I care about if I can. This is not to say their nemesis in Muqdisho are better. Our basic demand is their conflict to not spill-over to us in any way, shape or form be it political or otherwise. I don't think that is too much to ask.

 

Besides, If Banaadir is hostage to some, Her liberators who deserve the unquestionable support of the conscionable members of our soceity are yet to come. You conveniently forget this so called government is the product of warlords and thuggish dictatorial men who were forced to meet together to bring an end to the devisions. If some men among them think they are better than others, and consequently want to use a position of power they didn't deserve to begin with to harm people who shouldn't be harmed, and they continue their selfish personal tag of wars with each other, we are not going to let such men cause any more harm than already happened. We prefer if they take their wars to a private place far removed from the rest of us. If that isn't gonna happen, it is self-preservation by any means.

[uchi]

Not sure how relevent this is - This is Garowe's take.

 

-----------

 

Xafladda lagu kala saxiixanayey heshiiskan oo ka dhacday magalada Nayrobi ayey waxyabihii heshiiskoda qorayay ka mid ahaa iney ilaaliyaan xeebaha Soomaaliya isla markaana il gaar ah ku eegayaan burcad badeedka ka qowleysata xeebaha Soomaaliya iyo Mraakiibta shisheeye ee qashinka haraaga sunta ku soo shuba.

 

Ra'iisul Wasaaraha Dowladda Federaalka KMG ah ee Somaliya Prof. Cali Maxamed Geeddi oo heshiiskas kadib saxaafadda ugu waramay ayaa sheegay in uu yahay heshiiskan mid soo afjaraya dhibaatada ba'an ee ka taagan xeebaha dalka Soomaaliya iyo xadgudubyada loo geysto xeebaha Soomaaliya, wuxuuna rajo ka muujiyay in ay keeneyso isbadel ku yimaada Xeebaha Soomaaliya.

 

Shirkaddan oo howlaha ay ka qabaneyso xeebaha Soomaaliya ugu baxayaan qarash lacageed oo dhan 50 Milyan oo Dollarka Mareykanka ah.

 

Shirkadahaan kharashka kaga baxa ilaalinta badaha ayaa badanaa waxay ka qataan maraakiibta sida sharci darada wadanka uga Kaluumaysata kuwaas oo ay heshiis labaad la galaan isla markaana dakhliga ay helaan ayaan soo dhaafin jeebka dadka Mukhalasiinta ka ah shirkadahaan iyo siyaasiyiinta sixiixday.

 

Dowlad goboleedka Puntland ayaa heshiis midkaan la mid ah horay ula gashay shirkad ilaalisa badaha hoos yimaada Puntland, shirkadaas ayaa waxa lagu magacaabi jiray Hart-Group, taas oo aysan shacabka reer Puntland ka faa'idin waxtarkeeda madaama ay isu badashay shirkad ilaalisa ganacsato si sharci daro ah badda uga Kalumaysta.

 

Hadaba heshiiskaan ayaan filaynaa un uusan la mid noqon kuwii hore shacabka iyo saxafada Somaliyed aysan maqlin marka uun la sixiixay balse nafciga ka soo baxa uu noqdo mid la horkeeno golyasha dowlada isla markaana waxtarkiisa wadanka dib ugu noqda.

 

Garoweonline.com

[Xoogsade]

The contract was signed by one group, so why does the article say at the end that the contract should be brought in front of "Golayaasha"? I don't foresee the Jowhar group sending a copy of the contract to their nemesis.

 

And then who guarantees the Jowhar villains will not prevent Goods to Muqdisho under the guise of government controll? They can simply give to the mercenaries a checklist of towns where goods can be released to while others are blacklisted. They can even deny later when they are caught in the bigotry. Interestingly, NB mentioned if such moves on the part of Jowhar group will bring others to their fold. I think he forgets that the warlords have businesses that won't be impacted in anyway by any policy enforced to punish them. It is the average business person who loses, and consequently, the people who relied on their services.

[Sky]

Garowe Online has a point. When Col Yeey's close business associates were given the green light to enter into a deal with Hart Group to establish SOMCAN. SOMCAN would protect the Somali coast between Bosasso and Garacad from illegal fishing vessels. Later on it would turn out that it wasn't about protecting Puntland's coast till Somalia pulls itself out of the status quo.

 

Instead, Col Yeey's business partners made millions of dollars from the contracts with foreign fishing companies from Thailand, Malaysia, Yemen etc. Col Yeey of course was the boss and was therefore entitled to the bulk of the money, and he used his new fortune to strengthen his political position. SOMCAN's actual mission was to provide militia protection to foreign fishing vessels that paid for their license and attack those that are fishing in Puntland seas without permission.

 

I doubt that this will be anything similar to what happened and what is still happening in Puntland. But as Xoogsade mentioned it might be an attempt to control the sea traffic of Somalia, instead of protecting the Somali seas of pirate infestation. One thing I do know is that Col Yeey and Geedi are playing the game hard.

[Xoogsade]

I am impressed bro Sky that I am on your good-guys list this morning hahahahaha. Well, there is hope finally and I get to open my big mouth about the so called government without upsetting hardcore TFG supporters.

[Yoonis_Cadue]

Smart move from the government. The contract was not signed as a protection for vesseles sailing along the coast of Somalia but to control the trafficking of illegal goods and people that go to Somalia in order to prevent illegal cargo reacgubg the hands of criminals who are agianst the establishment of Law and order.

 

Every ship that is heading to Somalia should be looked at very carefully to prevent illegal weapons entering the land of the Somalis.

 

Inshallah the land, air and sea ways will be shut and closed for good for the war-profiteers and the merchands of illegality. No wonder why Qanyare and the rest are suddenly becoming so anxious and worried lately.

[uchi]

Maybe that was the idea...

 

Well dressed military outfitted soldiers, well equipped with weapons, only then to hijack ships and what not, then all of the sudden all pirate hijacking seized.

 

Was it all orcistrated for the purpose of obtaining these funds, could the President and his lobby groups in and outside Mogadishu have something fishy cooking up.

 

A stretch? who knows.

 

More research on TocCat is definitely needed.

[Jumatatu]

Exactly Uchi. There was report that said that the speedboats used for highjacking came from a mother-ship. Now I doubt whether the 'Somali' bandits are so sophisticated to own a mother-ship with speed boats to highjack ships in the high seas. They could not command such a mission of high magnititude.

 

And all this time there was such euphoria made about the piracy in the Somali sea, and meetings were held in Mombasa, Nairobi, Djibouti to find a solution for it. Then here comes the agreement between Top Cat and our TFG. The whole deal smells of fish. It is obvious as you predict Uchi the whole scenario was orchestrated, but my only question is and was where will the money come from? I have a strong believe that money allocated for rebuilding essential social infrastructure will be derailed in order to meet the cost of the deal. And as always the beneficiaries are not only Top Cat but also high ranking officers within the TFG ( have you ever heard of kick-backs).

 

 

Pirate 'mother ship' spotted.....from CNN

[Yeniceri]

Originally posted by Jumatatu:

...but my only question is and was where will the money come from? I have a strong believe that money allocated for rebuilding essential social infrastructure will be derailed in order to meet the cost of the deal.

A strong belief, huh. And rightfully so. Let's remember that the man in question here is Cabdullahi Yusuf. Whenever you think that something he's accused of is too prepostrous, then that's when you're actually closer to the truth. Let's also remember that during the warlord-presidential election show in Nairobi, Cabdullahi Yusuf used his status as Puntland pres to fund his campaign, while hundreds of families (all "Reer Puntland") were going through one of the worst droughts in recent memory.

 

And there is no doubt that funds needed for social services and re-construction will be derailed by the Cabdullahi regime. Just as those services were derailed and put into personal use by regimes before him.

 

NONE of Somalia's governments ever worked for the greater good. Don't expect this one to.

[Jumatatu]

Originally posted by Jannisary:

NONE of Somalia's governments ever worked for the greater good. Don't expect this one to.

Indeed...!

 

 

Troubled boat builder leaves St. Stephen high and dry

 

ST. STEPHEN--It seemed an ideal pairing when the builder of bulletproof boats announced in April that it was moving operations to job-starved St. Stephen and could eventually employ as many as 250 people.

 

Six months later, St. Stephen finds itself in court, and the split is not amicable.

 

The 150 boats that Top Cat Marine Security Inc. was expected to produce in its first year of operation out of an old electric plant off S.C. Highway 45 never materialized. Neither did the jobs.

 

Instead, the door to Top Cat is padlocked, the company is facing eviction, one of its top officials has been arrested on a charge of issuing a fraudulent check and a default judgment was issued against the company Monday.

 

"We got, in plain old English, bamboozled," said Vincent Chappell, CEO of Onyx International Inc., which shared warehouse space with Top Cat and tried to help the company with its relocation. "People opened up their doors, not just us, the entire community."

 

Top Cat's product and the timing of its move from New Jersey to St. Stephen seemed a good fit, Berkeley County Supervisor Jim Rozier said. The company was to design and make high-speed, bulletproof boats for law enforcement agencies, emergency response teams and counterterrorist organizations. It did not receive any incentive package to relocate.

 

Chief Operating Officer Peter Casini said in April that the move would create at least 75 jobs within the next year, a number expected to more than triple over two years.

 

It was good news for St. Stephen and the surrounding area, which lost 1,000 jobs during the past decade, Mayor Robert Hoffman said at the time.

 

Most recently, 300 workers lost their jobs after Georgia-Pacific shut its Russellville plywood plant in 2002.

 

The latest unemployment rate for Berkeley County was 4.6 percent in August.

 

Onyx International Inc. president Gwendolyn Crosby sees firsthand the demand for jobs in the area. Onyx is a small warehousing and distribution company. Crosby recently needed 50 people for a four-day job. More than 300 people showed up, she said, and she continued to get phone calls long after the job ended.

 

The apparent failure of Top Cat is "very disappointing. We're in an economically depressed area when you look at the job losses balanced with what's created. It's like having the rug pulled out from under you," Mayor Hoffman said.

 

Rozier and Berkeley County Economic Development Director John Scarborough said it appears the finances didn't work out for Top Cat. Hoffman said he didn't know what happened to the company after its promising debut.

 

"I went to investigate myself a couple of times, just to drop in and see what was going on, and I haven't been able to find anybody there," Hoffman said.

 

He's not the only person who's been interested in Top Cat.

 

"A lot of law enforcement people are looking for them, and I don't think it's about buying a boat," Crosby said.

 

Vendors and others who find the Top Cat door padlocked often stop at the Onyx office to ask if the boat company still is in business or when its employees will be there, she said.

 

Nobody from Top Cat showed up Monday in small claims court in Moncks Corner to contest a complaint Onyx filed against the company for nonpayment of services, including providing electricity. Judge David Brown entered a default judgment of $5,960.45 against Top Cat.

 

Top Cat's vice president of sales and contracts, Marianne Gillard, 36, is due in magistrate's court in St. Stephen today following her arrest last week. Gillard is accused of writing a $650 bad check drawn on a New Jersey bank. Gillard said the day after her arrest that she didn't want to comment and referred questions to company attorneys, who couldn't be reached for comment.

 

Eviction notices also have been filed in magistrate's court in Moncks Corner against Gillard and Casini, who rented houses in the Pinopolis area. The clerk's office said those notices haven't been served because Gillard and Casini couldn't be located.

 

The St. Stephen telephone number for Top Cat is not in service and no phone number is listed for Casini.

[Suldaanka]

Then here comes the agreement between Top Cat and our TFG

I reckon the TFG was used as a rubberstamp for legit purposes. This deal smells like there is some external hand to it. C'mon, Do you think Col. Yey would flush 50M dollars down the drain just like that?

 

Anyways, isn't marvelous how the donors find $50M dollars just like that and when asked to fund a proper and worthy projects (which there are many) it might take like ages even if they funded at the end, they will only provide beanuts.

 

As for Top Cat, I say good luck to them. I know they will be cruising around those long virgin beaches of that part of the world. But I would just tell them to watch out of the dangerous nuclear waste dumped there, I am sure they will meet more of that than the supposedly dangerous "Somali Pirates".

[Duufaan]

http://www.topcatmarinesecurity.com/

Simply you cannot trust Ayaamaha. They may have problem but they got the speed boats.

 

Well done the somali team, I hope they are free.

[Xudeedi]

Originally posted by BN:

Maakhir,

 

Let us wait and see how good of an intiative this proves to be. While it may help with humanitarian aid delivery, if i gets off the ground or implemented, but what sort of a reaction might this create?

 

BN, Jini Boqor repudiated the deal as mere illegal contract in the hope of facilitating the dumping of toxic chemicals on our shores. Of course, his vitriolic mudslinging comment wouldn't attract the attention it seeks to be attended. However, for the positive outlook of this deal, i think it will add to the implementation of comprehensive security package that would lead to the stabalization of the country. Let us wait!

[BN]

^^Time will tell. Until then, details and speculations of the deal, are abound.

 

____________________________________________

 

Mercenaries to Police Somali Coast

 

November 27, 2005: The growing piracy problem off the Somali coast has been solved by the hiring of private contractors to operate as a coast guard. The American firm, Top Cat Marine Security (www.TopCatMarineSecurity.com), has previously provided counter-terrorism and coastal security services for the Department of Homeland Defense, and other government agencies. The firm also designs and builds high speed patrol boats.

 

While no one is saying it, the United States is basically taking over coastal security duties for Somalia. The Transitional Government there has no money for this sort of thing, so it appears that the U.S. is picking up the tab. This could get interesting, for the Somali warlords who operate along the coast are not going to take kindly to some foreigners trying to interfere. The first priority of the new coast guard is to put the pirate gangs, and especially the two larger "mother ships", that are supporting attacks far out at sea, out of action.

 

Many of the Top Cat personnel will be non-Somali, and former military. Most of the staff will eventually be Somalis. By not sending active duty American military personnel into this, there is less for the media to grab onto and cause public opinion problems for the U.S. government. There’s also the opportunity for more private security forces to be used to help pacify all of Somalia. That would be very expensive, and it’s not a sure thing that the United States government would be willing to absorb the entire cost, as well as the media heat for spending all that money to try and police a bunch of uncooperative, heavily armed and, ungrateful Somalis.

 

Top Cat Marine Security is being paid $55 million for the first two years of the contract. Some of this will be recovered by enforcing the payment of fishing fees by foreign boats that work the lucrative coastal waters. Warlords are now getting some of this money, by demanding protection money from fishing boats, and ransom fro boats that are seized by pirates. In reaction to the police effort, the warlords can be expected to go after the new coast guards land bases. Top Cat will either have to establish heavily fortified and well defended land bases, or put some, or all, of them in foreign countries (like Kenya, Djibouti, and the breakaway Somaliland). But because of the extent of the Somali coat, it's unavoidable that a base be established in central Somalia, which is thick with heavily armed, aggressive and greedy warlords. Top Cat will have to live up to its name in order to survive.

 

Source

[Sky]

Well the TFG minister of fisheries and marine resources Xasan Faarax Abshir is the man behind this agreement and Topcat somehow is limiting itself to the Puntland coast and not far beyond. But let's wait and see. Their sheer presence might bring impressive results to the overall stabilisation of Somalia.

 

Toxic waste on the Somali coast is an issue needed to be addressed, but many have forgotten that the problem was not as serious as some people would like others to believe after some agencies inspected the post-Tsunami Puntland coast.

 

 

Somalia, US firm seal $55 million anti-piracy deal

 

 

Nairobi, Kenya, 11/27 - The Somali Transition Government and a United States-based marine security firm, Topcat Security Incorporated, Friday signed the anti-piracy accord here to curb growing poaching and piracy in its international waters.

 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi said the deal was a result of months of negotiations.

 

"This is the first crucial step taken by the Government of Somalia in protecting its bountiful marine resources and coastline. Our rich marine resources will no longer become the ill-gotten gains of poachers," Ghedi said.

 

Topcat president Peter Casini said the company would concentrate on training of coast guards to safeguard the Somali coastal waters from the risk of pirates.

 

The Somali government is investing US$55 million in the training of marine guards and acquisition of the equipment needed to police the coasts, government officials said.

 

Somali coastlines have become a hotbed of illegal activities with a number of foreign-registered ships operating in the region involved in illegal fishing and dumping of hazardous waste, while pirates have of late hijacked a number of vessels.

 

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has classified Somali territorial waters as the world`s "most dangerous" waters because of heightened piracy, recording at least 36 attacks on foreign and local ships since March this year.

 

http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=394892