One of the most recent publicized photos or videos of Michael Scott Moore was from a proof of life edit released by Somalia Report. Screenshot: Youtube
On January 21, 2012, journalist Michael Scott Moore was abducted by Somali pirates near the city of Galkayo where he was researching for a book on piracy. This past Tuesday morning, after nearly three years in captivity, the dual United States and German citizen was finally released. Initial reports did not include the $1.6 million ransom, but CBS News has since reported that a commander of the pirates claimed that negotiators paid $1.6 million to secure this release.
Moore wrote Sweetness and Blood: How Surfing Spread from Hawaii and California to the Rest of the World, with Some Unexpected Results and has contributed to Pacific Standard and Spiegel Online, among others.
On Tuesday, Moore was flown to the Somali capital of Mogadishu, where authorities immediately took him in for medical and psychological examination.
According to German title Spiegel Online, a digital publication for which Moore has previously worked for, Germany’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the release: “‘A German citizen, who also possesses American citizenship and who was kidnapped in Somalia, was freed today.’ Moore, 45, is said to be in good condition considering the circumstances, security officials said. They said that he was overjoyed to be free.”
Abdi Yusuf, interior minister of the semi-autonomous region of Galmudug in central Somalia where he was abducted, told Reuters, “The Western journalist was released.”
Moore was apparently reporting on a Pulitzer Center grant when he was abducted. Jon Sawyer, executive director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, thanked those who worked tirelessly to have him safely returned: “We’re grateful to all the people who have worked so long to bring about Michael’s release — and thrilled that he and his family can be reunited at last.”
No pictures have been published following his release, but here is one of the most recent publicized photos or videos of Michael Scott Moore, published by Somalia Report back in 2012.
While many are relieved to have Moore headed towards safer shores, much confusion and many unanswered questions still shroud the circumstances surrounding his abduction, captivity, and rescue attempts/negotiations. Although it is known that Moore was in fact researching a book on piracy, many media outlets, including the aforementioned Spiegel Online, apparently tried to distance themselves from the kidnapped journalist:
According to Somalia Report, the German media company Der Spiegel, which Moore was possibly on assignment for, began to withdraw any relationship with Moore. Emails were sent to Somalia Report and other publications demanding that they cease any coverage of his kidnap. Moore’s blog has been shut down and all of Moore’s articles on Somalia dating to 2008 have been removed.
The circumstances presented a troubling lack of transparency:
This is truly a modern day pirate battle hushed and censored from the media. Big media corporations and publications have all tried to hush this story, and not for good cause. What you don’t know is that media corporation strategies are only set in place to protect their assets and liability rather than insuring a speedy release of hostages. What they will tell you is that the news embargo has its roots in protecting our own, but apparently, in situations like this, news attention can drive up ransom prices with a related mortality consequence. But if you do a simple Google search on Michael Scott Moore, there are several brief articles on Moore’s kidnapping from CBS, KTLA, SLATE, The Huffington Post and the L.A. Times.
There was one successful rescue attempt, a mere four days after he was kidnapped, but Moore was not a primary target during the op, and ultimately the Navy SEALs had to leave without him:
U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 gathered intel using phone intercepts, surveillance, and visual confirmation, and performed a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump from the sky from which they silently executed all nine kidnappers. Just so there were no surprises, each armed kidnapper either sleeping or awake was killed using double-tap shooting techniques, a technique employing two well-aimed shots that are fired at a single target with very little time in between, the latter being the kill shot. These highly trained tactics helped in the 3:30 a.m. blacked out rescue mission and resulted in the successful rescue of American Jessica Buchanan (32) and Danish citizen Dane Poul Thisted (60) of the Danish Demining Group (DDG). The two hostages were lifted back onto a nearby waiting helicopter.
There was not enough time to locate or include Moore in the tightly coordinated and timed rescue mission. Rescuers knew that the fate of Moore would be adversely affected by the successful rescue attempt of the two hostages. U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 is the same SEAL squad that killed Osama bin Laden.
However, now that Moore has been released, the journalist will have an opportunity to speak and write for himself.
We here at The Inertia are glad to have him out of his previous harm’s way and, hopefully, on the way to a full recovery.
