Last May Somali pirate Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse made an about face and pled guilty to hostage-taking, kidnapping, hijacking and conspiracy in the 2009 taking of the ship the Maersk Alabama (as well as two others). Today he was sentenced to 33 years and nine months in prison—the maximum penalty. "I got my hands into something that was more powerful than me, and I have been sorry about what I did," he said through an interpreter before the sentence was delivered. "I got my hands into something that was more powerful than me." more ›

The Somali pirate who helped hijack a U.S. container ship and take its captain hostage last year changed his mind and pleaded guilty to piracy under the law of nations and kidnapping. Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, whom the Post dubs the "baby-faced buccaneer," told a judge, after explaining how he and other fellow pirates (who were killed by Navy snipers), "What we did was wrong. I am very, very sorry for all of this. All of this was about the problems in Somalia." He is expected to serve 28 to 33 years in prison and promised not to fight his deportation back to Somalia when his term ends. more ›

The surviving Somali pirate involved in taking a U.S. container ship captain hostage a year ago may plead guilty. The NY Times reports the U.S. Attorney's office has asked a judge to schedule a plea proceeding for Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, who pleaded not guilty last May to charges including piracy under the law of nations and kidnapping: "If convicted of piracy, Mr. Muse would face a mandatory life sentence. One possible strategy by Mr. Muse’s lawyers would be to seek a deal in which he could plead guilty to a lesser charge that would reduce his potential sentence; or to have any cooperation be factored into a request for leniency." It's unclear how old Muse is: Prosecutors said he was 19 last year, while his defense said he was 15. more ›

The lone surviving Somali pirate who, along with three others, held an American container ship captain hostage, was indicted on ten counts (including piracy and kidnapping) in federal court yesterday. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, whose age is being debated by prosecutors (who believe he is 19) and his defense (who say he's 15), is accused of using a machine gun to threaten Captain Richard Phillips and "us[ing] a radio to communicate with representatives of the United States government and threaten[ing] to kill the captain unless his demands were satisfied." Prosecutors also say that Muse was the leader of the group, while his defense has previously suggested that Muse himself was "kidnapped and taken hostage." Muse will be arraigned tomorrow. more ›

With Somali pirate Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse set to stand trial as an adult for the hijacking a U.S. container ship and holding its captain hostage for days, his mother is again begging for some sympathy for her son. Adar Abdirahman Hassan, who previously asked President Obama to pardon Muse—or at least that she be allowed to be with him during the trial—now says, "I plead with American judges not to commit an injustice against [Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse] and hand down an unfair verdict on my son." more ›

Yesterday, a judge determined that the lone surviving Somali pirate could be charged as adult. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, who, along with three other pirates, held a U.S. container ship captain hostage, was charged with piracy under the law of nations, conspiracy to seize a ship by force, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and use of firearms in those acts, according to the NY Times. Prosecutors say that Muse, in spite of his small 5'2" frame, was the ringleader who "was the first to board the ship" plus "he fired a shot at the captain, he helped steal $30,000 in cash from a safe, and he bragged about hijacking ships in the past," the AP reports. more ›