As one political scientist recently noted, a “fundamental difficulty” for counterterrorist operations in collapsed states like Somalia is the ever-shifting landscape of loyalties: Local authorities collaborate with the insurgents that they fight. Armed groups unify and then suddenly split. This is a treacherous environment for outsiders to navigate, particularly someone who poses as a humanitarian…Continue Reading…
Oh great, the Daily Mail has cannibalized my Washington Post magazine story about Michele Ballarin, the Virginia woman who fancies herself the savior of Somalia. As I’ve hinted in earlier posts, there is much more to her than I could fit into my story (Even Mark Mazzetti’s excellent work only scratches at the surface). For example,…Continue Reading…
Depending on who you talk to, Michele Ballarin, a North Virginia businesswoman, is a ruthless mercenary, a covert operative, or a grandiose but well-intentioned humanitarian. In my profile of her for this week’s Washington Post magazine, I uncovered evidence for all of these persons. She juggles these guises on a daily basis. One morning Ballarin will be on the…Continue Reading…
The woman who I profile in this Sunday’s Washington Post magazine enjoyed a brief flurry of media attention in late 2008. Several news outlets reported that Somalia pirates had turned to Michele Ballarin, a North Virginia businesswoman, to help negotiate the release of two ships that had been seized off the coast of Somalia. How…Continue Reading…
A story that I have been working on for some time is being published this Sunday in the Washington Post magazine. “The Princess of Somalia” is a long feature with a great photo spread. If you live in the Beltway area, be sure to have a look. The piece, which is unlike anything I have…Continue Reading…