AP Interview: Interpol hunting pirate money
Jean-Michel Louboutin
"If we compare the ransoms sought today compared to those of a few years ago  the increase has been incredible " Louboutin said.
 He said he had "no certainty" that al-Qaida or an affiliate insurgent group in Somalia  al-Shabab  receive cash from piracy.
 "But nothing indicates that it won't get there " he said.
 "All that is cash transferred from hand to hand. That's why it's difficult to trace " he said. Somali warlords often gain their clout by spreading money within their networks  he said.
 Louboutin said Africa generally is increasingly becoming a focus for Interpol  noting that he and Noble have traveled there in recent months.
 Over the last year  Interpol has taken part in efforts to combat child slavery  illegal trafficking of ivory and distribution of counterfeit drugs in Africa  Louboutin said.
 "There are a lot of irons on the fire " Louboutin said. "We have a focus on Africa to help the continent respond better to the challenges of organized crime today."
 Louboutin also decried the excessive reliance on military action -- whether on piracy in Africa  or in the fight against terrorism in places like Afghanistan -- instead of training police in research  investigation and evidence-gathering as part of the judicial process.
 With its massive computer database  Interpol acts mainly as support service or go-between among national police forces in its 188 member states. But many police forces  which retain sovereignty of action at home  don't share information enough  Louboutin said.
 A Nigerian man's attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day  which was not defused by police or counterterrorism agents  was case in point  he said.
 "We saw a recent example of that: If information had been shared  and recorded in the database -- if you saw what happened on Dec. 25..." Louboutin said. "That should serve as a lesson."
 "The culture of secrecy: It kills " Louboutin said.
"If we compare the ransoms sought today compared to those of a few years ago  the increase has been incredible " [TGT] said.
 [TGT] said [TGT] had "no certainty" that al-Qaida or an affiliate insurgent group in Somalia  al-Shabab  receive cash from piracy.
 "But nothing indicates that it won't get there " [TGT] said.
 "All that is cash transferred from hand to hand. That's why it's difficult to trace " [TGT] said. Somali warlords often gain their clout by spreading money within their networks  [TGT] said.
 Louboutin said Africa generally is increasingly becoming a focus for Interpol  noting that he and Noble have traveled there in recent months.
 Over the last year  Interpol has taken part in efforts to combat child slavery  illegal trafficking of ivory and distribution of counterfeit drugs in Africa  Louboutin said.
 "There are a lot of irons on the fire " Louboutin said. "We have a focus on Africa to help the continent respond better to the challenges of organized crime today."
 Louboutin also decried the excessive reliance on military action -- whether on piracy in Africa  or in the fight against terrorism in places like Afghanistan -- instead of training police in research  investigation and evidence-gathering as part of the judicial process.
 With its massive computer database  Interpol acts mainly as support service or go-between among national police forces in its 188 member states. But many police forces  which retain sovereignty of action at home  don't share information enough  Louboutin said.
 A Nigerian man's attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day  which was not defused by police or counterterrorism agents  was case in point  he said.
 "We saw a recent example of that: If information had been shared  and recorded in the database -- if you saw what happened on Dec. 25..." Louboutin said. "That should serve as a lesson."
 "The culture of secrecy: It kills " Louboutin said.