The mother of an alleged Somali pirate who faces trial in New York wants President Obama's help in freeing the boy. Abde Wale Abdul Kadhir Muse, 16, was spared last week when three other young men were shot to death by Navy snipers after allegedly hijacking a United States ship.

The teen allegedly helped the other Somalis hold a U.S. ship captain hostage, but his mother says the boy is innocent and had been missing for two weeks before the globally reported incident.

I am requesting the American government, I am requesting President Obama to release my child," Adar Abdurahman Hassan tells the BBC. "He has got nothing to do with the pirates' crime. He is a minor, he is underage and he has been used for this crime. I also request from the U.S., if they choose to put him on trial, I want them to invite me there.

The hijacking of the cargo ship and threats to its captain's life were part of Obama's first major military test since taking office. He has been both praised for overseeing the captain's rescue and criticized for what some call the unnecessary killings of young men.

The commission of the crime on a U.S. cargo vessel and resulting arrest by the military led to the teen's jailing in America.