More Piracy Near Somalia [Archive]

Stan

04-07-2008, 04:57 PM

but according to this article (http://www.kyivpost.com/bn/28791/), there's not much room for more than two Ukrainians, since the passengers were elsewhere during the capture :rolleyes:

PARIS (AP) - France's military is keeping close tabs on a French luxury yacht seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast, and officials hope to avoid using force to free the 30 crew members, the prime minister said Saturday.

Attackers stormed the 88-meter Le Ponant on Friday as it returned without passengers from the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean, toward the Mediterranean Sea, officials with French maritime transport company CMA-CGM said.

France's defense minister said the crew included 22 French citizens, including six women. Other members included Ukrainians, military spokesman Cmdr. Christophe Prazuck said. About 10 attackers continued to guide the boat south along Somalia's eastern coast, he said.

Rex Brynen

04-07-2008, 05:23 PM

You'll find the ICC piracy reports here (http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/overview.php). They always make for interesting reading.

As they note:

The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre has received 31 actual and attempted attacks in 2007. Many more attacks may have gone unreported. Some pirates are dangerous and would fire their automatic weapons at ships to stop them. Occasionally, they would use their RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) launchers at ships. Pirates are believed to be using “mother vessels” to launch attacks at very far distance from coast. These “mother vessel” is able to proceed to very far out to sea to launch smaller boats to attack and hijack passing ships. Eastern and Northeastern coasts are high risk areas for attacks and hijackings. Vessels not making scheduled calls to ports in Somalia should keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast, ideally more than 200 nautical miles. Mariners are also advised to report any suspicious boats to the Centre.

Stan

04-08-2008, 12:02 PM

...according to this article (http://www.kyivpost.com/bn/28791/), there's not much room for more than two Ukrainians, since the passengers were elsewhere during the capture :rolleyes:

This article really helps figure out just who is on board the French Yacht these days :confused:

6 Filipinos On French Yacht Seized By Pirates: (http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080408%5cACQDJON20080408055 5DOWJONESDJONLINE000198.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=6%20Filipinos%20On%20French%20Yacht%20Seized %20By%20Pirates:Philippines-AFP)

MANILA (AFP)--Six Filipinos are among 30 crew members of a luxury French yacht hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, the Philippine foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The Filipinos along with the 26 other crew members of the 32-cabin Ponant are "in good physical condition" at present, but there have been no demands from the pirates who captured them, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Steve Blair

04-08-2008, 02:16 PM

This is starting to sound more and more like some kind of botched French intel operation to me....:eek: Either that or they just don't know who actually was working as crew on the yacht.

Stan

04-08-2008, 02:47 PM

This is starting to sound more and more like some kind of botched French intel operation to me....:eek: Either that or they just don't know who actually was working as crew on the yacht.

Hey Steve,
Wayne and I were PMing potential options for a quick and dirty intervention. My version included 500 rounds of .50 cal at 300 meters followed by a small torpedo while Wayne envisioned Zodiacs stormin' and a boardin' with an AC-130 providing suppressive fire (ahem... without hitting the ship).

A quick trip to the International Maritime Bureau's site (http://www.icc-ccs.org/imb/overview.php) however has come up with an ingenuous device to keep those pesky pirates at bay... with 9,000 volts :eek:

Secure-Ship is the most recent and effective innovation in the fight against piracy. It is a non-lethal, electrifying fence surrounding the whole ship, which has been specially adapted for maritime use. The fence uses 9,000-volt pulse to deter boarding attempts. An intruder coming in contact with the fence will receive an unpleasant non-lethal shock that will result in the intruder abandoning the attempted boarding. At the same time an alarm will go off, activating floodlights and a very loud siren. The IMB strongly recommends ship owners to install this device on board their ships.

For you sailboat fanatics, the IMB also has a Weekly Piracy Report (http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php) :cool:

selil

04-08-2008, 03:31 PM

Joshua Slocum used tacks on the deck.

Vic Bout

04-11-2008, 07:39 PM

an oxymoron. Evidently the folks with enough money to staff and sail a luxury yacht also have enough juice to get some commando action.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/11/africa/yacht.php

jcustis

04-12-2008, 12:59 AM

French commandos there are. GIGN and the Legion fellows definitely hold up their part of any tactical bargain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVRYgrwhhM8

I'm just not so sure I agree with GIGN's choice of an entry gun, which used to be a revolver. :eek:

Vic Bout

04-12-2008, 06:14 PM

the SEALs used to use wheel-guns for ship board stuff...evidently it helped keep the old slip-and-fall to a minimum by reducing spent brass all over the deck. And, yes, I'm positive the french maintain a capable CT force...I just keep having images of pepe lePew in a beret and striped shirt...

Stan

04-13-2008, 10:05 AM

Reuters Apr 12 (http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=80178&videoChannel=1) -
The French Defence Ministry releases footage of special forces moving in on people it says were fleeing pirates.

French forces have seized six men in Somalia they say were part of the pirate gang which seized a multi-million dollar luxury yacht last week but officials deny reports that at least five local people were killed in the operation.

Paul Chapman reports.

davidbfpo

04-21-2008, 08:18 AM

The BBC reports a Basque trawler 400kms off Somalia has been captured by pirates and is heading towards Somalia: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7357831.stm

Now what will Spain do? Not sure if they contribute to the naval task force in the region.

davidbfpo

Stan

04-21-2008, 08:24 AM

Certainly didn't take long for the pirates to regroup, although seems they've lowered their standards a bit. There's gonna be a real handsome reward for the tuna boat and the release of the 13 African crew members :wry:

Stan

04-21-2008, 10:31 AM

Hey David !

Now what will Spain do? Not sure if they contribute to the naval task force in the region.

davidbfpo

Don't look now, but a Spanish Naval Frigate is a headin' for Somalia :D

Spain in hostage hunt off Somalia (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7357831.stm)
The captain of the trawler - contacted by Spanish radio - said the crew were "all well". The Somali pirates have demanded a ransom.

"The defence ministry (http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n138773&PHPSESSID=noj0l6l65ks9buh062mntorgh7) has instructed one of its ships which is nearby to head immediately to the area of the incident," the foreign ministry's statement said.
A Spanish military frigate that was in the Red Sea was heading towards the area where the fishing boat was seized, a government source said.
The defence ministry has also been in contact with military officials of nations with a military presence in the area to request "logistics support and help in locating the affected boat, the statement added.

davidbfpo

04-21-2008, 09:43 PM

Stan

04-22-2008, 07:11 AM

Stan,

One wonders if the new Spanish cabinet with its majority of female ministers, one being defence minister, has made a difference. I doubt if rescuing a trawler was on her list of things to achieve.

davidbfpo

Good points, David ! Well, she is just slightly pregnant, but then, managed a trip to Afghanistan !

Kinda wondering where that Naval Frigate is... should've caught up with a tuna boat by now.

Spain seeks NATO, US help in hostage crisis (http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=United+Kingdom+%26+Europe&month=April2008&file=World_News200804226442.xml)

The defence ministry said a Spanish military frigate was heading to the area off east Africa, where the pirates have demanded money for the release of the crew, a day after storming the vessel armed with grenade launchers.

It said the ship would arrive in 24 to 36 hours. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega chaired a meeting of senior cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Defence Minister Carme Chacon, to discuss the crisis.

“We have sought the help of France and the United States,” two countries with a military presence in the area, a Spanish government spokesman said.

carl

04-22-2008, 09:04 AM

"A quick trip to the International Maritime Bureau's site (http://www.icc-ccs.org/imb/overview.php) however has come up with an ingenuous device to keep those pesky pirates at bay... with 9,000 volts :eek:

Quote:
Secure-Ship is the most recent and effective innovation in the fight against piracy. It is a non-lethal, electrifying fence surrounding the whole ship, which has been specially adapted for maritime use. The fence uses 9,000-volt pulse to deter boarding attempts. An intruder coming in contact with the fence will receive an unpleasant non-lethal shock that will result in the intruder abandoning the attempted boarding. At the same time an alarm will go off, activating floodlights and a very loud siren. The IMB strongly recommends ship owners to install this device on board their ships."

I would not want to be the salesman for this device when he is asked to answer the question "What do I do if they tell me to turn it off or they will continue to shoot up the ship?"

Stan

04-22-2008, 12:05 PM

I would not want to be the salesman for this device when he is asked to answer the question "What do I do if they tell me to turn it off or they will continue to shoot up the ship?"

Hmmm, I'd have to say hunker down (behind some steel) and hope the power source for the fence keeps up during the cooking process and they eventually run out of grenades :D

Looks like Somalia's Puntland region (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7360282.stm) has had enough and took matters into their own hands.

The men from the semi-autonomous region defeated the pirates after "brief fighting", the mayor of the region's Bosasso port told Reuters news agency.

Seven pirates were arrested in the incident a day after the Al-Khaleej was hijacked, local officials said.

At least three people were wounded in the incident, although the ship's crew were unhurt, local reports said.

Stan

06-04-2008, 09:32 PM

Caught up in all the other world's problems ?

The folks at Danger Room (http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/04/somali-pirate-m.html) have found the Pirates Map (of all places) off the shores of Somalia :rolleyes:

Pirates have been attacking ships off the coast of Somalia for years. This map, from the United Nations satellite imagery team, plots all the strikes in 2007. There are no big red Xs to mark the treasure spots, I'm afraid. But it does note the last known whereabouts of the pirate "mother ship." Which is still pretty cool.

Troubled waters no more as the United Nations (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/03/unitednations.somalia) pulls the plug on tub toys :D

The UN has authorised foreign countries to send warships into Somali waters to combat rampant piracy on a busy shipping route linking Europe and Asia.

The security council resolution, backed by Somalia's weak interim government, authorises navies to use force to stop hijackings at sea over the next six months.

The resolution was sponsored by the US, Panama and France, whose military obtained special permission from Somalia's government in March to pursue and arrest some of the pirates that had hijacked the luxury yacht. Initial resistance to the bill from Indonesia, which has its own problems with piracy, fell away after guarantees that it would not set a precedent for foreign intervention elsewhere in the world.

Steve Blair

06-24-2008, 02:44 PM

See here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7471150.stm) for a quick overview.

Pirates have kidnapped a Western family from a yacht off Yemen and taken them to the breakaway republic of Somaliland, officials there have said.

A Somaliland elder told the BBC that the family was German and that he had visited them.

davidbfpo

06-25-2008, 06:01 AM

Taken from: http://www.afrol.com/articles/29528

Four German tourists, including a woman and a child, were kidnapped by pirates as they were sailing off the coast of Somalia's northern region of Puntland on Monday. According to Puntland officials, the tourists were kidnapped near the coastal town of Las Qoray. Earlier this year, Puntland and Somalia clashed over the ownership of the coastal town. The pirates took the tourists hostage and eloped with them into hills around the coastal town. The tourists were abducted after their yacht ran out of fuel. In an effort to free the hostages, local residents have joined Somaliland soldiers to vigorously search for the pirates, Somaliland Vice President, said the Vice President of the self-declared Somaliland, Ahmed Yusuf Yasin.

Slightly different from Reuters: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24275931.htm

davidbfpo

AdamG

07-21-2008, 10:41 PM

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-07-20-pirates_N.htm

U.S. targets Somali pirates
By Donna Leinwand, USA TODAY

The U.S. and international military forces are taking more aggressive action off the African coast as bolder and more violent pirates imperil oil shipments and other trade.

The area is a key shipping route for cargo transported to and from the U.S. and elsewhere. In response to pirate attacks, the U.S. has stepped up its patrols to deter them and sometimes intervened to rescue hostages and ships. It also has increased its intelligence-sharing in the area, says Navy Lt. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet in Bahrain, which patrols Middle Eastern and African waters.

The U.S. is "very concerned about the increasing number of acts of piracy and armed robbery" off the Somali coast, he says. Somalia's weak government has admitted it can't control its territorial waters, and Nigeria is fending off a rebel group.

http://www.lloyds.com/News_Centre/Features_from_Lloyds/Protecting_against_the_modern-day_pirates_21072008.htm

Protecting against the modern-day pirates
Lloyds List
21 July 2008

As levels of piracy rise, so ship owners can expect insurance premiums to go up, with Ken Alston of risk specialist Marsh saying this was an eventuality to be ‘expected’. He added that the scale of the additional premium being charged at the moment is ‘unlikely to have an impact on the consumer’ but if the number of incidences increases, this may change. In May 2008, the Joint War Committee added the Gulf of Aden, located between Somalia and Yemen, to a list of places at high threat of hull war, strikes, terrorism and related perils. It is now comparable to the likes of Iraq in terms of insurance risk, according to the committee.

davidbfpo

07-22-2008, 05:17 AM

AdamG

07-22-2008, 04:50 PM

Pirates 'putting lives at risk'
4 days ago

The lives of millions of Somalians could be in jeopardy as pirates and robbers threaten aid supplies.

That's the stark warning from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). It said more than half the population of the troubled African country could need urgent food assistance by the end of the year if naval escorts are not found to protect food ships soon.

France, Denmark and the Netherlands were providing escorts but the WFP has received no further commitment from them since June.

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gzh7kH_uulpHyYeFxVmnhLfUy0sg

Entropy

07-22-2008, 04:53 PM

I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but here you can get some pretty cool maps showing Somalia piracy (http://unosat.web.cern.ch/unosat/asp/prod_free.asp?id=28).

Stan

07-22-2008, 06:19 PM

Just finished watching the evening news where Estonian midshipman Ardo Kalle returned home and indicated that the scrawny pirates were ranked by the weapons they carried.

"You could tell who were in charge as they were armed with Russian Kalashnikovs versus those with Chinese-made AKs" :eek:

According to Ardo, the 40-day ordeal aboard the German cargo vessel Lehmann Timber ended shy of the one million ransom, as the food on board had long run out, and even the pirates wanted out !

Jeez, go figure :D

MattC86

07-22-2008, 07:31 PM

In the last couple of days there was a new item that the UN Food programme is having to reconsider its shipments to Somalia - as the Dutch Navy will soon cease a deployment which has escorted their (chartered) ships. In view of the pirate threat the UN was re-thinking its options.

Will try to locate story later.

davidbfpo

Why is the UN-sponsored NATO Horn of Africa patrol not taking over the escort of these shipments? Last I checked it was a full strength Surface Action Group on station there. . .

Regards,

Matt

AdamG

07-23-2008, 02:59 AM

Last I checked it was a full strength Surface Action Group on station there. . .

10 ships, lotta ocean?

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=9d9dc6a5-144d-4d90-8555-53d5c289f765

To deter such crimes, Task Force 150, led by Commodore Bob Davidson, who uses the Iroquois as his flagship, includes a changing cast of warships from the United States, five European countries and Pakistan.

It now maintains a more-or-less permanent naval presence between the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden.

But this is only a small part of the Task Force's area, which covers 2.5 million square miles of ocean from the southern end of the Suez Canal to Kenya's border with Tanzania, east to the Seychelles and then north to Pakistan..

Render

09-23-2008, 12:15 AM

Regarding this ongoing and escalating situation, I'm going to cut-n-paste a comment of mine from Bill Roggio's Long War Journal...

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/09/mystery_surrounds_hi.php

Something I was wondering back when the Russian tug was hijacked...

What are the odds that the MV Iran Deyanat wasn't really hijacked?

It's international crewmembers would have to be kept in the dark or otherwise be part of the operation, but that's not beyond the realm of possibility. The "chemical weapons" story serves as a good cover for keeping less well equipped investigaters from close inspection while the actual cargo, (in this hypothosis light infantry arms and ammo), is unloaded.

Is there any known connection between the group of pirates that took MV Iran Deyanat and the Somali militia that sent 300 to 700 some odd volunteers to Lebanon in 2006?

Is there any known connection between MV Iran Deyanat and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard?

Are these pirates just dumber then the usual 21st century pirate types? Like the taking of the Russian tug, this particular act of piracy just smells odd...

PRIVATEER,
R

Rex Brynen

09-23-2008, 11:26 AM

Is there any known connection between the group of pirates that took MV Iran Deyanat and the Somali militia that sent 300 to 700 some odd volunteers to Lebanon in 2006?

While I know "information" to this effect is reported in the October 2006 UN Monitoring Group report on Somalia, I'm aware of no credible evidence that it took place. Largely numbers of armed Somalis operating in Lebanon would have stuck out like a sore thumb (in fact, for those who know Lebanon its a rather comical image), and done Hizbullah far more harm than good.

Render

09-23-2008, 07:06 PM

Rex:

Good point, but...

Wouldn't that depend on how and where those Somalians where used/located (assuming they existed)?

If all they did was briefly rotate through a Hiz training camp in the northern Bekaa without ever seeing any action on the border, then the thumb never got sore enough to stick out.

Do the Ethiopian refugees serving in the IDF stick out like a sore thumb? Did they have a deterent morale value on the Somali Hiz volunteers, (assuming they existed)?

I tend to believe that they did exist in small numbers, but that their numbers were inflated by both sides for propaganda purposes.

MORE THAN
MEETS THE EYE,
R

Jedburgh

09-26-2008, 12:04 PM

BBC, 26 Sep 08: Somali Pirates 'Seize 30 Tanks' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7637257.stm)

Pirates off the coast of Somalia have seized a Ukrainian ship carrying T-72 tanks, an official has said.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said the ship had a crew of 21 and was sailing under a Belize flag to the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

A report from Russia's Interfax (http://www.interfax.com/) news agency said earlier that the ship had a cargo of about 30 tanks, as well as spare parts for armoured vehicles......

sullygoarmy

09-26-2008, 12:18 PM

BBC, 26 Sep 08: Somali Pirates 'Seize 30 Tanks' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7637257.stm)

I'm SO looking on e-bay.

09-26-2008, 01:30 PM

I'm SO looking on e-bay.

Even if you catch a break in the auction and get one at a low price, shipping costs could be a little steep. :D

Cavguy

09-26-2008, 02:17 PM

I'm SO looking on e-bay.

In all seriousness, why isn't the US Navy out there cracking down on the Pirates? I've seen more action out of the Dutch/French than the USN, which strikes me as odd.

We're the largest, and the Royal Navy ended lots of piracy in the 1600's/1700's.

While the navy is contributing in Iraq, it's pretty hard to send a AGEIS crusier up the Tigris, so what are they doing to end this threat to one of their core tasks (freedom of the seas)?

Seems to me a couple of sunk pirates would make some good examples, even if the economic driver is strong.

sullygoarmy

09-26-2008, 04:34 PM

I'm guessing the Navy is still keeping busy supporting all the ongoing operations. I fully agree that sinking a couple of 40 foot skiffs would be not only a big morale boost, but a signal that piracy is not open for business in these waters. Piracy remains a major threat in the Straits of Malacca and around the thousands of islands of Indonesia (among other places). Obviously this problem has not gone away, and if anything, continues to grow with globalization, the increase of ship-bound good and the decrease of our blue-water navy coupled with continually high committments. Add to that the increased pace of the Chinese, Indian and Russian navy and you have another branch of the U.S. military working overtime.

Ideally the Littoral Combat Ships will provide anti-piracy support for regions such as this. Personally, I'd like to see an increase in Navy "COIN" operations and to some focused operations to destroy pirate boats and conduct limited strikes based on intelligence against the pirate bases of operations. It is not just the ground forces that must shift focus against an asymmetric threat. Piracy (and the great study on the Iranian speedboat warfare) clearly indicates the need for the U.S. Navy to giddy-up and increase their operations in these troubled seas.

reed11b

09-26-2008, 06:42 PM

In all seriousness, why isn't the US Navy out there cracking down on the Pirates? I've seen more action out of the Dutch/French than the USN, which strikes me as odd.

We're the largest, and the Royal Navy ended lots of piracy in the 1600's/1700's.

While the navy is contributing in Iraq, it's pretty hard to send a AGEIS crusier up the Tigris, so what are they doing to end this threat to one of their core tasks (freedom of the seas)?

Seems to me a couple of sunk pirates would make some good examples, even if the economic driver is strong.
Considering that Islamic extremists have taken de-facto control of Somalia,
Example (http://washtimes.com/news/2008/sep/22/30-people-killed-in-somali-capital/) I would be afraid of those pirated resources going to support terrorist organizations. This would make this a priority to me, not just a good moral booster.
Reed

Ron Humphrey

09-26-2008, 10:55 PM

I'm SO looking on e-bay.

They probably aren't even worth it. Lets see thirty tanks against a buch of guys on smaller boats and the tanks lose:rolleyes:

SWJED

09-27-2008, 04:57 PM

On a Vital Route, a Boom in Piracy (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/26/AR2008092604153.html) - Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post

Somali pirates plying the Gulf of Aden in speedboats equipped with grenade launchers and scaling ladders have launched what the maritime industry calls the biggest surge of piracy in modern times, sending shipping costs soaring and the world's navies scrambling to protect the main water route from Asia and the Middle East to Europe.

Pirates from the failed African state of Somalia have attacked at least 61 ships in and around the Gulf of Aden this year, 17 of them in the first two weeks of September alone, according to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center in Malaysia. That compares with 13 attacks in the area for all of 2007.

"In my time here, I must say, this is the most concentrated period of destabilizing activity I have seen in the Gulf of Aden," said British Commodore Keith Winstanley, deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, whose members have confronted the pirates repeatedly since mid-August. The coalition, headquartered in Bahrain, includes the militaries of the United States and 19 other nations...

Somalia Pirates Capture Tanks and Global Notice (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/world/africa/27pirates.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin) - Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times

For a moment, the pirates must have thought that they had really struck gold - Somalia-style.

The gun-toting, seafaring thieves, who routinely pounce on cargo ships bobbing along on the Indian Ocean, suddenly found themselves in command of a vessel crammed with $30 million worth of grenade launchers, piles of ammunition, even battle tanks.

But this time, they might have gotten far more than they bargained for. Unlike so many other hijackings off the Somali coast that have gone virtually unnoticed - and unpunished - the attack Thursday evening on the Faina, a Ukrainian vessel bringing military equipment to Kenya, has provoked the wrath of two of the most powerful militaries on the planet.
The United States Navy was in hot pursuit of the ship on Friday. And the Russians were not far behind...

More at the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pirates27-2008sep27,0,5499444.story), The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4835610.ece) and Agence France-Presse (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080926165802.l7vh0spk&show_article=1&catnum=2).

Bill Moore

09-28-2008, 05:00 PM

Posted by Cavguy,
In all seriousness, why isn't the US Navy out there cracking down on the Pirates? I've seen more action out of the Dutch/French than the USN, which strikes me as odd.

We're the largest, and the Royal Navy ended lots of piracy in the 1600's/1700's.

While the navy is contributing in Iraq, it's pretty hard to send a AGEIS crusier up the Tigris, so what are they doing to end this threat to one of their core tasks (freedom of the seas)?

This situation generates more and more questions, and hopefully a public demand for a firmer response. Whether particular pirates are tied into other criminal enterprises, terrorisim, or support for insurgencies, they still present a significant threat to our economy and the global economy, which is obviously a national interest. We should have a policy (one that follow up one), that if you attack our merchant ships, our people, or our allies, then we should send a very strong message.

In regards to the French being more active, the French have always been more active in Africa than the U.S.. Despite all our naysaying about France, they do make some contributions to global security (or more accurately their actions defending their self interests have the collateral benefit sometimes of better global security).

The pirates in Somalia have attacked ships from the around the world (Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, SE Asia, etc.), so there should be enough political capital to send some Marines over the beach to take these thugs out.

selil

09-28-2008, 05:26 PM

Information Dissemination has some excellent discussion of Somalia and pirates (http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/search/label/Somalia).

Bill Moore

09-28-2008, 06:35 PM

Selil, that was an excellent post, but I think the economic impact is much larger than the blogger assumes. There are other issues associated with this problem also:

1. Nation States are allowing criminal and terrorist elements to deny access (or at least safe access and transition) to key economic zones.

2. If pirates have the freedom of movement to hijack oil tankers, etc., so do terrorists, and it could be a catastrophic scenario if they hijacked a LPG ship and used it for a suicide attack.

3. The costs associated with insurance, private security, ransoms, etc. probably have a much bigger impact on the bottom line costs of everything from gasoline to the clothes we wear.

While I don't see it has a grave threat to our security, I see it as one we can manage if we would develop the appropriate policies to do so. The Navy isn't big enough to safeguard the passage of every merchant vessel, so what I'm proposing for discussion it taking the fight to the terrorists, not responding to 911 calls regarding pirate attacks. The post below refer mostly to the Malacca Straits, but they are still relevant.

http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373531

"Significant impediments to the flow of oil would be a direct threat to the national security of countries that are highly dependent on it, particularly Japan and South Korea. It would mean re-routing vessels, which would lead to the sky-rocketing of freight and insurance rates, which in turn will have a devastating global economic impact. Thus, it must be kept open and safe, and the prime responsibility for this is with the three littoral states of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia" (Bernama, June 12).

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/GH25Ae03.html

The situation became all the more urgent following the recent decision by Lloyd's Market Association's Joint War Committee to declare the Malacca Strait an area that is in jeopardy of "war, strikes, terrorism and related perils". The decision to add the Malacca Strait to the committee's list of high-risk areas was taken following recommendations by the private defense consultants, Aegis Defense Services, who are said to have carried out risk assessments on the area.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/FJ19Ae01.html
As in most crimes, criminals seek to wipe out evidence or traces of their activities. In fact, the difficulty of locating evidence lost at sea accounts for the apparent callousness involved in maritime crimes as compared with land-based crimes. Robbery, for instance, may be followed up with murder so no witnesses are left behind to testify against the perpetrators.

Investigations by the International Maritime Bureau show a disturbing trend of increased frequency of violence at sea.

The responsibility of protecting sea lanes, therefore, lies with state governments.

selil

09-28-2008, 08:34 PM

Bill,

I was thinking that this particular situation is the perfect situation for PMCs. Up to including giving the PMCs Letters of Marquis. As long as the PMCs don't charge the merchants, and they've been hired by governments it would be a great situation. The original problem from history is the PMCs becoming pirates when the situation is settled.

Uboat509

09-28-2008, 09:00 PM

I'm a little unclear about this situation. I saw a discovery channel show about this awhile back and if memory serves it is illegal to have armed security on these ships (I remember one crew running a drill where they would use fire hoses to repel armed boarders :eek:). I have no earthly idea why it would be illegal but it seems that it is. Selil's idea would seem to be a good one but for the legal issues. I'm not sure how armed PMCs would fall under those laws.

SFC W

AdamG

09-29-2008, 04:51 PM

A tense standoff has developed in waters off Somalia over an Iranian merchant ship laden with a mysterious cargo that was hijacked by pirates.

Somali pirates suffered skin burns, lost hair and fell gravely ill “within days” of boarding the MV Iran Deyanat. Some of them died.

Andrew Mwangura, the director of the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme, told the Sunday Times: “We don’t know exactly how many, but the information that I am getting is that some of them had died. There is something very wrong about that ship.”

The vessel’s declared cargo consists of “minerals” and “industrial products”. But officials involved in negotiations over the ship are convinced that it was sailing for Eritrea to deliver small arms and chemical weapons to Somalia’s Islamist rebel

http://www.thetimes.co.za/article.aspx?id=851953

Iran has rejected reports that its vessel hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden was carrying a ‘dangerous consignment’.

The pirates were angry because when they opened the cargo of the Iranian ship, several Somalis died, while others lost hair and suffered skin burns, Reuters quoted Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenyan-based East African Seafarers’ Assistance Program, as saying.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=178063

See also
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/09/mystery_surrounds_hi.php

AdamG

09-29-2008, 04:54 PM

I have no earthly idea why it would be illegal but it seems that it is. .

Laws on who can carry weapons vary widely between countries and considering the wide variety of potential Ports-of-Call a merchant ship could have, securing the required permissions to satisfy everyone would be nearly impossible.

Or at least that's how it's be explained to me.

jkm_101_fso

09-30-2008, 04:53 PM

Mysterious Cargo Aboard Iranian Ship Seized by Pirates Raises WMD Concerns
30 SEP 08

As Somali pirates brazenly maintain their standoff with American warships off the coast of Africa, the cargo aboard one Iranian ship they commandeered is raising concerns that it may contain materials that can be used for chemical or biological weapons.

Some local officials suspect that instead of finding riches, the pirates encountered deadly chemical agents aboard the Iranian vessel.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430681,00.html

Jedburgh

10-01-2008, 01:53 PM

Popular Mechanics, 29 Sep 08: 4 Fronts for Pirate-Navy Battle as U.S. Descends on Captured Ship (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4285201.html)

....From ramshackle beginnings four years ago, Somali piracy has evolved into a lucrative industry, reportedly bringing in 10 times as much cash as the country’s once-thriving fishing industry. But after a year in which pirates operated with near impunity and seized nearly 60 ships for around $1 million ransom each, the international community is finally taking action by assembling a sophisticated naval force to fight back.

The fate of the Faina remains to be seen, with its captain already dead, a $20 million ransom in negotiations and would-be rescue ships awaiting orders and continuing to monitor the situation. But two high-tech and highly successful engagements so far this year—in addition to several others featuring robotic arsenals—might provide an attack plan that could finally begin to shut down the reinforced band of pirates.....

Jedburgh

10-02-2008, 12:58 PM

Chatham House, 1 Oct 08: Piracy in Somalia: Threatening Global Trade, Feeding Local Wars (http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/download/-/id/665/file/12203_1008piracysomalia.pdf)

Summary points

- Piracy off the coast of Somalia has more than doubled in 2008; so far over 60 ships have been attacked. Pirates are regularly demanding and receiving million-dollar ransom payments and are becoming more aggressive and assertive.

- The international community must be aware of the danger that Somali pirates could become agents of international terrorist networks. Already money from ransoms is helping to pay for the war in Somalia, including funds to the US terror-listed Al-Shabaab.

- The high level of piracy is making aid deliveries to drought-stricken Somalia ever more difficult and costly. The World Food Programme has already been forced to temporarily suspend food deliveries. Canada is now escorting WFP deliveries but there are no plans in place to replace their escort when it finishes later this year.

- The danger and cost of piracy (insurance premiums for the Gulf of Aden have increased tenfold) mean that shipping could be forced to avoid the Gulf of Aden/Suez Canal and divert around the Cape of Good Hope. This would add considerably to the costs of manufactured goods and oil from Asia and the Middle East. At a time of high inflationary pressures, this should be of grave concern.

- Piracy could cause a major environmental disaster in the Gulf of Aden if a tanker is sunk or run aground or set on fire. The use of ever more powerful weaponry makes this increasingly likely.

- There are a number of options for the international community but ignoring the problem is not one of them. It must ensure that WFP deliveries are protected and that gaps in supply do not occur.
Complete 12-page paper at the link.

Entropy

10-02-2008, 01:58 PM

Cavguy,

In all seriousness, why isn't the US Navy out there cracking down on the Pirates? I've seen more action out of the Dutch/French than the USN, which strikes me as odd.

We're the largest, and the Royal Navy ended lots of piracy in the 1600's/1700's.

While the navy is contributing in Iraq, it's pretty hard to send a AGEIS crusier up the Tigris, so what are they doing to end this threat to one of their core tasks (freedom of the seas)?

There are a couple of factors at play, IMO:

1. Competing priorities. Anti-piracy is only one of CTF-150's missions. Now that these pirates are more on the headlines and now that their activities have increased, we'll probably see a bigger response.

2. International Law. Even though Somalia doesn't have a central government, the US Navy still has to respect Somali territorial waters, which extend 12nm from the coast. A recent UN decision apparently has provided some kind of authorization to pursue inside TTW, but the wording wasn't particularly clear and AFAIK the lawyers are still trying to figure out what the coalition can and can't do. The Navy is pretty sensitive about the TTW issue and has spent a lot of time enforcing the legal TTW limits, so it's doesn't like to turn around and violate TTW's willy-nilly.

3. International law part Deux. There are limits on the use of force and, unfortunately, it's not like the old days where pirates could be sunk or captured and killed on both sight and site on the authority of a ship's captain. As I understand it (maybe Lawvol can pipe up here), we can only engage them if they are in the process of committing an act of piracy. Of course if a US or coalition ship is nearby, they don't commit any such acts.

4. International law part tres: There is general reluctance to capture these pirates (especially by the Europeans) because then you have to figure out what to do with them. There's no Somali government to turn them over to and my reading of the law is that they must be tried in the country that captured them if taken on the high sea (international waters). I think the problems grow if they're captured in Somali TTW since that is considered Somali territory (assuming, of course, that the lawyers give that a green light). This is a headache because of asylum and evidentiary issues, particularly for the Europeans. They always have the defense (which they've used before) of being the Somali "coast guard" under the authority of some warlord.

5. It's a big ocean. There are only a literal handful of ships (6-8 usually) in CTF-150 and their AO includes all of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, all of the Arabian sea out to Pakistan and then down the coast to Kenya. That's a lot of water for that many ships.

So what the pirates do is head out, stay in or near their TTW and look for good targets of opportunity. They have a general idea of where coalition ships are, so they can capture the targeted ship and get it back inside Somali TTW before a coalition warship can stop them.

Personally, what I would do is apply a navalized version of SBW to this problem. Load a few "bait" merchant vessels with some Marines then present said ship as a juicy target. When the pirates come, they all get killed trying to board by the Marines who are simply, for ROE purposes, utilizing the inherent right to self defense (a rare opportunity for us to exploit our own ROE! ;) ). If the pirate mother ship is close enough we can capture it, or, better yet, station an SSN nearby to take the mothership out completely with a torpedo or anti-ship missile. Take out a few score of pirates and the rest will be more cautious, at least for a while.

Of course I'm sure there's some legal inhibition and there would probably be protest from all the usual suspects, but we can still dream.

Stan

10-13-2008, 12:24 PM

Personally, what I would do is apply a navalized version of SBW to this problem. Load a few "bait" merchant vessels with some Marines then present said ship as a juicy target. When the pirates come, they all get killed trying to board by the Marines who are simply, for ROE purposes, utilizing the inherent right to self defense (a rare opportunity for us to exploit our own ROE! ;) ). If the pirate mother ship is close enough we can capture it, or, better yet, station an SSN nearby to take the mothership out completely with a torpedo or anti-ship missile. Take out a few score of pirates and the rest will be more cautious, at least for a while.

Of course I'm sure there's some legal inhibition and there would probably be protest from all the usual suspects, but we can still dream.

Not a bad plan ! Looks like some of your avid readers decided to just attack for now :D

Somali pirates die in fighting with Puntland forces

MOGADISHU (AFP) (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPS7w3VqKuj3eoPmsN8kZDeKmzgg) — Forces from the Somali breakaway region of Puntland on Sunday attacked pirates holding a Somali cargo freighter, triggering clashes that killed two pirates and a soldier, an official said.

Four others, including another Puntland soldier, were wounded when the forces attempted to rescue MV Awail, owned by a Somali trading company with a crew of 13 Syrians and two Somalis, which was seize Thursday off the region's shores.

The fighting comes amid mounting pressure over piracy in the waters around Somalia, with US and international navies blockading a kidnapped Ukrainian vessel loaded with tanks and weapons.

"They surrounded the (Somali) ship this morning near Hafun area, where they exchanged fire with pirates killing two of them. One of our men also died," said Muse Gelle Yusuf, governor of Puntland's Bari region.

"We are expecting that forces will manage to free the ship in a few hours because the pirates on board are few and they have been besieged."

davidbfpo

10-30-2008, 11:34 PM

After recent piracy the Indian government announced a small naval presence will be established in the area (See link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/3215953/India-launches-first-navy-mission-against-pirates.html ). There was no detail, notably on basing and any relationship with the existing allied naval task force.

The allied navies patrol is called Combined Task Force 150; with ships from NATO, Japan, Malaysia and quietly Pakistan has been in situ for sometime - although Somali piracy was not the top priority (recent link: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4686265 and the wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Task_Force_150 ). CTF-150 is seperate from an EU flotilla due to target Somali piracy soon.

Interestingly the Pakistani navy appear to have a tougher ROE for dealing with pirates, but the allied task force ROE restricts such robust action.

Whether sailors from the Indian and Pakistani navies can co-operate will be interesting to watch. I suspect the USN and others will take on diplomacy successfully. As for the pirates who knows?

davidbfpo

reed11b

10-30-2008, 11:58 PM

Blackwater is pushing hard for there ship "McArthur" to be available of the Gulf of Aden as well. Article is in the Navy Times.LINK (http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/navy_blackwater_pirates_101708w/) Also a follow up story here stating that firms are allready interested in hiring Blackwater. LINK (http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/navy_blackwater_102608w/)
Reed

bourbon

10-31-2008, 12:17 AM

War Nerd Update: Jack al-Sparrow vs. the Do-gooders! (http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-update-jack-al-sparrow-vs-the-do-gooders/), By Gary Brecher. The eXiled Online, October 29th, 2008.

You can bet money changed hands, too. The shipping companies don’t like to talk about ransom, but they pay up. So there are a lot of Somalis flashin’ the bling and soupin’ up the cigar boats along the Puntland coast, yo ho ho and a bottle of money. I saw one of these tsk-tsk articles the other day with the headline, “What drives Somalis to piracy?” Dumbest question ever; even the subhead answered it for them: “Women, Money, Drugs.” Does that answer your question? Not to mention the fact, which I go into in the article below here (http://exiledonline.com/from-the-rhinos-head-to-the-hyenas-belly/), that Somalis are raiders, plunderers from way back. They like it. Even your fat little video-game nephew likes the idea, he just doesn’t have the guts to do it. What do you think he’s doing on his console up there in his room except blowing people away and taking their stuff? Somalis can go out and just coldbloodedly do it.

Ken White

10-31-2008, 02:18 AM

Did you have a point in posting that?

I seem to have missed your comments on the topic...

davidbfpo

11-02-2008, 11:13 AM

A not un-expected comment on the new EU flotilla being deployed to the Gulf of Aden: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/3363258/Pirates-protected-from-EU-task-force-by-human-rights.html

What effect will this have on piracy? Little more than media hype and a few comfotable ships when escorted. If there are three hundred ships a day in the area, how about convoys or designated routes?

From the comfort of a landlubber's armchair.

davidbfpo

JT Clark

11-13-2008, 07:23 PM

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/blackwater-sets-sights-somali-pirates

Stan

11-13-2008, 07:42 PM

Hoorah, the Brits finally got a few pirates with an exchange of gunfire.

Well, the HMS Cumberland slightly outclasses a rubbermaid dhingi :D

Navy shoots pirate suspects dead
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7725771.stm)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the incident took place on Tuesday, when HMS Cumberland crew members tried to board a traditional wooden dhow.

Tom Odom

11-17-2008, 05:43 PM

450 miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya is stretching their AO...

Pirates take 'super tanker' towards Somalia (http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/17/kenya.tanker.pirates/index.html)NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Pirates who hijacked a crude oil tanker off the coast of Kenya are approaching a Somali port, the U.S. Navy said Monday.

The Sirius Star -- a crude "super tanker" flagged in Liberia and owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco company -- was attacked on Saturday more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya.

The crew of 25, including British, Croatian, Polish, Filippino and Saudi nationals, are reported to be safe

U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet Cmdr. Jane Campbell said the super tanker weighs more than 300,000 metric tons and "is more than three times the size of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier."

11-19-2008, 11:52 AM

Here's (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10392503.asp?scr=1)a great story from Hurriyet on-line.

The Indian frigate INS Tabar, one of dozens of warships from several countries protecting shipping lanes in the area, attacked the Somali pirate ship late Tuesday after coming under fire, navy spokesman Nirad Sinha was quoted by AFP as saying.
The incident came as shipping groups reported a new surge in hijackings off Somalia and the International Maritime Bureau said pirates based in the lawless African nation were now "out of control".
"The INS Tabar closed in on the mother vessel and asked her to stop for investigation," the New Delhi navy spokesman said.
"But on repeated calls, the vessels threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship" if it approached," he added.
An exchange of fire ensued, causing explosions and the Indian navy ships then used heavy guns.
Who'd a thunk the Indian Navy would be the guys to strike this kind of blow?

Entropy

11-19-2008, 01:25 PM

Here's (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10392503.asp?scr=1)a great story from Hurriyet on-line.

Who'd a thunk the Indian Navy would be the guys to strike this kind of blow?

The pirates were dumb to threaten the ship - such a threat legitimizes a deadly response. That is all assuming the Indians didn't just blow them out of the water and then later claim they were threatened! ;)

Tom Odom

11-19-2008, 01:52 PM

The pirates were dumb to threaten the ship - such a threat legitimizes a deadly response. That is all assuming the Indians didn't just blow them out of the water and then later claim they were threatened! ;)

Agreed. The Indian military I had contact with were professional and not hesitate to act. Good for them! A pox on all pirates, arrrggggggh!:wry:

Tom

William F. Owen

11-19-2008, 02:20 PM

Here's (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10392503.asp?scr=1)a great story from Hurriyet on-line.

Who'd a thunk the Indian Navy would be the guys to strike this kind of blow?

I would thunk, only the Indian Navy might do this.

What is more I fear this might be a distinctly "Indian" version of events. There were some very troubling accounts from Sierra Leone and else where as to Indian ROE.

To say it is "robust" is an understatement. Stuff goes down in Kashmir, that if done by others in other places, would cause a good deal of comment. Nuff said.

...but frankly if it was only bad guys who got hurt, who cares.

Rex Brynen

11-19-2008, 03:02 PM

Who'd a thunk the Indian Navy would be the guys to strike this kind of blow?

The Indians are no slouches when it comes to using force, or even projecting it into the Indian Ocean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cactus)....

Rex Brynen

11-26-2008, 03:59 AM

BBC News, Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Indian navy 'sank Thai trawler' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7749245.stm)

The owner of a Thai fishing trawler has said the Indian navy sank it off Somalia's coast last week after wrongly assuming it was a pirate "mother ship".

Wicharn Sirichaiekawat said the Indian frigate had attacked the Ekawat Nava 5 while it was being hijacked by pirates.

He said one of the crew had been found alive after six days in the Gulf of Aden, but that another 14 were missing.

davidbfpo

11-26-2008, 08:01 AM

Given the map showing where pirate attacks happen (on BBC News weblink http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7749245.stm ), why has no convoy system been imposed? Why do ships - presumably - sail alone; is there no east/west channel designated (like the English Channel). What onshore radar coverage exists? I note the US-supported installation of ground radar in the Straits of Malacca. Radar on the island of Socotra (Yemeni territory) would be a start.

In view of the concentration in the Gulf of Aden I would be mindful of the reported refugee / people smuggling from Somalia to the Yemen; i.e. small boats full of desperate people, probably moving slowly, which could conceal pirate boats.

Given that the Indian Navy patrol alone (when originally deployed) and are not part of the Combined Task Force (CTF150 NATO plus) I am not surprised at their action. I too was sceptical the Indian frigate was challenged by pirates and then bombarded a "mother" ship - so it is now being reported it was a Thai trawler being attacked.

Will all the navies officially co-operate, under different ROE or leave it to commanders local arrangements?

What is a Thai-owned trawler doing there anyway? Never heard of commercial fishing in that area, although fishing is an unknown activity to me.

From a "landlubber" in his breakfast armchair.

davidbfpo

Rex Brynen

11-28-2008, 12:34 PM

Somali pirates hijack ship, British guards escape (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iPPJ5oeH8vFtPkAUfYR0QS4NEbcQD94NSL6G0)
By KATHARINE HOURELD – 28 November 2008

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Somali pirates hijacked a chemical tanker with dozens of Indian crew members on board Friday, and three British security guards were rescued by helicopter after jumping into the sea, officials said.

A warship on patrol nearby had sent helicopters to intervene in the attack, but they arrived after pirates had taken control of the Liberian-flagged ship, diplomatic officials said on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak with media.

Still on board were 25 Indian and two Bangladeshi crew members, after the British security guards escaped by jumping into the water, the diplomats said.

Stan

12-03-2008, 08:13 PM

FIIA (http://www.upi-fiia.fi/en/blog/69/) - Making a big problem smaller – extracting a functioning mini-state from a larger failed-state?

Topical comedians everywhere are having endless pirate-related fun but the story, of course, has a darker side when you look at what is happening on land and not just on the high seas.

A new country of Somaliland will not solve the problems of the Horn of Africa, but as all other international policies on Somalia seem to have failed, recognising Somaliland is surely worth considering.

Tom Odom

12-03-2008, 08:41 PM

FIIA (http://www.upi-fiia.fi/en/blog/69/) - Making a big problem smaller – extracting a functioning mini-state from a larger failed-state?

He makes good points. Conserving, supporting, and protecting a functional state makes more sense than approaching "Somalia" as an entity.

Then again, my friend as you know too well, I have been saying the same thing about the Congo for nearly 2 decades. The military dictum of reoinforcing success applies to states as well. Belgian (and certain elements of the US government) support of the Katanga Secession was the right thing to do, even though it was for the wrong reasons. Instead we tried for 40 years to do the wrong thing--preserving a region as a state--for all the right reasons. All the best intentions in the world are fruitless when the end state is unachievable.

Back on Somalia. We make a big deal about "saving" Somalia from Muslim extremism; everytime I hear that I chuckle for someday the extremists will need saving from the Somalis.

best

Tom

Ken White

12-03-2008, 08:59 PM

12-04-2008, 12:52 AM

"...Instead we tried for 40 years to do the wrong thing--preserving a region as a state--for all the right reasons. All the best intentions in the world are fruitless when the end state is unachievable."

With present day other locale applicability...

I was thinking that the salient points made by Stan and reinforced by Tom and Ken may have much to do with this thread (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=6366). But of course the rub is that in this second area, at least one of the incumbent "nations" that would be a source of a new set of possible states seems to think it is fully functional. The US/NATO coaltion also seems to be trying its damnedest to make the other main player the poster child for successful nation building efforts.

Schmedlap

12-04-2008, 02:52 AM

Stan

12-04-2008, 06:43 AM

Blackwater Plans Effort Against Piracy (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122826117332273945.html)

Looks like Blackwater intends to send these Corsairs to Davy Jones' locker. Perhaps the real booty is in the contract, not the hijack.

And if the booty is anything like this article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7752813.stm) describes, the Corsairs will come fit with guns and lawyers, and a meager link to Barclay's (bank) :D

... such operations cost about $1m, not including the ransom.

...the ship-owners hire professionals, from specialist negotiators to private security firms, to transfer the ransoms.

"The professional negotiators, acting on behalf of the ship owners, get about $100,000 for their services and the lawyers receive a fee of about $300,000 for ensuring that the shipping companies are not putting themselves in any dubious positions," he explains.

Eden

12-04-2008, 08:35 PM

Then again, my friend as you know too well, I have been saying the same thing about the Congo for nearly 2 decades. The military dictum of reoinforcing success applies to states as well. Belgian (and certain elements of the US government) support of the Katanga Secession was the right thing to do, even though it was for the wrong reasons. Instead we tried for 40 years to do the wrong thing--preserving a region as a state--for all the right reasons. All the best intentions in the world are fruitless when the end state is unachievable.

Back in grad school I took a course on African history (before it was fashionable!) and the prof said that even reasonable changes to colonial boundaries, for whatever reason, would unleash chaos across the continent. In effect, he said there was an unwritten agreement among the former colonial powers, the Superpowers (there were two back then), and the African states themselves to maintain the colonial boundaries. Bottom line was that the only thing worse than the current dysfunctional borders would be an attempt to fix them.

I take it you disagree with that line of reasoning?

Tom Odom

12-04-2008, 09:14 PM

Back in grad school I took a course on African history (before it was fashionable!) and the prof said that even reasonable changes to colonial boundaries, for whatever reason, would unleash chaos across the continent. In effect, he said there was an unwritten agreement among the former colonial powers, the Superpowers (there were two back then), and the African states themselves to maintain the colonial boundaries. Bottom line was that the only thing worse than the current dysfunctional borders would be an attempt to fix them.

I take it you disagree with that line of reasoning?

I disagree in that there is a natural process that forces change: it is called war in all its various forms. Where we have consistently gone wrong in cases like the Congo --or Somalia--was that we rushed to restore and maintain rather than sort out the underlying reasons for the conflict. That the African governments themselves held similar fears is true but hardly surprising.

In the case to the Congo/Zaire, that government was a Western creation. In the era of the Cold War with proxies in either side, your professor was correct. Better to avoid conflict or if unavoidable support conflict that ends in stalemate. I would class Angola and our support first to the FNLA and later UNITA as prime examples.

Don't get me wrong: I am not an advocate of border change as a solution to be imposed from the outside. The borders in the Middle East are truly screwed up; overtime they will adjust, Should we try to adjust them, we would indeed unleash chaos.

In the case of the Congo, some of this has been going on for decades. While I was there in 1994 Shaba province was renamed Katanga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Katanga)and the governor drove to the ceremony in Moise Tshmobe's old car (from his days as head of the Katangan Secession in 1960-63).

Since the 'end of the Cold War' of course, the old paradigm of strategic checkmate fell apart. We have however continued to approach long standing issues like the Congo or Somalia as if we were determined to maintain that paradigm--at least in respect to maintaining borders. I found Museveni's speech/transcript in the latest Mil Review to be quite good in getting at this tendency.

I also found this to be true in 1994-1996 when warning DC that Rwanda under the RPF saw a conquest of Zaire only as an exercise in logistics. A local UNHCR Director in Goma in late 1994 was appalled when I told him that unless the killer militias in the camps were disarmed he would see an RPA brigade marching past his office. Took 24 months but it happened. Instead he--the UNHCR guy and a hell of lot of others--saw that border as a barrier.

Where does this leave us though? I would suggest that in cases like the Congo the regional players will have to work it out. I see MONUC and its 17,000 troops as a testament to UN futility. Absent a mandate to engage in offensive operations and actually take charge, MONUC is part of the problem. ultimately I believe Rwanda will reaquire territory in the Congo based on ethnic ties as well as its own historical claims.

In the case of Somalia, I believe supporting a breakway Somaliland that shows it can function as a state is the right thing to do. Djibouti is another example. Support the governments that work and allow them to draw in those who wish to join them.

best

Tom

12-05-2008, 02:04 PM

I disagree in that there is a natural process that forces change: it is called war in all its various forms. Where we have consistently gone wrong in cases like the Congo --or Somalia--was that we rushed to restore and maintain rather than sort out the underlying reasons for the conflict. That the African governments themselves held similar fears is true but hardly surprising.

In the case to the Congo/Zaire, that government was a Western creation. In the era of the Cold War with proxies in either side, your professor was correct. Better to avoid conflict or if unavoidable support conflict that ends in stalemate. I would class Angola and our support first to the FNLA and later UNITA as prime examples.

Don't get me wrong: I am not an advocate of border change as a solution to be imposed from the outside. The borders in the Middle East are truly screwed up; overtime they will adjust, Should we try to adjust them, we would indeed unleash chaos.

In the case of the Congo, some of this has been going on for decades. While I was there in 1994 Shaba province was renamed Katanga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Katanga)and the governor drove to the ceremony in Moise Tshmobe's old car (from his days as head of the Katangan Secession in 1960-63).

Since the 'end of the Cold War' of course, the old paradigm of strategic checkmate fell apart. We have however continued to approach long standing issues like the Congo or Somalia as if we were determined to maintain that paradigm--at least in respect to maintaining borders. I found Museveni's speech/transcript in the latest Mil Review to be quite good in getting at this tendency.

I also found this to be true in 1994-1996 when warning DC that Rwanda under the RPF saw a conquest of Zaire only as an exercise in logistics. A local UNHCR Director in Goma in late 1994 was appalled when I told him that unless the killer militias in the camps were disarmed he would see an RPA brigade marching past his office. Took 24 months but it happened. Instead he--the UNHCR guy and a hell of lot of others--saw that border as a barrier.

Where does this leave us though? I would suggest that in cases like the Congo the regional players will have to work it out. I see MONUC and its 17,000 troops as a testament to UN futility. Absent a mandate to engage in offensive operations and actually take charge, MONUC is part of the problem. ultimately I believe Rwanda will reaquire territory in the Congo based on ethnic ties as well as its own historical claims.

In the case of Somalia, I believe supporting a breakway Somaliland that shows it can function as a state is the right thing to do. Djibouti is another example. Support the governments that work and allow them to draw in those who wish to join them.

best

Tom

I believe that we could summarize this whole post as "Let folks apply the principle of self-determination." Western paternalistic attempts to help out the world's "poor and downtrodden," inspired IMHO by a distorted form of missionary zeal that is really a poor attempt to assuage guilt over abuse of power, have proven themselves to be ineffective and quite often downright destructive to those "poor and downtrodden" people.

Tom Odom

12-05-2008, 02:23 PM

I believe that we could summarize this whole post as "Let folks apply the principle of self-determination." Western paternalistic attempts to help out the world's "poor and downtrodden," inspired IMHO by a distorted form of missionary zeal that is really a poor attempt to assuage guilt over abuse of power, have proven themselves to be ineffective and quite often downright destructive to those "poor and downtrodden" people.

Funny that you say that as Gerard Prunier essentially says the same. I just got my Amazon notification that his book on the Congo Wars was shipped.

I do believe that there are circumstances where intervention are not only justified but obligatory. Rwanda's genocide was such a case. In contrast, the Humanitarian Crisis" as hyped in Somalia that led us to go in there was a mistake. Errors made in that crisis forestalled effective intervention in Rwanda. I do not believe that there is a cookie cutter model out there that can be used to select such instances. All are different and all require measured analysis. Just because 2 crises both happen in Africa do not make them the same.

CNN's Christine Amanpour's special on genocide ran last night and I watched some of it. Dallaire's comments about he could have done something with a brigade were again front and center in pre-show articles on CNN.com. Maybe he could have--if he actually had a brigade of Canadian troops or US troops or troops with a non-UN C2 system (UN C2 means no command and very little control). The UN has a division worth of troops in Congo right now and they have been there for years. What a waste.

Tom

Stan

12-05-2008, 03:05 PM

I believe that we could summarize this whole post as "Let folks apply the principle of self-determination." Western paternalistic attempts to help out the world's "poor and downtrodden," inspired IMHO by a distorted form of missionary zeal that is really a poor attempt to assuage guilt over abuse of power, have proven themselves to be ineffective and quite often downright destructive to those "poor and downtrodden" people.

Hey Wayne,
Not that I disagree with you, but got to wonder what we would even be doing there in the first place if we really truly were content to permit self-determination. Would we then idly stand by as Russia and China devoured Sub-Sahara in their wakes, or, would we continue to piss and moan as they did said ?

If (extremely theoretical) we could care less politically speaking, imagine all the cash we could save and rebuild homes and lives for those on our own continent FIRST.

Sorry, watched millions dumped into one country and also watched that same country deteriorate beyond my wildest imagination. We're on the verge of broke, and they are still bitchin" :mad:

Self-determination my Alpha !

12-05-2008, 05:30 PM

Hey Wayne,
Not that I disagree with you, but got to wonder what we would even be doing there in the first place if we really truly were content to permit self-determination. Would we then idly stand by as Russia and China devoured Sub-Sahara in their wakes, or, would we continue to piss and moan as they did said ?

If (extremely theoretical) we could care less politically speaking, imagine all the cash we could save and rebuild homes and lives for those on our own continent FIRST.

Sorry, watched millions dumped into one country and also watched that same country deteriorate beyond my wildest imagination. We're on the verge of broke, and they are still bitchin" :mad:

Self-determination my Alpha !

Stan,

I wrote "Let folks apply the principle of self-determination." There's a lot of stuff packed into the words "let" and "apply." They need to be in what some folks call a "free speech community." That means that no outsiders are in a position to coerce the decison-making process. It also means that they have enough relevant information to make a well-informed decision.

IMHO, we (as rational humans, not as power-brokering empire builders) do (or should) care that they make a good decision, but it has to be a good decision for them, not one that we think would be a good decision for them. Otherwise the money we spend is just thrown down a rathole and will require more money later as the rats need to be exterminated.

I'm thinking that a Somililand/Puntland /Somilia solution for the Horn is probably the right way to go, for example, but that's not my call. I (as in America) need to make sure that the folks in the Horn get to decide what works best for them--without undue influence by other major powers (like those you mentioned). I also suspect that the Congo could well become at least 3 or 4 separate nations (maybe more, my cultural geography knowledge on the region is woefully old and I'm starting to get CRS disease).

But, fighting to prevent change by those who have come to be the power brokers as a result of the status quo will be pretty significant and bloody I suspect. Is it worth an increased investment today in blood and treasure to make things better in some, perhaps very long distant, future; or is it better to just keep the status quo in place with its atttendant loss of life and lucre? I submit that that's the policy debate that needs to happen.

Stan

12-05-2008, 07:15 PM

Stan,

I wrote "Let folks apply the principle of self-determination." There's a lot of stuff packed into the words "let" and "apply." They need to be in what some folks call a "free speech community." That means that no outsiders are in a position to coerce the decison-making process. It also means that they have enough relevant information to make a well-informed decision.

Wayne,
I knew I would get a straight answer out of you ;)
Was not attacking your words, rather trying to see where you were going with them. Honestly, I don't see many on the dark continent going anywhere with this current principle. Perhaps an unfair statement (knowing how far along we've made it without too much foreign intervention), but my experience leaves me with nothing but skeptical doubt.

IMHO, we (as rational humans, not as power-brokering empire builders) do (or should) care that they make a good decision, but it has to be a good decision for them, not one that we think would be a good decision for them. Otherwise the money we spend is just thrown down a rathole and will require more money later as the rats need to be exterminated.

I'm thinking that a Somililand/Puntland /Somilia solution for the Horn is probably the right way to go, for example, but that's not my call. I (as in America) need to make sure that the folks in the Horn get to decide what works best for them--without undue influence by other major powers (like those you mentioned). I also suspect that the Congo could well become at least 3 or 4 separate nations (maybe more, my cultural geography knowledge on the region is woefully old and I'm starting to get CRS disease).

Hmmm, what if all our good advice was never attached to a deal or cash ?
Kind of like you telling your son or daughter what will inevitably happen if you do X, but in spite of your educated conclusion and experience, they go ahead and do IT anyway. What ever happened to being rewarded later following a good deed...LOL Not too sure about Somalia, but if the DRC peacefully separated into tribal or cultural nations, it certainly wouldn't end there. We're back to greed and getting rich quick. I have never been of the opinion that those folks will live together as long as some are better off than the rest.

But, fighting to prevent change by those who have come to be the power brokers as a result of the status quo will be pretty significant and bloody I suspect. Is it worth an increased investment today in blood and treasure to make things better in some, perhaps very long distant, future; or is it better to just keep the status quo in place with its atttendant loss of life and lucre? I submit that that's the policy debate that needs to happen.

Other than what I conclude is the DRC's answer (not that I think its the best answer), I have no real clue how to turn off the current trend. Sadly, if something doesn't happen quickly, we'll have 2 or 3 generations to wait out before anything does take hold. It is little more than blood and treasure, and far too easy to use ethnicity as the driving force when your soldiers have yet to complete 3rd grade :wry:

Regards, Stan

Tom Odom

12-05-2008, 07:32 PM

but if the DRC peacefully separated into tribal or cultural nations, it certainly wouldn't end there. We're back to greed and getting rich quick. I have never been of the opinion that those folks will live together as long as some are better off than the rest.

Understand your concerns and believe me I don't expect "goodness and light" to burst from the Heart of Darkness over the next decade. What I would suggest is possible that local states built around ethnic and commercial interests locally could emerge, survive, and develop a a sense of polity that could attract greater followings. If that sounds Polly Annish, it is to a certain degree.

But the opposite track--always trying to prop up a central government--does not work as repeatedly proved in the 48 years since Congo became an independent "nation". An independent Kivu or Kasai or Katanga may be more viable than Leopoldville/Kinshasa (which truly has been more of a city state than a national capital). I would apply the same model to the region of Somalia as the Finnish article you posted did.

Best

Tom

12-05-2008, 08:06 PM

Wayne,
I knew I would get a straight answer out of you ;)
Was not attacking your words, rather trying to see where you were going with them. Honestly, I don't see many on the dark continent going anywhere with this current principle. Perhaps an unfair statement (knowing how far along we've made it without too much foreign intervention), but my experience leaves me with nothing but skeptical doubt.

Hmmm, what if all our good advice was never attached to a deal or cash ?
Kind of like you telling your son or daughter what will inevitably happen if you do X, but in spite of your educated conclusion and experience, they go ahead and do IT anyway. What ever happened to being rewarded later following a good deed...LOL Not too sure about Somalia, but if the DRC peacefully separated into tribal or cultural nations, it certainly wouldn't end there. We're back to greed and getting rich quick. I have never been of the opinion that those folks will live together as long as some are better off than the rest.

Other than what I conclude is the DRC's answer (not that I think its the best answer), I have no real clue how to turn off the current trend. Sadly, if something doesn't happen quickly, we'll have 2 or 3 generations to wait out before anything does take hold. It is little more than blood and treasure, and far too easy to use ethnicity as the driving force when your soldiers have yet to complete 3rd grade :wry:

Regards, Stan

Stan,

Can't disagree with your thoughts, especially since you have BOG experience that I lack. From what I read about Africa, I am reminded of how I saw Okinawa a year after reversion--seemed the "person in the street" learned the worst habits from the former occupiers (or colonial powers) and from their new rulers--That is really too bad. Wish I knew how to get "the apple to fall" a lot farther from the tree other than trying to set a better example now and waiting several generations. (I'm as impatient as any other typical American I guess.) Seems like we need to let them learn the hard way (like the prodigal child you mentioned) and be prepared to keep away the other "grown up" nations who would try, to our detriment, to take advantage of their youthful missteps.

Stan

12-05-2008, 08:21 PM

Understand your concerns and believe me I don't expect "goodness and light" to burst from the Heart of Darkness over the next decade. What I would suggest is possible that local states built around ethnic and commercial interests locally could emerge, survive, and develop a a sense of polity that could attract greater followings. If that sounds Polly Annish, it is to a certain degree.

But the opposite track--always trying to prop up a central government--does not work as repeatedly proved in the 48 years since Congo became an independent "nation". An independent Kivu or Kasai or Katanga may be more viable than Leopoldville/Kinshasa (which truly has been more of a city state than a national capital). I would apply the same model to the region of Somalia as the Finnish article you posted did.

Best

Tom

Hey Tom,
Well, that's a bit optimistic for you ;)
I concur that breaking up the DRC would ease management of an otherwise vast country controlled by a unitary system of (ahem) government. To quote you from 94, "The Fate of Zaire would be determined in Goma, not Kinshasa". Too bad few listened back then. The same probably holds true today. If the eastern region is not settled, ethnic ties will barely get a foothold in commerce. At this point I don't see much interest in establishing much of anything financially driven competing with hundreds of ethnic groups. The will of the people is dead and the politicians and military are stuck in place as if we were still in 1994.

Way off topic...

I recall some London think tank commenting on the UN's decision to augment MONUC with another 3,100 troops. Something like needing 100,000 troops and also hoping Obama as an envoy might find a settlement.

Now that's pollyannish!

Regards, Stan

Stan

12-08-2008, 06:56 AM

The EU operation (http://consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=1518&lang=en) is the first of its kind to be commanded by a Briton

Six ships and three surveillance planes from at least eight EU countries, including the UK, France and Germany, will escort aid and merchant ships.

This military operation, called EU NAVFOR Somalia (operation "Atalanta"), will be conducted in support of UN Security Council Resolutions 1814 (2008), 1816 (2008), 1838 (2008) and 1846 (2008) in order to contribute to:

...the protection of vessels of the WFP (World Food Programme) delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia;

...the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast, and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.

There's also a snappy new site and flag for The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA (http://www.mschoa.eu/About.aspx))

12-08-2008, 12:15 PM

Folks may not like the German contribution to NATO efforts in A-Stan, but this (http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,592647,00.html) article shows promise of the support in the pirate venue.

Germany to Deploy Up to 1,400 to Fight Pirates

The uproar over pirates off the Gulf of Aden has led the German government to contribute a naval frigate to an EU mission along the Somali coast. More soldiers may be on the way. In the meantime German helicopters have defended a pair of merchant ships from pirate speedboats.

As European enthusiasm for the American-led "War on Terror" continues to wane, Europe is assembling a substantial military force to send to the Gulf of Aden. Call it the "War on Piracy" -- and Germany, this time, has not been shy.

Although the German Defense Ministry refuses to confirm the number, a report on Tuesday in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says that the government is considering deploying up to 1400 troops to combat Somali piracy. By way of comparison, Berlin currently contributes about 3,500 troops to the war in Afghanistan.

Entropy

12-08-2008, 01:43 PM

New Proceedings (http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/index.asp) articles on piracy.

They're all pretty good:

Great history of piracy (https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1693) and how modern pirates fit into it.

The Golden Age of Piracy—from approximately 1570 to around 1730—was an era when robbery on the high seas was widespread, lucrative, and threatening. Although nowadays it has been romanticized in such films as Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, piracy back then was actually violent, frightening, destabilizing, and thoroughly illegitimate, at least from the point of view of governing authorities. Its history provides a variety of case studies and models that illustrate how these groups operated and to what degree their activities continued, despite opposition and military confrontation.

In turn, these models offer ways to analyze the pirates of the contemporary world—including those now operating off the coasts of Africa—so we can ascertain their viability and learn how to combat them. Ultimately, case studies reveal that long-term, intractable, flourishing piracy is a complex activity that relies on five integral factors: an available population of potential recruits, a secure base of operations, a sophisticated organization, some degree of outside support, and cultural bonds that engender vibrant group solidarity. Activities that interfere with the smooth workings of any of these factors weaken piracy's sustainability.

This article debunks the piracy-is-terrorsm meme (https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1694) and argues the threat is overstated:

Modern pirates bear little resemblance to popular romantic Hollywood characters. Increasingly violent and greedy, their actions seem an affront to the very ideals of Western civilization. Armchair admirals and politicians are quick to shake their fists, avowing, "Something must be done." Maritime industry is quick to follow, with unsettling incident accounts and dire financial projections. Yet, more informed analysis of piracy reveals that the impact in blood and treasure is altogether minimal.

Indeed, common misperceptions abound. While maritime piracy incidents capture media attention and generate international calls for action, the piracy threat is in fact overstated. It is nothing more than high-seas criminal activity, better addressed by law enforcement agencies than warships. As a localized nuisance, it should not serve to shape maritime force structure or strategy.

And for you lawyerly types, a pretty good overview (http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1697) of the law regarding piracy:

Once the pirates were in custody, the way ahead became less clear as the destroyer's commanding officer, and more broadly, the American government and the international community confronted the myriad diplomatic and legal challenges of piracy suppression in the 21st century. Who would investigate and prosecute the case? Where would the pirates be held, and by whom? What about the Indian crew members, all of them witnesses to the crime, and what would happen to their ship and cargo?

The successful interdiction by the Churchill sparked a global effort to develop a modern playbook for confronting piracy. In the United States, the Bush administration began to develop a policy consistent with national maritime strategy, which culminated in a comprehensive piracy policy governing diplomatic and legal action and signed by President George W. Bush in 2007. This establishes a framework for warships that encounter or interrupt acts of maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea, as well as for agencies charged with facilitating the prosecution of perpetrators and the repatriation of victims and witnesses. But because much of the ocean's surface is beyond state jurisdiction, effective piracy repression demands international action and coordination.

Stan

12-08-2008, 05:30 PM

Jeez, a deal was concluded and where's the cash already.

This is too good; Pirates complaining about prompt payments (http://en.rian.ru/world/20081208/118748786.html) :D

KIEV, December 8 (RIA Novosti) - The Somali pirates holding the Ukrainian cargo ship the Faina are disgruntled with delays in the payment of a ransom, the Ukrainian ICTV television station said on Monday, citing a pirate.

According to the pirate, who called himself Ahmed, an agreement on the payment of a ransom was reached last week but the ship's owners have yet to hand over the money.

The U.S. military has moved away from the Faina to create a corridor for the ransom to be delivered, and to guarantee the pirates safe exit from the ship," he said. U.S. Navy warships had earlier surrounded the vessel.

I say sink the tub toy and the T-72s, pirates et al

davidbfpo

12-14-2008, 12:17 PM

BBC News has a short report on this conference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7782016.stm and full of overt, diplomatic posturing. Whether any action follows is unclear.

davidbfpo

davidbfpo

12-16-2008, 07:57 PM

Couldn't resist this, the picture says more than the newspaper story from aboard an Italian destroyer: http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20081216/znyt03/812163020&tc=yahoo

Sorry Stan failed to move the picture over, check the sailor out and yes there is no ammunition in the MG42.

davidbfpo

jmm99

12-17-2008, 05:19 PM

Entropy's post # 70 (link for "lawyerly types"). Here is a statute at its best - simplicity (http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00001651----000-.html).

18 USC § 1651. Piracy under law of nations

Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.

The only change since Tripoli has been removal of the death penalty.

davidbfpo

12-18-2008, 11:23 AM

The Chinese navy (PLAN) are to deploy two warships to the Gulf of Aden, after Xmas: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7789303.stm

I do wonder whether all the navies there are co-ordinated; I suspect the Indian and Chinese navies will not join the CTF / EU flotilla.

davidbfpo

Stan

12-18-2008, 02:02 PM

According to Euronews it's been 600 years since the Chinese did such a thing. One wonders if they're still in practice.

Then there's this from the UN :eek:

UN Allows Land and Air Strikes to Hunt Somalian Pirates
(http://www.nowpublic.com/world/un-allows-land-and-air-strikes-hunt-somalian-pirates)
The Council's move came as the US for the first time supported deployment of the UN peacekeepers in the war torn country which does not have working government for last 17 years. Most of the southern part is controlled by Islamists and the government recognised by the United Nations hardly holds sway over any territory and is weak and divided.

The spurt in the pirates who have earned millions of dollars in ransom by hijacking ships in major sea lanes have created panic and several countries have sent naval ships but without much effect.

The Council decided to give wide powers to the countries whose Navies are operating in areas as diplomats said they were handicapped as they could not pursue pirates on land in Somalia. But by some accounts, the pirates are leading luxurious lives in Somalia on the money obtained from ransoms.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who attended the Council's meeting yesterday, said Washington would set up a contact group to coordinate and enhance anti-piracy efforts and called for setting up a United Nations peacekeeping force by the end of the year.

davidbfpo

12-18-2008, 11:49 PM

From The Economist: http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12815670&source=hptextfeature

Interesting and piracy is only a side issue.

davidbfpo

Rex Brynen

12-19-2008, 03:10 PM

According to Euronews it's been 600 years since the Chinese did such a thing. One wonders if they're still in practice.

Apparently Chinese fishermen are:

China sailor recalls pirate fight (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7791901.stm)

BBC News, 14:45 GMT, Friday, 19 December 2008

The captain of a Chinese ship has told the BBC how he and his crew fought off a gang of armed Somali pirates with petrol bombs and water cannon.

Nine pirates boarded the Zhenhua 4 on Wednesday but were forced off the ship by Capt Peng Weiyuan and his crew after they mounted an unexpected fightback.

Helicopters from a multi-national force also took part in the four hour battle, which saw the pirates back down.

If the story is accurate, this sure took some cojones (or the Chinese equivalent):

"After the first attack they retreated but somehow they got very good weapons - anti-tank weapons - which they fired at us, and succeeded in coming up to our living quarters.

"They came to the first platform which is very close to our living quarters.
"We were locked inside and the door was very thick. They were shouting 'open the door'. So we climbed further up and we used everything to threaten them, bottles, petrol.

"Eventually we used high-pressure water cannon to shoot at them. They were also shooting at us and one bullet passed me about 10in (25cm) away.

Stan

12-25-2008, 07:32 PM

Justice on the high seas (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7799796.stm)... German Style :confused:

Six Somali pirates were captured by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe in the Gulf of Aden.

However, the pirates were immediately released on the orders of the German government, officials told the BBC.

"We had forces on board the frigate, and they used fast small boats, and together with the helicopter we were able to surround the pirates and disarm them," he said.

He said the decision not to detain or arrest them was taken by the German government in Berlin.

A spokesman for the EU's mission off Somalia, Cdr Achim Winkler, told the BBC's Europe Today programme that Germany would only bring pirates to justice where German interests were hurt.

This would be the case if a German ship was attacked or German citizens were killed or injured, he said.

Stan

12-29-2008, 08:14 PM

From ThreatsWatch RapidRecon... (http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2008/12/when-private-interests-combat/)

Into this breach leaps American entrepreneurship and straightforward seizing the opportunity.

A Texas based private security firm is now engaged in providing armed security escorts to deal with “open water threats and provide an electronic command center for threat detection and response, leveraging their teams between many vessels across the region.” While the mission was made public a week ago, there is no current indication of deployment or any engagement with pirates.

However, while the United Nations, NATO and the affected nations and shipping lines await decisions to be made, a private company has taken the initiative. Rash actions? It’s hard to tell. Effective actions? We may never know.

Stan

12-31-2008, 02:06 PM

Foreign Policy's (http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4571) Seven Questions: Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper (The general who whipped U.S. forces in a famous war game tells FP how to crack down on Somali pirates. Ahoy!).

What we’re really talking about is what kind of methods folks might use that are unconventional. You struggle with words because to the person doing it, it’s not unorthodox, irregular, any of those things; it’s very normal. If you think in history, the Japanese didn’t think that kamikaze pilots were unconventional, but the U.S. did and the British did. The insurgents don’t think that IEDs [improvised explosive devices] are irregular or asymmetrical. It’s in the eye of the beholder. I think [the tactics] you’re seeing with many of these pirates—it’s not something they’ve done deliberately with relation to more modern nations—it’s what they do normally.

Tom Odom

12-31-2008, 02:20 PM

William F. Owen

12-31-2008, 02:55 PM

He is of course correct. The common derogative for Somali bandits who have long plagued Kenya and other neighbors is "shurtah" (also pepper or police in arabic). The pirates are merely seagoing shurtah and the ships are seagoing merchants, the same as a Bedord lorry rolling down a broken trail in northern Kenya or earlier a camel convoy snaking through the same area.

Tom. Is "shurtah" the same as "Shifta"? - cos that's what all the Kenya Ex-pates I know, call the Ethiopian Bandits up and around the northern boarders and especially near the Lake.

But we cannot rename the Assymetric Warfare Group the Same Old ####e, now can we? What would the patch look like? :wry:

It could be the Theatre Projects Group, as was originally suggested.

Tom Odom

12-31-2008, 03:11 PM

Tom. Is "shurtah" the same as "Shifta"? - cos that's what all the Kenya Ex-pates I know, call the Ethiopian Bandits up and around the northern boarders and especially near the Lake.

It could be the Theatre Projects Group, as was originally suggested.

You are correct. It is shifta now that you put in front of me--but I think it is a swahili derivative of shurtah.

thanks

Tom

davidbfpo

01-04-2009, 08:39 PM

French navy, part of EU task force, detain two groups of pirates and note hand them over to Somali authorities: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L4679563.htm

Note human rights law seems not to bother the French, unlike others NATO navies.

davidbfpo

Stan

01-08-2009, 04:09 PM

Commander, Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain (http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2009/001.html) – The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) has established Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) specifically for counter-piracy operations.

The establishment of CTF-151 will allow CTF-150 assets to remain focused on those activities, giving CTF-151 the ability to focus solely on the counter-piracy mission.

“Some navies in our coalition did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions,” said Vice Adm, Bill Gortney, CMF Commander. “The establishment of CTF-151 will allow those nations to operate under the auspices of CTF-150, while allowing other nations to join CTF-151 to support our goal of deterring, disrupting and eventually bringing to justice the maritime criminals involved in piracy events.”

davidbfpo

01-08-2009, 11:33 PM

The BBC News report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7817611.stm

Lots of questions to ask; are China and India partners? Sorry, this sounds like "spin" and a little odd for the USN to announce when an EU flotilla was announced late '08.

Back to my faraway observation seat.

davidbfpo

Beelzebubalicious

01-09-2009, 05:04 PM

One of my relatives was on the Nautica cruise ship that was attacked by pirates in the gulf of aden (http://www.vagazette.com/news/local/va-news2_010309jan03,0,4621826.story)

As the story goes, it was a skiff with 4 guys and they shot bullets into the air. The captain increased speed to 20 knots and outran them. they were prepared to defend themselves with LRADS (Long Range Audio Devices) and water cannons.

My relative and his wife were so unnerved that they could only be calmed with a breakfast of pecan waffles and smoked salmon...

Stan

01-12-2009, 04:29 PM

Now this is too rich. When news of this hits the general public, the beaches will indeed be a sight to see ;)

The body of a Somali pirate (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7824353.stm) who reportedly drowned soon after receiving a huge ransom has washed ashore with $153,000 in cash, his uncle says.

A relative of the drowned pirate told the BBC the family was now trying to dry out the recovered money.

The pirates' boat capsized when they were hit by rough seas as they were heading back to their homes in central Somalia, the leader of the pirates told AFP.

120mm

01-15-2009, 12:06 PM

One of my relatives was on the Nautica cruise ship that was attacked by pirates in the gulf of aden (http://www.vagazette.com/news/local/va-news2_010309jan03,0,4621826.story)

As the story goes, it was a skiff with 4 guys and they shot bullets into the air. The captain increased speed to 20 knots and outran them. they were prepared to defend themselves with LRADS (Long Range Audio Devices) and water cannons.

Multiple levels of my consciousness is disgusted that ship's captains are not prepared to defend themselves with 3 inch guns and .50 cals. This "be nice to pirates" game will end in tears, vis-a-vis free passage of the seas, if it keeps up.

Ken White

01-15-2009, 03:47 PM

Multiple levels of my consciousness is disgusted that ship's captains are not prepared to defend themselves with 3 inch guns and .50 cals. This "be nice to pirates" game will end in tears, vis-a-vis free passage of the seas, if it keeps up.to do that, they'd be Navy Officers instead of Merchant officers.

Boils down to dollars; cheaper for ship owners to pay the ransoms than to arm the ships, pay fighting wages to the crews, pay to train the crews -- and take a chance on losing a multi million dollar cargo due to a lucky RPG hit.

Rex Brynen

01-15-2009, 04:13 PM

Multiple levels of my consciousness is disgusted that ship's captains are not prepared to defend themselves with 3 inch guns and .50 cals. This "be nice to pirates" game will end in tears, vis-a-vis free passage of the seas, if it keeps up.

If commercial ships carried these, they wouldn't be able to dock in many countries. The complexities of dealing with the very different firearms regulations of a hundred or more maritime countries would be daunting.

PhilR

01-16-2009, 10:25 PM

Information Dissemination has a great post that comments on a recent press conference with VADM Gortney, Cdr US Fifth Fleet and NAVCENT. http://http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2009/01/5th-fleet-focus-regional-status-report.html

The post further links to the transcript itself. I recommend reading for good insight on the development of the US Campaign Plan, which was heavy on engagement to get international participation, and pursuit of legal authorities, to eventually support more effective operations.
Gortney is clear that the real solution is ashore and all that can be accomplished at sea is disruption and deterrence. He also provides a good account of the tactical challenges of identifying and dealing with the pirates at sea.

01-29-2009, 07:36 PM

DoD News release (http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52871) "adds to the weapons to combat piracy"

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2009 – The Kenyan government has agreed to try pirates captured by the U.S. military, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
The agreement came about earlier this month through a memorandum of understanding signed by U.S. State Department and Kenyan government officials, spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters. Britain also has a similar agreement with Kenya.

I wonder what force this has in international law if the pirates are captured outside Kenyan territorial waters and/or are preying on ships with other than Kenyan registry and have no passengers/crews that are Kenyan citizens? More fun for international legal beagles to be sure.

Pattonmat89

01-30-2009, 05:21 AM

I know Somali pirates aren't quite the same thing as the Taliban, although I did recently hear the whole to-do with them being compared to an insurgency. Any-hoo, up until now, the big problem has been that the law was unclear on how to prosecute them, and that was at least part of what prevented the gaggle of ships cruising off the coast of Somalia from becoming more "proactive", shall we say, against the pirates. But there may be some progress in that direction. The U.S. and Kenya just signed off on an agreement that will have the Kenyans prosecuting the pirates in their courts. This may be good news. Hopefully.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE50S4ZZ20090129

Jedburgh

02-05-2009, 11:31 PM

4 Jan 09 testimony before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by Peter Chalk of RAND:

Maritime Piracy: Reasons, Dangers and Solutions (http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/2009/RAND_CT317.pdf)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, for the opportunity to testify on this important subject. The rash of pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden in 2008 has cast into sharp light an enduring problem that affects not only this part of the continent but many other areas of the world. This testimony aims to inform and put into context the current debate on piracy by providing an overview of the scope and contributing factors driving armed maritime violence in the contemporary era and the principal dangers associated with this particular manifestation of transnational crime. Given the publicity and unprecedented character of the international response to Somali-based piracy, the testimony also briefly addresses the appropriateness of the measures that have been instituted to deal with armed maritime violence off the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden.......

bourbon

03-07-2009, 08:07 PM

The Pirate Latitudes (http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/04/somali-pirates200904?printable=true&currentPage=all), by William Langewiesche. Vanity Fair, April 2009.

When the French luxury cruise ship Le Ponant was captured by a raggedy, hopped-up band of Somali pirates last spring, in the Gulf of Aden, it looked as if the bandits had bitten off more than they could chew. But after a week-long standoff, they got what they had come for—a $2.15 million ransom. Describing the terrifying attack, the ordeal of the ship’s epicurean crew, and the tense negotiations, the author examines the ruthless calculus behind a new age of piracy.

Haven't read it yet, but the author is excellent, and is a knowledgeable source on the subject having covered piracy and shipping in his book The Outlaw Sea: A World of Freedom, Chaos, and Crime.

davidbfpo

03-07-2009, 09:05 PM

The Vanity Fair article is interesting and illustrates the difficulties posed to all parties involved. Attacking a luxury yacht, minus passengers, makes the incident magazine worthy; especially as the yacht often has US passengers aboard. The French military action - after the ransom was paid - is similar to the opening scenes in 'Blackhawk Down', which struck me as odd.

davidbfpo

davidbfpo

03-30-2009, 07:40 PM

Somali pirates by mistake attack a German Navy supply vessel, Germans fire back and chase ensues: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090330/ap_on_re_mi_ea/piracy;_ylt=Aj_7D5.7ggdhfFeXORo9.P9vaA8F

I'd speculate this is the first time the German navy has fired shots in anger since 1945.

davidbfpo

davidbfpo

04-05-2009, 10:05 PM

Yes, all the international action appears to have overlooked whether any law existed to deal with those detained: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/royal-navy-may--be-forced-to-free-captured-pirates-1662947.html

Brilliant.

davidbfpo

davidbfpo

04-06-2009, 12:37 PM

With the patrolling navies in the Gulf of Aden the pirates it is reported have moved elsewhere: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/5113721/Somali-pirates-hijack-British-ship.html

davidbfpo

Van

04-08-2009, 05:30 PM

And retaken (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7990566.stm).

The act of piracy against a U.S. flagged vessel, and the subsequent retaking of the vessel off the Horn of Africa should make for an excellent case study.

Maybe it is time to make A.J. Corbesier's cutlass manual (http://www.navyandmarine.org/cutlassmanual/1869cutlass.pdf)part of a mariner's education again.

The attack sounds like the typical swarm of small boats closing on a merchant ship, but I'd be curious to hear more detail of the events aboard the ship.

jmm99

04-12-2009, 06:09 PM

American captain rescued, pirates killed, U.S. official says - CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/index.html)

U.S. Navy rescues captain held by pirates
Three of the Somali captors killed, one in custody after swift operation - MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30178013/)

Stan

04-13-2009, 06:03 PM

Stumbled across these poll results at Russia's Rian (http://en.rian.ru/vote/) yesterday :D

What’s the best way to tackle the Somali pirates?

Carry out precision strikes on their bases ( 159 / 39.4% )

More at the link...

Uboat509

04-13-2009, 07:21 PM

My question now, based on the article posted by davidbfpo, is what are they going to do with pirate that was captured alive? Where can he be tried?

SFC W

JarodParker

04-14-2009, 02:48 AM

Longtime listener, first time caller here…

I would think that the pirate in this particular instance could be tried in the US since he attacked a US registered vessel, operated by US citizens. The statutes below clearly describe his actions and the nexus to the US is indisputable. So all they have to do is get home-skillet into the country. Hmmm sounds too easy…

PART I—CRIMES, CHAPTER 81--PIRACY AND PRIVATEERING
Sec. 1651. Piracy under law of nations
Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.

Sec. 1653. Aliens as pirates
Whoever, being a citizen or subject of any foreign state, is found and taken on the sea making war upon the United States, or cruising against the vessels and property thereof, or of the citizens of the same, contrary to the provisions of any treaty existing between the United States and the state of which the offender is a citizen or subject, when by such treaty such acts are declared to be piracy, is a pirate, and shall be imprisoned for life.

I could be wrong but (my spidey sense tells me) the article posted by davidbfpo might be concerned with the Brits arresting Somali pirates that seize non-British ships with non-British crews in international/non-British territorial waters. Equally confusing is the January 16, 2009 bilateral agreement, which supposedly allows for piracy suspects detained by US forces to be tried in Kenya (article linked by another user earlier in this thread). Where does Kenya get the authority to prosecute Somali pirates?

Also, the Navy’s plan to start conducting vessel inspections for “pirate paraphernalia” off the Somali coast is a bit troubling. I hope we don’t start hearing about watercraft borne IED’s, especially in light of the fact that Al-Shabab is claiming they launched a mortar attack on Congressman Payne’s aircraft.

I’d like to express my appreciation for everyone on this board who who’s been kind enough to share their knowledge and time.

Schmedlap

04-14-2009, 05:00 AM

I posted this question (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2009/04/weekend-piracy-news-opinion-bl-1/#c002929) at the SWJ blog, but it probably has a better chance of being answered here.

My question pertains to my analysis below. The question is: am I correct?

I read, via AP, that "The Defense Department twice asked [President] Obama for permission to use military force to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. Saturday."

Facts, as reported in the media:
Three snipers/marksmen observed Capt. Phillips with a gun either to his back or head. All three of the pirates with him were in plain view, less than 100 feet from the Bainbridge.

My understanding:
In any operation that I have ever been on, the minimum use of force, up to and including lethal force, has always been authorized to defend another person if it is perceived that the person is at risk of imminent death or harm. That authorization has always been in effect unless a service member is directly ordered not to use force.
If a deployed, armed service member sees someone about to be shot to death, and the service member can prevent it by shooting the assailant, then the service member is free to do so unless ordered not to.

My analysis:
Even if the President gave no guidance whatsoever in regard to the incident involving Capt. Phillips, the shooters still had authority to kill the pirates when it became apparent that Capt. Phillips' was about to be shot by the pirates.

Why is this important? I think this is a very slick talking point. Even if my analysis is correct, the talking point that the President gave the Navy permission to use force "to rescue" Capt. Phillips makes it sound as though the head-popping climax to this high seas adventure was made possible by brilliant decision-making in the White House. As I understand what has been written, this was not a rescue mission. This was three shooters who saw an immediate threat to the life of Capt. Phillips and interceded in his defense. At that point, he is lying in a boat, tied up, and in need of help. So, they go help him - just as they would help a yacht full of random yahoos who are drifting aimlessly because their motor died and they're out of food and water. None of that requires Presidential authorization.

Possible caveat:
"They had a gun to his back" is a convenient justification after the fact. Could make for a useful cover to a deliberate rescue mission, making this look like a purely defensive act. That would send a less threatening message to the pirates. That message would essentially be: "Continue your practice of not harming captives and we're cool. There might be a tense standoff, but you will live another day. Escalate to the use of deadly force against our countrymen, and we kill you."
If that is the case - that we're pushing a storyline that is not what actually happened - then I hope that the people in the know remain faithful to the story. The truth seems to eventually get out. If this leads to retaliation of the type that some pirates have threatened and if it turns out that our storyline is not what actually happened, then we know the tired old mantra: "so-and-so lied, people died."

Ken White

04-14-2009, 05:21 AM

WH spin, that's to be expected. Politicians will claim credit for things that go right and back off if they go wrong; way of the beast -- both parties, ideology irrelevant, unfortunately...

I note Newt Gingrich and some others lambasted Obama for doing nothing then, when the WH started crowing, pointed out the same things you cite. I'm pretty sure that had things gone wrong there'd have been a lot of finger pointing and the WH spin would've been "Yes, they had authorization -- but they overstepped" or such like. Maybe not but I'm old and cynical...

Shouldn't be that way but it is.

Captains of naval vessels have far more authority and freedom of action than do Army, Marine or Air Force Colonels -- nature of that beast as well.

My guess is that 'gun in his back' may or may not be true but either way was played up in an attempt to make the Pirates the bad guys (Clue -- they already were that...:rolleyes: ). Either way, the boys done good. It'll complicate things there but something similar was going to happen sooner or later in any event.

Now, as long as we don't get dumb...

Rex Brynen

04-14-2009, 01:18 PM

International Legal Responses to Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (http://www.asil.org/insights090206.cfm)

By Eugene Kontorovich

The American Society of International Law
February 6, 2009
Volume 13, Issue 2

The extraordinary growth in piracy off the coast of Somalia in recent months has led to a multipronged international response. Several nations have sent naval assets to patrol the Gulf of Aden in an effort to protect international commercial shipping. The United Nations Security Council has, under its Chapter VII powers to address threats to international peace and security, passed a series of resolutions that give these forces unprecedented legal authority to pursue pirates. While the traditional definition of piracy under international law restricts military responses by outside powers to those carried out on the high seas, the 2008 Security Council resolutions authorize the use of military force within sovereign Somali waters and territory. Despite this authorization of expanded powers to interdict and detain pirates at sea, states have expressed frustration at the limited available options for prosecuting captured pirates. Thus Britain has entered into an agreement with Kenya to permit sea robbers captured by the Royal Navy to be tried in Kenyan courts. All these developments are innovative legal responses to a modern epidemic of the oldest recognized international crime.

jmm99

04-14-2009, 07:15 PM

As correctly stated, the SROEs provide for self-defense and defense of others (those rules are based on the conduct of the opponent actors). Those SROEs are subject to an override by the National Command Authority going to rules based on the status of the opponent actors - e.g., allowing kill or capture at any time and any place.

Having said that, and without having the specific communications in hand, one cannot say what rules were in effect for the actual shoot. Even the SROEs (conduct rules) are subject to micro-management from the top - e.g., no shooting even if the on-point people see a lethal threat to themselves or to an innocent.

The I Law article cited by Rex covers the UN authorizations, the scope of universal jurisdiction over piracy (as in 18 USC 1651 cited by JP, which applies even if there is no US nexus other than the US doing the capturing), and why Kenya is involved as a possible venue for trials (answering JP's question).

That article does not cover what US ROEs are in effect for a particular engagement. The Somali pirates are TVNSAs (Transnational Violent Non-State Actors) - the basic question is whether they are to be handled as a purely criminal law matter (conduct based ROEs); or whether action against them (as a hostile group; e.g., AQ-Taliban) is to be in the context of an "armed conflict" (where ROEs can be status-based, but also can remain conduct-based in the discretion of the National Command Authority) - with Congressional action, etc.). In an "armed conflict" situation, Common Article 3 of the GCs comes into play for detainments, but supplemental criminal prosecutions would also be an option.

All of this is simply a variant of the Gitmo cases.

LTC Geoff Corn has written quite a bit about conduct-based and status-based ROEs. See discussion at #32 in this thread (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?p=69086#post69086) and at # 245 in this thread (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=4921&page=13) (multiple source links).

Stan

04-15-2009, 07:34 AM

A good article from the Christian Science Monitor shedding a bit more on Kenya and covering some legal history.

Sticky legal battles await for captured Somali pirates (http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0415/p06s07-wogn.html)

Yet it is not clear – and now with Somali pirate lords talking about retaliation – that Kenya is entirely keen to be the world's judicial dumping ground for marauders of the high seas. Nor is it clear that Kenya's fragile politics can support a potentially controversial initiative on piracy, or that its troubled judicial system can deliver the quality of justice that many European nations, such as Germany, say they require in turning over the accused.

"We should think of Kenya's hospitality as a very short term thing. They don't really want and don't need this right now," says an American international lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect colleagues in Somalia. "Kenya isn't The Hague, where combatants live far away. The truth is we are unprepared for this. There isn't a Kyoto protocol for piracy, there's no clear international practice."

"You don't hear about it, but a lot of pirates are just put on shore," says Mr. Middleton. "The EU mission is to 'dissuade and disrupt,' only. It's fairly selective when pirates are turned over. That only happens when the evidence against them is very good."

... the UN Law of the Sea Treaty, which governs piracy, is not ambiguous. It states that outside a 12-mile limit, piracy is a crime that can be prosecuted anywhere in the world under the concept of "universal jurisdiction." Piracy itself in the 18th century brought the first codification of such universal laws.

Inside the 12-mile limit – one reason pirates quickly tow ships close to shore – the crime is considered "armed robbery." But the 12-mile limit, and a further 300-mile economic zone off shore, makes for a set of practical complications for the dozen navies actively patrolling a 2,500 mile coast. EU nations are obliged to apply a high level of human rights standards, which, unlike the US Navy, even disallows fingerprinting of pirates.

04-15-2009, 11:48 AM

The BBC reports has a new pirate attack against a US vessel here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7999350.stm)

Pirates attack second US vessel

The Liberty Sun was damaged in the pirate attack
Pirates have used rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons to attack another US merchant ship off the coast of Somalia.

The pirates damaged the Liberty Sun, which was carrying a cargo of food aid, but were not able to board it.

The ship asked for assistance from the American warship involved in the rescue of a US captain seized last week.

Pirates have vowed to avenge the deaths of those killed in recent rescue operations by US and French forces.

What I find most interesting in the article is this :

Our correspondent says it seems unlikely there will be any major increase in the military effort unless there is a spectacular hijacking involving the deaths of many Americans.

The reluctance to mount a major international naval operation in the area may also be down to the relatively small scale of the problem.

Last year, according to figures from the International Maritime Bureau, nearly 23,000 ships passed through the Gulf of Aden, but only 92 were hijacked.

goesh

04-15-2009, 12:28 PM

Today at MSN they reported another attack on a US ship, saying rockets had been used by the pirates. I guess I haven't followed this closely enough and was assuming the pirates were using only AKs and fast boats. What's the real scoop here, are they upping the ante or have they always had more fire power than AKs ? The devils had vowed revenge on the US after that SEAL team took out 3 of them.

Tom Odom

04-15-2009, 12:31 PM

goesh

04-15-2009, 01:46 PM

Thanks Tom. The older I get the more I want simplicity. It seems there could be a few strategically placed arms lockers on board these merchant ships - ARs, shotguns with 00 buckshot, .45s - I know there's an issue of weapons going into foreign ports but he**, stamp these lockers with big FIRST AID signs and if anyone wants to inspect, well, the Captain and XO can't find the keys to the First Aid lockers. It's a real sad state of affairs when the US Navy has to be commiting resources to guard against marauding pirates in cigar boats or whatever it is they are using.

bourbon

04-15-2009, 02:52 PM

marauding pirates in cigar boats or whatever it is they are using.
Cigar boats, now that would be Don Johnson style! These guys use skiffs with outboards (here (http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/somali-pirates-404_675902c.jpg) are (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01000/460-somalia-pirate_1000611c.jpg) some (http://d.yimg.com/bg/p/090313/afp/iphoto_1236935419266-1-0jpg.jpg) pics (http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/10/01/world/01pirates_600.jpg)), and operate from larger 'mother ships'. They've had RPG's; fired a few at a cruise ship in 2005.

04-16-2009, 02:47 PM

Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8001102.stm) is the text from BBC, starting below.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has unveiled a four-point plan to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

She said an expanded international effort was needed, as well as freezing pirates' assets, and plugging gaps in the shipping industry's own defences.

Improving the situation in Somalia itself was also key, she said.

goesh

04-16-2009, 03:35 PM

" We must press authorities within Somalia to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territory," - Sec. of State. H. Clinton

ahhh, maybe some free therapy for the pirates too..........??

Uboat509

04-16-2009, 04:52 PM

"We must press authorities within Somalia to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territory," Mrs Clinton said.

This is one of the most ridiculous statements I have heard about Somalia. If Somalia had "authorities" then they wouldn't have many of the problems that they do now. Somalia has no credible central authority. There is a western backed government but it lacks the power to assert any meaningful control over large parts of the country.

SFC W

Ken White

04-16-2009, 04:59 PM

This is one of the most ridiculous statements I have heard about Somalia...That sort of tacks onto the three questions re: Understanding the Enemy on the thread of that name. "Why are we doing this" really needs a thorough look.

I suppose in one sense pressing the 'Somali authorities' sort of has to be done but to state it as a step that is in any way likely to provide a meaningful result is deluded.

Far more importantly, without explanation or clarification, it can and likely will set up a false expectation in the minds of many -- who will complain loudly when it does little good and other, harsher measures need to be taken...

jmm99

04-17-2009, 12:44 AM

I couldn't find a link to an indictment (which may well be still sealed), but here is the gist of the story by AP (http://www.livenews.com.au/livewire/somali-pirate-to-face-charges-in-new-york-report/2009/4/17/203157):

Friday, 17 April 2009 10:20 AM
Somali pirate to face charges in New York: report
Australian Associated Press

A teenage pirate captured by US Navy forces during a high-seas hostage drama last week will face charges in a New York court, CBS News reported on Thursday.

The pirate was identified as 19-year-old Abdulwali Muse, believed to be the ringleader of four Somali hijackers who attacked the US-flagged Maersk Alabama cargo ship on April 8 and took its captain hostage for five days, the television network said.

Muse was set to face charges in New York's Southern District Court.

The US federal court has reviewed major terror cases in the United States, among them the convictions of Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings

More on Fox (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,516909,00.html):

Captured Somali Pirate to Be Tried in New York
Thursday, April 16, 2009
.....
A Department of Justice official said that timing is unknown on when the suspect will be brought to the U.S. District Court in New York, and no announcements are expected tomorrow.

The pirate is "still in the middle of the Indian Ocean somewhere," one official told FOX News.

An official told FOX News that documents have already been filed and are awaiting his arrival in New York.

The Fed SDNY (SD = Southern District, which is Manhattan) is the primary US venue for Admiralty Law. So, the choice of venue is logical - and centuries old.

Boy - are you guys tough on Hill and Bill ! ;)

Uboat509

04-17-2009, 02:14 PM

Found this (http://www.thenation.com/blogs/altercation/427674/piracy_the_military_options?rel=hpbox) posted over at PS.com. The other seems to know what he's talking about, as opposed to all the various partisans on both sides.

SFC W

Ken White

04-19-2009, 08:35 PM

LINK (http://www.smh.com.au/world/pirates-more-skilled-and-organised-20090419-abdk.html).

Well of course they are. Given the fact that they're getting some arming and organizing help from a number of sources -- not least almost certainly the two nations who have sent veritable little Task Forces to 'assist' in the patrol by NATO navies and Operation Atalanta -- and who must of course land 'Liaison Officers' to coordinate with local governments...

Yes, I'm sure they are getting more skilled and organized, a little training will do that...

jmm99

04-19-2009, 09:21 PM

linked by Ub - and which I just got around to reading - is a good article for we civilian types to read. Surprised it was floated in the Nation, which is scarcely non-partisan.

From Ken's link,

The foreign anti-piracy patrols were merely "scratching the surface" and the only real solution was for proper security on the lawless Somali mainland.

I wonder what measures the admiral suggests to implement "proper security" on the mainland.

davidbfpo

04-19-2009, 10:10 PM

Been off-line most of the week and missed some of the reporting. So just a couple of points:

1) Most of the pirates come from NE Somalia, now known as Puntland and has for several years been autonomous. Check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puntland and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7623329.stm

2) There are still many ships and over 200 hostages held awaiting a ransom.

3) The pirates are making more US$ than the Puntland government, although I've yet to see any comment on whether the pirates are the government or simply influential.

4) The waters off northern Somalia are being extensively fished for tuna; one estimate is 40% of all caught tuna and many of the pirates started off as self-employed coastguards.

5) What happens if for revenge and self-defence the pirates hold onto more hostages? This assumes they work in concert, which somehow I doubt.

6) Somalia (proper and Puntland, not Somaliland) is a failed state and few care for the ordinary Somali: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8001183.stm. How about the 267k refugees at a camp in Kenya: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/human-tide-of-misery-flees-the-anarchy-of-somalia-1669948.html

Just some thoughts.

davidbfpo

Bob's World

04-20-2009, 12:21 AM

Weren't the entire continents of North and South America and Africa "Failed States" prior to Europeans invading by the terms we use today?

My opinion, but this is a status/metric that much abused and over-emphasized in today's politics. Fact is that as the factors of globalization continue to blur the old lines of what is or is not a "state," and what is or is not "sovereignty" we must become more flexible in our thinking as well. Just because something is different does not mean it is failed or broken to where it requires fixing.

Our current lack of mental agility is assessing problems where perhaps no problem exists (or at least not one that requires our intervention to attempt to resolve), and it also grants new forms of legal status based "sanctuary" to new organizations that act in very state-like ways, but without the actionable status of "state" that allows classic Westphalian states to sanction or affect behavior. With a little mental agility we could free ourselves from these sanctuaries that we have created and that organizations like AQ, Hezbollah, and Somali Pirates all take full advantage of. Create a seam, be it real or virtual, and those who do not wish to be controlled by you will find and exploit it.

Stan

04-20-2009, 07:50 PM

Jeez, underage pirates (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8008835.stm) being incarcerated :rolleyes:

Adar Abdurahman Hassan told the BBC her son, Abde Wale Abdul Kadhir Muse, was innocent and just 16 years old.

He was held over the seizure off Somalia of Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship.

While her son was allegedly negotiating on a US warship, naval snipers shot dead three pirates holding the captain.

The mother of the teenager, who is facing trial in New York, said she wanted to be present in court if the case goes ahead.

davidbfpo

04-21-2009, 12:03 PM

From the BBC a report on the release after five months of 23 Filipino sailors and note 100 of the 300 hostages held are Filipinos:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8009580.stm

davidbfpo

jmm99

04-22-2009, 06:54 PM

The old law books were dusted off in the first round (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/5197065/Somali-pirate-to-be-tried-as-adult-in-New-York.html) of US vs Muse.

Somali pirate to be tried as adult in New York
A Somali teenager was charged as an adult in a New York court on Tuesday in what is believed to be the first piracy case in America in more than a century.
By Tom Leonard in New York
Last Updated: 11:20PM BST 21 Apr 2009

Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, who is thought to be 18, is also facing hostage-taking charges over the seizure of the captain of an American cargo ship earlier this month. He faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted of piracy. ...
....
His parents have appealed to President Barack Obama for his release, saying that he comes from a penniless family and was coaxed into piracy by "gangsters" promising him money.

Adar Abdirahman Hassan, his mother, said she cried when she saw a picture of him arriving in New York in chains.

"The last time I saw him he was in his school uniform," she said. "He was brainwashed. People who are older than him outwitted him, people who are older than him duped him."

She said her son was "wise beyond his years" and got lost in books as a child rather than misbehaving.

And some more background (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_re_af/af_piracy_suspect_profile) from Somalia:

Mystery surrounds Somali pirate's personal life
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN and MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED Mohamed Olad Hassan And Malkhadir M. Muhumed – Tue Apr 21, 5:46 pm ET

MOGADISHU, Somalia – At home in central Somalia, Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse studied English, frequented a dusty, outdoor cinema after school where he watched Bollywood films dubbed into his native Somali and, his mother says, "was wise beyond his years."
....
Karen Greenberg, executive director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University's Law School, said that the case could bring the U.S. under international criticism.

"If he is a juvenile and he is tried as an adult and given life imprisonment, it will not help the reputation we are trying hard to reform," she said. "International law is more lenient when it comes to juveniles and we already take criticism."

Another invocation of the "my poor child; the devil made him do it" defense - and invocation of international law in a case brought under a domestic (US) statute or statutes. I find this annoying - must be in an old and cranky mood.

Ken White

04-22-2009, 07:21 PM

Curmudgeonville. Have a Margarita -- or I have Bourbon, Scotch, Gin or Cognac if you prefer... :D

Lemme be sure I understand this. "who is thought to be 18" ... "The last time I saw him he was in his school uniform." ... "wise beyond his years." Yeah, I got it. Been there, met him. Dozens if not hundreds of him...

Then this:
...Karen Greenberg, executive director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University's Law School, said that the case could bring the U.S. under international criticism.

"If he is a juvenile and he is tried as an adult and given life imprisonment, it will not help the reputation we are trying hard to reform," she said. "International law is more lenient when it comes to juveniles and we already take criticism."What reputation? Who is "we?" "If'...

The US is gong to be criticized no matter what it does. Piffle. She's been at it for years and she continues to learn more about less. I need a drink... :D

Wildcat

04-23-2009, 11:46 PM

The Seven Ways to Stop Piracy (http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4872)

And why none of them will work as well as we might hope.

By Ken Menkhaus
Posted April 2009

Now that the rush of excitement has subsided from the made-for-TV drama of the rescue of Captain Phillips, we are left with the more sobering long-term question of what to do about Somali piracy. Whether piracy constitutes a serious national security threat is a subject of debate. But there is no question that piracy off the Somali coast is now an important symbolic political issue for both the Obama administration and its critics. The Obama administration does not want conservative opponents to portray it as weak on defense or unwilling to use force to protect American interests, and so cannot afford to embrace passive policies on piracy. Yet the piracy issue is replete with traps, a seemingly simple problem with seemingly simple solutions, all of which could easily backfire and make things worse.

Indeed, some of the strategies that have the greatest appeal for the American public and punditry are also the most dangerous. And certainly, none of them offers a quick fix.

Let’s look at the standard menu of options being discussed in Washington.....
To give a bit of background, Dr. Menkhaus is one of my former professors at Davidson. He is one of the world's foremost experts on the HOA, lived in Somalia for a few years in the late 80s teaching English and working on rural development, then was an adviser to UNOSOM in the 1990s, was there during the Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down), and since then has been active in political and military affairs in the Horn. He has testified before Congress several times on issues regarding Africa and the Middle East, and has been particularly busy recently traveling back and forth between the US, Europe, and the Horn to do advising. It was during my final semester in the spring of 2007, when I was taking two of his classes, that Somalian insurgent attacks against the occupying Ethiopian forces skyrocketed, and he actually had to cancel classes for an entire week because he had been asked by the Pentagon to fly out to the middle of the Pacific to give a briefing to a Marine Expeditionary Unit that was on its way there. The best compliment I ever got from him was after I had given an oral presentation on my research at the end of the semester, and he told me I had a bright future ahead of me as a military planner. Given what I know of planning processes in the upper echelons and the concept of "death by PowerPoint," I'm not even sure whether that's a compliment or not. :D

Jedburgh

04-24-2009, 03:56 AM

Chatham House, Apr 09: Pirates and How to Deal With Them (http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/13845_220409pirates_law.pdf)

This briefing note draws on a meeting of a roundtable of experts held at Chatham House on 26 February 2009 by the Africa Programme and the International Law Discussion Group. It brought together lawyers and practitioners from the military, industry and diplomatic services to clarify some of the legal concerns around combating piracy off the Somali coast. The paper draws on presentations by Agustin Blanco-Bazan of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO (http://www.imo.org/)), Commodore Neil Brown of the Royal Navy (http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/rnships.htm) and Dr Douglas Guilfoyle from University College London, and on the discussion that followed......

Majormarginal

04-24-2009, 07:01 AM

If you have the influence and juice it doesn't matter if you are the government.

goesh

04-27-2009, 02:04 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517955,00.html

"Italian Cruise Ship Fires on Somali Pirates

ROME — An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private security forces exchanged fire with the bandits and drove them away, the commander said Sunday."

- Napolean's famous whiff of grapeshot, eh?

davidbfpo

04-27-2009, 08:52 PM

Goesh,

Other reports state the Israeli guards aboard only fired pistols in the air and used firehoses - as the Somalis tried to get a ladder fixed on the cruise ship. Hardly a "whiff of grapeshot".

Alas the Italian sailor was not there (as per link: http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20081216/znyt03/812163020&tc=yahoo).

davidbfpo

Jedburgh

04-28-2009, 03:15 AM

CRS, 21 Apr 09: Piracy off the Horn of Africa (http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40528.pdf)

Contents

Recent Developments

Background
Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Profile
The Pirates
Motives
Tactics and Demands
Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Impact
Threats to Commercial Shipping and Global Trade
Threats to Humanitarian Aid Deliveries
Potential Financing of Regional Conflict and Terrorism Concerns

U.S. and International Policy Responses
U.S. Policy
United Nations Security Council
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia
Combined Task Force 151 and Other Naval Forces
NATO: Operation Allied Provider and Operation Allied Protector
European Union: Operation ATALANTA
International Maritime Organization and the Djibouti Code of Conduct
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: “Shipriders” and Capacity Building
Private Sector and Shipping Industry Responses

Issues for Congress and Policy Options
Oversight of U.S. Military Forces and U.S. Foreign Assistance
Piracy, Law Enforcement, and International Cooperation
Options for Improving the Immediate Security of Merchant Ships
Risk Reduction and Best Practices
Arming Merchant Ships
Convoys
Maritime War Risk Insurance
Toward a Long-Term Solution: "Piracy is a Problem that Starts Ashore"

slapout9

04-28-2009, 05:26 AM

Other reports state the Israeli guards aboard only fired pistols in the air and used firehoses - as the Somalis tried to get a ladder fixed on the cruise ship.
davidbfpo

That sounds like the waterboarding pirate defense:eek:

goesh

04-28-2009, 04:53 PM

LOL Slap - it's just hard to imagine IDF types not getting a bit frisky and putting a couple of them in the sea for the sharks to eat. I recall reading a couple of years ago about a merchant vessel that did use fire hoses to repel pirates. What a shameful day for pirates to be driven off by fire hoses, Johhny Depp wouldn't be proud of them, sort of takes away some of the Hollywood glory accorded them.

davidbfpo

04-29-2009, 10:19 AM

One of the lower profile patrolling nations, based on what I've seen and now they have struck: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/5240009/Russians-seize-29-suspected-Somali-pirates.html

Somehow I doubt they will make it to a Russian court.

davidbfpo

goesh

04-29-2009, 12:03 PM

- just saw it on FOX news. I've had the notion that a Captain of a ship could pass summary judgement on the high seas on anyone aboard and anyone brought aboard to insure the safety of the ship and crew. This most likely is a product of my imagination and wishful thinking and there should be legal eagles on hand to give us the straight scoop on this. A few years in a gulag may be in order for the lads, time to reflect on their rowdy ways while enjoying 2 bowls of watered down beet soup and a couple of crusts of moldy bread per diem.

Ken White

04-30-2009, 04:33 AM

I applaud their idealism and wonder about it at the same time...

Here's a guy who's solved the problem; LINK (http://www.csbaonline.org/4Publications/PubLibrary/B.20090417.Somali_Piracy/B.20090417.Somali_Piracy.pdf).

Now if we can just get that coalition going and the Somalis and Puntland agree to get their acts together; it'll all be over.

In a generation or two... :rolleyes:

slapout9

04-30-2009, 04:25 PM

You know what Russian waterboarding is? Walk the plank:D

LawVol

04-30-2009, 07:09 PM

I knew I'd find a connection between my space law studies and this pirate thing. :)

US May Monitor Pirates from Space (http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/SATS042909.xml&headline=U.S.%20May%20Monitor%20Pirates%20From%20S pace&channel=defense)

Although I'd much prefer this (http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2004-06/rods-god) response if we could perfect the technology.:D

davidbfpo

04-30-2009, 09:04 PM

Moved from another thread on naval matters: http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=7149

(Taken from) Piracy never has gone away - which leads me to ask: What has changed where new, smaller ships are suddenly so badly needed to fight piracy? When in history has such a strategy ever done much to impact piracy? In the long history of piracy, patrolling has never worked.

I am neither a sailor or historian, surely there is a parallel between slavery and piracy? Recently in the muted (UK) public commeroration of the Royal navy's anti-slavery patrolling - off West Africa mainly - much was made of it's effectiveness (I am sure there are references). Incidentally the RN did anti-slavery patrolling in the same waters as today's piracy between WW1 and WW2 - intercepting movements between East Africa and the Arabian pleninsula. IIRC the RN used frigates.

On less certain grounds I recall the Israeli Navy deployed far south in the Red Sea, to protect their shipping (mainly oil supplies?) and used small patrol boats, the Reshef class?

On reflection perhaps supplying local partners with small ships, akin to the coastguard type, would be of assistance and the richer nations could supply the "legs" and helicopters.

davidbfpo

bourbon

04-30-2009, 10:42 PM

What a shameful day for pirates to be driven off by fire hoses, Johhny Depp wouldn't be proud of them, sort of takes away some of the Hollywood glory accorded them.
Your not the only one who thinks the pirates have a reputation to uphold. (http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/225458/) (Video - 2:30)

davidbfpo

05-03-2009, 09:20 PM

BBC reporting French action, followed by Seychelles coastguard, against Somali pirates: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8031701.stm

Note no reference to them having any weapons, perhaps thrown overboard? Plus 560 miles from Somalia.

davidbfpo

jmm99

05-04-2009, 02:27 AM

The normative I Law concerning piracy on the "high seas" is defined by:

Territorial waters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters) (territorial sea), as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf), all 202 pages, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state.

The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the coastal state, although foreign ships (both military and civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it. That sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below. As such, the coastal state has jurisdiction over acts of piracy committed within the limits of its sovereignty.

The 1988 United Nations Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (http://untreaty.un.org/English/Terrorism/Conv8.pdf), at 14 pages, expresses a general policy that states establish legal processes to deal with piracy and other actions detrimental to maritime navigation. The US has statutes providing for both universal jurisdiction and nationality jurisdiction over acts of piracy.

In the case of Somalia, the absence of governance in any national reality has led to UNSC Resolution 1816 (http://www.un-somalia.org/docs/Resolution%201816%202.6.08.pdf) (2008), and Resolution 1851 (http://consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/N0865501.pdf) (2008). Those resolutions, in effect, extend international jurisdiction into the Somalian territorial sea.

Had a discussion last week with a retired Navy O-6 about restoration of a true Captain's Mast in appropriate cases. We then had to return to the world of present reality. Sorry, Goesh and Slap - we had your sentiments at heart. :)

Tom Odom

05-04-2009, 06:21 AM

and for bad ideas:

The piracy fight: What role should the U.S. military play in Somalia? (http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62455)

STUTTGART, Germany — It’s arguably the most dangerous country in the world and a place that seethes with hostility toward the United States, but as the White House mulls how to deal with Somalia and the pirates who operate there, it must determine whether U.S. troops have a role to play in bringing stability.

If the U.S. military were to get involved, it could be in the form of helping Somalia’s fledgling transitional government build its own security forces — U.S. Africa Command’s specialty.

U.S. troops as trainers with boots on the ground in Somalia?

That would be a disaster, according to some Somalia observers, who contend it would delegitimize in the eyes of the Somalis the very transitional government the U.S. is trying to support.

However, AFRICOM’s deputy for military operations, Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller, disagrees. While emphasizing that there is no decision or plan at the moment to launch such a training initiative, Moeller said Friday, “I think we can work our way through that and have an ongoing dialogue with the government as well as the population overall.”

jmm99

05-05-2009, 10:30 AM

some training - of the remedial kind ? Thus, from Gary Roughhead via Reuters (http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE5435TL20090504?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&sp=true):

U.S. Navy says fight against pirates needed ashore
Mon May 4, 2009 11:23pm BST
By Andrea Shalal-Esa

NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland (Reuters) - The fight against piracy must involve efforts on land and at sea, the U.S. Navy's top officer said on Monday, saying the issue was more complex than just putting arms on commercial ships.

"Pirates don't live at sea. They live ashore. They move their money ashore. You can't have a discussion about eradicating piracy without having a discussion about the shore dimension," Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead told reporters after a speech at a Navy League conference.

He said the area off the coast of Somalia was four times the size of Texas and there were complex legal issues involved. He said it was also not clear that the shipping industry wanted to begin using armed convoys to protect ships against pirates. ....

A land operation is probably within the scope of the UN Resolutions linked in a prior post. A "coalition of the willing" might well be harder to obtain.

Tom Odom

05-05-2009, 10:50 AM

The Navy gets a relatively clear mission:

Fight pirates=sink pirate boats with pirates in them

But insted they want to go ashore and really get in the proverbial briar patch

Anti-piracy is not a social mission. We do not need to rebuild Somalia--the Somalis have proved decisively in the past 2 decades they do not see international assistance as anything but a target.

Somalis do respect force when wielded unflinchingly. Sink enough pirate boats with pirates in them and they will stop getting in the boats.

Tom

jmm99

05-05-2009, 11:40 AM

I don't like briar patches either.

Once upon a time, the Navy (and its Fleet Marine component) managed to deal with pirates at the source - their land bases. All without social engineering - at least in the modern sense. I think they called those raids.

But, that was then - and now is now. :(

Ken White

05-05-2009, 03:30 PM

cannot do the cleanup job but because doing that would entail very large masses of dead Somalis, including women and kids. World opinion won't accept that.

Unfortunately, neither will it accept blowing the boats out of the water -- because the wail will go up "Fishermen; innocent and poor black fisherman were killed by white devils." The Somalis will be the first to wail but that cry will be picked up by many of all races in most western nations and thus the practice will stop far more quickly than it started..

OTOH, destroy ashore a whole slew of those boats identified by satellite or aerial imagery with PGM when they are unoccupied or nearly so and you impede their ability to act. Do it a couple of times and the elders will stop most of the Piracy and get it down to an acceptable level. Piracy there will not stop completely until Somalia is a functioning nation and that is not likely in most of our lifetimes. I'll certainly never see it. ;)

William F. Owen

05-05-2009, 03:49 PM

Somalis do respect force when wielded unflinchingly. Sink enough pirate boats with pirates in them and they will stop getting in the boats.

I agree, but it looks like DOD and NATO are all trying to come up with reasons why they don't want to kill and capture pirates.

jmm99

05-05-2009, 05:01 PM

from Ken
OTOH, destroy ashore a whole slew of those boats identified by satellite or aerial imagery with PGM when they are unoccupied or nearly so and you impede their ability to act. Do it a couple of times and the elders will stop most of the Piracy and get it down to an acceptable level.

no problem with this plan (except for the same problem discussed below, which applies to everyone's suggestions) - I'd rather destroy something than kill someone. If it works, the problem is solved; if not, then re-consider.

from Wilf
... it looks like DOD and NATO are all trying to come up with reasons why they don't want to kill and capture pirates

I'd suspect two things (at least) are at work here, which limits the "kill" part of the equation. One is the "world opinion" thing mentioned by Ken. The other is that piracy is considered a criminal law enforcement problem (ref to various docs cited above, which contemplate arrest of the pirates).

So, the ROEs are first off restricted by a self-defense constraint (based on the conduct of the pirates). Thus, the "kill" part is a last resort. Even the "capture" part has been plagued by the lack of a practical means of prosecution. So, quite a few pirates, even if detained iniitally, have been released to avoid the hassle of prosecuting them.

As to Tom's "sink boats and pirates", to JMM's "hit them with raids on bases", and even to Ken's "sink their boats in port", all would require an AUMF - which, as the good admiral noted, involves some legal complexity.

Basically, the pirates would have to be regarded as Transnational Violent Non-State Actors involved in an armed conflict. Since this is a UN show, that would require action by the Security Council. :rolleyes:

Then was then; now is now.

------------------
Have to add this. This is not a legal problem - that is, caused by some JAG officer being picky. Rather, it is a question of political will - and not by the US and NATO alone, since the UN is the source of power to act here.

jmm99

05-05-2009, 05:56 PM

against the Barbary pirates is well summed in this amicus brief (http://www.hamdanvrumsfeld.com/FriedmanLurieRubinAmiciBrief.pdf) filed in the Hamdan case (p.14):

Like the current Authorization to Use Military Force (“the AUMF ”), none of the Congressional authorizations to the Jefferson and Madison administrations during the Barbary Wars constituted a formal declaration of war. There were at least 11 Congressional authorizations of force against the Barbary Powers; not one was a formal declaration of war. See, e.g., Act for the protection and the Commerce and Seamen of the United States, against the Tripolitan Cruisers, ch. 4, 2 Stat. 129 (1st Sess. 1802); Act further to protect the commerce and seamen of the United States against the Barbary powers, ch. 45, 2 Stat. 291-92 (2d Sess. 1804) (recognizing a state of war but not declaring one); Act for the protection of the commerce of the United States against the Algerine Cruisers, ch. 90, 3 Stat. 230 (3d Sess. 1815).

and at p.15:

As with the current AUMF, Congress during the Barbary Wars authorized the use of force against an enemy which had not yet been fully identified or defined. Compare Act further to protect the commerce and seamen of the United States against the Barbary powers, 2 Stat. at 291-92 (authorizing the use of force against “Tripoli” and “any other of the Barbary powers which may commit hostilities against the United States”) with the AUMF, Pub. L. No. 107-40 at § 2, 115 Stat. at 224 (authorizing the President “to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided” the attacks of September 11, 2001).

These congressional authorizations for action against the Barbary powers continued as the Founders faced an indefinite conflict, ambiguous as to precise enemy, scope, and duration. The Barbary Wars ultimately lasted 30 years as the United States contended with corsairs hailing from various Barbary powers, including Tripoli, Morocco, Tunis, and Algers.

So, viewed from a 18th-19th century perspective, the seizure of a US-flagged ship was an act of war ("armed conflict") then - and, given political will, could be such today. Since unilateral action now has a "bad press", I would not expect Jeffersonian action any time soon - but who knows.

Ron Humphrey

05-06-2009, 01:51 AM

Unless the elders themselves decide they want it.

Now with that said if all the sudden a whole lotta boats start springing leaks don't look at us cause we're not in it:D

Tom Odom

05-06-2009, 06:18 AM

Guys

I heard the elders will control things in 1984 on the ground and I heard it again in 1992 as we spun up to go in for Restore Hope. Somali culture is not Arab and the elders are not sheikhs. The fracture of the traditional lines of authority is near complete. The pirates started with the fishing community but expanded after they started making millions. Big surprise that.

Destroying boats as a tactic is fine; recognize that the Somalis will buy, steal, or build more.

Developing Somali's economy to offset a loss of piracy is the same as offering potatoes as a crop substitute for opium in Afghanistan. Kinder, gentler perhaps but ineffective.

Afloat or ashore, some Somalis are going to get shot if this surge in piracy is to end. I had rather we use our naval and air advantage to dominate. Otherwise we might as well form convoys and pay the pirates for passage rights.

At least one shipping firm is stepping up:

Shipping company head wants to arm vessels against pirates (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/05/piracy.hearing/index.html)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The head of a shipping company recently victimized by pirates off the Somali coast told lawmakers Tuesday that U.S. cargo crews should be allowed to arm themselves in response to the rising hijacking threat.

In April, pirates attacked The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, but were unable to board.

Philip Shapiro, head of Liberty Maritime Corp., told a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee that the owners of U.S.-flagged "have done all they can within the law to protect our crews."

Unfortunately, he said, U.S. vessels are still largely at the mercy of pirates in shipping lanes around the heavily trafficked Gulf of Aden.

"In light of the recent threats to U.S. merchant mariners, we respectfully request that Congress consider clearing the obstacles that currently block ship owners from arming our vessels," Shapiro said

And yes I know times are different. That does not mean that we have to mistake stupidity for civility. Civility without firepower in Somalia is truly stupid because they merely see it as an opportunity.

Best
Tom

davidbfpo

05-06-2009, 11:12 AM

[QUOTE=jmm99;71287]Taken from 'against the Barbary pirates...was a thirty year war'.

Nothing like a lawyer to remind us here of the time factor and history. With that in mind, how would we plan now? I suspect for a policy maker raids to ensure leaking boats is the first preventative option, not PGMs. Others can comment whether this is simply practical and effective.

davidbfpo

goesh

05-06-2009, 12:29 PM

IMO, Tom says it all: "Somalis do respect force when wielded unflinchingly. Sink enough pirate boats with pirates in them and they will stop getting in the boats." The notions of going ashore are predicated on a Liberal assumption that depredations are not being committed by pirates upon the Somali people ashore, that somehow economics and social conditions and bad education and poor diet and lack of medical care are driving them to sea there to loot and plunder and murder. One jerk told me the pirates were not able to fish any longer and had to be become pirates. Can you find any easier pickings than fat merchant ships whose sole threat to pirates is squirting them with a fire hose? Unleash upon this scourge hard men who do not flinch at the sight of blood and be done with it. Weeping Jesus! We have elements of our Naval forces hovering about these brigands like mother hens. It's shameful to behold.

davidbfpo

05-06-2009, 01:12 PM

davidbfpo

05-06-2009, 01:15 PM

Monday late evening the BBC Radio 4's 'The World Tonight' had a special on Somalia, an interesting item and yes I hope available beyond these shores (unlike some TV links I've posted). The link is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k3m8d

davidbfpo

Ron Humphrey

05-06-2009, 03:48 PM

Tom Odom

05-06-2009, 03:53 PM

The Spectator (UK) has a columnsit Aidan hartley who is a white African farmer and writer, who has long experience of Somalia and I overlooked this article in December 2008: http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/3061246/what-i-learned-from-the-somali-pirates.thtml

It provides an onshore, first-hand perspective.

davidbfpo

David

good article. I discounted the bit below as the near mandatory "it is really the West's fault" comment that gets applied to African problems but otherwise a good piece.

Thanks
Tom

So what can be done? The first task is to understand the background. For years the world has ignored Somalia as a parochial African backwater involved in a nasty civil war. Hundreds of thousands have died of hunger and in hails of bullets. Our disregard for Somalia’s suffering has resulted in a metastasised crisis that is spilling out of its borders. Piracy is just one symptom of several ways — you can add gun-running and terrorism to the list — in which Somalia’s crisis will lash out at the world in 2009.

jmm99

05-06-2009, 07:25 PM

from g
....The notions of going ashore are predicated on a Liberal assumption ...

Depends on why you are going ashore - for what purpose - and with what resources. I wasn't thinking Peace Corps (a fine organization where it can be used). Think MEU.

Actually, the idea was Todd's. I'll have to let him know that his operational tactics are based on "Liberal assumptions". That will get him going. :D

When all is said (above by various posters), what is done depends on political will - which at present is not committed to a military solution of any kind - other than limited self-defense measures.

jmm99

05-06-2009, 07:46 PM

Otherwise we might as well form convoys and pay the pirates for passage rights.

That would probably be cheaper than attempting a nation-building project.

But wait, my historical guardian angel is saying something like: "millions for defense, nothing for tribute." Must be from an earlier period with more clarity of thought. :cool:

Ken White

05-06-2009, 09:04 PM

I heard the elders will control things in 1984 on the ground and I heard it again in 1992 as we spun up to go in for Restore Hope. Somali culture is not Arab and the elders are not sheikhs. The fracture of the traditional lines of authority is near complete. The pirates started with the fishing community but expanded after they started making millions. Big surprise that.Dunno about 1984 but in 1992, the Clan leaders (okay, not always elders. Bad choice of words on my part. No excuse. :( ) were in charge and if there was any thing that screwed things up then it was Jonathan Howe emphasizing Bill's order to "get Aideed" followed by less than stellar military planning on the part of many. So yeah, fractured but always willing to reassert itself...
Destroying boats as a tactic is fine; recognize that the Somalis will buy, steal, or build more.Of course they will. They'll also build Dummies. Mt point is that our technology is touted as the saving grace -- let's see how good it is... ;)
Afloat or ashore, some Somalis are going to get shot if this surge in piracy is to end...And yes I know times are different. That does not mean that we have to mistake stupidity for civility. Civility without firepower in Somalia is truly stupid because they merely see it as an opportunity.I totally agree with you on all that. The question or problem is how many shakers and movers in the USG and other western capitals agree with thee and me? ;)

goesh

05-07-2009, 02:32 AM

jmm99, yes, Peace Corps volunteers in Somalia would literally be roasted alive. MikeF alludes to unsolvable problems which leads us to last resorts with these pirates. There can be no other conclusion.

jmm99

05-07-2009, 04:04 AM

Once upon a time, well before Pirates of the Caribbean became a movie script, a Navy Lt. commented that "There is not a fisherman who is not a pirate; nor a canoe that is not a pirate vessel in miniature." (credit: Matthew C. Perry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry)). Apt words for the present thread.

To counter that threat to US-flagged commerce, punitive anti-pirate expeditions marked early USMC history: Puerto Plata (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Puerto_Plata_Harbor) - 1800; Fajardo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Beagle_(1822)) - 1824 (civility backed by firepower); and Quallah Battoo (http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/potomac.htm) - 1832 (1st US military action in Asia). All of them were in an era where the flag followed commerce (to protect it) - with no "imperial pretensions" claimed.

As the shipowner's testimony evidences, the problem rests in the Executive and Legislative branches - not for lack of historical precedents.

davidbfpo

05-11-2009, 09:00 AM

An odd headline by the BBC, attached to a comment by a Puntland minister: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8043285.stm

Another way of saying "We can solve this, give us the $". Look a flying pirate!

davidbfpo

Stan

05-11-2009, 06:16 PM

From Brookings - The Convoy Solution to Combating Piracy (http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/0511_piracy_ohanlon.aspx)

Before long, terrorists are likely to take note of the opportunity to seize Western hostages through similar acts of piracy—and their willingness to release any such hostages unharmed is open to serious doubt.

By nipping this problem in the bud, we can deter future acts of commercial piracy and prevent the nightmare scenario of an American crew in the hands of an Osama bin Laden devotee.

The right policy has three specific elements::

(1) We need to deal with pirates more firmly.

(2) We need to beef up our naval picket in the Gulf of Aden.

(3) Along the Somali coast, on the approach to Mombassa, Kenya, we should establish World War II-style convoys.

Much more at the link

jmm99

05-11-2009, 07:22 PM

(from the link)
The right policy has three specific elements::

(1) We need to deal with pirates more firmly. That means being willing to detain and try them, rather than release them back on African shores. It also means being willing to shoot at them as they approach commercial ships, once a reasonable keep-out zone is penetrated. A United Nations Security Council resolution should explicitly authorize this.

(2) We need to beef up our naval picket in the Gulf of Aden. The number of ships there is clearly not adequate to the challenge. Because distances are modest and traffic is heavy, maintaining such a naval picket is probably the most efficient approach. Where possible, vessels should be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles, some possibly armed, to improve coverage and enhance our rapidity of response.

(3) Along the Somali coast, on the approach to Mombassa, Kenya, we should establish World War II-style convoys. Here, in contrast to the Gulf of Aden, sea traffic is light and distances are long. So convoys make the most sense

The "capture and try, or kill if necessary" program (which could apply to all 3 suggested elements) would require a UN resolution to clarify the ROEs - that resolution would, I believe, pass here; but at the UN ?

Stan

05-29-2009, 05:03 AM

We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund half your money back, including gun rental charges (http://www.somalicruises.com/) and any unused ammo (mini gun charges not included).

Welcome to Somali Cruises
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RPG rental: $75/day. ammo: 3 standard loads at $200.
Mounted Mini-Gun $450.00 per 30 seconds of sustained fire.

Crew members can double as spotters for $30.00 per hour (spotting scope included).

"Everyone gets use of free complimentary night vision equipment and coffee and snacks on the top deck from 7pm-6am."

Meals are not included.

Don't forget to check out the Testimonials (http://www.somalicruises.com/testimonials.php) :D

davidbfpo

05-29-2009, 10:14 AM

Leaving aside the morality of a human safari for a moment. Consider the worst case scenario, the boat is boarded and captured - what then? I doubt if any travel insurer would insure you and your loved ones - hardly high risk like skiing.

Are these cruises really pirates themselves? Not all Somali boats are pirates, e.g. refugee boats in the Gulf of Aden. A PR gift too for the Somalis.

I supoose I should not be surprised and I assume this is not a hoax.

davidbfpo

Jedburgh

05-29-2009, 03:50 PM

I supose I should not be surprised and I assume this is not a hoax.
Y'know what they say about don't assume.....

It is a hoax; a "spoof" website. Well done, but the cruises aren't real.

slapout9

05-29-2009, 04:06 PM

Depends on why you are going ashore - for what purpose - and with what resources. I wasn't thinking Peace Corps (a fine organization where it can be used). Think MEU.

Actually, the idea was Todd's. I'll have to let him know that his operational tactics are based on "Liberal assumptions". That will get him going. :D

When all is said (above by various posters), what is done depends on political will - which at present is not committed to a military solution of any kind - other than limited self-defense measures.

Actually I think it is in the Constitution, Art.1 Sec.8 both concerning the Navy, acts of Reprisal, and law on how to deal with captures on land and water.

JarodParker

06-04-2009, 10:08 PM

Not sure if they sank the skiffs with the pirates still on board... Pic (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_enl_1244124480/html/1.stm)

davidbfpo

06-04-2009, 10:17 PM

The BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8084098.stm says one of the two skiffs was sunk and the aspiring pirates released for another day. I hope they lost the weapons.

Update they did loss their weapons: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/5436442/British-captain-describes-fighting-off-Somali-pirates-in-Arabian-Sea.html

davidbfpo

JarodParker

06-05-2009, 12:31 AM

goesh

06-05-2009, 12:47 AM

tommas

06-11-2009, 10:50 PM

A UK radio station had an interesting documentary on the Clipper project ship that was recently released after it's hijacking off the coast of Somalia last year http://piracy-watch.blogspot.com/2009/06/bbc-radio-4-piracy-documentary.html, unusual for the owner to talk of ransom payments. They usually keep silent about this in case the money ever made it's way into the hands of terrorists, as this is illegal in most countries no matter how it comes about.

bourbon

06-12-2009, 12:48 AM

- love the money drop, very high techy, goes so well with multicultural relativism, they could have at least put a smiley face or two on the canister, happy pirates don't torture their victims before shooting them in the head ( cynicism mandated IMO)

What goes on inside Somalia may well make Torquemada blush for all I know; but the negligible reports of instances where torture employed by the pirates is notable. A few articles I’ve seen the pirates take offense to notion that they torture, or are terrorists – strictly business for these guys.

jmm99

06-12-2009, 01:46 AM

for those who take hostages for ransom (whether for $ or hostage exchange) is not to damage the merchandise (at least not too much ;) ).

Entropy

06-12-2009, 12:22 PM

What goes on inside Somalia may well make Torquemada blush for all I know; but the negligible reports of instances where torture employed by the pirates is notable. A few articles I’ve seen the pirates take offense to notion that they torture, or are terrorists – strictly business for these guys.

That is true - there was a a recent series of NPR about a pirate negotiator. See this (http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2009/04/pirates_have_timesheets.html)and this (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103657301). It's worth it to listen to the stories, especially the first one.

Uboat509

06-18-2009, 08:04 PM

Based on what I have read and heard, this habbit of being nice to their hostages until the ransom is paid is largely a Somali phenomenon. Reports from other areas of heavy pirate activity, seem to indicate that pirates in these areas are far less kind to prisoners. I supose this could be at least partialy due to the fact that the organizations running vessals through those waters are less willing/able to pay ransoms for crews. In that case the crew would be, at best, witnesses and at worst and active impediment to the pirate operations.

SFC W

bourbon

06-19-2009, 01:49 PM

Also if the pirate’s motivation is kidnap & ransom or plunder based. I have not read of any instances where the Somali pirates specifically attack to steal the cargo or ship; whereas the plunder motive is the case in other regions. There were cases of ships being hijacked in the Strait of Malacca where the pirates would plunder the load of industrial metals, repaint/rename the ship, and execute the crew.

davidbfpo

06-28-2009, 11:13 AM

An update by the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8122858.stm
Plus a wider review and graphics.

davidbfpo

Rex Brynen

07-06-2009, 06:01 PM

From the US Institute of Peace:

Counting the Costs of Somali Piracy (http://www.usip.org/resources/counting-the-costs-somali-piracy)

By Raymond Gilpin

The upsurge in attacks by Somali pirates between 2005 and mid-2009 reflects decades of political unrest, maritime lawlessness and severe economic decline. Piracy has dire implications for economic development and political stability in Somalia, with economic prospects constrained, business confidence compromised and human security worsening. It could also have a destabilizing effect on global trade and security unless immediate steps are taken to craft a coordinated strategy to address the complex factors that trigger and sustain crime and impunity on the high seas. However, poorly designed and implemented strategies could inadvertently strengthen the hand of extremists in and around Somalia. The Somali authorities and their international partners should plan for a sustained application of "smart power" by all stakeholders. This paper offers practical strategies to mitigate the rising costs of Somali piracy and lay the foundation for lasting peace.

Jedburgh

07-17-2009, 11:39 AM

CNA, 16 Jul 09: China’s Participation in Anti-Piracy Operations off the Horn of Africa: Drivers and Implications (http://www.cna.org/documents/Piracy%20conference%20report.pdf)

....On March 20, 2009, CNA China Studies hosted a half-day conference to discuss China’s anti-piracy activities. Bringing together U.S. officials, analysts, and active-duty military personnel, the conference examined the reasons that piracy has become a problem in the Gulf of Aden/HoA region; the drivers for China’s unprecedented naval participation in international anti-piracy efforts; the implications that this participation has for China’s navy; and the potential implications that it has for the United States.

This report first outlines four major themes discussed throughout the conference. It then turns to a more detailed discussion of each of the conference’s three panels.....

tpjkevin

07-31-2009, 07:25 PM

It will be a good learning experience, and I hope my nation is up to the task.

S'porean to lead flotilla
By Jermyn Chow
July 31, 2009

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090731/somalia.jpg
The Singaporean naval officer, who has not yet been selected, will be commanding more than seven navy vessels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

A SINGAPOREAN navy officer will take charge of an international anti-piracy patrol coalition to curb the escalating violence off the waters of Somalia.

The commander, who will be assisted by other officers from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) officers, will lead the Combined Task Force (CTF) 15 from next January for three months.

This is the first time a Singaporean is commander of a multinational peace support mission since Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Brigadier-General Tan Huck Gim was appointed the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (Unmiset) in 2002.

Currently, the flotilla is being led by the Turkish navy.

The Singaporean naval officer, who has not yet been selected, will be commanding more than seven navy vessels that come from countries including the United States, South Korea and Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the deployment on Friday at the Changi Naval Base.

He paid tribute to the 296 men and women who were back from their three-month stint in the Gulf. They worked onboard the Landing Ship Tank (LST) RSS Persistence, with two Super Puma helicopters.

During their watch over the pirate-infested waters, they responded to 57 calls for assistance and launched 80 helicopter sorties.

'The dedication, hard work and sheer determination of each member of the Task Group has made this mission a success for Singapore.'

For their tour of duty, members of the team were awarded the SAF Overseas Service Medal.

At Friday's event, DPM Teo, who is also Defence Minister, said the deployment put paid to the SAF's ability to integrate its forces on land, air and sea.

'This demonstrates that the third-generation SAF is versatile, creative and operationally ready, capable of rapidly mobilising a wide spectrum of skills and resources to accomplish a wider spectrum of missions,' he said.

The Straits Times (http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_410633.html)

Ken White

07-31-2009, 09:29 PM

the equipment, education and training decisions that Singapore has made won't have any problems. :cool:

davidbfpo

08-01-2009, 11:12 AM

tpjkevin

08-01-2009, 03:53 PM

What will be interesting to watch, although I expect we shall have to wait for historians, is how the changing commanders alters the perception of the CTF. Secondly how the commander relates to non-CTF "partners" like India and PRC. Especially so for the PRC-Singapore relationship.

davidbfpo

I believe that the PLAN-RSN working relationship will be based on common area interests and the prime focus on maritime transport to travel those waters unimpeded.

Somehow, I would also like to think that with the Turkish command, and the future Singaporean command, the perception of CTF might shift away from a "this is an American-led/influenced effort" towards one of a more neutral international reputation? Will that be plausible?

jmm99

08-01-2009, 09:26 PM

Choice of a Singaporean seems reasonable because it links the two bounds of the Indian Ocean pirate problem, from the Horn of Africa to the Straits. It also accords with my policy beliefs that the Indian Ocean is not a US or NATO lake. It also is not a Chinese lake (despite Menzies' book, "1421").

Sort of takes us back to the pre-colonialization trade routes of the "Indonesian" (using that term generically for the SE Asian end of the arc) to India to Madagascar arc (that island being settled by folks from "Indonesia"). I wish your country good fortune in assuming this responsibility.

davidbfpo

08-01-2009, 10:33 PM

(Taken from) Somehow, I would also like to think that with the Turkish command, and the future Singaporean command, the perception of CTF might shift away from a "this is an American-led/influenced effort" towards one of a more neutral international reputation? Will that be plausible?

Others here can comment on Info Ops, but it would be worth trying. All depends who you want to inform or influence, e.g. Somalis. CTF IIRC has a website (or its predecessor did), having a commanders message and a Q&A; even an invite to the press to come aboard, even Al-Jazeera.

davidbfpo

Stan

08-18-2009, 11:42 AM

This may have little to do with the current string of piracy, or does it?

Eight people have been arrested for hijacking (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8206691.stm) the cargo ship Arctic Sea, Russia's defence minister says.

... the group of suspects included Russian, Estonian and Latvian nationals.

The crew reported having been boarded by up to 10 armed men as the ship sailed through the Baltic Sea, but the intruders were reported to have left the vessel on an inflatable boat after 12 hours.

tpjkevin

09-11-2009, 03:23 AM

A new scheme for anti-piracy that goes beyond military measures but also tries to ensuree that shipping lines are well aware of what they can do to protect themselves.

Self-awareness and basic precautions on the part of civilian shipping do play a big part. And I think Singapore can contribute a fair amount of knowledge to this battle against piracy given our daily efforts in the Malaccan Straits.

S'pore in anti-piracy plan

It's part of international group pledging to tackle threat off Somalia

UNITED NATIONS - THE United States and four other nations, including Singapore, have signed onto an international plan to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia, committing to playing a leadership role in protecting one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

The move came as the US government warned mariners on Tuesday to expect an increase in piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean due to the end of the monsoon season and counselled seamen to be prepared to defend their vessels against maritime hijackers.
The so-called 'New York Declaration' - signed on Wednesday by US Deputy Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo and her counterparts from Britain, Cyprus, Japan and Singapore - is an attempt to pool resources and agree on the best ways of deterring the Somali pirates who prey on vessels sailing between Europe and Asia.

'We realise that the fight against piracy in the Horn of Africa region cannot be solved entirely at sea,' Ms DiCarlo said.

Other needed measures, she said, involve nations adopting legal mechanisms to prosecute suspected pirates and Somalia improving its capacity to police its own territory.

A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The Straits Times that signing the declaration was part of Singapore's 'strong commitment - as both a responsible maritime nation and a major ship registry - to the international community's efforts to combat piracy'.

Though it is a non-binding political document, proponents say it will commit ship registry nations to adopt 'best management practices' for ship security such as increased lookouts, raised ladders and emergency fire pumps readied to repel boarders.

It was first proposed in May by Panama, the Bahamas, Liberia and the Marshall Islands, four of the world's biggest ship registries. Those nations signed the declaration previously.

In Washington, Mr Andrew Shapiro, US Assistant Secretary of State for political-military affairs, told the ComDef 2009 defence policy conference on Wednesday that the document represents what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called 'a 21st century solution to the 17th century problem' of piracy.

By signing, the US says the Coast Guard and US shipping companies will continue adopting measures that comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code to protect themselves against piracy.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.

The Straits Times (http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_428332.html)

Associated Press (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090909/ap_on_re_us/un_un_somali_piracy)

davidbfpo

10-02-2009, 10:09 PM

I seem to recall posting on how the various navies would co-operate dispite politics and the state of diplomatic relations; this helps to explain: http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htterr/articles/20090923.aspx

davidbfpo

Tom Odom

10-07-2009, 02:06 PM

Target identification works both ways :D

Somali Pirates Mistake French Military Vessel for Commercial Ship (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,561641,00.html?test=latestnews)PARIS — Somali pirates in two skiffs fired on a French navy vessel early Wednesday after apparently mistaking it for a commercial boat, the French military said. The French ship gave chase and captured five suspected pirates.

No one was wounded by the volleys from the Kalashnikov rifles directed at La Somme, a 3,800-ton refueling ship, said Rear Admiral Christophe Prazuck, a military spokesman.

davidbfpo

10-07-2009, 09:24 PM

Tom,

In March 2009 pirates fired on a German naval supply vessel:

Somali pirates by mistake attack a German Navy supply vessel, Germans fire back and chase ensues: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090330/...eXORo9.P9vaA8F

Now a French naval vessel. Makes one wonder why pirates cannot distinguish between a warship (presumably in grey) and merchant ships.

davidbfpo

davidbfpo

11-13-2009, 05:04 PM

Clearly the Somali pirates have not gone away and here are just a few recent reports:

UK yachting couple seized as RN auxiliary watches:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/6560063/Royal-Navy-watched-helpless-as-pirates-kidnapped-yacht-couple-Paul-and-Rachel-Chandler.html

Gunmen kill Somalia pirate judge:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8356228.stm

Somali pirates have attacked an oil tanker some 1,000 nautical miles (1,850km) off the coast, the EU's anti-piracy mission says:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8350850.stm

davidbfpo

davidbfpo

11-17-2009, 09:27 PM

Somali pirates have released a Spanish fishing boat and its crew after holding it for six weeks, Spain's prime minister has confirmed. The pirates earlier told reporters they were leaving the ship after being promised a ransom of $3.5m (£2.1m). There was no immediate government confirmation of money having been paid.

The bad news:
More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8364530.stm

davidbfpo

11-28-2009, 12:28 PM

On SWJ Blog today a startling report that all is not well: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/28/piracy-threatens-fishermen-in-yemen/

One third of the piracy in the world takes place in the gulf, a roughly 200-mile wide strip of water that separates Yemen from Somalia. ...despite the display of military might, piracy in the area doubled in 2009, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). One of the world's busiest sea lanes, more than 25,000 merchant ships pass through the Gulf of Aden every year. Between January and September this year, there were 100 attempted and actual pirate attacks. There were half as many during the same period last year. In 2005, there were eight.

davidbfpo

12-03-2009, 09:10 PM

Two updates: The Dutch navy has arrested 13 Somali pirates who attempted to hijack a cargo ship south of Oman, 275 km offshore (150 miles); http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8392669.stm (3/12/09)

The Greek-owned Maran Centaurus, a 300k oil tanker (full) was about 1,300km (800 miles) off Somalia when it was hijacked on Sunday, said the EU Naval task force (Navfor); http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8385845.stm (30/11/09)

As Somalia sinks, with a steady flow of refugees to Yemen, only the robber-pirates, fanatics and the unlucky will be left.

tpjkevin

01-20-2010, 08:45 PM

marct

01-21-2010, 02:55 PM

We've taken command today (http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2010/jan/20jan10_nr.html).

All the best to the naval personnel who have to make this work.

Break a leg as the saying goes in the theatre! Drop us a line once in a while and let us know how things are going.

Cheers,

Marc

tpjkevin

01-21-2010, 03:57 PM

Break a leg as the saying goes in the theatre! Drop us a line once in a while and let us know how things are going.

Cheers,

Marc

Thanks for the good wishes but I'm not part of it. Just sharing the news here and there. :D

davidbfpo

02-04-2010, 10:40 PM

A Libyan-owned merchant ship flying the North Korean flag has been hijacked by Somali prates in the Gulf of Aden...There was no immediate information about the cargo of the ship, a 4,800-ton merchant vessel called the Rim.

I await Gadafy and Kim 2 despatching an appropriate response.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/world/africa/05pirates.html?ref=world

davidbfpo

02-14-2010, 01:12 PM

The first time I've heard of the UK Somali community saying anything on this topic:[URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8514104.stm"

TV and radio stations serving the community are broadcasting regular appeals for the Chandlers' release, while demonstrations and public meetings demanding their freedom have been organised by Somali leaders across the country.

Anecdote suggests a good proportion of the UK community come from Puntland, where many of the pirates are based.

davidbfpo

02-23-2010, 07:46 PM

The USN catches some pirates:http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/02/22/pirates.captured/index.html?eref=rss_world&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+rss/cnn_world+(RSS:+World)&utm_content=Google+Reader

Eight suspected pirates were apprehended after a counter-piracy task force foiled an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said Monday.

Nothing on where the suspects will appear in court, I suspect the victim vessel being Tanzanian does not make matters simple.

davidbfpo

02-26-2010, 06:50 PM

The roundabout off Somalia's coast and beyond continues to alter course. This time with a Singapore registered ship released:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100226/ap_on_re_af/

davidbfpo

03-06-2010, 08:46 PM

An interesting and perplexing report:
A Norwegian ship owner says a vessel (a tanker with fuel oil) with 21 crew members has been hijacked by Somali pirates near Madagascar.

Link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9E92GTO1

Recalling the previous mapping this is a long way south.

davidbfpo

03-24-2010, 10:12 PM

The piracy continues, sometimes with an incredible far reach and some attacks are violently repulsed - this article reports the first Somali pirate fatality by a private guard:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100324/ap_on_re_af/piracy

The killing raises questions over who has jurisdiction over a growing army of armed guards on merchant ships flying flags from many nations.
There's currently no regulation of private security onboard ships, no guidelines about who is responsible in case of an attack, and no industrywide standards, said piracy expert Roger Middleton from the British think tank Chatham House.

The article has more than this issue; like this:
The International Maritime Bureau says 39 ships were fired off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in 2008, but that number increased to 114 ships by 2009.

davidbfpo

03-25-2010, 11:08 AM

There's always another story with Somali piracy, the pirates detained yesterday by a Spanish warship have now been released as the attacked ship crew (and PMC) refused to be witnesses.

I assume those released will have a safe journey home.

Link:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8586729.stmand a more analytical article:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8585967.stm

davidbfpo

03-30-2010, 09:18 PM

Pirates seized a cargo ship on Monday with 24 crew members off the port of Aden, Yemen...A spokesman for traders in Mogadishu, Somalia, said that seven other ships had been seized in the Indian Ocean over the weekend.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/world/middleeast/30briefs-Yemen.html

I am prepared to accept the first seizure, so close to Aden beggars belief; the 'traders' claim is unverified and is not reflected in other news coverage.

davidbfpo

04-05-2010, 08:28 PM

A South Korean navy destroyer is pursuing a South Korean-owned oil supertanker believed to have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia's coast...The 300,000-ton-class Samho Dream was about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) southeast of the Gulf of Aden at the time of the apparent hijacking..

Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/04/AR2010040401481.html?wprss=rss_world/wires

The BBC link has a map:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8603098.stm

Rex Brynen

04-07-2010, 01:55 AM

Not the first time that a "safe room" onboard has made all the difference...

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00347/pg-20-dutch-marines_347995s.jpg

Dutch marines storm cargo ship seized by Somali pirates (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/dutch-marines-storm-cargo-ship-seized-by-somali-pirates-1937612.html)
Commandos rescue crew by abseiling on to German vessel from helicopter

By Tony Paterson in Berlin
The Independent, Wednesday, 7 April 2010

The Dutch navy claimed a rare victory in the war against international piracy yesterday after marines abseiled from a helicopter to seize control of a captured container ship following a shootout with Somali hijackers.

One Dutch marine was slightly injured during the storming of the German ship MS Taipan, which had been boarded early on Monday by 10 Somali pirates from small boats armed with machine guns. The 15-man German crew of MS Taipan had radioed for help after taking refuge in a secure cabin on board the ship.

The Dutch frigate Tromp was called to the scene and caught up with the MS Taipan some 560 miles off the Somali coast because the German crew had managed to shut down the ship's engines. The vessel was almost at a standstill as the pirates boarded, the Dutch navy said.

What followed was the stuff of a James Bond film: after the Dutch frigate attempted to negotiate with the pirates but failed, a helicopter gunship from the Tromp took off and machine-gunned the bridge of the MS Taipan. Minutes later the helicopter hovered over containers on the bow of the MS Taipan allowing a unit of heavily armed marines to abseil on to the deck, storm the vessel and retake it.

Despite the damage to the ship's bridge, the MS Taipan was then able to continue its voyage from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Djibouti. The marines detained the 10 Somali pirates on board the ship.

davidbfpo

10-15-2010, 08:47 PM

In a wide ranging article on the PLAN (Chinese Navy), in an IISS Strategic Comment, there is an excellent review of their activity and lessons learnt:
...since December 2008 it has deployed naval vessels to the multinational anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden. Each four-month rotation usually consists of two destroyers or frigates and one replenishment ship.

The navy has gained experience from the deployment and has surmounted significant logistical problems. The first flotilla suffered from a shortage of fresh food because it did not have a supply port. Unlike Western vessels, which put ashore on average every 10–14 days, the first flotilla remained at sea for the whole rotation, eventually jeopardising the health of the crew and the flotilla's effectiveness. In addition, its handling of the first few pirate attacks was clumsy and poorly coordinated because the PLAN had not established effective rules of engagement.

By the second and third rotations, China had established arrangements for resupply ports. Chinese vessels now put in at ports such as Djibouti, Salalah in Oman and Aden in Yemen. China's task force has also begun to participate in monthly 'shared awareness and deconfliction' meetings at which navies exchange operational information. The PLAN flotillas have participated in joint exercises and officer exchanges, and have been keen to gain experience of anti-piracy tactics from other navies.

Link:http://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-comments/past-issues/volume-16-2010/october/chinas-three-point-naval-strategy/

JMA

10-15-2010, 09:53 PM

Dayuhan

10-16-2010, 03:33 AM

OK, so how do they get off the pile of containers and onto the deck now?

...on second thoughts... what are they aiming at? Is this a Photoshop creation?

Even from the perspective of a non-military guy it seems odd that everyone in the picture is looking in the same direction... seems like possibly a bad practice if there's a possibility of a bad guy in the other direction, but WTF do I know?

Stan

10-19-2010, 06:33 PM

Estonian special forces recently completed training in Germany and will be joining ships crews off Somalia by November, Estonian TV reports (http://uudised.err.ee/index.php?0534940) :)

Not too sure who will take the armed crew members aboard, but looks like a step in the right direction.

Estonian Public Broadcasting in English
(http://news.err.ee/politics/b4117b50-ff5c-4e58-bd63-19431d92cd4e)

davidbfpo

10-31-2010, 09:29 PM

A report in The Daily Telegraph starts with:
Figures gathered by the London-based International Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Crimes Services show that while the total number of attacks has declined, the numbers of crew kidnapped and ships hijacked has not. The pirates have had more success with less effort.(My emphasis).

(Finishes with)Eventually, an Indian naval officer involved in the counter-piracy mission told The Telegraph, a solution will have to involve dismantling the infrastructure of pirate gangs operating out of Somali ports—a fraught military enterprise no country wishes to become involved in.

Almost worthy of an essay question; so, Given the dilemma posed by Somali piracy (as outlined above) what should the international community do?

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/8100471/Somali-pirates-are-holding-over-435-sailors-hostage.html

davidbfpo

11-06-2010, 11:17 PM

Paid out:
Somali pirates are reported to have received a total of $12.3m (£7.6m) in ransom money to release two ships.

They are believed to have been paid a record $9.5m (£5.8m) for Samho Dream, a South Korean oil tanker, and nearly $2.8m (£1.7m) for the Golden Blessing, a Singaporean flagged ship.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11704306

Not exactly encouraging news, except for those held captive.

davidbfpo

11-21-2010, 11:39 AM

I've not posted the news that the Chandlers, two British hostages have been released this week, after a year in pirates custody; nor a passing story that the USA was considering official support to Puntland.

Being a Sunday the UK press sometimes reports odd stories and this is one:
The Government is in secret talks to send taxpayer-funded British mercenaries to war torn Somalia to confront the pirates attacking commercial shipping and behind the kidnapping of Paul and Rachel Chandler.

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/8148600/Paul-and-Rachel-Chandler-British-mercenaries-hired-to-take-on-the-Somali-pirates.html

A host of issues, let alone the practicalities and relying on the loyalty of the Somali recruits themselves.

Returning to the Chandlers and no doubt others. How do Somali pirates locate a yacht six hundred miles offshore? Yes, I know some stated the Chandlers had advertised their route, I doubt if merchant ships do. Secondly, how do the skiffs we see usually carry enough fuel for such a journey?

davidbfpo

11-25-2010, 08:39 AM

My attention was drawn to this incident by an Australian think tank's email, although dependent on a USN Central Command news release:
Firstly, news has emerged that the US Navy and PLA Navy cooperated during a piracy response operation over the weekend. USS Winston Churchill and USNS Lewis and Clarke initially responded to a distress call made by MV Tai An Kou, which was being attacked by pirates in the North Arabian Sea. The PLA frigate Xuzhou then joined with the US ships and, following a handover, conducted the boarding operation. The US and Chinese ships remained in communication throughout.

Analysis: while the focus is on friction between the US and Chinese in East Asia and the South China Sea, don't miss the important steps towards cooperation and collaboration occurring further west.

Australian link, which starts on this and covers other developments:http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2010/11/23/China-naval-and-air-developments.aspx

USN news release:http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2010/CMF070.html

Aside from the co-operation I noted several facts: an attack in the North Arabian Sea, 100 miles from Oman (so not Somali pirates), then who; the response times (10hrs) and the cordial handover.

Not seen this reported elsewhere, but have not searched.

Mod's Note on 6/12/10 moved four posts from a separate thread to this, the main Somali Piracy thread.

Kevin23

11-25-2010, 10:37 PM

My attention was drawn to this incident by an Australian think tank's email, although dependent on a USN Central Command news release:

Australian link, which starts on this and covers other developments:http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2010/11/23/China-naval-and-air-developments.aspx

USN news release:http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2010/CMF070.html

Aside from the co-operation I noted several facts: an attack in the North Arabian Sea, 100 miles from Oman (so not Somali pirates), then who; the response times (10hrs) and the cordial handover.

Not seen this reported elsewhere, but have not searched.

On who is behind the pirate attack, it could be Somali pirates as I've read it's not unheard of them attacking ships that far away from the horn of Africa. Even though in this case there is a strong chance that is indeed unlikely.