For the first time since pirates from the war-torn, lawless nation of Somalia began disrupting international shipping off the coast of East Africa five years ago, private security guards have shot and killed one of the criminals.
The action could mark the turning point in the United Nations’ sanctioned military campaign against the pirates, who have taken hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom from shipping companies.
The presence of armed contractors on vessels on trade routes through the Gulf of Aden is important because the warships deployed in the region are not able to adequately patrol that vast area.
In November 2008, the pirates began hijacking ships well outside the Gulf of Aden. That was a month after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling on countries with vessels in the area to use military force to prevent ships from being captured and their crews taken hostage.
Now, private security guards on oil tankers and cargo carriers have the opportunity to add another layer of security.
However, the initial reaction from some quarters to this week’s killing of the pirate is puzzling, to say the least.
Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the U.N.’s anti-piracy program told the Associated Press, “This will be scrutinized very closely. There’s always been concern about these (private security) companies. Who are they responsible to?”
The simple answer is the companies that hire them to fight off attacks. It would be a mistake to think that the pirates are a group of rag-tag criminals. In fact, they use high-speed boats and are armed with assault rifles, RPG rocket-propelled grenade launchers and semi-automatic pistols.
And, they are ruthless. They have no respect for the law and don’t care that their criminal behavior has resulted in an increase in shipping costs and has disrupted the delivery of food aid to African countries that are literally starving due to government corruption and the drought.
It is foolhardy to apply standards to security guards that are providing a valuable service.
In the case of the killing of the pirate, the guards were on board the MV Almezaan, a merchant ship owned by the United Arab Emirates, when a private group approached the vessel twice. During the second approach, there was an exchange of fire between the guards and the pirates.
An European Union Naval Force frigate was dispatched to the scene and launched a helicopter. It located the seven pirates, one of whom had died from small caliber gunshot wounds.
A statement by the Spanish Ministry of Defense said the warship Navarra had intercepted two skiffs and a larger vessel believed to be the mothership. Spanish forces arrested the six pirates and took possession of the dead man.
The forces also sank the larger ship.
Protection
It is clear that the guards were doing exactly what they were hired to do — protect the merchant ship. The idea that the owners or the private security contractor may face legal problems is laughable.
The reality on the high seas is that violent confrontations between ships and pirates are on the rise. Crews are becoming increasingly adept at repelling attacks by pirates in the dangerous waters of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
For their part, pirates are becoming more aggressive, shooting bullets and rocket-propelled grenades at ships to try to intimidate captains into stopping.
Piracy on the high seas has gone on too long.
Brian it is good to see you doing so well. I was just telling my son the other day that we shared a first leather position at Lejeune many years ago. However, he couldn’t believe that I could outshoot you with a rifle until I dug out the match bulletin. Again, Keep them in the black, Semper Fi.
As has been stated before, these “Pirates” are not simple, unemployed fishermen providing for their families. While the pirates themselves may not be sophisticated, the tools they employ are. They are actually an extension of the prevailing warlord system that Somalia is currently controlled by. The weapons and other systems that are in use by the pirates have been purchased with money from previous hijackings and subsequent paid ransoms. Warlords in the region are reaping the benefits of these lawless acts, and they know full well that the worlds established Navies cannot possibly interdict all vessel seizings all the time. It’s a risk they are willing to take. With armed contingents aboard these vessels, the ante has been upped considerably. Economically speaking, it is much less expensive to hire an armed security team to place aboard your vessel than to pay these outrageuos ransoms. If the pirates continue to attempt these hijackings, it’s their choice to take that risk.
Dr. Jones, no matter what excuse you append to the pirates’ actions, they are still choosing to violate the laws, and endanger human lives. The innocent people on the shipping vessels have EVERY right to defend their lives from the pirates. The reason the pirates have proliferated, is because shipping companies have pretty much laid down for them for years. If you give criminals their own way, they’ll become more bold, and expand their operations. I foresee a massive expansion of security companies onboard ships in the very near future, and an immediate reduction in pirate attacks on shipping lines known to hire them as a direct result. Every dead pirate equals one safe innocent crewman. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
Dr Jones, if in fact you are a doctor of anything, thanks for your liberal viewpoint as I welcome opinions from anyone. So I am sure that my comment about your being doctor offends you , if you are one. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. But I can tell by your comment that you are a liberal and that makes it ok for you to cast out comments about my “geopolitical analysis.” Sorry to say but the article you commented on was from the Youngstown Vindicator and not by me. I was merely keeping some family and friends informed about what was going on, as I was working Maritime Security in the region.
Perhaps you might want to take a closer look at the Somali pirates and see that they had already advanced to a more sophiscated approach. The use of “mother ships” for instance. The fact that they are not floating around willy nilly, they have expensive GPS, Communications and have people working with them in the Ports to give them a heads up as to which vessels have armed security aboard them.
So a more “humanitarian approach” should be taken? Do you know why they have no legit government there and have not for 20 years? Because no one wants to run for an elected office because they will be murdered as soon as they are sworn in. Do you know why there is no humanitarian efforts going on in Somalia? Because the warlords steal the supplies and butcher anyone that tries to help the law abiding people of the country. Maybe you would like to take that on and go over and bring peace to the region. Remember don’t take any security with you because I am sure they will welcome you with open ams as you would be there to help them. Kinda like the 4 American citizens recently butchered on their ship as they traveled the region passing out bibles. They were on unarmed and trying to do good.
Maybe you can explain how shipping crews are to protect themselves agains murdering savages while unarmed. When the Maersk Alabama was taken they had anti-piracy defensive mechanisms inplace that did not include weapons. Didn’t work so well for them. But being as enlightened as you appear to be maybe you canmake a killing off the shipping companies by helping them avoid capture without the use of weapons.
Do you know the number of Ships and crew that are currently being held against their will at this momment. Most people don’t have a clue. So do some research and argue based infacts and not emotion. I know that is a huge leap for a liberal, since your arguements are all emotion based and not based in facts.
Good luck and I do hope you return home safe and in one piece after bringing a humanitarian solution to the fine people of Somalia.
Hi,
First, I have a great deal of respect for your service to our country and your skills as a marksman. However, your skills in geopolitical analysis leave much to be desired.
First, yes, the Somali pirates are criminals. However, in general piracy wasn’t their first choice. Somalia has been in chaos for more than twenty years. The people filling those Boston Whalers are, by and large, trained nominally on how to operate the weapons. They are low skill, low value operators in search for one thing, hope. Somalia is a country with no stable food supply, no stable government, no real jobs. It is desperation which is driving these men to take to the sea in hopes of hijacking a ship.
Much of the piracy started in the GOA after illegal dumping was killing off the fish in the traditional fishing grounds of Somalia. Because of the payoffs it has expanded.
The killing of Somalian pirates by private contractors is not even remotely close to being a viable solution to this growing problem. In fact, it will likely resort to a more sophisticated approach to taking over the ships, more violence and more death.
The key to stopping this is through a humanitarian solution in Somalia.
Yes the ships should protect themselves, no, they should not be carrying weapons or firing on these pirates. It is a poor plan with no end game.
It’s about time the Shipping Industtry started to fight back.
Stay Safe
Semper Fi,
SZ
No body asked. . . . .Sign me up.
Why don’t you “Sailors” get off the boat and come to Columbia and fight the Drug Cartels with the real men. Take care brother.