The guided missile destroyer USS Stout prepares to tow a Tanzanian ferry which ran out of fuel in the piracy-infested waters off Somalia.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets automatic weapons and perhaps some rocket-propelled grenades and hijack ships out on the ocean.
At least that seems to be what has been going on lately. It seems like on the world’s seas — especially in the Indian Ocean off the African coast — maritime piracy appears to be the crime du jour. The recent seizure by pirates of a Saudi supertanker that is being held hostage by pirates along with its crew and more than $100 million in crude oil has heightened worldwide concern over the spate of ship hijackings. In addition to “World 911” a.k.a. the United States, other nations including India, United Kingdom and Russia have taken tough stances on piracy.
Poor global economic conditions, especially those in Western Africa, along with pirates learning they can get huge ransoms for relatively little work have made life on the high seas a bit dicey these days.
Much of the activity involving attacks or attempted attacks on ships at sea by pirates goes unnoticed in the global news. This eight-page assessment of current maritime threats worldwide published by the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence explains such activity can be found practically all over the world. A few examples:
–The British Royal Navy killed two pirates following a chase in the Gulf of Yemen on Nov. 11. The Brits discovered the pirates attempting to seize a Danish cargo ship.
–French sailors captured nine Somalis in the Gulf of Aden on Oct. 23 after the French found automatic weapons, RPGs, ladders and grappling hooks in the pirates’ two boats.
–The sailboat (CHILL) was boarded by pirates with the boat’s captain killed on Nov 9 while anchored at Isla Borracha, Venezuela. Three men on board a small fishing pier approached the sailboat asking for water. When the captain came back up from below with water, they shot him in the chest. Another couple from a sailboat anchored with the Chill was also on board and the robbers shot a second man as well. The second man reportedly shot at the robbers with a shotgun, killing one and injuring another.
It is obvious waters get a little turbulent out there these days raising an obvious question. Why don’t the ships or shipping companies do something to protect themselves?
The answer is some measures are being taken. For instance a recent television program on this subject told of how an ocean liner repelled would-be pirates deploying a directed sound weapon at the would-be boarders. The sound gun targets the bad guys with sound waves, passengers are not endangered, which cause such intense discomfort that the bandits escaped.
There are international laws and those of individual nations under which a ship is flagged regarding the arming of the maritime vessels. Obviously, it is one thing for a military ship from a sovereign nation floating around out there armed with Sidewinder missile. It’s another when a privately owned ship with a Panamanian flag, an American master and a crew from the Philippines and India.
Some shipping companies have employed private security forces who accompany the ships on another chase vessel with armed guards ready to take action. Other companies are hiring armed security personnel of the type that have been operating with U.S. forces in Iraq. Obviously, some of the shipping companies are concerned about “cowboys” who might shoot first and ask questions later, and who then might escalate the situation or may cause the ship and its crew to get shot or blown up.
No doubt something needs to be done. In a global economy such as this and with one which is in such a precarious condition, these hijacking do nothing but cause higher prices and can reduce certain supplies. In other words, the fiscal turmoil which is causing these pirates to step up their attacks could cause even worse economic conditions and shortage of goods.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.